Page 54 of Let Me Be the One
However it had happened, they’d connected, even bonded, and not just in a “nice to date” or “sexual chemistry” type of way. There was that, for sure. Never in her life had she been so physically drawn to a man. Yet it was more, especially for her because she’d been looking for someone who would accept her choices, let her test her own boundaries.
Just let herbe.
Oh, he grumbled, but he also encouraged her and when necessary—as it had been tonight, and previously with her raccoon intruder—he stepped up to make sure she was safe without ridiculing her.
Even when Tanner did criticize her, it didn’t feel condescending. It felt teasing, sometimes automatic, as if he did it by rote, and occasionally self-serving and deliberate. After all, there were things he wanted with her house, so he had his own agenda.
“Thank you,” she whispered, leaning a little closer.
Abruptly coming to her feet, Glory said, “I think I’ll get a shower. Thank you for the help, Tanner. And the cookies.”
Without looking away from Callie, he replied, “No problem.”
Blu glanced up, watching Glory disappear down the hall, then he checked out Callie and Tanner, but he must have decided everything was fine because he put his head back on his paws and dozed off again.
The second they heard the bathroom door close, Callie went on tiptoe to kiss Tanner. From the moment he’d showed up, some part of her mind had wanted her mouth on his. If she thought of him, kisses were involved. When she looked at him, her lips tingled. Now he was here, in reach, and he wasn’t exactly resistant.
But then, neither did he deepen the kiss.
His hand slid from her neck to her shoulder, then down her back so he could nudge her closer by small degrees until they were in full body contact.
Her senses rioted. How did she even stay upright? The scent of him, the feel of his solid body, his strength and warmth…so intoxicating.
Being held by him offered contentment, acceptance, and safety, all together in an incredibly stirring mix. She was twenty-eight years old and she’d never felt anything like it.
However, he wasn’t devouring her mouth as he had last time, and in fact had turned the kiss so tender, their lips were barely touching. That was special in its own way. Sighing, she rested her cheek on his chest. “Kissing you is so, so nice.”
His hand stroked up and down her back. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Hm. So he’d rather talk than kiss. She could handle that—barely. “Okay.” He sounded so grave, she emotionally braced herself.
“I had to miss dinner. I didn’t want you to think I was deliberately dodging you.”
“Kam mentioned someone named Nell.” She waited, not releasing him, in no hurry to break physical contact with him.
His arms tightened around her. “I have no idea why I want to explain this to you.”
At that, she pressed back to see his face. “Right? How long have we even known each other?” In case he misunderstood, she said quickly, “It just feels right, though, to share, I mean?”
“It does.” He cupped her face in both hands. This kisswas deeper and more thorough, but still far too brief. “Though I’ve known you for a long time.”
Ouch. She was still smarting over that when he took her hand and led her into the kitchen.
With a glance around, he said, “The place is coming together.”
She practically beamed. “Coming from Grumpy Gus, that’s quite the compliment.”
He hedged his big topic by saying, “You’ve done things faster than I expected.”
“Oh?” She got out two mugs and a jug of milk, setting them on the table with the cookies and a decorative napkin holder that she used as a simple centerpiece. As she dropped into a chair, she asked, “What did you expect?”
He looked back at the kitchen entrance to ensure they were alone, then said, “That you’d be more like Glory, and no, that’s not an insult to your cousin.”
Sure sounded like one to her. “Then what is it?”
“An observation.” He took the seat opposite her. “I assumed you’d look at a mess, hire people to clear it out, and otherwise stay clean.”
“Clean?” she repeated.
