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I cocked an eyebrow at my rebel cowboy. “Do you and I need to have a talk before you go to sleep?”
He raised one of his own, mirroring my action. Dane typically went to bed earlier than me since my shift was never guaranteed to end on time. He was throwing a not-so-subtle hint, asking for my attention. If he provoked the bear, he’d get a response. He knew better.
“Answer my question, rebel.”
Dane raised up from the couch, walking toward me. He patted Tiana’s head.
“No thanks. I’ll see you whenever you decide to come to bed.” Dane squeezed my hand before exiting the room, his footfalls echoing into the hallway.
Tiana shot a worried glance at me, chewing on her bottom lip. I freed it from her teeth with my thumb. “He’s had a long day too, buttercup. Don’t worry. I’ll fix whatever is bothering him.”
“I can go to a safe house if my being here is too much. He and I started a relationship, but I don’t want to cause any friction between the two of you.”
I wasn’t sure which part of her statement to unpack first. Sighing, I pulled her closer to me and went upstairs. “We both want you here. Leaving is not an option.”
“Dane’s been quiet on and off since dinner. I think he’s regretting offering me your home.” She fretted. “Or maybe he wants to end whatever we started. I forgave him for all the shit that happened in our past, but I’m a lot to handle.”
Stepping into the guestroom, I set her down on the bed. The sheets were turned down, but the pillows were askew. I had questions about what the two of them had been doing all afternoon, but Tiana seemed stuck in her head and it was more important to get her calm. “Take a breath, Tia.”
“I can text Jesse and tell him I’ve changed my mind.”
“Pause.”
“He really wanted me to go to a safe house. It would be better for everyone. I’ll be surrounded by police officers in case something happens, and I won’t be a burden to you and Dane!”
I’d had a few rough calls, and I was tired. My body was screaming for a long shower and bed, but I couldn’t let her spiral. Sitting next to Tiana, I flipped her across my thighs. Yanking her pants and panties to her knees, I stopped what I’d been about to do. Clucking my tongue against the roof of my mouth, I traced a hand over her bottom cheeks. I’d forgotten that my brother already thrashed her earlier in the day, and he did a thorough job of it.
“Well, buttercup, I was going to let my palm quiet your rant and show you without words how much you mean to me, but your perky little ass is already toasted.”
“Jesse spanked me.” She was breathing heavily, waiting for me to respond.
“He told me as much, but it slipped my mind.” I rubbed her upper thighs, adding more pressure than comfort. She grunted when my fingers touched the soft juncture of where her ass and thighs met. “Since it’s been a while since we’ve done this, you’re going to get a pass. But it’s your only one.”
“I’m not yours, Tanner,” she spat. “You can’t just march in here and assume I’ll fall at your feet.”
“Are you absolutely certain you want to do this right now?”
“No.” Shaking her head, she sniffled. “I’m sorry. Please let me keep the pass. I want to talk to you about everything.”
“And I want to hear about everything, buttercup, but you’ve been through the wringer today.” I fixed her pants and turned her around on my lap.
“Yeah, Tanner. You’re right.” Tiana nuzzled under my chin.
The gesture was so cute, that I wanted to kiss away all her worries. Raw vulnerability seeped from her as she pulled back and stared at me. Swallowing hard, I settled for kissing her forehead. “I’m off from work tomorrow, we’ll catch up.”
“Okay.” She blushed as she looked around the state of the bed. “Um, you’re probably wondering what happened here?”
“Was there a tornado?”
“Not a tornado.” Tiana bit down on her lip. The gesture was flirty as hell. “Though you could say it was a whirlwind.”
“Hm.” I picked her up and moved her to the top of the mattress. “Did you and Dane make-up?”
“Several times...”
“Good. I’m glad to hear the two of you were able to connect. The way doesn’t matter, daring.” I brought the sheets and blankets up to her chin.
“Tanner.” She grabbed my hand.
