Page 55 of Let Me Be the One
The look he gave her almost brought on a blush. As far as she could remember, no man had ever looked at her like that, as if she was both the sexiest and most wonderful woman he’d ever known.
“That’s what I always noticed about you. How ‘fresh from the bath’ you always seem.” His gaze traveled over her cheek, along her neck and then the top of her chest. “Even sweaty, you glow.” His voice dropped. “Makes me want to breathe you in all over.”
You can. Name the day. Now would be fine.He wasso serious, though, she didn’t want to derail him. “I look at you and see strength and compassion.” That didn’t quite cover it. “Protection, too.”
His gaze sharpened. “For yourself?”
“No, not necessarily. For anyone who needed it, I guess.” A dog, a brother…a girl named Nell. “In case you can’t tell, I admire you, Tanner. A lot.”
“I was getting a whole different vibe.”
She grinned. “Yeah, well, I want you, too.” And she didn’t mind saying so. “But fine as you are, I wouldn’t get all hot and bothered around you if I didn’t admire you, too.”
His laugh was quick and rough. “Hot and bothered, huh?”
Fanning her face dramatically, she said, “Very much so.” There, she’d said it. He could make of that what he would.
CHAPTER EIGHT
BEING AROUNDCALLIEhad turned into one enormous, endless struggle. He wanted her, but he needed her to move on.
She was a longtime fantasy in the flesh, and a huge distraction.
He didn’t want to care for her, but he couldn’t help himself.
She admires me. For a man like him, that was better than pure desire. He’d been wanted before, by plenty of women over the years. But admiration? Far as he knew it was only his family, Addie and Kam, who offered that.
When she poured two mugs of milk, he accepted one, and the cookie she offered on a napkin.
Once they were both settled, he said, “You might meet Nell. She comes around to the farm for the occasional odd job. Mostly grooming Blu, but she’ll help Addie plant flowers in the spring, or lend Kam a hand when he’s washing our equipment.”
“What’s she like?”
Giving it quick thought, he said, “She’s…sweet sixteen going on a jaded thirty.”
Wearing her patented friendly smile, Callie said, “So, she’s complicated?”
So complicated that she often made his head spin.Boys he understood. Girls, not so much. Especially not at that age. “She’s had one hell of a hard life that’s left her cynical, tired, and looking for a reason to hate everyone, including herself.”
“Rough. Teenage girls are hard enough on themselves when they’re not dealing with anything major. Just growing up with peer groups and expectations can take a toll.”
Was that how Callie had felt? He’d always assumed that she’d coasted through life without a single worry.
Envy of someone’s money, social standing, and family could give that impression. Loosely, Tanner clasped his hands on the tabletop to keep from reaching for her. Holding her went a long way toward making a hellish day better.
Actually, just being with her did that, too.
“One minute, she’ll be like a kid, happy about something.” Concern gnawed at him. “Then it’s like her world was upended and all she wants to do is run away.”
“That sounds…” Callie studied his face. “Scary, actually. And a good reason to worry.”
Glad that she understood, he did a fast rundown. “Her dad has always made her feel like dirt, blaming her because her mother took off to find a new man.”
Callie winced.
“Her maternal grandmother tries, but at seventy-nine, she’s too old to keep up with a teenager. At least with her, Nell has a place to live, food to eat, but guidance? Understanding?”
“Where’s her dad now?”
