When I heard the front door open, I lifted my head and saw Tanner. He shook off some snow. “It’s snowing on this side of the lake now?” I asked.
“Yeah, it’s coming down pretty good. I’m so glad I found you when I did.”
I chewed nervously on my lip. “I’m so sorry, Tanner. It was stupid of me to go for a ride, but I honestly didn’t think the storm would move in until later this afternoon.”
Tanner hung up his coat and scarf, and dropped his gloves onto a table by the front door. He walked over and grabbed all my stuff to hang it up as well. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m kind of glad you got yourself lost in the woods.”
With a grin, I asked, “Why?”
With his hands motioning around him, he replied, “Look where we are. Alone.”
My cheeks grew hot.
“Let me take a look at that ankle,” he said. He walked over and crouched down in front of me, gently touching around my foot. “It’s swollen, but I think you’re right. If you had broken it, it would look and feel a lot worse. Trust me, I know.”
I let out a soft laugh. Tanner gently massaged my foot, which caused me to let out a soft moan of pleasure. Even with the tenderness in my ankle, it felt so good to have his warm hands on me. The feeling left me a bit breathless. A warmth rushed through my veins, instantly making my body heat and the pain in my ankle fade to a dull throb. A new throb between my legs was taking precedent.
He took off my other boot and sock and massaged that foot as well, only this time more aggressively since it wasn’t injured. “You’ve had an adventure, haven’t you? What happened with Rosie?” Tanner asked.
My eyes had closed, but at the mention of the horse, I opened them again. “She didn’t make it back to the barn?”
“Oh, she did. She was in a fit; that’s when we really panicked because you weren’t with her.”
A crackling sound came from behind Tanner. His father’s voice said, “Tanner?”
Tanner reached behind and grabbed a walkie-talkie from his back pocket. “We’re in the house, Dad. I got Pogo in the barn with some hay. He’s got a blanket on and I was able to fill up the water for the trough. It’s pretty toasty in the barn, so I don’t think the water will freeze, but I’ll keep an eye on it. Timberlynn and I are in the house. I’m looking at her ankle, then I’ll get us settled. Looks like we’ll be staying here through the storm.”
“Sounds good. Check in with us, though, okay? Don’t forget, the landline still works up there.”
“We’ll be fine, Dad. Don’t worry. Let Kaylee know I’ll keep Timberlynn safe.” Tanner shot me a smirk and then winked.
“Will do. Stay warm and pray we don’t lose power.”
“Talk soon, Dad.”
Tanner set the walkie-talkie down on the table and stared at me, the corner of his mouth tilted up ever so slightly. His eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.
My chest bubbled with excitement at the look in his eyes, and it nearly had me reaching for him and begging him to kiss me. Anticipation raced through my body as he stared at me. I’d never wanted anyone to touch me, to hold me, to make love to me like I wanted Tanner to in this very moment. “What is this feeling?” I whispered.
He smiled and pushed a piece of hair behind my eyes. “I’m not sure, darlin’.”
I closed my eyes and leaned into the hand he placed on the side of my face. “When I’m with you, I feel like I’m floating away from everything. I’m in a bubble of pure happiness. I have to keep asking myself if this is all real.”
“It’s real, Timber.” Tanner leaned in and gently kissed me. The kiss was tender, almost shy at first. His tongue ran along my lips, causing me to open to him. The moment his tongue touched mine, a zap of energy raced between us. Tanner let out a soft moan, and I nearly melted. Then, the sweet heat was gone as fast as it came. Before the kiss could get out of control, Tanner pulled back.
He leaned his forehead against mine and attempted to control his breathing. Then, he smiled and said, “It’s like a freefall.”
I smiled as I let out a soft chuckle. “It does feel like that.”
“Let me get a fire going and look at our food. If I don’t, I’m going to peel your clothes off right here on the sofa, and we’ll never have the energy for the things I plan on doing to you.”
“Oh,” I said, thinking that sounded like a rather good idea.
Tanner got up and walked over to the fireplace. He placed a few logs on it and then opened up a fire starter and slid it under the wood before he lit it. Soon the soft glow from the roaring fire sent shadows cascading across the logs. It gave off a romantic feel as I glanced around and really took everything in. I was on a simple tan leather sofa with two matching chairs that sat on each side. In the middle was a large wooden coffee table. Across the room was a dining room with a farmhouse table that sat four. One large picture window took up a good portion of the entire exterior wall.
I stood and turned around the best I could on one foot. The interior walls were all logs, with windows sprinkled throughout to take advantage of the lake and what I imagined were stunning mountain views. I looked up and saw wood plank ceilings with wooden beams going across. An antler chandelier hung from the ceiling and I smiled. That was certainly the touch of Ty Senior. Gently, I put a bit of weight on my foot as I walked.
“Hey, what are
