Page 73 of Clean Sweep
A broad-shouldered figure moved into the room behind Nicholas. I pretended rapt attention to Celeste, who jabbered away about Christmas presents and this guy that asked her out and how she found a thong under a pillow while cleaning a house.
Her voice made it easier to act like I didn’t see Tanner back there, because then I’d totally lose my composure. He’d be able to see just how much I wanted to see him, and I wouldn’t be able to play this off.
Deep down, I prayed he’d just roll with it.
“Come on in,” Nicholas said. “I’ll grab Max. He said he wanted to see you while he was home.”
Nicholas disappeared up the stairs, taking them two at a time. That left Tanner back there, lingering like a ghost while Celeste finished jabbering. Before I could comment on a really expensive spa she had booked with her Mom or the new car that her step father promised her, she finished with a breathy, “Is Blake here?”
“Upstairs.”
“Can I go see him?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks!”
Within moments, she’d disappeared up the stairs as well. Unable to help myself now that we were alone, my gaze shifted to Tanner. He stood against the wall, one shoulder propped up, and watched me with a carefully neutral expression. Likely the same cautious one that I had on my face.
My lips twitched in a soft of amusement. This entire thing was so ridiculous.
A cautious smile appeared on his face. I had to stop myself from rushing into his arms. The way he leaned against the wall, and the hunger that showed on his face, made me want to throw myself back into his kiss and never walk away.
“I haven’t told the boys,” I said quickly. “It’s not that I don’t want to, I just—”
He held up a hand. “Celeste either. Let’s just play this as friends.”
Relief melted through me like a wave. “Really? You’re not, like, offended or annoyed or hurt or something like that?”
“No. I didn’t know they’d be here or we wouldn’t have interrupted, anyway. Celeste wanted to bring you the basket and I . . . well, I wanted to see you again.”
I glanced at the basket again. Inside the bag waited a plate of delicious sugar cookies, decorated with white frosting expertly swirled with red. Amongst them was a gift card and a few other things.
“Thank you for the basket. It looks so fun. Are those Lovers chocolates?”
He grinned. “They are.”
“For me?”
“Definitely not for those goofballs.” He motioned upstairs with a jerk of his head and a laugh that nearly unseated my control. I slipped my hand in between the crinkly cellophane, whisked the chocolates out, and slipped them into my other pocket.
“Consider them safe.”
He winked.
My heart stopped.
Feet banging down the stairs sent him turning around to face the descending hoard. I turned back to the stovetop, my back already to them by the time Max and “Coach” greeted each other in the same neanderthal-like way.
The two of them chattered like squirrels, tossing football vocabulary and questions back and forth that I couldn’t hope to answer.
Meanwhile, dinner bubbled away on the stove, Christmas sang in the background, and my full heart sang a happy song.
16
TANNER
Celeste and I stepped into freezing air that night, the pinch of cold tight on my cheeks.
