20. Tanner
20
TANNER
I kissed her yesterday. It was fucking amazing, and it’s all I have been thinking about. So much so, I hardly slept last night. Her knowing about the legal takeover I was planning took me by surprise, but I should have known that people talk in a small town, and it was only a matter of time before she heard whispers of it. But I am glad to have it out in the open, and after our kiss, I am even more glad that it was already canceled. Now, as I put my plan for today together, I text her so she knows that I am coming and what to expect.
Be there in five. Put on your swimsuit.
I watch the screen and see the dots dancing.
Oh, hello, neighbor. Back to telling me what to do again? Swimsuit? Where are we going?
I ignore her sass and text back immediately.
It’s a surprise. See you soon.
I pocket my cell, grab my things, and load up my truck. It isn’t often I play hooky from work, but the sun is shining, and I want to see her again. Jumping in my truck, I call Griffin as I drive.
“Hey, Tanner,” he answers immediately.
“Hey, can’t talk long,” I say as I start to pull out of my driveway.
“In a hurry?” Griffin asks.
“Just heading to the neighbor’s place,” I tell him honestly.
“Connor tells me you fancy her?” Griffin asks, and I bite my back molars.
“Don’t believe everything my kid tells you,” I grumble, although he isn’t wrong. Shit, the way her body was responding to me yesterday has had me harder than wood in my pants all day.
“She has a lot of talent. That sketch was amazing, and the way she has made so many simple changes to the property already that have had a major impact is pretty impressive,” Griffin says as I turn the truck into her driveway.
“I thought so too. Glad you agree. It is a hobby of hers, I think, but I can see her potential,” I say, a small amount of pride filling me as I talk about her.
“So what about your other project?” Griffin asks me, and I know I need to focus on that.
“We will need to get started on the plans for the accommodations. We can put them on the east side, grow some trees for privacy…” I say, thinking out loud. Marie’s pr operty was always my number one choice, but like any smart businessman, I always had a backup. While the east side is not as pretty and doesn’t have the mineral springs, it will still bring in people and be a success. The fact that my new neighbor is renovating and planning to stay fills me with something new. Kind of feels like hope. Now that I know she is staying, I don’t want the fact that I wanted her place to be front of my mind so I am letting it go. With that out of the way, I can progress my accommodations elsewhere on the property and get to know her better. On equal footing. Because every time we are together, whether we are arguing or kissing, it is the best damn time I have had in a long time.
“I think it will be fine there. That was always plan B.”
“Sounds great. I’ll be back next week to go over plan B and to pick up that limited edition whiskey that is now mine after giving you my day yesterday.” I can tell he’s smirking just from his tone.
“Thanks, Griff. I appreciate it,” I tell him honestly.
“Good to see you interested in something other than the distillery. It looks good on you,” he says sincerely.
“She would look good on anyone.”
He laughs before I end the call and pull up in front of Victoria’s house.
I sit in my truck for a moment, spotting her in the yard. She hasn’t seen me yet, so I watch her working in the garden, her knees in the soil. I admire her work ethic. It is something that runs strong in me as well. Her hair is down and around her shoulders, her hands in gloves. They are bright pink with frills, and I wonder where the hell she got them from. But just like the bright-pink footwear she had on the other day, I am starting to see she has these little out-of-place wardrobe choices that, in the city, no one would bat an eyelash at, but here, she pops brighter than the sun. I like it, a lot. I have never known anyone to move to the country and settle in as quickly as she has. And that brings my thoughts back to how good it felt to kiss her yesterday. How our banter and bickering has softened us both. That kiss is burned into my brain and was one of the best kisses I have had in all my years on earth. Now that I have had a taste, there is no doubt I need more.
“Planning on coming in or just watching me like a stalker?” she yells out, and I smile. I should have known she knew I was here. Jumping out of the truck, I walk over.
“Ready to go?” I ask, though I know she isn’t.
“Where are you taking me?” She stands from the ground, brushing off her gloved hands to get rid of the dirt.
“I have somewhere special to show you,” I tell her, not giving anything away.
“And I need my swimsuit?” She sounds intrigued as she narrows her eyes at me playfully. My eyes canvass her body in the cute sundress she has on, and I nearly groan. She looks good in fucking anything.
“Do you have any swimwear?” I suddenly realize she might not have packed any. She looks at me for a minute before a smile appears on her face.
“The mineral springs?” she asks with a little pep, her eyes wide, having just figured it out.
“’Bout time you saw exactly what your property offers, isn't it?” I’m itching to have my hands on her. Stepping closer, her smile widens as my hand wraps around her waist.
“Give me five minutes,” she says, almost jumping with excitement in my arms, and I smirk as I squeeze her waist.
“What, no arguing today?” I ask her, and she laughs.
“Well, I only argue when my grumpy neighbor tries to tell me what to do with my land. Since you are being nice, I can be nice too.” Her voice has a ring of tease to it, and I hum in contentment as I watch her run up the porch and inside. By the time I grab the blanket and picnic I organized from the back of the truck, she is back down to me.
“Okay, ready,” she says, locking her front door, and I grab her hand, walking her around the side of her place and through a gate at the fence line.
“Oh, this is so exciting. Is it far?” Her hands are small, soft, delicate as they entwine with mine, and I can’t take my eyes off her looking around the green fields, trying to take it all in from her perspective. I have looked at these rolling hills all my life, but I now get to see them through her eyes, and with the sun shining, it is a beautiful day for it.
“So the distillery land starts over there.” I point it out. “Your property line starts here, and then you have all the way over to that point over there.” She takes it all in as we continue to walk farther into the field.
“It’s a lot. I mean, I obviously saw the plans, but it is so different seeing everything like this,” she says, her expression relaxed. I look at her, noticing her hair blowing a little around her face and the shadows on her cheeks from her long lashes.
“The mineral springs are down this small path,” I tell her as I lead her down into a small valley, the hills creating a private setting, and I can already hear the small flow of water from the nearby stream that puts me more at ease.
“It is so beautiful and quiet,” she says in awe. We walk together, my hand never leaving hers. The peacefulness lowering my shoulders, her hand in mine feels all too perfect. I got Rochelle at the diner to put together a picnic lunch for us today. My chefs at the distillery restaurant were too busy, and I wanted something more casual anyway.
“So you grew up here, on this land?” she asks, looking up at me.
“All my life. The distillery land was where our family home was. Once my parents died, I turned it into the distillery it is today. I live at the back of the distillery, as does my son Connor,” I tell her, and she smiles.
“I grew up in a high-rise apartment. Central Park was the closest nature walk for me, and even then, it is always bumper to bumper with people. This just feels so…” she trails off, taking a big breath in. “…perfect,” she says, and I rub her hand with my thumb as we continue walking through the track.
“So you, Lucy, and Jasmine are becoming good friends?” I know they have been spending time together and I’m curious if she is making friends here.
“The girls have been amazing. So helpful with the house and also just great to have girly catch-ups,” she says just as we reach the bottom of the trail, the large spring on show for her.
“Wow.” Wide-eyed, she comes to a stop. “This is amazing,” she says, taking a tentative step forward. The water glistens, and on a day like today with the sun high, the warmth down here is like a hit of serotonin.
“The spring is a natural mineral spring, so the temperature is a bit warm but very soothing,” I tell her, and she bends down to feel the water.
“This looks like heaven,” she says, her smile wide with pure delight. “What are we waiting for?”
“Let’s go.” Pulling her along, I find us a spot on the grass nearby. I lay out the large blanket and towels and put the picnic basket down. As I get our things sorted, she disrobes, kicks off her shoes, and lifts her dress from her frame, and as I look at her, I almost stumble. She is in a bright-pink bikini, and I am starting to understand that it might be her favorite color. It fits her all too perfectly, pushing her breasts up a little, the curve of them teasing me. Her skin is smooth, her body curvy, and as I take in her perfect ass, the swoop of her waist, then the perfect curve of her ample breasts, I forget that I am staring.
“Something wrong?” she asks coyly, knowing exactly what is happening. I decide to fight fire with fire, and I grab my t-shirt from the back of my shoulders and pull it over my head.
“You like pink?” I ask as I throw my top next to her dress, watching her eyes roam, a light tint coming to her cheeks.
“It’s my favorite color.” She smiles as she tentatively steps into the water. My eyes continue to roam her body, and I think pink is now my favorite color too. Having lived a life of just Connor and me for years, I never had the heavy influence of a female in our life. So pink, lace, cute sundresses, and anything else that is feminine has been completely absent.
“Careful, it can be a bit slippery,” I tell her, grabbing her hand again, not wanting her to slip and take a fall. She has already been too injured for my liking.
“Ah-mazing,” she groans as she submerges, her eyes closing, the warm water immediately soothing her. I follow suit, the water hitting my tired muscles, and I feel the relaxation taking over on contact.
“Amazing is right.”
We both swim a little and get used to the water. It is so warm, a small amount of steam rises from the surface, our skin now shiny with moisture.
“No wonder the kids come here. This really is heaven.” Floating on her back, her breasts push up out of the water, and I swallow harshly at the sight. I am itching to pull the pink cup down and put her nipple in my mouth.
“I am not sure the kids relax like this. They probably get up to mischief every time they are here,” I tell her as I stand, brushing the water from my hair. It is deep but only comes to my chest. Victoria won’t be able to touch the bottom, though.
“How often do you come here?” she asks me as she slowly swims around me.
“Well, Marie never used it so she didn’t care who came here. Maybe once a week, if I could manage it. It’s a nice quiet spot to think. De-stress. ”
“So the distillery keeps you pretty busy, then?” She swims closer to where I am, floating right in front of me.
“There is a lot going on, that is for sure,” I say as she swims right past me, and I lean forward to grab her hand. “Come here.” Pulling her toward me, her body glides through the water, and she giggles, the sound making me jut my chest out even more.
I smooth my hand around her waist and pull her body against mine. Her soft skin feels amazing, and my hand splays over her lower back, my other hand running up her side.
“Does everyone always do as you ask?” she asks me teasingly. Her hands slowly run up my arms, the water dripping down my bicep tickling me as she cups my neck.
“You tell me,” I say gruffly. “Give me those lips…” Not able to hold back a moment longer, I move my hand and tilt her chin up. Her lips lift a little at the sides in a small smile before she proves my point and leans forward, giving me exactly what I asked for.
I hug her tightly as her lips meet mine, and I kiss her softly, taking my time. My hand moves from her chin to cup her jaw as I deepen the kiss. The water keeps her buoyant in my arms, but I keep our bodies sealed together, liking the way we fit. Our kiss yesterday was passionate, desperate, and needy. This one is all those things but slowed down enough to feel everything fully. Deliberately.
“You are so good at that,” she murmurs on my lips, her body curving into mine. I feel her legs shift before they hook around my waist, and I drop my hands immediately to cup her ass, my fingers digging under her swimwear as I squeeze her cheeks in my hands.
“You are… so fucking sexy,” I growl on her lips in between our kisses. Her body moves on mine, her fingers threading into my hair, her breasts pushing against my naked chest. The only thing between us is her flimsy bikini and my swim shorts, both doing very little to shield our desires from one another.
“Now if you had started with that instead of demanding I give you my property the first time we met, then we could have had a swim like this that much sooner,” she says cheekily, and I smile wide against her lips and let out a chuckle. She is right.
She pulls back to look at me. “With kisses like that, it kinda makes a girl feel wanted,” she says softly with a smile that almost makes her look dazed.
“With lips like yours, it’s hard not to want more,” I tell her straight as I take her lips with mine again, this time with more vigor. Holding her body to my wet chest, my hands cup her ass, one trailing up her back, touching her as much as I can.
“Tanner,” she moans as her hips grind into mine. I’m hard as stone at the sound of my name on her lips like that.
“Hey, what are you doing here, old man!” I hear someone yell, and I pull back sharply. Victoria gasps as her head swivels around, quickly looking in the direction over her shoulder where the voice came from.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?” I growl at the local boys who have turned up. All in their shorts and stripping off. They are generally good kids, but I know that they are currently playing hooky. Victoria’s grip on me tightens.
“We have a free afternoon, came for a swim. Good thing we found you; we don’t want an old guy like you having a heart attack down here. Looks like you were already getting mouth to mouth,” a kid I know as Joey says, and his friends all laugh.
“He’s a bit cheeky?” Victoria says, looking at me, her eyes sparkling in delight.
“Too cheeky for his own good,” I tell her as I look back at the boys, who are now running off the sides and jumping in the mineral springs, using the water as their own party pool. They are all teenagers, fit, tall, the zest of youth running through their bodies, and I have never felt older than I do now as I watch them all splash and play around. That was me once upon a time. Now my hair is gray, my face more wrinkled, yet I’m with this beautiful woman in my arms, who is now chuckling at the craziness of it all.
“There goes our serenity,” she says, smiling at me like I gave her the world. But she doesn’t move. Her legs remain wrapped around my waist under the water, her hands still looped around my neck. I run my hand up and down her bare back, enjoying the fact that she didn’t leap out of my arms in embarrassment when the kids arrived.
“You want to stay?” I ask, because I have no idea how long these kids will be here.
“Sure. I mean, if you do have a heart attack, I think we both know that I am very good at giving mouth to mouth,” she teases, and I growl, eliciting a loud cackle from her as she throws her head back, laughing out loud. I take the opportunity to kiss her glistening skin at her collarbone, making my way up her neck and back to her lips.
Never in a million years did I ever think I would be here doing this. Whispers has been like a sanctuary for me. Somewhere that people knew my history. I never even thought about bringing a woman whom I met from the city here. I kept the two lives very separate, because having a woman here in my town makes it real. Makes it serious. I can’t have a fling in Whispers, and now with Victoria in my arms and kissing her in front of the local teenagers, I am treading on thin ice because I am not sure she will even stick around.
But for the first time ever, I am willing to give it a try.