Still The One - Carrie Elks Page 0,46

she says anything to you.”

Of course she did. A wave of mortification washed over Van again. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what she said.”

“It’s not your fault.” His voice was soft. But it did nothing to take away the embarrassment suffusing her. She closed her eyes in attempt to stem the tears, again. Damn, she hated crying. She didn’t want him to see her like this.

“Van, it’s not.” There was a certainty to his voice that she wanted to believe.

She nodded, her eyes still squeezed shut. Drawing in a ragged breath, she willed the tears to dry up, but she still felt them hot against her lids.

There was a scuffle, then Tanner was inside her room. His hand raked through his hair as he walked toward her, coming to a stop inches from where she was standing. His hot gaze caught hers, and she felt breathless, frozen to the spot as she waited for his next move.

“Come here.” He wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders, his hand cupping the back of her head as he pulled her to him.

“It’s okay,” he said softly, as she let her face press against his chest. She could smell the warm scent of his cologne, and the clean aroma of soap. His shirt was thin enough for her to feel the hardness of his muscles against her cheek.

“It’s not okay,” she whispered. “It’s not.”

She felt him press his lips against her head. His fingers tangled in her hair, brushing the nape of her neck, and he tipped her head back until her gaze caught his.

“Don’t cry. I fucking hate it when you cry.”

“Me too.” She gave him a watery smile. “So much.”

He wiped the tears away with the pad of his thumb, his touch leaving a trail of fire across her cheek. “Did you know your eyes change color when you have tears in them?” he whispered. “They look more green than blue.”

No, she didn’t. But the fact he noticed made her chest feel tight.

She was so aware of the way his body felt against hers. She could feel the denim of his jeans against her legs, the hardness of his thighs against her hips. Taking a deep breath, she blinked the last of her tears away, and he followed their trail with his eyes.

“I’ve stopped now.”

A half smile pulled at his lips. “Good.”

“Do you think she’ll call the cops?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Chrissie? Can you imagine? Officer, I’d like to report a stained dress.”

For the first time since she’d gotten that phone call, Van felt like laughing. “I don’t get why she hates me so much. I know I hit her when we were in school, but that was years ago. What the hell did I do to deserve all that anger?”

“She hates you because you’re real,” Tanner told her, his jaw tight as he stared down at her. “Because you’re stronger, cleverer, and more beautiful than she is.” He lowered his head until his brow touched hers. He was close, so close, and he took her breath away. “You’re worth ten of her. You always were.”

His words felt like a beautiful pointed knife. Cutting her in two, but in such a pleasurable way. “Tanner…” she breathed, feeling the old familiar need engulfing her.

“Shh. Don’t say another word.” She could feel the warm air of his breath.

“But…”

He put his finger on her lips, and she tried to swallow down a smile. She used to drive him crazy with her talking. But that’s how she always thought. Out loud.

“Let me have this moment. I just want to look at you.” He slid his nose against hers until his lips were a sigh away from her mouth. She waited, swallowing down all the words she wanted to say.

Why was he looking at her that way? What did it mean?

And why did it feel so right after all this time of hating him?

“It was always you,” he whispered. “Always.” He slid his hands down the curve of her spine, pressing her against him until she wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. But still he didn’t kiss her. She could see his eyelashes fluttering as his gaze took her in.

It was always you. Her body hummed with the truth of those words. No matter how much she tried to fight it, he’d always been there. In her failed relationships, in her career triumphs, behind her eyelids when she tried to sleep at night.

It was always Tanner she saw, with his crooked smile and warm