“I approve of them. Your roommates, I mean,” Aaron announced on our trek to the house. He led with Zade, leaving Tanner and me to walk arm to arm. It was hard not touching him—something I really wanted to do—but I managed to contain myself.
“Thanks, Aaron. I mean, what would you do if you didn’t?”
“I don’t know. Scare them. Logan worries me, though. Why’s a dude hanging out with all chicks?”
“Because he’s a good brother and hangs with his sister? Don’t be a dick.”
“Don’t get involved with him.”
“Here we go again.Jesus,” I scoffed, hoping to find Tanner smiling with me. But he wasn’t. His face was tight, almost pained, and my stomach dropped.Oh no.
“Just doing my brotherly duty. I’ll leave it alone for a week.”
“Feel free to go longer than that. I won’t stop you.”
He flipped me off and babbled about practice the rest of the way back. Tanner remained silent, each step causing a wave of anxiety to build in my chest.Is he cleared for baseball early? Oh my god. Are we done?
I sure as hell wasn’t prepared to be done. The worry grew the closer we got, and by the time we reached the house, I was a nervous bundle. “I’m going upstairs. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“Bye, Kenny! Don’t wipe your ass on our stairs,” Zade said, so I punched him in the gut. “Damn, that hurt.”
“Good. I meant it too.”
He laughed and I took the stairs two at a time, figuring out the best plan of attack. I paced my room for two minutes before Tanner snuck in with those goddamn bedroom eyes that had me weak. “Can I stay with you tonight?”
Wait, what?
“Huh?” I said, sounding stupid.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” he repeated, moving closer to me and pulling me against him. “Please?”
“Yes. Of course,” I mumbled into his chest. “I thought something was wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong. I just—I want to cherish every second with you. Let me take care of you in every way tonight, Kenzie. Please.”
How can a girl say no to that?
He kissed me, deeply and with all the passion I dreamed about when I thought aboutlove. There was no rush when he removed my clothing and spent an hour kissing every inch of my skin—licking and teasing my most sensitive areas, reading my body so well that I lost control. Three times he brought me to orgasm with just his mouth. I arched my back as the pleasure spread to every limb, the need to have him so strong it startled me.
“Tanner, please, I want you.”
“You have me, Kenzie.”
We fumbled with the condom. He dropped it twice before he unwrapped it and put it on. He gave me one more soul-crushing kiss—one to officially ruin any other kiss I’d ever experience—before laying me on the bed with such gentleness my throat dried.
“You are so beautiful, Kenzie,” he whispered before pushing into me in a slow, incredibly controlled thrust. He did it again, rolling his hips at the perfect pace, kissing my eyes, my cheek, my neck and mouth. I clawed at his back, trying to hold him tighter. He gripped my back with one hand, my ass with the other and increased his pace, hitting me at the right angle to have lust getting me wet and ready for him to stretch me wider. “Your body is amazing. I love how you feel against me. Your soft skin, your sounds. You could destroy me, Kenzie.”
“So could you me,” I whispered, hating how heavy our words felt. He arched my hips with his hand, allowing him to go deeper, and I moaned as the slow burn formed again at the base of my spine. “Yes, Tanner,” I breathed.
“You. Are. Perfect.” He spoke choppily. His back muscles worked overtime as he increased our rhythm—my orgasm was close and he tilted me up higher so I took him entirely, sending the right stimulants to my clit for my orgasm to rock me. I shuddered against him, my eyes stinging at the tender way he watched me. There was no other moment in my life where I’d felt like this—cherished, appreciated,cared for. He let me ride out waves of pleasure, kissing away my loud moans, and in the process, got closer to release. “Ah, baby. You’re so—fuck. Yes!”
He held on to me, pumping into me three more times before he stilled. Our heartbeats matched in rhythm, our sweaty chests rubbing together, and I felt whole. Complete. “I’ll be right back, Ken.”
He got up, went into the bathroom, and slide back into bed completely naked. “God, I wish I could take a picture of you right now so I can remember it forever.”
“Why’s that?” I grinned like a love-struck fool.
“Because you’re beautiful. Your cheeks are a little pink, your eyes wild and sated, your nipples perky and your body is just…my weakness.” He ran his hand from my neck, down my collarbone to my hips, down my thighs and ending on my feet. “I mean this sincerely.”
