me, but he places it on the end table next to him. “Let me make you a drink.”
He links his fingers with mine and escorts me through the throng of people, heading back to the kitchen where—thank God—Taylor has disappeared from.
Tanner begins arranging the bottles of his choice across the countertop, and I wait for him to make me a drink he thinks is awesome. Tanner has always thought of himself as a mixologist. Unfortunately, I’ve given him false hope on the title many times, only to dump my drink in the nearest plant.
“Really, Tanner, I’ll just have a beer.”
He ignores me, perusing all the bottles.
“I should probably call it quits anyway.” This excuse earns me a glance, but still no response.
Inching closer, he pushes his body against mine, backing me up to the counter, and my lips part.
“You never let me do things for you. Why is that, Piper?”
He places his hands on my hips, and my breath catches in my throat. Gripping tightly, he hauls me up to sit on the counter. Then, his hands graze the inside of my thighs, and he pushes them apart to make space for himself.
“Tell me,” he urges on.
My voice gets lost somewhere in the midst of this affectionate maneuver. My mind can’t stop obsessing over his warm hands on me again. Things between Tanner and me have always been tense in certain situations, but we’ve never crossed the line. Maybe we’re too afraid that things might go south because it would ruin the dynamic. Maybe I fear that Tanner would use me for a night and toss me aside. Maybe, from a fear of rejection, I always keep my feet planted on the safe side of things. Tanner fetters on the edge of danger, and I can’t see him ever taking us seriously.
“Piper?”
I blink, and Tanner is an inch closer to me. My breath sinks deeper.
“You know I hate that whole white-knight-save-me crap,” I lie.
When it comes to Tanner, this foreign princess persona surfaces, fawning over the man who sweeps in and saves me from creeps like Jake.
Tanner’s eyebrows rise, and he studies my face for a second. “You should try it, and you might enjoy it.”
When he creeps closer, I will my legs not to disobey me and wrap around his waist.
“I’d make a pretty great prince.”
Then, he scoots back from me, and I suck in a huge breath when he circles around.
My face heats with a flush, my hands shake, and my thoughts fixate on having Tanner McCain in my bed tonight, regardless of the end result tomorrow morning. His head twists to my direction, and I bite the inside of my lip, my signal that I’m thinking hard about something.
He pours a zillion splashes of alcohol from every bottle.
I think to myself, My first drink was better.
He returns to me, occupying the space between my legs again, and holds the cup in front of me. I grab it with my hand, and he releases it.
“Try it.” He pushes the cup toward my mouth.
I clear my throat, and concentrate on the contents in the red Solo cup from how unnerved I’m becoming by being his sole focus.
The drink is surprisingly good, much better than my own. Tanner must notice my smile because he backs away from me with his own smile in place.
“Told you, I’m a mixologist.”
He swivels his hips with his hands in the air, and I giggle from his absurd ego.
“You made a good drink here.” I lift the cup in the air and then down another sip.
“Did I hear, a good drink?” A redhead with her gang of two copycat versions of herself walk in.
My infectious laugh dissipates, and I quietly begin drinking while watching the redhead cozy up to Tanner. I question everything he’s told me up to this point. Is this the girl Jake accused him of making out with? Tanner doesn’t skip a beat, walking over to me. “I made Piper a drink, and she loves it, which is a first in our book.” He’s still happy and giddy with excitement.
The redhead eyes me up and down, clearly comparing me to herself.
Bitch.
“Oh, will you make me one?” she asks, sauntering closer to us.
I so want to place my palm in the air and say, This isn’t a threesome, bitch. But I stop myself because Tanner isn’t mine.
He smirks over at me and then turns her way. “Sorry, it was a Piper Special. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m taking her to dance.”