Page 55 of Grip Me Tight
Hopefully this little interlude will help get the senior guys at the label off his back and then our relationship will just fizzle out quietly, as opposed to the public dumping Noah seems to think is appropriate.
I head down the aisle of the drugstore, looking for condoms. I decided it was a better idea to come into the shop on my own because we created enough excitement outside the ice cream café. Tanner Steele shopping for condoms in a tourist-town drugstore is not the gossip we need right now.
Which makes me wonder how the guys get stuff like that. I add some chips to my basket, along with two lip glosses and some sunscreen. Do they have an assistant who shops for everyday stuff for them? Do they buy their own deodorant? And what about condoms? Do the guys make a list of what they like and don’t like? I don’t want to ask Noah about it, and I definitely don’t want to think about Tanner buying condoms for other occasions. He said he hasn’t had sex in two years and that starts a little flutter deep in my belly. Why wouldn’t he take what is constantly on offer? I don’t know a whole lot about guys, but based on Jake, guys don’t always equate sex with anything meaningful. Sometimes you want a burger. Sometimes you want a brunette. It’s not like Tanner can’t get any woman he wants.
He certainly doesn’t seem out of practice.
But, I have no reason not to believe him.
I stand in front of the shelves containing a plethora of colorful boxes. Everything from condoms to lubricants. Extended pleasure, ‘for her pleasure’, extra-thin, extra-large. Hmmm. What am I supposed to get? I realize I’ve never actually had to do this before. I pick up a purple box with a disco-pink sphere on the front. Trojan G. I read the print. ‘Stimulate her where it counts’. Huh. Any more stimulation and I might end up in a coma, but it sounds interesting, so I slip it into the basket. Oh, look, I like the colors on this box, and I see it comes with some sort of intensifying tingling gel. I’ll take this one too. I should probably get some of these xx-large ones and the ones that claim they’re like wearing nothing at all. I’ve never had sex without protection and I’m on the pill because I like the idea of being extra cautious, but suddenly I’m wet at the idea of him inside me without a barrier. The feel of him in my mouth, his hot seed flooding my throat, aroused me to a fever pitch this morning. I know he was being careful, his thrusts measured and shallow so he wouldn’t hurt me, and I want to feel him lose control inside me. I want something he’s never given to anyone before.
I throw in a few more boxes to be on the safe side and rush to the check-out, eager to get back to the cottage. I unload my basket, lining everything up on the counter. The teenage boy eyes my purchases and I meet his gaze, my face burning. I might have picked up more boxes than necessary.
“Is this all, ma’am?” he asks.
“Um, maybe some gum.” I fumble grabbing several different packs and putting them on the counter. “And maybe some more chips.” I add a couple of bags and then I add three more just to be safe. An older gentleman with a white hair and a cane gets in line behind me. He’s wearing socks with sandals and he smiles. “Lovely weather we’re having.”
I nod. “Yes, it is beautiful.” I turn back to the counter.
The cashier is holding up one of the lip glosses, squinting to see the bar code. The grandpa-looking man beside me has his gaze fixed on the counter. He looks at me and then back at my purchases. Shit. Can this go any faster? I look around, spotting some boxes of s’mores kits. I stack a few of those in front of the condom boxes. I must have been too aggressive because I knock one of the boxes on the other side, to the floor. The cashier bends, picking it up. It’s the G-spot one, bright purple.
“Are you having a party?” Grandpa asks.
I meet the cashier’s eyes. He’s struggling to keep a straight face. Oh god. Never mind the story about Kingmaker’s lead singer vacationing in Sugar Maple Shore, the real town gossip is going to be the girl who bought out the condom section of the local drugstore.
“A party?” I croak.
“Yes, dear. Because of all the s’mores.”
My hands are shaking as I take out my card. “Yes, a party. Huge party. I’m expecting a lot of people.”
The man steps a bit closer, giving me a mischievous wink. “Oh. Well dear, do you know what’s fun at a party?”
* * *
An hourlater we’re back at the lake house and Tanner doubles over with laughter while he unpacks the bags. “Why are there fireworks in here?”
“It’s not funny.”
“Oh, it is completely funny. It’s hilarious.” He’s wheezing and wipes a tear from under his eye. “Tell me again how you went into the drugstore for a box of condoms and ended up with ten bags of stuff, including more s’mores than anyone could possibly eat and fireworks?”
I exhale loudly. “Don’t forget the condoms, Tanner.”
He tucks his lips in, trying not to smile. “How can I forget those?”
“Well, if we’re having a party, maybe we can use them like confetti,” I say, stacking the boxes on the fold-down table, like a multicolored tower. I let out a little shriek as Tanner’s arms snake around my waist, pulling me back against him.
“I’m certain I can find a better use for each and every single one of those.” He nuzzles my hair. “Mmm, you smell like sunshine and ice cream.”
I grab my phone off the table and hold it up. “Sexy selfie.” Tanner tilts his head against mine and I admire the way his dark hair looks against my lighter, colorless mane. He’s so vibrant. There’s a light or an intensity or something that just radiates from him. I wasn’t kidding earlier when I said I have no doubt he’d always be a star. There’s something special about him. Maybe it’s the brooding bad boy look, or maybe it’s that it seems like he has a secret you’re dying to discover, but whatever it is, I’m hooked.
I step out of his arms and quickly compose a post about relationship goals. I’ll save this picture for tomorrow. Tonight, I have to post some pictures from today. Vera texted me to say that a few people have reported Tanner Steele in Sugar Maple Shore to Celeb-Sightings_Canada on Instagram and I follow the account to keep tabs on it. A couple of people posted their photos with him in front of Vanilla Bean café, and someone else tagged TMZ and Kingmaker in a post with a candid of me and Tanner holding hands #TannersGirlfriend. The news is getting around.
I glance up. Tanner is leaning against the table, arms folded, watching me. “What?”
“I had fun today,” he says.
“Me too.” I wonder what’s going on. His demeanor has changed again, from the fun and goofy Tanner that reminds of the teenage boy I knew, to the dark, sexy rock star who makes me feel a little unbalanced, breathless and wanting.
