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CHAPTER ELEVEN

I F T ANNER KNEW of her high expectations, based on her previous delicious—even sometimes unnerving—reactions to him, he might have been intimidated. Then again, she’d yet to see him apprehensive about anything. His usual mode seemed to be confident forward momentum, no matter what.

Whether trying to run her off, save her, or anything in between.

He jumped into that mode again by scooping her up. “Grab a candle.”

“Oh, um…” This was a first for her. In her world, men didn’t just scoop up women like it was nothing. If he was any other guy, she might have been annoyed, or she might have found the action hilariously ridiculous. With Tanner, it felt natural. Again.

She reached out and took the jarred candle from the table.

As he carried her closer to the remaining two candles, he said, “Blow them out so we can save them.”

She obligingly huffed a breath.

“Good.” With her holding the only lit candle, and him holding her, shadows closed in around them. If she’d been alone on a night like this, the atmosphere would have felt ominous.

Instead, as he carried her to the bathroom, she felt…special. Pampered. As if she really mattered to him. It was so unexpected, a nervous giggle escaped her when she seriously wasn’t the giggling kind.

At the look he slanted down at her, she cleared her throat and said, “I could have walked.”

In a tone devoid of haste, he said, “We got here faster this way.” The second he put her back on her feet, he took the candle from her and set it on the sink. “One second.” Moving all the damp clothes away from the tub, he turned on the water, pulled the shower curtain and lifted the nozzle to start the shower.

Efficient, that’s what he was. And maybe in a bit of a hurry regardless of how composed he appeared.

She, on the other hand, was already antsy. Big-time. Give her half a second and she could have him naked. Bummer that all they had was candlelight, but she’d make do.

Was there a flashlight somewhere in the house?

She was considering that, trying to remember if she’d seen one somewhere, when he stepped behind her and stripped away her open flannel shirt.

“Mind if I ask where you got this?”

Unsure what he meant, she turned to face him and found him scowling at the shirt like it offended him. “I guess it was Reggie’s. A few of his things were stored in the basement in a big chest.” Lifting a shoulder, she explained, “It looked cozy so I washed it and added it to my own stuff.”

For unknown reasons, that answer pleased him enough that he stole her breath with a consuming kiss. His hands moved over her hips, along her back, up and under her T-shirt, and as he put a marginal amount of space between them, he stripped that shirt away, too.

In the silence of the room, she heard his deeper breaths. As dark as it was, she could swear she felt the heat of his gaze moving over her breasts. With an inarticulate sound of hunger, he kissed her again, but not for long.

“Your water heater is small so we’ll need to rush through the shower before the tank empties and you’re out of hot water.”

Never before had she given a thought to where her hot water came from, but an icy shower didn’t appeal to her at all. “Race you.” She stripped off her shorts, panties, and socks in one quick movement, and while Tanner gave a heartfelt groan, she grabbed a clip off the shelf behind the toilet to hold up her hair, and then she stepped into the tub. The water was already tepid so she washed with haste and was almost done when he stepped in behind her.

Unfair! She had a most spectacular naked male in the shower with her and she couldn’t linger. “It’s too dark to see!”

Laughing, he moved around her, hogging the spray for a moment. It was an erotic push and pull as they each hurriedly washed and rinsed, and when the water suddenly went cold, Tanner gallantly blocked it with his body so she could snatch up a towel and step out.

Shivering, she said, “Hurry,” knowing he had to be freezing.

He shut off the water, pushed back the curtain, and gave her a candlelit view of his body. The awesome sight sucked all the oxygen out of the room, forcing her lungs to labor.

Her avid gaze moved over his wide shoulders, solid chest, down a firm abdomen and… Reluctantly, she held out a soft, dry towel for him to use. He was already hard, despite that cold water, and suddenly she wanted to fan herself.

Mine, mine, mine, her brain silently chanted. It wasn’t something she’d say out loud, yet the territorial instinct grew.

So many parts of her life were currently uncertain, but not this. Not what she felt for him, how intrinsically she reacted to him. It was new and exciting, practically overwhelming, and she wanted more.

As Tanner absently dried himself, he made it clear that he liked what he saw, too. He didn’t care that her hair was wrecked and she was without makeup. In fact, Callie couldn’t recall ever wearing makeup around him.

This was not the time for comparisons, but it struck her that no other man had seen her like this—stripped down to the most elemental version of herself.

Yet Tanner considered it enough.

Completely undone by that realization, she grabbed up the candle and headed out of the bathroom. Thankfully, Tanner was right behind her. In the bedroom, she set the candle on the dresser.

With a suggestive smile, Tanner moved it to the nightstand so that the glow fell over the bed.

A flush of excitement warmed her. Getting in the bed seemed a priority, but Tanner caught her hand, keeping her on her feet. He removed the clip from her hair. Gently, despite the still-damp tangles, he finger-combed it, lifting it over her shoulders, smoothing out each long lock.

With a soft kiss, he said, “I get the feeling you don’t realize how sexy you are like this.”

“I’m a wreck,” she replied, amused that their thoughts seemed to be running along the same rail. “But even on my best day I’m not the physically perfect example you are. Don’t misunderstand,” she added, “I’m content with how I look.”

His smile made a sexy promise. “Be content all you want, princess.”

For once, the nickname didn’t offend her, not the way he said it.

Using just the backs of his fingers, he brushed a heated path over her shoulder, her chest, down and over her left breast. “But I’m going for a hotter reaction.” And with that, he took her down to the bed and showed her how much he appreciated every single inch of her skin.

Callie wasn’t inexperienced, but with Tanner every touch felt special. Every kiss seemed like her first.

And yet, it all felt incredibly natural, too, as if it was meant to be. Novel but familiar. Unbearably exciting and still comfortable.

Everywhere she touched him made her want more. From his sleek, hard shoulders, to the crisp dusting of chest hair, the deep furrow of his spine and the solid muscles that flanked it.

She let her hands trail to his backside, but before she could truly appreciate the firm muscles there, he slid down in the bed to kiss a path along her body. He lingered at her breasts, first nuzzling, then licking, and finally sucking. Her body arched as sensation washed over her in tantalizing waves. He drew on her until she was gasping every breath.

“So close,” she gasped, unable to believe that she was on the cusp of an orgasm from only this.

“Not yet,” he replied huskily, taking her mouth in another hungry kiss. He curved his rough hand over her thigh, gently squeezed, then brought his fingers higher—between her legs.

Callie caught her breath and held it, anxious for his touch, needing it. It felt like a lifetime ago that she’d first come out of the woods and found him standing there. Six feet of scorching temptation. She’d wanted him then, and every second since. Getting to know him, caring about him, had only sharpened the desire. She didn’t think she could take any more.

“Tanner…” she pleaded.

“Shh.” He kissed her again. “Let me enjoy you.”

Enjoy her? Well, that sounded nice—if he’d only get on with it. Instead, he kept playing, teasing his fingertips over her, lightly stroking, ratcheting up her tension. She widened her legs, silently demanding.

With a murmur of appreciation, he pressed one finger to her, parting her, finding her hot and wet.

Callie wanted to touch him everywhere. Never had she felt more alive, as if every nerve ending was sparking. She gripped his back, licked his shoulder, lightly sank her teeth into the rigid muscle there.

With a groan, Tanner worked another finger into her, pressing them deep, then sliding out to tease her clit before thrusting in again.

Once more, Callie found herself on the ragged edge. Please, please, please . She needed this release. Needed it so badly.

Without saying a word, still with his fingers stroking, Tanner began kissing his way down her body, past her breasts again—and of course he paused to tease again—then down to her stomach, over to her hip…

Knowing where this was going, anxious for it, she tangled her fingers in his thick hair.

And then he was there, right there where she needed him. With a wet kiss, he left her undone. Every groan he issued, every lick of his tongue, left her ready to combust.

She understood sex. This was something else.

This was… “Tanner.”

Her entire body coiled in acute pleasure, wringing a husky moan from her. She was unable to stop herself from riding up against his mouth, twisting until he settled a firm hand on her stomach to hold her still.

That, too, was unbearably exciting.

“Tanner,” she whispered again and again, hoarsely, then somewhat shrilly.

He drew her in, sucking, licking—and she came apart. Over the top of her own cries, she heard his hungry groan.

After that, Callie wasn’t sure what she said or did. The unbelievable pleasure wrung her out.

Just as it started to fade, Tanner came over her, his hands cupping her face. “Are you protected?”

Callie gulped air, barely hearing him through the haze of pulsing sensation that remained.

He kissed her hard. “Babe, do I need a condom?”

Trying to bring him into focus, she whispered, “I’m on the pill, never missed a dose, and we’re both healthy.”

Kissing her again, his hold possessive and firm as if he knew she was floating, Tanner nudged her legs wider—and thrust into her in one long, easy glide that filled her up and caused her body to clench yet again.

Rarely had she ever indulged without a condom in use. Sutter preferred them, because as he often said, he wouldn’t take chances.

Tanner, apparently, trusted her—as much as she trusted him. She felt him and only him, driving into her in delicious friction.

She needed to catch her breath, but he only deepened his kiss, and… Who needed air? Callie wrapped her thighs around him, trying to hold him tighter. Wishing she could hold him forever.

Locking her arms around his neck, she countered his thrusts with the rhythmic roll of her hips, earning his growl of approval.

Astounding her, another orgasm built in a rush. Her body tightened around his erection, squeezing, and suddenly he pressed his face to her neck. “Now,” he ordered. “Now, babe. Now or never.”

His thrusts were hard and fast, and again she gave herself over to it.

Her release was debilitating in the best possible way. Never before had her body felt so foreign, so relaxed and limp. Utterly spent.

As their combined breathing eased and Tanner levered up to his elbows, she couldn’t even get her eyes open. Smiling, because she was happy and replete, she let her limbs fall away from him.

Tanner gave a quiet, gruff laugh, and nuzzled his mouth to hers. It was nice. Sort of an afterglow smooch, haphazard and lazy.

“Mmm,” she said, knowing full coherent words were beyond her.

He continued to play at her mouth while they both caught their breath. When at last the haze had lifted, leaving her lethargic, he gently pressed his lips to her forehead, her cheek, and the bridge of her nose.

“Stay put,” he whispered. “I’ll be right back.”

Still, she didn’t speak. Wasn’t sure she could anyway.

When he returned a minute later with a damp washcloth, she was barely awake. Even when he rearranged her, tucking her under the quilt and climbing into the bed beside her, all she could do was drift on the residual pleasure. A gal could easily get addicted to something so phenomenally satisfying. Maybe she already was.

Pulling her against him, Tanner breathed in her ear, “Sleep.”

After the day she’d had, that sounded like a grand plan.

* * *

C ALLIE SLEPT FOR a few hours, then woke with a start. Tanner held her closer, reassuring her with a murmured, “Easy.” Knowing she might have forgotten, he said, “Lights are still out—and I’m still with you.” In fact, he never wanted to move.

“Mmm,” she whispered sleepily. “Sorry I dozed off.”

“You could have slept through the night and it would be okay with me.” She’d gone out so quickly, he knew she had to be exhausted. Apparently, the sleep she’d gotten had rejuvenated her, because she immediately got busy seducing him.

It was a uniquely pleasurable experience to be the recipient of Callie’s sexual greed.

A man could get addicted.

This time, he was a little more thorough, a little less rushed—but Callie still raced to the finish line. She was so sexually explosive that he couldn’t hold back as long as he would have liked.

Not that it mattered. It was still the best carnal experience of his life. Would always be, in fact. He had to wonder if he’d ever be the same. Doubtful.

Warm and sleepy, her fingertips drifted over his chest. “Could I ask you something?”

Since he’d passed the point of keeping much from her, he replied, “Anything.”

Her long hesitation warned him, and then she whispered, “What the Garmet brothers said early on about Addie almost losing her house because of you… They made it sound like you’d done something wrong. Not that I believe them,” she assured him, tightening her hold as if she thought he’d surge away in anger.

The question was so far removed from their current position—naked and entwined in bed—that for a moment, it stymied him.

“Tanner,” she persisted. “I trust you.”

“I know that,” he said, stroking her in reassurance. From the start, even when he’d been standing there with a roaring chain saw, Callie had trusted him. It had defied reason, and started the deconstruction of his resistance.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” she said, and pressed a kiss to his sternum.

Knowing it was bound to come up sooner or later, Tanner had considered different angles to dodge the question. In the end, he’d known spitting out the truth was the only way to go. Now, here with her in the dark, seemed like as good a time as any. “I was accused of killing my father.”

Anger brought her upright, but he tugged her back down. Nice that it was anger on his behalf. He didn’t have a single doubt about that.

“I was a suspect for a while,” he explained. “Something like that gets around, especially in a town this size.”

“Tanner.” She hugged him tight. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“I’m not.” It would be better to clear the air, especially if she’d be staying.

“Good,” she stated firmly. “I don’t want any secrets between us and I don’t want you to ever worry that I’ll believe rumors.”

Take-charge Callie. That’s what he should call her. Sharing one of his biggest shames was never easy, but with her, it wasn’t as difficult as he’d imagined. “Relax.”

Gradually, she eased, her body melting against his again.

He loved how they fit together. Few things had ever felt so right. “Addie had already claimed me, and now that you know her a little you can imagine how she reacted.”

“I’m sure she was fierce.”

“Yeah.” That described her perfectly: fiercely protective, loving, and determined. “She told me that she’d believe anything I told her, and if I had in fact killed him, she’d still back me. I think I fell apart, as dramatic and panicked as a boy that age could be.”

The entire scene played out in his head. He could still feel the tight lock of Addie’s arms around him, the reassurance in her voice as she’d promised him over and over that he was safe, that she’d never let him be hurt again.

Emotion prickled his nostrils and thickened his throat, forcing him to take a moment, to swallow, to breathe.

Callie said nothing, but she pressed her lips to him again, just above his heart as she patiently waited.

“Addie decided I needed good legal representation, so she took a second mortgage on her house. At the time I was young enough that I didn’t understand what that meant.” Though others had ensured he knew, doing their utmost to shame him over it. For years he’d carried that blame. So much of it that without Addie’s love, and later Kam’s, he knew it would have crippled him. “She fought tooth and nail for me, and in the end it was proven that I’d been in the closet the entire time.” Other abuse had been uncovered too, and that was a unique shame all its own.

Callie forced her way up despite his mild effort to dissuade her. Folding her arms on his chest, the tears in her eyes visible in the candlelight, she smiled at him. An intimate, meaningful smile, one he’d never seen from her before.

Grateful for the darkness, Tanner didn’t bother to hide his own expression.

“I never doubted that you were innocent or that Addie would move heaven and earth for you. Knowing you even a little, meeting her that first time, it was all clear to me.”

Impossible, yet she looked so sincere.

“Something else I want to ask if it isn’t too personal. Why don’t you and Kam call her Mom? Not judging, because I’m sure there’s a reason. I’m just curious.” Her smile went crooked. “Now that you’ve knocked my world off its axis with phenomenal sex, I want to know everything about you.” Cautiously, she admitted, “The more you’re with me, the more questions you’re bound to get.”

Not knowing what the future held for them, he didn’t want to dwell on that. “Ask me anything you want. If I can answer, I will.” The fall of her hair drew his fingers. Here in the dim light, her brown hair cast intriguing shadows over the side of her face, exaggerating her eyelashes, adding softness to the curve of her cheek and the corner of those impossible-to-resist lips. “Kam and I talked to Addie once about calling her Mom.” Remembering, he barely suppressed a smile. “We were worried, wanting to know if she minded that we didn’t, if we’d hurt her feelings for not calling her Mom. One thing about Addie, she always gave it to us straight.”

“She’s an up-front, honest person.”

To the core of her being. “She told us, all serious-like, that we could call her anything we wanted. She said she loved us like a mother, but also more than a mother ever could. She’d chosen us because we owned her heart, every single beat of it, and that would never change.”

“Aww,” Callie said softly as a tear slid down her cheek. Smiling, she brushed it away and sniffed. “I love that.”

“Yeah, we’d loved it, too.” He stroked his hand over her messy hair, from the crown, down the warm length and to her slender back. “Kam said his mother wasn’t much to speak of, so to him Addie was more than a mom. I guess that inspired me—hard to explain the reasoning of boys that young—but I confessed that my mother had skipped out and left me with an abusive dick for a father. I agreed that Addie was better than any mom I’d ever seen.”

The candlelight found more tears in Callie’s eyes, but they weren’t tears of sadness. He loved that she didn’t try to hide them from him. She just whisked them away again, and with her silent interest she kept him talking.

“Addie had cried,” he said, catching a stray tear off Callie’s cheek with the side of his thumb. He drew her down for a kiss that lingered. “She’d laughed, too. Kam and I were so confused. We’d never seen anyone bawl and laugh at the same time.” He grinned, remembering how they had looked at each other, unsure what to do next. “She’d grabbed us both into an unbreakable embrace and swore, over and over, that we were the best things to ever happen to her. So to us, she’s always been Addie. Better than a mom.” Tanner tunneled his fingers into Callie’s hair. “Better than anything we’d ever known or dared to hope for.”

Funny, but at that moment, Callie did that confusing chuckling and crying thing that had so bewildered him as a boy. Now he understood though, and he hugged her close. “Any other questions?”

“Not just yet,” she promised, breathing out a shaky sigh.

“Then how about we get some sleep?”

She cuddled down against him. “It’s not raining anymore.”

“No, it’s not. But it’s the middle of the night.”

“You can still stay? If it’s a problem, I understand, but I’d love it if—”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he assured her. “Earlier, before you started eyeballing me over dinner, I’d been trying to figure out the right way to ask, but then you did your kitchen routine—”

She lightly poked his ribs for teasing her.

“—and that changed things.”

“I beat you to it.”

She’d beat him to a lot of things. But hey, it had gotten him here, naked in a bed, sharing life-changing stories…with Callie McCallahan, who, as it turned out, was far better as a real woman than she’d ever been as a fantasy idea of perfection.

* * *

W HEN THE KNOCK sounded on Callie’s door, she stirred from a heavy sleep, instantly aware of the warmth of Tanner hugged up to her back, how his scent enveloped her, and the smile that bloomed on her face. Last night had been the stuff of romantic dreams and sexual fantasies mixed up with heart-filling emotion.

She was waking up as a new woman. Whatever happened next between her and Tanner, she’d always have the very best night of her life to remember.

Sunlight streamed in through the blinds and a hum filled the air, telling her the electricity was back on. Tanner’s hand, completely engulfing one of her breasts, contracted just a little.

It would be so incredibly easy to linger, but…there was that knock again.

Thinking it would be Kam or Addie, she nudged Tanner. Instead of taking the hint, he pulled her more tightly into the curve of his body, her back to his front, and she felt the unmistakable rise of his interest.

There could be no better way to wake up than this.

“Hey,” she said, her voice froggy with sleep. “Tanner?”

“Mmm?” His mouth touched her shoulder. “Damn, you smell good.”

Snickering, she turned in his arms to face him. “None of that. Someone’s at the door.”

From one moment to the next, his dark eyes flashed open, instantly alert, not a single sign of sleepiness remaining. “You’re sure?”

Mindful of her morning breath, she tucked her face against his throat. “I heard the knock.”

Tanner jerked upright. “Who the hell is calling on you at…” Twisting to see his phone on her nightstand, he added, “Seven a.m.?”

“I assume your brother?”

Snorting, he threw back the covers. “Kam knows better.”

For a couple of seconds, she was awestruck again by his powerful body, the fluid movement of muscles flexing, and the obvious strength. Sinfully gorgeous, and no matter how she’d fawned over him last night, he still didn’t seem to realize his physical impact on her senses. “I like you in the morning light.” She bobbed her eyebrows. “If I could take a photo—”

“Not in this lifetime.”

While he snatched up his jeans, she said, “Maybe it’s Addie.”

The incredulous look he threw over his shoulder made her grin.

“No?”

“Addie is an intelligent woman, so no, she wouldn’t show up here this early, knowing I stayed over with you. The only way it would be her or Kam is if…” His expression darkened. “Something could be wrong.” Expression grim, he started out of the room.

Unsnapped and unzipped.

“Wait!” Callie jumped up too, but he hadn’t paused and as she pulled on shorts and a shirt, she heard her front door open.

Then heavy silence.

Oh crap . She finger-combed her absolutely hideous hair as she darted down the hall—only to find Tanner standing in front of the open door, staring daggers at Dirk. What in the world?

From the porch, Dirk asked, “So it’s like that, huh?”

“Exactly like that,” Tanner growled back.

Like what ? Callie wanted to ask, but instead she cleared her throat, which immediately gained her the attention from both men.

Dirk’s gaze took a quick dip down her body, then respectfully returned to her face. “Didn’t mean to intrude.”

Tanner gave another rude snort.

“That’s okay,” she said. “I need to get started on chores soon anyway.” When both men just stared at her, she asked, “Did you need something?”

Shifting, glaring at Tanner, then back to her, Dirk said, “You were…upset yesterday.”

Meaning: you were up a tree .

He cleared his throat. “Just figured I’d stop by to make sure you’re okay.”

Even knowing she was a wreck and clearly recognizing Tanner’s antagonism, Callie still smiled. It disarmed people and kept them guessing what she thought.

Truthfully, though, she was surprised by his concern. He even managed to look sheepish, as if he didn’t make these type of neighborly calls very often. “I’m fine now, thank you.”

“As you can see,” Tanner stated.

It was already clear that they’d slept together. He didn’t need to drive it into the ground.

Tanner glanced back at her. “How about some coffee? I’ll be right back.” And with that he started to step out.

Stunned at his audacity, Callie surged forward. “I don’t think so.” She caught the doorknob before he could pull the door closed behind him. Taking matters into her own hands, she asked Dirk, “What were you doing out there? And why did you take my goat?”

Dirk stared at her so hard, her skin prickled in unease. “I didn’t take your goat. I was trying to get it back for you.”

“I heard you talking to Lang.”

“Yeah?” After absorbing her accusation, and seeing Tanner’s attitude, he discarded his concern and instead copped an attitude. “What the fuck did you hear?”

Wow, that turnaround had happened lightning-fast.

“If you know what’s good for you,” Tanner growled, “you won’t curse at her.”

“But she can sling accusations at me? Fuck that. I’ll say whatever I want.”

Uncertainty crept in on Callie. She put a hand to Tanner’s arm, letting him know she didn’t want or need his defense on this. “I heard you say that Tanner and Kam were away and I was home alone.”

“All true!” Dirk threw up his hands. “And your goat was out in a storm.”

Tanner asked, “How’d it get out, Dirk? You want to tell me that?”

“How the hell should I know? I’m not the keeper of her animals. I heard the damn thing carrying on and thought to help her out. So fucking sue me.”

“Enough with the language,” Callie said, before Tanner could react again. “Why were you in the woods?”

“Same reason you were.” He thrust his chin forward and repeated with annoying enunciation, “Hunting a goat.”

“Right. You and Lang, dressed in rain slickers, just tromping through the woods during a storm?”

He had the nerve to laugh. “Sounds better than you, without a rain slicker, climbing a fu… freaking tree.”

To show her appreciation for his censorship, she dipped her head. “I counted the goats and realized one was missing. I was already looking for it when the drizzle turned into a storm.”

“Lang and I were hunting morel mushrooms along the edge of our property and heard it.” He lifted his hands. “Next thing I know, you’re up a tree and panicking.”

“Er… I wasn’t exactly panicked.”

“Bullshit. I thought you’d faint and fall to the ground. Why do you think I got closer to you?”

“To catch me?” she guessed, feeling a little sick.

“I’d have tried.” He narrowed his eyes. “What the hell did you think was happening?”

Nervously twisting the ends of her hair, she said, “I guess I… I heard you and Lang, and I thought…”

Dirk glared at Tanner. “And you’ve painted us as pure evil, haven’t you, you motherfucker?”

Good Lord. Expecting fireworks at any moment, Callie tried to tighten her hold on Tanner, but it proved unnecessary. Once again, other than his mouth curling in a small, taunting smile, he showed no signs of being provoked. “I’ve given her an accurate representation of you.” He took one step forward. “And now it’s time for you to go.”

“Yeah, it is.” Sneering, he glanced at Callie. “Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson on being a concerned neighbor. I won’t make that mistake again.” He stomped off before she could think of anything conciliatory to say.

If only she’d gone in and made coffee as Tanner had suggested, instead of confronting Dirk. Her heart lay heavy in her chest. Disliking the Garmets on principle was easier than admitting she’d badly overreacted.

“They were trying to get the goat back for me.” Color washed from her face as she realized her own misjudgment. “And I climbed a tree.” Feeling sick, full of regret, she watched Dirk until he disappeared behind a wall of thick honeysuckle that ran in a tangled line between their properties.

Taking her arm above her elbow, Tanner urged her inside, and then to the couch. He crouched down in front of her.

Given he was barefoot and bare-chested with his jeans undone, it was an enormous distraction.

“Listen to me, Callie.”

Right. She’d messed this all up and she needed to pay attention, so she forced her gaze to his.

He surprised her by saying, “Never, under any circumstances, trust Dirk or Lang. Do you understand me?”

“But—”

“But nothing. If you got a vibe, then you were smart to act on it. God gave you instincts for a reason.”

And her instincts had been clamoring. Was that an actual issue she had with them, a residual fear left over from her college experience with Warren, or something instilled by Tanner and his dislike of the brothers? She frowned over the thought. “I climbed a tree.”

“A big one, I know.” His mouth twitched. “I’m proud of you. Couldn’t have been easy, but you got up there and took yourself out of harm’s way.”

His attitude helped to lessen her embarrassment. “I think I might’ve flown.”

He laughed. “No, you did what you had to and that was smart. If you’d stayed within reach, who knows what they might have done?”

Today, with the skies clear and the sun bright, she had a feeling they’d have helped her find her goat. Tanner’s earnestness kept her from admitting that out loud, but it didn’t eradicate her guilt. “I’ll keep my keys and phone on me from now on.”

“Probably not a bad idea, even when Liam’s around. He’s a capable guy, but only nineteen.”

“I wouldn’t want to put him in the position of thinking he had to protect me.”

“If I told him you said that, he’d be mighty insulted.”

No doubt. She looked at Tanner, at his thighs spread on either side of her, his hands now holding hers, and she felt…things. Too many to decipher all at once, especially after the stunning night she’d had with him.

Tipping forward, she rested her forehead on his bare shoulder. “What now?” She felt his slight stiffening.

In a carefully neutral tone, he said, “I have work to do, and you have critters to tend.”

So that’s where they were. Back to business as usual.

It saddened her, but she’d already decided she wouldn’t push for more. Neither of them was going anywhere and with their off-the-charts chemistry, this sort of thing was bound to happen again. She’d bide her time until then, and probably miss him every minute. “I understand.”

“I doubt that.” Standing, he said, “Sorry, honey, but I need one minute.” He went down the hall and into the bathroom. The door closed with a quiet click.

And of course, that made her need to go too, but she only had the one bathroom. Confused, unsure how to take his back-and-forth mood this morning, she curled up on the couch and waited. After the flush of the toilet and the sound of running water, Tanner emerged.

Completely cavalier about their morning-after, he bent to give her a quick kiss, leaving her with the scent of her mouthwash. “I’ll get the coffee started.”

It bugged her a little that Tanner coasted through the inevitable awkwardness like it was nothing, while she was left floundering. “Thanks.”

Deliberately, she took longer than he had, brushing the tangles from her hair, splashing her face, and cleaning her teeth. Lastly, she pulled on socks to protect her feet from the cold floor and shrugged back into her flannel shirt.

When she got to the kitchen, Tanner had just sat down at the table, with two mugs of steaming coffee at the ready. He’d even prepped hers for her.

He was awfully good at making himself at home. And at winning her over.

If Sutter’s life was on the line, she doubted he’d be able to say how she liked her coffee, yet Tanner had remembered.

After she took her first sip, she admitted—only to herself—that she liked how he settled in and got comfortable. It’d be far too easy to imagine him moving seamlessly into her life on a regular basis. Sleeping with him each night, the hot sex, the tender hugs, sharing coffee on a cool spring morning… They’d discuss everything big and small, then he would go off to do whatever landscaping jobs he had, and she would…

Her thoughts paused there. She’d never done the home and hearth before. Looking around now, she saw that she still wasn’t doing it. This house remained Reggie’s home, without her décor, her preferred arrangement, or her personal touches. Probably why Tanner was comfortable; he’d been here innumerable times.

She hadn’t made it her own yet, but still, she’d been so content.

Was she settling? Or so intent on proving something that she was willing to be “less than” everything she could be? She feared it might be the latter.

After a few fortifying sips of her coffee, she faced Tanner across the table. “So…” How did you ask a man where they were headed without outright asking? Was there a casual way to find out if this had been a one-off? Or would Tanner want a repeat performance?

Maybe she could start by asking him about dinner.

Except, Addie loved cooking dinner. Callie wouldn’t rob her of that— if she even could, which seemed doubtful. She took so long trying to figure it out, Tanner took over.

“Want me to help you with your chores before I take off?”

Hmm. No mention of later. Callie shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I have a routine.” And she should probably get to it. “I know you do as well?” She said it more as a question than a statement.

He nodded. “I’ll have a lot of cleanup to do. Storms always bring a mess and longtime clients ask for help in saving damaged trees and plants.”

That made sense, plus it sounded better than him claiming last night had been a mistake. “What about your own trees?” So far she’d only seen a portion of his tree farm, but with thirty acres she imagined he’d have damage, too.

“We have a few part-time employees who work the land farther from the house when necessary. I give them a schedule, though it might change now. I’ll go out on the tractor later to check on things.”

“You have a tractor, too?”

“A compact residential tractor. Makes it easier to dig up and plant trees.” He sipped his coffee, then added, “The job varies from week to week, season to season. I’m mostly doing landscaping now, but maintenance is a year-round job. Much like tending your animals.”

“Speaking of that, I’ll need to check on the goat to see if he’s okay, too.”

“I’ll give Nell a call. She’s studying to be a vet tech, but she’s always had a way with animals. She grooms Blu for me.”

Which, Callie felt sure, was another way for Tanner to show Nell that she was needed, he trusted her, and she had options. He was backup when necessary and always a reliable friend.

It was so, so easy for him to steal her heart just by being himself. “I’d love to meet her,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

He upended his mug to finish it off, then pushed back his chair. “You’ll be around all day?”

“I don’t have any plans except the usual, so yes, I’ll be around.” Was he going to ask about seeing her again? Hopeful, and irked at herself because of it, she waited.

Tanner collected his shoes at the back door. “Then I’ll tell Nell to stop by when it’s convenient for her.”

Determined that he wouldn’t leave without at least one more kiss, she stood as well. “Okay, thanks.”

They stared at each other.

The knock on her door—now for the second time—made her want to groan at the interruption. Surely Dirk wouldn’t return so soon?

Possibly having the same thought, Tanner scowled and stormed that way.

Callie had to hustle to keep up. “I can answer my own door, thank you.”

As if that hadn’t occurred to him, he paused.

She skirted past him, unlocked the door, swung it open and—good God.

Her parents. A bucket of ice water to the face wouldn’t have shocked her more.