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Copyright © 2011 by Dréa Riley All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing, photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the authors or holders of the copyright. This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to locations and historical events; however, names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. Published by Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC PO Box 61 Colfax, NC 27235 www.beautifultroublepublishing.com Cover Art: Marteeka Karland, http://www.marteekakarland.com/ Editor: Barb Wilson Proofreader: Novellette Whyte http://authorgurunovellette.blogspot.com/ Formatter: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/ E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/ ISBN: (e-book) 978-1-61788-227-2
To Raelynn: Thank you DJ, 3J and Nikki: Best sisters ever. CWB: Fist Bumps And last but not least to my readers: you’re fantastic.
Note about eBooks eBooks are NOT transferable. Re-selling, sharing or giving away eBooks is a copyright infringement. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author or Beautiful Trouble Publishing.
CAVEAT This work of erotica contains adult language and sexually explicit scenes, which are smoking hot. This book is intended only for adults, as it is defined by the laws of the country in which the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the hands of under-aged readers.
Chapter One Tanner stood next to his cousin Jeramy and watched Sophia, or Soapy as he’d called her when they were growing up, as she daintily picked at the salad on her plate. She didn’t seem remotely interested in the mixed greens, but she held herself up right and staunchly refused to touch any of the delicious cake that was being passed around. Tanner hoped she wasn’t still being selfconscious about her weight. She always had been, well, at least she was when he’d seen her last...some ten years ago now. Where she was worried that her shape wasn’t pleasing, Tanner knew all too well that they were and he worried that he wasn’t the only man eyeing her voluptuous body. In fact, he was so concerned with the fit of her clothes that he stopped paying attention to anything else as soon as she sat down across from him. He wasn’t even remotely sure what the hell was going on, because he’d tuned out the conversation the moment she walked in. Sophia Lorenzo was everything her name claimed her to be. She called to mind the famous actress with all the beauty that had more than likely been her namesake, and then stomped that same 7
Taming Tanner image right to smither-fucking-renes. Sophia was dynamite, and lots of it. The classic way her body dipped in just at her waist before racing into curves that any driver worth his salt would want to test out with the top down and the throttle wide open. Just the thought of having the top down brought his eyes back to her bosom. Oh yes, he could get lost in that. Lost and never found again. In fact, he’d kill the person who tried to rescue him. He was contemplating murder, and almost acted on it when Jeramy called his name one more time. “What? What, dammit, what? What could you possibly want that you keep calling my damn name? Can you not see that I am busy? I am—I was trying to—you—just what?” Tanner stammered to a stop before realizing that he’d just made himself the laughing stock of the entire wedding party. Everyone sitting at the table was motionless, a mouse could have farted in the deepest reaches of the Amazon and it would have been heard. That was until Jeramy, his wife-to-be, and every one her bridesmaids all burst out laughing. They were followed by the men in the group until the entire table was roaring. Some people held napkins to their faces while others fell into their plates or leaned back in their chairs with tears 8
Drea Riley rolling down their faces. Everyone was laughing, except him and the object of his intense concentration. She had her head bowed, chin tucked into her chest and all he could think was how wonderful it would feel, smell, and taste to be snuggled there. How amazing she would look with their babies tucked against her shoulder, sleeping soundly after having nursed at her breast. No, scratch that, from a bottle— yeah, definitely from a bottle, because he so wasn’t sharing his breasts with any man—even his own son— well, at least not for long. Sophia calmly put her fork down before taking a big breath and holding it while she counted to ten...three times over. Opening her eyes, she pasted a wide smile on her face and looked directly into Tanner Saldana’s piercing blue-green gaze. “You haven’t changed at all, have you? We all know you were extremely busy guess-timating my breast size, Tanner,” she spoke in a low and husky voice that was so surprising to hear. The thick Latino accent often threw people in this area. Even though Sophia had skin black as coal and had grown up most of her life in Northwest Texas, she still retained her heavy south-of-the-border accent she’d learned from 9
Taming Tanner her parents. Granted, it was only ever prominent when she was aggravated. And at this very moment, she was more than aggravated. Not so much at the fact that her childhood crush had caused the entire wedding party to break into laughter at her expense, but because he was eyeing her the way she’d always dreamed he would. Sophia had had a crush on Tanner for as long as she could remember, even though she knew he was way out of her league. The thought that he might actually be interested in her was disconcerting to say the least. Tanner Saldana could have any woman he wanted, so surely his feigned interest in her now was just him being his usual self, and trying to make her feel included like he’d done when they were in school together. That pissed Sophia off. She didn’t need Tanner’s pity interest. Men hit on her regularly now, not that Tanner would know that. Damn him for embarrassing her. Well, two could flirt just as easily as one. No matter which way she’d turned, her childhood-friend-turned-grown-up-heart-throb had been there, towering over her with his domineering six foot seven frame. She hadn’t minded the blatant way his eyes had traced her every curve. In fact, the more he was preoccupied with eyeing her, the more time she 10
Drea Riley had to size him up and commit his visage to memory. She kept her voice pitched low as she leaned forward to give Tanner a good look at the cleavage he’d been eyeing all weekend. Memories that were right up there with Tanner climbing out the watering trough butt-naked the summer they graduated high school. He’d been a lot slimmer then, definitely not the buff, gilded god that was seated before her now. She’d been ready to die and go to heaven when she glimpsed the golden globes of his ass. There hadn’t been a tan line, which told her he spent plenty of time in that trough without his drawers on when he was supposed to be mending fences on his uncle’s ranch. Oh yes, these new images of him were memories she’d be taking back to East Texas to fill the long, lonely nights as she finished her apprenticeship with T’Zara Martin and earned the rights to be manager of the newest locale in the chain of Sweet Seduction storefronts. Finding her tongue, she spoke again, “I’ll let you in on a little secret, amigo, they are bigger than you can handle.” She winked at him and grinned as the table broke into more laughter. Pushing her plate away, she stood from the table and begged her excuses. “I promised Mr. Martin I wouldn’t let T’Zara 11
Taming Tanner overwork herself in the kitchen, what with La Niña so close to coming, and everything. I am gonna go check on the final preparations for your cake.” She bent low to first hug Letty, and then leaned across the table to receive another hug and a kiss on the cheek from Jeramy. In the process, she somehow managed to get some whipped cream from her uneaten dessert on her hand. Before she could pull back across the table, Tanner half-rose from his seat, grasping her hand and pulling it near him. Slowly he licked the fluffy cream from the length of her pinkie finger before she regained her breath and brought her hand to hide behind her back. “Sugar, you wound me. You are exactly the kind of woman I'd like to handle.” Tanner spoke in a whisper close to her ear so that only she could hear. “And if I can’t, I'll die a happy man for the trying.” The roguish cowboy had the nerve to grin, baring that damn dimple that used to make her soak her panties back in the day. Stepping back and blinking, Sophia laughed. “As I said, Tanner, you haven’t changed at all, you Lothario. You don't fool me one bit. Always were the one to flirt fast and loose with the ladies, but I’m no sucker and you can kiss my whole ass.” 12
Drea Riley “Mark the spot, baby, and name the day. I’ll gladly clear my calendar,” Tanner responded with a wink. Sophia laughed again before rolling her eyes and giving a double-handed wave to her boss’s oldest daughter who had run up to the table and was busy demanding that Tanner compliment her on her dress. The little flirt had her mother’s heart-shaped face and a caramel complexion that made Sophia want to eat her up with a spoon. “Mijoy, you mind that devil you’re standing next to, eh, mi Amiga. He thinks he is so smart.” “Smart?” the little imp questioned before rounding the table to peek in car seats that held the Westbrook twins. Mijoy had been utterly enamored with the little boys all weekend long. “My mommy says he is a stone-cold fox. She didn’t say he was smart.” The entire party snickered at the table, trying hard not to succumb to raucous laughter a third time over. “So maybe your mommy is right, little one, but if I were you, I wouldn’t repeat that in front of your papa, okay?” “Oh no, Mommy gave me three cookies and told that if Daddy asks, I’m supposed to pretend we are in church and the hushers are standing behind me.” The little girl spoke with the earnestness that 13
Taming Tanner only a child could have before skipping around the table, grabbing Sophia’s hand and tugging her back toward the compound’s large kitchen. Though Sophia pretended to be totally engrossed in the child's conversation, she couldn’t help the distinct feeling that Tanner was staring at her ass as she walked away. Risking a glance over her shoulder she nearly tripped when Tanner winked at her and licked his lips, catching his bottom lip between his teeth. “Damn chubby-chaser,” she muttered under her breath while flipping him the bird over little Mijoy’s head. “What’s a chubby-chaser, Miss Soapy?” the little girl asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. “Never you mind all that, let’s go run your mamma out of the kitchen before your daddy gets her and we all get in trouble.” Tanner watched and waited as the last of the reception guests left the barn. Letty and Jeramy’s ceremony had been amazing. It was like a fairytale. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked around the dimly lit barn that was covered in hay, sawdust and heartshaped confetti in hundreds of shades of pink and red. 14
Drea Riley The cleanup crew had their hands full, trying to gather all the empty cups and plates that littered the tables. He didn’t envy them the task. To do so would mean he’d have to expel energy in their direction. Honestly, he was reserving all of that to hold himself still in the shadows as he watched his prey. Sophia had looked amazing today, though she hadn’t participated in the ceremony like he had. She had been present throughout the vows, sitting front and center, representing Jeramy’s family, along with his mother, sister and Tanner’s own parents. She’d been stunning in her wine-colored dress. Somehow the jeweled tone of the fabric made her dark skin shine like polished stone. Again, he was jealous of every man, woman, and child that got close to her. From his position as best man, he could have easily taken two or three steps to her and pulled her from her seat before dashing away to some dark little corner and having his way with her. But he was a patient man. Even if that patience was running thin. Watching her now was driving him nuts. She was gently packaging the top tier of the wedding cake, as well as several smaller packages of cakes and fruit that he assumed would probably be delivered to the hotel where all the bridesmaids were gathering the next day for a spa day. He and the other groomsmen 15
Taming Tanner were supposed to be treated to a round of golf, but Tanner had a feeling he’d be missing out on a great tee time. Once Sophia finished her task, she instructed another of the staff from her bakery on what to do with all the packages. Tanner chose that moment to step forward and offer to help her back to the foreman’s house. “Hey, you,” he spoke as he approached. “There’s no way you can walk in the dark in those shoes carrying that plate of goodies. Let me help you.” Sophia gazed up at him as if she was about to decline, but something in her eyes told him she was going to accept his offer, if only for the sake of her aching feet. “Thank you very much, Tanner. I was just wondering how I was going to manage the trek. You’d think a big girl like me would have had more sense than to wear shoes like this on a ranch. As if I didn’t grow up on a ranch and know better,” she joked. Tanner couldn’t help the flash of anger that washed over him, and before he could stop himself he was admonishing her. “Don’t talk about yourself that way. Yes, you are a big woman—a big, lovely, woman. There’s nothing wrong with that. Never has been as far as I am 16
Drea Riley concerned. It would’ve been silly to wear those shoes no matter what your size, but I have to admit, watching the way they made your ass jiggle and defined your calves has been wreaking havoc on my bid for sainthood all night.” Taking the cake-laden paper plate from her hand and moving so that he could stand in front of her, Tanner dropped down on his haunches and said, “Saddle up.” “Tanner, are you kidding? I cannot possibly ride on your back to the house.” “Are you kidding me? I used to give you piggy back rides all the time when we were younger.” “Yes, and I was a lot smaller then.” Tanner let an almost-feral growl loose. “So was I.” “Tanner—” Sophia started to speak before stopping on a sigh. “Soapy,” he mimicked her tone, as he called her by the childhood nickname he’d given her. Sophia stamped her foot lightly, and he laughed. “Listen, it’s piggyback or fireman. You choose. I’m counting to three.” Tanner didn’t have to see Sophia to know she was rolling her eyes. “Sophia, if I have to carry you over my shoulder I can promise I’m going to drop this cake and run my 17
Taming Tanner hands all over that ass. I might even smack it a couple of times to get it warmed up. I might even be tempted to raise your skirt so I can get a better whiff of what I can’t wait to taste.” Tanner stood and turned back to face Sophia to make sure his words were hitting home. “I’m not playing games with you and you know it. So you decide—piggyback, which buys you a little time, or fireman, which tortures us both and speeds up the process.” He felt the indecision radiating off her. Once she nodded her agreement, Tanner led her to a stack of hay bales so she could more easily climb on his back. The glare she was shooting at the back of his head should’ve caused his hair to catch on fire. “If you drop my cake, you won’t get anywhere near what you think you want, cowboy,” she sassed as she leaned in close and braced her weight against his back. The hot air of her breath tickled his ear. Tanner trembled a little as he lifted Sophia off the ground, but it wasn’t because of her weight. He was so excited to have her pressed against him that his eyes nearly crossed. The plate with the cake jostled a bit and he waited for her to settle against him. “You’re gonna need to hold on to this cake,” he said as he slowly lifted his arm for her to take the 18
Drea Riley confection. Once she had the plate secure, he tucked his arms around her legs and made for the exit. Sophie almost lost her grip and smashed the cake in his face. He growled up at her. “For Pete's sake, woman. Stop all that wiggling.” “Well, slow down. It’s not like anything is on fucking fire,” she hissed back. “Baby, you have no idea. I can feel the heat of you burning through my shirt and I can’t wait to try and put it out.” Sophia was breathless as they made their way from the barn to the foreman’s house. The last time she’d been given a piggyback ride was the day she’d fallen and nearly broken her ankle. It was also the day she’d been running back to the barn after spying on Tanner skinny-dipping in the watering trough. The memory of Tanner finding her sprawled out made her laugh. She’d been ass-up and embarrassed at getting caught ogling him, but it didn’t stop her from being giddy when he’d carried her home. “What is so funny back there?” Tanner asked as he readjusted his grip on her legs. 19
Taming Tanner “Just thinking about the last time you gave me a piggyback ride,” Sophia stated, followed by a shy giggle. “Oh, you mean the day I caught you eyeing my ass the summer after we graduated?” he asked her accusingly. Sophia was glad Tanner didn’t have eyes in the back of his head, because she honestly felt herself blush. She tucked her face into his hair in an effort to hide from herself and the knowing night stars. “Aww, come on, Soapy,” Tanner chuckled. “Why do you think I was butt-naked in that trough, anyway? It sure as hell wasn’t to cool off since that water was pretty hot. I knew you’d be sent to find me.” Sophia looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. Confusion and hope laced through her voice when she asked, “Why would you have wanted me to come find you? I don’t understand.” “I’d been trying to get your attention for three summers straight. I was in the best shape ever, and since all the other girls were fawning over me—figured maybe you would, too.” By the time Tanner finished his little confession, Sophia was both embarrassed and pissed. She gave his hair a sharp tug. “You ass. Why didn’t you just say something?” 20
Drea Riley she asked as Tanner lowered her to the ground in front of the porch steps. “I nearly broke my ankle.” “Well, if you hadn’t run away, I would’ve said something. By the time I finally caught up to you, your ankle was swollen bigger than all outside and you were trying so hard not to cry. Then when we got to the house, your mom went on a rampage about how you weren’t able to help with all the cleaning and the cost of doctor bills and on and on and on.” Tanner finished his statement and leaned back against the hand rail. “Yeah, things pretty much sucked for the rest of that summer. I didn’t see you when you left for college.” She gave a shrug. “I spent the rest of that summer working your morning shift at the cafe and helping your mom. You’d already gone south with your aunt before I left for school.” “You—wait, huh? You did what?” Sophia couldn’t hide her obvious confusion. Tanner sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I figured it was my fault you’d hurt yourself and your mom was so pissed about it. I went down to the café and ask them to let me work your shift for you. At first, they were against it. It’s illegal to work under someone else’s name, but being shorthanded wasn’t a good option either so she gave in.” Sophia felt the hot prick of tears burning her 21
Taming Tanner eyes. Other than when Jeramy loaned her the money for her apprenticeship, no one had ever done anything so nice for her. Outside of Jeramy, Tanner was probably the only person in the world who knew what it had been like for her growing up. Her parents weren’t cruel, but like most poor working people, they’d relied heavily on their oldest daughter to help support the family. While they loved her, they’d also heaped the weight of their world on her shoulders from a very young age. Her adolescence hadn’t been the happy-go-lucky existence of fairy tales. That Tanner had done something so selfless for her was astounding. “I had no clue,” she whispered, tears threatening to fall. “Hey…shit! It’s okay. I didn’t tell you that to make you cry. Granted, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping it would make you feel all mushy and invite me in.” Sophia sighed. “Tanner, to be honest, the moment I saw you pull up to the ranch without a date, I knew I was going to invite you in tonight. I’ve grown up a lot since we last saw each other. I’m not the same bashful girl.” Sophia extended her free hand to Tanner and smiled. “Won’t you come in and have some…cake?” 22
Drea Riley A wide grin split Tanner’s face. “I’d love to come in and have some cake and more importantly…some Sophia.” Sophia shot him her best seductive smile. “When you put it like that, I’m sure you can have more than just some, Tanner.”
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Chapter Two Sophia was nervous. Hell, if she were honest, she was downright scared. For all the sass she’d been giving Tanner the entire weekend long, she honestly didn’t know how to proceed. She stood next to the big bed and watched him as he leaned against the doorway. With his bow tie undone and the top few buttons on his dress shirt opened, Tanner was more than wreaking havoc on her nerves. He was flat out plucking them like a hillbilly on a banjo. Her hand trembled so badly that she nearly dropped the cake when she attempted to place it on the night stand. As it was, she ended up with her fingers in the icing. “You seem to have a habit of dipping yourself in sweet things around me. Is that an invitation to lick it off?” Sophia let out a small squeak when she realized Tanner had moved to stand before her. She nearly fainted when Tanner grabbed her hand and suckled the butter cream from her knuckles before winking at her. “Listen, Sophia. I’m not going to lie. I want you, but I would never make you do anything you aren’t ready for. Whatever we do or don’t do tonight is 24
Drea Riley completely up to you.” The soft way he spoke, and the gentle way he lifted her chin so that he could stare into her eyes, gave Sophia such a sense of peace that all the butterflies seemed to melt away. “I’ve wanted to be with you like this since I realized you were a guy and I was a girl. I’ve had a crush on you forever, Tanner, and being here right now seems like a cruel dream…like if I pinch myself I’ll wake up and it will all be gone.” Tanner slowly closed the distance between them. Her heart stuck in her throat; she knew it was now or never. He’d extended the invitation and all she had to do was accept it. Leaning forward, she placed her hands carefully on his chest. He stiffened at her touch, and somehow it made her smile. Adrenaline and excitement made her bolder. Looking for permission, she glanced at Tanner’s face. “Right now, this is your show. Get it out of your system because when it’s my turn, I won’t be stopping.” Sophia nodded. Tanner wanted her, but he also wanted her to participate. Running her hands over his shoulders, and down his chest, she paused at his pecs, feeling his nipples pebble in her palms. She felt him catch his breath and it spurred her on. “I’ve always wanted to watch you rip a shirt 25
Taming Tanner open. Will you do it for me?” she asked shyly. The corner of Tanner’s mouth tipped up and he took a step back. He waited while she sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back on her arms. “Are you comfortable there?” he asked. All Sophia could do was nod her head. Her throat was painfully dry, and all she wanted was for him to open his damn shirt. Squirming a little, she bit her lip and arched an eyebrow. Tanner gave her a short laugh and ripped the shirt, sending buttons flying and exposing his massive chest and abs to her gaze. “Jesus!” Sophia muttered, letting her eyes take in all of him. “Sophia, are you done because I’m about to take charge.” Tanner couldn’t help the pride that washed over him as he watched Sophia watching him. The sheer lust on her face—knowing that he was the focus of her desire—called to the primitive man in him. He wanted to thump his chest, but settled instead for just flexing the muscles there and watching as she licked her lips in response. When she scooted back on the bed and slightly parted her thighs, Tanner took that as an affirmative. 26
Drea Riley With a shrug, he let the torn shirt fall from his shoulders. He kicked off his dress shoes, undid his pants and walked out of them as he made his way to stand between her legs at the edge of the bed. He ran his hands up the side of Sophia’s thighs, pushing the silky material of her skirt up to rest on her ample hips. The sight of her thigh-highs and garters made him growl deep from somewhere far down in his being. “Nice.” Giving a sharp tug, Tanner ripped her panties and exposed her womanhood to his hungry gaze. The feel of her sex on his fingers almost did him in. She was silky. “Does that feel good, baby?” he asked, as he dipped first one, then two large fingers into her heat. When she moaned and fell back on the bed exposing her neck and cupping her breasts, Tanner snatched her to him, her core perfectly aligned with his probing cock. The first graze of heat against his penis made his knees tremble, but the feel of her opening around him and taking him in caused his heart to stop. His heart contracted painfully behind his ribs, as if it lost the knowledge of how to beat when he was fully seated and she wrapped those thick dark chocolate thighs around him and pulled him deeper still. Beginning to beat again, this time it felt as if his heart was trying to 27
Taming Tanner leap from his chest into hers. Clenching both his eyes and his jaw, Tanner forced himself to hold still. He breathed deeply and felt tears at the back of his eyes; the joy of being inside Sophia was almost more than he could bear. When he’d first seen Sophia flitting around the ranch kitchen he’d thought maybe he’d do a little flirting and see if there was any spark there. However, when he’d spoken to her, all his old emotions had rushed back. Now, here in this moment, wrapped in her heat, he knew there was no way in hell he was ever letting her go. “Mine,” he whispered on a breath. Sophia wiggled beneath him, and he stilled her with a firm grip on her thighs. “Mine,” he said again. Opening his eyes, he stared deeply into hers, willing her to understand. She stared back with a look of both fear and hope shining in her eyes. Tanner had been afraid Sophia wouldn’t see that this was something deeper than just sex for him, but then she’d reached up and caught the lone tear that trekked down his cheek with her lips. She whispered the words that set him free. “Always yours, Tanner. Forever.” 28
Drea Riley When Sophia leaned up to whisper in Tanner’s ear, she thought her heart would grow wings and fly away. He was so deep inside her. Literally and figuratively, she’d never felt so full in her entire life. She wanted him, and knowing it wasn’t just about sex made her want him even more. He’d claimed her and she’d accepted it, and now she was basking in that claiming. Tanner moved within her and the feeling was so much that she couldn’t hold on. Falling back to the bed again, she grasped at his shoulders before letting her hands fall away limply. Tanner didn’t leave them empty for long. He leaned into her and grasped her hands in his one large one. He pinned them above her head as he continued to pound into her, branding her with his heat. Her orgasm was building rapidly. But she couldn’t seem to let go. She needed something. Opening her eyes, she was shocked to find Tanner’s face so close to hers. “Need something, baby?” She nodded. The words locked in her throat. “Tell me what you need.” “Come with me.” “All you had to do was ask.” Sophia gasped as Tanner doubled the force of his already powerful thrusts; he released her hands and 29
Taming Tanner once again gripped her hips. Stars began to dance behind her eyes and her scalp tingled with the impending explosion. “So close, Sophia… I need you…come now!” Tanner demanded. All it took were those words for her to fall over the edge. She was so far gone that she barely registered the hot splash of his seed filling her. It felt like she was coming for an eternity, and when she did come back to herself it was to find Tanner resting his golden head on her chest. His ragged breath matched hers. Sophia allowed a soft smile to tug her lips at the warmth of his weight against her. Her legs were going to go numb, but she couldn’t bear to un-wrap them from his waist. She didn’t want him to move. Tanner knew he had to be crushing Sophia, but the moment he attempted to move, she tightened her hold on him. Sighing deeply, he used all his strength to push up, coming to his feet with her wrapped around him, his cock still secure within her. Gently he climbed on to the bed and laid them on their sides before snuggling closer and settling down. “You’re going to want to come out of this dress 30
Drea Riley soon,” he whispered as he placed kisses on her closed eyelids and forehead. Sophia just hummed and tightened her hold on him. Tanner chuckled and pressed another kiss to her forehead before closing his eyes and falling asleep to the rhythm of her breathing.
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Chapter Three “So, you know I’m moving, right?” Tanner asked Sophia as he lay on his stomach. She didn’t answer him right away as she was too busy enjoying rubbing some scented oil into his skin. They’d spent all day making love. In the bed, the shower, the kitchen, and on the floor next to the bed. During their intermissions, they discussed their lives, catching each other up on all the things that had happened in the nearly ten years since they’d last seen each other. Tanner was very much interested in her accomplishments as a baker and she couldn’t help the budding pride she felt at learning about his career finding financial backing for charities. Currently they were taking turns rubbing each other’s sore muscles and feeding each other bites of the cake they’d pilfered the night before. “Oh, yeah? Where to?” Sophia continued to knead the tense muscles in his back. “Wherever it is you’re opening the new bakery,” he muttered before turning his face back into the pillows and letting her massage away the tightness in his neck and shoulders. Sophia laughed. The action caused her breasts to jiggle and her nipples grazed his back, sending the 32
Drea Riley most amazing shivers through her. In one quick motion, he flipped over and settled her above his cock. The moist heat of her immediately cradled him. “So, you’re trying to tell me something, cowboy?” “Only that I want you to be mine, and I am going to make it damned hard for you to refuse.” Sophia laughed. “Oh my, are you saying that little old me has tamed the playboy?” “I’m saying you had me a long time ago, Sophia, you just never realized it.” Tanner smiled up into her face. She loved the way his eyes lit with joy at his confession. Sophia smiled. Her life just kept getting better. One of her truest friends had just married the woman of her dreams. Sophia was about to become head pastry chef and acting manager of one of the very best bakeries in all of Texas. She’d accomplished so much, and now she’d realized one of her most spectacular fantasies—of taming Tanner.
Drea
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Taming Tanner
To read more about the characters connected to this book, check out the following stories: Slow Bucking (Regina and Tyce) Wrangling Letty (Leticia and Jeramy)
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Drea Riley Dréa Riley can always be found one of two favorite places; the kitchen or the computer. A relaxing time for her would be concocting a delicious dish while connecting with her coterie online. Whenever something off the wall happens, Dréa will most likely be found in the middle of it, trying to look innocent and usually failing. With a heart bigger than the Grand Canyon and a mouth more lethal than an injection, this diva might save the world and cuss it out at the same time. This steak-loving sister always finds a way to juggle work, reading, and sleep. She channels the support from her family, friends, and fans into her sitcom lifestyle and stories.
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