Page 5 of Home Run

“And miss the chance to see your dorm? I don’t think so.” He laughed, jumped out of the car, and popped the trunk.

The duffel bag was soaked through, and we somehow managed to balance the box on top of the suitcase before the base fell away. Five minutes later we were outside my dorm room while I rummaged for the key and tried to ignore the creeping sensations of how similar this felt to the end of a date. Maybe this meant Tanner and I could finally have some kind of friendship, like the one I had with Parker and Lux.

“Thank you for helping me this morning. I know I was expecting Radley, but I’m weirdly happy it was you.”

“I’m happy it was me too. I’ve never run out of my apartment faster.”

“I appreciate it.” My fingers brushed against my keyand curled around it as I raised up on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Except I wasn’t quite tall enough to reach his cheek, it was more the edges of his lip. “Oops, sorry.”

When I dropped down to the flats of my feet, I hadn’t expected Tanner to be staring at me quite as intensely as he was. I also hadn’t expected my inability to look away, but for the life of me I couldn’t, and the longer he stared, the hotter I became. A magnetic energy spread over my skin until I could swear I was on fire. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck shot up.

No one had ever looked at me like Tanner was looking at me. I don’t even thinkTannerhad looked at me the way he was looking at me—startled, awed, and like I was his next meal. I was still close enough I could feel his breath.

“Millie…”

I don’t know what came over me. I want to put it down to the emotional intensity of the last twenty-four hours and how I wasobviouslynot thinking clearly, but before he could say any more, I dropped the box and was once again on my tiptoes with my lips pressed to his, and his hands cupped around my cheeks.

I’d never imagined Tanner’s mouth to be so soft, but it was. So fucking soft, teasing and nipping at mine but with an underlying force that meant I could do nothing but surrender. A hand slipped to the nape of my neck, hauling me into him while stepping me back into the door until the handle bit into my hip.

I barely felt it, I was too busy focusing on the sensation of his tongue sliding into my mouth with a groan that soaked my panties. One minute in and I knew this was the best kiss of my life. Tongues tangling together, hot and wet.The expert way he thrust into my mouth only had me wondering what else he was good at thrusting, and how soon I could find out.

I guess this is what would constitute mouth fucking.

By the time he stepped away, I had one leg wrapped around his hip, preparing to climb him like a tree. His blue eyes were so dark they were almost black as he peered down at me. I slowly lowered my leg.

Oh no, this wasn’t good. Not good at all.

“Millie…” Tanner’s voice licked over my skin. “Open the door. Open the door right now, or I’m knocking it down.”

TWO

MILLIE

The door slammed behind us,shutting out common sense and any clue about what we thought we were doing. It shut out everything except the two of us.

My chest heaved from having the life kissed out of me. Or maybe it was having the life put backinto me.I had a feeling Tanner was about to show me exactlyhowhe could put the life back into me.

“Millie, you have the time it takes me to put this box down to change your mind. Because I’m planning to fuck you like you’ve never been fucked.” He leveled a smile my way, one which slowly crooked on the left side, pulling in a dimple. “And by fuck, I mean worship.”

He could have dropped it on the floor like I had, but he carefully placed it down. Taking his time, giving me the opportunity to change my mind. His eyes never wavered from the hold they had me in, not as he stepped forward, not as he gripped my jaw in his hand.

“I meant what I said earlier.”

“What was that?”

“That you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life.” His eyes searched my face. “Now, which is your bed?”

I pointed to the one on the far side, near the window. I’d barely dropped my hand before I found myself launched into the air to land on it.

There should be alarm bells blaring in my head that I was about to make one of the more stupid decisions of my life, but instead, all it could focus on was the almost predatory narrowing of Tanner’s eyes, his steady gait as he stepped toward me, and how goddamn sexy it was.

“What?” I managed to rasp out as Tanner stopped at the end of my bed and stared down at me.

“Nothing. I’m just trying to figure out where to begin.”

Where tobegin? Oh, dear god.

Up until this point in my life, most—but not all—of my orgasms were courtesy of my tried and trusted battery-operated friends. I had a sudden and overwhelming feeling I was woefully underqualified for what was about to happen.

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