The Right Side of Tanner

Chapter 10

Jenna

I made it back from Vegas late Friday night. When I got to the apartment, no one else was home. I assumed they were out celebrating at the bar and considered going out to meet them, but after a long day of travel, I was beat. So, I opted to shower as soon as I got home and call it a night.

I knew Liam's sister, Lindsey, had made it safely to the city and would be staying with us until she found her own place, and I was excited to finally meet her, but that would have to wait until morning.

The week away definitely did me some good. It was great spending time with Mom and Lance and getting to catch up with old friends. By the end of the week, I felt refreshed, and I had finally stopped thinking about Tanner as often as I was before.

Yep, that trip is just what I needed to cleanse my system of those ridiculous thoughts I was having about 'Chicago's biggest playboy.'

When morning rolled around, I finally got to meet Lindsey. She is an absolute gem. She's such a sweetheart- a little quiet, but who wouldn't be after moving your whole life to a new city? I absolutely love her already. I feel like she and I will be good friends in no time.

Did I mention how cute she is? She's got this whole girl next door thing going on with blonde hair and green eyes that match Liam's. Honestly, I think she and Chase would be great together. The way he reacted to my prodding at the gym makes me think he may already be interested.

Before leaving the gym, I made a mental note to feel her out sometime soon and see if she is interested in dating anyone right now. Maybe I can facilitate something between them if she is. Lord knows he could use a change of pace in the dating department. He needs a quality woman who has goals and aspirations that aren't 'become a trophy wife.'

The rest of the weekend went by quickly. I ended up doing some shopping with Lindsey. She needed a new outfit for work that screamed, 'I'm a badass businesswoman, hear me roar.' So, I took her to a few of my favorite shops and treated her to a few new outfits. I was able to chat a little bit with her about how she's adapting to the city and how she likes everything.

She just seemed a bit guarded when it was just the two of us. I'll have to let her get to know me more, ease her into the whole 'let's be girlfriends' thing. The poor girl's been through hell from the sound of it. Liam told me bits and pieces about what happened to her before deciding to move here. She had a really rough time with her ex and ex-best friend. It turns out they were garbage humans who did her very dirty.

They remind me of my ex, Max Beckham. He was a real jerk- played nice and charming when we first met, made me feel special. Then, ended up breaking my heart when I walked in on him screwing his personal trainer in his office one day when I went to surprise him for lunch. To make matters worse, he thought we were still together after that.

Yeah, the jackass thought I'd stay with him regardless of his infidelity- talk about delusional. Since then, I've pretty much embraced the single life. I've been on dates here and there, but nothing ever came of those. Most guys these days either only want sex or can't handle the fact that I'm a successful woman who works in the sports industry.

Speaking of the sports industry, I have my first day back at work today. I have a meeting with one of my clients and Seb to get things planned for his upcoming debut with AthletaWear. One guess which client I'm meeting with...

Yeah, this will be interesting. I've had a week away to try to calm down my ridiculous hormones when it comes to Tanner 'T.J.' Levine, and I seem to have a handle on things. I just can't help the feeling in my gut that seeing him won't be as quick and painless as I'm hoping.

~

I was right!

My first day back was interesting, to say the least. Tanner, of course, was his usual self- flirty, playful, annoying, hot.

Dammit, Jenna! Stop that!

He picked me up and swung me around in a bear hug, and kissed me on the cheek. I hate to admit it, but that little bit of contact we had lit a fire inside of me. I tried to shake it off and continue the meeting professionally, but damn he made it so hard. Especially when he got right in my face and basically admitted he was jealous of the other guys who showed me any attention.

Just like that, all the progress I had made during my week away vanished. Yep, I guess one week away from him wasn't nearly enough time to cleanse him from my system.

I tried not to let him see how he was affecting me. And somehow, in my warped mind, I thought the only way to combat his behavior was to fight fire with fire. I got even closer to him and touched his chiseled chest as I gave him my retort. It took all I had not to lean up and kiss his full luscious lips when I was that close to them. I could see it in his eyes- he wanted to do the same. So, as soon as I said my piece, I forced myself to turn around and walk away with a racing heart and fluttering stomach.

The rest of the day, I had to actively avoid going near him. I didn't trust my body not to react around him- the traitorous bitch. One day back, and she's all, 'let's see how worked up we can make Jenna today.' I hate that being in his proximity turns me into a horny teenager. Just one glance from him when he does his sexy as fuck eye smolder, and I'm a quivering horn dog.

~

Lindsey made an incredible spread for dinner. Everything was so delicious. We all started chatting, and Liam and Chase began asking about my day. Then, they specifically asked how the meeting with Tanner went. Even hearing his name makes my vagina perk up.

I played it off as best as I could. I couldn't let these guys know I was attracted to their new teammate. It goes against my number one rule- don't date the players. It wouldn't end well if I let things progress further than they already had. They never did with guys who had his kind of reputation. I knew what kind of damage a guy like that could do to me.

Sure, he'd be fun in the sack, but what about afterward? What happens when one of us catches feelings? How do we navigate upholding a professional relationship then?

It would be impossible.

And besides that, I refuse to be used by another asshole like Max Beckham. True- Tanner doesn't pretend to be a sweet guy like Max did. He's made it very clear he doesn't do relationships. He's only interested in sex, but working with him in such close proximity afterward would be horrendous. It would likely lead to more sex, and eventually, I'd probably be the one to catch feelings and wind up with a broken heart.

Yeah, no, thank you.

I can't avoid seeing him. I mean, we work together, for goodness' sake. I'll have to figure out some way to reign myself in for the sake of my job and my sanity. So, I made a decision. From now on, I would only let myself look. I can admire him all I want; I just can't flirt, touch, or fantasize about him unless I'm in the safety of my bedroom- alone. No harm could be done by that. And I'm more than capable of following that rule.

Right?

A/N:

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