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He runs his hands through his hair. “In the end, I stuck with her to keep the rumors at bay, but it was difficult…and then I met you, and for once in my life, I took something just for me. Something I craved.” He brushes my hair back and caresses my face as he continues. “That was you. The way we loved each other. The way you touched me as though you wanted every part of me. I’ve never shared myself in that way before.” Taking my hand, he brings it up to his lips and brushes a kiss across the back.
My heart pounds at his words so I bring our joined hands to my mouth and return his gentle kiss. “You’ve turned me to mush,” I smile through my tears. “I’m supposed to be a business woman, quick on my feet, and wow…you say beautiful things to me and I can’t even remember my name.”
His grin spreads across his face. “I like the idea of that.”
I chuckle. “Thought you might.” Becoming serious, I admit, “I tried to move on, Tanner. I just couldn’t. We connected on a level that is unique, and I’m here because I believe you want me more than your…fiancée.”
“I do.” He moves closer. “I haven’t lied to you about her, and I promise, as soon as I can get back into town, I’ll talk to her and end things.” Frowning, he adds, “I’m really hoping she’s going to be as relieved as I will be.”
“And if she isn’t?”
“I’m not changing my mind, Charlotte. You’re the woman I want to be with. So,” he stands and quickly hauls me into his arms, “I suggest that, while we’re stuck here together, we get to know each other better.”
66
Tanner
I wanted to kick myself for becoming aroused at the sight of Charlotte naked. The curve of her bottom as her back was to me in the bathroom. The swell of her breasts, her rosy nipples, and the light patch of hair between her thighs as she laid on the bed had all been too much. No matter how clinical I was trying to be, my cock ached at having her laid out before me.
Even now, as I lean against the countertop—my gaze wandering over her sleeping form—I still ache. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and she’s like a drug to me. No other person has ever looked at me with pure happiness in their gaze before…and that’s how I feel when I look at her. I feel as though a great pressure has been lifted from my chest whenever I look at Charlotte. It’s as though being with her has given me a new lease of life. I certainly don’t feel angry anymore. All that’s gone with her arrival.
“I can see you watching me,” Charlotte whispers. “You look hot.” She grins.
I groan and let out a long exhale, hoping my arousal isn’t as obvious as I think it is when I move from the kitchen. Her eyes flicker to my groin, widening as I move closer and sit beside her hip.
When she finally meets my gaze, there is a delightful blush coating her cheekbones, an answering one on mine. I laugh to hide my embarrassment. “I can’t hide what you do to me.”
“I don’t want you to.” She holds her arms out to me in invitation. “Just lie with me. I need to feel you close.”
Groaning, I position myself behind her on the sofa. She wiggles against me and uses one of my arms for a pillow while the other wraps around her waist. “You feel good.”
“Hmm,” she mumbles, wiggling her ass against my arousal. Chuckling, she adds, “So do you.”
Catching a breath, I hold her still. “We’ll do as much as that as we can once I’m free.” I kiss her cheek. “I promise.” I lightly kiss her ear and reining in my arousal, I add, “You need to recover as well.”
“Um, I do ache…”
“Woman!”
She chuckles. “What on earth did you think I meant? I was referring to the bruising.”
“Oh really.” I get comfortable, forgetting about the ache in my body, and ask, “Tell me what you’ve been up to.”
“That one is easy. Work, work, and work.”
I frown. “I hope you’ve been looking after yourself.”
“I have a large family who make sure that I do. My brother, Michael, married his love, Brooke, not too long ago. She’s really nice and has become a good friend.”
“Michael’s your twin, right?”
“He is and he likes to remind me. He tells me, because of being my twin, that he should know everything about me before anyone else. It’s awkward sometimes.” I hear the amusement in her v
oice as she continues, “Sometime, I say embarrassing things to get a reaction out of him. It’s funny. He knows why I’m doing it and tries to carry on as long as he can.” She gives a small chuckle before her voice becomes serious. “He’s my rock, Tanner. I don’t know what I’d do without him, or my family. They’ve helped distract me, and talked me into coming out here to talk to you.”
I pause before saying gently, “Leaving you that morning was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I wanted to turn back so many times, but I knew prolonging what we had would have made it harder to deal with.” I bury my face into her neck and breathe her in. “Tell me more about your family…or tell me anything, I just want to hear your voice.”
“My mom and dad are as much in love today as they were when they married. Growing up, I used to love watching how my dad would always treat my mom. He’d help her to cook. He’d take her shopping whether it was for clothes or food.” She smiles as she turns her head to hold my gaze. “I once asked him why he did everything with Mom because my friends’ dads did nothing in their home.”
