Betting on Hope

Chapter 24



“Heaven,” Hope said. She stirred against him, feeling the warmth and solidity of his chest.

“Heaven,” Tanner repeated. He nudged her tee-shirt still higher. Tanned skin showed through the white lace of her bra. Tanner’s heart lurched.

“Sometime,” he whispered as he kissed her through the lace, “you’re going to tell me how you got that all-over tan.”

“Rock pools. Outside. Our place. Told you?” Hope said breathlessly.

Tanner brushed her breasts with his fingers, drawing patterns over the wispy lace, watching her flesh tighten against his touch. Responsive. He smiled. And she liked what he was doing. She seemed to have forgotten the Rangers and Ming vases already.

Cooperatively, the bra had a front closure, and Tanner unhooked it.

“Wait! Outside!” Hope gasped and arched her back against him.

“We’re alone,” Tanner said, licking her shoulder, feeling himself go a little dizzy at all the smooth pink and tan skin, the full breasts, Hope’s glowing face. He put his head down and kissed her.



When Tanner unhooked her bra and kissed her, Hope thought her body flew off the ground, her heart leaped so hard. Her mouth went dry, her breath quickened, and a jolt of scorching heat seared her from head to toe, settling below her belly as a hot, insistent throb. Even as a tiny atom of rational thought tried to cry out that she was outdoors and exposed and anyone could see, her arms acted on their own. Reaching up for him, she slid her fingers in his hair and held on while his teeth, tongue, and lips, pulled, licked, and nibbled on her sensitive skin, both relieving her aching flesh and creating new spots that demanded his attention.

“Wait,” she whispered, moving restlessly against him.

“Can’t,” he said, flicking his tongue against her skin. “Delicious.”

He slid his hand down her belly and down, under the waistband of her shorts. Faint from heat and desire, her mind screamed, Yes, yes, yes! shutting down the cautionary voice that said Slower, later, not here, not now! She wanted more. She wanted Tanner. She wanted all of him, and she wanted him now.

She might have said something. Had she said something? Maybe she didn’t need to say anything. He didn’t seem to need directions. Tanner’s hand slid inside her shorts, eased under the elastic of her panties—and, oh no, oh no, oh no—oh. Oh yes. Oh good.

He was sliding her shorts and panties down over her hips, down her legs.

“Ah,” Hope said, her mind shorting out under the delightful things his fingers were doing. “Um.” They shouldn’t be doing this. She shouldn’t be—naked! Practically. She was practically naked. She couldn’t think. Had she heard something? “What?”

“Tell me when I do something you like.” Tanner slid down her body, away from her. He kissed her stomach, her hip, her thigh, as he stroked down her calf, past the inside of her knee, back up. He settled down between her legs, holding her hips. He nuzzled her heat.

“Oh!” Hope said, shocked and thrilled at having him there. That was—unbelievable. He was—incredible. Whatever he wanted, he could have. As long as he—. Her mind went blank.

Her breathing quickened. His soft hair, brushing her belly, was tantalizing. Her skin felt bright with tingling. She arched against his hands, clutching his hair. She was on a roller coaster, climbing.

Tanner’s tongue flicked out, finding her most sensitive spot, teasing her.

“Oh,” Hope moaned. Higher.

Tanner slid two fingers into her, stroking her, fueling her fire.

Hope inhaled. Almost there! Almost—there! There, there, there!

Tanner’s fingers probed, his tongue teased, his mouth—his mouth—. Hope panted, needing more air, more room, more of everything. More, more, more!

His mouth pulled.

“Ohhhhhhh. Oh, yes!” Hope said. She felt the whoosh from her lungs as she collapsed. “Oh. Oh.”

She lay on the blanket, limp with fatigue and content to her bones. She inhaled in contentment, smelling the pines and Tanner’s special musky odor. The water trickled down the rocks, occasionally splashing a droplet over them, cooling their skin. The soft breeze rustled the trees and grasses around them. The sun was warm on her legs. A bird cackled from an aspen. She felt utterly part of her surroundings—a wood nymph, who’d spent a sunny afternoon cavorting with a handsome, devilish sartyr.

Tanner moved his hands to her hips.

“You okay?” he asked. “You can stop pulling my hair now.”

Hope smiled, her eyes closed. She was too relaxed to open them. “It’s nice hair,” she said. “I like it.”

“You can pull it again, later.” Tanner came up to lie alongside Hope, reaching for his wallet.

Hope turned into him, draped her arm over his chest, and kissed him. She opened her eyes, realizing with shock that although she was nearly naked, he was still fully clothed. She slipped her hand under his tee-shirt. His skin was warm and firm.

“Aren’t you going to take off your shirt?” she said.

“Should I?” he asked, his voice lazy as he took out a condom.

“I think so.”

“Okay.” But he didn’t take off his shirt.

Hope started to feel uncomfortable. She pulled her shirt down over her still open bra. She was still much more undressed than he was. Much more. It was one thing for him to say the Rangers weren’t coming. He still had his clothes on. He wouldn’t be arrested for public indecency.

“Hand me my shorts,” she said.

“What?” Tanner said. He turned his head to look at her. Just inches from his chocolate-brown eyes, Hope watched them go from inquisitive to tender. He sat up and pulled off his shirt. Then he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off, too.

“Now we’re even,” he said. “Except I’m totally naked.”

Hope gazed at his chest. He was broad and strong, with muscles rippling across his shoulders. His arms were powerful, ropey with muscle and tendon. His skin was tanned. His waist was trim, his hips narrow. He was perfect.

“Ah,” she said, gazing at him, her mind gone blank.

She felt that tingle begin again, that tingle that let her know her nerve endings were doing a happy dance. Tanner looked like he could devour her on the spot. And she’d hand him the fork and spoon.

“Do you want to know my fantasy?” he asked, his voice very soft.

“What fantasy?” She swallowed.

Tanner braced himself on one arm and whispered softly in her ear, his breath warm.

“I have this thing going where you’re the fair but naughty queen of all peoples from the planet whatever, and you have legions of men to do your sexual bidding but I’m your favorite, so you took me on this picnic and you’re naked and dancing in the sun but I have to worship you from afar until you are ready for me. And you have me do many, many very naughty things to you hour after hour until I am weak with exhaustion and enslaved to you forever.”

Hope turned into him. “Really? That’s your fantasy? Dancing in the sun like a wood nymph?”

“Yes. Dancing and doing naughty things. Except that you’re more a queen than a nymph. Same principle, though.” Tanner nuzzled her neck.

Hope reached for his shoulder and kissed him, tasting salt on his skin.

“So now I’ve danced and made you do naughty things, and then I bid you take off your shirt.” Hope turned her head and bit him gently on the arm, then kissed the tender spot.

Tanner inhaled. “The fantasy lives.”

“And I’m still your queen.” She licked his ear.

“You are.”

Hope smiled, tightening her hold on his shoulders. “And you have to serve me.”

“I do. Until I am exhausted.”

“Then it’s time you got busy.”

Hope leaned away to pull off her own shirt, but Tanner took her hands away. He put his hands on her waist and catching the shirt, started to draw it up slowly over her body. When the shirt was over her head and her breasts exposed, he leaned down and kissed her soft skin, licking her, brushing his thumbs against their fullness. Hope’s breath hitched in her throat.

Yes! Her wood nymph queen sang. Yes, yes, yes!

“Um?” Hope said, feeling dizzy. She leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. “Can you…”

Her bra followed. He looked at her, letting his hand drift from her face down her breasts to her stomach, up her arm.

Hope felt her breath catch in her throat.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he whispered. He held her so close, she could hear his heart pound.

“Mmm,” she said. She nipped him again on the shoulder. “Are you ready for your nymph queen of all the peoples now?”

Tanner grinned. “Observe your humble servant.”

“Ah,” Hope said, gazing at him. All of him. He was magnificent. Strong. Big. Powerful. Dark. Beautiful.

And best of all, ready.

“I live to serve,” Tanner said, following her gaze.

“The words every woman longs to hear,” Hope said.

Tanner reached for her, leaning into her as he stroked her face, her shoulders, her breasts, teasing and tasting her flesh, nibbling her ears and licking her sensitive places. And then, reaching down, he gently parted her legs and touched her with both hands, sliding fingers into her and massaging her.

Hope heard herself whimper.

“How’s that?” he whispered. His fingers had found a magic place.

More, more, more!

“More?” he applied pressure, a little here, a little there.

Faster, harder! To the left!

“Ah,” Hope said. Her breath came in little panting gasps.

“Like that?”

“Ah!” Hope said, tossing her head. Tanner tore open the foil covering the condom, fumbling a little in his haste, and put it on. And then he kneeled between her thighs.

“Whatever you want, Hope,” he whispered. And then he was inside her.

Hope moaned. The pressure mounted as he thrust, and the wave he created inside her gathered strength and power.

Yes, yes, yes!

“Ah!” Hope said. “Ah! Ah!”

“Tell me,” Tanner said, surging inside her. He held her face with his hands, covering her body with his.

Faster, harder. The wave built, the tension trembled—and then—the wave burst, sending showers of sparks over her eyes, flooding her skin with sensation.

“Ahhhhhh,” Hope said. She felt bathed in bliss. Tanner thrust into her again, one last hard slide. She heard his breath catch and then he edged to her side and tucked his arm under her shoulder and held her close.

Hope breathed him in. Her body slowed, and she felt limp with pleasure and contentment. She heard all her cells applauding.

She relaxed against him, feeling languid. In a few minutes, she heard the birds again, the trickling water, the light breeze.

“That was good,” she said. “I enjoyed that.”

She felt Tanner smile against her hair. “That was the plan,” he said.

“I’m going to take a little nap now.” Because wood nymph queens could lie naked outside with their favorites. That’s what they did.

“Right behind you,” Tanner said.

And nestled against each other, they slept.



When the sun shifted behind the trees, Tanner woke. Trying not to dislodge Hope, who was sprawled across his chest, he reached for his watch.

Time to go.

He looked down at Hope, her face flushed in sleep. She’d surprised him a little today. He thought he’d meet more resistance to being out here in the open. And to being his woodland queen. But she’d gotten into it. And she’d liked being with him. He knew it. She was hooked, just like he was. He’d watched her face, her eyes, her expressions. He knew.

Reaching over, he gently brushed her hair away from her face.

“Hope,” he said.

She blinked, coming awake, not moving, still holding him. She yawned.

“How long did we sleep?” she asked.

“About an hour.”

She nodded. She lay still for a minute.

“I’m lying on a rock,” she said finally. “It’s jabbing me in the hip.”

Tanner grinned. “Thank you.”

Hope laughed. “I mean, a real rock.”

“Stop with the compliments. My ego doesn’t need it.”

Still grinning, Hope pushed herself up, sitting next to him. The light through the trees dappled against her skin. She looked breathtaking—every bit the queen of planet whatever that he’d imagined her to be. But she was more than beautiful. She was radiant with happiness, and Tanner knew that he was the reason. He smiled.

Hope hadn’t let herself feel much joy over the years, that much was clear. Tanner wanted to make sure that nothing got in the way of her joy again.

Tanner felt his heart expand in a way it hadn’t done since—well, maybe since never. Since Troy was born. He picked up Hope’s hand, stroked her palm with his thumb.

“I’m busy for the next few days,” he said. “I have something to do tonight, and Troy and I are spending tomorrow with my folks before she goes to college, and Monday I’m driving her to LA. I’ll be back Wednesday. Are you busy Wednesday night?”

“No,” Hope said, looking at him massaging her hand.

“Then I’ll see you Wednesday night, all right?” he said. “We can have dinner. And I’ll call you from the road.”

“Wednesday,” Hope said. “That’ll be fun.”

Yes, it would. Tanner tilted up her face and looked at her eyes. Unguarded, unaffected, they were a perfect shade of blue. She thought so, too.

“Okay,” Tanner said. “I’ll see you Wednesday, then. That’s a promise.”