When the creaking of the bathroom door alerted Tanner that she was emerging, he looked up and watched her shadow approach before she made it into the bedroom.
"Wow, this is … beautiful," she said, her voice trembling, her nerves obvious.
"The power is out. We needed more light than we had at first." Sheesh. Talk about belaboring the obvious … Would he win an award for Lame Response of the Year? And why was he in this pathetic state?
"Yeah, I know, but it's still beautiful. I'm sort of enjoying the fact that the power is out right now."
She shifted awkwardly. Maybe not all men would find her stunningly beautiful in a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt, but right now, he couldn't imagine a more perfect woman.
Maybe if they were back at his penthouse suite, she would have emerged in a lace teddy with scented oils caressing her skin, but they were in this dive apartment complex, and he just didn't care. All he cared about was that soon she would be lying next to him. Or on top of him. Hmm …
"Maybe I'm being too irrational, and maybe staying wasn't the smartest idea. I … uh … I'm..." She trailed off and Tanner found himself not being able to breathe, let alone speak. "I mean, I'm a big girl. If I get this frightened of the dark, there's a real problem." She didn't look him in the eyes as she shifted on her feet again.
Oh, heck no. He wasn't going to let her leave. With two quick strides, he was right there in front of her; he pulled her to him and felt the shiver travel down her spine. The last thing he wanted was to let her go, even if that meant a night of suffering for him. Tanner was surprised that he would be willing to do nothing more than hold her. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to convince her the two of them could make a hell of a lot of magic if their bodies came together though.
Bending down so his words were a warm breath on her neck, he murmured, "We can keep each other warm."
"I'm scared, Tanner."
"We don't have to do anything you don't want to." He just hoped she'd want to do it all. Yes, he would probably end up with permanent damage to what he had beneath the belt, if he'd been wearing one, but she was worth it. And his pain was worth being able to hold her close.
"Are you sure?"
He suddenly had a terrifying thought. "You're … um … not a virgin, are you?"
That made her head come up and she finally looked in his eyes before smiling ruefully. "No. But, to be honest, I'm not very experienced … at all."
"That's okay," he said, relief filling him. The longest this could last was one more week, and he didn't want to be responsible for taking her innocence. When he left this building, he wasn't taking anything with him, especially not another person.
So if they made love tonight, that's all she would get - his body, not his mind, his soul, or his love. He needed to tell her this, but the words were trapped in his throat. This was new. He'd never before had difficulty letting a woman know that he could only give her sex, nothing more. But what if the natural light that shone from her eyes dried up? What if he did take her body and then left her empty? Could he live with that?
She cupped his cheek with a gentle hand and leaned forward, kissing him softly before stepping back. She was lighting him on fire. Who needed a freaking furnace? Without another word, he took her hand and led her to the bed.
"Are you trying to seduce me, Tanner?" she asked with a nervous smile.
"Yes." Why should he lie?
"It may be working," she said, then gave him a look that had his breath rushing from him in excitement.
"Lie down," he almost gasped.
She hesitated only a moment before stretching out on his bed a bit stiffly, her clothes still in place. Tanner picked up the oil he had on the nightstand and rubbed some into his hands to warm it up, and he joined her on the bed.
Sliding his hands beneath the hem of her sweatshirt, he caressed the silk skin of her back - or was it satin? - and when he heard her involuntary moan of approval, his body went from merely ready for action to pulsing, and it took only an instant.
"Are you warm enough?" he asked as his hand moved farther up, pushing up the sweatshirt and exposing her lower back to him. He wanted to see more.
"Yes," she sighed.
Taking a handful of the stupid shirt, he began tugging it upward in earnest, holding his breath, hoping she wouldn't stop him. She lifted her body, making it easier for him to get the material over her head. Then she lay back down, her back to him. Unclasping her bra, he drew the straps down her arms, realizing that his fingers were trembling.
She said nothing as he pulled the lacy material free and tossed it aside. Adding more oil to his hands, he ran his fingers across her back and sides, kneading her muscles as she gave him gasps of pleasure in return.