Chapter Fifteen
Erin was more than happy when she noticed the guests begin to thin. It was time for this night to be over.
Keeping the event running smoothly was job enough, especially after Brady had magnanimously invited all the workers who’d saved the wedding by clearing the storm damage. But to have to manage it under Tanner’s close scrutiny made the night even more difficult.
Not to mention the twinge of pain she felt in the vicinity of her heart every time she caught him watching her.
She had been a fool to even think twice about him. He was a player, juggling as many women as his week would allow, apparently. And he did it while wearing the same outfit on all his dates, according to Randy.
If she found out he’d used her pocket square on his other date, she might blow her top. Erin’s jaw clenched at that thought as her gaze swept the converted barn and searched for the tall, dark, womanizing cowboy.
When she didn’t see him, she was hit with a strange sensation. Disappointment. Bad taste in men was par for the course for her, sadly. She always had gravitated toward the wrong sort. Tanner was just one more in that line of bad choices.
“Erin.”
She turned at the sound of her name and saw Brady striding toward her. She forced a smile. “Here’s the groom-to-be. I think everyone really enjoyed the dinner, don’t you?”
“I know they did. You got a lot of compliments.”
“Me? All I did was oversee.” Erin laughed. “Meg and the caterers deserve the compliments. It’s a beautiful venue and the food was excellent.”
“Yes, but you tied it all together. I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.” Brady glanced around the room. “Hey, this thing is wrapping up. Why don’t you head out?”
It was a tempting offer. She was exhausted, and tomorrow was going to be a big day. But she’d wanted to start some of the setup for the reception before she called it quits for the night. “I don’t know.”
“Meg’s crew can handle things. I promise. She’s set you up in one of the guest rooms, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then you can get back at it bright and early if you really want to.” When she hesitated, Brady took her by both shoulders and turned her toward the main building. “Go get some rest. These guys could be here drinking half the night. There’s no use in your waiting up for them to leave.”
Erin glanced over her shoulder. “Okay, but you should get some rest yourself, you know.”
“Oh, I plan to. Believe me. I’m right behind you. Don’t want to be hung over for my big day.”
For lack of energy to argue, Erin nodded. “Okay. ’Night, Brady.”
“’Night. And great job.”
“Thanks.” Relieved to have the decision taken out of her hands, Erin headed for the house.
Meg had given her a small but charming room. After the day she’d had, that four-poster bed would feel like heaven.
Considering how many guests were staying at the ranch, Erin had been surprised when Meg had offered her accommodations at all. She hadn’t thought there’d be room.
Being on-site would help enormously. Brady was right. Erin could be up and at ’em at the crack of dawn without having to worry about the drive from the city. And she could do the setup in casual clothes with the convenience of having her own room where she could clean up and change into her wedding outfit.
The stone walkway to the house was lit but not brightly. Erin was concentrating so hard on trying to walk on her toes so her heels didn’t sink into the gravel, she didn’t notice she wasn’t alone until a shadow fell across her path.
She managed to squelch her scream in time. She pressed her hand to her chest over her racing heart. “Tanner. You scared me.”
“Sorry. Can we talk?”
“About what?” Her heart sped, partly from fright but mostly from being so near Tanner.
“About why you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder all night.”
Erin didn’t have the energy to fight both him and her feelings. “I’m not—”
“Cut the bull, Erin. You are and you know it. So how about you tell me what I did to piss you off so we can talk about it like adults.”
Like adults? Was he calling her childish? She pressed her lips together as her anger rose. Suddenly no longer weary, Erin narrowed her gaze. “Okay, fine. Let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about how after what I thought was a pretty nice night together, I hear nothing from you. Not a call. Not a text. Nothing.”
He opened his mouth, but she held up her hand to stop him.
“I’m not done. You wanted me to talk, I’m talking. Let’s also talk about how you kissed me not once but twice and then I found out from Randy that you’re off on a date, probably kissing who knows how many other women, too. Huh? How about that?”
Tanner mouthed a foul curse. “Randy told you I was dating other women?”
“Yes. When I was there on Tuesday to meet with Brady and Ellie. You left work early all dressed up in your date clothes, according to him.”
“I wasn’t on a date.” He shook his head. “Those are my only clothes that don’t have stains and holes in ’em. I wore them on Tuesday because I had a meeting at a bank about getting a loan to buy a property closer to the city.”
Erin was confused. “I thought you hate the city.”
“I do. But I like you and you like the city.” He took a step closer and planted his hands on her shoulders. “And I didn’t call or text after your sister’s wedding because I was on a cattle drive and pretty occupied trying to talk myself out of the idea of you and me.”
She understood without asking him why he’d try to talk himself out of liking her because she’d done the same with him. It was funny how much the same they were, considering they were complete opposites. The two of them together didn’t make any sense.
Sometimes making sense was overrated.
Erin took a step closer and pressed her palms against his chest, intensely relieved he’d been meeting a banker and not a date. “So it didn’t work, then? You talking yourself out of the idea of us.”
Us. The word sent a thrill through her.
“Nope.” He tipped her head back with a thumb and forefinger under her chin. “You think you could maybe give being with a cowboy a shot?”
“Hmm. I don’t know. It depends.” Erin pursed her lips. “Is this cowboy in question a good kisser?”
“He sure is, but maybe you need a reminder?” Tanner asked in a husky voice.
“Maybe I do.”
He wasted no time. His lips were on hers immediately. Erin didn’t hesitate either. She leaned into him and relished the feel of his hard body pressed tight to hers.
She couldn’t stop her groan of satisfaction.
Tanner’s lips tipped up at the sound before he plunged his tongue against hers. Then she was really a goner. She was breathless by the time he pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers.
He let out a sigh. “We probably shouldn’t be doing this right here.”
“Definitely not.” Erin considered for barely a second before she said, “We should be doing this in my room.”
Tanner leaned back and gazed down at her. “You’re inviting me to your room?”
Erin’s heart thundered. Tanner was a virile, adult man. She knew if they went to her room, it wouldn’t be to talk or for a make-out session like a couple of teenagers.
If they went to her room, this relationship they’d both tried to talk themselves out of would take a giant, irreversible leap forward. Even so, she said, “Yes. Unless you don’t want to—”
“Oh, I want to.” He pressed a hard, quick kiss to her mouth before grabbing her hand. “Come on.”
She laughed as he pulled her inside the guest entrance and stood in the hallway, unsure of which way to turn. She helped them both get there sooner by saying, “To the right. Last room. Past the laundry.”
“Good. Far away from all the other guests.” He grinned.
Knowing exactly why he’d said that, Erin felt her cheeks heat. Given her reaction to just Tanner’s kisses, things could get loud.
He reached the door with a few long, fast strides. “Key?”
Erin pulled it out of her pocket and held it out for him, noticing her hand shook just a bit.
Was taking this step with Tanner so monumental it was enough to have her trembling?
Maybe.
Or maybe she just really wanted him.
As he bent his knees slightly to see the lock better, she noticed how incredibly thick and strong his thighs were. The jeans fit him like a glove and she didn’t need much imagination to create a vivid mental image of how good he’d look stripped of them.
When he grabbed the knob in one big, strong hand and slipped the key into the lock with the other her mouth went dry.
The door swung in. He flipped the switch on the wall and the room lit behind him. He took off the cowboy hat and put it on the dresser inside before he turned back to face her and waited.
Erin didn’t make him wait long. She strode inside, closing and locking the door behind her, and then stepped close to Tanner. Slipping her hands beneath his jacket, she felt the bulging hardness of his chest.
No doubt about it, he was all man. He worked hard for a living, relying on his strength and his muscles.
Why had she never realized the appeal of the working cowboy before? Instead, she’d spent years surrounded by cookie-cutter guys, not looking beyond the Austin city limits to where there was a whole other world.
Yes, she and Tanner were very different, but that was exactly what made him irresistible.
As the realization hit Erin, she noticed he was staring at her. Not moving, just watching.
His tightly held control was evident in his grip around her waist, the rapid beat of his heart beneath her hands, the quick rise and fall of his chest . . . yet he was being a gentleman and waiting.
She knew instinctively that with one signal from her—a word, a move—he’d unleash the need he held in check. Tanner, wild and uncontrolled, was exactly what she wanted. What she needed.
Reaching down, Erin grabbed the bottom of her cotton dress. The stretch of the material and the style made it easy to slip over her head.
She tossed the garment onto the chair. His nostrils flared while his gaze dropped. He took all of her in as she stood before him in nothing but lacy lingerie and heels.
Seeing the heat in his eyes ramped up Erin’s own need for this man. Her lips parted as she found it hard to breathe. He jumped on the opportunity.
Tanner crashed his mouth into hers. Their tongues performed an erotic dance as he stole what little breath she had remaining.
He broke the kiss and began backing her toward the bed. “I’ve wanted you from the first day I saw you carrying all those books into Brady’s.”
His words sent a tingle down her spine. Her body vibrated from within, overwhelmed by the combination of nerves and anticipation and long-ignored physical need.
Goose bumps rose on her skin, following the path of his hands as he ran them over her. He lifted her easily and tossed her onto the bed, following her down.
As much as Erin loved the weight of Tanner pressing over her, he had entirely too many clothes on. She pushed at him with both hands.
When he lifted himself off her, she reached between them and started to tug at his belt buckle, making little headway against it.
He stood and kicked off his boots. “It’ll be faster if I do it myself.”
“Fast is good.” As far as she was concerned, the quicker he got naked, the better.
“Not always.” He let out a breathy laugh as the belt gave way and the heavy buckle swung.
“I’ve got nowhere to be until the morning.” Her announcement had him fumbling with his clothes in an attempt to get out of them.
“Me neither.” He tugged his shirt over his head and her gaze dropped to his torso, a washboard of ridged, hard muscles.
The rest of the clothing quickly followed until a pile of his abandoned things lay on the floor and Tanner was crawling onto the bed gloriously naked.
He looked like a starving man, and what he was hungry for was her. Erin felt pretty starved in that department herself.
The distraction of Tanner, naked and braced over her, held all her attention, until he rocked back on his knees and tore into a condom wrapper with his teeth. She hadn’t even noticed it in his hand until then. She’d been too busy enjoying the rest of the view. One particular part especially as it bobbed between them while he gripped it and rolled the latex down.
“You always travel prepared?” Erin was only half-joking as she tried not to be jealous of every other woman who’d ever had the pleasure of Tanner’s preparedness.
“No.” He leaned lower. “I knew I’d be seeing you. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess.”
It was a good answer. She rewarded it by reaching up and pulling him to her for a kiss she got lost in until he slid one knee between her thighs and nudged her legs apart. Her body surrendered to his with the first thrust.
She cried out with the pure relief of finally being joined with him. Of getting what she craved.
Her tension broke and fled with every stroke until the thought that she’d ever been nervous with him seemed ridiculous. As did the notion that this man whose breath brushed her ear as he held her tight and made love to her had ever been a stranger.
It felt so natural, so right being with him.
Her muscles gripped him tighter and he groaned. As the orgasm rocked her, he lifted up enough that she could see his face. She saw in his expression the effect that watching her come had on him.
As her body pulsed around his, his breath came faster. His eyes lost focus until he finally lost control. Tanner slid his hands beneath her hips, clutched her close, and pounded them both to an explosive conclusion.
He collapsed on top of her, panting, not moving.
Finally, when both of their breathing had slowed, he pushed off.
Lying on his side, he pulled her to him with one arm he left draped over her.
He shook his head and opened his mouth. All that came out at first was a short laugh. Finally, he said, “That was . . .”
She understood his lack of words. “Indescribable?”
“Yeah. That about covers it.” Tanner nodded before rolling over and swinging his feet to the floor.
Erin’s heart fell. “Are you leaving?”
He glanced back as he reached for his jeans on the floor. “Hell no. I’m texting Randy and telling him to get a ride back to the ranch. If you don’t mind me spending the night.”
Erin smiled. “I don’t mind.”
“Good.” He punched in a text and then tossed the phone to the nightstand before climbing back onto the bed. He gathered her close to him again. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
The idea that they should repeat what had just happened came to mind. The thought that Tanner should be naked as often as possible did, too. Erin kept those thoughts to herself . . . for now . . . and said, “No. What?”
“For one, I’m now ‘Erin’s cowboy,’ just like Jessica says.”
“All right. I can handle that.”
“Can you?”
“Mm hmm.” Erin bobbed her head. “And what else?”
“That after I close on my place, the first thing I’m getting is a nice big bed . . . and Wi-Fi.”
“That’s an interesting combination. The bed I get, but why the Wi-Fi?”
“I’m hoping I can entice you to spend a whole lot of time there with me if I give you the tools. That way you can work nights from my place instead of your own.” Tanner smoothed a finger down her cheek. “Do you think you could do that? Be okay staying outside of the city? Maybe even permanently one day, if it’s not too far and you can still drive in to the office?”
Erin had never considered it before, but now it seemed so logical. Perfect really. “Yes.”
“You really think you could ever see yourself with a cowboy for the long haul?” There was a small spark of hope inside him that began to show through.
She nodded. “Yeah. I think I can.”
His eyes brightened further. “Even with how different we are?”
“I think it’s because of how different we are. Being the same is boring.”
Tanner donned a mischievous expression as he leaned lower. “Oh, I promise that you and me together will be anything but boring.”
They’d already proven his point, but that didn’t matter. Erin felt the hard length of him pressing against her and said, “Show me.”
He rolled on top of her again. “Gladly.”
They were both going to be tired for tomorrow’s wedding, but it would be worth it.