Page 17 of Finding Tane
He came back a moment later with the gravy in the gravy boat I’d inherited from my grandmother and offered it around.
“Thank you, really, this is so much and it all looks incredible.”
“Dig in,” Tane said. “I hope you like it, the bread especially...”
We all started to eat. It was absolutely delicious and I told Tane so after every single bite. The lamb was perfectly cooked, a little rare in the centre and delicately flavoured with rosemary and mint.
“It’s like a standard Sunday dinner back home.” Tane buttered another piece of rewena and passed it to me. “But I’m really glad you’re enjoying it.”
With small talk and more food than I technically needed to consume, the dinner passed very pleasantly. True to her word, after helping to tidy up, Ivy excused herself to go out.
“Hot drink?”
Tane nodded. “Sounds great.”
“Tea, coffee, cocoa?”
Tane groaned softly. “Cocoa, oh my God, yes.”
I chuckled and made us two cocoas, bringing them to the living room where Tane was relaxing on one end of the couch. He looked up at me and I swallowed, his eyelashes caught my attention again. I really wanted to touch him, to kiss him.
I set the drinks down and sat on the couch near him. He shifted to be closer to me.
What was going to happen?
“That was a really wonderful dinner, thank you, Tane.”
“So formal.” Tane half turned towards me and I couldn’t help but mirror him, my heart pounding. “We’re friends, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“I don’t really know what I’m going to do.” Tane’s voice turned a little more serious. “I don’t know... I’ve run away from my whole career and every time I think about going back to it, it’s like I shut down. It scares me so bad. But I really, really like hanging out with you, Dillon.”
“Do you have to go back?” Suddenly I was imagining Tane moved in, cooking some nights, coming home from the shop to find him here, settled in, his books shelved with mine... married? A happy, boring couple who lived in a small town and ran a store together? Could he ever be happy with that?
Tane smacked his lips and leaned back against the couch. “I have a contract, at least one more album with this company, and my manager will raise Hell if I bail on that, I’d have to pay out a lot of money if I don't deliver... but... really those are my only commitments? I have an apartment back in L.A. but I could get rid of that easily enough.” He sighed, meeting my eyes with intensity.
I sensed the pull of something from him. He needed something very badly. What was it? Stability? Comfort? A loving husband? I could give him those things — although I was clearlygetting very ahead of myself with the husband thing. But there was a spark between us, I was sure of that.
“Tane, I really like you. I know we hardly know each other, but—”
“But it’s like we’ve known each other for years, somehow.” Tane took my hand, a tentative gesture. I squeezed his fingers, rubbing the calluses on his fingers. “I like you too, Dillon. I can’t stop thinking about you and what—” he swallowed his next words but I thought I could guess them.
“What would it be like to try?” I whispered.
Tane nodded.
Chapter Eight
Dillon
Ididn’t overthink it. I leaned in and kissed those beautiful lips.
He put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer and I moaned into his mouth. His lips were pillowy soft, and his tongue quick when I opened my mouth to it.
All we were doing was kissing but it felt like the single most romantic, and erotic moment of my life. Everything in me was shouting “Yes! More please!” so I went ahead and murmured that into the miss.
Tane chuckled and pulled me fully onto his lap. I settled there like I was born to it, my knees squeezing against his hips. I cupped his cheek with one hand and kissed him deep.
