Chapter 22
brEAKING: FAMILY DRAMA SPARKS PRIVATE RECKONING Witnesses report tension… and something more
Tanner
“Inside,” I order Alaia between gritted teeth.
She bites her bottom lip and backs up a few steps. “Are you mad at me?”
I’m not mad at her, but I am fucking furious with my family. How dare they approach Alaia? How dare they tell her to break off our relationship? How dare they say she’s ruining my future?
They have no idea who I am. Because they’ve never bothered to listen to my dreams and wishes. All they care about is the Long family name. Our legacy. The wing of the hospital they intend to have named after them.
They don’t care how Alaia is the first person to support me and stand up for me. How she’s the first person I want to have a real relationship with.
I’m so furious I can barely speak. I shackle her wrist and drag her inside the bar. She doesn’t fight me despite her obvious apprehension.
“How did you know your family was here anyway?”
Julian pops up from behind the bar. “I called him.”
Alaia scowls at her co-worker. “I had the situation handled.”
“It wasn’t your situation to handle.”
Her scowl deepens. “Yes, it was. Tanner is my boyfriend. I was trying to protect him from his family being a bunch of assholes.”
Julian lifts an eyebrow. “Your boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
My stomach flips at her lack of hesitation.
He snorts. “Sure, whatever. Pretend I don’t know about your ‘arrangement’.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I have no patience for this. “Office. Now.” I steer Alaia toward the rear hallway. Once we reach the office, I shove her inside before locking the door behind us.
She retreats until her back hits the desk. “I’m sorry, Tanner. I overstepped. I shouldn’t have—”
I whip up a hand to stop her. “I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re literally vibrating with anger.”
“Not at you. Never at you, gorgeous. My family, on the other hand.”
“I’m sorry. Your family is …”
“… a bunch of assholes.”
She shrugs. “Kind of.”
“No one’s ever defended me to them before.”
Her brow wrinkles. “No one? Ever? Not a teacher? Not a coach? A family friend?”
“Not a teacher. Not a coach. And definitely not a family friend. They were all too busy being impressed by Dr. and Mrs. Dr. Long.”
“Impressed?” She snorts. “I believe the word you’re searching for is intimidated.”
I close in on her and palm her cheek. “You weren’t intimidated.”
“Wrong. I was beyond intimidated.” She shivers. “Your family is a force to be reckoned with.”
“But you defended me. And kicked them out of the bar.”
She shrugs. “They weren’t customers. They didn’t want a drink.”
“None of my family drinks except for special occasions.”
“None of your family is any fun.” Her eyes widen and she slaps a hand over her mouth.
I peel her hand away. “You don’t have to worry about what you say about my family to me. I won’t be offended.”
“But you will be mad? You looked ready to spit nails outside. Trust me, I know mad. I was there when the history teacher came outside and discovered my sisters had thrown sheep shit all over his house for giving them Bs on their essays.”
My lips quiver with the need to smile. Only Alaia could make me smile after the shit show of my parents showing up where they’re not wanted. “I’m mad because my dad was being an asshole and pulling his high and mighty act with you.”
Her shoulders drop. “You’re seriously not mad with me?”
“Not mad with you, gorgeous.”
“Then, why did you drag me into my office? I thought you were going to give me a lecture on how to act with your family.”
“I’m going to give you something else.” I step closer until my hard cock hits her belly. She gasps and her eyes flare.
“We shouldn’t. We agreed. We…”
I place a finger over her lips to quiet her. “We aren’t doing anything.”
“But…” She waves her arm toward my dick and it pulses in my jeans. It wants to sink deep inside of her. Feel her walls convulse around it.
I inhale a deep breath and get myself under control. This isn’t about me. This is about Alaia. About rewarding her for being on my side. Trying to show her our relationship isn’t some game I’m playing.
“This is about you.”
“Tanner.”
“No one’s ever defended me before. No one’s ever kicked my parents out of a bar and then followed them outside to make certain they left the island. But you did.”
Her eyes soften. “You deserve to be defended. And your parents definitely deserve to get an earful. They have no clue how special you are. How talented you are. How hard it is to have the career in the NFL you’ve had.”
Warmth spreads through my body at her words. She’s not making shit up to impress me or get something. She sincerely believes what she’s saying.
Fuck. I love her.
My breath catches in my throat. I love Alaia? No. It can’t be. I don’t believe in romantic love. I’ve seen how my parents act together. The way they act can’t be love. But I’ve also seen how Alaia’s parents act together. How supportive they are of each other and their children.
Maybe love does exist after all.
I swallow. I love Alaia, but she thinks this is fake.
Challenge accepted. I’ll show her this relationship is anything but fake. My feelings are real. And the deadline on this relationship has officially been cancelled.
“Take your pants off.”
Her eyes flare, and her mouth drops open. “What?”
“And your panties.”
She clears her throat. “Tanner. I’m at work.”
“Don’t care.”
“Someone could catch us.”
“I locked the door.”
She frowns. “I don’t want to have some quickie with you in the office.”
I palm her neck. “Don’t you worry, gorgeous. You’ll come hard.”
Her breath quickens. “Tanner. I can’t.”
“Are you challenging me to get you off? I do love a challenge.”
“I’m…”
Her protest cuts off when I kneel before her.
“What are you doing?” she hisses.
I smirk up at her. “Removing your clothes since you can’t follow orders.”
I snap her jeans open and lower the zipper, revealing a pair of pink, lace panties. I fiddle with the hem of her panties. “These are pretty, but they have to go.”
I grasp the waistband of her jeans and drag the material along with her panties down her legs. When I reach her ankles, she kicks off her flip-flops.
“Good girl.”
She snorts. “I’m not a good girl.”
I grin. My Alaia – and make no mistake about it, she is mine – enjoys arguing about every-damn-thing. Not to worry. She won’t be able to speak – let alone argue – in a few minutes.
I draw my hands along her silky smooth legs. I love her skin. It smells of peaches and feels softer than the expensive silk sheets on my bed at home.
When I reach her waist, I stand. I lift her up and place her on the desk.
She squeals. “Cold.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll warm you up.” I wink before molding my lips to hers. For all her protests, she doesn’t hesitate to open her mouth. My tongue swoops in.
She tastes of coffee, chocolate, and something unique to Alaia. It’s a taste I’m slowly becoming addicted to. A taste I plan to enjoy for a long time. Longer than the end of this summer. Maybe forever.
Her hands grasp my shoulders to pull me closer. Until there’s no space between us. My hard length presses against her stomach, and she wraps her legs around my hips.
She begins to rub herself against me and I grunt before tearing my mouth away from hers. “No getting yourself off.”
She pouts. “You said you’d be quick.”
I said no such thing, but I’m not arguing with her. Not when I have her naked and spread out before me.
I unwind her legs from around my hips and drop to my knees.
“Knees on my shoulders.” She throws her legs around my shoulders and I smirk. “In a hurry?”
“You’ve made promises.”
“Don’t worry, gorgeous. I intend to keep them.”
I kiss her knee before nibbling my way along her inner thigh. When I reach her core, I stop to inhale a deep breath.
“You smell like heaven,” I murmur.
“I’m glad I—”
Whatever she was going to say is cut off when I lick her from her clit to her pussy. She moans and threads her hands through my hair.
“Hold on,” I order.
And then the talking ends. There’s no time to talk when I’m tasting her. She smells like heaven, but she tastes even better. I could spend my life on my knees worshipping her.
I use my thumbs to open her up and sink my tongue into her channel. Her walls quiver around me as she moans.
Her hands tighten in my hair as if to keep me where I am. Don’t worry, Alaia. I’m not going anywhere. Not until she’s come apart on my tongue. And then I’ll make her come again.
I’ll make her come until she’s wrung out. Until she can’t remember her name. Until she forgets all about how this relationship is supposed to finish at the end of the summer.