Chapter Three #3
“We went to live with our grandfather, Dane. He taught Tag and me how to survive in the wilderness. If it weren’t for Dane, Tag, and I wouldn’t be where we are today.
He was our inspiration behind opening our adventure store.
” He kissed Tana’s neck, and she wondered if he was trying to distract her because he was doing a good job of making her forget her next question.
Whenever Torren touched her body, it hummed with awareness and craved more.
He made her want everything from him, and that scared her because she wasn’t sure he would want to give her more than just a good time.
“You know that when you do that, I can’t think straight?” Her voice sounded breathy and needy. Torren chuckled against her skin, making her shiver.
“Good to know, honey,” he whispered.
“Torren.” She pushed him back and instantly regretted the loss of his lips on her neck. “We were talking, getting to know each other.”
He sighed, taking a step back from her. “All right, honey, let's talk. But just so you know, when I’m done answering your questions, I’m going to have a few of my own for you.
” Tana felt her grimace, knowing that she was probably not going to like his questions.
She could tell that Torren was curious about her ex-husband and what brought her to Harvest Ridge, but she wasn’t sure how much she could tell him.
Trusting Torren wasn’t the issue—he seemed like a stand-up guy.
She just didn’t want to put him in the middle of her messy divorce.
She was always one to handle her problems, not wanting to involve anyone else.
If she had made the problem, she would have found a way to clean it up, and as far as she was concerned, her ex was her problem.
She was the one who agreed to marry him, and she was also the idiot who went back with him after the girls were born.
Torren watched her, waiting for her to ask her next question.
“What about your dad? Were your parents divorced?” Torren shook his head.
“Nope, my dad was just an asshole. After my mom died, he left Tag and me on Dane’s doorstep.
He said he couldn’t handle raising us boys without my mom, so he took off.
We never heard from him again. No Christmas or birthday cards—nothing.
” Tana couldn’t help herself—she crossed her kitchen and wrapped her arms around Torren’s waist.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Tor. I couldn’t imagine being left like that—you were so little.” Torren’s muscles flexed, and she knew that he was trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal, but it must have been. What six-year-old kid gets over being left by a parent, unscathed?
“So, I answered your question. Do I get to ask one now?” Tana froze, not sure if she was ready for his questions. But turnabout was fair play.
“Sure,” she hesitated.
“Will you let me bring pizza over tomorrow night for you and the girls?” Torren asked.
She smiled up at him, not expecting that to be his question. He caught her off guard, but she was guessing that was what he wanted. “You can even pick a movie, and maybe we can watch it after the girls go to bed?” He looked so hopeful that she couldn’t help her giggle.
“All right,” she agreed. “Since it’s Saturday, we don’t have any plans, and the library is closed on Sunday.
” Torren pulled her body up against his so that her feet left the floor and kissed her.
Tana could get used to being rewarded by Torren every time she agreed to his plans.
He released her, letting her slowly slide down his big body, and she gasped when she felt his erection against her belly.
She had no idea that she was affecting Torren just as much as he was affecting her.
That knowledge gave her a heady power trip, leaving her wanting more.
She needed to keep her wits about her because the girls were just out the back door, and she didn’t want them getting caught up in whatever was going on with her and Torren.
“I do have one stipulation,” she stuttered. “The girls can’t see us doing this.” She motioned between the two of them and felt her heart skip a beat at the way Torren smiled down at her. She didn’t miss the challenge in his eyes.
“You mean this?” Torren leisurely kissed his way down her neck, and she couldn’t help her moan. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and Torren was loving every time he coaxed a breathy sigh or moan from her. He seemed to like making her needy and getting her all riled up.
“Tor.” She tried to find her voice but was finding it hard to make any coherent words.
“Hmmm.” He hummed against her sensitive spot just behind her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She pushed at his muscled chest, not gaining any space.
“Torren, we need to remember that they are only four and won’t understand what this is between us.” Torren froze and took a step back from her.
“What is going on between us, Tana?” he asked. She closed her eyes, trying to replay the last few seconds of conversation in her head. She presumed that something was going on between them, but honestly, she couldn’t answer his question. Tana shrugged.
“I’m not sure, Torren. If you’d like to hazard a guess, have at it.
” She crossed her kitchen and slumped down into a chair, not letting herself look at him.
Tana was afraid that she would see just as much confusion on his handsome face as she felt.
Her stomach knotted, and she regretted not following her initial instincts of swearing off all men, especially men as sinfully gorgeous as Torren Harrison.
She was pretty sure that she hadn’t met a female resident that Torren didn’t date.
Tana knew better than to fall for someone like Torren, but here she was, foolishly kissing him in her little kitchen.
Torren crossed to where she sat and squatted down in front of her, pulling her hands into his own.
“Tana, look at me.” She childishly closed her eyes, trying to save herself from seeing his rejection staring back at her. “Tana, honey, please. Just look at me, give me a chance here.”
She peeped one eye open, and Torren laughed.
She opened her eyes and found no rejection in his expression.
Tana sighed and willed herself to relax.
It was probably better if he let her down now rather than later, after she lost her heart to him completely.
Because losing her heart to Torren would be easy to do.
With every passing minute that she spent in his company, she could feel another little piece of her heart slip away.
“I like you, Torren,” she blurted out.
“Well, I like you too, Tana.” His smile made the entire room brighten, and she couldn’t help but return it with her own.
“I don’t think that I can be in a relationship right now.
I just signed my divorce papers, and my ex wasn’t a very nice person.
I need to take a break from being part of a couple,” Tana admitted.
Torren nodded, and she felt like she just needed to say the rest of what she was thinking—rip the Band-Aid completely off.
“Besides, I’ve heard from people in town that you’re not a relationship kind of guy.
I’m just looking for a good time, you know—just have some fun.
” Torren’s expression fell, and she felt like a class A ass.
He stood, releasing her hands and pacing her kitchen floor.
Torren stopped in front of her and nodded.
“Fine, honey. You want to just have some fun, then I’m your guy.
No need to bring a messy relationship into the mix.
The girls will just think that I’m here visiting with Tuck and sharing my pizza.
We can do casual if that’s what you want.
” Tana nodded, wishing she could take back her words.
She wanted to stand up and shout that she was a complete idiot, that she wanted whatever he was willing to give her, but she wouldn’t put her girls or her heart through that.
It was time that she started thinking about herself and her girls—they needed to be her priority now, not dating her sexy-as-sin neighbor.
Torren leaned in to gently kiss her cheek and walked out to her backyard to get Tucker.
She laughed at the way the girls booed him for taking the puppy away, but didn’t miss their cheers when he promised to bring him back over tomorrow night, with pizza.
Torren walked back into her kitchen, puppy tucked under his arm, and grabbed his container of cookies from the counter.
He nodded at Tana on his way to her front door and walked out, not saying another word to her.
She felt a sob bubble up in her chest and knew that she had miscalculated Torren’s intentions.
She all but called him a man whore, and that had to feel like a slap in the face.
Tana needed to pull herself together—her girls would be in any minute, and they didn’t need to see their mother break down in tears again.
They saw enough of that to last them a lifetime.
She plastered a smile on her face and called the twins in for their baths, to another chorus of disgruntled groans.
First, she would get the girls into bed, and then she would text her apology to Torren and ask him to forgive her rude comments.
He deserved better, and she knew he was way out of her league.