AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wasn’t one to back away from such a magnetic pull. I might’ve even stepped forward. But however it happened, Tanner Carmichael kissed me then. It was gentle and soft and warm. And it lit me on fire. My body came alive at his lips on mine, and I definitely stepped closer. And put my arms around his waist. I wanted more.
*
Tanner
Kissing Carly hadn’tbeen part of his plan. In fact, he’d been careful up until now to keep a careful distance between them…besides holding her hand the other day. That had sparked something between them. And now, what now?
She tasted like honey and smelled like jasmine. He hadn’t been with a woman in a very long time. His body responded instantly, yes, but it was more than that. She’d gotten under his skin from the first day she’d met him at Mother’s Oyster Bar, her hair blowing in the wind as she stared out at the bayou. From the moment they’d discussed her coming to work for him.
They’d been together every day since. Working, talking, laughing. This had been building. A relationship of trust and friendship. This slow burn. They’d been slowly sparking this flint at every turn until it finally ignited and caught into a flame from the kindling they’d laid with their nearness. They’d passed in the hallway, almost making contact, caught each other’s scent. So many near misses.
He’d known it would be like this between them, which was why he hadn’t crossed that very thin line. Until now. Hadhecrossed it? Or had she been the one to make that first step? It didn’t matter. Now that he’d tasted her lips, Tanner realized it was inevitable.
“I-uh.” He stepped back. “Wow.”
She laughed lightly. “Yeah. Wow.”
“Should I apologize?” he asked.
Carly looked up at him, her hazel eyes that turned green sometimes. “Don’t you dare.”
“How about I see you in an hour at Nana’s house?” His eyes crinkled as he grinned.
“It’s a date.” She winced. “You know what I mean.”
Tanner wanted the awkwardness between them gone. “Okay. Let’s not be weird. We work together every day and we’re grown adults. I like you, Carly, and I’m assuming that you like me too.”
She nodded. “I do like you, Tanner, and I’ll see you in an hour.”
*
Carly
“I kissed Tanner.”I’d called Jo and added Sue to the call.
“Get out!” Jo yelled into the phone.
“Shut the front door!” Sue nearly blasted their eardrums simultaneously.
“I can’t believe it finally happened, y’all. We’ve had so much going on and I kind of thought we were leading up to—something, but when it happened, I nearly ate his face.”
“Pent-up demand, that’s what it was. I’m not surprised. You don’t date enough to satisfy those cravings. It isn’t normal.” Sue gave us her well-experienced opinion.
“Sue, you’ve never been pent up in your life.” Jo’s purpose in life was to put Sue in her place.
“I haveso, smart-ass!”
I tried not to take it personally that my two besties had gone off on a sniping tangent when I’d called them to share my exciting, and certainly surprising news. “Um, don’t y’all want to hear about it?”
“Yes, we want to hear about it. But it’s not like you’ve been staying in touch much since you’ve been back home, ya know.” Jo was always the one to remind me when I wasn’t towing the friendship line.
“I’m sorry. I know, but there are some huge things going on that are going to rock this town if they get out. Things I’m in the middle of that I can’t talk about to anyone but Tanner right now. It’s been like a thriller movie in my real life lately. I can’t wait until I can fill you in.”
“Wait, you tell us this and then say you can’t tell us what’s going on. That sucks, girl.” Sue didn’t have a hard time expressing her feelings either.
“Just bear with me. I can’t talk about work right now, but I was about to burst with the kissing Tanner thing, so I had to call and tell the two of you. Y’all are the only ones who could truly appreciate how crazy and awesome it was.”
“Well, how awesome was it?” Jo asked.
