Page 66 of The Player in New Zealand
Instead of coming around the bar, Tane looked right at me, his eyes wide in aWhat the fuck?look. I gave him aWhat the fuck?look right back. He gaped at Nina, his mouth dropping open and flapping for a moment.
Okay, Tane’s gone insane.
“It’s almost like you banged your spine, Claire,” Nina said. “But you would notice that. Maybe you have a bad bedspring. Or maybe... you said you went kayaking this week, right? Maybe paddling the kayak over and over against a bad backrest would do this. Like if you were really paddling hard, banging your back over and over again in the same spot...”
And right then it hit me what my swollen spine was from. I flashed back to fucking in the front seat of Tane’s truck, my ankles up over his shoulders.
FUUUUCCCKK.
I looked up at Tane, our mutualWhat the fuck?faces morphing into panic. Nina was still droning on and on about banging and, honestly, if Tane weren’t so panicked, I’d probably be dying of laughter because I swore she just said “banging sideways.”
Tane and I stared at each other as Nina wound down. “... but here’s the thing: It’s probably none of those scenarios. Because the injury is from some crazy sex position you two tried and the looks on your faces right now are great. Claire, ice your damn back and try not to point out injuries you get from banging my brother again. Tane, for fuck’s sake, don’t break her.”
“You knew?” was the only thing Tane could think of to say.
“Of course I knew. I’ve seen you two play grab-ass on the CCTV anytime you think someone’s not looking, and obviously you forgot about the camera we have in the stockroom.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hand, walking back to said stockroom to pull out more cases of beer. “Don’t bother trying to hide it now.”
Tane and I looked at each other as the door slammed shut. I was still leaning against the bar, my shirt up around my ribs, lower back exposed.
He broke eye contact first, stepping next to me. “Does it hurt?” His fingers lightly traced the bump. “Did it hurt when we were in the car?”
His voice was edged with worry, and he rested his big palm on the side of my back, fingers still tickling the spot. I straightened, knocking his hand down. “It didn’t hurt when we were doing it, I swear.”
A smile flickered across his face.
“Maybe I shouldn’t be lifting things.” I watched him as the teasing words came out. “Sure could use a big strong man to help restock the bar, though.”
It was Tane’s turn to snort and roll his eyes. “Fine, I’ll help Nina. But now that she knows, you’re coming home with me tonight after your shift.”
“Whatever,” I called out dismissively, hiding my excitement as the door slammed closed behind him. I overturned a crate and placed beers into the cooler.
When the door opened again, Tane and Nina were each carrying boxes—one for Nina, three for Tane. They put the boxes down next to me and before I could say thanks, Tane leaned down and tugged my hair, pulling my head back. He bent over and brushed his lips against mine, sending chills down my body. “Don’t whatever me.”
I grinned as he pulled away, and the quick kiss in public—in sight of Nina and everything—was branded on my lips like no other kiss before.
TWENTY-FOUR
I had thoughtit was hot when we’d snuck around in public. Shared looks, stolen touches, all the illicitness of it should have been what made it hot, right?
But instead the whole thing being out in the open made it about a thousand times worse. All through the night, Tane caught my eye. Sometimes he smirked, sometimes he smoldered. Every time, he made my stomach flip.
Where we used to dance around each other, we now touched. Tane stood at the taps, chatting with a customer, and instead of stepping away as I came in for a beer, he lifted an arm up, letting me reach in and pour it. I leaned against him, his hand settled onto my hip. I shifted against him, and he shifted back.
“You all good?” he said to me quietly as I straightened with the beer. His thumb slipped under my belt, tugging me.
It was too busy to have a spare moment in the stockroom, so nothing entirely illicit happened. But I was built up.
When the night started to wind down and it was time to send some of the staff home, Nina asked me if I wanted to go. I glanced up at Tane and he caught my eye, walking over and ducking down to hear Nina better.
“I was asking Claire if she wanted to call it a night.”
Tane shook his head as he bowed down toward us. “We’ll close up tonight. If that’s okay with you, Nina?”
Excitement fluttered in my chest. Not only was I staying the night, but Tane was asking Nina to take a big step with him.
Nina glanced between us. “Yeah?”
Tane held her gaze. “Sure.”
