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“And what is it that you want to do?”
“Oh, I don’t know . . . so many things.”
“Lilac,” he said warningly.
“You don’t want to know what it is I really want. It’s . . . it’s boring and it sounds silly.”
“Nothing you say will seem silly.”
“I just want normalcy. A nice guy who treats me well. Family. Kids. I want to get married. I want a house that I can decorate for the holidays. I want to take Christmas photos with my husband and kids in ugly sweaters that I make them wear. I want coordinated Halloween costumes. To cry when I drop my kid off at their first day of school, and when they leave for their first day of college. I want it all.”
“Lilac, baby, you can have all that. You’re only twenty-three. Your life isn’t over.” He’d made certain to ask her age the second night they’d spend together.
“Yeah. You’re right. Don’t know what I’m stressing over.”
“Well, it’s probably because you hadn’t met Mr. Right. Luckily, he’s right here.”
“He is? Where? Can you see him?” She peered around.
“Brat!” He started tickling her until she was laughing so hard that she snorted.
“Oh my God. That’s embarrassing.” She slammed her hand over her mouth. “You did not just hear me do that.”
“What? I thought it was cute.”
“You have a thing for pigs, huh?”
“You did not sound like a pig!”
She snorted again, then groaned. “God, now I can’t stop. It’s an affliction.”
“It’s adorable. Just like you.”
Tanner stood and carried her to the back door.
“I don’t want to go back.”
“You could run away with me,” he suggested.
“Believe me, that’s tempting but not possible.”
One day, he’d make everything that she thought impossible possible.
3
Three nights later . . .
Tanner picked her up and carried her along the hallway.
“Careful,” she muttered in between kissing him.
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I won’t drop you.”
“Was more worried about you putting your back out,” she joked.
He shifted her so she was supported with one hand while he swatted her ass with the other.
“Hey! What was that for?” she asked as he reached the door to the hotel room. He grabbed his key card from his back pocket.
