My hair straightener has died of heat stroke, leaving my crazy hair to poof its way out of its silky straight jacket and curl up in the humid air. If I looked disheveled before, I must look insane right now.
I catch my breath and start giggling.
Tanner has slowed to a stroll and is now approaching me with his hands in his pockets. He’s pretending not to be winded, but his tie has flipped over his shoulder, and beads of sweat have formed on his brow. I hate that he’s composed and sexy even when he’s out of breath.
“There you are,” he says.
“Here I am.”
We stare at each other in silence for a brief moment, neither one of us knowing how to say goodbye or when.
Meanwhile, angry-looking clouds are forming overhead. On a humid day in New York City, the weather can change from hot and sticky to soaking wet in an instant. With a rumble and a groan, the clouds burst open.
We’re still standing there, staring silently at each other, but now, we’re doing it in the rain.
I don’t have an umbrella, and neither does he. Perfect.
“It is perfect.” Tanner lifts his face to the sky and lets the water cool him. “It’s just like that movie.”
“Which one?”
“Uh...” He stops to think. “You know, the one with the girl and the guy who are doing the thing, and then they hear thunder...”
He knows I know he’s bluffing, and he laughs. He moves toward me, puts his hands on my hips and backs me slowly up the steps, guiding me with his feet and stopping me just under the awning where the water can’t reach me. Though it’s still warm out, I shiver a bit as my wet clothes cling to my skin.
Tanner brushes my hair out of my face, cups my chin with two hands, and traces my lower lip with the tip of his thumb.
“They gaze into each other’s eyes,” he whispers a line from the non-existent movie, as he looks at me, his eyes stormy with desire. He leans in just a little. “And then they kiss in the rain.”
“Nope. I don’t think I’ve seen that one.” I’m smiling for real this time. And I don’t care if he sees it.
“Then you won’t mind if I spoil the ending for you.”
Tanner leans in even closer. I can feel his hot breath against mine. I can practically taste his lips.
My heart is pounding with excitement. My legs are wobbly. I’m going to need to lie down soon—and take his hot, wet body to bed with me.
But just before we make contact, he stops.
“What are you waiting for?”
“I want you to ask me, Elsa. Make me feel wanted. Ask me to come up.”
I know he’s toying with me, but at this point, I don’t care. I’m the kind of woman who knows how to ask for what she wants, and he’s the kind of man who knows how to give it to me.
“I...I want you.”
My voice comes out soft and plaintive, not sultry like I’d hoped. But he’s hanging on my every word.
“I want you to come up.” Because it’s true, I really do. “Please come inside.”
“Really?”
I reach behind me and push the buzzer to be let in. “Really.”
Tanner gives me a cocky smile. He backs away from me and shrugs.
“Maybe next time,” he says.