CINDERELLA & THE PLAYBOY, page 11
"That might be too much for the palate to take."
Abby handed him a bag of caramels. "You sound like a real candy company owner now. If I didn't know why you really wanted this company, I'd think you were striving to be Willy Wonka."
"Maybe I am," he said quickly. "Maybe this just isn't about acquisitions anymore." Willy Wonka. He'd have to rent that movie when he returned home. Abby hadn't seen his screening room. Maybe they could watch it together. They could make popcorn, talk about new ideas for the company, snuggle on the couch. Then he could take her up to his bedroom and make love to her all night.
Tanner's cell phone rang, interrupting his impossible fantasy, while reminding him that his life really was about acquisitions and transactions. He glanced at the number. The office. It was Jeff.
"I'm all right in here," Abby said, melting the caramel over a low flame. "Got everything under control if you want to take that outside."
Tanner paused. For the first time in his life he felt happy, a bottomless sense of peace, and he wasn't about to interrupt that today. So, for the first time in his life, he ignored the call, punching the power button ruthlessly even while it continued to ring.
Whatever Jeff had to tell him could wait until later, he decided, watching Abby dip the apples into the hot caramel. Then she took a cooled one and dipped it in the chocolate. She was gentle and absorbed and she impressed the hell out of him.
He stifled a laugh at the thought of any of the women he'd dated making candy, wearing a T-shirt and jeans and very little makeup, wanting to be more than a trophy on his arm.
Tanner sidled up behind Abby and put his arms around her waist. Her perfume, that Ivory soap scent that made him wild, wafted delicately from her skin. She felt so good to him. "I'm not taking any calls. I'm working here today. With you."
She hesitated, then glanced over her shoulder at him. "Well, since you've bagged all outside business and since you're a nut yourself, I think it only fitting that you get to roll the Abby Apple in the walnuts."
He chuckled, gave her a squeeze and then released her. He tossed his phone onto the counter and took his position in front of the walnut area that Abby had set up.
They worked side by side, a two-person assembly line, talking, making stupid jokes, tossing specks of powdered sugar at each other. But the best part was when Abby would pass him an apple, and her small, delicate fingers would touch his for just a moment.
To a man like him, such a small gesture should hardly count as foreplay. It was lingering and coy and childish. But with her, it was pure sensuality.
"Oh, man," he said a moment later, after cutting into one apple and popping a slice into his mouth. "This is … you have to taste this."
Tanner brought the slice of apple up to her mouth. Her eyes locked with his as she took a bite.
"Good," she breathed, nodding excitedly. "So good."
She made the mistake of running her tongue over her lower lip, her eyes magnetic. She should be painted like this, Tanner mused, fighting the urge to pitch the apple and fill his hand with something soft and sweet instead. But he'd made plans for them this afternoon. Plans that couldn't be blown off.
His jaw tight, he looked away. "Let's leave the rest to cool." His tone was practically a growl as he led her out the laboratory door. "While you were in the shower, I arranged a little surprise for you."
* * *
"I'm not going." Fear shot into Abby's chest as she looked around the airplane hangar, trying not to focus on the small white plane that was trailing an even smaller white plane behind it. For God's sake, which one was he expecting her to board? The smallest one looked like it had roller skates for wheels. "I can barely get on a big jet, much less this little two-seater thing."
Tanner put a reassuring arm around her shoulders and pointed to the larger of the two planes – which wasn't saying much. "That's a Piper Supercub, and attached to the back is a glider. There's no motor. We glide on the wind."
"That's a confidence builder," she muttered.
"That's exactly what I'm trying to give you. Confidence. You've got to run straight through your fear."
"Why?"
He turned her to face him. "Fear holds you hostage for the rest of your life, Abby. That's no way to live."
She attempted to crack a smile. "It's been working fine for me so far."
"I'll be right with you. Helping you."
"Helping me?" she cried. "Helping me what?"
He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression smug, as if he'd just split the atom. "You're going to do the navigating, Of course, I'll help you. There are elevator controls in both the front and the back of the glider, so we'll be doing it together."
"I don't have a license or—" she sputtered.
"You don't have to have a license to move the controls as long as a licensed pilot's sitting behind you." He grinned. "And I will be."
Abby felt her mouth fall open and her heart sink into her shoes. "You're crazy."
"I'll be there backing you up if there are any problems."
"If?" she practically squeaked.
"I have two gliders back in California, I soar all the time, and I have hundreds of hours of flight experience."
"Perfect. Then you can take yourself for a drive. I'll watch from down here. Safe. In one piece. On the ground."
Tanner took her hands in his, his eyes staring straight into her soul. "Do something for me?"
"What's that?"
"Trust me." He squeezed her hands. "I won't let you get hurt."
Too late for that, she thought, and she wasn't talking about the glider. Tomorrow her heart would be broken and she'd have only memories and a shaky sketch of the man of her dreams. She looked away, looked down, looked anywhere but in his eyes. She didn't want to be afraid anymore. Of flying or of falling in love. She'd dived into one as blind as all get-out, so why not the other?
"What makes you think I can do this?" she asked him.
"I believe in you. Simple as that."
"And I suppose you don't do that very often?"
He winked at her. "You'd be supposing right."
He believed in her. In her wildest dreams she'd never imagined a man saying such a thing to her. Especially this man. And, she realized, that gave her courage. She swallowed hard. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's board this spacecraft."
"Aircraft," Tanner corrected on a chuckle.
An older man wearing a leather jacket with the airfield's insignia on it – who Abby could only presume was the pilot of the Piper – came over to check on them. "You and your wife ready to go, sir?"
Tanner raised a brow at Abby. "Are we?"
Ignoring the terrible tenseness overtaking her, Abby felt herself nod. "Ready as I'll ever be."
* * *
Adrift on air. Pure sunlight, breathless peace. A silent orchestra played the music of the clouds, the blue, the vastness. Tanner had been right, Abby realized. Sweet, fragrant air rushed over her face through the small ventilator to her left. All around her the countryside looked small and lush. If she had allowed fear to guide her decision, she never would have felt such deliciousness.
At her hand, her will, the glider curved, then evened out. Her stomach dipped, then relaxed. From behind her Tanner chuckled and said the "Excellent," and she felt proud.
Of course, she hadn't become a steady-handed convert immediately. No. At first, when she'd climbed into the glider's small bucket seat and the Piper had taken off down the runway, she'd pretended to be brave. Sweat had broken out pretty much everywhere as they'd soared up, up and around, into the sky, up to regulation height. But terror had truly gripped her heart when Tanner unhooked the cable that connected them to the Piper and let them go – let them ride on the wind, as he'd said from behind her.
Abby's first thoughts had come in a jumbled panic. No motor? Absolute silence but for the departing Piper. Tanner expected her to steer this thing? Where were they going to land? Had he plotted all this out?
But in seconds he was showing her how to move with the air currents, how to find the thermals that would carry them for miles. Then something amazing had happened. One instant she felt out of control, the next she felt in control, at ease, confident. And she'd let herself go, hearing his instruction and his praise distinctly over the gentle breeze.
Pure heaven.
"Are you okay?" Tanner called.
"Wonderful," she answered, pushing a strand of hair out of her face, hooking it behind her ear.
"Then happy birthday, Abby."
She gasped. "How did you—"
"I have my spies," he said. "So what do you think? Good present or bad present?"
Abby took in the beauty from above and felt tears come to her eyes. "Really good present. It's amazing up here."
"There's nothing like your first time."
"It's so different." She marveled at the awe in her own voice. "So uncomplicated and peaceful. Like a calm sea."
"Curve just a little to the right," he instructed, and she could feel him moving his controls along with her. "We have to stay in the thermal."
Once they were steady, Abby settled farther into her seat. "The air's so clear up here."
Tanner chuckled. "No L.A. smog in the Minnesota sky. Look down there. To your left."
She did as he asked, gasping as she saw deer, fifty or so, running through the trees, almost following the direction of the glider.
"And you have two of these?" She laughed, amazed, envious. "Do you fly over the ocean back home?"
"No, the air's better in mountain ranges. I fly out in Warner Springs. Sunset's the best time."
"Oh, I'd love that," she said quietly, almost to herself.
But he'd heard her. "You're welcome to join me. Anytime."
Tension and want and hope knotted in her stomach. Had he asked her to see him again or was he just being gracious? she wondered as a mild gust of wind sent the glider upward, fast and smooth. No doubt it was the latter.
"How long have you been interested in flying?" she asked him, her tone just a trace unsteady.
"Seems like forever. My grandmother was an exceptional pilot. She was the one who introduced me to flying. Her bookcases were stacked with manuals and biographies of famous pilots. I suppose she passed her obsession on to me."
"Did she take you up in a glider or a plane?"
"Neither. She died before we had a chance to fly together."
Abby was thoughtful for a moment as they sailed through a patch of low clouds. "Tanner?"
"Yeah?"
"This high up, we're pretty close to heaven. I'd say your grandmother has probably flown with you more times than you think."
He didn't say anything and she fought the urge to turn around and look at him. Instead, she opted for changing the subject. "When I was a kid, I used to take my dollhouse outside and put it on the lawn. I even laid out the landscaping stuff like trees and rocks and things. Then I'd climb up on my roof and look out at my miniature setting. I felt like a giant. 'Course, it didn't look as small as down there, but the same idea."
"I can't believe you went onto the roof. I thought you were afraid of heights."
"No, I wasn't afraid of anything back then." She was quiet for a moment, then she sighed. "The roof always felt so magical to me. It was easy to get to from my bedroom window. Just up the tree and you're there." She smiled in remembrance. "Sure I fell off a couple times, but hey, it was my special place."
He snorted. "The boys know how easy it was to get up to your room with the help of that tree?"
"I didn't have many boyfriends in school."
"I don't believe it."
"Well, it's true," she said, breathing in the scents of sun and earth and cool that seemed to change in potency every few minutes. "I was the poor girl in a rich community. My father's an amazing carpenter, and my mom wanted to stay home with us. So we had lots of love, but not much money. The kids at school didn't really notice me, unless it was to call me names and make fun of my family."
"Immaturity breeds stupidity," Tanner said simply.
"What about you? I bet you had all the girls fighting over you in school."
He laughed. "I went to a boys' academy. There wasn't much chance to date and certainly no place to take them."
"Well," she said, gazing out over the rolling hills and curving ponds. "This would be it. The perfect place to bring a woman." She hesitated. "I'm sure they're all really impressed when you take them up here."
"I've never brought a woman up into the sky before."
A hush fell. Just the gentle breeze and the faint sound of her pulse racing could be heard at his welcome admission. She didn't reply, she didn't want this moment, this memory, to be ruined. She merely smiled and poured her focus back into the leisurely journey, into the beautiful panoramic vision of autumn.
* * *
Chapter 10
«^»
"Your bath has been drawn, Your Highness." Tanner smiled as he held the bathroom door open for Abby.
They'd returned from their flying adventure just a little while ago, after a shaky descent but a perfect landing – onto a long stretch of pastureland. Clouds had been moving over the sun by the time Tanner and Abby were brought back to the airport by one of the ground crew. But before they'd gotten into the limo, Tanner hadn't been able to stop himself from gathering her in his arms for just a moment, brushing a kiss on her soft lips. He'd never felt so proud of anyone in his life.
On their ride home she'd mentioned that the tension from conquering her fear had made her tired and her muscles sore. And though Tanner wanted nothing more than to give her an all-over body massage, he knew that wouldn't be wise. A bath was much better, safer, when they only had thirty minutes until dinner.
He'd showered and dressed already, leaving the bathroom for her.
"Come on. Your bath's getting cold, birthday girl," he called with half-hearted impatience.
She emerged from the walk-in closet like an angel. A cloud of red curls, white bathrobe and bare feet. "Are there bubbles?"
He harrumphed, forcing back his desire. "Are there bubbles? It's like the inside of a champagne bottle in that tub."
"Very good," she said with a sassy smile, coming to stand before him. "For your hard work and—" she ran her hand up the lapel of his charcoal suit "—because you look really, really sexy, you shall be granted one wish."
"Only one?"
"Don't press your luck."
He put both hands up in submission. "All right, all right. Let me think a moment." He rubbed his chin pensively, his thoughts traveling from one seductive image of Abby to the next. Until…
"I've got it," he announced.
"What is your wish, sir?"
He leaned back against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his chest. "I request that you leave the bathroom door ajar."
First her eyes widened, then she laughed, her cheeks flushing a pretty pink. "To what end?"
Slipping a finger into the loose knot at her waist, he eased the ties of her robe free. "So your humble servant may peek in and watch you bathe this time."
"This time?" She sighed, her eyes filling with passion as his hands found her waist, then raked up her back and down her hips.
A fire raged inside him, and he knew if he didn't stop touching her this very minute they were going to miss their candy presentation, dinner and maybe breakfast, as well. He took her hands in his. "Last time you had a bath, I was forced to stay outside the door with only my imagination to keep me company."
She grinned. "That wasn't very fair of me." She moved closer to him. Through the thin robe the tips of her breasts met with his shirt, his chest. "And as I am a very fair person, your wish is granted."
Red-hot desire flooded his senses and he involuntarily squeezed her hand, feeling his grandmother's ring beneath his palm.
She squeezed back. "I had a good time today, Tanner. Floating on air. It was the best birthday present I've ever been given. Thank you."
"It was my pleasure," he returned, his voice hoarse, his body electrified. Would he ever get enough of her? "I meant it when I said anytime."
She nodded. "It would be wonderful if I could."
He felt his brow lift. "And why couldn't you?"
She shrugged and looked away from him. "I don't know that I'll have much time for … socializing when I get back home."
He chuckled. "Well, maybe I can tear you away from that art class for a quick dinner, then."
"Maybe." Her gaze flickered toward him, her mouth turning up into a half smile. "If I can find the time."
If I can find the time? He knew that she was kidding, but even the thought of not seeing her, not being close to her, made his blood turn cold. He swept her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers.
She was quick to respond, moaning as her fingers plunged into his hair. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she met him, drawing him further, deeper. Damn, how he wanted her.
She loved his kiss and she wanted more, he knew, and that knowledge threatened to send him over the edge, threatened to make them late – very late.
"Tanner." She sighed, melting against him, her robe slipping off her shoulders, baring one beautiful breast to his burning gaze.
He surrendered. He was her slave for as long as she wanted him, he vowed, his gaze fixated longingly on the taut peak, swollen and waiting, driving him mad. Abby's head fell back, encouraging him, and he complied, taking the dusky nipple into his mouth, teasing, caressing with his tongue. There was no other way to describe how he felt with her, the effect she had over him. It was unnatural, yet to Tanner there was nothing more natural in the world.
"Are you sure?" he whispered against her breast.
"About what?" she queried hoarsely.
He trailed hot kisses up her neck to her mouth. "Are you sure you don't have the time for me?"
She hesitated, then looked up at him, her eyes a glassy haze of want and need. "You're right. We don't want to be late for dinner."
Tanner groaned, ready to kick himself. He'd meant did she have the time for him when they got back to L.A. With every ounce of control he had left, he slipped her robe back up over her shoulders, then gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "You get in that tub, princess." He raised a brow. "And don't forget about the door."
