Intimate Secrets: 10 (Touched By You) (6 page)

“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. My reaction surprised me too. I have to…deal with it.”

“Was it too much for you? Didn’t you like it?”

Natalie smiled, but there was no joy in her eyes. “I did like it. I…”

Now Tanner was more confused than ever.

“I can’t explain it. It’s just…”

Tanner reached out and pulled her to him. Natalie didn’t resist. “It’s okay, baby. Just let me hold you.”

Natalie could think of no way to explain. How could she tell him about something she didn’t fully understand? She’d reacted strongly, and a confusing mixture of emotion consumed her. What she had with Tanner was everything she ever wanted, and the only thing she knew.

Determined not to let her craziness sour their relationship, Natalie suppressed her thoughts. She tried to focus on how good it had been before. This was Tanner. She’d always love him. Knowing he would stay with her, give her time, she breathed deeply. Glad to be in his arms and grateful for his love, she closed her eyes, resting her head against his strong chest.

The ride in the hot air balloon the next day was a welcome distraction. Thankfully, Tanner didn’t act any differently toward her. If anything, he seemed understanding and willing to give her space to work things out. He told her to remember that he would be there. She wasn’t alone. There was nothing better he could have said.

Hot air ballooning was a magical thrill. Tanner planned a private ride, just the two of them with the pilot. They lifted gently into the air, moving through the calm early-morning breezes at sunrise. Natalie took in the views as she gently floated over some of South Australia’s most picturesque and beautiful landscapes.

They soaked up the tranquility of Mother Nature’s early-morning stillness, broken only by the occasional roar of the burners as the multi-colored balloon went higher and higher. The bright golden sun lit the sky. Taking in the breathtaking 360-degree views, Natalie spotted the ocean in the distance. It was the ultimate experience in the world-renowned wine region.

Yet Tanner made it better. Being with him, drifting high above, was romantic. Seizing the moment, he put his arm around her and handed her a tiny box. She looked at Tanner but he only smiled. Inside on a velvet liner was a delicate sterling silver bracelet encasing an Australian black opal.

When shopping in Adelaide, and talking with a shop owner, Natalie had discovered that black opals from Australia were the finest, in demand worldwide for their unique beauty. She’d learned a good quality-black opal is not black; it can suck in all the colors of the rainbow and display them in all their variations. Thus, a “black” opal could be blue, green, yellow, red, orange, purple, or a combination of those colors.

Holding the box up, she admired the bracelet Tanner had given her. The stone’s dark, rich color was a mixture of royal blue and deep emerald green. “Thank you so much. It’s stunning. I love it!”

Natalie put her arm around Tanner’s neck and pulled him close for a sensual kiss. “That was so thoughtful of you.”

Tanner grinned, his blue eyes sparkling in the early-morning sun. “It’s our six-month anniversary.”

“You’re counting,” Natalie said, knowing she’d celebrated every week, every month. But to know Tanner was celebrating as well was special.

“I crave you, baby. I’m treasuring every moment.” Tanner kissed her again, lingering this time. The intimate kiss made her heart flutter.

Tanner took the box and put the bracelet on her wrist. They enjoyed the rest of the balloon ride, and when on the ground, went to a nearby restaurant for a toast of champagne. It was a traditional toast to commemorate Natalie’s first flight.
And to celebrate their love.

Natalie loved her husband more with each passing day. She was glad her upset had passed. The rest of the days in Barossa and the nights were deliciously memorable. By the time they had to return to New York, she was sad to leave. Barossa Valley was a special place, not only for its German influence, top-quality wine, and breathtaking views, but for the wonderful days together.

*****

In their absence, life at home had continued at a fast pace. As was usual, Tanner was working at his office in the private jet, and back in the office early in the morning following their return. If Natalie thought she’d get a reprieve from her own business she was wrong.

The response to her fashions at GR Fashion Showroom was dramatic, and the name Natalie Baker was splashed throughout the media. It was a little intimidating, as Natalie was a private person in general. But that was blown apart. Suddenly, her name was seen everywhere, which made her happy—and unnerved her as well.

On her desk she found a memo marked “important.” Reading, she saw that Ella Walker, the fiancée of Adam
Bianci, who’d recently offered his software to Tanner, had made a request. Ella admired the fashions of Natalie Baker Designs, and had sent a personal note voicing her love of the way Natalie designed. Particularly, she liked fashions that were comfortable to wear and not overly pretentious, yet were chic and elegant.

Ella was engaged to Adam, although the date hadn’t been set yet. However, she would be pleased if Natalie would design her wedding dress. If she could provide the sketch and details, then Ella could have the gown custom made in Brazil and tailored to fit her. She’d provided some specifics of what she had in mind, and included her email for any questions.

Cost was not an object. Ella’s wedding to Adam, the man she loved, meant everything. She wanted it to be a day to remember, including a dress she adored. Natalie read the note several times. It wasn’t her custom to create personal designs. Her lines were merchandized broadly. But then, no one had ever made such a request before.

The challenge of making a wedding dress that was so unique excited Natalie. Being a bride so recently, she understood how important the dress was. Without further consideration, she emailed that she would be honored to create the dress, and asked Ella several questions which would assist her with the style. Wanting to give Ella a dress that was perfect for her, Natalie knew they’d be emailing a few more times before the design was completed.

Later that morning, Natalie had a meeting with Ken Eden, her accountant. She went over profit and loss at regular intervals, making sure she stayed viable. Having a team working for her had proven to be a good investment. With more time for designing, her fashions were gaining attention. There was still the business side of things, though.

She was happy to learn that Natalie Baker Designs had seen an increase from the exposure to her new line through RG Fashions. Not surprising, considering the prominence of the showroom. The relationship with Gianni was proving to be very profitable.

Natalie had an additional question for Ken. Now that she was married to Tanner, his wealth was shared with her. Most of the time, she had no reason to look at the accounts. She kept her own banking lines for her design company, and had little interest in the money flows of Clarke Luxury. Still, she’d happened to notice a new account that had been opened; it wasn’t obvious, but what had caught her attention was that it was set up out of the country.

Since Ken had also been Tanner’s accountant for years, she thought he’d know about the new account. Saying he wasn’t sure, Ken suggested she speak with their banker.

Natalie didn’t give it more thought at that moment. She could just ask Tanner, if it came down to that. But there was something strange about him setting up such an account without even mentioning it. Maybe it was related to some of his international business. That would make sense, she guessed. Still, it didn’t resolve it in her mind and she made a mental note to find out more.

Tanner shook his head. His manager looked at the computer screen with him. Aaron had made a point to save the emails of the news articles from Paris. Anatoli had been Tanner’s press agent in France for years, and the comments he sent with the links to the articles indicated he found them more laughable than threatening.

“I have to agree with
Anatoli.” Tanner read through another article. “And I don’t see that it presents any issue for the company. Do you?”

Aaron leaned back in his chair.
“No, not really. She’s just shy of embarrassing us. But I doubt anyone takes her seriously.”

Gabriella had behaved since Tanner called her out on her less-than-ethical tactics against him. Though his stepmother had been devious and damaging, he didn’t lose any sleep over it anymore. The fact that he held the purse strings kept her in line.

She lived in Paris, and had been attending high-profile events, bragging about her relationship to the Clarke Luxury fortune. Gabriella had always been conceited and self-centered. Her current attitude was just another example of it.

Since she didn’t say anything derogatory about the company or Tanner, he’d let it go. If flaunting her family connection gave her a thrill, he wouldn’t object. It wasn’t worth the time or attention. “Just keep an eye on things. If she steps over the line, let me know.”

“Absolutely.”

“For now, I think the press is reporting the facts. I don’t see any controversy or potential damage. Gabriella will likely fade away. She’s a lonely woman trying to garner ill-deserved admiration.
Tragic, really.”

*****

Tanner was a bit riled up, but it had nothing to do with his stepmother. Since the incident in Barossa, he’d made an effort to restrain his savage urges. Sex with Natalie was hot and passionate. His craving for her grew beyond his capacity to predict it.

His love for her showed itself in ways that caught him off guard. In the heat of the moment, Tanner wasn’t sure what he might do.
Or how Natalie would react. She’d never spoken about that night since it happened. Just recalling it, he had visions of her in the spiked black heels, her pussy opened to him.

His cock bulged against his pants. That night had been a raging fire burning through him. The thrill, and the lure of taking Natalie, was strong. Yet he’d tried to read her thoughts, and not cross the line. But that was the problem. He didn’t know what the line was.

She wouldn’t tell him. Or couldn’t. Tanner had led Natalie through many soft limits. And she’d never held back. From what he could tell, she wanted it as much as he did. Then why did she react? What was she reacting to?

Tanner didn’t know. But he was aware that the heat building inside him wouldn’t be refused forever. He was likely to explode. But he didn’t want to do anything she didn’t find pleasurable. That had never been what he was about.

But when he got home and walked out to the terrace to find Natalie in a tight red sheath, molten fire ran through his lower body. The dress, if you could call it one, looked like shiny red ribbons wrapped around her slender figure, showing her curves in just the right way. The hem stopped just below her butt, and when she turned to face him, Tanner saw her bosom spilling out the top.

Her thick, dark hair was piled up and held in a sparkling clip. Gazing at her full red lips and creamy skin, Tanner didn’t hear what she said to him. She was wearing another pair of leather heels, making her legs look miles long.

“Tanner? Do you still want to go?”

He remembered that they planned to go out. Natalie was dressed for dancing. Where, he couldn’t imagine. If she made a move, the tightly fitted dress might slide up, exposing her lovely ass to view. Or, if she leaned, her plump little breasts might spill out, revealing her tiny pink nipples.

Seeing the look on his face, Natalie’s lips parted and she put the wine glass she was holding on the table next to her. Frozen in place, she waited for him to respond.

Tanner couldn’t think, or talk. Going out was out of the question. Not with her dressed like that. An overpowering urge rose in his chest, an urge he’d felt many times, and sometimes could repress.
But not now. Not with her in that dress.

The days and weeks he’d catered to a milder approach, and his strength of resolve suddenly shattered. Vaguely he heard music playing in the background, something she must have been listening to. As he stepped onto the terrace, the view of the late-afternoon sky and the distant traffic noise seemed as if in another world.

Tanner’s face was so close to Natalie’s, he could feel her sweet breath on his lips. “What are you wearing?” Oblivious to how he sounded, Tanner spoke impulsively.

Her deep brown eyes widened, and Natalie swallowed hard. “I just… We were going out. I thought you’d like it.”

Tanner reached up and grasped the clip holding Natalie’s hair. Removing it, he threw it over the railing to plummet to the street below, and watched the thick mass of waves fall over her shoulders. Plunging his hands into the enticing curls, he covered her mouth and kissed her deeply.

The taste of her mouth, the softness of her lips, drove him a little crazier. Taking her with his tongue, he felt her press against him. His cock felt like it would rip though his expensive slacks. In a growl, he said, “I’m taking this dress off of you.”

Tanner lifted her into his arms as though she were weightless. The bold energy flowing through his veins blocked out anything but what he wanted right then. Going directly to the playroom, he kicked the door shut behind him, and set Natalie on her feet.