So Pucking Wrong (Thin Ice #9)

Chapter Seven

The house was eerily quiet as Tanner came through the door. He had left as early as possible to get back to Harlan. Tanner moved through the house, going from room to room, finding each one empty. Harlan was nowhere to be seen. All their cars were in the garage. An odd sort of panic came from left field and sideswiped him. He couldn’t explain it. There was just a horrible feeling in his gut.

Finally, he noticed the French doors leading to their bedroom balcony were slightly ajar. He peeked out. Harlan sat on the balcony with his feet resting on the railing. He stared at nothing.

Tanner stepped outside.

Harlan’s head turned. A sweet, if not tired-looking smile touched his lips. “Hey, baby. I didn’t know when you’d be home.”

Tanner bent and stole a kiss. “Sorry. I should’ve texted you on my way. With the time difference, I didn’t want to wake you.”

Harlan snagged his t-shirt before he got away and stole another kiss.

As always, he couldn’t stop smiling. Despite Harlan’s amazing greeting, he wasn’t smiling. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk about our marriage.”

Tanner sat. Thankfully, there was a chair to catch him, because Tanner’s knees simply wouldn’t hold him any longer. “Oh. Okay.”

Harlan’s gaze moved over Tanner’s face as if searching for something. “Rider says you used to have a different man every time he saw you. Am I keeping you from that?” He didn’t give Tanner time to answer. “Am I exhausting you to the point you’ll hate me eventually?”

Tanner knew his expression had to match his level of confusion. “When did Rider say that? Where’s all this coming from?”

A sad smile touched Harlan’s lips. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Honestly, things have been so great, I haven’t considered maybe you’re ready to untangle this. It’s possible I’m stealing your life all because I can’t let my brother be right.”

The pains in Tanner’s chest grew, making it harder for him to breathe. “Is that why you haven’t asked for a divorce yet? Is being with me all about your brother?”

Harlan swallowed. It looked painful. “No. That’s not why.”

“Then why?”

Harlan looked away. “You didn’t answer me. I guess that means I was right to worry. You can ask your lawyers to untangle this marriage. I won’t keep you hopping planes and wasting time any longer.”

Tanner thought his chest might explode. The pain was too big. “What if that’s not what I want?”

Harlan met his stare again.

Tanner’s pulse sounded loud in his ears. “I walked through the door, excited to tell you about a plan I have to keep me from having to go back home when you need to be here. Now you want a divorce.”

“I don’t want a divorce.”

They stared at each other. Harlan sounded sad, and Tanner didn’t understand.

“Then why are we having this conversation?”

Harlan swallowed again. “Because I love you and I don’t want to burn you out or make you hate me. I want you to be happy, even if that means you won’t be with me.”

Honestly, Tanner didn’t hear a word past Harlan admitting he loved him. Tanner stood and had Harlan over his shoulder in an instant. A surprised-sounding yelp escaped Harlan, but he didn’t fight. Tanner carried him inside and tossed him on the bed. Before Harlan rallied, Tanner straddled him, pinning him to the bed.

“Don’t ever talk about divorcing me again.”

Harlan blinked. “Okay.”

Tanner gave him a sharp nod. “I have something to say.”

Harlan looked more confused by the moment. “All right.”

There was no going back. “I was stone cold sober when I married you.” Harlan’s lips parted in surprise. Tanner kept going before Harlan could run. “Since we met at Rider’s party, I’ve never been more obsessed. Before that day, it is possible I had a different man every time Rider saw me. That’s because I wasn’t happy. I didn’t want an unhappy relationship like my parents had, so I couldn’t stop searching for something different. Everyone I met made me feel like… I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Like, I’m unbothered by someone using me for my money. That’s to be expected, but it was like everyone I met was fake. They were just pretending to be what they thought I wanted. You never did that. From day one, you made it clear you only spent time with me because you want to and wouldn’t the moment you didn’t want to anymore. But we clicked.”

Tanner knew he wasn’t explaining himself well, but he was trying. “Then we walked past that twenty-four-hour wedding chapel. You looked at me and said, ‘No one will ever want to marry me. I’m too selfish.’ And I said, ‘I will. I’ll marry you.’ The next thing I knew, I was pulling every string and cashing in every favor to marry you before you changed your mind. It never occurred to me you wouldn’t remember. But then you didn’t, and I couldn’t lose you, so I just did whatever you needed me to do to keep you. I might’ve agreed to stay married because you asked. But really, I’ve never wanted anything more than I do this marriage. I love you. How can you be so blind you don’t see that?”

Harlan sniffed, nearly breaking Tanner. Harlan was too strong and independent to be on the verge of tears. Yet Tanner watched it happen. “I think this should be my last season with the team.”

Of all the things Harlan could’ve chosen to say, that one confused him the most. “Why? Where did that come from?”

Harlan sniffed again. “I just want to be with you, and all this back and forth is just too hard. This bed was so fucking empty last night. I don’t want to feel like that anymore.”

As much as Tanner wanted to smile at the confession, he didn’t think he should. “Baby, I would never expect you to give up the career you love. I actually came up with a plan. Well, Storm did.”

A line appeared between Harlan’s eyebrows. “Storm?”

Tanner nodded. He rolled to his side. With his head propped up on his hand, he kept one leg across Harlan’s body. “Yeah. As I was leaving my meeting last night, I ran into him on the street. Apparently, Vegas is playing in Toronto today. Anyhow, he asked about you, and I explained how our schedules sometimes collide and I have to be there while you’re here. He suggested I hire a company to set up a high-security virtual office to hold meetings, so I don’t have to leave you. I didn’t know that was a thing, which really just proves I’m getting old. Technology is out-pacing me. But anyway, I think that’s a great idea. I could have my meetings online and never miss a night with you.”

“Wow.” Harlan blinked. “That’s… wow. I guess I kind of knew that was a thing with more people working from home and whatnot, but I assumed you had to be physically present to sign things and whatnot.”

“Nope. I can do that virtually as well.”

Harlan stared at the ceiling. “Damn.” A smile played on his lips. “We might really get to have a normal marriage.”

Tanner shrugged. “Well, as normal as you and I will ever be. Would you really quit football just to be with me?”

Harlan met his stare. Those gorgeous light blue eyes stole Tanner’s heart the way they always did. “I’m a little scared of how far I would go to stay with you.” His expression turned guilty. “The day I woke up and realized we were married, everything came back to me after a hot shower. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t realize you had been sober. We had a lot to drink that night. I didn’t want to be the only one who remembered we had jumped into this marriage with both feet completely and willingly.”

Tanner’s face hurt from smiling. “I’m a big guy. If there’s one thing I do well, it’s hold my liquor.”

Harlan swiped a hand over his eyes. He snorted. “What the fuck is wrong with us?”

“Do you want a list?”

A laugh burst from Harlan. “Not really, no. I might need therapy otherwise.”

Tanner kissed Harlan’s cheek. “I’ll do therapy with you.” He kissed Harlan’s ear. “I’ll do anything if you’ll tell me you love me again.”

“Anything?” Harlan’s breathless tone had Tanner’s dick stirring.

“Mmm. Anything.” Tanner nibbled his way down Harlan’s neck.

“I love you.”

Tanner’s eyes unexpectedly burned. “I love you too. It would kill me if you decided you didn’t want this anymore.”

In a flash, Harlan had Tanner on his back. He straddled him. “Never.” Harlan’s mouth covered his. Their tongues fought. Every lick had Tanner getting hotter by the second. Harlan tugged at his clothes, stripping Tanner between kisses. Once he had Tanner nude, Harlan shocked him speechless by licking his cock from root to tip. Tanner went still, afraid to move in case Harlan changed his mind. Harlan had dated more women than men. He was a hardcore top and did not suck dick. That wasn’t something Tanner cared about. He didn’t need that in his life. He would rather have Harlan. But if Harlan wanted to do something new with him, Tanner was there for it.

Still, he felt the need to reassure Harlan. “You don’t have to. I love you the way you are.”

Harlan didn’t respond. He didn’t acknowledge Tanner’s words at all. His mouth closed around the tip of Tanner’s erection. Tanner couldn’t control the moan that escaped him. The sound obviously emboldened him. Harlan took him a little deeper.

“Holy shit. You’re killing me.” Because it was Harlan, and there was no one sexier in Tanner's eyes. Another sound he couldn’t swallow vibrated from his throat.

Harlan shot to his knees. “I’m sorry. Maybe some other time, but I can’t take it. The sounds you’re making are killing me.” Harlan scrambled for the lube. In seconds, he impaled Tanner. They froze. Harlan held his stare. He rocked, as if silently asking for permission to keep going.

Tanner snagged the back of Harlan’s neck and claimed his mouth. He did the best he could to use Harlan’s dick.

Finally, Harlan got the message. He sawed in and out, taking Tanner’s ass hard. Tanner was on cloud nine. Every second was more amazing than the last. Harlan loved him. They would stay married. Nothing else mattered in the entire world.

There was nothing Harlan wouldn’t do to please Tanner. Unfortunately, he had zero patience left. Tanner had admitted to loving him. He wanted this marriage. Harlan had to seal the deal with an orgasm. Harlan needed Tanner to know he never needed to go elsewhere. He had everything Tanner would ever want.

Unfortunately, Tanner made him too hot. Harlan had zero patience. He had to feel Tanner orgasming around his dick. Harlan had to feel that heat milking him.

“Come for me. I want to pump you full of cum and watch you leak.”

“Oh god.”

Tanner sounded like he could barely breathe. That was exactly where Harlan wanted him.

“That’s it, baby. You look so sexy wearing my dick. Give me everything.”

“I love you so much.”

His heart and mind had been completely stolen. Now he wanted Tanner to take his soul too. “I love you too, gorgeous. Blow for me. Let me watch.”

A whine came from the back of Tanner’s throat. His body tensed. Harlan held his breath. When Tanner’s body jerked, Harlan sucked in a sharp breath. The pleasure was too much. Between watching cum squirt from Tanner and the sensation of his asshole tightening around him sent him over the edge. Harlan cried out as he pumped cum inside Tanner, filling his ass. It was one of the hottest moments of his life—like a claiming. He savored every blast of ecstasy until the feeling ebbed, leaving behind only euphoria. Harlan kissed Tanner, indulging in the freedom to love him without fear or hiding. He didn’t have to hope Tanner didn’t see the love in his eyes and run. Everything was out there now. This was real. They were truly until death did they part. It was wild and exhilarating. Tanner had a way of keeping him high. All the partying and bed hopping of his past didn’t compare to the thrill this one man brought to his life. Tanner was the only ride through life Harlan would ever need again. He was Harlan’s heart. His everything.