Chapter Eleven
The world seemed to fade away when Tanner kissed her again. His lips were soft and warm as his tongue explored her mouth.
She clung to his shoulders as she kissed him back. It’d been a long time since she’d been with a man – her memories might be hazy, but she knew damn well that it’d never been like this.
Tanner held her close against his big, hard body. The feel of his broad, muscular chest brushing against her nipples sent little bolts of electricity zinging through her veins. His hot, hard length pressed into her stomach, and his hand closed around her ass, pulling her closer still.
He slid his knee between her thighs, opening her up, and then his hand was there – between her legs, and she moaned and started to rock her hips.
He rolled her onto her back and ran his fingers down her cheek. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Ev.”
She didn’t speak; she didn’t know how. Her brain was completely scrambled as she looked up into his eyes.
She gripped his hip tight as his hand continued its path. He trailed his fingers down her throat, and then teased her nipple between his finger and thumb. She slid her hand around his back and cupped his ass, trying to pull him to her.
“I want …”
His eyes twinkled as he nodded. “I want you, too. I want to explore every inch of you, want to taste you, make you come on my tongue and …”
She moaned in desperation. “I want it all, Tanner, but later. First, I just want you.” This time when she tried to draw him closer, he braced his hand next to her head and looked down into her eyes.
“I wanted to …”
She shook her head rapidly and breathed, “Later.”
With that, he settled between her legs, spreading them wider with his knee. When he slid his hand between their bodies and teased her entrance with his fingers, she grasped his shoulders, trying to pull him down to her.
He smiled as he circled the ball of his thumb against her clit. “Slow down, darlin’. We’ve got all night.”
Her breath came rapidly as he continued to rock his hand against her. She was totally at his mercy. There was nothing she could do to stop the sensations that washed through her – nothing she wanted to do. She gave herself up to it, and then gasped when he slid two fingers inside her. She clung tight to him and rocked her hips in time with the thrusting rhythm he set up. Her inner muscles gripped him tight and began to pulsate around him. He was going to make her come, and there was nothing she could do, nothing she wanted to do.
When he increased the pressure against her clit, her whole body started to quiver. “Tanner!”
“Come for me, darlin’.”
As if on his command, she began to pulsate around him. She tried to squeeze her legs together, as if she could resist, but it was too late. Every nerve ending in her body seemed to tingle as her orgasm crashed over her, sucking her under before lifting her higher and higher until she felt like she might dissolve.
Just when she started to come back down, he shifted his hand, teasing the bundle of nerves between her legs with his thumb as he added a third finger and drove deeper.
“Tanner!” His name came out as more of a scream than a gasp. Her whole body seemed to pulsate around his fingers. It felt as though he was everywhere, not just inside her but all around her. He was inside her body, inside her mind, inside her heart. That last thought brought her back to her senses as Tanner’s hand slowed and brought her back down to earth.
She was panting as she looked up into his eyes. He leaned in and kissed her, and while she was still recovering, he used his hand to guide his hot, hard head to her slick entrance.
She was still trying to berate herself for even considering that her heart might get a say in any of this. That was crazy. It was … “Tanner!” She gasped his name again when he thrust deep and hard, filling her, stretching her, making her forget that anything in the whole universe existed other than him.
He was big, almost too big. The sting and the feeling of fullness drove all rational thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t think; she could only feel – and damn, he felt so good.
She braced herself, waiting for the inevitable onslaught. But it didn’t come. When she opened her eyes, the expression on his face took her breath away.
“You okay?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.
She nodded. “You?”
He gave her a pained smile. “Maybe a little too okay. I need a minute. You feel so damn good; so tight, so hot, so … wet.” He swallowed visibly. “You feel like you were made for me, Ev.”
Tears stung behind her eyes, and she closed them as she nodded. She felt the same way – like he was made for her, but she had to believe that it was just the heat of the moment. He was caught up in something he didn’t usually do. She was the same. They were both making a big deal out of this because it was outside of their norm, that was all. It had to be.
When she’d regained her composure as much as she was going to be able to, she opened her eyes again.
“We’re onto something special here.” She rocked her hips gently, and he squeezed his eyes shut. The words she spoke next were mostly a reminder to herself, but she could tell that they hit him hard. “We should make the most of it while we have the chance.”
Little furrows lined his brow as he brushed his lips over hers. “I’m going to the make the most of you for as long as you’ll let me, darlin’.”
As he spoke, he slowly pulled back before easing his way in again. Every inch of the slide sent slick heat trickling through her veins. He moved so slowly. Prickles raced over her skin. She grasped his ass trying to make him go faster, but he held her gaze, a small smile on his lips as he pulled back again.
“Making the most of it,” he breathed. “Because you feel so damn good, and the second I start to fuck you, is the second I blow. You’re driving me out of my mind, Ev.”
She nodded rapidly and clenched him tight, making him gasp.
“I’m the same, but if you keep this up, you’re going to take me over the edge, and I … I’d rather you fuck me than go out with a whimper.”
He chuckled. “In that case, you ready?”
“I’m so ready, it’s not even funny.”
He didn’t need telling twice. He slid one hand under her ass, lifting her up to receive him, and this time after he slowly pulled back, he thrust deep and hard, making her gasp. There was no time to catch her breath as he set up a frantic, pounding rhythm. She threw her arms up above her head – there was no point in even trying to hang onto him.
“Fuck, Ev!” The heat in his eyes as he looked down at her made all her muscles quiver. He braced his hands on either side of her head and arched his back as he pushed himself up. She grasped at the headboard, needing to feel as though she had some grip on reality as he relentlessly drove her toward release. She wrapped her legs around his and felt him grow harder.
“Everly! I’m going to …”
“Yes!” she screamed. “Oh god, Tanner, yes!” She saw stars behind her eyes as she let go, flying higher and higher still when he let go, roaring her name as her orgasm triggered his. Even through the haze of ecstasy inside her head, she registered the way he felt pulsating inside her. The way his body gave her everything he had. The way they connected as though this was what they’d each somehow been waiting for – as if, like he’d said, she’d been made for him, and he for her.
When Tanner finally slumped down over her, he kissed her neck, and then nibbled her ear, sending aftershocks racing through her veins.
“You were right, darlin’,” he whispered. “We’re onto something special here.”
She pressed her cheek against his and closed her eyes as she breathed him in and nodded. She knew that she was right about the other part too – the part where they needed to make the most of it while they could.
~ ~ ~
Tanner lay in the darkness, smiling to himself like an idiot. He was amazed at himself, at the way he’d so badly wanted to bring Everly back here with him. He’d wanted plenty of women in the past, but not in the way he wanted her. It had felt important to him to bring her here – into his bed. He hadn’t given it much thought before, but he was all too aware now that he didn’t just take women back to their hotel rooms because it was more convenient – it was because he didn’t want them here, not in his home, not in his space, and sure as hell not in his life.
He looked down at Everly, curled his arm around her waist, and had to smile at the way she muttered to herself and pressed closer to him. She was something else. Part of what had him awake this early was that he knew for sure now that he wanted her in his life.
She’d amazed him last night. He wished that he could think of another word for it, but there wasn’t one, she was just … right. Right for him.
He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead as he watched her sleep. He knew in that moment that he didn’t want to say goodbye to her. At first, trying to persuade her to stay for the whole week had felt like a big deal. Now, he was facing even more of a challenge – how the hell was he supposed to convince her that she should stay for good?
Her eyes fluttered open, and he held his breath. He didn’t often stick around to see how a woman might react to him when she woke up. He preferred to slip away in the night. He didn’t think that made him an asshole – he liked to leave a little note so that they didn’t wake up feeling completely alone. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as Everly came awake and realized where she was.
A rush of warmth filled his chest when she smiled and slid her arm around his waist.
“Good morning,” she mumbled.
“G’mornin’, darlin’.” He tucked his fingers under her chin and held her gaze as he placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “You okay?”
“Honestly?”
He nodded, hoping that she wasn’t about to say that she regretted sleeping with him.
She smiled big. “I feel amazing.” She ran her fingers up his neck and into his hair, sending shivers racing down his spine. “At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about being yet another conquest for you. But I have to tell you, I’m kind of grateful now that you’ve had so much practice; you’re pretty damn good at it.”
He made himself smile, even though her words didn’t sit well with him. “I don’t think it’s about the practice. I think it’s about you and me – we’re different.”
She opened her mouth, but he pressed a finger to her lips before she could speak.
“It’s not a line, Everly. I can tell you in all honesty that I’ve never said that to a woman before. I mean it. What you said about us being onto something special? It’s true.”
Her eyebrows drew together as she searched his face.
“You don’t think so?” he asked.
She pressed her lips together, and he waited. She couldn’t disagree, could she?
She blew out a little sigh. “Of course I do. There’s no denying it, is there? But Tanner, the other part of what I said is true, too.”
He frowned. “That we should make the most of it while we can?”
She nodded.
“I don’t disagree, but I think we need to talk about that while we can part.”
“What do you mean?”
He rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. “You know damn well what I mean. I’m saying that I want more than a week.”
Her eyes grew wide. “I’d love that, but we have to be realistic, Tanner.”
“I know. I feel like I am being realistic, because this? You and me? It’s real. We just have to figure out what we’re going to do about it.”
She stared up at him for a long moment. “There’s nothing we can do.”
His heart sank. “Nothing we can do or nothing you want to do?”
“Want to? I’d love to. But …” She shook her head. “You don’t even know me. You don’t know what my life …”
“That’s what I’m saying. I want to get to know you. I already know you well enough that I want to give this a shot. It’s not impossible, Everly. Not if we want to give it a try.” He stared into her eyes, willing her to agree.
“But there’s something – a big thing – that you don’t know about me yet. If you still want to try after I tell you, then I’d love to. But Tanner, I…”
They both jumped when his phone started to ring. He wanted to ignore it but, on the ranch, that was never an option.
“Hold that thought,” he told her as he reached for his phone. “What’s up, Brooks?” He wanted to say that this was a bad time. But when was six-thirty on a Sunday morning ever a good time? Brooks wouldn’t be calling him if there wasn’t a problem.
“Sorry to call you so early, Tan. I think you’ll want to come down here.”
Tanner scowled. Going down to the barn was the last thing he wanted to do this morning. “Why? What’s going on?”
“That new mare; I’m worried about her. I kept an eye on her overnight, and she seems worse this morning. She’s breathing hard, and she’s antsy.”
Tanner was already reaching for his jeans from the floor. “Have you been walking her?”
“Yep. I figured it might be colic.”
“I’ll be out there as soon as I can. I’ll call Janey.”
Everly sat up in bed, clutching the sheet to her chest as she watched him get dressed. “What’s wrong?” she asked in a small voice.
“One of the horses. I need to go and take a look at her.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Shit, I’m sorry, darlin’. Are you okay to stay here for a while? I shouldn’t be too long. You could maybe get some more sleep?”
She considered it for a moment before she nodded. “I’ll be fine. You go and do what you need to do. Do you think Ford will mind if he finds me in the kitchen? I could really use some coffee.”
“Ford won’t mind, but I’ll make you some before I go and bring it up if you’d be more comfortable with that.”
“No! Just go. It sounds like it’s an emergency. No way do I want to hold you up.”
He went and perched on the edge of the bed and held his arms out to her. She felt so warm and soft as she hugged him. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’m sorry. Have I told you just how amazing you are?”
She laughed against his neck. “You’ve said it so many times now that I’m starting to believe you might actually mean it.”
He kissed her and leaned back with a stern look. “You can bet your ass I mean it.”
“You’re pretty awesome yourself, but we can talk about that later. Go on. Get going.”
He pressed one last kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry about it. Take all the time you need.”
~ ~ ~
After Tanner had gone, Everly looked around his room. It felt like him. It was warm and inviting. It’d be all too easy to get comfortable here – she already was – just like she was already too comfortable with Tanner.
She bit down on her bottom lip. What he’d been saying about wanting to figure out a way that they could spend more time together had made her heart soar. But she’d come crashing back down to reality in a hurry. She’d love to think that it might be possible, but she didn’t even know if he’d still want to when she told him about Ashton. She was starting to feel a little uneasy about that. She genuinely wasn’t trying to hold out on him, it just seemed that every time she was about to tell him, something else came up.
She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, grateful that he had his own and she wouldn’t have to go out and wander down the hallway. At this point, she wouldn’t blame him if he thought that she’d been hiding her son from him. That thought made her scowl. There was no way that she’d ever hide her beautiful little boy from anyone. He was everything to her. She decided that as soon as Tanner came back, she was going to tell him all about Ashton.