Now and Forever (6 page)

Grace blinked. She didn’t know how to respond to his sensuous admission. Finally, she said, “I’m flattered.”

Tanner’s lips curled into a devilish grin. “I’m not trying to flatter you. My intent is to wine and dine you, until you’re wrapped around my finger. I want you to quiver each time you think of me.”

Grace lifted a brow. “Is that so? You’re shameless, Mr. McGregor.”

He lowered his voice. “You have no idea.”

Actually, she had a
good
idea. She’d already succumbed to his magic on previous occasions. He had her spellbound—mentally and physically. But he didn’t know that she, too, had tricks up her sleeve. There were several ways she could make him proud to be man. “Can I return the favor?”

Tanner folded his arms over his chest. He met her eyes with a stern gaze. “I forbid you to do anything, except sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself.”

Damn, the man made submission sound sexy
. She cleared her throat. “I don’t usually go for the “you-Jane-me-Tarzan” type. But since I’ll try anything once, let’s get this show on the road,” she said, striking a sassy pose. A hint of mischief danced in her eyes.

In response, Tanner clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Woman, you
ain’t
seen
nothing
.”

Grace feigned shock. Her hand flew to her heart. “Why, good doctor, who knew such common
language
could come from such an eloquent man?”

He lifted a brow. A sly grin crossed his lips. “Madame, I must have acquired this habit from one of my friends in low places.”

The true meaning of his statement didn’t escape her. Implying he had a bit of a bad boy in him, left Grace pleasantly surprised.
And extremely turned on.
After all, he carried himself so well. From his crisp white button down shirts to his perfectly polished shoes, Tanner exuded refinement. He often looked like he just stepped off the cover of
GQ
magazine. To think he had a tough-talking warrior in him, set Grace on fire. She needed to acquaint herself with his rough, unrefined side.

He strode past her. He stooped beside the blanket and throw pillows. After he had them situated to his liking, he signaled Grace to join him by wiggling a finger. When she had complied and stood before him, he wrapped his hands around her waist. Slowly, he eased her delicate derriere onto a plush pillow. Still kneeling, he took her feet into his lap and removed her shoes one by one. Her feet looked smooth and polished. Her toes were painted candy red. He resisted the temptation to take each one in his mouth and nibble on them, until Grace’s eyes rolled in the back of her head. However, he allowed himself the pleasure of sliding his hands over the arch of one foot. Tanner’s gaze shifted from her feet to the length of her shapely legs. His hands followed. “You have beautiful feet, among things.”

Grace flushed. She was glad she had had a pedicure earlier in the day, or the moment would have been unbearable. “Thanks, it doesn’t come naturally. I work hard to look this way.”

“You’re humility is a refreshing, but I’m not buying it.”

Heat rushed through her body. The thought that Tanner found her desirable and beautiful made her feel warm and gooey inside. She’d spent all day primping and prepping, hoping to be rewarded with a sparkle in his eyes when he looked at her. Now that she’d gotten what she wanted, she felt a little foolish. Why was she concerned with Tanner’s opinion of her anyway? Why had she gone through so much trouble for one dinner with a man who wasn’t hers? After all, she wasn’t trying to trap, or seduce him. Her raging hormones were to blame. The man had her feeling lovey-dovey, when lovey-dovey wasn’t even her thing. She didn’t go around reading romance novels, or the latest ten-ways-to-get-that-man self-help book. Besides, when she’d met Kevin years ago, she was wearing flip-flops and sweats. While married, they’d often dined at the local cafe, blue jeans and T-shirts had been appropriate attire for the evening.

Grace scanned her surroundings for a second time. However, unlike before, it suddenly seemed surreal—a magical evening created by a magical man. But she’d fallen for a man’s magic before, only to have it destroyed by reality. True, Kevin’s magic hadn’t been as potent and as sublime as Tanner’s, but she viewed it through the same lens. To her, the business of love and romance resembled a fragile bubble that tended to float away, or burst when least expected. It was a lesson Kevin had taught her. After learning something the hard way once, she reasoned, it wasn’t necessary to take a refresher course. An old and familiar pain agitated her. She wanted to grab her purse and run out the door. Tanner wasn’t the problem. She didn’t trust herself with her own feelings around him. Guilt and shame caused her to cast a downward glance, instead of meeting his eyes. “Listen, I don’t mean to ruin the wonderful evening you planned. I think
it’s
best that I go.”

Tanner drew a sharp breath. It was evident he struggled to tame the storm of emotions raging inside of him. He ran a hand through his mass of curls. As usual, he regained his cool demeanor before he spoke. “Darling, is it something I’ve done or said? If it’s my corny jokes, I promise not to tell another one, tonight or ever again, just to please you. I can even keep my hands to myself.”

Grace shuddered inwardly. The thought of him not touching her was frightening. But in order to maintain her sanity, and protect her heart, she had to give up something. “It’s none of those things. The problem lies with me. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to resist your magic.”

Tanner threw back his head and laughed. “Are you serious? Woman, you’ve done a number on me. Ever since I’ve met you, I can’t think straight, I can’t see straight, and I’ll be damned if I can shoot a ball straight anymore. So if you’re looking for sympathy, you’ve come knocking at the wrong door.”

Anger flickered in her eyes. “I’m glad you think this is funny. I’ve had my heart broken by a man who claimed to love me. Trust me it was no walk in the park.”

“As I recall, it was you who had provided me with the ugly truth about Sheila.”

Grace cringed. How could she be so selfish and insensitive? Of course she hadn’t forgotten the rotten circumstance that had caused their paths to cross in the first place. And, yes, she still remembered the pained looked caught in his eyes the moment she delivered the final nail in the coffin of his dead relationship with the woman who’d played him for a fool. But it still didn’t change the fact that her heart was ravaged. Her old wounds remained sensitive. Extra burden could cause irrevocable damage. How could she take a chance on being permanently marred?

Tanner took her hand and cradled it between his own. “I’m not asking for forever right now. All I want is one night—this night. When I said I feel your pain, I meant it. But I have decided not to let Sheila win. She’s stolen so much from me, it’s time I reclaim what’s rightly mine like the ability to love and trust another woman. Instead of coddling your broken heart, you should follow my lead.”

Grace sighed.
“Easier said than done.”

“Tell me about it.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Rushing you into a serious situation would be foolish on my part. I care about you too much to risk driving you away from me. My life hasn’t been the same since we’ve met. Every minute of every day, I desire you. Woman, you’ve got me slaving in the kitchen, hoping to impress you with my culinary skills.”

At that moment, her stomach growled. She realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She looked at Tanner. “Speaking of which, what’s on the menu. I’m starved.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. He’d get his one night after all.
You’d better make the best
of it
, he thought. “I cooked up a little something I found on the Internet. Let’s see, there’s asparagus salad with balsamic vinegar, saffron rice, shrimp, avocado, and wine.”

Grace blinked. “That sounds delicious…and difficult to make.”

“Not really. When I was in college, I worked as a cook in a restaurant. It paid tuition.” Tanner shrugged.

“I’m not much of a chef, but I make a mean macaroni and cheese.”

He smiled. “Well, I’d have macaroni and cheese every night just to be with you.”

She lowered her head and blushed. She hated to admit that she enjoyed hearing the sweet words he showered upon her. His intense gazes made her squirm with delight. She couldn’t even count the number of women who would trade places with her at the drop of a hat. So much magic surrounded her, and she wouldn’t allow herself to wallow in it.
Let your hair down,
she thought. Once the night ended, she could return to her dismal life—unromantic. And Tanner could find a woman who believed in fairytales and happy endings. He deserved that much.

*

Tanner slipped between the sliding doors then stared at her through the glass. He watched her raise her arms above her head. Slowly, she leaned back and rested her head on a pillow, crossing one leg over the other. The black dress she wore eased up her legs, revealing the smooth, flawless flesh of her thighs. He longed to bury himself in her silky skin. She gazed at the stars. Her eyes twinkled. An angelic expression lit her face. It was the most relaxed he’d seen her all night. Then again, how was she expected to be at ease when he’d spent the better part of their date pawing her like a sex-crazed maniac? A good slap from her slender, manicured hands would have set him straight.

Mentally, he kicked himself all the way to the kitchen. “Idiot,” he mumbled. She’d wanted to leave, which was understandable. It was obvious she hadn’t resolved the issues she had with her ex-husband. He’d promise himself he would take things slow and woo her like a gentleman. Just like their first kiss outside of The Pigeonhole, his honorable intentions went the way of the wind whenever she was near him.

How did he get to this point? Grace hadn’t intentionally driven him mad with passion. The woman oozed sex appeal without putting forth any effort. Unlike Sheila, who flaunted her assets shamelessly, Grace’s sensuality was unrehearsed. His deep affection for her was unprovoked and unavoidable. She was hard to resist. Even if he did possess magical powers, no force in the world could make his feelings for her vanish. Honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. To hold her hand, to look into her eyes, to hold her in his arms was worth the tortured nights he’d spent alone, dreaming about a hundred ways to make love to her.

At the sink, he splashed cold water on his face. He fought the urge to put a bucket of ice in his pants to cool his heated, throbbing manhood. Since Grace was already fidgety in his presence, he didn’t want to add to her misery by appearing before with a huge wet spot on the front of his pants. That would send her seeking refuge from him for sure.

He grabbed the wicker picnic basket off the counter and filled it with their meal. The wine was chilled to perfection. As he headed for the sliding doors and the radiant queen awaiting his return, he warned himself to behave.
“Back off, buddy boy.”
Sadly, he realized he was wasting his breath. Refraining from touching Grace was akin to holding his breath. He could only get away with doing either so long. Once he set eyes on her heavenly body and heard her sweet voice, he’d be down for the count.

Using a dexterous foot, he maneuvered the door open. He carried the picnic basket in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other. After he stepped outside, he announced, “Baby, I’m back!”

Grace bolted upright, startled. She had dozed off. His husky voice had jolted her awake.

An audible yawn escaped her lips. With cat-like grace, she stretched. Her eyelids still drooped heavily. “What took you so long? Were you churning butter?”

“Not exactly,” he said sheepishly.

On cue, her stomach rumbled. He unloaded the wicker basket.

Grace licked her lips. “I was beginning to think you lured me here under false pretenses. You promised me food, man.”

“As you will learn, I always keep my promises.”

“Humph!”

After pouring wine, he sidled up to her. “Lean forward.”

Although she shot him a quizzical look, she complied.

He swung a long, toned leg around her and scooted forward, until she was settled comfortably between his legs. “Lean back.”

She reclined. Her head rested against his chest. His body was ripped. His pecks felt like two well-developed mounds. Through the fabric of his shirts, she sensed the rippling muscles of his washboard stomach. It made her woozy. She imagined spending the greater part of a day rolling her tongue over each ripple. The man’s body was downright sinful. Naughty thoughts caused moisture to form between her legs. Tanner was unaware of the turmoil she endured on his behalf. She moaned.

He mistook her guttural sound of sexual pleasure for craving food. “Hold your horses, woman.”

She smirked.
I’d rather hold something else
.

“Close your eyes. Let me put something long and soft into your mouth,” he said.

Grace sprang forward and commenced to cough uncontrollably. Tanner patted her back. He handed her a glass of wine when her hands steadied. “That’s what happens when your mind is in the gutter. I was going to feed you asparagus.”

Awkwardly, she smiled. “Oh. I knew that.”

He lifted a dubious brow without commenting on her little white lie. For such a beautiful woman, she had some crazy ways.