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He smiles and moves off, lost in thought.
“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Tanner asks.
“Heck, yes, I am. I’m excited. I make an amazing cranberry stuffing, and homemade yeast rolls.”
“Hmm, my stomach is rumbling at the thought. I can’t remember the last time I had a homemade yeast roll.” Glancing behind me, I check that my father has disappeared before moving to the sofa.
Charlotte raises a brow and smirks. “Are we going to make out on the sofa and hope your father doesn’t catch us?”
“No making out…for now, but I am going to hold you close for a few minutes before I make us some lunch.”
She snuggles against my chest as I close my arms around her. I bury my face into the top of her head, inhaling. She always smells good and I want to hold that with me when I go back into the cold.
“Are you sniffing me?”
I chuckle. “I’m inhaling you.” I tilt her chin up and brush a soft kiss over her lips. “This is all we can share for now…secret kisses.”
She nuzzles into my hand. “I’ll take anything I can get until you’re free to be with me completely.” She holds my gaze and reaching forward, places small kisses to each side of my mouth before she briefly settles against my lips. “I love you, Tanner,” she whispers. “I’m not going anywhere unless you put me on a plane yourself.”
Cupping the back of her head, I admit, “I love you too, Charlotte. The only time I’ll be putting you on a plane is if I’m with you, and we’re going somewhere together.”
Her soft smile is beautiful.
71
Charlotte
Five days before Christmas and the road into town is finally clear after workers have spent two days making the highway passable.
Tanner has been amazing and we’ve survived on secret kisses, albeit brief secret kisses. I don’t think either of us trusted ourselves to take them deeper. I know I wouldn’t have been able to refrain from touching him. I’m so in love with the man it hurts something inside of me knowing that he currently belongs to someone else. Not in his heart because I truly believe I’m the one inside that beating organ, but in promise that’s something else. Not for long though.
As soon as Tanner gets out of the shower, he’ll be going into town and finishing what I think he regrets ever doing, and that’s getting engaged to Emma.
He hasn’t really spoken about her other than to tell me what she did to him by being unfaithful. From what his father and Bo have said to me, I’m led to believe Tanner only knows about the one time but it was clear there had been other times she was unfaithful. Although, I regret him being hurt, I have to admit that I’m glad she’s the way she is. It makes it easier knowing I’m in love with Tanner and that I came here to hopefully claim my man.
My body tingles at the thought of claiming him in every way possible. The night we shared has lived in my memory all these months, and I’m aching to show him with my body how much I love him. How much he deserves to be loved.
“Charlotte,” he whimpers sounding tortured, derailing my thoughts.
My eyes find him and I’m left speechless. He’s leaning against the doorjamb with a towel slung low on his hips, his body still wet from the shower…and I struggle to form words.
“All my promises are going to go out of the window if you carry on looking at me like that,” he growls, the towel twitching the more I stare.
A huge grin appears on my face while I lick my lips deliberately teasing him. His eyes don’t leave my mouth. My eyes don’t leave the growing erection that is currently tenting the towel.
With a groan bubbling at the back of my throat, I let out a deep, throaty moan. In reaction, Tanner quickly grabs himself and turns his back to me. He’s breathing heavily as time seems to be at a standstill and then he’s moving.
He teases me when he drops the towel and I get an amazing view of his firm ass and a quick peek of the heavy sac between his legs as he bends to shove his legs into boxer briefs followed with his jeans.
I let out a heavy sigh and smirk when he looks at me over his shoulder. “You like what you see, babe?”
“Mmm, and if you were already free, I’d be inviting you over here to feel how much I like what I see.”
His eyes drop to my lap as I squirm. The heat of his gaze is enough to make me burn, but when he looks like he wants to eat me, I’m about to combust. “I think I better head to my room.” I jump up and feel his arm snake around my waist when I’m at the door.
He nuzzles into the back of my neck, trailing kisses along to my shoulder. “I’m going to finish getting dressed, and then I’m going to talk to Emma.” He holds me tightly against his body, his arousal a hard, throbbing rod between the cheeks of my bottom. “Once I’m free, you are mine, Charlotte McKenzie. I hope you realize that. I won’t ever give you back.”
Turning, I rest my head against his shoulder and lift my face up to him. I hold his gaze, and admit, “I don’t want you to let me go.”
