“Okay, what do we really gain from telling him?” I diplomatically ask. The thought of not giving myself a mini-heart attack is nice.
He shakes his head, bearing the smirk that brings out the naughty side of me. “For starters, I can take you on a real date.”
The crooked grin erupts on his face, and my willpower fades instantly.
“There’s nothing wrong with our dates,” I counter, stifling my giggles because of the antics we’ve done to not get caught over the past few weeks.
“Piper, come on. Secretly holding your hand under a table when we’re out or holing you up in my room when Brad’s on a date are not the ways I want this to be. I’m done with it, and you should be, too.”
“I should? Why exactly?” My hands land on my hips, and I jut one out for dramatic effect.
“Because.” His voice is low and sultry as he slowly steps toward me, already knowing he turned me.
Taking my hands in his, he brings them up in the air and links our fingers. My heart thumps hard in my chest, and my body zings from his nearness.
“I want everyone to know that you’re my girlfriend. I want to treat you the way you deserve. I don’t want to hide you out like a damn whore I’m ashamed of.”
His tone is so calm that I know there’s no way I can fight him on this issue. I’ve waited too long for this admission and damn my brother if he doesn’t understand it.
“Okay, let’s tell him,” I whisper.
I’m still unsure if my decision is a good one, but Tanner’s eagerness assures me that it is. A slow smile slides across his face as he begins backing me up to the bed. When my knees hit the edge of his queen-sized bed, he grabs me by my hips, his hands molding around my curves as though they were meant for my body.
“No more talking.” His green irises glimmer at the expectation of what we should be doing in the fleeting moments we’ve stolen.
“No more talking,” I confirm. My hands glide down his sculpted shoulders and biceps. I suck in a breath as my hands memorize every smooth and rigid line of his lean body. Pretty soon, I’ll have each contour of his swimmer’s body memorized.
His head dips down while I wait breathlessly for his lips to claim mine in the dance we’ve perfected over the past few weeks. His sweet breath fans across my face, and just as his lips brush against mine, the apartment door slams shut, rattling Tanner’s door in the process. I leap out of his arms, and my hand flies to my mouth, nervously biting my fingernails.
Unless Brad gave his key to someone else . . . our secret’s about to come out.
“Shit,” I mumble.
A cool Tanner sidesteps and places his hand on my wrist, pulling my fingers out of my mouth.
“Come on,” he says, tugging on my arm.
But I’m frozen in place. My feet stay planted on the floor as I shake my head.
“No way,” I whisper, the confidence I sported only moments ago quickly disappearing. A loud thud lands against the door, and I jump again.
“Tanner!” Brad yells.
I flinch from the anger in his voice. Something is wrong. I search out the glowing blue lights from Tanner’s clock by the bed.
“Why is he back?” I whisper, troubled about why he’s here. “Practice goes for at least another forty-five minutes.”
“Tan, come on, man. I need to talk to you,” Brad pleads, his voice sounding panicky and scared.
“Go. Go.” I push Tanner toward the door, intent on staying in the far corner. “Sneak through the door, and I’ll hide.”
“Just come with me.” Tanner’s so calm that it’s eerie.
I throw my hand over his mouth and shake my head. He bites the flesh of my finger, and I snap it from his mouth.
“Ouch,” I hiss, shaking my hand in the air.
“First of all, it doesn’t matter if he hears my voice. Second of all, let’s just tell him now.” His eyes widen, signaling I’m being stupid and he’s done with the secret relationship.
“I will but not now. Something’s not right. His voice . . .” I whisper as close to him as possible, trying not to inhale the scent of his body wash that I love so much.
“Fine, fine. I’m going to go talk to him, and then you’re coming out. Got it?”
He smacks my ass, and I jump, landing right in his arms.
He bends down, and his soft lips land on mine. My brother is slamming every cabinet in the kitchen, but it doesn’t matter. I’m still able to lose myself in Tanner. He gently licks my lips, parting my mouth open for his taking. His hands grab my hips and yanks me closer. Melting in his arms, Tanner’s safety is something I’ve always found. His tongue tangles with mine, and I moan into his mouth. Unable to keep our lust at bay, Tanner backs me up against the wall, pinning me with hips. His strong hands cup my face, tilting my head to the side, so he can devour me. His controlling and demanding mechanisms, when it comes to me, spreads a fire through my body.
I forget that my brother is outside the confines of this small room, allowing Tanner to hijack my every nerve.
Then, he pushes away, keeping his hands cupped on my cheeks. “Stay here, and I’ll be back in two minutes.” He winks, and one side of his lips curve up into a seductive smile.
“Hurry.” I take a deep breath and fall back to the wall. My stomach drops as I watch him walk out the door, sliding through the small opening.
Rushing to the door, I try to eavesdrop, but since they are in the kitchen, it’s hard for me to hear. Brad yells, and I can tell Tanner is trying to calm him, but I can’t make out what they are saying.
Giving up after a few minutes, I resort to sitting on the bed, cross-legged, fiddling with my phone. I glance at Tanner’s phone on the nightstand, and the urge to grab it is strong. A small part of me wants to make sure he really is faithful to me before I put my relationship with my brother on the line. Tanner McCain never had a problem getting girls at any point in his life. Shaking my head, I disperse the absurd thought from my mind. That’s no way to launch our new relationship.
Then, I glance to his corkboard hanging on his wall, and warmth radiates in my heart. A picture of the three of us on vacation when we were freshmen in high school is pinned next to his latest swimming medal dangling from the edge. In the picture, Tanner and Brad are resting in their rafts by the McCains’ lake house while I am floating on a raft a few feet away, oblivious to a camera taking a picture. I’m leaning back as I worship the sun in my black bikini, Brad is doing some sort of silly sign to the camera, and Tanner’s eyes are locked on me. Then, I remember that summer and Dylan, Tanner’s younger brother, being so fascinated with photography. The whole vacation, he had a camera in front of his face.
I miss that kid. I should talk to Tanner about making a trip up to visit Dylan at school. After he graduated and decided to attend NYU, the McCains were happy and sad all mixed together. Their youngest being so many miles away was hard on them. They made extra trips up here that year.
I’m surprised I’ve been in this room so many times and never noticed this picture. Maybe it’s because I’m usually on my back or facing his headboard.
I scramble back to the corner when I hear their voices coming down the hall.
“You got someone in there?” Brad casually asks.
I’m amazed at how Tanner can always calm him down.
“Um . . . yeah,” Tanner stutters.
I huff because I need my hotheaded brother in a drunken stupor before divulging that I’m banging his best friend.
“Shit, man. Sorry to take you away from a hot piece of ass.”
If he only knew who the hot ass was . . .
“I’m going to take a nap. I’ll put my earbuds in,” Brad snickers.
My face flushes.
“We’ll go over stuff in a little bit.” Tanner’s voice is quiet.
I’m curious about what stuff they need to go over.
A second later, Tanner slips through the door, and I slide out of the corner when he shuts it. He’s no longer the easygoing, fun-induced Tanner who stepped out fifteen minutes ago. Now, his nostrils are flaring, and his fists are clenching, but when his eyes meet mine, his body relaxes. Automatic suspicions of what I missed run through my brain like a ticker on the news channel.