| Treasure By Ladybug |
| Chapter 3 Tanner pulled into the PADI parking lot and parked his Jeep next to Gabby’s V.W. Bug. It was one of the new ones, and it was bright yellow. Tanner shook his head. “You’ll kill yourself in that little puddle jumper, Gabby.” Gabby smiled. “It’s not so bad. Amazingly enough for as small as it is, it’s quite roomy on the inside.” Tanner turned towards her with a raised eyebrow. “I much prefer a vehicle where I am not sitting on the ground with my knees up around my ears,” he stated as a smile played about his full lips. Gabby laughed softly; she still couldn’t believe that Tanner was back in Miami. It suddenly occurred to her that he had never once mentioned Mariah and he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. “How is Mariah, by the way?” Tanner stiffened at the mention of his ex-fiancée’s name and all traces of humor were suddenly gone. “I have no clue and really don’t care,” he said harshly, facing forward and gripping the steering wheel tightly. Gabby reached out and placed her hand on his arm. He turned and looked at her, his dark eyes hard and tense looking. “I’m sorry, Tanner. It’s none of my business. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” Tanner relaxed, letting out his breath slowly. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Mariah wanted to marry money,” he began softly. “I found out the day before we were to get married that she had run off and married some old rich guy.” “Oh Tanner,” Gabby squeezed his hand. “Mariah was a fool not to appreciate what she had.” Tanner shook his head as if to clear it. “I don’t want to talk about Mariah, that was long ago and it’s a closed chapter in my life.” “Why don’t you come over tonight and let me fix you dinner?” Gabby suggested, changing the subject. “You remember Christy, don’t you?” Tanner smiled. “Brat? God, you guys are still friends?” Tanner had a sudden memory of Gabby and Christy following him around wherever he went and he would call them “Geek” and “Brat,” affectionately of course. Gabby laughed. “Yup, even went to college together.” “I don’t know, Gabby,” Tanner began, his smile fading. “Come on, Tanner,” she pleaded. “It will be fun. Chris will be there. We can have a good laugh.” Tanner intended to say no, he really wasn’t in the mood now for company after learning of Jake’s death, but when he looked into Gabby’s pretty smiling face, his heart melted. “Please?” “Alright, alright,” he answered, pretending to be annoyed. He didn’t like this new feeling he was having about Gabby. He found himself wanting to kiss her, and not in a brotherly way either. They were not related by blood or by marriage, but Tanner had always considered her like a little sister. He felt protective of her and he would destroy anyone who tried to harm her, but now all of a sudden he looked at her and instead of seeing a skinny, pimply-faced little kid with braces, he saw a beautiful, slender, well-figured, desirable woman. This is not good, Tanner! he scolded himself roughly. “Good.” Gabby smiled. She reached into her purse and brought out a pen and a small notepad and wrote down her address and phone number. “Can you be there by six o’clock?” she asked, tearing the paper off and handing it to him. “Yeah,” he answered, taking it and looking at the address. She lived in a nice little suburb of Miami called Coral Gables. He knew the area well and he knew the apartment complex she lived in. “I’ll bring you some diving books to look through over the weekend, too, and Monday morning we will get you fitted for a wetsuit and get the equipment you’ll need.” “Good,” Gabby answered, more than ready to get started. She gathered up her purse as Tanner climbed out of the Jeep and walked around to her side. She unfastened her seat belt and took Tanner’s offered hand and stepped out of the vehicle. She stumbled when her sandal landed on a small rock, twisting her ankle slightly and Tanner caught her, wrapping his arm around her waist. Gabby gasped as she landed against his chest. “I got you,” Tanner replied as she looked up into his face. The overwhelming need to kiss her nearly consumed him and Tanner pushed her away almost roughly. Gabby bumped back against the Jeep and winced. All thoughts of kissing her were gone as he leaned forward slightly and touched her shoulder. “Are you alright?” Gabby nodded. “Yeah, I think I just twisted my ankle a little with that misstep out of the Jeep.” Tanner frowned. “Let me see,” he demanded and he moved forward, grabbed Gabby beneath the arms and lifted her up to plop her down on the passenger seat of the Jeep. Gabby yelped, “Tanner! I’m not a sack of flour!” Tanner gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry,” he offered, and knelt down to examine her ankle. He slipped her sandal off her foot and carefully looked over her ankle, twisting it this way and that. All the while his large warm hands moved along the soft skin of her calf, around her ankle and foot, making sure that nothing was broken. Gabby held her breath as the enjoyment of having his hands on her leg warmed her insides. Oh my god! she thought as she closed her eyes and suddenly had images of Tanner with his hands elsewhere on her body. OH MY GOD! Gabby stiffened and her eyes snapped opened to find Tanner looking at her strangely. “It’s fine,” he said abruptly and put her sandal back on. He had been deeply affected by touching her, even though it was to examine her ankle. He had not been blind to the softness of her skin or the shapeliness of her calf nor had he been blind to the affect his touch had on her, if the look on her face was any indication. He stood up and took a step back. “Maybe coming to dinner is a bad idea,” he began. Gabby nearly panicked. She didn’t know why it was so important to her that he come over tonight, but she wanted to see him. “Please, Tanner. Christy will be disappointed if you don’t come.” Tanner saw the hurt look in her eyes and sighed in defeat. “Damn it, Geek, it really pisses me off that I can’t tell you no,” he growled as he helped her out of the Jeep again. Gabby smiled at his gruffness as she eased out of the Jeep, watching her step more carefully this time. “So does this mean I can ask you for whatever I want and you will say yes?” she teased, missing the look on his face until she suddenly found herself being hauled up against his chest, her feet barely touching the ground. Gabby gasped in surprise when she found herself face to face with Tanner, his lips barely an inch from hers. “Be very careful what you ask for, Gabrielle,” he said angrily. “You may not like what you get.” His fingers dug into her upper arms as he battled with himself. He could almost taste her; her scent intoxicated him as he breathed in deeply. Tanner was beginning to realize that the attraction between them was mutual and he was trying to warn her not to get any wild ideas about the two of them. He sensed that Gabby would be different, special, but he could never trust his heart to another woman again. Not even to Gabby. Gabby held very still in his grasp. He was hurting her arms, but she knew he didn’t realize that he was. She was learning very quickly that Tanner Graves was a very intense man that one did not play games with. She understood his words all too well. He was telling her that nothing would ever happen between them. She was disappointed, but was fine with it. Mariah had obviously ruined any chances for another woman to win Tanner’s heart, because he obviously would never trust another female again. It broke her heart that he had become so bitter. “Tanner, please you’re hurting my arms,” she whispered softly. Tanner groaned and crushed her against him, wrapping his arms around her tight. He held her for what seemed like an eternity, but was only a few minutes. “Forgive me, babydoll,” he finally whispered in her ear as he slowly released her. “You didn’t deserve that.” “It’s alright Tanner, I understand what you were saying,” Gabby began. “I think you have always known that I had a crush on you as a kid, and well, now I’m all grown up and find myself still attracted to you. It’s good to know now, upfront, how you feel and where I stand, so that I don’t get any false hopes.” “Ah hell, Gabby.” Tanner caressed her cheek with his fingers. He never wanted to hurt her, but in a moment of sudden clarity, he realized he already had. “You don’t want to get involved with an asshole like me. You deserve better than that.” “Don’t you think I should be the one to make that determination?” Her heart pounding in her chest, she smiled and moved away from him, “I’ll see you at six, and don’t be late.” Pulling her keys from her purse, she unlocked her car door and got in. Tanner stood still and watched her pull away. He continued to stand there long after she was gone and wondered just how big of a fool he really was. “God, I love it when you cook,” Christy commented as she stood in the kitchen breathing in the smells of dinner. Gabby laughed as she stirred the fettuccini cooking in the large pot on the stove. Putting the spoon down, she then lifted the lid on a large pan to check the simmering alfredo sauce. She picked up another spoon and stirred, eyeing the small shrimp that appeared. Satisfied that it was almost done, she replaced the lid and went to check on the garlic bread cooking under the broiler. “The noodles will be done in about five minutes,” she said as she turned the cookie sheet with the garlic bread on it to make sure it browned evenly. “Tanner should be here soon, right? You told him six?” Christy glanced at the clock above the fridge and saw that it was a minute until six. “Yeah,” Gabby began, then was interrupted by a knock on her front door. Tossing the oven mitts on the counter, she smiled. “Well, speak of the devil!” She went to answer the door, Christy following her, anxious to see Tanner. Gabby had told Christy about her meeting with Tanner that afternoon, leaving out that last bit when he dropped her off at her car, only mentioning to Christy about his and Mariah’s break up and his coming to dinner. She also told her that Tanner had gotten better looking over the last fifteen years and to beware. Opening the door, Gabby’s breath caught in her throat. It was still quite warm outside and he was wearing a pair of cut-offs and a white tee shirt that had a PADI decal on the front. Tucked under one arm, he had three books, and in his hands he had a bottle of wine and a handful of wildflowers. His eyes swept over her appreciatively, noting that Gabby had also changed into a pair of white shorts and a soft lavender short-sleeved shirt. He smiled when he saw her bare feet. He remembered even as a kid, her mom fought with her about keeping her shoes on. “Hi,” he greeted as he handed her the flowers and the bottle of wine. Gabby took them as he stepped forward into the apartment, bending slightly. He brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, his facial hairs tickling her cheek. The move surprised Gabby, but before she could respond, Tanner moved passed her. “Hey Brat!” he greeted Christy affectionately. “Hi Tanner.” Christy laughed at his old nickname for her as they hugged. Tanner turned back to Gabby. “Here are those books I told you about. Where do you want me to put them?” Still slightly in shock from his kiss, Gabby pointed over towards the living room. “Just set them on the coffee table for now.” Tanner did as she said while she went into the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase. Damn! What the hell was he thinking, kissing her like that, though one could certainly argue the validity of a kiss that was half on the mouth and half on the cheek. Still, a kiss like that could send a very unclear message. “You’re really looking good, Tanner! I see age hasn’t hurt your appearance at all.” Christy came to stand beside him. Tanner flashed her a megawatt smile that nearly melted Christy’s toes. “And I see age hasn’t hurt your brazenness either!” Christy laughed. “No way, in fact I’d say it’s gotten worse!” “Now why does that not surprise me?” “Well, Gabby said that you had gotten better looking, but I couldn’t imagine improvement on the package you were, but she was right. You have gotten better looking.” Tanner shook his head, slightly embarrassed. “Gabby needs to get her eyes checked, and so do you for that matter.” Inside, though, he felt strangely pleased that Gabby still found him good looking. Ever since the incident in the parking lot he was struggling with his thoughts and feelings towards her. It had been easy when he simply thought of her as his younger sister, but that was when they were kids, now they were adults, or more importantly SHE was an adult. A very grown up, beautiful, caring adult that could easily get him into big trouble with the way his thoughts were going. “I heard that, and I will have you know I have perfect 20/20 vision, Tanner Graves.” Tanner and Christy turned to see Gabby placing food on the table. Her blue eyes flashed over at him, daring him to challenge the validity of her eyesight, but he just smiled and winked at her as he and Christy headed over to the table. “Need any help, blind one?” he teased. “Wouldn’t that be something like, ‘the blind leading the blind’?” Gabby quipped over her shoulder as she headed back to the kitchen. Tanner glanced over at Christy. “Geez, she has gotten crabby in her old age, huh?” Christy started laughing and nonchalantly started easing away from Tanner. Tanner noticed and frowned. “Why are inching away from me, Christy?” “Retaliation.” “What?” “Retaliation.” Suddenly Tanner jumped and started cursing as he caught a glimpse of Gabby jumping away from him. “Son of a bitch, that’s cold!” He danced around as Christy and Gabby fell over laughing. He yanked his shirt out of the waistband of his shorts and several large ice cubes fell to the carpet. “Oh you will pay for that, you insolent little . . .” “Uh oh.” Gabby jumped up and ran for the bedroom, shrieking with laughter. Tanner scooped up the ice cubes and gave chase after her. Christy shook her head and wondered if they would ever grow up. Gabby tried to shut her bedroom door and lock it, but Tanner was too quick and he hit the door hard, causing her to stagger back, the back of her knees hitting the bed and she sat down hard. The door bounced off the wall and slammed shut as Tanner tackled her on the bed. Gabby shrieked again as his hand went down the front of her shirt and shoved the ice cubes down inside her bra. His large body held her pinned to the bed as he finally accomplished his goal and he pulled his hand out in triumph. Neither one knew exactly when the mood changed, but Tanner suspected it started when Gabby began to wiggle beneath him and he saw her nipples harden from the cold ice. A wet spot began to form through her bra into her shirt, defining the erect buds. “Sweet Jesus,” he breathed, his eyes rising up to meet hers as his body hardened instantly. “Tanner-” Without thinking, he lowered his head and kissed her. Their lips met and Tanner knew things would not be the same between them. He could no longer deny or hide his attraction for Gabrielle Krinard, but neither could he act upon that attraction. Tanner knew that he could never give Gabby the commitment she wanted or deserved. He was crazy about her, but he knew that in the end, when all was said and done and Dunlap was in prison, he would walk away from her. Gabby’s arms circled around his neck, her hands thrusting into his thick curls as Tanner thrust his tongue between her parted lips. He couldn’t deny himself this one taste of her. He knew it would be the one thing that would haunt him the rest of his life. He groaned. God, he wanted her. He wanted her so badly it was killing him. He shifted his hips until he was settled between her legs. Gabby lifted her legs up and wrapped them around him as his arousal pushed against the juncture of her thighs. “Tanner!” Gabby gasped softly as he trailed wet kisses down her throat. She had dreamed of this, of her and Tanner and what it would be like to be kissed by him. It was better than her dreams. Her body responded instantly, a throbbing ache building between her legs. He needed to stop. He told himself this over and over as he made his way lower until his mouth fastened on to an erect nipple through her shirt. But he couldn’t stop; she felt too good, she tasted too good. He needed to be inside her, he needed it as much as he needed air to breathe, and God help them both because he didn’t think he could stop! “Oh god!” Gabby’s hands clenched tight in his hair, her eyes squeezed shut tight as she suddenly felt the cool air on her breast, then sudden warmth as Tanner yanked up her shirt and pulled the cup of her bra down to take the sweet bud into his mouth. It was cold from the ice and he groaned as he filled his mouth with the sweet taste of her. “Hey, what the hell are you guys doing in there? Dinner is getting cold!” Christy yelled through the closed door. She rattled the doorknob but found it locked. Apparently when the door had hit the wall, the impact was enough to push the lock button on the knob so that when it shut, it also locked. Tanner jerked away from Gabby as if he’d been burned. Their eyes met briefly before he pushed off her and stood up, his breathing labored. He shoved his hand through his hair as Gabby sat up, fixing her bra and pulling her shirt down. “Gabby, I’m-” “Tanner, if you say you’re sorry, I’ll never forgive you,” Gabby whispered as she stood up, her hands shaking as she grasped them together in her lap. “We are coming, Christy,” she yelled towards the door then her gaze shot up to Tanner as the double meaning of what she had just said registered with them both. Gabby blushed profusely as Tanner shuffled his feet, taking a sudden interest in the carpet. It was a moment before Gabby could continue. “We are both mature adults and I’m sure what just happened will never happen again because I know how you feel about getting involved with me. But don’t you dare apologize for it.” Tanner nodded. “I just didn’t want you to think I would use you like I’ve been known to do with some women. I have more respect for you then that.” “Mariah really did a number on you didn’t she?” Gabby smiled sadly then pushed past him, her knees still a bit shaky, and headed for the bedroom door. “Gabby,” Tanner called after her almost desperate with the need to let her know she meant more to him than a sexual conquest. He had made a promise to her father that he would watch out for her. What kind of bastard would he be if he just used her and tossed her to the side as he had so many other women in the past? Yes, he admitted to himself, Mariah had done a number on him, but Gabby did not need to pay for what Mariah did to him fifteen years ago. She stopped and looked back to him. “I do care for you, you know that.” Gabby smiled, lighting up her whole face, making Tanner weak in the knees. “I know you do, Tanner,” she answered. It was the most she would ever get from him and she could live with that. “Come on, I’m hungry.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Treasure - Chapter 4 |