Chapter 31 Share It?
WREN
My head spins with thoughts of the kiss the whole way to the apartment, and I can’t make sense of any of it. Fuck, that was a good kiss. Maybe the best, but it’s him and it’s me and we’re roommates and he made it clear earlier that he saw me as a friend.
I make my way out of my car and into the apartment, still holding the little cheetah he won me.
I place Goldie on the bedside table, and it’s not until my clothes are changed and my face is washed that I realize that I still haven’t picked up a new mattress.
So, it’s either the couch or the floor because as of last night, the hole is too big to be taped. How fucking perfect.
Walking back into the living room, I throw my pillow and a blanket on to the couch and then head to the kitchen to get something to drink.
I’m filling a glass with water when I hear the door click open.
“Wren, you here?” he asks, closing the door behind him. Taking the glass of water with me, I walk into the living room and sit on the couch.
“Wait, why is your pillow out here?” he asks.
“Because my bed is still deflated, and I don’t want to sleep on the floor again.”
“You’re kidding,” he deadpans.
“No, I’m not. It’s fine.”
“Just go sleep in my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No.”
He breathes out a long frustrated breath. “Fine. I don’t want to fight with you.” He begins to walk towards his room, and I know I’m not going to sleep if we don’t talk.
“Why did you kiss me?” I ask.
“What?”
“Why did you kiss me?” I repeat the question.
“Because it’s all I’ve wanted to do since the first time I saw you.”
His admission knocks the breath out of me.
“Then why not just ask me out, or tell me how you were feeling? Why act like we were just friends?”
“Because you deserve so much more than me,” he says. “You deserve someone who can make you proud to be with him. I can’t even make my own family proud of me.” He shakes his head. “How could I ever live up to what you deserve?”
“No. You don’t get to decide what I deserve,” I argue.
“You don’t get to pretend that you aren’t good enough for me because you’re in your feelings about your family and this job shit.
A job that you don’t even want. No. I’m not your dad, and I’m not your brother.
That’s not fair.” Dolly jumps on my lap and nudges the hand that’s holding the cup of water.
“But you know it’s true. I’m me. The fuck around, have good time playboy who doesn’t commit because I will somehow inevitably fuck it up. I always do.”
“We’re not having this discussion if you’re going to talk about yourself like that. I’m going to bed,” I snap, fluffing my pillow one handed. “I want to talk to you about this, but I’m not going to let you continue to berate yourself.”
“Then go to bed.” He gestures towards the pillow.
“Good night, Tanner,” I say, but Dolly nudges my hand again, and the glass tumbles out, covering the couch with water. “Shit!”
Tanner chuckles under his breath. “Where you gonna sleep now?” He smirks.
“I’ll just sleep on the floor.” I stand to walk back into the kitchen to grab a towel to clean it up.
“God, you’re so fucking stubborn.”
“I’m stubborn?”
“Yes.”
“Where do you propose I sleep?” I ask, drying the couch with some paper towels, then walking them to the trash can.
“My room.”
“No,” I say, walking back into the living room.
“See. Stubborn,” he jabs.
“I’m not sleeping in your bed and making you sleep on the floor.”
“Then share it with me,” he says.
“Share it?”
“Yes. Put pillows down the middle if you must, but stop forcing yourself to be uncomfortable because of me.”
“Fine.”
“Thank god.”
“Ugh.” I grab my pillow and blanket off the couch.
“After you…” He puts out his hand and follows me into his room.
I climb into his bed, watching as he starts to take off his costume. “Are you kidding?” I ask.
“It’s my room. Don’t look if you don’t want to see something.”
He undresses down to his boxer briefs. I do my best to divert my gaze, but I fail—miserably—and he catches me staring.
“Like the show?” he asks, grabbing a pair of sweats off the top of his dresser.
“Shut up,” I say, turning over and facing the wall. He chuckles, and then I hear him disappear into the bathroom. A couple minutes later, the bathroom door clicks open, the lights turn out, and the mattress shifts slightly under his weight.
“Night,” he says, tugging on the comforter.
“Night,” I say, rolling to my back to try to get comfortable, but I don’t even know how we got here, and he’s so damn close to me. The kiss replays in my head, and need builds low in my belly. I shift again, this time causing my foot accidentally to brush against his leg.
“Wren,” he warns.
“What?” I ask, playfully grazing him again with my foot.
“If you don’t stop touching me, then—”
“Then what?”
I hear him turn over, so I flip to face him too.
I can barely make out the curves of his face in the dark room, but I know we’re facing each other.
His breaths are steady, and I’m trying to maintain my distance, but I’m laying in bed with the gorgeous man who kissed me on top of the ferris wheel, and it’s hard.
“What will you do if I touch you again?” I ask.
I hear him take a deep breath. “You’re playing with fire here,” he says.
“What if I want to play with fire?”
He lets out a low groan as I move my foot up and down his calf.
“For the record,” I begin. “I think I deserve someone who will teach me how to cook dinner. Someone who will go above and beyond to understand my brother’s needs.
Someone who will drop everything to take care of me when I don’t feel good.
” I reach out and connect my hand with his arm, running my fingers along the veins in his forearm.
“Someone who will stock the pantry with all my favorite things, will leave me notes in the morning, and will kiss me like his life depends on it when I’m scared. ”
“Wren,” he breathes out.
“You may think you’re not good enough for me, but maybe if you stopped and asked me what I wanted…you’d know I want you.”
“You don’t mean that,” he says.
“I do mean that, and I’d like to know what you meant when you warned me to stop touching you.”
“Wren,” he warns again.
“Tell me what you meant,” I breathe out. “Please, don’t start with that self deprecating bull—”
“Fuck it,” he says, reaching out and pulling me flush against his body. His lips find mine, and he kisses me just like he did at the top of the ferris wheel. It’s slow, and passionate, and everything I’ve ever wanted.
My hands find his hair, and I tug gently, causing him to moan against me.
His lips part, letting me in. Our tongues tangle and our teeth clash.
His hands move down my back and find my ass, pulling me in tighter.
Hooking my leg over his, I bring us even closer, thrusting my hips forward.
His length pushes into me, and heat builds between my legs.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asks, pulling away.
“Yes,” I say, rocking my hips forward again. He flips to his back, carrying me with him, and our mouths meet again in a long kiss.
My hips continue to rock against him and he pushes up into me, causing the perfect friction against my clit. His hands explore my body, and my hands tangle in his hair.
His lips find my pulse point, and he sucks gently. “Oh, fuck,” I let out.
“You like that?” he asks, finding the spot again.
“Yes,” I breathe out, grinding my hips against him.
He sits up, positioning me so that I’m sitting in his lap. Wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, I pull him into me, and our lips meet in another needy kiss.
“I like kissing you,” he says, pulling away.
“So kiss me,” I say, shifting in his lap.
“I want to make sure you're comfortable with this,” he says, moving my hair behind my ear. “Because it’s taking all of my control not to take this further, but I can’t go all the way with you and it just be sex.
Losing you would break me, and I know this is a lot to throw out there, and I’m not saying you have to promise me forever, but I’ve been falling for you since I saw you, and I don’t want to fuck it up by being reckless tonight. ”
I lean down, cup his face, and kiss him softly. “This isn’t just sex. This is real. I promise I want you.” He rolls me to my back. “Now, kiss me.”
Leaning over me, he lowers himself to my mouth and then begins to trail kisses down the side of my neck. Every spot he touches ignites, and I thrust my hips forward.
“Is it okay if I kiss you here?” he asks, removing the strap of my tank top, pulling the fabric down, and kissing me tenderly along the curve of my breasts.
“Yes,” I say.
“And what about here?” He moves down my body and raises up the base of my shirt, kissing my abdomen.
“Yes,” I say, swallowing hard. His eyes find mine, and he continues to move, hooking my pajama pants with his fingers, pulling them down slightly.
“What about here?” he asks, placing a kiss along my right hip bone.
“Yes…” I begin to squirm. “Tanner, please kiss me.”
“I am kissing you,” he says. “And I’m going to take my time because this is all I’ve wanted to do for months, and now that I’m getting the chance, I’m going to kiss every inch of your perfect body.” He moves over to my left hip bone, kissing me again.
“Can I take these off of you?”
“Please,” I beg. He begins tugging my pants down my legs, revealing my red lace thong.
“Have you been wearing this the whole night?”
I nod, and he bends down and places kisses up my thigh. His beard tickles against the sensitive skin between my legs, and my breath quickens as he nears my center.
“Can I touch you?” he asks, running his fingers along the band of my panties.
“Please,” I beg, desperately, causing him to chuckle. He moves the red lace to the side and swipes his finger through my wet center.
“So fucking wet for me,” he says. My head falls back, and my eyes shut as he draws slow, purposeful circles against my clit.
“Eyes on me,” he says, causing mine to shoot open. He dips down again, tracing his tongue up my inner thigh, and he doesn’t break eye contact.
“Can I kiss you here?” he asks, rubbing his thumb over my clit on the outside of my thong, eyes locked firmly on mine.
I nod my head, and bite my lip. “Please, kiss me there.”
He slowly removes my thong and presses kisses up my leg starting at my ankle.
Each kiss is purposeful, and tender, and nothing like what I thought sleeping with him would be.
When he makes it to my upper thigh, his rough beard creates a sweet friction that causes liquid to pool between my legs.
His mouth finds my clit, and he spreads my thighs wide apart, exposing all of me to him. I let out a long moan.
I watch him work between my thighs, and I don’t know if I ever witnessed anything hotter. My whole body heats as he strokes my pussy with his tongue, and my hands grip the soft sheets, trying to hang on as long as I can.
“You taste so fucking sweet,” he says against me, his eyes finding mine. “You like watching me devour you?”
I nod.
“Good, keep watching, and when you’re ready, don’t hold back. I want you to soak my face. You think you can do that?”
“Yes,” I breathe out, rocking my hips forward. He continues to work me with his mouth, and the pressure in my core winds tighter with every lick and flick of his tongue. He moves his head and presses a finger inside of me.
“Tanner…fuck…yes…more…” I call out.
He adds a second finger, and his eyes find mine. “You still watching, pretty girl?”
“Yes…but…fuck…I…” My head lolls back. The feeling is overwhelming, and I’m on the edge of my release.
“That’s it, Wren. Let go for me.” His tongue finds my clit, and he spends extra time sucking and playing with the bundle of nerves, his fingers working in the perfect tandem with his tongue.
He curls his fingers in me, and that’s all it takes.
I completely uncoil. Liquid floods between my legs, and I watch as he continues to work me through the waves of my orgasm, drinking me in like he’s stranded on a desert island, and I’m the first drops of water he’s seen in days.