Kyla didn't know what had possessed her to buy those things this morning. One minute she'd been doing a little grocery shopping, and the next she'd been checking out with popcorn and cranberries in her cart. That was before she'd even ended up at the Christmas tree lot. There weren't even any trees outside the apartment building. The act had been completely senseless. Well, it had been until now.
Maybe her mom had been there with her, and she'd put the items in the cart. The thought made Kyla's eyes sting - but she was finished feeling sad and refused to shed more tears. It was time to embrace some happiness.
When she came back into Tanner's apartment, she found him nailing a couple of boards onto the bottom of the tree, and she watched as the muscles in his shoulders flexed with the swinging of the hammer before he stood and propped the tree up on its makeshift stand.
"I didn't take you for the kind of man who could handle a hammer and nails," she told him. She set down the tree stand she'd grabbed - too late! - and then placed her packages on the kitchen counter. Next, she found a frying pan, put it on the heat, and poured in two tablespoons of oil to it with one kernel. When the kernel popped, she added half a cup of popcorn and waited for the party in the pan to happen. "Hey, Tanner, can you grab a big bowl?"
He went over to the cupboard and took down the bowl. "I prefer not to be categorized. There are a lot of things I can do that would shock you." His wink had her blood stirring.
"I'll just bet there are," she said. She certainly couldn't compete with his level of flirting, but she wasn't going to just stand there in shock all night, either.
"I'd be glad to show you," he offered. And once again, he was suddenly far too close.
"Why don't I take the lead and show you how to make popcorn strands?" She gave a nervous laugh and pushed him back, her hand nearly sizzling when it made contact with his rock-hard chest.
"I have much better ideas on what would be fun," he said, boxing her in against the counter.
Tempted.
But her reasonable side kicked in before she could do something rash, and she brushed past him. Tearing open the bag of cranberries, she put them in a bowl, then grabbed the bag with string and large sewing needles in it.
"Make yourself useful and thread a couple of needles," she said before moving back to the counter and picking up her glass of wine. It really was good, and right now, she needed it.
The sound of the corn popping served as a distraction, and once the large bowl was filled with the puffed kernels, the two of them moved into his living room and began making decorations from opposite sides of his couch.
"Why is your stay in these apartments temporary?" she asked as she began slipping popcorn onto her string. "Isn't that what you said?"
He watched for a moment and then began imitating her, alternating between popcorn and cranberries.
"It's a long, boring story," he finally answered.
"I don't mind listening. I have a few long, boring stories of my own if you want to hear," she said with a brittle laugh. She didn't really mean that. It wasn't as if this man would want to hear anything about her. In reality she was pretty boring, or so she thought.
"Let's just say I was … dared," he told her, forcing a smile.
"You were dared to live here?"
"Sort of," he said with a sigh. "My family is … complicated. I have three brothers and a sister, and we all kind of … well … went our separate ways. So my dad stepped in and decided we needed projects to do." Tanner stopped cold, unwilling to elaborate.
"I'm thoroughly confused right now. What does your living here and your father giving you projects have to do with anything?"
"Hey. Don't stop working on the Christmas tree ornaments," he told her, and she began stringing her goodies again. "I don't know how to explain it other than to say that he decided we were all a little spoiled and wanted to see us doing something different with our lives."
"Are you spoiled?"
Tanner laughed as his eyes met hers, and Kyla couldn't figure out how to get the dang popcorn on her string. She felt like he was holding her prisoner with his gaze, and the reality was that she didn't want to be freed.
His expression changed. He set down his own length of string, scooted closer to her, and, gently removing the string she was working on from her fingers, he raised a hand and cupping her cheek.
"You make me feel, Kyla," he whispered, and then he leaned in and caressed her lips with his.
She forgot all about her question to him, or the fact that he hadn't answered it.
Kyla couldn't breathe as his hand moved back and he let his fingers drift through her hair. She knew she should stop this, but she didn't know why. When he tugged her closer and lifted her onto his lap, she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck and lean in against his solid body. "You make me forget," she murmured.