Tanner felt as if each day with Melanie came with a new set of rules and goals. There was so much to take in with her, and he feared the only way to accomplish everything was to get her to see that he was completely serious when it came to wanting a relationship.
Chapter Eleven
If you were able to believe in Santa for nine years, you can believe in yourself for five minutes.
—Mel’s Motivational Blog
Melanie wasn’t sure what to say. She was positive she had a blank look on her face and quite possibly icing on her lips, but she was utterly stunned at the passion in Tanner’s tone. He meant every single word.
When was the last time someone had commanded her attention to tell her such things? When was the last time someone made her see herself in a different light?
Jade and Livie were great at such things, but they were her best friends. Tanner didn’t have to tell her anything, yet he made sure she was looking at him when he laid down his claim with such conviction.
“Wow,” she muttered, putting her cupcake down and brushing her hand across her mouth. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. You have to believe what I’m telling you.”
She wanted to. Hearing him say things that she’d said herself on her blog was strange. She’d always been the one doling out advice and reaching out to women who needed an extra lift in life. Sometimes she threw in humor to keep the daily motivations uplifting, and random times she would even feel a boost from her viewers’ comments. But to have a man she cared for say something so meaningful, straight to her face . . . she had no clue how to react.
“I want to believe you.” Melanie made her way around the island, coming to stand directly in front of Tanner. “I guess I never realized I lacked in that area. I mean, I’m putting myself out there every day, and I believe what I’m telling my viewers is the best advice for them.”
“Do you feel that way about yourself?” he asked, reaching to take her hand in his.
Melanie weighed her words carefully. “I know that I’m a better person than I was two years ago. I know that each day I get stronger and I want to be better tomorrow than I am today. That’s how I move forward.”
Tanner lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. The heat from his touch, the bristle of his stubble against her skin had her trembling. Anticipation, need, arousal, all spiraled through her. She shouldn’t want him. She shouldn’t trust herself to fall back into a relationship, but he said all the right things, did all the right things.
How could she deny the way he made her feel? Each time she was near him, each time he looked at her, there were sensations she couldn’t explain . . . mainly because she’d never felt them before. That in and of itself terrified her. As if expecting his baby weren’t enough of a scare.
“Don’t,” she murmured.
He kissed her palm again. “Don’t what?”
“All of this. The surprise, the kisses, the looks.”
“What looks are you referring to?” he asked, still holding on to her hand within a breath of his lips.
“The one where you look like . . .”
A ghost of a smile danced around his mouth. “Like what? Like I want you? I do. Every minute I’m with you I want you, Mel.”
“We had one night,” she hurried to say because her heart was beating too fast, her emotions were threatening to overtake her. “It was great, but we can’t do this, Tanner.”
“Give me one good reason.”
“Because. Well, we can’t.”
Damn it. Her reasons sounded weak and clueless. But she wasn’t clueless. She was hopele
ss when it came to this man. For two years she’d built up a resolve and shored up her defenses, yet Tanner had pushed and pushed against each one. He forced her to open her eyes and see things she wasn’t ready to see . . . like a relationship.
A slight tug of her hand and Melanie tumbled against Tanner’s chest. She looked into his eyes, those dark, heavy-lidded eyes that held her captive.
“Why don’t you keep trying to think of excuses,” he stated. “And I’ll work on every reason why this is a good idea.”
Before she could question his intentions, he snaked an arm around her waist and covered her mouth with his. The sweet taste of his pastry mixed with hers, and there was no dessert that compared to being kissed by Tanner Roark. She was utterly helpless. But not in the way she’d once been. No, this was the type of helplessness that was positively glorious and made her want to rip his clothes off and go for an encore of their first experience.
Melanie threaded her fingers through his hair and opened for him. When both of his arms banded against the small of her back, he pulled her tighter against him, causing her body to arch. He tipped her back and completely took over the kiss and the amazing assault on her senses.