Page 87 of Wildest Dreams

“Give me your number,” he murmurs, pulling away with eyes half-mast. He slips his cell from his pocket, unlocks it, and then pushes it into my palm. He rests his cheek against the top of my head as I type in my number.

“I’ll text you later,” he says as he pockets his phone, his hands moving back to my hips as he kisses me goodbye. “You can let me know your schedule and I’ll work our dates around that.”

“What about your schedule?” I ask him.

His mouth lifts into a handsome smile. “My schedule is wide open for you, baby.”

I laugh into his chest and he strokes my hair, chuckling with me.

“I mean it, Ash,” he murmurs. “Any time you’re free, so am I. Only for you,” he whispers, before pressing a final kiss to my cheek.

“Okay,” I whisper back to him, unlocking the door and leaning against the jamb.

He walks backwards down the hallway, eyes on mine as he waits for the elevator.

When it dings at our floor he shoves his hands through his hair, his eyes on mine as the doors slide open.

“Fuck it,” he murmurs, and then he charges straight for me, making me squeal as he lifts me up off the floor and crushes his mouth against mine.

“Fuckin’ miss you already,” he pants, his palms all over my thighs.

“I miss you too,” I giggle, yelping happily as he squeezes my ass.

He lowers me to the floor, kisses my mouth, and then races back to the elevator before it disappears.

“I’m gonna be blowing up your phone, so get ready!” he calls back to me, making me hug my arms over myself and laugh quietly as the doors slide closed.

And then I’m on my own, breathing heavily against the doorjamb, my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I try to bring myself back down to Earth.

I numbly move back into my condo and quietly close the door, locking it gently before padding over to the kitchen.

I drink a glass of water as I head back to my bedroom, and as soon as I’m through the door my heart stops in my chest.

Because there on the bedside cabinet is Tanner’s khaki cap.

Almost as if he’d deliberately left it there for me.

I make my way over to it, one hand resting over my heart.

Too freaking cute, I think to myself as I brush my fingers over the brim.

Then the soft thrum of a vibration draws my attention to the object beside it; my phone screen blaring bright as text after text filters through.

I roll my eyes and pick it up, but then I’m smiling again as I see the message from an unknown number. I know for sure that it’s Tanner and my heart cinches tight at his text.

Miss you already xxx

But before I can text him back my eyes drop to the stream of group chat messages below his. An already incessant influx from the star cheerleaders on Carter U’s famous comp team.

I twist my lips as I scroll through their messages, not really paying attention until I see the small preview of a photo.

I blink at it – once, twice – trying to work out what I’m seeing. Then I tap on it quickly, my fingers shaking slightly at the prospect.

The image opens and my jaw drops.

No. Freaking. Way.

Because it’s a photo of Tanner –myTanner – surrounded by pretty much the whole cheer squad, taken from our first social the other night.

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