Chapter Eighteen
Tanner’s cell phone vibrated somewhere on his mess of a desk. He dug through the papers, knocking some to the floor as he searched for the device. He finally found it face down in the middle of a stack of evaluation reports. He flipped it over and read a text from Izzy. “Mom wants to have you and Hayley over for dinner on Sunday afternoon. Can you come?”
“Hayley and I would love to have dinner with your mother. Will you be there?” He loved toying with Izzy and could just picture her eyes as she read his response.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
Okay, so she gave as good as she got.
“What can I do to influence that decision?” A list of deliciously wicked ideas flashed through his mind, how he could lick every inch of her body until she agreed to whatever he asked of her.
Three dots flashed on his screen. Maybe she had an equally intriguing list of things running through her head. It was about time they compared notes. Finally, her response flashed on the screen. “I don’t know. Maybe if you’re really good, I’ll join you guys :).”
There was his sassy girl. Wait a minute, when had he started referring to her as his? Probably about the time he’d realized he was falling in love with her. He raked his hand through his hair. He could no longer treat this like a casual relationship. Izzy had had dinner with Mary and Hayley, and he was going to join her mom. It was time to have a sit-down with Hayley and lay it all on the table.
In the meantime, this not seeing Izzy during the week was going to have to change. Her work schedule didn’t really afford them time in the evenings to spend together, and his meant that daytime hours were difficult. He’d love nothing more than to curl up on the couch with her after dinner and talk about their days.
Time to do something about that.
He checked his watch. Just after noon. Izzy was probably alone in the studio. He hopped out of his chair and rushed out the door, yelling down the hall at Monica, “I’m heading out for lunch. Be back in an hour.”
The drive to Izzy’s studio only took a few minutes. It wasn’t like Cedar Hill was all that large. Three or four main streets made up the center of town. Tanner probably could have walked just as quickly as he’d driven, minus the time to find a parking spot. But he was here now, pulling his SUV up behind Izzy’s Mini Cooper on the street in front of her studio.
The sound of deep, intense music rumbled through him when he opened the door. He quickly scanned the lobby but didn’t see Izzy. She must be in her office. He was on his way back when he passed one of the studios, the door open and the lights on. And in the middle of the floor was Izzy, throwing herself in the air and kicking her legs out like he’d seen dancers do on the stage. When she landed, she spun around, her arms moving around her as she danced around the room.
He leaned against the doorframe and watched as she told a story with her body, the fluidity of her arms and legs perfectly scripted. Every curve and muscle of her body was on display in a black leotard and pink tights. Her hair pinned on the top of her head accentuated the long neck that he’d nuzzled just a few days ago. He couldn’t believe he was here, watching Izzy do something she loved. That much was evident by the emotion evoked by the music combined with the movements that she executed beautifully. Warmth built deep inside him and realization swept through him. He wasn’t falling in love with Izzy—he was completely gone on her.
He let that thought sink in as Izzy continued to whirl around the floor, faster and more frantic as the music crescendoed, climaxing with Izzy spinning so quickly, her leg kicking in and out, that he could barely make out more than the blur that she had become. As the music ended with flourish, so did Izzy, her foot on the floor in front of her and her arms at her sides, her chest heaving.
It was only then that she noticed him standing at the door. Her eyes brightened and a smile split her face. “I didn’t see you there.”
He stepped into the room. “It’s no wonder. That was, uh, I’m not sure I have the words.”
“Good. That means I have you feeling and not thinking. That’s the point of dance—at least to me. To give the audience an emotional experience that has them questioning things long after the curtain closes.”
She’d done just the opposite for him. Instead of questioning his feelings for Izzy, seeing her like this, her entire being vulnerable as she poured herself into her dance, solidified how he’d felt for her all along. But there was no way she was ready to hear that, so he bit back the words that wanted to sneak out.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t show her, did it? He kicked off his shoes, remembering her caution about the floor from the day they met, and strode across the room with purpose, not saying anything as he pulled her into her arms. His mouth crashing down on hers. It had been way too long since he’d held her, since he’d tasted her lips.
He drank from her like he was dying of thirst and she was a fresh sip of water. Her hands landed on his arms, her fingers digging into his skin as her tongue thrust into his mouth. Damn, his girl could kiss. And she was kissing him. If he had his way, she’d never kiss another man again.
His head swam as all blood traveled to his groin. The twitch he’d felt in his crotch when he came upon her dancing had grown into a full-blown erection. He hadn’t thought this through very well. It wasn’t like he could lay her on the floor and make love to her, as much as he’d like to.
He slid his hands down her back, tracing the muscles that had been gloriously on display as she danced, until his hands reached her ass. God, he loved her body. He squeezed, eliciting a gasp from her, then pulled her more firmly into him. Her core aligned perfectly against his cock. And then she rotated her hips, the vixen, and he grew even harder. As if that were even possible.
She broke the kiss and thumped her head on his shoulder. Her chest heaved, although this time the exertion had nothing to do with dancing. “We have to stop.”
His ragged breaths matched hers. “I agree. As much as I’d love to keep kissing you, anyone could walk in.”
He tried to take a step back, to put some physical distance between them, before he did something he shouldn’t.
But she didn’t let him go. She nodded her head and then stopped him. “Yes, I mean, no, I don’t want to stop. I just think that we should take this somewhere more private.”
He pulled her in for another punishing kiss, his tongue tangling with hers before he stepped away again. “As much as I’d love to, we don’t have nearly enough time to get to your house and back.”
* * *
Izzy waggled her eyebrows. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I have a shower right here in the studio, huh?”
She grabbed his hand and ran toward the door. She’d only thought to make it easier for her to shower after working out. Now she had a much better use for her shower. But he stopped her before they reached the back office. Had she misread the signals? Maybe that wasn’t what he had in mind after all.
Tanner grinned at her and popped a quick kiss on her mouth. “Wait right here a minute.”
What was he up to? It only took a second for her to realize, as he raced back to the front door, flipping the lock with a click. Thank God he was thinking.
Once they reached the office, she pulled off one ballet shoe and then the other on her way through the room. Right now, all she could focus on was having Tanner’s hands on her naked body and feeling him inside her. After they stepped into the bathroom and locked the door, she turned on the water.
His gaze bored into her, like he could see straight into her soul. But his feelings no longer scared her. They empowered her. She loved knowing that she could make him crazy, if the impressive thickness beneath his zipper was any indication.
Her gaze stayed locked on his as she hooked her thumb in the shoulder of her leotard. She could do this. He’d worshipped every inch of her body when they made love. And she’d left the light on.
Izzy didn’t break his gaze as she tugged the fabric down her arm. She wasn’t wearing a bra—she rarely needed to—so it exposed one of her breasts.
Before she could reach for her other shoulder, Tanner closed the distance between them. He cupped her breast with his calloused hand and squeezed, thumbing her nipple, each brush sending jolts through her body. Oh God, he was going to make her come with just his hand. She squeezed her thighs together to hold off the building storm. Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more of his clever fingers, he bent his head down and sucked her nipple into his mouth.
If she thought his hand felt good, the warmth of his mouth around her was unbearably wonderful. She arched her back and leaned into him, a gentle moan escaping her lips.
While he continued licking and sucking her nipple, he tugged the other sleeve down her arm, Izzy helping him until her leotard bunched at her waist. He palmed her other breast, his large hand covering her completely.
Steam swirled around them as the shower heated.
“That feels so good.” Izzy huffed on a breath as she clung to him. His erection, straining against his jeans, pressed into her still-covered crotch. Every nerve in her body was firing from the attention Tanner lavished on her breasts.
She couldn’t wait another minute to feel his naked body against her. She fumbled with her leotard. Damn, why did she have to be wearing something so tight. Finally, the fabric relented and she jerked it over her hips, catching her tights with her thumbs. In moments, she stood naked in front of him, proud of the body that had been her shame for far too long.
His arms extended, but she laughed and stepped toward the stall. “Oh, no you don’t. I need a shower and I think”—she nodded toward his crotch—“you do, too.”
She pulled her hair out of the bun and then reached for his shirt, the two of them pulling his clothes off in record time. He snatched a condom from his jeans and she took his hand again and guided him into the hot stream of water.
Izzy stepped under the showerhead and closed her eyes, allowing the water to run over her hair and body for just a minute. Her feelings were coursing through her as fast as her arousal.
Tanner’s hands landed on top of hers as he threaded his fingers through her hair. The feel of his naked body against hers, his erection pressing against her belly, was more than she could bear.
She reached between them and encircled his cock, palming his thickness and squeezing the silky softness smooth around his hard shaft. She twisted her hand, moving to the base of his cock as she did.
His eyes shut as he flopped his chin down. “Oh, God. That feels so good. But you can’t do that. I’m not going to last long.”
Her hand grasped the back of his head and tilted it up. “Look at me.”
He slowly opened his eyes, his lids hooded.
“I want to do this. I want to make you feel good.” Tanner was putty in her hands and she wanted to bring him a small amount of the pleasure he’d shown her.
When he shook his head, she laid her finger against his lips. “No arguments. You had your way with me last time. It’s my turn.”
He held his hands out in defeat, and his lips quirked into a little smile as she wrapped her fingers around him again. His body tensed as she twisted and stroked, running her thumb under the tip. He wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed. “A little harder. Yeah, just like that.”
Him telling her what he wanted and teaching her how to please him empowered her. If his ragged breathing was any indication, she was doing something right. He grew even bigger in her hand, and his entire body tensed. All of a sudden, he snapped back from her and wrenched her hand off him.
“Enough. I’m about to blow.”
He crashed his lips down on hers and shoved his hand between her legs, thrusting a single finger into her as he brushed his thumb over her clit. Jolts shot through her body, every nerve ending on fire. Her body begged for the release that was building quickly in her gut. He stroked her intimately a few times and then withdrew.
Before she could complain, he reached to the bench behind him and came up with a condom. At least he was thinking about protection because she certainly wasn’t. A minute later, he sheathed himself and hooked his hands under her ass.
“This is going to be hard and fast. I have to be inside you.”
Thank God he said it so she didn’t have to. He lifted her like she didn’t weigh a thing and rammed her back against the tile. Just as she wrapped her legs around his waist, he slammed into her, filling her completely with a single stroke.
She moaned and flopped her head on the tile, her fingers fumbling to grasp the wet skin on his shoulders, anything to hold onto while he drove into her over and over. She finally got a hold on his back and dug her fingers in. She was probably leaving a mark with her nails, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything except what he was doing to her, the sensation of his thickness filling her. His groin pressed against her clit, each thrust hitting a spot deep inside her, like brushing up against a live wire, exciting a spark.
She was coming alive with Tanner, finding a part of herself that she didn’t know existed. It wasn’t just that he helped her achieve the orgasms that had been elusive, it was that she was able to be herself with him, to give in to the feelings that he created in her, like she never had before.
He moaned deep in his gut and his thrusts quickened. He squeezed her ass as he pulled her to him. She rolled her hips, driving him further into her until he cried out. He pulsed thick as he thrust into her, his final action pushing her over the edge. She moaned, molding her hips to him, needing the feel of him within her as she rode out the waves of her orgasm.
Her muscles finally relaxed and she collapsed on Tanner, her back against the wall and his head on her shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath. She closed her eyes, unwilling to allow him to see what she could no longer hide. She was in love with this man.