Tempting Tatum (29 page)

“Blaise,” she moans. “I’m…”

I lean down and place my lips next to her ear. “Let go, Tate.” And she does, my name falling from her lips and hers from mine.

Rolling to the side so I don’t crush her with my weight, I hold her tight against my chest. My entire body is trembling from the experience. I can’t speak and it’s work to pull air into my lungs. Never felt anything like it.

Tatum turns in my arms and lays her head on my chest. She rests her hands over my racing heart. “It’s never been like that,” she says.

I don’t say anything; I can’t. My voice won’t work.

Tatum looks up. “B?” she asks, biting her lip. I can tell she thinks my lack of conversation is for all the wrong reasons.

I kiss the top of her head and hold her close.

“You’re trembling,” she finally says.

I focus on my breathing to get myself under control. Once I feel like I can carry on a conversation, I roll on my side so we are laying face to face, nose to nose. I trace her face with my finger. “You did this to me. You ruined me for anyone else. That was the greatest experience of my life. Nothing will ever top that,” I say to her.

I watch as a tear slips down her cheek. I catch it with my thumb, then lean in and place a soft kiss on her cheek. “Why the tears?” I ask hesitantly. I’m scared to death I just ruined this.

“You, this, us. They’re happy tears, Blaise. I haven’t felt this way for…well, ever. Not like this anyway. I’ve never felt so connected with someone. I thought we had a freaky connection thing going before, but this, what we just shared, was intense and passionate. Scary.” She pauses as she absent-mindedly traces the tattoo on my arm. “My heart’s invested now, and I can’t take that back. I don’t want to.”

I bite back the words
I love you.
Yeah, I do and I want to tell her so fucking bad, but it’s too soon. I have to take my time with her, or she’ll run. I can’t let that happen.

I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight. “Mine too, Tate. I’m in this, you have all of me. It’s you and me,” I tell her.

“You and me,” she repeats my words as we both drift off to sleep.

Waking up in Blaise’s arms is the greatest feeling in the world. What comes after that is pretty damn amazing as well. Blaise made love to me again, then we showered…together.

I’m packing up our things and I can’t find my hairbrush. “Blaise, did I leave my brush in there?” I call out to him.

He walks up behind me. “This one,” he says, holding the brush. I jump. I wasn’t expecting him to sneak up on me.

“Yes, thank you.” I take the brush and shove it in my bag. “I think I’m all set,” I say, zipping up my bag. I turn to face Blaise; he looks nervous.

“What’s up?” I ask.

Blaise takes my hand and leads me to the bed. He sits down and pulls me into this lap. He has both arms around my waist and his head resting on my shoulder. “Tell me this is us, that once we walk out that door, we are still us.”

I sigh with relief. I was thinking he was going to tell me he made a mistake, that we are a mistake.

“We are us. We are whatever you want us to be. You fought for me, and here I am. What are you going to do with me, Blaise Richards?” I flirt to try and lighten the mood.

He kisses me hard, then says, “I’m going to shout from the fucking rooftops that you’re my girl.” His hand cups my cheek. “You’re my girlfriend,” he says as his lips find mine again.

We get lost in the kiss, in just being with each other. Then we hear Ember beating on the door, telling us to get a move on. Blaise pulls back and a huge grin lights up his face. “Girlfriend, I have someone I want you to meet,” he says. We stand up, Blaise grabs our bags, and we leave our nest. I have no idea who he wants me to meet, but he seems excited about it.

Ember and Jackson are in the hall waiting on us, and both are all smiles. Looks like they had a great night. Blaise stops and pulls me to his side. “Ember, Jackson, I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Tatum. Tatum, this is my sister and her boyfriend, Jackson.”

I can’t help it, I bust out laughing; the rest of them do, too. Blaise is wearing his sexy smirk. I just shake my head at him. Ember pulls on my arm and we skip off down the hall ahead of the guys.

We beat the guys to the elevator and Ember pushes the button for the door to close. “Okay, talk fast we only have five floors. You and my brother?”

I nod my head yes. “Yes, I can’t resist him,” I tell her.

She smiles. “Good, finally. He has been head over heels for you since day one. Now my turn. Jackson told me he loves me!” she squeals.

“Ember, that’s awesome. I know how you feel about him.”

“I’ve known him for years, through the guys, and, well, he’s amazing. He looked so relieved when I said it back.” The elevator reaches our floor as the door opens she says, “That tidbit will have to get us through until we get home, but I want deets,” she says under her breath. The elevator next to ours dings and our guys walk off, both looking sexy as sin.

Checkout time is eleven and it’s ten fifty nine when we reach the counter. Blaise and Jackson check us out and we load up. We missed the hotel’s breakfast, so we’re all starving. The Richards are expecting us for the weekly Sunday dinner. I offer to be dropped off at the apartment, but Blaise is having no part of that. I’m a little nervous as to what his family will say about us. I work with his mom, and she has been amazing to me, they all have. But now things are different; I’m dating her son.

As soon as the car is stopped, Blaise is out and opening my door. He grabs my hand and our fingers intertwine. He leads me inside. He bends down to whisper, “I have more people for you to meet.” As we walk into the kitchen, he blurts out, “Hey, guys, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Tatum. Tate, this is my family.” He’s laughing by this point from the smiles on everyone’s faces.

“About time; come here, you.” Nancy says as she walks toward us, arms wide open. I assume she’s going for Blaise and am surprised when she engulfs me in a hug. “Welcome to the family,” she says in my ear, before releasing her hold on me.

“You are—” Asher starts to say.

“Ready to take whatever you can dish,” Blaise says, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me to his chest. I relax into him.

Asher throws his head back in laughter. “Best fucking time of your life, bro,” Asher says.

“Asher!” Nancy scolds him.

Blaise looks down at me and smiles. “She already is, bro,” he says, never taking his eyes off me.

“All right, well, let’s eat,” Steve instructs.

The food is delicious. Spaghetti and meatballs with salad. We spend a few hours just hanging out with their parents and brother. Blaise continues to dote on me, touching me any chance he gets, pulling me into his lap to sit out on the back deck. I watch as his family takes us in, nothing but smiles coming our way. It seems as though I was nervous for no reason.

When we finally make it back to the apartment, the four of us are exhausted. I don’t ask Blaise to stay, but I know he will. I walk back to my room and he follows behind with our bags. I strip down and open my dresser to pull out something to sleep in.

“You won’t need it,” he says, walking up behind me. He trails kisses down my neck. “You can wear me.I can hear the grin in his voice.

Blaise locks the door and climbs into bed. He makes love to me for the second time today, before wrapping me in his arms and I fall asleep.

The next morning, all four of us wake up late. Blaise and I make plans for me to stop by the shop after work. He has clients until nine. Ember and I make plans to have lunch as she pushes us out the door. I should have been a teacher, summers off and all that.

Walking into the office, Nancy smiles and says hello. I say good morning and head back to my office. I bury myself in work so much so that when I hear a knock on my office door, I’m shocked to see Ember standing there.

“Hey,” I say looking at my watch. “Wow, this day is flying by.”

“You ready for lunch? We have a lot to catch up on. I called Leah and she’s meeting us at the diner,” she informs me. “I invited Grace too, but she is helping Asher at the shop.” She shrugs.

I had texted Leah yesterday on the way home and told her Blaise and I are official, promising details later. This is perfect; now I won’t have to repeat myself.

We’re meeting Leah at a small diner in town. I hear the food is amazing, but I have yet to try it. We all decide on the fried chicken salad. Yes, fried chicken defeats the purpose, but we aren’t eating it because we are dieting. We are eating it because it’s good. At least Ember says it is. My two friends gang up on me first. I replay the weekend with Blaise and most of our moments. I refrain from telling them how he made love to me, just that we did sleep together. Some things are not meant to be shared. Ember then fills us in on how Jackson told her he loves her and she followed suit.

The waitress comes to the table and drops off the check. Lunch has been great, and I really enjoyed getting to see Leah and welcoming Ember to our group. I go to stand and Leah stops me.

“Tate, wait a minute will you?” she asks. “I have some news as well.”

I glance at Ember and she shrugs her shoulders. “Sure, what’s up?” I ask.

“I’m pregnant,” she blurts out.

“What?” I ask a little too loud as I stand up and hug her. Ember does the same. “I’m so happy for you guys.” I wipe the tears from my eyes. This is what Leah has always wanted, what we’ve both wanted. I couldn’t be happier for the two of them.

“Yeah, so we actually have a change of plans for the wedding. We are going to fly to Hawaii and do it on the beach.”

“Do it on the beach, huh?” Ember says, laughing.

Leah’s face turns red. “You know what I mean. We’re going to get married on the beach, just the two of us.” She looks up to gauge my reaction.

If this makes her happy, I’m happy. “That’s amazing, when do you leave?” I ask. I know she wants to be married before she starts to show.

“I’m ten weeks, and my doctor says it’s better to fly after the first trimester. So in three weeks from now, I will be a married woman,” she says.

Unfortunately, I have to get back to work. We all hug goodbye and Ember drops me back off at the office.

As I walk through the door, Nancy is all smiles. “How was your lunch dear?” she asks me.

“Great. Leah is pregnant. I am so happy for both of them,” I tell her.

“That’s great. Please send her my congratulations.” Her smile is genuine, just like Mom’s. “You had a visitor over lunch. He left something for you in our office.”

“Blaise?” I ask, confused.

She shakes her head yes. “He tried your cell and couldn’t get you. He was worried so he stopped by.” She grins. “I like seeing my boy like this.” With that, she turns back to her computer and I quicken my steps to see what Blaise left for me in my office.

As I open the door, I smell them. Flowers. I push the door open wider and see a huge arrangement of wild flowers on my desk. I pull out the small card and it reads.

Nothing else; nothing else is needed. He’s telling me he is thinking of me. I settle into my desk with a huge grin plastered on my face.