Page 42 of Dryad, Try Again
“You really came prepared,” he says, sitting cross-legged.
“Hey, gotta do what I can without a car.”
“Oof, that’s rough,” Tanner replies. “I can’t get by without driving.”
“I do alright.” I take out the wrapped sandwiches and water bottles. “I just, kind of, walk everywhere, or hitch a ride with Blake.”
“Like how you got to my aunt’s house. That was fast.”
“It’s easy through the forest.” As a dryad, I can take many, many rural shortcuts. I nod and close the picnic basket. “How is your aunt, by the way?”
I unwrap a sandwich, but before I can start eating, Tanner shoots me a serious look. Then, he leans forward and gives me a slow, gentle kiss. I’m shocked, frozen, and more than a little turned on. When he sits back down, he says, “That’s what I like about you, Kovi. You’re always thinking of others.”
My cheeks fizzle with warmth. Tanner’s flattering words make me feel like my soul is jumping off a waterfall. It might be early, but tasting his lips is a sensation I don’t want to lose.
We chat for several minutes while digging into our wizard sandwiches. Nabbing grub and snacks from the dining hall isn’t exactly an extravagant meal, but Tanner doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest. He tells me that Aunt Hannah is back to her sassy self. I let him know about Seth’s latest hook-up shenanigans. The conversation never dulls down, and the sound of the river a few yards away is the perfect soundtrack to the date.
Even though some bystanders stroll by for a night walk or bike ride along the river, it feels like Tanner and I are in our own little world. I’ve never smiled or laughed this much with another person. He and I continue to simply fit in each other’s lives.
After dinner, I lay on my back while Tanner cuddles up to my shoulder. We point out constellations and try to recall what we learned last week at the planetarium. I card my fingers through his red hair and he hums in approval.
“What are your parents like?” Tanner’s voice is so soft, I nearly miss the words. I hear crickets chirp in the background, and after a moment, he moves his head. “I’m sorry, that was…”
“No, it’s cool.” I place his head back on my shoulder where it belongs, and take a deep breath. “My parents are…well, we have a strained relationship.”
“Because you’re a monster?” he asks quietly. He trails his hand on my chest and I focus on his adorable fingers.
“It wasn’t what my parents signed up for. It’s what no one signed up for with the Halloween Wave, but we all made do. Some people’s parents turned into monsters, too.”
“The same species and everything,” Tanner says, and we chuckle.
“Yeah. My parents are supportive, but more from afar. It got worse when I…” I gulp, not wanting to bring up my past. I think Tanner knows I was about to mention that traumatic moment for us, the day I hurt him as a child. He squeezes my side in support, giving me the strength to continue. “Anyway, the OME financially assists us, so I’m able to stay on campus a lot.”
“Glad to hear it,” he says on my chest.
“Yeah.” I continue to play with his hair, and a strange thought bubbles to the surface of my mind; I want to know everything about Tanner McGregor. “What about your family?”
He sighs, and rolls off, looking up at the twinkling night sky. I’m about to take back the question when he says, “Not much to speak of. It’s a tale as old as time really.”
“What?”
“I was the poor ginger kid with a dead mom and a dad who eventually drank himself to death.” He scoffs, and my heart aches. “No wonder no one wanted to be my friend on the playground.”
“Hey.” I lean over and place my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat. “I always wanted to be your friend. Anyone would be lucky to have you in their life.”
The moment is tense as I gaze into his eyes. The light of the lantern is barely enough for me to make his expression, but Ican sense his fondness for me. When I lean closer, I spy another emotion—hope. I hope Tanner’s future is nothing like his past, and I hope I get to be by his side for it. It’s all so new, so I don’t dare make those wishes out loud. Before I can ask him anything else, he sits up and I move next to him.
Tanner takes my chin in his hand and gently, almost reverently, kisses me. He’s massaging his mouth with mine. When his tongue parts my lips, I can taste the hint of the berries we shared for dessert. Kissing Tanner is officially my new favorite pastime.
My instincts run wild as our kissing gets heated. I want to take off my shirt. I want to tear my clothes and shift into my roots and branches. I want to take Tanner, here and now, letting my hardening cock do what I yearn for.
When he pulls back, we both take deep breaths as he studies my face in the darkness. He caresses my cheek, and I’m not sure what he’s looking for. “Kovi…do you want to go all the way tonight?”
My mind short circuits and my breathing stops.Is he asking me to…?
“Tanner, I—”
“I have no preference. I can bottom, I prepped for that. Or I can top, but…I want to feel you.”
