his gaze turned her spine to gel and her panties even wetter. “We do have unfinished business.”
“You want to finish it?”
“Don’t you?”
Emma contemplated how to answer that question. She had the vow to consider, and she was stone-cold sober, though being in Tanner’s presence made her tipsier than five glasses of wine. “You said it was a mistake.”
“Maybe at the time, but the biggest mistake I made was to bring my phone along. This time I’ll eliminate all interruptions and give you my full attention.”
Emma shook her head. “I can’t.”
Tanner blinked several times as if he couldn’t quite wrap his head around her answer. “Why not?”
“I came here to sing. That’s all. That other night, that was just alcohol talking.”
“Fine, then, let’s sing,” He groused, almost as if she’d insulted him or hurt his feelings. He recovered quickly, his easygoing smile replacing that momentarily scowl. “You and I together will take no prisoners.”
Emma thought for a moment and chose “Picture” made famous by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow.
A few minutes and a healthy tip later, the DJ called them up to the stage out of turn. Tanner wrapped his big hand around hers, engulfing it, and led her to the stage. Emma wasn’t a small woman. She was five-foot-ten in her bare feet, yet Tanner’s large six-foot-four frame made her feel small and delicate.
Picking up their mics, they turned to face each other. Emma heard whispering in the crowd, followed by flashes from phone cameras. From the murmuring across the small group of patrons, Tanner had been outed, and their quiet night together most likely had ended. Those pictures would be all over Twitter and Facebook before they sang the first chorus.
And Emma would be outed, too.
She had no time to think any further because Tanner started singing, and his voice wove magic around the two of them. Emma gazed into his eyes and forgot all about their audience, her sisters, and the possible notoriety she’d unwittingly gained.
Holding his mic in one hand, Tanner grasped Emma’s hand in the other, singing to her as if he meant every word. When Emma’s turn came, she started out shaky but gained her footing and put her all into the song. They harmonized beautifully on the chorus.
As they finished the last line, Tanner leaned into her, his face only inches from hers, and his eyes burning into her very soul. Even when the people scattered at the tables stood as one to give them a standing ovation, Emma didn’t move.
Tanner placed a thumb under her chin and tilted her head up. He kissed her softly, gently, deeply until her world spun around her like a slow merry-go-round. She held onto him as she kissed him back, wishing their kiss would never end, and he’d make all her dreams come true.
Too soon, he drew back and grinned at her. “That was awesome.”
Emma cleared her throat. “It was.” She didn’t know if he’d been referring to the kiss or the duet. They’d both been awesome—beyond awesome—more like epic.
Remembering where she was, she looked around the casino bar and spotted people holding up phones, not only taking pictures, but most likely video. At that moment, reality sacked her for a loss. As soon as her family and their significant others saw the video, she would be in deep, deep trouble.
The weird thing was that she was almost relieved, but she wasn’t so sure Tanner shared her relief.
* * * *
For Tanner, his fans always came first. His former girlfriends had understood that. Now that everyone knew who he was, he couldn’t help himself. He worked the tables in the bar, like a seasoned politician. He wasn’t oblivious to Emma, though. He glanced her way several times as she patiently waited at their table for him. He liked her patience, and he also appreciated the total absence of jealousy in her expression.
She wasn’t his girlfriend. Hell, they weren’t even friends exactly, yet he was anxious to return to their
“You want to finish it?”
“Don’t you?”
Emma contemplated how to answer that question. She had the vow to consider, and she was stone-cold sober, though being in Tanner’s presence made her tipsier than five glasses of wine. “You said it was a mistake.”
“Maybe at the time, but the biggest mistake I made was to bring my phone along. This time I’ll eliminate all interruptions and give you my full attention.”
Emma shook her head. “I can’t.”
Tanner blinked several times as if he couldn’t quite wrap his head around her answer. “Why not?”
“I came here to sing. That’s all. That other night, that was just alcohol talking.”
“Fine, then, let’s sing,” He groused, almost as if she’d insulted him or hurt his feelings. He recovered quickly, his easygoing smile replacing that momentarily scowl. “You and I together will take no prisoners.”
Emma thought for a moment and chose “Picture” made famous by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow.
A few minutes and a healthy tip later, the DJ called them up to the stage out of turn. Tanner wrapped his big hand around hers, engulfing it, and led her to the stage. Emma wasn’t a small woman. She was five-foot-ten in her bare feet, yet Tanner’s large six-foot-four frame made her feel small and delicate.
Picking up their mics, they turned to face each other. Emma heard whispering in the crowd, followed by flashes from phone cameras. From the murmuring across the small group of patrons, Tanner had been outed, and their quiet night together most likely had ended. Those pictures would be all over Twitter and Facebook before they sang the first chorus.
And Emma would be outed, too.
She had no time to think any further because Tanner started singing, and his voice wove magic around the two of them. Emma gazed into his eyes and forgot all about their audience, her sisters, and the possible notoriety she’d unwittingly gained.
Holding his mic in one hand, Tanner grasped Emma’s hand in the other, singing to her as if he meant every word. When Emma’s turn came, she started out shaky but gained her footing and put her all into the song. They harmonized beautifully on the chorus.
As they finished the last line, Tanner leaned into her, his face only inches from hers, and his eyes burning into her very soul. Even when the people scattered at the tables stood as one to give them a standing ovation, Emma didn’t move.
Tanner placed a thumb under her chin and tilted her head up. He kissed her softly, gently, deeply until her world spun around her like a slow merry-go-round. She held onto him as she kissed him back, wishing their kiss would never end, and he’d make all her dreams come true.
Too soon, he drew back and grinned at her. “That was awesome.”
Emma cleared her throat. “It was.” She didn’t know if he’d been referring to the kiss or the duet. They’d both been awesome—beyond awesome—more like epic.
Remembering where she was, she looked around the casino bar and spotted people holding up phones, not only taking pictures, but most likely video. At that moment, reality sacked her for a loss. As soon as her family and their significant others saw the video, she would be in deep, deep trouble.
The weird thing was that she was almost relieved, but she wasn’t so sure Tanner shared her relief.
* * * *
For Tanner, his fans always came first. His former girlfriends had understood that. Now that everyone knew who he was, he couldn’t help himself. He worked the tables in the bar, like a seasoned politician. He wasn’t oblivious to Emma, though. He glanced her way several times as she patiently waited at their table for him. He liked her patience, and he also appreciated the total absence of jealousy in her expression.
She wasn’t his girlfriend. Hell, they weren’t even friends exactly, yet he was anxious to return to their
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