Tempting Tatum (15 page)

Rays of sunshine seeping through the blinds wake me from my slumber. I stretch my arms above my head and look over at the nightstand; it’s six thirty. Today is the day I start yet another new chapter in my life. I’m moving in with Ember. Leah and I were up late last night. She was trying to convince me not to go. I know she understands why I’m going. She just doesn’t agree.

I will never be able to thank her or Brent for what they have done for me. They picked me up when there were just pieces of me. They molded me back together. They are my family.

I survey the boxes in my room, and my heart starts to race. Ember called yesterday and said Blaise was going to be helping me move; of course I already knew this. She informed me the two of them would be here at eight sharp to start loading boxes. According to Ember, she was too excited to wait any longer for me to move in. She is such a sweet person and reminds me so much of Leah; I have no reservations for the move. Still, my heart is racing, but that’s all because of Blaise. I haven’t seen him since the party. That doesn’t really matter, because I can still feel his arms around me and I could describe his silver eyes in detail.

Throwing off the covers, I make my way to the bathroom, washing my face and brushing my teeth. I pull my hair up into a messy bun and throw on gym shorts and a tank top. No point is getting all dressed up to move. Maybe this look will keep Blaise and his advances at bay. Sometimes he looks at me like he wants to devour me, and well, that’s not really helping me resist him.

“Knock, knock.” I hear Leah say at my door.

“Hey, you.”

“Brent’s making breakfast. Biscuits and gravy, your favorite,” she says with a sad smile.

I wrap my arms around her and hug her tight. “I love you, Leah,” I whisper. I feel her arms wrap around me as she returns my embrace.

I slowly pull away. “Now, lead me to the goodness that is Brent’s biscuits and gravy,” I say with a wink.

Leah smiles and I know she understands. I grab her hand and pull her behind me to the kitchen. As we walk in, Brent snags Leah around the waist and nuzzles her neck. “It’s ready, beautiful,” I hear him whisper.

I try not to impose on their moment, but it’s hard. This is what I miss. Intimate moments with that one person who completes you. Well, in my case, the one person you thought completed you. I know now what Josh and I had was in no way in the same league as what Leah and Brent share. He was never really intimate and sweet. On the rare occasion he was, I held onto those moments as if they were my lifeline. I always just chalked it up to him showing his emotions differently. I was consumed by him and the love I thought we shared. After he…did what he did, Leah suggested maybe I didn’t love him like I thought I did. I was not as torn up about it as I should have been. Josh and I had been drifting apart, hardly spending much time together. Again, I chalked it up to school and getting ready to graduate. Now I’m not blinded by what I thought we had. As I watch Brent with Leah, I’m envious.

“Come on, guys, I’m trying to eat,” I say as I fill my plate with the mouthwatering
meal that Brent has created.

They laugh as they pull apart, but not before Brent places a kiss on her cheek.

“So, I talked to Blaise. He and Ember will be here around eight,” Brent says.

“What? You talked to Blaise? Since when did you two become close?” I ask.

Brent smiles at me knowingly. “Well, if you must know, we exchanged numbers at the party.”

Great. If Blaise and Brent become friends, then that increases my chances of running into him. Of course, I’m going to be living with his sister. For a minute, I think about backing out. No, I can’t let this attraction, if that’s even what you call it, keep me from forging ahead. Brent and Leah need this as much as I do, and I would do anything for them.

Brent and Leah join me at the table as we scarf down breakfast. Just as we are finishing up, Brent’s phone chimes; he has a message.

“It’s Blaise; they are about two minutes out,” he tells us.

I jump up and start cleaning up the kitchen. Today marks the beginning of another major change for me.

Leah and I have just finished with the dishes when I hear his deep voice. Composing myself, masking what his voice does to me, I follow Leah into the living room.

Blaise is talking to Brent, but as soon as I enter the room, his eyes find mine. He continues to talk to Brent, but he’s watching me. I’m following Leah on autopilot, and before I realize it, I’m standing right in front of him. Ember launches herself at me.

“EEEEK! I am so freaking excited!” she says happily.

All three of us laugh at her enthusiasm; you can’t help but love her.

“Me too,” I tell her. “I’m ready to go; just need to load everything up. I left a lot of my furniture back in Ohio, so I don’t have a lot.” I shrug my shoulders.

“Don’t worry about that. I have everything we need,” Ember says.

“Well, I guess we should get moving,” Leah says. She grabs Ember’s arm and leads her down the hall to my room. Brent follows them. I remain standing in the same spot.

I feel his hand reach for mine. His are rough and calloused in comparison. I look down at our hands as he laces our fingers together. He lifts my chin with his index finger so I’m now looking at him. “Hey you,” he says softly.

“Hi,” I manage to croak out.

“Let’s get you moved,” he says as he places a gentle kiss on my forehead.

What. The. Hell.

Blaise, with our fingers still laced together, leads me toward the bedroom. Once we reach the door, he gives my hand a gentle squeeze, then lets it go. Before I have the chance to miss the feel of his touch, his hand is on the small of my back leading me into the room.

As soon as she walks into the fucking room, my eyes are glued to her. Her hair is bunched up on the top of her head in a mess of curls. She has on a pair of work out shorts and a tank top, nothing special, and to me she’s never looked better.

Brent is talking. I think he’s thanking me for helping him move Tatum today. I’m trying to listen to him, but it’s not working out too well. I can’t pull my eyes away from her.      

As soon as she’s close enough for me to touch her, I have to shove my hands into the pockets of my shorts to keep from reaching out and pulling her into me. Ember helps as she wraps her arms around Tatum, yammering on about how excited she is. I know it’s irrational, but I’m jealous of my baby sister right now.

Once Ember finally releases her, Leah grabs Ember and leads her down the hall. I’m hoping Brent goes as well so I can be alone with her for even just a few seconds.

Lady luck is on my side. I smile as Brent follows Leah and my sister to start loading Tatum’s things. I reach out and grab her hand. This girl…I’ve never been like this before, needing to touch someone, needing the connection. I lace our fingers together. I’ve missed her. I know it makes no sense, but it is what it is.

Tatum is looking down at our entwined fingers. She doesn’t retreat, so I take that as a good sign. Lifting her chin I say, “Hey you.”

She replies with a croaked hi. The crack in her voice calms me. She feels this, too. She has to. This can’t be one-sided. “Let’s get you moved,” I whisper. To my surprise as much as hers, I kiss her forehead. I lead her down the hall to join the others. I don’t trust myself to be alone with her. I gently squeeze her hand and let go before placing it on the small of her back. I’m not ready to not have that connection with her.

I’m at a loss as to why I’m acting this way. And right now, in this moment with Tatum right next to me, I couldn’t give a fuck. I’m going with it. Isn’t that what Dad and Asher both said to do?

“Brent and I will get the furniture and the heavier boxes and put them in my truck. Why don’t you ladies load up Brent’s SUV,” I say. I don’t understand why, but I want to feel like I’m taking care of her.

Brent shakes his head in agreement. “Sounds like a plan.”

In no time, we have all of Tatum’s things loaded in my truck, her car, and Brent’s SUV and we’re ready to head to Ember’s place.

“So Ember and I will meet you there?” I say to Tatum. I know I sound like a dumbass. Of course she’s going to be there; she’s moving in.

“Uh, yeah. Sounds good,” she replies.

We are standing beside her car, so I open the door for her. She hesitates before finally getting in. Brent and Leah head off to theirs while Ember and I climb into my truck. The door is barely shut before Ember bursts out.

“Holy shit, Blaise”

“What?” I ask her. I know damn well what she’s holy shitting about, but I play dumb anyway.

“What do you mean, what? Don’t think I didn’t see you touching her every chance you got. Hell, you were devouring her with your eyes,” she exclaims.

I don’t respond. I don’t want to outright lie to her, and well, she’s right. I reach over and turn up the radio. Thomas Rhett’s “It Goes Like This” is playing. It makes me think of Tatum; hell, what doesn’t make me think of her?

Ember reaches over and turns the radio off. “You’re different with her,” she says.

“Yeah,” I say. I decide since Ember is going to be living with Tatum, she should know what’s going on in my head. “I really like her, Em. I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with her, but what little bit I have…” I shake my head. I can’t really put into words what I’m feeling.

“I saw you, you know, on the dock. I saw you sit beside her. I kept glancing at you out of the corner of my eye. I watched you move closer and then pull her into your arms,” she says softly.

“Yeah.”

Thankfully, the drive to her apartment is a short one. We pull into the lot, so Ember doesn’t have the opportunity to badger me anymore. I know I’m different with her. I need to figure out what it means, what I want it to mean, and either shit or get off the pot as Grandpa used to say.

“Jackson said he and Cade may stop by and help,” Ember says as she reaches for the door.

I growl.

Ember chuckles. “Exactly. You need to figure out what you want. Tatum is beautiful, and I would hate to see you lose someone who you obviously care about because you can’t get your shit worked out,” she scolds me, and then climbs out of the truck.

I tighten my hold on the steering wheel at the thought of anyone else touching Tatum. My mind flashes to Cade with his arm around her at the picnic.

Nope, not happening.

Tatum’s mine.

I step out of my truck just as Tatum is pulling up. She parks beside me. I rush to her door so I can open it for her. I want her. She’s different than anyone I’ve ever met. Now I need to show her. Show her what we can be.

As Tatum gets out of her car, I see Ember is already inside and Leah and Brent are not here yet. Perfect.

As soon as she’s standing, I grab her waist and pull her into me, wrapping her in a hug. This shit is not me, but I need to touch her. She’s stiff at first. After a few seconds, which seems like a lifetime, she hugs me back. Just like that, all is right in my world.

Reluctantly, I pull away. I drop a kiss on her temple. “Let’s get you moved in, sweets.” She smells so fucking good.