Chapter 16

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Somehow,she wasn’t sure how, they made it to Tanner’s bedroom. This after a pit stop in the great room where Tanner toed off his shoes and shucked his shirt, all while only breaking their kiss for a few seconds. Then it was a pass through the kitchen, long enough for him to grab two wine glasses. The man was a maestro at multi-tasking. By the time they made it to their destination, she was starting to feel a little ragged around the edges, she wanted him so badly.

“You have a mini bar in your bedroom?” she exclaimed.

Tanner released her to reach into the wine fridge and pull out a bottle of champagne. “Don’t tell me you limited your snooping to my study?”

“I found what I was looking for right away. I didn’t need to explore in here.”

She was exploring now, though, taking in the inviting California king bed with its soft shearling duvet cover. The transom window above it provided a spectacular view of the night’s full moon. There was a leather armchair, big enough for two people, positioned next to the French doors leading out to a private patio. A stack of magazines and books were piled high beside the chair. The matching ottoman had a chenille blanket draped over it.

Tanner came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection, the bottle of champagne still in his hands.

“I guarantee you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for in this room, too,” he murmured against her ear.

Paige shivered in anticipation. “That’s some pretty big talk.” She dropped her head back against his shoulder to give his wandering lips better access to her neck. “I hope you can back it up.”

While artfully claiming her with his lips, he popped open the bottle of champagne. The spray dampened Paige’s T-shirt.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “Did I get you wet?”

In more ways than one.

He pressed the mouth of the champagne bottle to her lips, tipping it slowly so she could take a sip. It was delicious, but it did nothing to quench the desire threatening to make her knees give out. He took a healthy swallow of his own, before placing the bottle on the bar.

“Let’s get you out of that wet shirt before you catch a cold.”

Sliding his fingers beneath the hem, he took his time dragging the T-shirt up her body, his gaze growing more heated with every inch of her skin he exposed. He gently lifted it over her hair as if it was styled in an elaborate coif he didn’t want to disturb and not a riotous mess from him running his fingers through it.

Standing in the center of his bedroom wearing nothing but a skimpy pair of running shorts, Paige tried not to flinch beneath the full force of his scrutiny. She knew she wasn’t one of those stick-thin influencers on social media. She was taller than most women, with a full figure to match. But she treated her body well, exercising daily and eating right. Mostly.

“You’re fucking gorgeous.” His voice sounded almost awestruck. “Do you know that?”

Before when he’d told her that, she chalked it up as a line. Something he told every woman whose panties he wanted to invade and conquer. Now, though, seeing the hungry look in those amber eyes of his, hearing the reverent tone in which he uttered the words, Paige believed him.

Better yet, Paige trusted him.

“You should probably reserve your judgement until you’ve seen the entire package.” She shimmied out of her shorts.

His nostrils flared, but there was a teasing glint in his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Twirl,” he whispered.

“Seriously?” Paige’s bravado was beginning to wane.

With a wolfish grin, he made a spinning motion with his fingers.

Sighing, she began to turn. “Just wait until it’s your turn,” she mumbled. “I’m going to—"

She never finished her thought. Growling, Tanner tumbled them both onto the bed. He rolled her over onto her back, hovering above her on outstretched arms. A sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead.

“Christ, Paige. It might kill me to hear all the things you want to do to me. I’m already having a hell of a time keeping it under control as it is.” He was breathing heavily when he pressed his forehead to hers. “Ladies first, though.”

His lips grazed her nipples just as his finger slipped inside of her. She was already so keyed up, she bucked off the mattress at his touch.

“I’m not always this easy,” she admitted between gasps.

She felt him smile against the tender skin beneath her breast. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Then, he was backing off the bed, pulling her legs over the edge with him. Wearing a playful grin, he leaned down to swirl his tongue inside her belly button. Paige gripped the duvet with both hands when Tanner sank down on his heels. He gently pushed her knees farther apart. The breath from his ragged groan brushed against her inner thighs making her shudder. His lips were next, exploring the delicate flesh on one leg before moving to the next. He was torturing her with his slow pace.

“Tanner,” she pleaded.

“Mmm,” was the only response she got.

He chuckled when she swore softly. And then his tongue was right where she wanted it, delving inside of her. Slowly at first, as if he had all the time in the world to explore and indulge. She jerked her hips against his shoulders, and he kicked his tempo up a notch. Her breathing became fractured as the pleasure ratcheted up inside her. He made a sound of male satisfaction when she began to writhe beneath him.

His playfulness was beginning to annoy her when, suddenly, her climax blindsided her. The wave of ecstasy was so intense, it felt like all the bones in her body were disintegrating into dust. She didn’t recall ever screaming during sex before. But she was fairly certain half the population of Chances Inlet knew what she and Tanner were up to right now.

He was shoving his pants down over his hips when she opened her eyes.

Oh. My.

Her nerve endings roared back to life. He wasn’t done with her yet. In fact, they’d only just gotten started. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from cheering.

Tanner shot her a wicked smile as he prowled over her. “See something you like?”

It was her turn to tease. “Maybe.”

Seconds later they were a sweaty tangled mess of limbs, both of them exploring and tasting each other’s bodies.

“I have to be inside you,” Tanner begged. “Now.”

His eyes went wide with surprise when she shoved him over onto his back. He groaned with pleasure when she straddled him. She went to wrap her fingers around him, but he cinched his fingers around her wrists first.

“No. There’s no way I’ll last thirty seconds if you touch me.”

He seemed uncertain what to do with her hands, so Paige snatched them back and began to trace her navel sensuously.

“Jesus.”

He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a sleeve of condoms. Using his teeth, he ripped one open, hissing as he rolled it over his straining shaft.

Moving as one, he hurriedly guided her over his erection. She sank down, letting out a satisfied sigh at the feel of him stretching and filling her. They both stilled once he was completely inside of her. Tanner was breathing roughly beneath her palms. Slowly, she leaned down to deliver a tender, deep kiss to his lips. They stayed that way for several moments, beneath the curtain of her hair, their tongues moving with a now familiar dance.

Without breaking the kiss, Tanner dug his fingers into her hips and began to move her up and down. Slowly at first, but it took only a few strokes before the fever enveloped them once more. Paige threw her head back with a cry, moving her hips to his now relentless rhythm. The pressure began to build again, and her body grew tight as a bow.

Beneath her, Tanner stared at her intently. “Come with me,” he ground out.

“I—I don’t—” She couldn’t get the words out.

He reached between them, pushing a finger inside her before rocking his hips once, then twice. With a silent scream she convulsed around him, a million stars forming behind her eyelids. Tanner rocked his hips one last time before breathing her name with a sigh and pulling her body down to rest against his.

* * *

Sunlight beganto make its way across the bed. Tanner was habitually an early riser thanks to years of early tee times. Even after a strenuous night of the best sex of his life, he couldn’t get his body to sleep past daybreak. Not surprising, the part of him that got the most exercise last night was up and ready to do it all over again.

And again.

He glanced over at a sleeping Paige. Bad idea. She looked like a sexy wanton with one bare leg poking out from the covers. The sheet was scrunched to the side exposing a very pert nipple. Careful not to wake her—he wouldn’t want to ruin his view—he checked the clock on his phone trying to gauge if he had enough time for a round four with Paige.

Six-twenty. He was meeting his mum at the club at seven-fifteen. His dick twitched as if to say “more than enough time, buddy.”

Except Paige might be feeling a little worn out this morning.

Or worse, have regrets.

Jesus, please don’t let her have regrets.

Because he was pretty sure he was falling for Paige Hollister. The stunning schoolteacher was an unexpected breath of fresh air into his life. He’d never known a more compassionate person. Standing up for a child she just met without a second thought. Believing in him—the real him—when no one else bothered to scratch the surface.

After losing Tristan, he was doubtful anyone could ever fill up the hole in his heart. He thought he could fill it with his career. With golf. The past week showed him that notion wasn’t foolproof. But with Paige—and Whitney—he was beginning to feel as if he was finally healing.

And he didn’t want to live without either of them. Whatever that looked like. Paige slashed an arm through the air in her sleep. Tanner ducked to miss being knocked in the head.

Even if she did sleep like the Tasmanian Devil.

Chuckling to himself, he slipped from the bed. He grabbed a pair of joggers from the pile on his dresser and quietly made his way to the kitchen to brew some coffee. If Paige was like most women, she would probably be more grateful to wake to a cup of coffee rather than him cupping her ass, anyway.

Standing at the great room window a few moments later, he watched the sun rise as he sucked down the first few sips of caffeine from his mug. Two arms, clad in his robe, wrapped around him from behind.

“Coffee,” she croaked into his shoulder.

He turned and handed her his mug. As expected, she downed half of it with one gulp. She sighed when he untied the robe’s sash and spanned her waist with his hands.

“You left me.” Her fake pout was yet another thing about her that was adorable.

“I remembered how much you like my coffee,” he teased.

She grinned rapturously. “Multiple orgasms and coffee? Tanner Gillette you are God’s gift to women.”

He opened the robe wider, pressing his body flush against hers, skin to skin. “Mmm. Forgive me if I don’t add that to my social media profile. I’d prefer we keep that our little secret.”

His arousal made its presence known against her stomach.

Paige sucked in a lusty breath. “We may have to table this until later. I promised Kate I’d take the girls to breakfast this morning so she can help Patricia get ready for the baby shower.”

“I’ve got a tee time with my mum in forty minutes,” he murmured against her jaw. “But your suggestion of a shower has a lot of merit. Come on.”

Thirty minutes later, Tanner was searching for his socks as well as his lost brain cells. Paige going to her knees as soon as the shower spray hit them was unexpected. And so fucking hot. He was nearly hard again just thinking about what her mouth did to him.

For her part, Paige was serenely sipping coffee while she sat wrapped up in his robe. “You’ll let me know when you find Whitney’s mother, won’t you?”

Her words hit him like a driver to the head. Shit. Was she actually serious about their time together only being one night? Something twisted painfully in his chest. He couldn’t lose her, too.

“Stay.” He hadn’t meant to ever say the word. Instead hoping she’d choose him first. But that didn’t matter to him any longer.

Her mug was poised before her mouth. “What did you say?”

He scrambled to come up with the right words. Words that wouldn’t make it sound like he was paying her to stay with him. Except he would be. He just hoped the idea wouldn’t insult her.

Whatever it took.

Tanner walked over to the chair and sank to his haunches in front of her. “Stay here with Whitney until I find her mum. She needs you. If you leave now, who knows how much it will set her back.”

Look at that. I do know how to negotiate dirty. Guess I’m a true Gillette after all.

“I—”

“I know you have your job and your students to return to. And it wouldn’t be fair to leave them before the year is out. But the school can find a substitute, can’t they? I’ll pay you your entire year’s salary if you stay here until this is resolved.”

Her eyes went wide.

“Hell, I’ll even make an endowment to the school to make up for the inconvenience to them.”

She pursed her mouth in what looked like disgust. “That won’t be necessary.”

It didn’t escape him that he was on his knees begging, but he didn’t care. He wanted her more than he wanted his golf game back. Hell, if he never got rid of the yips but still had Paige, he could be happy.

“Tanner, I—”

“Yo, Tan-Man!” Sonny’s voice echoed down the hall. “Get your ass in gear. I don’t want to hear it from Blythe if we’re late.”

“Think about it,” he said before leaning in and kissing her soundly.

He grabbed his shoes and headed out the door praying that he hadn’t scared her off.