Tease Me (Hart of Stone Family 1)

I dropped off Taylor and Ridge, both of whom were still in the honeymoon phase, as they well should be. It’s also why I was thankful they took the time to ground me off a never-ending rollercoaster I was on without even knowing it. Thankfully, my best friend knows me better than myself and pulled me out of it, along with the news from Ridge. I don’t expect we’ll have a girls’ night this weekend, and honestly, I didn’t expect it in the first place. They took a shorter honeymoon than they wanted. It seems we’re all hustlers still in our prime, working our tails off, and those two are definitely much the same. Even though Taylor was adamant we go out this weekend, I’m going to decline. She and Ridge need a few more days before the real world edges in and they’re back to twelve-hour days. Ridge is in banking, but that doesn’t mean he works the normal nine to five. Taylor is no slouch either; that girl is dynamite at being an emergency room nurse working even crazier hours and picking up shifts every chance she gets.

I go back to my sketch, seeing the way the lines flow together. I pick up another colored pencil trying to decide which will look good with the long flowy dress and the delicate straps that cross in the back, dipping well until the tips of the model’s ass that I’ve drawn it on.

“Hmm,” I ponder, trying to envision this in multiple body forms, to enhance the curves of every shape and form. I add a slightly bigger billow to the hips. That way, it drapes more than hugs, giving it a forgiving nature, and I’ll definitely have to pick the right fabric. The tip of my tongue touches my top lip. I’m deep in thought and flipping through a mental catalogue trying to remember what I have here at home that might work. There’s no way I’ll be ripping apart that room yet again. God, that was a nightmare and a half. My poor garbage men are already going to want to strangle me with the amount of trash that’s piled up beside the cans I took to the curb. I had so much to go through—expired foods, remnants, papers. It’s shameful how bad things got when work was at its busiest.

A strong breeze comes out of nowhere, ruffling my pages, making me pause to resituate myself, not wanting to ruin what I’m working on. I definitely don’t want to move inside. The weather is too amazing not to sit out here, even if there is a blanket on my lap. My phone is wedged between the cushion and chair when I feel the vibrations, causing my heart to beat in my chest. What if it’s Tanner? What if it isn’t? Those questions run through my mind as I search for my phone. It takes me at least three or four rings before I find it. I glance at the screen; it’s a number I don’t know, so surely, it’s Tanner, right?

“Hello.” I finally grow the lady balls that are on my chest and answer the call, practically breathless with the way my nerves are working double time.

“Hey, Marlie, it’s Tanner.” He takes a deep breath, exhales it.

“Hi, Tanner.” Please don’t be awkward, please don’t be awkward, I repeat in my head.

“This is going to sound like a shit excuse, but when I entered your number in my phone, I must have keyed it in wrong. Not like it’s hard to do with my fat fingers and the small keyboard they provide.” I can’t help but giggle. Ridge mentioned Tanner screwed up but didn’t go into detail. Now I can imagine him doing this, and I’m not sure I can contain myself.

“I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it. Why is it easy to imagine, even though I’ve never done this before?” My head tips back, a smile lights my face, and I relax.

“Told you it sounds stupid. I am sorry, though, and I’d love nothing more than to make this right. If you’re still up for it, that is.” A man who can apologize, admit that he’s made a mistake, and own up to it by wanting more. Where is this man from, Mars?

“Apology accepted. You had two people really sway my opinion, by the way,” I joke.

“Thankful as hell, sweetheart. If you’re referring to Ridge, then you’d be right, though he’ll lord it over my head until he’s ready to call that favor in.”

“Yeah, just imagine if it were Taylor, too. I don’t suggest that, not at all.” I’ve had to call in a favor from her a time or ten, and it’s never something simple and usually involves getting into some kind of dicey trouble.

“Well, I think my sister, Leena, might have Taylor beat. You’re a hard lady to find, Marlie.”