smile was infectious. His dimples made me want to bite him on his cheek.
“I would love to see some of your moves sometime,” I said continuing to laugh.
“How about right now?” Tanner said as he jumped up from his seated position and pulled out his smart phone. “I have some of my faves here on my mp3 player…”
A few seconds later, “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton started playing. I could feel a knot welling up in the pit of my stomach. This was NOT the kind of dancing I had anticipated.
Chapter 12
“May I have this dance, pretty lady?” Tanner stretched his hand down to me. Here I was in ratty yoga pants, an old t-shirt and my sneakers. I certainly didn’t look like I should be dancing.
“Tanner, I don’t think…” I started.
“Don’t leave a friend hangin’ here, Shannon…” he said in a pleading tone with a smirk on his face.
I stood up, took his hand and he pulled me in close. A lot closer than I expected. With one arm around my waist, he used his other hand to hold mine against his chest. I didn’t know where to put my face, so I kept it just an inch or so away from his chest. He smelled so good. A mixture of sweat and cologne. A manly smell that made me want to look up and plant a kiss on those full lips of his.
“You’re not bad at this,” I said.
“You’re not too bad yourself,” he whispered down into my ear. I could feel the heat of his breath against my skin and I could feel my heart starting to race.
Without realizing it, I laid my cheek against his chest. I closed my eyes and our bodies moved to the rhythm of the music. His mouth moved down and rested on the top of my head.
I had not been with a man this way in a long time. The romance in the room was palpable. Just as the song ended, I looked up at Tanner. He started to lean down, and then we heard a loud noise that sounded like a train. The house rumbled and shook, and debris started falling from the ceiling above us.
“Get down!” Tanner yelled as he pushed me onto the blanket and covered my body with his.
For what seemed like hours, the sounds and shaking continued. I screamed and started crying. Within about 30 seconds it was over.
“Shannon, are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?” Tanner asked in a worried tone as he rolled off me.
“I’m okay… are you okay? Did you get hit with anything?” I asked sitting up slightly and putting my hand on his forehead to check for cuts.
“No, I’m okay,” he said reaching up to hold my hand.
“I can’t believe you threw yourself over me. No one has ever done something like that for me before,” I whispered, my eyes locked on his.
“Well, they should have…” Tanner whispered back. The attraction was obvious and hanging thick in the room like a fog. The house has stopped shaking, and the storm felt as if it had passed outside but only strengthened inside.
Tanner leaned down and lightly brushed his lips on mine. I swear I felt a bolt of lightning travel from my lips to my hips.
“Tanner…” I whispered not sure if I was asking him to stop or keep going.
Before he could continue, we heard someone upstairs yelling down to us.
“Is anyone in here?” a man yelled from the top of the stairs.
“We’re down here!” Tanner yelled back as he jumped up to his feet. He walked over to the stairs and looked up. “Oh, my God…” he said with shock pulsating through his voice.
“What? What is it, Tanner?” I asked as I made my way up to my feet.
“Look…” he pointed up the stairs. I could see daylight above the police officer’s head. He was standing at the top of the stairs talking into his radio. Debris was all over the stairs, blocking us from going up.
“The house!” I yelled as I tried to brush past Tanner to climb over the debris.
“Ma’,m! Don’t do that! It isn’t safe to climb the stairs,” the officer
“I would love to see some of your moves sometime,” I said continuing to laugh.
“How about right now?” Tanner said as he jumped up from his seated position and pulled out his smart phone. “I have some of my faves here on my mp3 player…”
A few seconds later, “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton started playing. I could feel a knot welling up in the pit of my stomach. This was NOT the kind of dancing I had anticipated.
Chapter 12
“May I have this dance, pretty lady?” Tanner stretched his hand down to me. Here I was in ratty yoga pants, an old t-shirt and my sneakers. I certainly didn’t look like I should be dancing.
“Tanner, I don’t think…” I started.
“Don’t leave a friend hangin’ here, Shannon…” he said in a pleading tone with a smirk on his face.
I stood up, took his hand and he pulled me in close. A lot closer than I expected. With one arm around my waist, he used his other hand to hold mine against his chest. I didn’t know where to put my face, so I kept it just an inch or so away from his chest. He smelled so good. A mixture of sweat and cologne. A manly smell that made me want to look up and plant a kiss on those full lips of his.
“You’re not bad at this,” I said.
“You’re not too bad yourself,” he whispered down into my ear. I could feel the heat of his breath against my skin and I could feel my heart starting to race.
Without realizing it, I laid my cheek against his chest. I closed my eyes and our bodies moved to the rhythm of the music. His mouth moved down and rested on the top of my head.
I had not been with a man this way in a long time. The romance in the room was palpable. Just as the song ended, I looked up at Tanner. He started to lean down, and then we heard a loud noise that sounded like a train. The house rumbled and shook, and debris started falling from the ceiling above us.
“Get down!” Tanner yelled as he pushed me onto the blanket and covered my body with his.
For what seemed like hours, the sounds and shaking continued. I screamed and started crying. Within about 30 seconds it was over.
“Shannon, are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?” Tanner asked in a worried tone as he rolled off me.
“I’m okay… are you okay? Did you get hit with anything?” I asked sitting up slightly and putting my hand on his forehead to check for cuts.
“No, I’m okay,” he said reaching up to hold my hand.
“I can’t believe you threw yourself over me. No one has ever done something like that for me before,” I whispered, my eyes locked on his.
“Well, they should have…” Tanner whispered back. The attraction was obvious and hanging thick in the room like a fog. The house has stopped shaking, and the storm felt as if it had passed outside but only strengthened inside.
Tanner leaned down and lightly brushed his lips on mine. I swear I felt a bolt of lightning travel from my lips to my hips.
“Tanner…” I whispered not sure if I was asking him to stop or keep going.
Before he could continue, we heard someone upstairs yelling down to us.
“Is anyone in here?” a man yelled from the top of the stairs.
“We’re down here!” Tanner yelled back as he jumped up to his feet. He walked over to the stairs and looked up. “Oh, my God…” he said with shock pulsating through his voice.
“What? What is it, Tanner?” I asked as I made my way up to my feet.
“Look…” he pointed up the stairs. I could see daylight above the police officer’s head. He was standing at the top of the stairs talking into his radio. Debris was all over the stairs, blocking us from going up.
“The house!” I yelled as I tried to brush past Tanner to climb over the debris.
“Ma’,m! Don’t do that! It isn’t safe to climb the stairs,” the officer
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