Blindsided (28 page)

Isaac watched and waited for the right time to make his move, and to do it in such a subtle manner—not his strong suit—it would appear Tanner had made the first move. The Wolfe brothers were a stubborn lot. Isaac understood that better than anyone.

Avery slid into the chair next to him, having just finished a conversation with Izzy. He briefly wondered what those two were scheming now and decided he’d rather not know. Instead, he grasped her hand and held on tightly as he’d been doing for months now.

God, he loved this woman. She was his savior and his best friend. And she was damn good in bed. In fact, the best, the very, very best. He would never understand how he’d been so lucky to find her, but he was damn glad he had.

“What are you thinking?” Avery asked with a cute tilt of her head.

“I’m wondering how Emma will handle Tanner’s sudden celebrity status.” He gestured to the big windows at the front of the pub. Tanner stood outside under the streetlights, surrounded by people begging for autographs. Emma fidgeted off to one side, watching with an inscrutable expression on her face.

Isaac knew that look.

Tanner’s anonymity had just disintegrated, and his newfound fame appeared to have caught Emma off guard. Giving up, she walked into the pub, leaving Tanner with his fans. She smiled when she spotted Avery and Isaac and sat down next to them.

“Need a drink?” Isaac guessed.

“More than you can imagine,” she said, gratefully.

Isaac stood to get her one, but Avery put a hand on his arm. “I’ll get it.”

Isaac nodded, sat back down, and turned to Emma. “You okay?”

“I never thought it would be like this.”

“And what did you think it would be like once the team started winning?” Isaac asked gently.

“I don’t know. I never considered it. He loves it, just absolutely absorbs all the attention.”

“The man’s a sponge. He’s always been like that. Tanner needs validation from others. And you, how do you feel about it?”

“I don’t care much for attention.”

“You do when you’re on stage singing,” he noted.

“How would you know?”

“I’ve seen you at parties, once at karaoke.”

Emma nodded. “When I’m performing, I’m a different person, while Emma looks down from above and wonders who that person is.”

“You’re good, you know, and so is he. Two careers in the limelight going opposite directions could be hell on a marriage.”

She stiffened as if he’d hit a sore spot. “We don’t need to worry about that,” she whispered. He barely heard her.

Isaac assumed she planned to give up her hopes for a singing career to be Tanner’s wife. He could understand a decision like that. He only hoped she didn’t eventually regret it.

As he pondered how to approach that obviously touchy subject, Tanner strode into the bar, like a conquering hero. Flanked by his wingmen and amid cheers and backslapping from his teammates, he took the time to talk to almost every guy he passed. Someone shoved a beer in his hand, and he paused to buy a round for his linemen who sat together at a table.

Isaac glanced at Emma who followed Tanner’s every move. The wistful expression on her face almost broke his heart, but he minded his own business. Those two needed to work out their own problems without everyone else’s interference, well-meaning or not.

* * * *

Hunter wasn’t sure what force of nature pulled at him until he approached Emma’s table. He only knew he needed to go to her. He waited for an opening and casually wandered over while Tanner entertained several of their teammates. Emma sat alone as her two sisters danced with their men, and Cooper’s teenage nephew talked with Grady and Cam.

“Can I join you?”

“Of course.” She smiled sincerely, as if relieved to have some company.

“He’s very popular tonight,” Hunter noted.

“I suspect this is just the beginning.”

“As long as the team keeps winning,” Hunter added.

“Oh, they will. I can just feel it.”

Hunter cocked his head and studied her. “You know things?”

Emma glanced around nervously, as if not wanting anyone to overhear. “Sometimes. I have good instincts when I choose to listen to them.”

“So do I. I’m not sure I’d call them instincts exactly, though that certainly plays a part. My great-grandmother always said that some people just have the gift.”

“I’m not psychic or anything. Just perceptive. Tuned in.”

Hunter shrugged. “And what does your ‘tuning’ say right now as you appear troubled?”

Emma, who’d been tracking Tanner, snapped her head toward Hunter. She almost smiled. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Hunter chuckled. She was a nervy one, this woman. He liked that. “You’re troubled because you don’t know how to deal with his fame, and you’re not sure if you could deal with your own.”

Emma snorted. “I’m not famous.”

“Part of you wants to be.”

“You’re the second person tonight who’s mentioned that.”

“Then I guess I’m not as perceptive as I thought I was.”

Emma leveled her own dissecting gaze in his direction. Hunter squirmed, not exactly happy to have the tables turned. Only she didn’t say anything. Instead, something distracted her attention, and Hunter swung his gaze in that direction, as Tanner made his way over to them, grinning from ear to ear from all the attention he’d gotten.

“Hey, you moving in on my wife?” Tanner’s grin indicated he was joking, though his eyes held that steely glare, warning Hunter just in case.

Hunter held up his hands in mock surrender and shook his head. “Not me. I wouldn’t want you to beat the shit out of me. We were talking horses.” Hunter ignored Emma’s quick glance and Tanner didn’t appear to catch it.

“I have a mean right hook, buddy. Don’t you forget it.” Tanner sobered for a split second then caught his stride. “Oh, yeah, right. The race horse you bought. What’s his name again?”

“Seastrong.”

Tanner rolled his eyes. “Dumb name.”

Hunter shrugged. “It called to me.”

“Whatever. I want it to call to my bank account. When do we get to see it run?”

“Next spring.”

Hunter didn’t want to discuss the horse further. Tanner didn’t understand horses, not like Avery, who’d also convinced Isaac to invest in the race horse, a small fact Tanner didn’t know—yet.

Sensing it was time to leave, Hunter stood, nodded in Emma’s direction and clapped his friend on the back. “Later.”

He left the couple to their own devices just as Isaac had done earlier.

* * * *

Tanner sized up Emma, trying to determine if he was ankle-deep in shit or only had a toe in it. Her expression didn’t give anything away. He slid onto the tall stool next to her and cuddled close, nuzzling her neck, momentarily startled by how normal his affection for her seemed. Tanner’s life had always been anything but normal; his dysfunctional family saw to that. Yet with Emma, he almost believed he had a shot at just being a guy with a good wife, a good life, and a good career. What more could any guy want?

“Hey, baby, sorry I got caught up in all that.” He kissed the tip of her nose, an action which usually defused any annoyance on her part.

“It’s okay.” Once again, she hid her emotions well from him, which bothered him more than he cared to admit. He’d mastered the art of masking emotions, yet he hated when his wife did the same. He leaned close and studied her, allowing himself the luxury of inhaling her scent like roses and springtime.

She gazed at him, all innocence and sincerity, yet something in her eyes set off his warning bells. He’d been bitten by misconceptions and assumptions more than once when it came to women. Did
okay
mean okay or did it mean he’d be castrated in the middle of the night? Game playing wasn’t Emma’s thing, but she was a female.

Tanner leaned close to her and did the thing most likely to tilt her off balance and put him in control. He kissed her on the lips while cupping the back of her neck with one hand and stroking her thigh with the other. He loved the little sounds she made when he turned her on, as much as he loved the feel of her skin under his fingers and against his lips.

She pulled away and looked at him, blinking those incredible blue eyes. “Tanner, not here.”

He grinned his most wicked grin, “How about the bathroom? Or the hallway? Maybe the alley outside.”

“Stop,” she ordered, but her giggle hinted she found the idea of public sex intriguing. Well, damn, now there was a surprise he hadn’t expected, and Tanner was all in. He loved sex in forbidden places, which amped up the excitement all the more.

“Let’s go,” he said making a split second decision. He jumped to his feet and tugged on her hand.

She didn’t move. “No, I just ordered food, and you must be starving.”

“Oh, I’m starving, all right.” He raised a brow and cocked his head toward the door. “But if you don’t want to leave, I’m good with doing it up against the wall over there.”

“Tanner.” She swatted him and shot him one of her prim school teacher glares. He laughed, as his dirty mind imagined her in a school marm outfit sans underwear with him as the schoolmaster. He’d have to give her a spanking for being bad, bend her over a desk and—

“Tanner,” Emma almost shouted, drawing his attention.

“Oh, ah, sorry.”

The waitress saved him from further explanation by depositing their plates of food on the table.

Suddenly hungry, Tanner dug into his double-decker hamburger while Emma ate a chicken sandwich. He’d need the energy for later. Besides, the sooner they finished, the sooner Emma served dessert. His filthy mind drifted to images of Emma covered in whipped cream with a cherry on each nipple. They’d only touched the surface of his depravity and sexual desires, not that he was overly depraved, but a little depravity was always a good thing in his book.

Emma gave his arm a nudge. “Thought you weren’t hungry?”

He finished chewing, wiped his mouth, and grinned. “Me, too. Running around a football field does burn calories, and I’m storing up for later.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Tanner. Is sex and football all you ever think about?”

“Pretty much,” he answered. “Sex and Football. Sounds like a great title for a movie or TV show.”

“Every guy in America would watch that.” Emma rolled her eyes.

“Absolutely. Throw food in there, and you’re hitting all the marks.”

Emma lowered her head and glanced up at him through lowered lashes, the sexiest look ever. All the blood in his veins raced to his dick.

“You done?” Tanner asked, suddenly desperate to get her out of there and him into something more comfortable, which would be her.

“Where to?” She met his gaze and smiled, not a sweet Emma smile, but a seductive somebody-else smile.

Tanner swallowed hard and cleared his throat, fumbling in his pocket for his wallet. He dropped it on the floor, picked it up, yanked out some bills, and threw them on the table. Grabbing Emma by the hand, he headed for the door. Emma shouted goodbye to her sisters and his teammates, many of whom knew exactly what was on his mind and made the appropriate disparaging remarks. Tanner didn’t give a shit. Nothing and no one could distract him from his mission. His only deterrent—the lack of a good place to conduct said mission.

Once outside, an unusually warm Seattle evening greeted them. They passed a homeless man with a dog, and Tanner paused, rifled through his wallet, and handed the man a couple hundreds and continued onward.

“Where’s your truck?” Emma asked.

Tanner waved his hand in the air. “Back there somewhere.”

“Where are we going? I thought you wanted—you know.”

“Trust me, baby. I just need to figure out the right place for the dirty deed.” He caught Emma’s confused glance and grinned reassuringly at her. “Oh, ye of little faith.”

“I have faith. I just don’t want my faith plastered all over social media in the morning.”

“Nor do I, but the possibility, now that’s a rush.”

“Tanner.” She hung back, suddenly reluctant.

“Come on, baby, you know I won’t jeopardize my spot with the team.” He slowed his pace, still dragging her along as his gaze darted left and right looking for that perfect place, secluded yet not-completely private so the excitement of getting caught still lingered as a possibility.

She nodded and stopped resisting, matching his stride which he increased.

“Are we renting a room?” she asked, her naivety firmly in place, which prodded him further along the path he’d chosen.

“Oh, no. Not a room.” He hesitated, stunned by a sudden surge of decency. “Are you game? If not, we’ll head back to the car.”

She turned to face him, cupped his cheeks between her palms, and kissed the hell out of him. “I’m in.”

His grin stretched across Puget Sound and back.

Pretty soon, he’d be in, too. All the way in.

* * * *

Emma didn’t care if Tanner led her astray. She’d gladly plot that course with him as her captain.

“Where did you have in mind?” she asked keeping her tone sultry and sexy, while her panties became wetter and wetter with each step they took. The man drove her so crazy she’d take him on the sidewalk if he asked.

He turned toward a popular nightclub and pushed past the long line at the door, ignoring the complaints of the waiting patrons.

“In there?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Steeling herself, Emma followed him. This was so not her kind of place. He slipped the bouncer one of those ever-present hundred-dollar bills and entered the dark club, lights flashing, music blaring. Patrons made out at tables or danced like they were making love on the dance floor. One particular couple appeared to be doing it right there for everyone to see. Surely, Tanner didn’t have that in mind.

“Here?” she asked incredulously, her voice shaky and her pulse racing.

“Trust me.” He smiled again and led her to the bar. After a hushed conversation with the bartender, he took a key and guided Emma down a narrow hallway to the first door on the right. Once they entered, Tanner shut the door, turned the deadbolt, and advanced toward Emma, his intent clear. She barely had time to take in her surroundings which consisted of a trendy L-shaped couch, some modern artwork on one wall, and a very large window looking out on the dance floor.