Chapter 20
TANNER
I’m leaning against the reception counter, trying to figure out the logistics for moving some of the decorations we salvaged from storage earlier when the door opens, and I glance up. Emily steps inside, cheeks flushed, a wild look in her eyes like she’s been through something…intense.
And she’s not alone.
Axel’s right behind her, his jaw set, shoulders tight.
He looks around quickly like he’s making sure no one’s watching before his gaze shifts to me.
For a split second, something flickers in his eyes—something dark and guarded—but then it’s gone, replaced by that usual blank stare he wears like armor.
“What’s up, big guy?” I call out casually, but he just keeps walking, his back tense, disappearing down the hallway without a word.
Okay. That’s weird.
I blink, my gaze flicking back to Emily. “Umm…everything okay?”
“Yep,” she says.
“What were you doing out there for so long?” I ask. To my surprise, her blush deepens. It’s no secret that Axel wants her. He made that clear at the bar, and so did I. But the question is—do I have to fight for Emily now? Because I don’t want to go against my friends.
“Axel. He…um, needed some help,” she says, still not meeting my gaze.
My eyes narrow. Needed help? With what? He doesn’t look like he needed any help.
In fact, he looked like…My gaze drifts to Emily again, taking in her rumpled clothes, the way her hair’s just a little messy.
She’s glowing—there’s no other way to describe it.
A rosy flush across her cheeks, a softness in her eyes.
Damn. Did something happen? But just last night she was with Ben…So does that mean? I don’t even want to finish the thought, but it turns me on in a way I didn’t think was possible.
“Oh my God, I totally forgot to check on the cake yesterday,” she says, squeezing my bicep. I get the feeling she’s trying to change the topic, but I don’t particularly care when she’s touching me.
I chuckle. “Don’t worry, I took everything out of the oven and covered it. It should be undisturbed in there.”
She visibly relaxes. “Oh my God, you’re a lifesaver.”
“I know,” I say.
“We should probably finish frosting the cake, right?” she says. “The wedding has only been pushed back a day or two, so we need to get it done.”
“Sure,” I say lightly, letting it go—for now. “Let’s go finish that masterpiece, shall we?”
She visibly relaxes, flashing me a relieved smile. “Great! Let’s do that.”
The cake is right where I left it last night. I help Emily take it out of the refrigerator and take it over to the counter.
I pull back, watching her for a few moments, but her delectable ass is too fricking distracting.
She’s just in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants, but it doesn’t matter.
I’m already rock hard for her, more so by the thought of what had happened outside.
Strangely, I’m not jealous. But I want her to know that I’m better, and she has to choose me.
“Hmm.” I let my hands rest lightly on her hips, feeling the way she tenses beneath my touch. The feel of her soft curves under my hands, the warmth of her body so close to mine…it’s intoxicating.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly as she tries to keep working, her hands shaking as she dips the spatula into the big mixer.
“Nothing,” I murmur, leaning in, letting my lips brush lightly against the curve of her neck. “Just…thinking.”
“About what?” she whispers, her breath catching as I nuzzle her skin, trailing soft kisses along her throat.
“About what you’re hiding,” I murmur, letting my teeth graze her earlobe. “About what happened out there with Axel.”
She stiffens, her hands freezing on the bowl. “I’m not hiding anything,” she says, but the words are too soft, too shaky.
“Liar,” I whisper, my hands sliding up from her hips, over her stomach, until I’m cupping her breasts through her shirt.
I feel her suck in a sharp breath, her whole body going rigid as I squeeze gently, my thumbs brushing over her nipples.
“What’s got you so worked up, hmm? Did he touch you, Emily? ”
“Tanner…” Her voice is a strained gasp, but she doesn’t push me away. Doesn’t tell me to stop. Her head falls back against my shoulder, and I see her eyes flutter closed, her lips parting in a soft, breathless moan as I roll her nipples between my fingers. “We shouldn’t—”
“Why not?” I growl softly, my mouth on her neck again, sucking lightly. “You’re tense, baby. All knotted up. Let me help.”
She whimpers, the sound going straight to my cock. I squeeze her breasts again, loving the way she arches into my touch, the way her breath catches.
“I don’t…I don’t know—” She gasps, her words dissolving into a moan as I pinch her nipples, her back arching against me.
“Shhh,” I murmur, turning her slightly so I can nip at her jaw, my hands still kneading her breasts. “Just relax. Let me take care of you.”
Her hands fall limply to the counter, the frosting forgotten. I can feel her trembling under my touch, her body soft and pliant against mine, and I know I’ve got her.
I nuzzle her neck again, breathing in her scent, feeling the way her body shudders as I kiss my way up to her ear.
“Tell me, Emily,” I whisper, my voice low and dark. “Did he make you feel like this?”
She gasps, her whole body going tight, and I smile against her skin.
Because the answer is right there, in the way she trembles, in the way she moans my name.
The second I feel Emily start to turn in my arms, I loosen my grip just enough to let her move. I expect her to shy away, to scold me, to maybe even push me off after what I just pulled—but instead, she whips around, grabs me by the collar, and kisses me hard.
The move catches me completely off guard.
For a heartbeat, I freeze, her lips demanding against mine, and then I’m all in, a groan rumbling up from my chest as I dive into the kiss, my hands flying to her waist to yank her closer.
She’s fierce, her mouth hot and urgent, and I feel my pulse spike, my blood roaring as she takes control, kissing me like she’s the one who can’t wait, like she’s starving for me.
Hell yes.
I grab a fistful of her shirt, growling softly as I kiss her back just as hard, letting her feel exactly how much I want her.
She tilts her head, deepening the kiss, and I take the opportunity to slide my tongue against hers, savoring the sweet, addictive taste of her.
My hands tighten on her waist, desperate to feel more, to touch every inch of her.
The urge to lift her up onto the counter and have her right here, right now, is so strong it nearly blinds me.
But just as suddenly as she started, she pulls back, breathless with swollen lips. Her eyes blaze as she stares up at me, her chest heaving, and I blink, still dazed, still reeling from the force of that kiss.
“Emily…” I pant, my hands still clutching her waist. “What the hell was that?”
She smirks, a wicked glint in her eyes that sends a fresh wave of heat surging through me. “Just wanted to remind you of what you’re waiting for.”
I blink, my mind struggling to catch up. “Waiting for…?”
“You’re going to have to be patient,” she says, her tone sweet as she pulls away completely, brushing her hair back like she didn’t just rock my entire world. “We have to finish the cake.”
I gape at her, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut. “You’re—are you serious right now?”
“Very serious,” she replies primly, turning back to the frosting bowl like she didn’t just turn me into a desperate, throbbing mess. “We need to get this done before the rehearsal dinner. We’re going to be busy all evening, so we need to focus.”
I stare at her, my jaw clenched, my entire body strung so tight I feel like I might snap. “Focus,” I repeat, the word a frustrated growl.
“Yup,” she says, her smile infuriatingly calm, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’ll have to wait.”
Wait. She wants me to wait. After kissing me like that, after teasing me to the edge and leaving me hanging, she’s just…what, expecting me to stand here and frost a goddamn cake?
“Emily…” I groan, my voice a low rasp. “You’re killing me.”
She just grins, picking up the spatula. “You’ll live.”
I narrow my eyes at her, my chest heaving. She’s messing with me—torturing me—and loving every second of it. And damn if I don’t love it, too.
“Fine,” I mutter, forcing myself to step back. “We’ll finish the cake.”
“Good,” she says brightly, turning back to the counter. But as she bends forward, her hips sway just a little more than necessary, her movements slow and deliberate, and I see the smirk tugging at her lips.
Goddammit. She’s doing this on purpose.
I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to grab her and haul her back against me. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
She glances over her shoulder, eyes dancing with mischief. “Maybe a little.”
I exhale slowly, dragging a hand through my hair. “You’re a dangerous woman, you know that?”
“Only when I want to be,” she murmurs, and the sultry note in her voice sends a fresh wave of heat shooting through me.
I force myself to take a deep breath, trying to focus on the task at hand—because apparently, that’s the only thing that’s going to keep me from losing my mind right now. Emily is working on spreading the base layer of frosting, humming softly to herself like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
Meanwhile, I’m standing there like a complete idiot, staring at her like she’s the most beautiful, infuriating thing I’ve ever seen. And she is. That’s the problem.
“Here,” she murmurs, handing me the bowl of frosting, her fingers brushing mine. Even that light touch sends a jolt of electricity through me. “Can you start on the sides?”
“Yeah,” I manage to say, my voice rough. I grab the spatula and get to work, smearing the frosting along the edges of the cake, trying to ignore the way her presence makes my entire body feel like it’s on fire.
“Like this?” I ask, casting her a sideways glance.