Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“I know you weren’t.”
“What are you? A human lie detector? I wouldn’t tell people that. They might lock you up and use you.”
“Not a human lie-detector. Also, you’ve been watching too much TV. Is that the way you feel, Lilac?”
“Sometimes,” she whispered. “It’s hard not to feel that way.”
“Is there something you want to do with your life? Something that’s holding you back?”
Whatever she wanted to do . . . whatever she needed in order to do it . . . he’d give it to her.
“I want to be free.”
Tanner scowled.
“And that’s the end of my break.”
“Lilac, we’re not finished talking about this,” he told her. No way was she walking away.
“I just . . . I didn’t think my life was going to end up like this, you know? Figured I’d be doing more by now.”
“And what is it that you want to do?”
“Oh, I don’t know . . . so many things.”
“Lilac,” he said warningly.
“You don’t want to know what it is I really want. It’s . . . it’s boring and it sounds silly.”
“Nothing you say will seem silly.”
“I just want normalcy. A nice guy who treats me well. Family. Kids. I want to get married. I want a house that I can decorate for the holidays. I want to take Christmas photos with my husband and kids in ugly sweaters that I make them wear. I want coordinated Halloween costumes. To cry when I drop my kid off at their first day of school, and when they leave for their first day of college. I want it all.”
“Lilac, baby, you can have all that. You’re only twenty-three. Your life isn’t over.” He’d made certain to ask her age the second night they’d spend together.
“Yeah. You’re right. Don’t know what I’m stressing over.”
“Well, it’s probably because you hadn’t met Mr. Right. Luckily, he’s right here.”
“He is? Where? Can you see him?” She peered around.
“Brat!” He started tickling her until she was laughing so hard that she snorted.
“Oh my God. That’s embarrassing.” She slammed her hand over her mouth. “You did not just hear me do that.”
“What? I thought it was cute.”
“You have a thing for pigs, huh?”
“You did not sound like a pig!”
She snorted again, then groaned. “God, now I can’t stop. It’s an affliction.”
“It’s adorable. Just like you.”
Tanner stood and carried her to the back door.
“I don’t want to go back.”
“You could run away with me,” he suggested.
“Believe me, that’s tempting but not possible.”
One day, he’d make everything that she thought impossible possible.
3
Three nights later . . .
Tanner picked her up and carried her along the hallway.
“Careful,” she muttered in between kissing him.
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I won’t drop you.”
“Was more worried about you putting your back out,” she joked.
He shifted her so she was supported with one hand while he swatted her ass with the other.
“Hey! What was that for?” she asked as he reached the door to the hotel room. He grabbed his key card from his back pocket.
“Misbehavin’,” he told her as he swiped the card and opened the door.
“Hmm, maybe I’ll have to misbehave more often.”
“I’ll spank you any time you want, darlin’. You just have to ask. But if you earn yourself a punishment, you’re not gonna enjoy the consequences.” He threw her carefully on the bed as she gaped up at him.
Too much?
Was she going to tell him to get lost?
Fuck. He wasn’t scaring her, was he? She hadn’t told him any more details of what had happened to her yet. But he was conscious of the need to be careful around her.
The more time they spent together, the more relaxed she grew. But he didn’t want to take any chances.
They’d spent the last couple of nights together at the bar where she worked. Raid had been giving him shit about it. Today, he’d had enough and punched him in the nose. Now the bastard was walking around with a swollen nose and a scowl.
Thank fuck, the hotel had a free room tonight. The last thing he wanted to do was take her back to the horse trailer. Sure, it had a couple of beds, a small kitchen and a bathroom.
But it wasn’t the sort of place you wanted to take a woman back to. Plus, Raid was there. That bastard likely wouldn’t give them any privacy.
And Tanner didn’t share. Ever.
If a woman was with him . . . then she was his. Not that he yucked on anyone else’s yum. Plenty of people back home shared. Including two of his brothers.
Scarlett should be given a medal for putting up with Beau and Maddox.
Just as he was thinking of apologizing, Lilac rolled off the bed, grinning at him. “You’d have to catch me first.”
Excitement filled him.
Now, this he could get into.
“That so, pretty girl?” he drawled as he undid the buttons on his shirt. Her gaze was caught by his actions, and he saw the lust there. The need.