Stunned, Anita blurted out, “That’s not true. Wearedating.”
“This?” Heather pointed at them, arm in arm together, then rolled her index finger back and forth. “Screams awkward. I don’t believe you’re dating at all.”
“It’s true.” Tanner turned to Anita. “She means everything to me.”
Anita glanced up, expecting to see desperation in his eyes again. Instead she saw passion. Longing. Wow, he should give up cooking and become an actor, because she was feeling the heat from his gaze straight to her toes. Her pulse went into overdrive.
Now that’s a spark.
“Um, yeah. Sure,” Heather said in a bored tone then limply waved her hand at Anita. “Why don’t you do your job and get me a cup of coffee, m’kay? Tanner and I need to talk.”
Something exploded inside Anita. She didn’t know if it was the intense attraction to Tanner she was experiencing or the anger boiling inside her, but it didn’t matter. There was only one way to shut Heather up. She slipped her arms around Tanner’s neck—and kissed him.
Her intention had been to give him a soft peck on the lips, but when he circled his arms around her waist and drew her against him, she forgot about Heather, the diner, and pretending. The feelings coursing through her were real. Oh, so real. As real as the feeling of his mouth on hers.
After a delicious, sensual moment of exploration, Tanner drew away. He gazed at her, their breath mingling before he surprised her by gently kissing her again. A quick, sexy nip.Then he turned to Heather, his arms still around Anita. “I’ll be busy tonight, as you can see.”
Heather’s mouth had dropped open. She closed it quickly, glowering at Tanner. Then she grabbed her purse, shot them both a sharp glare, and stomped off.
Anita couldn’t breathe. She wasn’t even sure if Heather had actually left the diner, and she didn’t care. All the romantic clichés she’d read about over the years were happening to her—trembling legs, curling toes, tingling lips. Her senses were pleasantly confused. She felt the pressure of Tanner’s hands on her lower back but couldn’t remember where the two of them were standing. All she could focus on was Tanner still holding her... still looking at her with those dreamy eyes—
“That was some kiss.”
She let out a yelp as Tanner instantly released her, causing her to lose her footing and almost fall to the floor. When she regained her balance, she looked up.Oh no. No, no, no.
Jasper Mathis stood in front of them grinning his gray head off.
***
Tanner willed his pulse to slow, but he was losing the battle. Jasper had scared half the life out of him—although that wasn’t the entire reason his heart felt like it had just finished a marathon. No, two marathons, thanks to Anita and that incredible kiss.
The first time they had kissed back in high school had been sweet, but this time— No, he wasn’t going to relive itright now. As it was, he was glad he was standing behind the counter. “Uh, hey, Jasper,” he said, leaning forward. “How’s things?”
Jasper grinned. “From where I’m standing things look pretty doggone good. For you two, that is.”
Tanner’s face heated. “We were... uh, were—”
“I’ll get your tea,” Anita squeaked. “Mr.... Mr....”
“Mathis,” Jasper supplied.
“Right.” She disappeared into the kitchen as if she’d grown jackrabbit feet.
Reality cut through Tanner’s hazy mind. Oh man. He had kissed Anita Bedford in front of Jasper, one of the biggest mouths in Maple Falls. The man lived to chew the fat with almost anyone willing to have a conversation with him. Except for Erma McAllister. For some reason they rubbed each other wrong, although Erma liked to rile him up regardless. In any case, if a person wanted to hop on the Maple Falls grapevine, Jasper was the starting point.
“I didn’t know you two are a thing,” Jasper said.
“We’re not a thing.” Tanner grasped for an excuse. “See, there’s this girl, Heather—”
“The hussy.” Jasper nodded.
He frowned. “What?”
“You don’t have to explain your relationship to me. I’m not surprised one bit that you and Anita are knocking boots.”
“We’re not knocking boots, whatever that is.”
“That’s not what it looked like to me.”
