Sarah Smile (Halos & Horns Page 7

  She didn’t even attempt to quell her resulting snorts of laughter as she mocked him. “Not that much into casual sex, my ass!”

  He nodded, and closed the gap between them, his attitude far from acceptance of the situation. Her hoots of laughter continued, head thrown back, eyes streaming with tears. By the time she gained some semblance of control over her gasps of laughter, he was in her face, and ready to drive his point home.

  With one hand clasped firmly at the back of her neck, he tugged her close, clamping his mouth over hers and cutting her breath. After a moment of hard, desperate grinding, he gentled the kiss, nipping, tasting, pulling her lower lip into his mouth, wanting her to recognize she was in over her head, to accept defeat at the hands of his superior skills.

  But Mel, herself a worthy adversary, had other ideas, as well as a skillset of her own. She took it to an entirely different level…biting, savoring, sucking hard at his tongue, her fingers threading through his hair. Obviously, playtime wasn’t over until she gave the signal.

  As a result, what began simply as a way to shut her up, turned into a heated battle of vertical, hard bodies and straining limbs…hands pulling, tugging, reaching out for an even closer physical connection, clothes withstanding.

  He couldn’t tell who conceded first. Maybe they had at exactly the same time, but the contact ended abruptly, leaving them both flushed and heated with lustful longing.

  A little off balance, Mel staggered slightly before correcting her stance. She exhaled and cleared her throat gently. “Not bad, Sergeant Hebert…not bad at all.”

  He grinned, and still somewhat determined to dominate, reached out with his right hand to lightly drag his forefinger from her jawline down her neck to the throbbing pulse at the base of her throat.

  “That’s Master Sergeant, and don’t you forget it, Officer Finley.”

  In hindsight, he should have known better. A sudden and distinct pressure of her hand squeezing his testicals had him sucking in air and tensing. She pursed her slightly swollen lips and arched delicate red brows over eyes that sparkled with mischief.

  “That’s Detective Finley, and don’t you forget it.”

  Chapter 7

  Tanner approached the entrance of Red’s club, wondering if it was possible for anything to pull him out of his current rut of boredom. He tugged open the heavy door, his body and mind responding immediately to the telltale rhythm and bass of the house band. He paid the entrance fee to have his hand stamped, and stood for a minute searching for familiar faces in the crowd. He caught sight of Red behind the bar, passing a customer a beer then stopping to address one of his employees.

  It was funny how things had turned out for the two of them. Considering their history of bad blood during the college years at LSU, not to mention the fact that Tiffany had left him for Red, he was continually amazed that they’d since become such good friends.

  He approached the bar, catching Red’s eye, and held out his hand.

  Red sent his bouncer off with a final pat to his arm before grabbing hold of Tanner’s hand. “Hey, buddy. You look like you could use a beer.” He reached inside the cooler and pulled out an icy bottle, popped the top and handed it over.

  Tanner took a generous swig and wiped his mouth, smiling at the cold welcome goodness of his favorite brew. “Thanks man, I needed that after today.”

  “Rough day at the hospital?”

  “Not so much the hospital, but a rough day, none the less.”

  “Aw hell. That’s either woman problems or family problems, or both, for the unfortunate few. Which is it?” Red asked, wearing a knowing grin.

  “Family,” he lied—or rather, told a partial truth. Any day he couldn’t keep thoughts of Sarah from invading his pitifully love-addled brain, inevitably turned into a bad day. He’d woken up with her on his mind, the scent of her carrying over from a dream that left him throbbing with need for her. It had been decades since he’d had to revert to cold showers over a phone call to someone ready and willing to fulfill his needs. He shivered, remembering the shock of frigid water on his hot skin in this morning’s shower. Even then, it had taken awhile to suppress his physical need.

  Before he’d finished his first cup of coffee, his mother’s disturbing phone call came in, tipping the scales of his tolerance to a dangerous level.

  “My dad needs heart surgery, and no matter how much I tell my mother I don’t do hearts, she insists that I do the procedure.” He chuckled at Red’s puzzled expression. “I know, right? She’s probably afraid the top heart specialist in Houston will somehow contaminate dad’s blue blood.”

  Red shook his head and barked out a laugh. “Man, no wonder you were such a pompous asshole in college!”

  Tanner nodded sadly. “Sorry, man. I came by it honestly. It wasn’t until they insulted Angelique a few months back that it hit me how badly they’d influenced my opinions.”

  Red came around the bar to stand next to him. “I doubt you could help it, and if it’s any consolation, you’re only about half the asshole you used to be.”

  Tanner slapped his hand over his own heart. “Thanks man! That means a lot coming from a white trash club owner like you.” He joined in on Red’s raucous laughter, stopping short when three women approached the bar.

  Tiffany McAllister wrapped her hands around Red’s bicep. “Here you are,” she crooned. “Hi Tanner, but I’m stealing my hubby for a dance.” Red took his wife’s hand and grinned, letting her pull him out to the floor.

  Sarah’s voice caught his attention immediately. “Hey Tanner, have you met Melanie Finley yet? She’s spending the night in town to visit with us.”

  Tanner forced himself to pull his gaze from Sarah’s sweet lips long enough to take notice of the busty redhead standing beside her. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure yet. It’s nice to meet you Melanie.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Tanner. But call me Mel, please. Everyone else does,” she said.

  “Mel…” The pieces fell into place. “You’re Officer Mel?”

  “That’s Detective Finley, she’s been promoted recently,” a male voice added. Mitchell stepped up carrying three beers. He gave Mel and Sarah each one, while keeping the last for himself. “Tanner, isn’t it?” he said, looking a tad smug.

  Tanner nodded, as he took the other man’s hand in a strong grip. “Mitchell, right?” He couldn’t help but notice Sarah’s temporary look of bewilderment.

  “Oh, I’d forgotten you two have already met.”

  “Yeah, we met briefly, Sis.”

  “Briefly,” Tanner agreed, before turning back to Sarah. “How’ve you been? Are the girls okay?”

  “Sis, you ready for that dance?” Mitch said, sounding a little too insistent.

  “Next time, maybe,” Sarah said, smiling up at her brother.

  “You heard her, Master Sergeant,” Melanie said, grabbing hold of Mitchell’s arm to drag him toward the dance floor. “Let’s see if you can two-step as well as you can jitterbug.”

  Tanner focused on Sarah’s smile as she watched Mitch and Melanie join throng of dancers. Eventually her gaze returned to his.

  “To answer your question, the girls and I are fine.”

  “Good! That’s what I wanted to hear. They cut any teeth lately?”

  “Yeah, a couple more last week, and Sammi has another one about to break through, I think. It keeps them both a little on the cranky side.”

  “And mom too, maybe?” he said.

  “I don’t have much reason to be cranky. We’re safe and cared for, and I’ve got so much help from Leah and Daniel.”

  “They care about you and the girls. Anyone can see that.”

  She cupped her hand to her ear. “What’s that?” she said, raising her voice over the driving beat of music.

  Before he could repeat it, she put up her hand to stop him.

  “Follow me!” she said, pulling him behind her.

  Like a leash-trained pup, he followed; head up, and obedient. H
e allowed himself a few moments to bask happily in her presence before reminding himself she deserved better than him.

  They reached a table in the corner and he pulled out her chair before seating himself directly across from her

  “This is much better,” she said, settling into her spot.

  With the strain of trying to catch every word she spoke removed from the equation, Tanner found it much easier to concentrate on the sight before him. She gathered her locks in one hand and lifted them while using the other to fan her neck. The subtle scent of her perfume, delicious and sexy as hell, drove home a pure and simple fact. He truly was a glutton for punishment.

  “Now, what was it you said?”

  He sat there, stupefied with wanting her and finally managed to shake himself into some type of awareness. “Uh…I think I’d said that it was easy to see how much the LeBlanc family cares for you and the twins.”

  She gave him an enthusiastic nod. “They’re the best. Daniel refuses to let me pay for a thing the girls and I need—he insists that I put all my wages into savings. I keep telling them both I’ve got plenty enough put aside, and enough coming in to be out on my own. They keep begging me to stay.”

  “What do you want to do?” he asked.

  “Well, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the extra hands. It’s not easy raising twins alone, believe me. But, it’s nothing compared to trying to raise them with a husband who beat the hell out of me.” She took a sip of her beer and stared thoughtfully at the label. “It would be a first for me, you know? My own place, just me and my girls…”

  “Mistress of your own domain,” he said.

  She looked up at him, her face registering surprise at his contribution. “That’s right; it’s not so much to be out on my own, but, I guess I…” She faltered, as though searching for the right words.

  “You just need to know that you can,” he added, knowing he’d hit pay dirt when her face lit up.

  “Exactly! It’s important to me.”

  “I get that.”

  “Do you?” The creases in her forehead registered her doubt.

  “Sure. As a parent, you need to know that you can provide for them.”

  “I do, and I want them to grow up thinking they can do the same thing if push comes to shove and they ever have to. I mean, in a perfect world, they’d be able to count on their husbands for positive support. But, sometimes the world isn’t that perfect.”

  “It will be for them, Sarah,” he said, thinking he’d gladly be first in line to beat the hell out of any man who mistreated one of those girls, fully grown or otherwise.

  “Well, I’d be grateful for that.” She sipped from her beer and lowered it to the table.

  “How’s the job treating you?” Again, her face lit up, revealing her joy.

  “I love my job. I adore the medical personnel. Dr. Maze is a dream of a boss, and the nurses and technicians, even the office personnel. Everyone is so close. The work has been so gratifying for me. I mean they do lose patients, sometimes. Just before Angelique left, they lost one of the long-term radiation patients, an elderly woman. I didn’t get to meet her, but everyone was pretty torn up about it. Just this week we completed radiation treatments on three different patients, with excellent final prognoses to remain cancer free. I’ve never had a job that was so fulfilling before. She gave her beer bottle a couple of spins. “I have to admit though, losing both my parents the way I did, I could see how a patient’s death would make it difficult to go to work some days.”

  She sipped from her beer then turned her attention back to him. “How about you, Tanner? Has anything interesting happened with you lately?” She tapped her chin with her fingers. “Um, something along the lines of saving a room full of people from an addict waving a gun?”

  He grimaced and sucked in his breath. “You heard about that?”

  “Of course I did, everyone heard about it.”

  “But we work out of different departments, and I didn’t think—”

  “Oh, come on Dr. Collins! Hospitals have direct lines at light speed as far as gossip is concerned; you ought to know that by now.”

  “Well, I do know our PR department tried like hell to keep it out of the news. Camera crews disrupting the ER and so forth, so we do what we can to keep things quiet.”

  “I’m guessing you didn’t see it on You Tube?”

  He stared, dumbfounded at her dimpled grin. “God, please tell me you’re joking.”

  Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “I am, but it’s only because it was a slow night. It would have been a different story if there had been a full moon.”

  He allowed himself a moment to be thankful the incident hadn’t been plastered all over You Tube and Facebook. “You’re probably right.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to ease the kink of tension he’d suddenly developed. A male voice cut in from behind him.

  “What’s she right about this time?” Mitch pulled out a chair for Melanie and sat beside her.

  “I was just telling Tanner he needed to come by and see how much the twins have grown since he’s seen them last.”

  He threw her a look of gratitude. “I’ve got the next couple of days to myself. Maybe I’ll do that.”

  “I certainly wish you’d try.” Her gaze brimmed with warmth and sincerity.

  He nodded, jumping slightly at the sound of his cellphone ringing and vibrating in his pocket. He scanned the screen, groaning as his mother’s name appeared. “Oh hell, I gotta take this. Excuse me, please.” He pushed up from the table to stand a few feet away.

  He answered it, bracing himself for bad news. “Mother, has something happened?”

  Sarah only tore her gaze from Tanner when someone nudged her in the side.

  “What’s going on?”

  She turned to Tiffany. “I don’t know. He got a phone call, and it’s upset him, I think. I hope nothing’s wrong.”

  He ended his call and returned to the table. “I have to head to Houston. My father’s had a heart attack.”

  Tiffany gasped as Sarah raised her hand to her mouth. “Oh, Tanner,” she breathed. “Did he…is it serious?”

  “He’s stabilized for now, but his surgery will be scheduled as soon as they think he’s strong enough. What began as stints has blossomed into a bypass surgery—possibly multiple, depending on test results.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Sarah groaned, wishing she could do something to help. “I’ll say a prayer for him.”

  He looked at her suddenly, as though the concept was new to him. “I’d appreciate that. Thank you, Sarah.”

  “Tanner, do you need me to call the hospital for you?” Tiffany asked.

  “I’ll call Dr. Hanson when I’m on the road, Tiff. I’m off for the next two days so they’ll have time to find someone to fill in. I need to stop by my apartment to pick up a few things. I may be gone longer than a couple of days. So…I guess I’ll see y’all when I see y’all.” He gave them a half wave and headed for the exit.

  Sarah stood watching as he slowly wove his way through the crowd, catching glimpses of his blond hair while Tiffany rambled on beside her.

  “Poor guy, I hope he’s okay for the drive. His dad is just over sixty. I wonder if Tanner’s had his heart checked out recent—Hey, where are you going?”

  “I’ll be right back!” Sarah shouted to Tiffany just before immersing herself in the thickening crowd. She scooted and barreled and ‘Excuse me’d’ her way through the throng of dancers and browsers to finally make it to the exit, only to find no Tanner. She barged through the door and searched the immediate parking area, with no sign of him.

  “Oh damn! Double damn!” she swore, disappointed to her core at missing him. Despondent and suddenly wanting nothing more than to go home, she swiveled and yanked on the door. It flew open, nearly sending her flying along with it.

  “Tanner!” She stared at the shadowed features of his chiseled face.

  His face registered his puzzlement as he pointed over his sh
oulder. “Didn’t I just leave you back there?”

  “Yeah. Yes, you did, but I-I…” she stammered before pausing to get her thoughts together as he stepped out, letting the door shut behind him.

  “Sarah?”

  Her name seemed to reverberate in the sudden relative silence—his voice deep, resonating, and so damn sexy it gave her chills. Suddenly, she felt as inept as a silly, young teenager, pining over her first puppy love. “Nothing-it-it’s nothing.” She spun toward the door, but his hand on her wrist stopped her.

  “What is it, Sarah?”

  She couldn’t have walked away from that voice if she’d wanted to. She turned to face him again, bracing herself for the perfection of his facial features, this time awash with the club entrances overhead lighting. No amount of preparation could ready her for the tenderness in those blue eyes. She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly.

  “It’s just that you looked like you needed a hug, that’s all.”

  His reaction was immediate, and so very touching. Tanner’s smile, genuine and heartfelt, immediately transformed his handsome face into something more along the lines of absolutely adorable.

  “I did?”

  Sarah gazed at him, and at some point, realized her head was bobbing up and down like the bobble head of a dash ornament, only in slow motion. She stopped abruptly. “You definitely did.”

  “Well?”

  “What?” She twisted her hands, uncertain about what her next move should be.

  He opened his arms wide. “It’d be a damn shame for you to come all the way out here and not follow through.”

  She stepped forward, welcoming his embrace as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. “I’m sorry about your father, Tanner. Please drive safely.”

  “I will,” he said, releasing her. “And thank you.”

  She stepped back, nodding. “You’re welcome. I hope everything turns out okay.” Absolutely certain she’d made a complete ass of herself, she swiveled, and headed back inside, choosing not to respond to his rushed, “Thanks again.”

  Chapter 8