He nods without breaking his side of the phone conversation. “I want spotless reputations in every position. Have Carla double-check references with that background-check company I texted to you. Also, how are we on teachers? Have you contacted the local principals to find which ones are the best? I want to personally interview the final candidates when I return. Throw in a few wild cards, too, in case I see potential in them their boss didn’t.” He pauses to gruffly mutter, “Because I’m not going to be anonymous anymore, Dan. It just makes things more difficult.” I kiss the top of his head as he grumbles, “No, it has nothing to do with Emma softening me. I’m hard as ever.”
It’s so warm out, my skin is almost dry by the time I reach the nightstand. Unplugging my fully charged phone I dial Hannah and reach for a towel to sit on, curling up in the chair by the sliding glass door in the bedroom.
“Hey, you busy?” I smile.
“Not anymore. Still in love?”
“So much in love, yes. How was the BBQ?”
“Drama,” she mutters. “Gabriel and Ben. It was bad.”
“Oh no! What happened?” I pick at my nails while she tells it all to me. When she’s done I sigh, “I’m glad I didn’t see that. How painful for everyone.”
“Grandpa was appalled and disgusted with them.”
We sit in silence, both knowing what I’m thinking. “God, and after my blowout at the fundraiser, too, huh? What’s happening to us?”
“We’re growing up? I don’t know.”
“I should have been there.”
Hannah’s voice gets firm. “No, you needed this time alone together. Remember how Tobias and I were in Florida on our own for months? We did that to cement our foundation, our bond, before rejoining the Cocker chaos.”
A small laugh escapes me, “That sounds funny.”
In her voice a grin comes through. “It sounds like a horror film.” Mimicking a deep male announcer she says, “Chaos of the Cockers. Coming to a theater near you.”
Deepening my voice I join her. “This time they’re serious.” We laugh, but it fades until we’re lost in our own thoughts. “I feel like it’s time to come home.”
“Emma, please do me one favor?”
“Anything.”
“Buy a house near me. I mean, by your brother, too, but Ethan’s not as important as I am.”
“Not nearly as important.”
“Kaya might be.”
“And I do like Charlie.”
“But your brother is a pain in the ass.”
“Such a pain.”
She laughs, but shifts quickly back to serious again. “I mean it, live near me. I don’t like driving to West Midtown anymore.”
“Ah, you miss me.”
“It’s totally the drive.”
“There’s no traffic in the ocean.”
“So jealous. I’m hanging up now. House near me. Done and done.”
I stretch my back, voice strained as I say, “You forget he lives in San Francisco.”
After a beat of silence Hannah snaps, “You are not moving to California!”
I gasp, flicking a glance to Tanner through the window. “That’s not what I meant. Are you crazy? I’m not leaving the family. I would die if I was away from all of you.”
She interrupts, exhaling, “Oh good.”
“But I can’t expect him to ditch his home, can I? He’s got this amazing loft south of Market Street right by where he leases his offices. His sister and nephew live across the Golden Gate in San Rafael. I mean, he’s got a whole life there.”
Appalled, she asks, “What are you going to do?”
Staring at him through the glass I tuck my feet under me. “I haven’t thought about it yet. Thanks for making me want to vomit.”
“Anytime.”
“Jerk.”
“Pigface.”
“I’m hanging up now…squid-breath.”
She laughs, “Okay bye, poopoo armpits.”
The line goes dead and I sit by myself with my thoughts, watching Tanner work. Those sunglasses we bought together are so sexy, but the firm line of his lips as he listens to whoever is on the other end of the line, makes me ache a little. Such a serious, powerful man I’ve fallen in love with. I’m going to miss him so much if we have a long-distance relationship.
Sliding the door open, a warm breeze tickles my skin. “Mr. Hamilton!” He glances up, eyebrows high and curious. “Where are we going to live?”
He stands up. “I have to call you back.”
CHAPTER 37
T ANNER
Dawn’s light slicing through a gap in the curtains wakes me. I turn my head to watch Emma sleeping, parted lips beckoning for my kiss. I make a tent of the blanket and burrow between her legs to lick her into consciousness. She moans as I taste the salty sweetness of her pussy, running my nails ever-so-slowly up and down her thighs while I lick.
Her fingers tangle in my hair as I listen to her moans for guidance, shifting from one side of her hardening clit to the other, tickling it, stroking it with my tongue, sucking a few times before I give it little circles just to tease her. Those moans always show the way.
Three weeks ago when I first went down on my sweet Emma, she was tense. I could tell she’d been with less patient partners. If I could write a manual I’d tell the men of the world to take their time, enjoy it, listen to what she loves and give her more of that. It’s not a speech or a performance—it’s a conversation.
Give and take.
Moan and listen.
Simple.
Emma murmurs, “Tanner, you’re so good, keep going.”
I slip a finger inside her, making her writhe as I move it slowly in and out.
“More. I want you now. That finger’s not enough.”
I rise up and flip her over, entering her from behind as she sighs and stretches her ass up.
“I love it when you do that,” I growl, rubbing it. She gasps as I rub my thumb over her anus.
“What are you doing?”
“Shhhh, relax,” I murmur as I keep it up, slowly thrusting my cock in, filling her. Emma rises on all fours and begins to enjoy both, even though she’s not sure if it’s too dirty. “We’re going to be doing everything together, Cocky Love, you ready for this?”
Whipping her hair back she
