“Don’t hold out for me. I have no intentions of ever falling in love again.” Her voice sounded somber, even though she tried to make it light. My heart sank at the word again.
Who in the hell had she loved, and what had happened? And how in the hell could I be so jealous of someone who didn’t have a name or a face? I could feel it bubbling up inside of me. “And why not?” I asked, honestly curious if she would answer.
When she finished off her wine, I figured she’d brush me off. But she surprised me once more. “Because I’m obviously not the type of woman a man wants.”
I stared at her, stunned. “Why in the hell would you say that?”
I almost willed her to tell me why she was so scared to let her walls down.
Standing, I walked over to her and reached down to lift her up. Timberlynn couldn’t have been taller than five foot three, if that. The way she tilted her head to look up at my six-foot frame was adorable. Her eyes were so green tonight. They took my breath away. She swallowed hard, and I felt my blood course through my body, almost leaving me dizzy from the rush.
“Why would you say something like that?” I asked again, in more of a demanding voice.
“Track record,” she whispered.
“Whoever he was, he was an idiot for letting you go.”
She looked away. I placed my finger on her chin and moved her head until her eyes met mine again.
“I want you, Timber,” I whispered before I brushed my lips over hers softly and quickly.
Her reply came out breathy and unsure. “You don’t even know me.”
“Well, based on what you’ve shared with me tonight, I know you like to listen to Taylor Swift, your favorite color is blue, and your favorite movie is Steel something.”
“Magnolias,” she whispered, her smile ever so faint.
“That’s right,” I murmured. “You might not have noticed, but I’ve hung on every word you’ve spoken tonight.”
Timberlynn closed her eyes, and I knew it was because she was fighting to hold back her own emotions.
“Timber, let me in, please.”
She slowly shook her head and whispered, “I can’t, Tanner. I can’t.”
When she opened her eyes and a single tear slipped free, I nearly fell to the floor. I used the pad of my thumb to wipe it away, then cupped her face in my hands. “I’m going to kiss you some more, but if you don’t want me to, tell me now. Because once I start, I’m not going to want to stop.”
Her mouth opened, then shut. When her tongue swept over her dry lips, I took it as an invitation.
Then she nodded, giving me the yes she couldn’t verbalize.
I closed my eyes and whispered, “Finally.” I opened my eyes and saw her gaze search my face intently, but she didn’t say anything. When she lifted up on her toes to bridge the gap between us, I took advantage of it.
The kiss started off slow and sweet. But when she moaned and opened more for me, I lost the battle of what little control I had. Everything seemed to heat up in the room. My body, the kiss, the energy between us—it all pulsed through my veins. I reached down and grabbed her by the ass as I picked her up, not breaking the kiss. Timberlynn wrapped her arms around my neck and sucked my lower lip into her mouth while she held onto me with her legs, which had me releasing a growl. She smiled, and when I lowered her onto the bed, I looked into her eyes once more. “Tell me to stop if you don’t want this.”
She shook her head as she moved farther up her bed. “Don’t stop.”
I crawled over her and pressed my body against hers. Nearly coming undone simply from the contact, and that was while we were both fully dressed. I’d never survive skin on skin.
“Tanner,” she gasped as my hand slipped under her shirt and played with her already hardened nipple through her bra. I pushed her shirt up and sucked her nipple through the lace fabric, which caused her to let out a low, soft moan. Her fingers pushed into my hair and she tugged slightly.
“I want to kiss every inch of you,” I groaned as my eyes quickly swept over her body. She was perfect in every way. Her curves made my mouth water. I loved that she wasn’t a damn stick. Her breasts looked like they would fit perfectly in my hands, and I itched to cup them both and play with her nipples until she begged for more.
“Yes,” she whimpered as I moved to the other breast. This time I pushed her bra up and took the nipple into my mouth. My hand moved down her flat stomach. She didn’t stop me when I slowly pushed my hand into the sweatpants she had changed into earlier. I paused for a moment, careful to make sure this was what she wanted. She didn’t stop me, so I moved my hand into her panties. She was soaking wet.
“Fuck,” I groaned, moving my mouth back to hers. I pushed her leg open to allow me to feel more of her. When she didn’t argue, I had to remind myself to slow the hell down. I had never desired a woman like this before, and I wanted to remember every
