Page 21
Chapter Twenty
Kinsley
When I woke up this morning, my legs were tangled in between Tanner’s and I was wrapped in his strong arms. Though the intimate moment quickly fizzled out when I realised I, in fact, had drooled all over his bicep in my sleep. So sexy, Kinsley.
Somehow, I managed to wriggle out of his hold and dry off his arm without waking him. Now, I’m standing in his big ass kitchen, wearing my fluffy pink bed socks and one of his tee’s that sits mid-thigh, with a smile I cannot wipe off my face. Whatever he did to me last night, I’m still riding the high.
I know there is a sound system in this open kitchen and living space, Tanner always has music playing and I can see all the scattered speakers, but do you think I can work out where or how to connect to the thing? So instead I’m playing music from my phone, Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like a Woman plays as I pull out eggs, bacon and an avocado from the fridge. Using the whisk as a microphone, I belt out the chorus; singing and dancing around Tanner’s kitchen.
When I spin around and see him, he’s shirtless wearing grey sweatpants and leaning against the far wall, a huge smile on his face. I hide the whisk behind my back on instinct, as if that will erase the image of me singing and dancing. It won’t, of course, that will be forever etched into his memory now.
“Crap, the bacon,” I mumble, spinning around to find charcoal in the pan. “Dammit.”
Tanner’s arms are either side of me, one hand removing the pan from the heat and the other confiscating the whisk.
“You can’t flip bacon with a whisk, little lady,” he whispers against my neck. “How about you finish whisking the eggs and I’ll take over here?”
I wriggle around to face him. “I was planning on surprising you with breakfast.”
“Instead, I get breakfast and a show.” He winks and I press my palm against his chest, a dismal attempt to move him out of my way. Tanner tips his head back and laughs, and I lean my forehead against his chest. “Who sings that song?”
I glance up through my eyelashes. “You’re kidding right now? Shania Twain!”
“Why don’t we leave it to her from now on?”
“Hey!” I swat at his chest. “I wasn’t that bad!”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this carefree, so if he’s laughing at my expense, I’ll let him. This side of him doesn’t come out very often.
“Okay, my dark knight, let’s get this show back on the road. I’m starving.”
He steps back with furrowed brows at the new nickname I just gave him before he slaps my ass. I busy myself, whisking eggs and smashing some avocado with seasoning, whilst Tanner cooks fresh bacon. We are deep into a new and foreign domestic bliss when the app on his phone alerts him that someone is at the door.He glances down to see who it is on the camera as I hear the front door open.
“Brace yourself, Pip,” he says, possessively drawing me back into his arms.
“T, I’m home!” A bubbly female voice sings.
Footsteps travel through the house until a tall, thin, supermodel looking girl props herself up at the breakfast bar. Her mousey brown hair is perfectly highlighted around her face, falling down over her shoulders in bouncy curls. She must be a year or two younger than me.
“Welcome home, Sis,” Tanner greets her. “I wasn’t expecting you, does Mu—”
She sighs. “Mum doesn’t know I’m here, I just needed to get away for a few days. Anyway, it looks like a visit is well overdue.” Her kind eyes glance my way. “Are you going to introduce us?”
Tanner places his hand low on my back, guiding me alongside him, over to his sister. Sister … Wait, Emma? The one he mentioned whilst braiding my hair? He reaches out and drags her off the stool and into his arms, and she melts against his chest.
“Missed you, Squirt.” He looks at me before he continues, a sparkle in his eyes. “This is my girlfriend, Kinsley.”
“Girlfriend?!” she squeals, and almost knocks me off my feet, grabbing my hands and pulling me into a hug. “I’m sorry, but Tanner has never had a girlfriend, so this is kinda a big deal!”
Tanner just called me his girlfriend.
“It’s really nice to finally meet you, Emma, right?” I manage to say, and I think it comes out relatively calm.
“That’s me.” She beams. “Wait, did Tanner mention me?”
She’s giddy and it’s cute; she clearly idolises him. We get to know each other whilst Tanner finishes cooking and plates up three breakfasts, swapping out avocado for grated parmesan on Emma’s plate.
Tanner
Taking a seat at the breakfast bar next to the girls, I take them both in. The two most important women in my life are getting along like a house on fire. Which is surprising because Em is the complete opposite to Kinsley. She is loud and bubbly, and still so young. Even though there is only two years between them, she doesn’t have the life experience and maturity that Kinsley has.
Emma has had everything handed to her on a silver platter, it wouldn’t be how I would raise my daughter, but Mum and Dad treat her like a princess. She taps a card with unlimited funds, has a driver and access to a private jet. She is supposed to be over in LA studying fashion; yet she is here.
“When did you get back in the country, and how long are you staying for?” I pry, it’s not unlike her to drop in unannounced but since she moved out of the country, she normally communicates a little more than this.
“Can’t we just enjoy breakfast, Tanner. Please?”
She looks at me with those eyes; the same ones she has always used whenever she wants to get her own way. It works too, I don’t look back in her direction until we have all finished breakfast and Kinsley starts clearing our plates.
“Where’s Lana?” Emma asks. “Let her do all of this so we can go and catch up properly. I have been dying for real Melbourne coffee.”
“— Lana?” Kinsley cuts in.
“Lana only comes over twice a week to clean, I don’t need a live-in maid now that you’re no longer here.”
“Oh. Suit yourself,” Emma states, clearly confused with the fact I don’t have staff living here.
“We don’t all enjoy having people sniffing our ass all day, Em.”
Emma rolls her eyes, pushing past me. “I guess I’ll send Chris away once he brings my bags in then.”
Kinsley giggles beside me, then whispers, “Who’s Chris?”
I keep my eyes glued on Emma as she walks away. I can’t help but wonder what has brought her home? “Chris is her driver.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
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- Page 9
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- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21 (Reading here)
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50