He sent the picture and drove to the university for his nine o’clock class.
As he pulled into the parking lot, his phone rang. “Satisfied?” he answered.
“A quiet night at home by the fire. How lovely. When are you seeing each other again?”
“I’m having Thanksgiving with her family.”
“Good. Send another picture. Be nice to see if her parents redecorated.”
Give the bastard an inch… “I have class. If there’s nothing else…”
The chuckle was dark. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure you could pull it off. At first I was content with the idea of you breaking up with her and stopping the article that way, but now I’m starting to rethink things. If she finds out you’re working for me, she’ll hate your guts.”
Fear slid down Tanner’s spine like ice. “When I break things off and stop her from doing the article, I’ve done my job. She doesn’t have to know about our deal.” Even though he planned to tell her, he wanted to be the one to explain the situation. God only knows what Sommerville would say.
“Hmm… I’m not sure now. I’m feeling a bit jealous.”
Bullshit. Sommerville was like an Afghani war lord. Only territorial when someone wanted something he’d neglected or thrown away.
“You don’t want to piss her off. She could say some nasty things to the press and hurt your political chances.”
“True. I’ll have to think about my options.”
“Stop threatening me, Sommerville. You’re only making me want to destroy you.”
“You think I don’t already know you want it so bad you can taste it? Tanner, you should hire a better PI. I spotted him when I arrived for the massage. I could recommend someone to you.”
“You’re a fuck.”
“Thank you. Don’t have me followed, or I’ll rip your brother’s life open publicly and ruin your reputation. How would it look for an acclaimed journalist to succumb to blackmail? No source in his right mind would trust you again.”
He pounded on the steering wheel, his control snapping. Sommerville was right. Slamming his eyes shut, he counted to ten. Losing it with Sommerville only gratified Sommerville. Fuck it. Today, he didn’t care.
“Did your masseuse suck your cock?”
“Did Meredith suck yours?”
Tanner clicked off and threw the phone aside. How dare he talk about her like that?
He exited the car and slammed the door. A few people looked over at him in the parking lot, so he flashed a fake smile and lifted his hand. Stupid of him to goad Sommerville.
Striding across campus, he imagined all the things he wanted to do to Richard Sommerville, all the while praying he didn’t have the chance to tell Meredith the truth before Tanner did.
Sommerville was right. She would never forgive him.
Chapter 39
Meredith hoped she wouldn’t have to attend another funeral for a long time. The gymnasium was packed again, giving her the saddest sense of déjà vu. Ray’s friends talked about his dreams of being a lawyer, joking through tears about how much he loved legal dramas. There wasn’t a whisper of his extracurricular activities.
As they left, Tanner introduced her to a group of his students, clutching her hand while they talked. He did what he did best—listened. Offered a word of comfort. Patted them on the back. They clearly adored him.
He ignored the speed limit as he drove them to Jill’s. “Sorry I can’t hang around long. I want to make sure everything’s ready for Peg and Keith.”
“No worries. I have something to show you anyway.” She unlocked the door, her nose twitching from Jill’s sage incense. Shaking her head, she headed for the kitchen. “Want some coffee?”
He pulled her against his chest, looking beyond handsome in gray slacks and a navy blazer over a white dress shirt. “How about a kiss first? I couldn’t give you a proper one in front of Jill this morning.”
His mouth tantalized her, but didn’t plunge them into the reckless desire of the night before. His tenderness always surprised her. She wasn’t used to it, but she liked it a lot.
After releasing her mouth, he held her against him and stroked her hair.
She snuggled closer. “Are you okay?”
His sigh was heartfelt. “I will be. It was hard seeing that photo of him, knowing I’d never see him again. He wasn’t a hero, but he tried to do the right thing. I want people to know that. In some ways, it takes more courage.”
“You’re a good man.”
His body tensed. “Why don’t you make coffee? I’ll need some to keep up with Keith.”
She knew withdrawal, but couldn’t figure out why he’d reacted that way. Was he one of those good guys who didn’t like compliments?