Tempting Tatum (28 page)

As Blaise unlocks the door to our room, I reflect on the night. I had so much fun. Ember is a blast to be around and Blaise, well, he’s…amazing. He was constantly touching me all night. Nothing over the top, but enough to leave me crazy with want. There were several songs throughout the show when he held me tight and whispered sweet words in my ear. The first one will be forever in my memory. Cole Swindell was singing “Swaying” and, well, that’s what we were doing. Blaise whispered in my ear that “I owned him.”

Every day, he shows me more and more that he wants this, us. Leah tells me I can’t let Josh continue to rob me of my happiness. She claims to be a great judge of character, which she is. She says Blaise is good people. She also continues to remind me that she never liked Josh.

“Ugh. I need a shower; I’m sticky,” I say, gently tugging my dress away from my skin.

Blaise bends down and kisses the side of my neck. “You’re perfect,” he says, pulling back, licking his lips. His gaze is heated. Breaking the trance, he smacks my ass. “You grab a shower first,” he tells me. He kicks off his shoes and plops down on the bed. Remote in hand, he winks at me.

I grab his t-shirt from my bag. He’d left it at the apartment and Ember asked me to drop it off to him. I didn’t. I kept it and I can’t wait to see his eyes when he sees me in it. It’s just like the one he gave me that day at his house from the department with his name on it. Only this time, it reads B. Richards on the back, instead of just Richards.

After taking off my boots, I head to the bathroom to wash away the effects of the concert. I quickly strip out of my clothes and climb in under the hot spray. I lean my hair back and let the hot water soak through. It’s when I reach for my shampoo that I realize I forgot to bring it in with me. I debate on what I should do. I hate the stuff provided by the hotel. The shampoo makes my hair feel like steel wool and the soap leaves my skin feeling sticky. Ugh!

I want my stuff, and it’s just outside the door. “Blaise!” I yell, hoping he can hear me over the running water and the television. Good thing I left the door unlocked.

I watch as the door comes open. Blaise walks in with his eyes closed. It’s not like he’s never seen me. “Tatum, what’s wrong?” he asks. I can hear the panic in his voice.

“I forgot my shampoo and body wash in my bag, can you get it for me?” I ask.

I can see his shoulders relax at my question. “Sure thing, babe.” He’s back in no time, walking into the room with his eyes closed and holding his hand out to hand me my necessities.

I pull back the curtain. “Blaise, open your eyes,” I tell him.

He shakes his head no. “I can’t. If I see you, your sexy body dripping wet…” He shakes his head. “I can’t.”

An instant rush of desire hits me. I want him to see me. It seems like Blaise is the only man who ever really has just seen me, Tatum. I want that. I want to watch as those silver eyes roam over every inch of my bare skin.

His arm is still outstretched, so I grab his wrist with one hand, while taking my supplies with the other, and setting them on the ledge in the shower. “Please, Blaise,” I ask. I’m hoping my soft plea will get me what I want. He’s always telling me whatever I want. I’m hoping my “please” seals the deal and he can no longer say no.

He releases a heavy breath and slowly opens his eyes. I watch as he takes in every inch of me. His eyes eventually find mine. He swallows hard. “You are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on,” he says, his voice gruff.

I want to feel his body next to mine. “Join me?” I ask before I can talk myself out of it.

“Tate,” he says in a strangled voice.

“You said wherever as long as you’re next to me. I want you next to me,” I throw his words from earlier back at him.

I can see the war raging inside him. He’s fighting against what he wants and what he thinks he needs to do. “Baby, I want nothing more than to be in that shower with you, but I can’t trust myself. If I join you, I’ll want to make love to you and I can’t. I need you to be in this, Tatum. I need you to be on the same level as me.”

I step out of the shower, dripping wet, and wrap my arms around him. “I want to feel your wet skin against mine,” I tell him. I reach for the hem of his shirt and pull it up his toned abs. He’s not fighting me, but he’s not helping either. I release his shirt and lift both his arms in the air over his head. His silver eyes follow my every move. I pull his shirt up and over his head and toss it on the floor with my dress. My hands wander over his chest and abs. He sucks in a breath. I move my hands to his hair and pull him down to me. “Please, B,” I whisper against his lips. He shudders and it’s then I know I’m going to get my way.

His hands find my hips and he pulls me tight against him. His lips move gently against mine. I can feel the evidence of what this is doing to him against my belly. He breaks the kiss and begins to unbutton his jeans. Not once does his eyes leave mine. Once he has rid himself of his clothes, he grabs my hand and steps into the hot spray; I follow behind him.

Blaise pulls the curtain back, even though the floor is already a sopping wet mess. This places us in our own little cocoon. “I can’t say no to you,” he says as he trails kisses down my neck. A soft moan escapes my lips.

His hands are everywhere as his lips and tongue follow right behind. His lips travel down my neck to my breasts as he gives each of them equal attention. I’m soaking up his attention when he drops to his knees. He rests his forehead against my stomach. I watch him. His silver eyes lift to meet mine and I can see how much he wants me. How much he cares about me. Blaise wears his emotions on his sleeve and the look he’s giving me right this minute tells me everything I need to know.

He swallows hard. “Tate, baby, I need you to be mine. I need to know I’m the only man who gets to lavish this sweet body of yours with kisses. I need to know I have all your kisses, your smiles. I need to be the person you run to, that you lean on. I need all of you,” he says with so much passion and emotion in his voice.

I want that, too. Every damn word he just said is what I want. As I stand here and watch him kneel before me, I know this is real. His emotions are real. This isn’t just a challenge for him. He wants me. I want him. I want to open my heart up to him and pray he doesn’t break it. I’m no longer resisting temptation.

I run my fingers through his hair. His silver eyes shining with so much hope, yet guarded at the same time. We can’t have that. “You have me, all of me. I’m yours,” I tell him.

He opens his mouth to speak and then shuts it. Instead, he places a gentle kiss on my stomach and then gets to his feet. His lips find mine and I melt into his arms. He kisses me like I’m the air he needs to breathe. His hands roam over my body, gently caressing. His calloused hands feel good against my skin.

His kiss has me dizzy with want, so he has to steady me as he pulls away. He reaches for my shampoo and squeezes it into the palm of his hand. He turns me so I’m facing the opposite direction as he massages the shampoo into my hair. He then switches our positions so I’m under the spray. Next, he lathers my entire body with body washes, making sure not one inch is left untouched by his hands.

His touch is tender and loving; it surprises me a little. I would have thought as soon as I told him I was his, he would have me up against the shower wall in two seconds flat. Instead, he’s taking care of me. I feel the final walls around my heart tumbling down. Blaise Richards is a force to be reckoned with.

Once he’s satisfied he’s cleaned every inch of me, he grabs my shampoo and quickly lathers his hair. He makes quick work of his body with my body wash and turns off the water. He pulls back the curtain and reaches for a towel and wraps it around me, placing a kiss on my forehead. Stepping out, he places a towel around his waist. He turns back to me and grabs me by the hips, lifting me out of the shower. “Let’s get you dried off,” he says softly.

She’s mine. She said I have all of her. I need to make sure this is really what she wants before I forge ahead. It’s not that I don’t trust her, I do. I just...need to hear her say it again.

Willing my hands not to shake at the emotion coursing through me, I gently dry her off. I offer to brush her hair, but she declines, saying it’s a rat’s nest. I love her long dark locks. I leave her in the bathroom to go find some clothes. I pull on a pair of boxer briefs and climb into bed.

A few minutes later, Tatum emerges from the bathroom. Her hair is in a knot of damp curls on top of her head and she’s wearing a Murfreesboro Fire Dept. shirt. She must see the question in my eyes. She turns so I can read the back.

B. Richards.

My girl is wearing my shirt. How did she get it?

“You left it at the apartment when you moved Ember in. She asked me to return it to you, but I kinda wanted it for myself,” she says with a smile.

“It looks good on you.” I wink at her. She throws her head back and laughs. I love that sound.

I pat the bed; she climbs in and lays down beside me. Our bodies aligned. I place my hand on her hip and tug her closer. She’s never close enough.

I tuck a stray curl behind her ear. She is so fucking beautiful; I can’t take my eyes off of her. It’s not just physical beauty, don’t get me wrong she has that in spades, but it’s the person she is. She’s loyal, kind, and loving. She’s amazing.

“You’re mine?” I ask her again. I need to hear it one more time.

“Yes,” she says, her voice soft. “Please don’t hurt me.”

Over my dead body. “Never,” I say, my voice thick. “Tate, you have all the power here. I’m at your mercy. You’ve changed me from the moment I laid eyes on you. I want this, want you with everything in me,” I say; then I kiss her.

I kiss her deep and slow. She moans and tugs on my hair. I know she wants me to unleash on her. We’ve been building up to this moment for so long. I, however, refuse to fuck her the first time we are together. I want to make love to my girl and that’s what I’m going to do.

I roll on top of her, holding my weight with my arms; I don’t want to crush her. She readily opens her legs for me and it’s then I realize she has nothing on under my shirt.

Not. A. Thing.

Bare, she’s totally fucking bared to me. My girl.

Tatum tugs on my boxers and starts to pull them down. She grasps onto them with her toes and her sexy legs pull them off me. My body is screaming for hers. She arches her back so I can pull up on her shirt. I rip it off her, and now we’re both bare. Her legs lock around my waist and she tries to pull me into her.

“Babe, I need to make sure you’re ready. I don’t want to hurt you,” I tell her.

“I’m good, B. Nice and wet. Let’s do this,” she says, pleading.

I chuckle at her “let’s do this,” as my hand finds her core. Hot, slick, and wet, just like she said it would be. She moans as I slide my finger against her folds.

“Please,” she begs.

I pull back to get the condom I had stashed in the nightstand after our shower, just in case.

“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice breathy.

“Condom,” I say, kissing her nose.

She’s shaking her head no. “I’m on the pill; I want you now.”

I still.
Holy fuck!
Never. Never have I ever ridden bareback.

Tatum can sense my hesitation. “What? What is it? I’m clean. After Josh, I got a full check-up.”

I cringe hearing her talk about him, especially when I’m about to be inside of her.

“I’ve never,” I say, my eyes boring into hers.

“Me either,” she says softly. “But with you, I want to. I don’t want there to be anything between us.”

Just the thought has me ready to blow. I lean down and rest my forehead against hers, still mindful of my weight so I don’t crush her. “You own me,” I whisper as I slide into her, no barrier, nothing.

Just us.

The feeling of being inside her like this is like nothing I have ever felt. I can’t tear my eyes away from hers as I slowly begin to move. She closes her eyes and moans. “Open your eyes, baby. I want to look into those beautiful greens. I want you to watch what being inside of you does to me.” Her breath hitches as I start to move a little faster. I’m not going to last. She feels like silk. My hand glides down and I begin to rub against her with my thumb. I hate this is happening so fast, but I can’t stop it. I refuse to go without her. I need her with me.