Flawless Surrender (The Surrender Trilogy, #2)(12)

A picture of her spread out on his bed with her dark hair on his crisp white pillow and her pretty pink lips open and gasping for air hit him hard, and he grunted, startling her. “Did you need something, Zoey, or did you just come here to sit on my sofa in silence?”

Her jaw clenched in irritation but she seemed resolved to whatever she had to say. “I need a favor, Tanner.”

Tanner felt his eyebrow lift and he let his eyes run over her stiffened spine and knees clenched tightly together. This might get more interesting after all.

“Okay, is this a whiskey kind of favor or a beer kind of favor?” He turned and moved toward the kitchen that opened up on the other side of the living room.

“What?”

“Just trying to determine how strong of a beverage I’m going to need for this chat. What’s the favor?”

“I need to know if I can stay with you for a couple of weeks. I mean, in Dalton’s apartment. Can I rent it for a couple of weeks?” She held her breath when she was nervous, and there went her hand running through her hair again. When she let loose, it fell in a gentle wavy pattern that looked downright sexy on her.

“Why?” Tanner tugged the fridge open and pulled out a bottle of beer, holding up with a questioning look to Zoey. When she shook her head no, he grabbed her a bottle of water and moved back into the living room.

“If you recall my place was bought by the new developer who moved to town, and I only had thirty days to move. Unfortunately, some things have happened and the house that I put a deposit on…well it fell through. Rachel would take me in, but her mom is staying with her for a couple of weeks while Sawyer recovers from his surgery, so it leaves me without a place to stay.”

Tanner took a seat on the sofa next to her, even though he knew he should probably keep his distance. She looked so nervous he reached out and patted her arm. “Come on, it didn’t hurt that much to ask me, did it?”

Her lips curled up in a small smile, “You would be surprised.”

“Normally, it would be no big deal for you to use the apartment, but I just got word that Dalton will be home this weekend.”

Her gorgeous blue eyes widened and she looked as stunned as Tanner had felt when he picked up the phone the evening before. Dalton hadn’t been home since their Dad’s heart attack, and Tanner had begun to believe the next time he would see his younger brother would be for a funeral.

“Dalton? But, I thought he was in Africa doing charity work with Borders for Doctors?” Zoey’s hands twisted the cap on the bottle of water as though tightening it would help hold her spine straight while she asked for his help.

“Doctors without Borders. Yeah, he has been. For nearly a decade. However, the MSF organization is pulling out of Somalia. It has something to do with the safety of the workers. He called yesterday and asked me to pick him up at the airport Friday. Shocked the shit out of me too.”

“So he’s just going to move back here and live in Stone River after all this time?”

He shrugged and took a drink of his beer. He had been asking himself the same questions and still hadn’t come up with any answers. There was a small clinic in Stone River, but the closest hospital was in Austin. It didn’t make sense for a qualified doctor to settle in a small town unless he was opening his own practice, and Dalton had never wanted a private practice before.

“I don’t know. We didn’t have much time to discuss his plans. I guess I will find out when he gets here.”

For several moments they sat in silence as Zoey chewed on the new information. Tanner waited her out because he wasn’t sure she would accept the alternative anyways. When her chin quivered and her blue eyes filled with tears, his heart lurched in his chest and he inhaled sharply like he had been sucker punched.

She started to stand up, and pull her purse strap over her shoulder, “Okay, well thanks anyways.”

Unable to control his own hand he reached out to grab her wrist. “Wait a second. I didn’t say no.”

Zoey looked down at his fingers wrapped around her tiny wrist. It felt as thin as a twig under his callused skin, and he had the distinct urge to wrap her up and protect her.

Clearing his throat, he continued, “I just said you can’t stay in the apartment. This house has another unoccupied bedroom, and you’re welcome to use it. Free of rent.”

Her pretty face went pale and then pink spots appeared on her cheeks. “Stay here, in the main house, with you?”

“I’m not going to molest you, Jesus. What kind of a man do you think I am?” Tanner dropped her wrist and surged to his feet, stomping to the front door. “You know what, never mind. I wouldn’t want someone here who is scared of me anyways.”

“No! I’m not scared of you! I just—look, the truth is, I’m kind of having a really shitty day. My mom took off sometime last night with all of my money and my groceries, and I started my new job today, only to find out that I’m a glorified secretary for the real school counselor. I get to bring her coffee and pick up her dry cleaning, all the while filing and typing up her letters. I only have seven days to figure out where to live or I will be living in my car, and my best friend has the perfect life with her perfect family and no room to help me out right now. I need the place to stay, and before I have a nervous breakdown let me say, yes. I will gladly accept it with the free rent, as long as you let me do something to help out around here.”