CHAPTER56
LARISA
“That was amazing,” I said after waiting for a moment to catch my breath.
Tanner had gotten up to dispose of the condom, but he didn’t get dressed. When he came back to our seat, he pulled me into his arms with my back to his front, his body hot and hard behind mine. He chuckled into my hair, resting his chin on my shoulder as he nodded. “Yeah, it was. This might sound stupid, but are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Better than fine.” I leaned into him, taking his hands and using them to wrap his arms tighter around me. “I feel about as amazing as that was.”
If I was being perfectly honest, I could’ve told him that it had probably been the best sex I’d ever had, but I didn’t want to sound like I was laying it on too thick. I could pin it on the wine and the champagne, or the boat, or the romance of the evening, but I knew it was all Tanner. I didn’t tell him that either. As it was, I’d said some things in the heat of the moment that I couldn’t take back, and now I had to figure out how to broach the subject.
It felt so darn good just to be in his arms like this, though. I wished the moment could last forever, but I also knew it couldn’t. All those questions from earlier were tumbling back into my brain, and considering that I’d now brought it up, I had to follow through on actually asking them.
A light breeze started blowing, and since we were still completely naked, I shivered. The parts of me touching him were nice and toasty but the rest? Not so much.
Tanner tensed immediately, then released me and bent over to grab my dress. “Here you go. I hate to be the person suggesting we cover up, but it is getting a little chilly.”
I pouted but took my bra and panties from him when he handed those over, too. “Does that mean we’re not doing it again, then?”
He chuckled, reaching for his underwear once I started getting dressed. “All it means is that we’re not doing it again right here and right now. The very last thing I want is for you to get sick just because I can’t get enough of you.”
“You can’t?” I asked softly. I put my bra back on and pulled my dress over it, smoothing it down before looking up at him again.
His pants were on, but he’d stopped with his hands on the button to arch a brow at me. “No, I can’t. I thought I was clear about that.”
“Not really,” I hedged, recognizing this as my in to talk about what we needed to talk about but still unsure about how to actually ask. “I got that you wanted to do it again, but that’s not really the same thing as not being able to get enough of me.”
After doing up his button and his zipper, he picked up his shirt and crossed the short space between us as he buttoned it up. “Okay, so let me be perfectly clear about it then. I can’t get enough of you. The only reason I’m getting dressed right now is because you shivered and it made me realize that it’s really getting too chilly for another go out here. Plus, we’ll be headed back to the docks soon and it would be a waste if we don’t finish our drinks and some of the food before we do.”
“True,” I said, settling back down once my dress was on.
Tanner came to sit behind me again, pulling me into his arms once more. I leaned forward, picked up our glasses, and passed his to him before lifting mine to my lips. After taking a sip, I sighed and turned my head so I was looking at him while still leaning into him.
“What is this?” I asked. “Before you answer me, I don’t need you to put a label on it, but I do need to know what’s going on here before there are any more misunderstandings between us.”
He chuckled and stared into my eyes before moving forward and kissing me deeply. When he pulled away, he smiled against my lips. “I definitely don’t want there to be any more misunderstandings between us.”
“So what are we doing?” I pressed. “Are we dating? Are we exclusive? I know you said there hasn’t been anyone else, but is there going to be? I’ve thought about it a lot and—”
My rambling stopped when he kissed me again, and by the time I pulled away, my head was spinning with the intensity of the kiss. His clear blue eyes were locked on mine, and I saw nothing light or joking in them anymore.
“I want you and only you,” he said firmly. “We don’t have to label it if you don’t want to, but I’d like this to be the first of many dates we go on. You deserve to be wooed, and I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to make my intentions clear, but at least I’m doing it now.”
“Okay, so what are your intentions?”
He smirked. “My immediate intention is to feed us the rest of the chocolate mousse and the other food, but you’re not talking about that, are you? You want to know my long-term intentions.”
“Yes, please,” I said. “No more misunderstandings, remember?”
“No more misunderstandings,” he agreed, his tongue darting out to wet his lips but his gaze still firmly fixed on mine. He seemed strangely nervous for a guy who had so much experience with women. “Long term, I want to make you mine. For all the mistakes I’ve made already, there will be more, but they won’t involve other women. I meant it when I said I’m done with that, but I’m not perfect. I don’t know how to do this and I don’t know what I’m going to do wrong, but there will be something. Lots of somethings, probably. If you’re not up for that—”
“I’m up for it,” I said, not hesitating or taking any time to think about it. “All I ask is that you talk to me. If there’s anything bothering you or making you unhappy, talk to me. If there’s something you want, tell me. If there’s anything at all, just talk to me. It’s the only way this is going to work. We’ve both made enough assumptions and caused enough misunderstandings to last us a lifetime, but there will be more if we don’t learn to communicate with each other.”
“Communication. Got it.” He touched his fingers to his temples, miming making a mental note before he looked back at me. “What else?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.” I tightened my grip on his muscular forearms. “Thank you for tonight, Tanner. As far as dates go, this one was absolutely incredible, but you don’t have to keep renting out entire restaurants or yachts for me. I’m fine with simple. And cheap. Mostly, I’m fine with cheap.”
Laughter rumbled deep in his chest. “I know you’re fine with cheap and, mostly, so am I, but when the occasion calls for it, you can bet your fine ass that I’m going to keep renting out restaurants and yachts. I can afford it and you deserve the best money can buy, so why not?”