railing as Zoey Carson parked and threw open her car door. The melodic sounds of Kenny Chesney singing about addiction in his song “Demons” drifted on the breeze. A pang of hurt zipped through his heart for Zoey and the heartache he figured her mother’s problems had brought into her life. He didn’t know the details, but he did understand how hard the battle with addiction could be.
He waited patiently as she climbed out of her twenty-year-old car, and took a few measured steps toward him. Her eyes darted around for a few seconds without meeting his, and he bit his tongue to keep from smiling. It was good to know that he kept her as off balance as she did him.
“Hi, Tanner.”
“Well. Well. Well. What brings you all the way out to the Triple T?”
She cleared her throat, and took a deep breath. Her knuckles were white where she gripped her tiny purse at her hip, and she shoved her other hand into her hair in a nervous gesture. “Actually, um, do you mind if we go inside? It’s awfully hot out here.”
Tanner stepped back and held his arm out gallantly for her to lead the way. As she brushed past him, her long black hair swished against his arm and sent a spiral of need straight to his groin. It was like silk against his skin, and he could just imagine what it would feel like draped over his chest as she rode him to a screaming orgasm.
Her round hips swayed as she stepped up inside the front door, and he saw her shoulders droop slightly when the chill of the air-conditioned house hit her. She moved over to the sofa and perched her lush ass daintily on the edge of the tufted suede with that miniature purse in her lap.
Tanner turned and dropped his hat on the table next to the door before bending to tug his boots off with his back to her. For a moment he thought he might cut his own cock in half when he bent over, but by the time he was in his socks and comfortable, he felt under control again. Until he turned around and caught Zoey’s eyes on his backside. Instantly he was hard as stone again. This time he spread his thighs and narrowed his eyes on her.
Zoey’s gaze landed on the bulge beneath his zipper for just a breath in time before she blushed and turned away. So that was the way of it . Well good, at least this time she wasn’t half drunk and begging him to take her to bed.
A picture of her spread out on his bed with her dark hair on his crisp white pillow and her pretty pink lips open and gasping for air hit him hard, and he grunted, startling her. “Did you need something, Zoey, or did you just come here to sit on my sofa in silence?”
Her jaw clenched in irritation but she seemed resolved to whatever she had to say. “I need a favor, Tanner.”
Tanner felt his eyebrow lift and he let his eyes run over her stiffened spine and knees clenched tightly together. This might get more interesting after all.
“Okay, is this a whiskey kind of favor or a beer kind of favor?” He turned and moved toward the kitchen that opened up on the other side of the living room.
“What?”
“Just trying to determine how strong of a beverage I’m going to need for this chat. What’s the favor?”
“I need to know if I can stay with you for a couple of weeks. I mean, in Dalton’s apartment. Can I rent it for a couple of weeks?” She held her breath when she was nervous, and there went her hand running through her hair again. When she let loose, it fell in a gentle wavy pattern that looked downright sexy on her.
“Why?” Tanner tugged the fridge open and pulled out a bottle of beer, holding up with a questioning look to Zoey. When she shook her head no, he grabbed her a bottle of water and moved back into the living room.
“If you recall my place was bought by the new developer who moved to town, and I only had thirty days to move. Unfortunately, some things have happened and the house that I put a deposit on…well it fell through. Rachel would take me in, but her mom is staying with her for a couple
Learning to Kill: Stories