Chapter 13
Aisling
Four years ago
“Tanner?” I ask, my eyes wide with disbelief, because I can’t believe how cute this small town sweetheart is.
I’d love to take your number. And if you decide that you wanna see me again, I’ll book something real special. Dinner for two, or I could take you horse-riding one town over. Or, hell, if you’d like it, I’m pretty decent in the kitchen so I could show you what I can do…
I want to know everything that Tanner can do, and I also want to start my college career as I mean to go on. By seizing every beautiful opportunity that comes my way so that, when I finally graduate, I don’t have a single regret.
To finally wear my heart on my sleeve.
“Yes?” he rasps, shoving one hand through his hair.
My heart pounds in my chest. “Just kiss me already.”
Tanner drops his hand and releases a relieved groan.
“Yes ma’am,” he rumbles, immediately reaching forwards.
I release a squeal of delight as his large palms grip my hips, and he smiles back at me with a quiet chuckle as he hauls me to the foot of the bed. He helps ease me up onto my knees so that I can reach him better, and one of his palms moves to my cheek, stroking me gently.
I go to lift my arms so that I can wrap them around his shoulders but the movement catches his eye and he frowns, gently holding my wrist.
“What’s that?” he murmurs, bringing my arm closer to his face.
I peek around his fingers so that I can see what it is that he’s looking at.
“Oh, that,” I say, breathing out a light laugh, and rolling my eyes at myself as I take in the purple smudge. “Before you came to save me I tried to move the bed on my own, but it wasn’t having any of it. It’s just a little bruise.”
It’s actually a really big bruise, which probably occurred somewhere between me trying to shove the fifty-thousand tonne bed-frame solo and me falling onto the gravel when the most attractive guy in the state cowboyed up behind me, but Tanner is so distractingly handsome that I hadn’t even noticed it until now.
“Shit, baby,” he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to my skin.
My breathing catches in my throat.
He’s kissing it better.
“Oh,” I whisper, when he presses another reverent kiss to my wrist. “When I asked you to kiss me, I didn’t expect you to kiss me there,” I admit.
It’s not a complaint though and, from the way that he’s smiling, Tanner can tell.
Somehow this is the sweetest kiss of my life.
Tanner eases my arms back around his neck and presses his warm chest down on mine.
“There are a lot of places that I would love to kiss you,” he murmurs, a dimple appearing in his cheek.
“Oh my,” I whisper, dreamily fanning myself. “You have, like, such a way with words.”
He laughs at that, his molten eyes sparkling with amusement. “Yeah?” he asks. “I’ve never been much of a talker.”
“Oh?” I ask, my heart pounding wildly. “So you’re more of, like… a physical person?”
His smile turns into a full-on grin and he pushes my chest more firmly into his – well and truly answering my question.
“You could say that,” he says quietly, the tip of his nose gently brushing over mine.
His hand slides from my hair to the side of my throat.
“You sure that this is okay?”
I nod my head quickly. “Yes, this is–”
His lips meet mine in a warm, gentle kiss, and my arms tighten around his neck, making him groan quietly and hold me closer.
It’s soft and sweet, the way that a first kiss should be, and his lips move gently against mine as his hands tenderly squeeze and caress me.
I make a breathless sound as he licks his tongue against mine, and the strong palm holding my lower back roams down to squeeze my behind.
I squish my chest hard against his and suddenly I’m no longer on my knees.
I yelp in surprise as I’m lifted from the bed, my thighs naturally hitching around his abdomen as he uses one forearm to heave my body upwards.
“Where are we going?” I ask breathlessly as he begins carrying me toward the bedroom doorway.
He grunts quietly and shuts me up with another firm kiss.
“The bed will be more comfortable than the couch,” I try to explain, but then I hear the sound of the door closing and I pull back in surprise.
Oh.
Oh.
He closed the door with us inside of the bedroom.
“Oh boy,” I whisper up at him.
Our eyes lock together as he carries me back to the bed.
“Just kissing,” he repeats, his voice deep and his cheekbones ruddy. “I meant what I said. I want to wine and dine you first–”
I yank his shirt so roughly in an attempt to drag his face down to mine that he grunts in surprise and in the next second we’re both on the bed – me on my back and Tanner pushing two-hundred-and-twenty pounds on top of me.
“Fuck,” he rumbles, before cupping my jaw in his hand and meeting my mouth with a hungry kiss. My nails score down his back before sliding quickly under his soft shirt, making him curse loudly as he thrusts his hips between my thighs.
I momentarily lose my breath.
“ Tanner ,” I squeal, the size of his erection making me gasp.
Tanner, on the other hand, seems utterly unfazed by our size difference.
“Yeah?” he murmurs, pulling back a centimetre, just so that he can rub our foreheads together.
“I know that you said just kissing,” I whisper, “but your… down there… it’s so…”
He shakes his head, a handsome smile teasing the corner of his lips. “I’ll deal with it later,” he murmurs, and I release a huff, not exactly pleased with that answer.
He notices and grins, right before crushing his mouth back down on mine.
I whimper quietly and dig my nails into him harder.
“Ash,” he murmurs. “Let me take you to dinner.”
I arch against him and whisper, “But what if I want dessert first?”
On a rough warning growl he shoves himself back onto his haunches, and just as I think that he’s about to tell me that he’s leaving, he fully rips off his shirt.
“ Holy Mother of muscle mountain ,” I whisper, sparkly pink hearts shimmering in my irises. I reach out and run a knuckle down the thick valley of his abdomen, as his beautiful broad chest pumps heavily up and down.
“You like that?” he asks quietly, his own hand hovering beside mine.
After he watches me nod up at him he wraps his hand around my wrist, and I begin to slowly trail my fingers up the thick muscles of his stomach. He watches me from under his long dark lashes, and then his gaze trails up my forearm, stopping just below my elbow, to where my baby pink sleeve is pushed back.
He blinks down at the spot before gently rubbing it with his thumb.
I know exactly what he’s looking at before he even says it.
“You’ve got a love-heart freckle,” he murmurs, showing me his dimple when he meets my eyes.
I smile back at him and whisper, “It’s a secret. You can’t tell anyone.”
His dimple deepens as he grins and he dips down to kiss the tiny heart.
“I’ve never actually worn my heart on my sleeve,” I whisper. “It’s kind of ironic really.”
“I do,” he whispers back to me. “If I like something, you’re gonna know about it.”
I breathe out a laugh at his candidness, my heart shimmering as he moves up to kiss my cheek. Then he grazes his stubble over my skin and murmurs, “Gonna put my heart on my sleeve right now, Aisling. I really fuckin’ like you.”
I blush with delight, giggling as I squeeze his large pecs.
He half-laughs half-groans and drops his face into the curve of my neck, and I burst into laughter as he kisses hungrily at my skin. Then he carefully shifts his body upwards so that he’s towering over me, and the bed-frame beneath us makes a low creaking sound.
I cover my face with my hands, giggling uncontrollably now, and I hear Tanner huff out an embarrassed laugh as he tries to distribute his weight between my thighs.
“Don’t know why the frame’s groanin’ like that,” he says. “Think it’s just getting used to taking my weight.” Then he murmurs, sounding kind of shy, “I am pretty heavy though – I don’t want to break your bed.”
I peek up at him from between my fingers and see the innocent look of concern on his face, as if he’s worried that the beautiful carved panels might actually not be able to hold up beneath him.
It’s so cute that I shrug out of my jumper, pushing it quickly to the floor, and then I hug my arms around his shoulders so that I can squeeze him back down on top of me.
He grunts, eyes blacking out as his pecs slam down on my breasts.
“We’ll risk it,” I whisper.
His eyes trail down to my chest, his pupils fully dilating, and he carefully brushes two large digits over the black lace beneath my tank top.
“Are you sure that you don’t want me to go?” he asks quietly, as his warm hand slides down to my waist.
He gives me a squeeze and I suck in a little gasp.
“Stay,” I whisper. “Please.”
He grunts quietly, then nods. “Yeah. Okay, I’ll stay.”
His lips meet mine and my body instantly relaxes, my arms tightening around his neck in the hopes that I don’t ever have to let him go. I feel him smile against my mouth before gently slanting me open, his tongue licking me sweetly before sliding inside.
He strokes it slowly against mine, his warm chest keeping me pinned in place, and he begins rolling his hips between my thighs, his back muscles rippling beneath my fingers.
His solid length rubs heavily over my heat, and my nipples pinch, making me pull back, panting.
“Too much?” he murmurs, his eyes scorching as they search mine.
I shake my head furiously, and he slips his tongue back inside. He groans as he licks us together, his gentle strokes getting faster, and his fingers tighten in my hair as he rubs harder between my thighs.
He pulls back with a curse, looking down at me with a dangerous expression.
“Ash,” he rasps, his voice sinfully deep. He moves one of his forearms above my head and he uses his other hand to still my hips. “We need to stop now or I’m… I’m gonna finish,” he says quietly.
I try to catch my breath before whispering up to him, “Don’t you want to?”
He ducks his head, catching his breath too.
“Yeah, I want to,” he murmurs. “But I thought you might wanna take it slow.”
That is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.
I start tugging my leggings down my hips.
“Aisling,” he says warningly, although his gaze stays trained on my fingers.
I slowly roll my pants down my thighs, and as soon as my panties are exposed Tanner is officially done for. He shoves his fist down the front of his shorts, a low groan rumbling through his chest.
I toe off my leggings when they finally reach my ankles and Tanner releases his fist so that he can envelop my hips.
“How the hell are you real, Aisling? You’re a goddamn dream.”
And with that line right there? Now I’m done for.
A giggle bursts out of my chest and I slap a hand over my eyes, chest shaking as I laugh because he doesn’t realise what he’s just said.
His big fist gently tugs at my hand, his expression concerned as he searches my gaze.
“What is it?” he murmurs. “I wasn’t joking, I’m being serious.”
I giggle harder as my cheeks dimple with happiness.
“I know,” I laugh, cupping his perfect face. “It’s just… that’s my name. What you said… about me being a dream?”
My cheeks stain pink but I’m still smiling, overwhelmed with delight.
“That’s what ‘Aisling’ means,” I explain. “My name means ‘dream’.”
Tanner towers over me with a love-struck expression on his face, and I stroke my fingertips over the muscles in his forearms, biting into my smile as we watch each other.
“That’s perfect,” he whispers. “You… you really are my dream girl.”
“If this is anyone’s dream, I think it’s mine,” I whisper back to him.
He kisses me again, sweet and unhurried, and his broad chest rubs heavily against the thin lace of my bra.
“Is this really happening?” he murmurs. “Because if it is, I want to show you all of my cards before we do this. Like, first off, I’m going to need you to give me your number, right the fuck now, so that I know that I can take you out when you’re next available. And second of all, this thing right here? I’m not going to let this be a fling–”
I push up onto my knees and kiss him through my unrelenting giggles.
“Thank you,” he murmurs roughly, making me laugh even harder.
“You talk so much,” I mumble against him, stifling a squeal of delight as he shoves his grey shorts down his quads.
“Sorry,” he murmurs back, quickly tugging them off and tossing them behind us. Then his hand is gripping my wrist and easing my fingers beneath his boxer briefs.
I touch the large domed head and he pants against my neck.
“Tanner,” I whisper as he wraps us both around the base of his erection, giving it an experimental tug that’s so rough that I whimper for him. “Tanner–”
“On it,” he rumbles, misreading my speechlessness for impatience, and he releases a hand so that he can slip it down the front of my panties.
I stare down with wide eyes at the sight of his tan hand in my frilly underwear and with a smirk on his lips he dips down so that he can kiss me again.
“This okay?” he murmurs quietly, pressing two warm fingers against my clit.
“Mm-hm,” I whimper quickly, making him grunt and rub me faster. He uses his chest to push me down back onto the quilt and then he drops one large forearm above my head.
His eyes are burning a hole into my tank top, his jaw muscles rolling as his gaze flicks between my panties and my chest.
Breathless, I decide to help him out. “Would you like me to take off my–”
“Yes,” he grunts, hard eyes flashing up to mine.
I would breathe out a laugh if he wasn’t looking at me with so much need and devotion, so instead I slip my arms through the straps and wriggle the top off of my body. When I’m in nothing but my bra and panties I settle back down on the dark quilt, letting him look at me.
He slowly twists his fingers around the sides of my panties, tightening his fists and making me gasp.
His gaze stares between my thighs for a long unending moment, his breathing loud and heavy as he tries to calm himself down.
When his eyes flash back up to mine I lift my arms, reaching for him.
His expression softens as he helps me loop my arms around his shoulders, his hands dipping beneath my lower back so that he can hold us together as he lays down on top of me.
“Aisling,” he murmurs, “I don’t want us to rush this. I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow morning and decide that hooking up wasn’t a good idea.”
His brow creases in a concerned frown.
“I meant what I said. You’re my dream girl. Tomorrow morning I want this to be the start of us dating and shit. I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I don’t want you to regret me.”
Taken aback by his honesty I can’t help but gaze into his eyes, awe-struck.
“Wow,” I whisper after a small stretch of heated silence, filled with nothing but the sounds of our heavy breathing. “You’d think that you were the one who has his heart on their sleeve,” I tease.
He drops his eyes, laughing quietly. Then he lifts himself up onto one elbow and strokes his large palm over my cheek.
“I’ll always wear my heart on my sleeve with you,” he murmurs. His sparkling eyes search mine before he lowers his mouth and kisses me gently.
My hands roam down the large muscles of his back, stopping when I reach the waistband of his boxer briefs. I pull back from the kiss so that he can see the question in my eyes.
He watches me carefully for a moment before he nods his head – and then we’re both shoving his underwear down his legs, releasing his heavy erection.
He tosses his boxers across the room as he kisses me deeper, groaning loudly as the lace of my panties rubs his length up and down.
“We’re really gonna do this?” he asks quietly, his voice husky and deep.
I nod, feeling lightheaded, and I giggle as we kiss again. I feel his gorgeous grin against my lips and it makes me laugh harder, which in turn makes him laugh, until we’re kissing and laughing and panting all at the same time.
“One rule,” he murmurs, his heavy chest pushing down on mine.
I nod fiercely, running my fingers through his military fade.
“Tell me,” I whisper, my voice hushed beneath the downpour outside.
“We’re gonna do it, but I’m… I’m not gonna see you fully naked,” he whispers back to me, looking pissed with his own decision but resolute nonetheless. “ Yet ,” he adds, after a moment of raking me up and down. “I’m not allowed to see you naked yet .”
His palms coast up the sides of my body until he’s gently cupping my cheeks again.
“What do you mean?” I ask breathlessly, not exactly sure how that will work.
His eyes search mine, hungry and wanting.
“I’m going to keep my underwear on?” I ask, my eyebrows arched. “I don’t want anything between us.”
“I don’t either, baby,” he rumbles, “but I don’t deserve to see you fully… bared to me, yet. So I want you to hold that back from me for now, until I’ve proven myself to you.”
“Tanner,” I laugh, pressing my palms over my face as I giggle at his nonsense.
He reaches for my wrists and tugs them gently down, making me giggle harder.
He grins back at me, his expression unbearably handsome.
A sweet small town guy , I think to myself.
Because when I think about it, Tanner is everything that I’ve ever wanted. A big, handsome small town guy, without a bad boy reputation that will inevitably break my heart.
He’s the opposite of every guy that I’ve ever known.
Better than that? He’s the opposite of me .
I mean, he literally respects me so hard that he doesn’t think he’s worthy of seeing me naked? Who does that? How can a guy be so perfect?
How can I be so lucky that I have actually been found by a guy who is so perfect?
It’s almost too perfect to be true.
I smile up at him and he chuckles quietly as he kisses me.
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Okay,” he whispers back.