Page 40 of Trusting Tanner
“You let go.”
He rolled onto his side, which caused her to do the same, now facing him. “Not on purpose.”
Juliana gently pushed him over onto his back and brought her upper body over his. Her gaze strayed to his lips then back to his dark, enticing eyes. She really wanted that kiss he kept promising her. As if in slow motion, his hand moved to the side of her neck, his fingers weaving into her hair, and then he tugged her face closer. His lips brushed lightly over hers, and her eyes closed. Delicious tension built deep in her stomach, expanding and spreading to her limbs, giving her a euphoric warmth. His tongue grazed her bottom lip before he nipped at it, and her heart thrashed in her chest.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her over on top of him. She gasped with delight, and he gave a cocky grin. His hands coursed down her back, electrifying her entire body. But that was as far as he took it. There was no deep, passionate kiss. Just a torturous tease of what was to come.
Slowly, reality seeped into her mind. They were in a public place. Even though they were the only customers, the staff was still present, more than likely watching. “Tanner,” she whispered.
Before he could respond, a shrill buzzing noise echoed through the cavernous room. She jerked back, eyes wide. “What the hell was that?” She climbed off him.
“The buzzer to let us know our time’s up.”
“Oh.” She sighed with relief.
“If you roll toward the edge, we can help you out,” Riley called. Two other staff members stood nearby.
“You go ahead,” Tanner said. “I need a minute.”
She gave him a questioning look. One quick glance at the bulge between his legs and she understood what he meant. Slightly embarrassed, she lumbered to the edge and let Riley help her out.
“You can hang all your equipment over there.” Riley nodded to a row of hooks along the far wall.
She nodded but waited for Tanner, who was moments behind her. “Sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be.” He grinned. “That’s not the first time that’s happened because of you.”
She stared after him, completely and totally speechless.
Chapter Thirteen
After they’d left Adrenaline Avalanche, Tanner brought her to Noodles & More, an out-of-the-way eatery near downtown. It was a place where they could create their own pasta dishes, complete with salad and breadsticks. She’d been there once before with Devon, but it wasn’t a popular place with the college crowd simply because of the higher prices. She loved it, though, and was thrilled when Tanner suggested it.
“That obstacle course was so much fun,” Juliana said as she sipped her ice water.
“It’s one of Florida’s best kept secrets,” he said. “My brother Xander was the one who found it. He and Ryder came to visit because they were bored, and that’s the entertainment he chose.”
“For someone who has only been there once, you remembered quite a bit.”
“That’s because we spent an entire day there. My brothers and I are a little competitive. We went through once to get the feel of it, and then the next couple of times it was a race to see who could finish first.”
“I cannot imagine racing through that.” She took another drink and glanced around at the older couples and families. The place was packed for nine thirty on a Saturday night.
Tanner reached across the table and took her hand. She watched the way his thumb ran back and forth over her knuckles, the motion smooth and effortless. “It wasn’t so bad, but tonight was definitely a lot better.”
Her breath caught, and she took another sip of water. “You and your brothers are really close, huh?”
He nodded. “I’m closer to Ryder than I am to Xander, but I think that’s because we’ve been together longer.”
“Ryder’s the oldest?”
“Yeah. He’s the level-headed one. The peacekeeper. He’s in law school a few hours away. Jacksonville. Xander’s in business school down near Miami.”
“Wow. You’re all in the same state? How did that happen?”
He shrugged. “I think we wanted to be close even though none of us will admit that to one another.”
“Do you see them often?”
