Page 13

Veronica

The Mudroom

T anner and I amazingly manage to get Collin home in one piece. I mean if we’re being honest, he clearly did most of the work, but I’m still claiming my participation trophy after helping them stumble along. That should have only been a fifteen minute walk but somehow turned into a forty-five minute drunken hot mess.

“Night guys. It’s way past my bedtime. Good luck with him. Deuces!” Lizzy struts past us, cocking her head to the side, holding two fingers up, as she heads into the condo. She stops just inside the door from the mudroom into the unit, looking back at Tanner.

“Oh. And Chap. I’ll leave my door open if you change your mind.” She grins at him, blowing a kiss before she turns and heads up to her bedroom, leaving the three of us behind in the mudroom. I look at Collin, he’s slumped against the wall, already passed out on the bench. And now he’s snoring like a chainsaw. Cool cool. So it’s just Tanner and me now.

Tanner chuckles and shakes his head side to side, looking back at me, one side of his mouth forming the hint of a smile. “She is something.”

“That is one way to describe her,” I say, leaning against the wall by the bench, next to Collin. “I thought she was your type though?”

“No,” he says, with an unusually curt tone. “She’s nowhere near my type. But hey. Do you mind if I throw this in your laundry, Ronni?” he asks, tugging his shirt away from his chest, highlighting Collin’s handiwork from the night.

A puff of laughter escapes my lips. “Sure, Tanner. That’s fine. Hamper is behind you, next to the washer.”

He turns away from me, taking his jacket and hat off, hanging them on the wall hooks. Slowly, he reaches his long, sinewy arms behind him, pulling his shirt over his head revealing the ropey muscles of his defined back. Wow, he’s even more muscular than I thought at the bar when the shirt was still on. I don’t think I can remember the last time I saw Tanner without a shirt, probably some summer swimming with Collin and him at the river. He’s certainly easy on the eyes now.

But instead of tossing his shirt into the hamper, he tosses it right into the washer. He grabs the hamper and dumps in my laundry too. Oh no. Did he just see my thongs in there? I feel my face flush at the thought of him seeing all my dirty underwear. Still, weirdly thoughtful of Tanner to do that. He definitely didn’t have to.

As he’s tossing in a pod, he asks, “So Ronni, where do you want this piece of work tonight?” while tipping his chin towards Collin.

“Great question,” I say with an exasperated sigh. “He took the top bunk so that’s probably not a great idea now. How about the couch? I don’t think our troublemaker can do much damage from there.”

I notice another newer tattoo on his chest that I haven’t seen before, but I can’t make out what it is before he turns back towards Collin.

“Works for me.” Without the slightest hint of strain or effort, he wraps his arms around Collin and lifts him off of the bench, throwing him over his shoulder.

Wow. How on earth is he this superhuman strong? Wait, could he have carried him home alone?

He heads into the condo and his stride looks entirely effortless even with Collin draped over his shoulder. As muscular as he is, he still moves fluidly, not like a lumbering giant, but gracefully, almost like a hockey player gliding on ice, a hint of power lurking beneath.

He heads down the few stairs over to the couch in the living room, flopping Collin down like a rag doll. All of those muscles on full display working harmoniously in unison, putting on quite the show.

I kick my snow boots off in the mudroom and follow behind them. I grab a blanket from the basket next to the couch and tuck in Collin. He’s going to be hating life tomorrow. I’m ruthless when it comes to herding people around in the morning to get first chair and I certainly won’t be cutting him any slack. I mean come on, I sent him the agenda for the next two weeks. He should have known not to go so hard tonight.

“Looks like my work here is done.” Tanner laughs, giving a little two fingered salute, clicking his tongue in his cheek, as he heads back to the mudroom to leave. I follow behind to walk him out and lock up, feeling myself let out a long yawn.

It was a full day on the mountain followed by a long happy hour turned hot mess express. I’m ready to get in bed and finally get some sleep.

As we reach the door leaving the mudroom, Tanner pauses before turning back to me. Something has been off about him tonight, all evening actually, besides the obvious that he’s now shirtless. What’s with all of the eye contact he’s been making with me tonight? And letting his hand linger on my wrist. It’s like there’s a hint of vulnerability beyond all that bravado. Even last night I remember him blushing, something I’ve hardly ever seen him do.

Something is clearly on his mind. But what? Tanner has it easy, living the good life here in Jackson, far from the stressful realities us in the real world face. Is he worried about Collin maybe? No, that can’t be it, a night like this is hardly a new thing for those two. I doubt it’s work. What the hell could he possibly be worried about?

“You alright, Tanner? You’ve been awfully quiet the whole walk back. And what’s with all the eye contact lately?”

We’re practically face to face leaning against the door frame. God. For all the years I’ve known him I’ve only ever thought of him as Collin’s childhood best friend. Sure we spent time together and he was always cute. But he was just a close family friend.

Now though. Damn if he doesn’t have the body of a man. I definitely don’t remember all of… this.

My eyes scan his body, taking in the piece of living art standing in front of me. A body of rugged and striking muscle. Now I can make out the new tattoo on his chest hidden by the curls of his chest hair. It’s a tiger head, its mouth open showing its teeth. But instead of orange and black, it’s stripes are teal and black. His chest hair trails down his abs to his waist. His flat, toned lower abs on full display, defined by his raised hip bones on either side and one pulsing vein trailing down under his belt line, highlighting that V.

Wow. If I stare any longer I’m going to start drooling.

Shit. Too late.

I’m snapped out of my trance by a quick low whistle.

“Yoo-hoo, my eyes are up here,” he says with a hushed laugh and a wink, after catching me practically eyefucking him. I can’t hide my embarrassment as my face goes flush and I turn red. “But, yes. I’m fine, Ronni. It’s just been a long day.” I can hear the tension building in his deep, raspy voice, as it nearly cracks.

Tanner leans further into the doorframe from the mudroom. His arms stretching overhead, his broad shoulders filling out the doorway. This man towers over me, and I’m not short. There’s something primal about his presence, something dangerous yet alluring.

Standing like this, I can see just how well built the rest of his upper body is. His biceps and triceps are stretched out yet flexed, his powerful forearms and hands gripping the door frame, the veins in those gorgeous arms peeking through his tanned skin. From here, I can make out the rest of the detail of the chef’s knife on his forearm. The blade is wrapped in roses and vines, but peering through the gaps, reflecting back in the blade are a woman’s beautiful eyes. They’re a subtle hazel color, almost like my own.

I still can’t take my eyes off his hands though and the way he’s gripping the door. He could grip me like that with those large hands. What the hell, V. Pull yourself together and snap out of it.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s been a long night. It sure has been good to see you though.” I’m trying to regain my composure, but it’s futile. I turn red again as I immediately realize what I just said. Good to see you!? Who says that after just getting caught ogling their brother’s best friend?

What is wrong with me tonight? Maybe it’s the altitude or all those spicy margs. Or maybe it’s the insanely built specimen of a man inches from me.

He lets out a little chuckle as he catches my embarrassment. That smile, those dimples. Have they always been there all these years too?

“Well, I ought to get going.” The words come out of his mouth, but his body isn’t following his own command. We’re still face to face. Something is still off with him, an emotion I’ve never seen in the decades I’ve known him or at least one I’ve never noticed before.

What. Is. It?

“You sure you’re alright, Tanner?” I inch closer and put my hand on his side to offer some reassurance, feeling his bare skin. God those muscles. I can feel him stiffen at my touch.

Wait… am I having this effect on him? Could I be throwing the unflappable Tanner Chapman off his game?

Standing this close to him with my hand on his side, I can’t help but notice that something about him is timeless. His face, his features, all of it unashamedly rugged and masculine. Like if we went back in time a hundred years to rural frontier Wyoming, he’d stand out just as much as he does today.

I feel my eyebrow beginning to arch as my hand lingers on his side. I glance down at my hand, just above his jeans. Dear god, even this man’s legs are jacked, his quads outlined through his faded blue jeans.

He reaches toward me, the back of his hand brushing my cheekbone as he tucks a strand of my hair back behind my ear. The sensation of his warm, callused skin on me gives me goosebumps up and down my arms and over the nape of my neck. He’s so close I’m overwhelmed by his scent. It’s like being near a stream running with clean fresh melted snow, pine needles all around, but still masculine with hints of oak and earthy leather.

God damn everything about him like this is so overtly sensual.

His eyes break contact with mine and he looks down at the ground for just a second. The ever present confidence of Tanner Chapman is briefly replaced with a look of boyish nervousness as he bites his lower lip and exhales in a whisper.

Is that… doubt in his face? This man, so ever confident, ever so calm, is doubting himself?

Could it really be because of me?

Before I could finish that thought, those piercing green eyes fix back on me, his lids low and heavy. There’s a hungry force behind them now. I can hear his breath become heavy and watch his teeth dig into his lower lip. He leans forward, tilting my head up towards his face, his lips closing the final inches between us. My hand is still glued to his side as he lowers his other hand from the doorframe and rests it on my hip.

Our lips meet. He opens his mouth just enough for me to feel his breath heavy on my lips before he closes in again, ever so slightly biting my lower lip. Our mouths open, his tongue slides along mine, inviting me to kiss him back. I can’t resist. I push my tongue into his mouth, slanting mine to feel all of his mouth against mine.

My legs are trembling. Urges I haven’t felt in ages all flooding out of me at once. My hand drifts to his belt line, a finger hooking just inside the waistband of his underwear, which is peaking out from his jeans. Without his shirt on, I’m tantalizingly close to his abs, and more .

He leans against me, pinning me to the door frame, one hand on my waist, the other cupping the nape of my neck, fingers running over my braids. I lean my body back into his, pressing my hips into him, feeling the muscles in his legs and the fly of his jeans through my leggings. I wrap one of my legs around him, trying to pull him even further into me. It’s so overwhelming and so fucking hot I let out the softest whimper into his waiting mouth.

My hands drift all over him, starving to feel every inch of his bare muscular body. Somehow despite that chilly walk home, his skin is still warm to the touch, practically blazing. The heat his body gives off matches the desire growing inside me, sending sparks through me and making my skin tingle.

Fuck.

Sparks.

Tingling skin.

For just a second my mind drifts to the thought of his shirt that was covering this masterpiece of a body, now in my laundry rubbing all over my thongs.

Something stirs deep inside me. My heart is pounding.

Who is this Tanner? I want more . I want to feel him even closer. I want to lean in harder and keep kissing him back, exploring his rock hard body.

Before I can even start to fully let go of myself, he pulls his mouth away, with the faintest tug on my lower lip. He rests his forehead on mine for a second, his breathing labored and hot on my lips.

His deep, lustful voice breaks the silence. “I’ll be fine, Ronni. I’m really glad you’re here. Good night. I hope I’ll be seeing more of you tomorrow.”

Shit. I forgot I even asked him a question.

He stands back, eyeing me hungrily.

“Oh, and Ronni. The eye contact? That’s because you have pretty eyes and I like looking at them.” A grin takes over his face exposing his dimples behind his scruff. He grabs his hat and jacket off the hook, and leans back to plant one more gentle peck on my cheek. And just like that his sense of joy, and a replenished look of assuredness is back on his face. He turns and starts to walk back out to the condo parking lot where his slate gray Sprinter van is parked.

“Now try and get some rest. First chair tomorrow, you know the drill. 8:30 AM, Tram Center. I’ll still grab your coffee. Going to need some stamina to make it through another full day.” His voice cuts through the frosty air from across the parking lot, a mischievous smirk on his face and that boyish laugh.

There he is again, the Tanner I know, and then… this other Tanner, I haven’t seen before. I watch him climb into the driver seat, still shirtless even though it’s below freezing out.

He pulls out of the lot and I bury my face into my palms. I can feel my stomach and my heart fighting over which one can do the most gymnastics inside me right now.

What on earth was that…

Vulnerability? Self doubt? All of those beautiful hard muscles? That kiss?! Then just calmly walking away?

Tanner. Fucking . Chapman.

What the actual fuck!?

And what about me? Staring him down, touching his bare skin, drooling over him, grinding myself into him.

Where did all of that come from? And why am I so turned on right now?