Emma stared at the ground, walking carefully down the steps to the lawn in heels which were impossibly high.
“I’ve got you,” Cooper reminded her. “Just enjoy.” He tightened his grip.
Emma looked up and squeezed Cooper’s arm, grateful Izzy had found this man. Both control freaks, they actually tempered each other and made the other a better person. She prayed Tanner and she had the chance to do that.
Emma looked around at the guests watching her with smiles on their faces. A radiant smile tugged at her mouth as happiness seeped into her every pore. She carefully navigated the last few stone steps down to the lawn and avoided Tanner’s gaze, afraid she’d lose it in a fit of female tears, or even worse, she’d see regret in those green eyes. Instead she concentrated on her sisters. All three beamed at her, and Emma relaxed a little. The strange minister Jake Reynolds’ wife found for them wore a Mona Lisa smile, and looked ready to break out the tarot cards any minute. Tanner’s groomsmen looked sharp in their tuxes, even though their obvious discomfort was laughable. She caught Isaac’s eye, and he winked, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.
No longer able to resist, her gaze was drawn to Tanner. His shaggy blond hair, still untamed, framed his handsome face, while his tux accentuated those broad shoulders and narrow waist. On a lawn full of handsome men, Tanner outshone them all. At least to Emma he did.
He stared at her as if she were the only woman on earth and the only woman for him. He took her breath away, and a seed of hope nestled deep within her heart.
Their eyes met. Emma’s world tipped on its axis. Nothing would ever be the same. His green eyes drank her in and wrapped her in his spell. For that brief moment in time, she believed in him—in them.
Emma never took her eyes off Tanner as his intense gaze pulled her to him like a magnet. Instead of grinning his trademark grin, he studied her so intensely, she felt goosebumps spread all over her skin. His powerful scrutiny replaced her pre-wedding jitters with a different type of excitement, one that started deep in her belly and spread to the rest of her body. He was hers, and she was going to make him a happy man in and out of bed. What she lacked in experience, she’d make up with enthusiasm.
Tanner broke into a nervous smile, easing the stress lines furrowing his brow. Emma smiled back, just as nervous, but somewhat comforted by the fact she obviously wasn’t alone. Whatever the reason for his anxieties, he wasn’t taking this as lightly as he wanted the world to believe.
Cooper brought her next to Tanner, and their exotic minister asked, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”
“Her family and I do,” Cooper said, his voice shaking a little. Emma loved him for his little show of vulnerability.
Cooper stepped back and Tanner took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. At that precise moment, Emma’s life changed. She felt the change rumbling through her very being, engulfing her, surrounding her. She was his. And for now, he was hers.
She vowed to make this man never want to live without her.
Chapter 9—The Deep Ball
“Wow, that was strange,” Emma said as she attempted to relax on a deck chair overlooking Gamblers Bay and beyond to the channel, but the sexual tension in the air made it impossible. She pulled the woven shawl around shoulders left bare by the bright sundress she’d donned at the reception to replace the wedding dress. Tanner wore a pair of black slacks and a colorful Tommy Bahama button-down shirt which brought out the green in his eyes.
His hearty laugh rang across the water. “You and I are on the same page. I can’t believe that guy is a Reynolds.” He leaned back in his deck chair and took a long, hard pull on his beer, while Emma nursed her glass of wine.
The youngest Reynolds brother, Jake, who lived on Madrona Island full time, had shown them to this private cabin on the estate property.
“He seems so—so—” Emma struggled for the right words.
“Down to earth. Like a normal guy.”
“Yeah, that’s it.” Emma glanced around, trying to calm her nerves. It was her wedding night. Tanner carried her over the threshold, but then he let her be. She’d imagined him throwing her on the bed and having wild monkey sex with her. Instead he’d placed her on her feet, the total gentleman, and told her when she was ready to join him on the deck for a nightcap. So she’d freshened up her makeup and joined him on the deck. He’d poured some wine for her and popped the top off a beer for him, completely relaxed.
“This place is gorgeous. We should buy some property up here and build. It’d be a great place to raise kids, but I’d have to retire first.” He rattled on as if he didn’t realize what he was saying. He’d just mapped out their next several years together, seeming to forget they’d agreed on the next six months maximum. Emma cautioned herself not to take his words seriously, yet her pesky inner romantic believed in ever-after and also believed every word that slipped off Tanner’s silver tongue.
She was married to Tanner Wolfe.
The very fact still amazed her.
Tanner scooted a worn teak lawn chair next to hers. She could smell his woodsy scent mingled with expensive male cologne.
“This isn’t quite what I planned. I wanted you to be bathed in luxury.”
“I like it. It’s rustic.”
Tanner glanced around the paint peeling off the leaning deck and the single-paned windows on the old log cabin. “Yeah, that’s one way to explain it.”
“City boy,” she teased.
“Country girl,” he teased back. Then he turned serious. His green eyes turned a dark emerald. “Mrs. Wolfe.” He studied her closely, and she almost thought she saw hurt there.
“Ms. Maxwell,” she corrected. Even to her surprise, in a last-minute, rare act of defiance, she’d unchecked the box for “change last name to” and kept her maiden name. Her choice appeared to wound Tanner’s ego, but he didn’t dispute it, even though she wished he had. Always the traditionalist, Emma never in her wildest dreams had considered marriage without taking her man’s last name, only this wasn’t a normal situation.
He shook his head and smiled, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Emma sighed. “Did that really bother you?”
“What?”
Now he was simply playing stupid. “That I didn’t take your name.”
“Oh, yeah, well, maybe a little,” he admitted and ran his hand through his thick, unruly hair. “I guess I just expected you would.”
“Seems like a lot of hassle to go through just to change it back.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Yeah, maybe.”
“And I did sign that prenup.” She’d expected to be asked to sign one but it still bothered her.
“That wasn’t my idea. My agent insisted on it.” Guilt flashed in his eyes, and he grabbed her hand. “Seems like we aren’t starting out on the right foot—my prenup, your maiden name.”
“Does it matter?” Emma said bluntly. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t touching her so she’d lashed out.
Reading her mind, Tanner shrugged one broad shoulder and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. He shot her his usual panty-melting smile. “Not in bed, it doesn’t.”
Now there was the Tanner Emma had crushed on all these years. She nodded, her mouth suddenly dry, while her heart dirty danced with his. The sexual chemistry and tension arcing between them should’ve lit up all of Gamblers Bay. He leaned forward, his breath hot on her cheeks, his green eyes dilated. She could smell mint toothpaste with a hint of beer, and she liked it. A lot.
“We have unfinished business,” he whispered in a deep, husky voice sending little thrills of pleasure racing to every nerve ending she possessed, particularly in one area. He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head, touching his mouth to hers. She shivered at the contact.
“I’ve been waiting a lifetime for this,” Tanner added.
He had no idea. “I’m sure you have,” she shot back, unable to keep a little sarcasm out of her voice.
&
nbsp; He drew back a few inches and studied her. “You don’t believe me?”
Emma managed to shake her head. “Of course not.”
His ever-present smile teased a smile from her lips. “Ah, but you should. I’ve never been married before, and you and I haven’t slept together yet. To me, I’ve been waiting a lifetime.”
“It just seems like it because I’m the first woman you’ve met since puberty who didn’t jump into bed with you at first smile.”
“Well, there is that.” He flashed those perfect white teeth and sealed her devotion. She’d signed up for the long haul, even if he hadn’t. Even though she hadn’t changed her name and even though she’d signed a prenup, her heart hadn’t done any of those things, only her head.
* * * *
Tanner stood, pulling Emma to her feet. Lifting her easily in his arms, he carried her to the small, rustic bedroom filled with flickering candles and flowers, most likely courtesy of the sisters. A silver bucket held a bottle of champagne. A set of French doors opened onto the private deck shared by the living area, just a few feet from the water, and waves lapped against the rocky shore.
Perfect. This place was perfect. It might not be elegant or new, but he loved it, and he suspected Emma did, too.
Tanner was determined to make their wedding night special to Emma, and his ego was determined to ruin her for any other man who might come after him. Just the thought of another man holding her, falling asleep with her by his side, and having morning coffee with her turned him all kinds of green, a very foreign emotion for Tanner. Jealousy on his part had never entered into his relationships, mostly because he’d never had a relationship he couldn’t walk away from without any regrets.
He’d scoffed at his brother’s warning about who might ruin whom, not believing Isaac for a moment. Just because the Iceman had succumbed to Avery to the point where he’d been whipped into a dutiful boyfriend, didn’t mean Tanner could possibly fall to the same fate.
Yet Emma brought out a possessiveness in him he didn’t understand. Her vulnerability and innocence contradicted by her inner strength probably launched some long-dormant instincts inside him. After all, he was a man.
Tonight Tanner planned on taking his time, despite the protesting of his painfully hard dick. He prided himself on being such an incredible lover that a woman would never forget her time with him. Tanner fully intended to give Emma the whole sexual treatment whatever the cost to himself.
Lowering her to the floor, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, moving his lips gently over hers, barely touching her mouth, then running his tongue along her lips from corner to corner. She gasped and her mouth opened wide which he took advantage of. Tanner deepened the kiss, burying his fingers in her silky blond mane and enticing her tongue into a sensuous dance. He made love to her mouth with as much care and attention as he would the rest of her body later tonight.
Emma kissed him back with an innocent enthusiasm which had his cock pulsing in his pants.
Tanner drew back slightly, and Emma whimpered a protest. “Tanner.”
“Yeah?” he teased as he slid his hands around her back and unzipped the dress. Oh, the things he would teach this woman, and he didn’t doubt for a minute, she’d teach him a thing or two herself.
Tanner pushed the dress down to her hips, savoring the view as the dress fell away to reveal her creamy skin and pink lacy bra. His throat grew dry, and he licked his lips as he nudged the dress past her hips and watched it pool on the floor. He stood back to admire her body. She stared up at him in wonder, somewhat embarrassed, and yet her eyes shone with desire. He ran his hands over her curves, starting with the points of her shoulders, skimming his fingers along her breasts, down her belly, circling around to her fine ass, and ending at her thighs.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered reverently, his hands shaking slightly as he removed his own clothes with efficient precision, leaving his boxers on for now. He’d had plenty of practice when it came to getting naked with a delectable woman, yet none of them undid him like Emma did.
“So are you,” she spoke in a voice husky with need. Her gaze drank him in as greedily as he looked upon her.
“I want you.” He gave her a gentle push onto the bed and followed her down.
“I want you, too, Tanner.” Her eyes were full of trust, and he took her trust seriously. He’d treat her like the precious jewel she was and make tonight the stuff of dreams.
Jesus. He was starting to wax poetic.
Tanner knelt on the bed and slid her sexy little panties down her legs. He sat back on his haunches for a moment to enjoy the view. She squeezed her legs together, but Tanner gently pried them apart. “Let me look, baby.”
Biting her lower lip, she relaxed her legs. He nodded at what he saw.
“You shaved.”
“Avery thought it’d be a good idea.”
“It’s a fucking great idea. Thank Avery for me.” He ran his hands up her thighs and parted her folds, grinning when he saw wetness glistening between her legs. She shivered and made a sexy little noise. “You’re looking forward to this.”
“Yes,” she admitted, running a tentative hand down his arm, tracing his intricate tattoo, but she didn’t ask about it, not yet. “I’m scared, but I’m excited.”
“I’ll take good care of you.” Tanner slid a finger inside her. She started to tense again, but he kissed the skin on her belly and worked his way up her body, helping her warm up to his finger inside her. With his free hand, he expertly unhooked her bra and pulled it away from a magnificent set of breasts. She wasn’t huge or small. Just perfect, absolutely perfect.
Tanner pushed two fingers inside her tight hole, stretching her, preparing her for his size, knowing nothing could really prepare her for that. He wanted inside her so badly but he forced himself to go slow. This was Emma’s night more than it was his. He could indulge in his personal fantasies on other nights, but he wanted this night to be extraordinary for her.
He worshipped her breasts, paying rapt attention to her nipples, sucking and nipping while he thrust his fingers inside her over and over. She shuddered and arched into his hand. He loved her responsiveness, and pressed his thumb on her clit.
Seconds later, she shattered in his arms.
* * * *
Emma lay on the bed, limp, relaxed, and completely in awe. She’d never had an orgasm before with her former boyfriend. All her others had been self-induced. She’d even worried she might have a problem, but Tanner brought her to fulfillment in under five minutes.
He grinned down at her, smug with satisfaction. Emma thought she’d be shy, but being with him felt so right, her shyness and modesty faded with the evening light.
Emma traced the ink on Tanner’s arm, reading the names in the flickering candlelight. “Jenny and Karen—forever remembered. Who were they?”
“My mom and sister.” He looked away for a moment and swallowed.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. They’re part of who I am. I carry them with me everywhere. Inside here.” He pointed to his chest.
Emma nodded. He had another tattoo between his hip and belly button of a heart and a football, totally not a surprise. Tanner loved his football.
Fearing their wedding night might take a sad turn at the mention of his lost family, she tried for a sultry smile. “Your turn,” she declared saucily, reaching for him. She rubbed the bulge in his boxers and gasped at his size. “Oh, my. You’re well endowed.”
“Honey, you haven’t seen anything yet.” He grinned widely, pulled off his boxers, and kicked them to the floor. He rolled a condom he happened to have on the nightstand over his cock. Emma watched, mesmerized, not certain whether to be alarmed or aroused, maybe a little of both. In awe, she ran an exploring finger across the tip and drew a groan from him.
“You’re awfully big.”
His smile faded. “I promise I’ll take my time.”
“I’m not concerned.” She could tell by his la
zy smile he loved her response.
“Good, because my dick and your pussy are going to become really good friends.”
“I’d like that.” Emma pulled him down to her, kissing him on the lips. He took over the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers, while his hands cupped her breasts, stroking and squeezing.
“Emma, I don’t want to hurt you, but I need to be inside of you. Soon.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” She tossed him a sassy wink which drew a strained chuckle from deep in his belly.
Tanner didn’t need a second invitation. On his knees between her legs, he positioned himself at her entrance. “This might hurt a little at first.”
Emma sucked her lower lip into her mouth and nodded. She could do this, and she would enjoy it even though his size made her little apprehensive. Yet she wanted him inside her so badly, she’d tolerate a discomfort to get to the good stuff. Judging by the man’s size, he had some major good stuff.
Tanner was true to his word. He took his time, despite the veins standing out on his neck from the stress of holding back and his face tight from the extreme control he exerted over his body. He claimed her in minute increments, stretching her wider than she’d thought possible. She squirmed, trying to find a more comfortable position, and Tanner bent down to kiss her tenderly.
“It’ll all be good. Just trust me. Once your body adjusts, you’ll be loving this as much as I am.”
Emma nodded, willing her body to relax and accept his penis. Tanner exhibited painstaking patience, making their first time as painless as possible. Finally, he was buried deep inside her. Emma blew out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. He stayed still for a while until she was comfortable with him then pulled back slightly and pushed deep again. Each time he’d pull out a little further and push in a little deeper until Emma was writhing underneath him and begging for more. The pain fleeting, and the desire exploding.
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