One in a Million(55)
And the reason behind her wanting the prize.
He’d wanted to make things better, wanted to make her smile, and he’d done that.
But he’d done more too, and he couldn’t help but think that even with her reassurances about what this was and what it wasn’t between them, he’d done the wrong thing by her yet again.
When she came out a moment later, he was sorely disappointed to find her wrapped in a towel.
Still the hottest thing he’d ever seen. He watched every move she made, wanting to fully take in this moment. Just in case he never got another moment like it with her.
Carefully not meeting his gaze, she strode to her dresser and pulled out some undies. Then she made his day even better by attempting to pull them on without revealing herself to him.
Sitting up to better see the show, he shoved a pillow behind his head and made himself comfortable.
When the towel dropped for the second time, he grinned from ear to ear. “So is there any fancy lingerie at all?” he asked. “That stuff you claim is such a crucial part of keeping the romance alive between the sheets—and out of them.”
“What did I tell you about reading my site?” she demanded.
He grinned.
“I mean it,” she said, pointing at him. “It’s all crap. Don’t read my crap.”
Laughing, he reached out and tugged her back down onto the bed, pinning her beneath him. When she struggled and sputtered, he grabbed her wrists and pulled them above her head.
She blew a strand of hair from her face. “What’s with all the Fifty Shades moves?”
He made himself at home between her thighs. “Did you do your…morning stuff?”
She blushed. “Yes.”
“All good?”
“Yes. But you’re cuffing my hands.”
“It’s so you won’t distract me from doing my stuff,” he said.
And then he proceeded to show her exactly what that stuff was.
In slow, great detail.
Twice.
Chapter 17
Tanner got to the harbor at the same time as Sam, who took one look at his face and nodded. “Good, you finally got laid. I hope to hell it was good enough to keep you in a better mood for a while.”
“I’m always in a good mood,” Tanner said.
“Yeah, you’re a regular ray of fucking sunshine.” Sam rolled his eyes. “I assume you groveled and made up for your bone-headed move from last night at the bar, right? Oh, and you might want to stay off Tumblr. Lucille’s got a new poll up. She’s asking who’d be a good match for Callie other than you, since you proved yourself unworthy last night.”
“Shit,” Tanner muttered.
Sam laughed.
“Thanks for the sympathy,” Tanner said.
Sam’s grin never faltered. “Is that what you felt for me when I was so screwed up over Becca? Sympathy?”
“Yeah, well, you were an idiot.”
“Uh-huh,” Sam said.
“You saying I’m an idiot?” Tanner asked.
“No, I’m saying you’re a fucking idiot.” Sam pulled out his keys to let himself into their warehouse. “My dad here yet?”
“He just got here too,” Tanner said. “How is he?” Mark was fighting liver disease and hopefully doing a good job of it.
“Stubborn as hell,” Sam said.
“He’s sticking around,” Tanner said. “That’s something.”
“He’s got nothing better to do.”
They both stopped when a car pulled into the lot. It was Elisa and Troy.
“How’s the kid?” Sam asked.
“Stubborn as hell.”
Sam laughed again. “He’s sticking around,” he said, mirroring Tanner’s words. “That’s something.”
“He has to stick,” Tanner said. “He’s fifteen. And maybe he’s not bleeding me dry like Mark does to you, but he’s got a way of sucking the soul right out of a room.”
“Yeah,” Sam said. “It’s called being a teenager.”
As if proving the point, Troy slammed out of his mother’s car and started to walk right by Sam and Tanner.
Tanner stopped him. “Hey. Morning.”
Troy grunted.
“How was last night with your grandparents?”
Another grunt.
Tanner remembered mornings with his mom when he’d been fifteen. But if he’d tried to ignore her with nothing more than an unintelligible caveman sound, she’d have smacked him right upside the head. “Problem?”
Elisa rolled down her window. “Did he tell you the good news?” she asked Tanner.
Feeling Troy shift to make his escape into the warehouse, Tanner took a handful of the back of the kid’s sweatshirt and leaned down a little to meet Elisa’s gaze. “We were just getting to it.”