Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
SARAH
“ I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure about something in my life.” My eyes drop to his lips, and I lick my own instinctively as his hands drop away from my face. “I’ve wanted you forever, Tanner. Since I was a kid.”
His hands flex in and out of fists, as if he’s restraining himself from touching me, so I take one of his hands in mine and bring it back up to my face.
“I want you to touch me. I’m not fragile or broken. I’m a woman, well aware of what, and who, I want.”
“I don’t think you’re fragile, but you are precious,” he says as his fingers move into my hair to brush gently. “And I don’t care if that sounds cheesy.”
“Maybe only a little cheesy.” I grin and lean into him, and when his lips press against my forehead, I can’t help but sigh.
Tanner always did give the very best forehead kisses.
His hands drift down my arms, to my hands, and our fingers link. “How hungry are you?”
“I can wait.” I squeal when he lifts me into his arms and carries me down a hallway to what I assume is his bedroom. It also faces the water and is a total bachelor pad, with nothing on the white walls, simple black furniture, and a messy bed.
He tosses me onto the bed playfully, then jumps over me and crawls up my body, kissing his way to my neck.
He still hasn’t kissed me on the lips, and I’m dying for his lips to be on mine.
Finally, his mouth hovers just an inch from my own, and I can’t stand it anymore.
“Are you ever going to kiss me?”
“Oh, yeah,” he whispers, his eyes pinned to my mouth. “I’m going to kiss you, sweetheart.”
He drags his knuckles down my cheek, tips my chin up just a bit, and then he sinks into me, and everything else just melts away.
This man can kiss. Never too much tongue or lips too firm. Never too needy or sloppy.
Just absolutely perfect.
And he kisses me like his life depends on it. Like his only job in this world is to kiss my lips and drive me wild.
It’s been more than a dozen years, and yet it feels like no time has passed at all as his hands move down my side, then back up to cup my breast. I arch up into him, yearning for more, and he obliges, pinching my nipple through the fabric of my shirt and bra.
“Naked,” I murmur against his lips. “We have to get naked.”
“We will.” He nibbles down my jawline, returns to my neck, and his hand dives farther south and pops open the button of my jeans. “I remember every inch of your body, but I can’t wait to explore and rediscover you.”
“I’m not the same.” I gasp when his hand drifts under my panties and cups me, making everything in me tighten with anticipation. My hands dive into his thick, dark hair and hold on as he takes my body on one hell of a ride, even with my clothes still on.
He’ll destroy me once he gets me naked.
But what a way to go.
“I always loved this little birthmark,” he says, after pulling my shirt up and revealing the brown mark on my stomach. “It looks like Kentucky.”
I giggle, then sigh when he runs his tongue over that spot.
“They say that birthmarks are an indication of how you died in a previous life.”
He pulls up and raises an eyebrow as he studies me. “So, what do you think this one means?”
“I was probably stabbed.” I shrug. “But in a noble fashion, on a battlefield, fighting for King and country.”
“Huh.” He glances down at it once again and returns to kissing me. He peels my jeans down my legs and tosses them over his shoulder, then pushes my shirt up over my head, and I’m left lying here, just in my underwear.
And, miraculously, I’m not even a little self-conscious about it.
I reach for him, but he shakes his head.
“There is a zero percent chance that you’re going to let me be the only one naked here.” He smirks and gives in to me pulling his shirt off, then I climb up to my knees and reach for his pants.
“Fuck me, you’re beautiful.”
His words make me pause, my hands on the waistband of his pants, and I stare into his blue eyes. “You’re distracting me.”
“Sorry.” His lips twitch as I finish the job of getting Tanner down to his own underwear, and then we’re a tangle of limbs and tongues and moans as we tumble over the bed, hungry for each other in a way that hasn’t happened for me since I was with him when I was eighteen.
The passion, the utter need, is palpable in the room as I finally straddle his waist, and his hands immediately cup my ass, squeezing just hard enough to leave a little mark.
I freaking love that.
I grind against him, and even through two thin layers of cotton, I can feel the length, the outline of his cock, and it makes me crazy.
I need him inside of me.
But first, I want to have a little fun.
“I know that look,” he says, narrowing his eyes. “What are you about to do?”
“Relax. You’ll like it.” And with that, I move down his body, pull his boxer-briefs out of the way, and get to work on him.
“Holy shit.”
I always loved doing this to him. His cock is smooth and just the right size. And the noises he makes, the way he grasps onto my hair, makes me feel like a goddess.
Suddenly, he jackknifes and slides me onto my back, moves over me, and spreads my legs wide.
“My under?—”
My panties rip in half, and before I can gasp in surprise, his mouth is on me.
“Oh, my God.”
Anthony never did this for me. Never. It’s been a long damn time, and I come almost immediately.
But he doesn’t stop. He adds two fingers now, and my head thrashes. I don’t know if I can take any more.
“You can,” he assures me. I had no idea I’d said that out loud. “Oh, you can, baby.”
It’s quite possible that Tanner has honed his skills over the past few years, and I want to sing hallelujah as he pushes me up and over another crest into oblivion.
When I’m able to open my eyes again, he’s hovering over me with a very satisfied grin on his handsome face.
“Well, that was fun,” I say. “As soon as my heart returns to normal, we can do other things.”
“I think your heart’s fine,” he murmurs as he maneuvers his way between my thighs and rests his heavy cock against me.
But he doesn’t slide inside. Not yet.
“Are you okay?” He brushes my hair off of my cheeks and kisses my nose.
“Oh, yeah.” I swallow hard, catching my breath. “Doing good here. You?”
“I’m fantastic.” He kisses me softly. “What’s the birth control situation?”
“I’m still on it.” I grin at him. “Got it covered.”
“I’m gonna need an invitation here, Sarah.”
“For what? Oh, that. I think the invitation is implied.”
“Say the words.” He kisses me again. “I want to hear them.”
I raise my legs high on his hips, opening myself up to him. “Inside me, Tanner. I need you inside me.”
His lips twitch again. His eyes are full of fire and lust, and finally, he rears back and fills me.
We both gasp.
I can’t look away from him as he pauses, seated fully.
I clench around him and watch as his eyes glaze over. Finally, he begins to move, and he links his fingers around mine, pins my hands above my head, and freaking moves.
His muscles bunch and stretch, and I can only watch in awe. His body is so different from before, when we were so impossibly young. He’s a man now.
And he’s absolutely glorious.
“Ah, Sarah,” he moans as he picks up the pace. I can’t help but push my hands against his ass, and I can feel the pinnacle coming, faster and faster, until I can’t hold back anymore, and I come apart.
Tanner growls against my ear and empties himself inside of me.
“I’m going to ruin this gorgeous fish.” It’s been thirty minutes since we rolled out of bed, and we’re standing in the kitchen, organizing the supplies for dinner. “You should cook, and I’ll sit this one out and watch. It’ll be a learning opportunity.”
“No way, you’re not getting out of this one, babe. You’ll be just fine.” With his arms full, he joins me at the kitchen island, sets out a cutting board and knife, and grins.
Tanner doesn’t have just one grin. No, he has several that he pulls out of his pocket for different occasions, and this one tells me that I’m about to hate whatever it is that he’s going to tell me to do.
“I’m not touching that thing.”
“Those are never words that a man wants to hear.”
I laugh, just as my phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Hey, what are you doing?” June asks.
“I’m making dinner with Tanner. What are you doing?”
Tanner makes kissy faces at me, and I roll my eyes and turn my back on him.
“I have something I want to show you and Luna tonight. Can I pick you up around nine?”
“Nine?” I pull the phone away from my ear and scowl at it. “Like, in the evening? That’s kind of late, isn’t it?”
“You’re such a grandma,” June replies, and I can hear her roll her eyes from here. “I have to work late, but I won’t have you out past midnight, I promise.”
“Yeah, I can go out at nine. I might be in my pajamas and bunny slippers, though.”
“Do you actually own bunny slippers?”
Tanner frowns my way, as if to ask what’s going on, and I just wave him off.
“Hell yes, I do. I ordered them a couple of weeks ago. Hey, is everything okay, Juniper?”
“Oh, yeah, no worries. I just want to show you something, that’s all. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you at nine.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready.” I click off and turn to find Tanner mixing something in a bowl. “June wants to show Luna and me something later. I have no idea what that thing is, but apparently it’s happening at nine. Who goes out at that time of the night?”
“College students,” he replies and sets the bowl aside.
“I’m definitely not that. But now I’m invested, and I have to know what she wants to show us. Anyway, what did you just mix up?”
“A lemon and dill sauce for the salmon. Don’t worry, I left the fish preparation for you. I know you love that so much, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on your favorite thing.”
“I’m not touching that dead fish.” I cringe and shiver with disgust.
“To be fair, it’s not a whole dead fish. It’s just the filet.”
“It’s dead, and it’s part of a fish. Ergo, I’m not touching it. You can’t make me.”
“Is it just fish that weird you out? What about chicken? Pork?”
“I don’t like to touch any of it. But I can do it if I wear gloves.”
“A-ha!” He points a finger in the air, then opens a drawer and pulls out some rubber gloves. “Here you go.”
“Damn it,” I mutter, but I put the gloves on, resigned to my fate. “Okay, what do we do?”
“Rub this sauce all over the fish. Pretend like you’re giving it a massage.”
“Not a chance.”
“You’re wearing gloves.”
“You want me to give that fish a massage.”
“It’ll like it. It’s a stressed out fish, and it needs a massage, Sarah.” He laughs and demonstrates, sans gloves, how to do it. “See? Totally fine here.”
“You can never touch me again.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I’ll wash my hands. Twice, if it makes you feel better.”
“I don’t think that’s gonna work for me. You touched a fish with your bare freaking hands . ”
“What’s this thing that you have with sea animals? It’s dead and has no teeth, Sarah.”
“I don’t know, they just freak me out. They’re delicious, but I don’t want my hands on them.”
“I guess it’s a good thing that I never got that saltwater aquarium that I always wanted as a kid.”
I wrinkle my nose, and Tanner busts out laughing, then leans in and plants a quick kiss on my lips. “Okay, I’ll touch it, but you pay close attention.”
“Deal.”
“You weren’t lying,” June says in surprise when I hop into her truck, sandwiching Luna between June and me. “You seriously wore your pajamas.”
“It’s practically the middle of the night.” I close the door and fasten my seatbelt. “Besides, if you can’t handle me in my jammies, you don’t deserve me in, well, anything else.”
“I should have worn jammies,” Luna mutters, which earns a scolding look from June. “But I’m dying to know what you want to show us.”
“Me, too.”
“It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time,” she begins as she pulls away from Tanner’s house and drives through town, then turns away from the beach and drives inland. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love living with Grandma, but there comes a time when a girl needs to move the hell out, and that time is coming. I can’t move back into the shithole I escaped from, even if they say they cleared out the mold. I just don’t trust it.”
“No way,” I agree.
“So, where are you going to move to?” Luna asks as June parks in front of the white chapel in the heart of the residential area of Huckleberry Bay.
Luna and I both scan our eyes over the houses across from the church. “I don’t see any for rent signs.”
“Not over there,” June says, and when we turn our gazes to her, she points at the chapel. “There.”
“You’re going to live in a church?”
“Are you changing careers?” I ask, my words measured.
“No.” June snorts and then gets out of the truck, and Luna and I follow her. “I bought the chapel, you guys.”
Luna and I share a glance as we follow June through the gate of the old picket fence that surrounds the property, up the cracked sidewalk to the dilapidated porch that leads to the arched double doors.
June unlocks them, and we step inside.
“It’s cold in here,” I say, shivering.
June flips on the lights, and I’m surprised to see that it’s mostly empty, except for two lone pews in the front of the big room. There’s no altar left. The hardwood is scuffed, but still beautiful, and I know that June can sand it and make it shine.
“It’s bigger than I was expecting,” Luna says, her gaze thoughtful as she looks up at the stained glass windows.
“That’s what she said,” I reply, and we all laugh in hilarity.
“There’s a basement,” June says when we’ve quieted down. “And I could probably add on to the side here.”
“June, there’s a cemetery out back.” I stare at her, blinking. “Like, your backyard is a freaking graveyard. ”
“I know. Look, the cemetery is closed to any new internments, and I have no plans to disturb the people at rest back there. I don’t mind having a cemetery in my yard, if I’m being honest. I’ll keep it tidy, and people can come pay their respects when they want to. I’ll put up a fence between the cemetery and the chapel building, with a lock, so those who want to access the graves don’t also have access to my house.”
Her voice echoes in the empty room as we walk around in a circle, taking it all in.
“I do love all of the old stained glass,” Luna murmurs. “Will it be, what, a studio?”
“No.” June shakes her head, and a dreamy smile spreads over her face. “Haven’t you seen all of the old churches that have been turned into private homes? They’re so cool. I already know where I’ll put the bedrooms, the living space, and the kitchen. I’ll even have one and a half bathrooms.”
“What if you want kids?” I blurt out and prop my hands on my hips. “June, this is really cool, but it’s so small for a house . ”
“I don’t have kids,” she points out, not mad at all. “And no boyfriend. I’m not going to pause my life just because of what could happen. If I get married and have a half-dozen kids, I’ll buy a different house. But this is a project that I’m just itching to get my hands on. I know I have a lot on my plate right now, work-wise, but I’ll be wrapped up with most of it before the end of the year, and then I can shift gears a bit.”
We’re all quiet as we continue to take it in.
“I need this,” June says quietly. “I need something for me. Please don’t take this wrong, Luna. You know I love building the inn. It’s a blast. But between that and my other jobs, not to mention all the work I do for Grandma at her place, I really need something that’s all mine.”
“Hey, if you’re okay with a bunch of dead people twenty feet from your back door, I’m thrilled for you.” I kiss June’s cheek and take her hand in mine. “How can we help?”
“I might need ideas for design stuff. And I could definitely use some art for the walls.”
“You don’t even have to ask,” I assure her.
“Can I point out one tiny, little detail?” Luna asks.
“Sure,” June and I reply in unison.
“Um, when you’ve moved in, and you bring a guy here, you’re going to be having sex in a church. ”
The three of us share a look and then dissolve into giggles at the thought.
“I mean, Lucas Bradford and I did a lot of things in youth group back in the day,” June says thoughtfully. “But that was a different building.”
“Have you told Annabelle yet?” I ask her.
“That I was totally inappropriate with Lucas? Hell no, I didn’t tell her. Although, she probably knew.”
“No, about the church.”
“I wanted to show you guys first.”
“You said you’ve had your eye on it for a while?” Luna tilts her head to the side. “I didn’t know that.”
“It’s sat empty for a few years. Not long enough to do a lot of damage, and yes, I checked for mold, but it sat for a little while. And every time I drive by, I think to myself, I could make that into the cutest house. Well, it finally came up for sale, so I snatched it up.”
“It’s an awesome idea.” I turn in a circle once more. “Please tell me you’ll keep the bell in the bell tower, and we can ring it anytime we want.”
“Hell yes, the bell is staying.”
“Awesome. Oh, and speaking of sex, Tanner and I are. Having sex, that is.”
There’s silence for a full ten seconds, and when I turn back to them, they’re staring at me with their mouths hanging open.
“Is it really that shocking? We never could keep our hands off each other.”
“It’s…unexpected,” June says. “But no, not surprising. Good for him.”
“Hey, good for him ?”
“Oh, yeah, he’s wanted to jump all over you since the day he saw you standing in my driveway,” Luna says with a grin. “The man has the patience of Job.”
“Huh. How did I not know that?”
“You’ve had a lot going on, honey,” Luna replies. “Well, we have some fun things happening, ladies. New jobs and weddings and houses and sex.”
“I wish I were having the sex,” June mutters darkly. “Huckleberry Bay is way too small. There’s no one here I want to fuck.”
Luna and I exchange a knowing look.
“Right. No one at all.”
June scowls. “Shut up.”