Buzz. Buzz.
This time, I sat up and looked at the number calling on my screen. I almost dropped the phone when I saw who it was.
“Tanner?”
“Did I wake you?” The sound of his deep voice sent a familiar zing through my heart.
“It’s three in the morning.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Can you come outside for a minute?”
My spine stiffened. “Outside?”
“Yeah. I’m downstairs in my car.”
“Why are you downstairs? Tanner, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
“I just … I really need you right now. I don’t know who else to talk to.”
At the sound of the desperation in his voice, I tore the covers off and swung my legs out of bed. “I’ll be down in two minutes.”
I threw my hair into a ponytail and gargled with mouth wash. In my fuzzy slippers and flannel pajamas, I ran down the stairs and into Tanner’s car.
“Where’s your coat?” he asked, fighting to get out of his jacket.
“I keep forgetting how cold it gets here.”
When he reached over to wrap his jacket around me, that’s when I saw his eyes. Wet and bloodshot.
“Tanner, what’s going on?”
“It’s my dad. He … he’s in the hospital.”
I sucked in a gasp. “What happened?”
“We’d finished eating dinner. He went into the living room with Khloe to watch Moana, and he just collapsed.” Tanner shook his head in disbelief. “Right there on the floor. In front of Khloe. He collapsed. I carried him to the car, and I drove like a madman to the hospital.”
My gut twisted thinking about Khloe having to witness that. “Where was Chase?”
“With Merritt. They’re at the hospital now.”
“What did the doctor say? How is your dad now?”
“The doctor ran a bunch of tests. Everyone just keeps saying how weak his body is.” A tear rolled down his cheek as he averted his gaze out the windshield. “He’s not strong enough to fight the cancer anymore.”
I swiped his tear away with my thumb, and held my palm against his face. “I’m so sorry, Tanner.”
He leaned over and buried his head in my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, stroking his soft hair as he cried on my shoulder. Words would always fail in a situation like this. I knew from experience. I knew what Tanner needed most: to be reassured that everything was going to be okay. I was thankful to be the one to give that to him. I wiped my own silent tears as I held him.
“I’m sorry I woke you. I couldn’t take being in that hospital any longer.”
“I’m glad you called me. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“You should go back inside. You’re going to be exhausted when you have to wake up.”
“Why don’t you come in?”
His eyebrows pressed together. “Right now?”
“You can have my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch until my dad leaves for work. I don’t have to be at the bakery until the afternoon.”
“You have class in the morning, don’t you?”
“I can skip it.”
He shook his head. “Don’t skip class for me. I can go home.”
“The thought of you in that house all by yourself would kill me.”
“Your dad wouldn’t mind me in your bed?”
“As long as I’m on the couch, it’s all good. He knows about your dad.”
“You talked to him about me?”
I nodded and looked down at my lap. “He wanted to know why I’ve been so sad lately.”
Tanner touched his lips to my cheek. “I’m sorry for hurting you, Charlotte.”
“Don’t worry about me. You’ve got enough on your plate to deal with.” I looked into his watery eyes. “Please say you’ll come inside.”
Tanner ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled a long breath of air. “Okay.”
Once we were inside, I led him into my bedroom. I turned on my nightstand lamp and gestured to the bed. “All yours. Do you want some water or anything?”
“No. Thank you.”
I closed the door behind me and stretched out on the living room couch. Wrapping myself with a fleece blanket, I didn’t feel tired anymore. I thought about how lucky I was to have lost my mother at such a young age. It sounds crazy to think about it like that, but I was so young when it happened—I didn’t have much to miss.
Chase and Tanner had almost two decades of memories with their father. Everything from this point on would be filled with reminders that their father was missing, that he should still be here. People wouldn’t get to say that he went peacefully, or that he lived a long and happy life. They would say he was taken too soon. It wasn’t fair. My heart broke for Tanner. How much more would he have to endure before his father’s fight was over?
I watched the hours tick by until my father emerged from his room. The sun had not even begun to rise, and he was ready to leave for work.
“Charlotte? What are you doing out here?” he asked, sitting at the edge of the couch cushion next to my feet.
“Tanner’s father is in the hospital. He’s having a hard time, and I didn’t want him to be alone. So, I told him to sleep here. Hence, me on the couch.”
“Is his dad going to be okay?”
“I don’t know how much longer he has. He’s in the phase where his body is shutting down. It’s just so sad.”
Dad wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. “You’re a good kid. I know this is hard for you.”
“I wish there was something more I could do.”
“I know. But you can’t save everyone from heartache. All you can do is be there to help them through it.”
“I know.”
“Well, let him know that he is always welcome here. I’m off to make the doughnuts. I’ll see you in the afternoon.”
“I love you, Dad.”
“I love you more.”
I watched as he gathered his wallet and keys before heading out. Once I heard the door lock, I sprang from the couch and into the hallway. I cracked my bedroom door to check on Tanner.
His head immediately lifted off the pillow.
“Did you get any sleep?”
His red eyes told me the answer before he could. “No.”
Hurt for him constricted my chest, compelling me to comfort him. I climbed into bed beside him and slipped my legs under the covers. He still had his clothes on.
“You can’t possibly be comfortable lying in a bed with jeans on.”
“I didn’t know if your dad was going to chase me out of here with a shotgun when he woke up. I figured, if you’re packing heat, he must be, too.”
“He doesn’t know I’m packing heat, and I’d like to keep it that way. Now, take off your pants.” I grimaced when I heard the words come out of my mouth. “I mean, you know … get comfortable.”
He chuckled as he stepped out of bed. I was glad to see him smile, even if it was at my awkward expense.
Don’t look. Don’t look. But I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and then unzipped his fly. He pushed his jeans down over his ass and let them drop to the floor before sliding back under the covers in nothing but his tight black boxer briefs.
I wrapped my body around Tanner, intertwining my legs with his, and melted against his smooth, warm skin. My head nestled perfectly in the crook of his neck, and I inhaled his scent as deeply as I could. I didn’t know what I was doing, but my heart exploded with emotion. Follow your heart.
Tanner lifted my chin just slightly to look at me. “I miss you so much.” He said it as if he still missed me, even though he was holding me. “Does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?”
Being this close to him after not seeing him for weeks felt so right, it was impossible to deny it. To deny him. “I miss you too much to be mad.”
Unable to hold myself back any lon
ger, I pressed my lips against his. It was the first time we were kissing without anything standing in our way—no console in the car, no neighbors with barking dogs. I kissed him with reckless abandon.
I crawled on top of him, feeling certain from his hardness that he wanted me there. I pressed myself against him as his hands made their way to my hips. His grip on me tightened as I rocked back and forth, our breaths becoming shorter with each passing second.
Tanner pulled my face just far enough away from his to speak. “I don’t want to stop, but I’m afraid that once you leave for work later, we’ll go back to not speaking. I don’t want that.” He squeezed me tighter. “Please tell me this isn’t a one-time thing. I don’t want your pity.”
“This is not pity.”
“What is it, then?”
The question lingered between us. What was I doing? What was this?
“Charlotte, whatever it is that’s holding you back from me, please, just let it go. I don’t care what you’ve done in your past. No matter what it is, it will never change the way I feel about you. You are the one for me. I want you to be mine.”
That was the moment everything became clear. I knew I would never tell Tanner about the things I’d done in my past. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to stand him looking at me in any other way than he was looking at me right now. Tanner accepted me with my secrets—he always had. Now, it was my turn to accept him.
I was going to follow what my heart wanted and throw caution to the wind. I didn’t have the strength in me to care about the consequences any longer. Tanner needed me, and my heart was telling me that I needed him, too. If being safe meant being without him, then I didn’t want to be safe. I’d have to be brave.
“I am yours.”
He kissed me softly. “Say it again.”
“I. Am. Yours.” He hardened against my panties again as he opened his mouth and deepened our kiss. Our mouths melded together, hot, wet, and frantic, until we couldn’t breathe. He pulled me back greedily each time we broke away panting.
I tore my lips away from his and kissed his neck, making a trail down his incredibly sculpted body. I took my time, running my lips and fingers over each of his perfectly cubed abs, until I reached the elastic waistband of his boxers. I slid them off, enjoying the hungry look in Tanner’s eyes as he let me take control.
I took him into my mouth slowly and swirled my tongue around the head as Tanner exhaled a low groan. I drew him back into my mouth, gliding over his sensitive skin again and again. The louder he groaned, the more turned on it made me and the deeper I wanted to take him. Never before had I wanted to do this for anyone as much as I did right now. He needed this release, and I was determined to bring it to him.
I could feel him pulsating against my tongue, and I knew he wouldn’t last long. I pulled him all the way to the back of my throat, and he gripped the back of my head with both of his hands.
“Holy fuck, baby.” He tried to get me to stop, but I brushed his hands away and kept going. When he realized what I wanted him to do, his head fell back onto the pillow and he let go. Calling out my name followed by a series of curses, Tanner came in my mouth. Then, every muscle in his body went from tense to completely relaxed.
I crawled on top of him, laying my head on his chest and listening to his heavy breathing.
“I didn’t expect that.”
“Good.”
“Once I get the feeling back in my legs, it’s my turn.”
I smiled. “Or we could just lie here together. You need to get some rest.”
“If you think I’m going to be able to sleep after what you just did …” He shook his head.
Tanner’s phone vibrated on my nightstand and we both jumped.
“Hey,” he answered. “What’s happening?”
I watched his facial expression closely, straining to hear what Chase was saying on the other side.
“Yeah. I’ll be there soon.” He ended the call. “My dad’s stable. Chase said they’re keeping him for the rest of the day to monitor him, and then he should be able to go home.”
“That’s great news.”
Tanner wrapped me tightly in his arms. “I don’t want to leave you.”
I kissed his temple. “You need to be with your family right now. I can see you later, after work.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” I pulled him in for a kiss. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not going anywhere.”
Thirteen
Tanner
“You’re welcome!” I dropped to my knees and spread my arms out wide for the big finish.
Khloe loved it when I sang along with The Rock. She doubled over, eyes closed, as she laughed hysterically. I loved the sound of her laugh, but it was not only her that I did this for. Dad was laughing, too.
“No matter how many times she asks you to do this, you sing it with as much enthusiasm as if it were your first time,” Dad said, still chuckling.
“Well, you’ve gotta commit when you sing a song like that.” I sprawled out on the couch next to him, slightly out of breath.
“You’re breathing kind of hard, brother,” Chase called from his recliner.
“We just ate a twelve-course meal. I have a cramp.” I rubbed my full stomach.
I got to spend another Thanksgiving with my father, and I would soon be picking up Charlotte for a special night I had planned. Not even Chase’s comments would put a damper on my mood. Not tonight.
“I didn’t know you could sing like that,” Merritt teased. “I guess it runs in the family.”
“Just because I don’t doesn’t mean I can’t.”
Mom laughed. “I should show you the videos I have of the two boys singing in the bathtub when they were little.”
“No!” Chase and I both exclaimed.
Merritt laughed. “Oh, I would pay to see that.”
“Shh!” Khloe held her tiny finger to her lips. “Watch the movie!”
We watched the rest of the movie in silence. Time seemed to crawl. I couldn’t wait to see Charlotte. To hold her. To kiss her. To gaze into her eyes. Whatever happened or didn’t happen tonight, I just needed to fall asleep with her in my arms.
I’d never felt anything like this before. I loved my parents. I loved my siblings. I’d do anything for them. But this was different. Charlotte set everything in my life into place. For the first time, I felt certain of my future. I felt certain of my place in the world. I would spend all of eternity giving her everything she deserved. I’d sacrifice my life to prove to her that I could be the kind of man she needed.
I sprang to my feet when the movie finally ended. Everyone was busy tucking Khloe in for bed, and I was able to slip out the front door without any questions. Tonight, I was going to forget about everything. Everything except for her.
Charlotte
“Where are we going?”
“Like I told you the last seven times you asked: you’ll see when we get there.” Tanner grinned from the driver’s seat and reached his hand out for mine.
I sighed as my knee bounced. “I can’t imagine anything is open on Thanksgiving.”
“Stop trying to figure it out and tell me how your day was.”
“It was great, actually. Dad and I spent the day at Mallory’s. It felt nice to be surrounded by a family.”
“I wish you could’ve been with mine.” He kissed my hand.
“Me too.”
I was slightly jealous that Merritt got to spend so much time with Tanner’s family. Although, I knew she didn’t have a family of her own. She was lucky to have them. Tanner and I hadn’t discussed meeting each other’s families. I knew he had a lot going on with his dad being sick. Would I ever get to meet him?
As Tanner pulled into the parking lot, I craned my neck to see the sign above the building. We were at a bed-and-breakfast. A slow smirk formed on my lips.
He turned off the engine and faced me in his seat. “I just want to fall asleep holding you.”
&nb
sp; “We have a room all to ourselves. I hope we do a lot more than sleep.”
Tanner chuckled. “We will do whatever you want to do, my sweet girl.”
I took his face into my hands and kissed him tenderly. “I love this idea.”
Inside, the woman at the desk handed Tanner our room key with nothing more than a smile.
“That was quick,” I whispered as we walked up a winding staircase.
Tanner didn’t respond. He led me down the hallway like he knew where he was going.
Maybe he did. Oh, God. My heart sank. Had he been here before? I suddenly remembered Mallory warning me about Tanner’s promiscuous past.
He looked back at me, and his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you okay?”
“I know I’m going to regret this question, but I have to ask it.” I shoved my hands into my coat pockets and looked down at my boots. “Have you been here before?”
He looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“You seem to know your way around this place, and you didn’t even have to check in at the front desk. She gave you the key like it was your own.” I lifted my eyes to meet his. “Is this where you take girls when you want to have sex with them?”
Tanner laughed once, and then even harder when he realized I was serious. “I have been here before. At about eight o’clock this morning.”
My eyebrows shot up.
“I was here to book the room for us for tonight. I’ve wanted to do this for a while now. I think you’ll understand when you see the room.” He tugged on my hand, and I followed.
Tanner stopped in front of a door at the end of the long hallway. He turned the key in the knob and held the door open for me to walk through.
The room was dimly lit. I walked inside to find dozens of battery-operated candles scattered around the room flickering in the dark. My hands flew to my mouth when I saw rose petals formed into the shape of a heart atop the bed. A bottle of champagne stuck out of an ice bucket on one of the nightstands, with two glass flutes beside it. A small iPod dock played soft music on the other nightstand.
Tanner’s hands wrapped around my waist from behind me. “You said you had a bad prom night experience. I thought we could make a better memory together.”
The Other Brother (The Collision Series) Page 12
