by S. C. Adams
My eyes go wide at his request. Did he not hear everything I just said? Why can’t I just let this go? Why can’t I let him go? We’ve only been around one another twice! Three times if you count today.
“Tanner, you’re nuts. I’m not going to do that,” is my firm reply.
“Why not?” he asks, those blue eyes flashing now. As usual, the man is ungodly handsome, and to my horror, I’m going soft and wet in all the places that matter.
“Because!” I’m being a little too loud, so I bring down the volume. “First, because of all the things I just listed previously. You know: you’re marrying my mom, it’s morally wrong, et cetera. And, secondly, I’m not going to make out with you in this office.”
I’m out of breath. Partially, because of Tanner’s exhausting nature, but also, I’m a little turned on by all of this. Why am I attracted to such a confounding man? I should turn and run because I’m saying I’ll never sleep with him again, but if he pushed, just a little, I’d say yes, jumping into his arms and letting him have his way with me. In my heart of hearts, I know the truth and it turns my cheeks red.
Ugh, no! I’m seething, and yet I’m turned on too. What a horrible combination.
“I didn’t say anything about making out.” He grins and says this in a matter-of-fact tone. Like he’s somehow on the moral high ground all of a sudden. Brows lowered, I approach his desk and slam my hands down on the wood.
“You are not about to twist my words. I may be complicit in this wrongdoing, but you’re definitely being a lot worse about this whole thing. At least I want to change my ways. I’m a good person, and you’re the bad person.”
“Who’s on the high ground now?” he chuckles.
How does he manage to do this? He’s infuriating, impossible, and arrogant, and yet I want to kiss him all the same.
“That’s not the point! That’s so far from the point you son of a –”
He cuts me off with a kiss so sudden that I stay frozen for a second, unable to move. Those lips seal mine shut before nudging them open, so persuasive and sensual.
He’s kissing me! I was yelling, about to call him a son of a bitch, and now, he’s turned everything on its head. But it feels so good. It feels soft and sexy and warm and absolutely amazing.
After my initial shock, I melt into his lips. He smells like oak and pine and male musk that thrills me to my toes. His mouth tastes like he was just drinking bourbon, oaky with hints of vanilla and cinnamon.
My arms snake around his neck involuntarily, and I’m weak from the passion in this kiss. It shocks me straight down to my core. My entire body heats up, tingling because it wants more.
I want him.
We break apart and look into one another eyes. I think I see something warm and almost caring in the blue depths, but whatever it was flashes away quickly.
Tanner sinks back into his seat, chuckling to himself again. What? How can he be laughing right now? Suddenly, I feel like a total dunce. I let him get into my head again and kissed him. He started it, but I didn’t stop him.
And then I was dumb enough to think that he might be doing all of this because he cares about me. That he might have some feelings and want to do the right thing. But no, he’s just doing this to play with my emotions.
Because if he cared, he wouldn’t be marrying my mother.
I stand up straight. I need to get out of here. One more second in this office and I’ll lose it. Honestly, I may have already lost it.
“Um, I’m going to go.”
“Okay sweetheart. That’s probably for the best,” he says, looking totally calm and put together at his desk. Not a hair is out of place, and it makes my stomach boil again. I feel like I’m running a high fever from his touch, but he’s as cool as a cucumber.
Silently, I turn to go. When I stop at the elevator and look back, I see that Tanner’s watching me at the door to his office, his large bulk leaning against the doorjamb. His expression is thoughtful, those blue eyes never leaving my form.
The elevator dings, and silently I turn away. His eyes trail me like fire and I can feel them on my form as I step into the silver cube. But I force myself not to look at him because I’m afraid of what I’d see. Finally, the doors shut and I’m whisked downstairs again.
What just happened? My knees tremble and my legs feel shaky as I walk through the lobby. It’s not hard to find my way out of the building, and soon I’m back on streets of New York in one piece. But the cacophonous sounds of the city thunder in my head, and I’m utterly overwhelmed and exhausted.
I signal a taxi and throw myself inside before arriving at my apartment. Then, I shut the door to my room and drop lifelessly onto my bed. Even the softness of my many blankets and pillows aren’t enough to comfort me. What just happened? I stormed into Tanner’s office with every intention of giving him a piece of my mind. But instead, I completely lost control, and succumbed to the sensual drug that was his kiss.
How can Tanner be doing this? He’s getting married to my mom, for god’s sake! The scariest part is that as lost as I feel, I want Tanner to hold me right now. I want him to be the one to make me feel better, and to bring calm to my confusion.
But that’s totally contradictory because he’s the one making me feel like this in the first place! I guess I’ll just stay under these covers until I can find a way to get myself out of this mess. But deep in my gut, I have a feeling the solution won’t be easy at all.
6
Tanner
A couple of days have passed, and today is the day of the bridal shower. Normally, these things are women-only but Veronica wanted to have one that included both sexes. It’s strange, but my fiancée insists that the modern definition of a bridal shower includes men as well.
But I don’t think her ‘modern way of thinking’ is genuine. In fact, I suspect it’s a ploy to get twice as many gifts, which is pretty disgusting if you think about it. Veronica’s acting like she’s a twenty year old penniless bride, when actually she’s a forty year old career woman getting married to a man with a fortune.
Usually, I’m less grumpy about this stuff, but having Kylie in my office the other day has me all rattled. When I found her waiting in my personal space, I knew she was there to confront me. I already knew where I wanted to go with our little affair: no one needs to know about it, so why stop? It’s clear the two of us enjoy one another’s bodies.
But I never actually got to that point. Instead, I purposefully aggravated Kylie. She’s just so cute when she’s worked up. Her nose wrinkles, and her cheeks get a slight pink tinge, not to mention the way those big breasts begin heaving. I could barely tear my eyes away.
And when we kissed, it doubled my resolve. She was sweet, entrancing, and like utter honey in my veins. I wanted more and was tempted to take her right in my office.
The only thing is she wants me to break up with her mother, but I’m not ready for that. After all, I’ve spent a long time formulating my plan with Veronica. Her connections and my capital will make us a very powerful NYC couple, especially in the real estate sector. Yeah, my marriage is a calculated move, but that doesn’t make me a bad guy. I really think Kylie doesn’t understand how money is made in the city, and as a result, I’m nowhere near calling off this engagement.
I’m sure if I had the time, I could have talked to Kylie and explained more, but I never got around to setting forth my point of view. It’s just too fun bantering back and forth, and I lost track of my actual goal. Which is surprising because generally, I’m not one to lose focus.
Kylie Mitchell has thrown a bit of wrench into my plans. But it won’t be hard to get back on track. I just need to focus, and that includes trying to look interested during this bridal shower.
It’s the usual bullshit of flowers, cake, and gossip. Veronica put up an extensive registry, which is ridiculous because again, it’s not like we really need anything. I’ve been to her apartment, and it’s chock full of bric a brac. After all, she makes good money and has worke
d for decades now.
But my fiancée just isn’t like that. If there’s an opportunity for gifts, then she’s in, even though it’s her fourth time tying the knot. I groan under my breath. Today represents everything I hate about life because the party’s so unnecessary, not to mention materialistic.
Once I get to Veronica’s apartment building, I pause before hitting the elevator button. I really don’t want to go, and would do anything to turn around and return to my apartment. But it’s too late because a voice sounds at my elbow.
“Are you waiting for someone?”
I’m jolted from my reverie. Jane has sidled up to me. She’s like a much more toned down version of her sister. That’s not to say she’s not pretty or anything. She actually resembles Veronica, but in a subdued, brunette way.
However, my future sister-in-law seems to be the exact opposite of Veronica in every other respect. I’d say Kylie gets a lot of her personality from her aunt.
“No, not waiting for anyone. Just a bit reluctant to go in. These functions really aren’t my type of thing.”
“Ah, I see. Well, there’s not much I can do for you there,” Jane says with a sympathetic smile. It’s like she’s going to say something else, but that’s it.
“Do you enjoy these types of things?”
She sighs.
“Not really. I’m only here because Veronica’s my sister, and she made me the matron of honor. Unfortunately,” she mutters. I’m not sure if I heard that last part right. I wonder if anyone actually wants to be here.
I’m about to add more, asking her about how she feels about her sister, but then the door swings open.
“Hell-oooo,” coos one of Veronica’s friends. It’s a tall blonde with tanned skin the color of a rotten orange. “So glad you made it, Tanner.”
Jane slips in.
“Hi Leslie. Sorry, I have to go greet my niece,” she says before disappearing into the crowd. That piques my interest. It must mean Kylie’s here.
“Hi Tanner,” flirts Leslie. “Veronica did such a great job with the shower. Try the chocolate fountain. I think it’s Belgian,” she says while batting her lashes.
But I ignore the older woman, and look around for Jane. There she is, standing with her niece. Wow, Kylie looks amazing because she’s all curves in a delicate floral dress with her brown curls hanging about her shoulders. Kylie hasn’t seen me yet, but all I want to do is watch her. She looks positively stunning.
But I can’t be caught staring because it would be so wrong. Fortunately, the familiar sound of silverware hitting glass rings through the room. Veronica has her champagne flute up, commanding everyone’s attention.
“Hi everyone! Thanks for coming.” She’s sporting a huge smile, clearly loving all the eyes on her. “I think it’s time for presents. There’s a little area set up where we can all gather. Follow me!” The entire party goes with Veronica to the gift table. There’s an attendant already there, hired to hand presents to the bride-to-be. Another hired hand is standing by to place already opened gifts on a separate table and to get rid of any trash. It’s a nice assembly line to keep things moving, no doubt charged to my credit card.
Gift opening commences, but I have absolutely zero interest in what people got us. I should probably be standing at the front with my fiancée, but she hasn’t even asked for me. The spotlight is somewhere Veronica likes to sit, preferably alone so that she gets all the attention.
Her daughter, on the other hand, has positioned herself at the edge of the crowd. Kylie is huddled in a corner, standing rather stiffly. It’s not hard to see she’s uncomfortable. She looks out of place, but in a good way, like she hasn’t been tainted by all this posturing the pretentiously rich do.
However, her attempts to act normal are failing. Her gaze keeps travelling back to me, and it’s kind of cute. Her eyes slide to my frame, and then slide away just as quickly when I catch her looking at me. Those beautiful cheeks flush, and her breathing grows quick. It’s clear how much she’s drawn to me yet fighting the urge.
That would be fine and dandy if her act wasn’t so transparent.
I navigate around the crowd, reaching Kylie. There’s panic on her face, but she stands her ground.
“What do you want?” she asks in a low tone, trying to appear normal with a smile on her face.
“Look, you can’t act weird,” I casually inform her. It should be obvious, but Kylie seems to have no idea that she’s behaving awkwardly. “People will notice, and we can’t have anyone finding out what’s going on.”
“You think?” she practically hisses under her breath. Thankfully, everyone is too preoccupied with Veronica to pay us any mind.
“Kylie,” I say sternly.
“How do you want me to act?” she asks, breathing through her teeth while keeping her eyes on the presents. “This whole thing is messed up. I know that. You know that. And if anyone else found out about our little whatever, they’d make sure to tell us how fucked up we are. You’re sleeping with me while engaged to my mom for Pete’s sake! Do you think I wanted this? Any of this?”
She’s being much too loud. I shush her, but it just makes her angrier.
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
If we stay here, she’s just going to keep getting more upset and someone will notice. So I grab her arm and as discreetly as possible, pull her into a nearby bedroom.
Once we’re alone, Kylie yanks herself loose, those cheeks flushed.
“You have to stop doing that!”
“What?”
“Dragging me wherever you want to drag me. You can’t just throw me around like a rag doll.”
“Well, next time don’t go around yelling about what we’re doing together,” I say in a wry tone.
“Well then, maybe we should stop!” she whisper-yells, looking furious. “Which is what I was trying to tell you the other day, but then you had to – ” Her rant stops dead in its tracks. I can see her thinking and going red again.
Kylie takes a deep breath.
“Why are you even doing this?” she continues more calmly.
I consider her questions. I’m not even sure myself, to be honest. In my brain, I know this is a big risk because anyone could walk in on us.
And yet here I am, tempted to take her in my arms again. I can’t let Kylie know that I’m just as confused as her because showing weakness isn’t a move in my arsenal.
“Do you really want to stop?” I ask. Her eyes widen. She catches her bottom lip between her teeth, staring up at me with her beautiful brown eyes.
We pause for a moment as the sounds of the party creep in through the door. I’m sure Veronica isn’t even halfway through all her presents. After all, she invited a considerable amount of people, and she’s going to prolong her time in the limelight for as long as possible.
I see Kylie mentally pulling away, so I decide to change the conversation.
“You look really nice today.” I feel like it sounds a little forced. I just want to compliment her, and to honestly tell her how beautiful she is.
Her brow furrows for a second, but then she smiles, melting a bit. She looks down at her outfit, softly touching the fabric on her shoulder.
“You really think so?” She always seems so surprised when I say something nice about her. But I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. She has on a lovely floral print sundress that hugs her curves perfectly.
“I do.”
“Well, I dressed myself today, so maybe that’s why. Veronica picked out the disaster I wore to the engagement lunch,” she confesses ruefully. I laugh at her joke, and she giggles with me. It’s the first time I’m hearing her sweet tinkle, and it’s enjoyable.
“I’m glad you like my dress,” she says softly.
“I think I might like it better on the floor,” I admit.
Suddenly, all the oxygen in the room evaporates. She catches her breath, her eyes meeting mine. Her blush deepens, but this time, she doesn’t draw away. Instead, she reaches one s
mall hand forward and places her fingers under my lapel, looking up at me.
This time, she kisses me. Her lips find mine, softly settling on my mouth. I breathe in, wrapping my arms around her body, as she melts into my embrace. She tilts her head back, breaking our kiss while looking at me with dreamy eyes.
“Did you –”
“I locked the door, sweetheart. We’re fine.”
She smiles tremulously.
“You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t, isn’t that right?” she asks in a soft voice.
I gaze into those caramel eyes.
“Sweetheart, I don’t mind being damned if it’s with you. I mean it baby. Now, lift up your dress and let me see your sweetness.”
She inhales quickly but then her hands travel down to her thighs, bunching up her dress in her hands. Slowly, she pulls the fabric up, revealing inch after inch of creamy thigh. Oh god, she’s delectable and I want to cover that tantalizing flesh with kisses. But then she stops before revealing her beautiful mound.
“Tanner –,” she begins.
I run one finger gently down her cheek.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
She visibly relaxes and lets out a deep breath.
My fingers skim from her cheek down her body until I reach the tops of her legs. I use my hand to massage her thighs before moving to the hem of her panties. They’re drenched and I let out a low growl of satisfaction.
“Are you always this wet when you’re around me?” Kylie’s face reddens, and she inhales, meeting my eyes. But I like it, and I rub my hand over the wet cloth, stimulating her button. Her hands move to my shoulders, holding on tight.
“Oh Tanner,” she sighs. I rest my forehead on hers, our noses almost touching.
“Open up your legs, sweetheart. Let me touch you.”
Her thighs part a bit, and I slip my hand in from the top, passing over her soft lips before gently stroking her bud. She gasps and clings to my shoulders, knees trembling. But that’s not all I have in store for her. Gently, I ease a finger into her pussy as her pupils dilate and her breathing changes.