Trusting Tanner (The Collins Brothers)

by Lexi Lawton

  “God, Jules.” He groaned and lifted her off his lap, laying her on the couch and bringing his body over hers. Then he gave her a hard, desperate kiss that stole her breath the second their lips touched.

  “Tanner.” She fought to draw a deep breath and placed her hands against his chest. A low groan rumbled from deep within her throat. Man, his chest. It was sinful.

  “What?” he asked, his breath ragged, his voice deep and raspy.

  “Take me to bed, please.” She didn’t care if she sounded like she was begging. She was.

  “C’mon.” He held out his hand.

  She didn’t hesitate to take his hand or to follow him into the bedroom. Juliana stood near the bed and watched as he closed the glass doors and then turned around.

  He walked toward her. The desire in his eyes unmistakable. “Juliana.” His voice dripped with sex, and the way her full name rolled off his tongue was downright sinful. He dragged a hand through his hair and stopped in front of her.

  He lowered his mouth to hers, his tongue parting her lips and dipping inside for a long, sensual kiss. Good Lord, if he kissed her like that again, she was going to shove him onto the bed and show him exactly what it meant to be the star of her fantasies.

  “Damn.” His lips tickled hers as he spoke. “I need you so goddamn bad.”

  He released her and removed his jeans. Then he reached for his boxers, intent on taking those off, too. Juliana’s eyes widened, and her heart raced. He dropped his boxers and kicked them off.

  His sculpted chest gave way to a well-defined set of abs, which were only a tease of what was inches lower—the perfectly shaped V that pointed to his massive erection. She should stop staring, but she couldn’t. Sweet Lord, the size of him! As if she wasn’t nervous enough before. She watched in awe as he pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. When his lower half was covered, she let out a small sigh of relief.

  He yanked back the covers on her side of the bed. “Coming?”

  She walked around to the opposite side and kneeled on the mattress.

  Tanner flipped the covers back up. “Uh-uh.” He shook his head. “This bed is reserved for naked people only.”

  “If I don’t take off my shorts you’re seriously going to make me sleep elsewhere?”

  He lay on his side, head propped in his hand. “Yup.” There was a playful twinkle in his eyes, his dimple taunting her.

  She stood back up. “Can I at least have a pillow for the couch?”

  “Get your ass in this bed right now.” He was trying not to laugh.

  She contemplated whether she should do as he said or give him a hard time. Deciding on the former, she eased her shorts off and then climbed into bed next to him. She inched closer and rolled onto her side, her hand finding and caressing his chest. A faint moan erupted from his lips, and she smiled, knowing she’d caused it. Tanner gently guided her onto her back, his warm hand rubbing over her breasts. In the next moment, his mouth was on hers, his tongue teasing and exploring.

  Juliana closed her eyes and reached for him, her hands going to the back of his neck, her fingers splayed in his hair. He’d respected her wishes to take things slow, but now she was ready. She wanted to show him how she really felt, how he made her feel. The cool satin beneath her and the heat of Tanner next to her were almost too much to handle. She arched in to him, and he deepened the kiss, allowing his hand to roam down her body.

  “You’ve got the softest skin.” He left her mouth and kissed along her jaw, down the column of her neck. His hand continued its descent, and she couldn’t stop the tremor working through her, nor did she want to. She wanted to experience everything he had to give.

  “I want to kiss every inch of you.” His mouth closed around her nipple, and she cried out, her body lifting to meet his.

  Slowly, he ran his thumb up and down the apex of her thighs, almost touching her sex but never actually doing it. It was a mind-blowing, diabolical tease she couldn’t get enough of.

  “Tanner.” Her voice was a needy whine, and she shifted closer, hoping to entice him to finally touch her down there, but he didn’t. She grabbed his face and kissed him. He pressed the top half of his body to hers, covering her exposed breasts with his hard, smooth chest. Unable to contain it a moment longer, she moaned, needing him to know how his touch affected her, wanting him to know she wasn’t going to stop him this time. In response, his thumb grazed over her clit, and her ass jerked off the bed.

  “I need you, Jules.” He nipped at her bottom lip. “I need you so bad. But if you want me to stop, tell me.”

  She held his face, wanting to memorize the look in his eyes. It was caring and unflinching, his gaze burning with lust for her. Her heart stuttered in her chest and hammered in her ears. “Don’t stop.”

  Before the words were even out of her mouth, his finger was sliding up her folds, his thumb pushing on her clit with the right amount of pressure. She moaned again, and her eyes closed.

  “So…wet…” He groaned low at her ear and shifted, bringing more of his body onto her. “Shit, Jules.” His finger slid inside her, and she bucked beneath him, driving his finger deeper.

  “God yes.” She rotated her hips, desperate for relief, which was so close she could almost feel it, almost taste the sweetness of release.

  He crushed her lips with a bruising kiss. Using his knees to spread her legs, he settled between them, his fingers still inside her, working her into a frenzy. She writhed beneath him, her breathing coming in short, ragged pants. She wanted more, deeper, harder while simultaneously wanting time to stop, to keep them in this moment together forever. Her hands roamed over his shoulders, down his arms, her fingernails digging into his biceps as she edged closer and closer to orgasm. It had been far too long since she’d had the touch of a man like this, and she was going to savor every single second of it.

  “Tell me what you want, Jules. Tell me what feels good.” He brought his mouth back down to her nipple, drawing it between his teeth, flicking his tongue over it.

  “You,” was all she managed, and even that came out as a gasp. “I want you.”

  “You have me.” He eased his fingers from her, and she instantly missed the contact. “I’m yours, baby. Tell me how you want me.”

  “On your back.” She wiggled out from under him, and when he lay down, she kneeled between his legs, taking his shaft into her hand. Her fingers barely fit around his girth. She’d never get all of him into her mouth, but she was going to have a lot of fun trying.

  She stroked him slowly, her palm circling his head. He moaned, and his stomach clenched. Never in a million years did she think she’d ever be in bed with a man like him, naked, ready to do anything and everything she could with him. She licked her lips and then brought them down over his cock.

  “Fuck.” His thighs tensed, and his hips lifted off the bed.

  His sharp intake of breath, his throaty exhale, spurred her on. Gathering her hair and holding it away, she looked up at him and was floored by the expression on his face. It was feral, animalistic, wolfish with hunger. For a moment, she wondered if she’d started something she couldn’t finish.

  She took him into the back of her throat, humming around his shaft. He arched his back, his head pressing down hard on the pillow. She’d never felt so in control and desirable in her life. Sure, she’d had sex before, had given her fair share of blow jobs to Zach, but there was something exhilarating about doing it to Tanner. It was like he was this untouchable god, and to know she had this power over him, the ability to make him mindless with pleasure was fantastic!

  “Enough.” His voice boomed and echoed around her. He grabbed her under the arms and brought her mouth to his. “My first orgasm with you will not be in your mouth.” He traced her lips with his tongue. “But damn, I was close.”

  She straddled him, allowing his hard shaft to rest between her folds. And then she moved, rubbing along his length. “Ah yes,” she moaned into his mouth.

  “That’s it.” He wr
apped his arms around her and rolled them over so he was now on top. Then he reached for a condom. “I can’t wait a second longer.”

  Her heart raced as she watched him put on the condom and, if she wasn’t mistaken, his hands were shaking. She bit back a smile, not wanting to ruin the moment. But God, she’d driven him to the edge of the cliff, and he was fighting for control like she was. He once again settled between her legs, his body arched and his lips working feverishly against hers. And then she felt it. The slow stretch, the pleasurable burn as he entered her. She cried out, her fingers clutching at his arms.

  “My God,” he groaned, drawing out each word as he pushed into her. “So tight.”

  Her breath hitched. Was that supposed to be some sort of compliment? Oh, who the hell cares? Tanner was inside her, filling her, making her feel things she’d only ever dreamed about. “Kiss me.”

  She could’ve sworn she heard him snarl before pressing his mouth to hers. Juliana hooked her feet under his ass, afraid he might decide to spontaneously get up and leave her there. But he wasn’t moving, at all, and that drove her insane.

  “Tanner, please.” She lifted her hips in a pathetic attempt to get him to fuck her, but he grabbed her hip, pinning her to the bed.

  “Easy.” Finally, he moved, withdrawing slowly and thrusting back in just as slow. “If I go too fast, I’m going to lose it, baby.”

  He kept his rhythm steady, controlled. That alone was enough to make her see God, but the sounds of his moans took her to an entirely new level. His mouth was everywhere—on her lips, her neck, her breasts, back on her lips. She could barely keep up, but damn it felt incredible. She’d never been with a man who was so concerned with her pleasure.

  “I need more,” she whimpered, unashamed.

  Holy hell, did he give it to her, too. Hard. Fast. Frenzied. Sounds of their flesh coming together repeatedly were a chorus to their moans. His name fell from her lips in a wailing chant. Juliana reached around and grabbed his ass, forcing him to slam into her even harder. She screamed, her orgasm crashing down around her, the room spinning and her vision clouding.

  “Fuck!” Tanner’s entire body trembled when she scraped her fingernails up his back. A moment later, she felt the unmistakable swell of him inside her. He thrust into her one last time before his arms went limp and he collapsed on top of her.

  They lay unmoving for several moments. She could’ve stayed like that forever. “Wow.” She sighed and stroked his sweat-dampened hair, luxuriating in the feel of him. “That was…”

  Tanner looked down at her, that sexy-as-sin smile firmly in place. “So much better than I ever imagined.”

  Relief and excitement fought for dominance in her heart and mind. He was satisfied. She was satisfied. It couldn’t get any better, could it? “I was going to say that was definitely worth the wait.”

  “Good.” He kissed her softly. “Don’t move.” He eased out of her and slid from the bed.

  She enjoyed the view of him as he walked to the bathroom. Damn he had a fine ass. She stretched and grabbed the pillow, putting it over her face and squealing into it.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Tanner emerged from the bathroom to find Juliana lying on her back, arms over her head, the sheet draped carelessly across her body, and a faint smile aimed in his direction. He stopped for a moment and admired her. Damn, she’s beautiful.

  “This bed is fantastic.” She stretched her body and wiggled her toes.

  “Wow. A second ago I was fantastic. Now I’ve been replaced by the bed.”

  She propped herself up on an elbow, her long, curly hair falling around her face, framing it like a priceless piece of art. The sight of her stole his breath, and he crossed the room in a few long strides. He kneeled on the bed, his lips going to hers. She trailed her fingers down his chest and stomach, causing him to shudder.

  “I love when you touch me.” He nipped at her bottom lip. “Feels incredible.” Every single time she touched him, goose bumps would break out on his skin. The hairs on his body would stand at attention. His heart would race, and his breath would catch.

  She slowly removed the sheet from her body, inviting him back into the bed. “For the record, nothing could ever replace you.”

  Settling beside her, he propped his head in his hand, resting the other on her stomach. “Can I ask you something?” He slid his hand across her stomach, reaching her waist and tugging her closer.

  “Of course.”

  “How many guys have you been with?” He felt like a total schmuck for asking, but he needed to know. She’d been so tight, and while he knew she wasn’t a virgin, he was worried she didn’t have a lot of experience, which was not a bad thing, but if he was only the second guy she’d ever been with, he wanted to be gentle with her.

  She raised a brow and studied him. “Do you really want to have that conversation right now?”

  Nope. “Yeah, I want to know.” Smooth, Collins. Real smooth.

  “Including you?” She averted her gaze and dragged her fingers up and down his arm. “Three,” she finally said.

  “Only three?” Damn. She really was innocent in so many ways.

  She narrowed her eyes and frowned. “What did you expect?”

  He shrugged. “I had no idea.” Lowering his head, he brushed his lips over hers. “I like knowing you haven’t been with that many guys.”

  “What about you? How many girls have you been with?”

  Shit. He knew she was going to turn this around on him. “Including you? Five.” Tanner studied her face closely, watching for anything that might give away her true feelings, but she had one hell of a poker face.

  “I honestly expected that number to be much higher.” She laughed. “I’m sorry.”

  He feigned shock. “Are you implying I’m some sort of manwhore?”

  Juliana brought the sheet up over her face, leaving only her eyes visible, and then she laughed a little too hard. She shook her head. “No.” Clearing her throat, she turned serious. “Really, I’m sorry. That was mean.”

  “It’s fine. I’m only giving you a hard time. But now I think you owe me something.”

  Her face fell. “Owe you what, exactly?”

  “Information.” He groaned as she lightly traced the line of muscles in his arms, then traveled across his pecs, his abs. “Mmm, that feels good.”

  “What kind of information?”

  “I want information about you. And Devon. Is he one of those three?”

  Her eyes widened seconds before she burst out in a sharp laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not.” He frowned. “You two are always together, and you have all those inside jokes. He’s your go-to guy. Every time you need something, he’s the one you turn to.”

  She moved so she was on her side. The way she gazed into his eyes, it was like she’d stripped him of every single defense he’d ever had and was now staring at his bared soul.

  “You’re jealous of Devon?”

  I’m not jealous of Devon. “I just don’t like how close he is to you…all the time.” Tanner put his arm across her side. Devon may be close to her most of the time, but right now, she was his. And he had no intention of changing that anytime soon.

  “No, Devon isn’t one of the three.” She ran her thumb across his lips, her gaze truthful. “We’ve been friends since freshman year, but we became a lot closer after everything went down with Zach.” She lowered her head. “Devon was there for all of it. He knows me better than anyone, and he’s always been there when I’ve needed him.”

  Tanner put his hand under her chin and tilted her head, his gaze searching hers. He was ecstatic she’d never slept with Devon, but he wasn’t overly happy Devon knew things about her he didn’t. Or how Devon played such a huge role in her life, a role no one, not even Tanner, could fill.

  “What’re you thinking about?” she asked.

  “Nothing important.” Tanner grabbed her and dragged her over on top of him. He palmed the back
of her head, and she met him for a kiss. Their mouths aligned perfectly, and she moved until she straddled him. He smoothed his hands along her back and over the firm, rounded globes of her ass, gripping each cheek and holding her against his growing erection. She inhaled sharply, stealing his breath when she did.

  “I want you again.” He’d always want her.

  She grabbed a condom from the bedside table and held it in front of his face. “Put it on.”

  He cocked a brow and smirked. Taking the condom, he tore it open and reached around her to put it on. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen the take-charge side of her come out to play, and he liked it. A lot. Like so much else about her, she probably didn’t even know how sexy it was.

  “It’s on.” He tucked his hands behind his head. “Now what are you going to do?”

  The spark of a challenge lit up her eyes. “This.” She grabbed the base of his shaft and held it as she eased down on him.

  “Fuck.” His stomach hollowed at the feel of her hot body enveloping him, taking him inch by agonizing inch. It was so slow it was torturous, yet he craved more. He took hold of her hips, guiding her the rest of the way down, the sounds of her faint cries echoing around him.

  “Ahhh.” She dug her fingers against his chest, allowing her body to adjust to him.

  He didn’t know how it was possible, but it felt like she was even tighter now than she’d been the first time. But damn, it was incredible the way she took all of him, even though he knew it couldn’t be that comfortable for her. He wanted to dig his heels into the mattress and fuck her hard and fast, make her scream his name until she wasn’t able to ever utter another man’s name. But he didn’t want to hurt her. He sat up, bringing their bodies flush, and she wrapped her legs around his back and her arms around his neck.

  “You feel so fucking good,” he whispered, then scraped his teeth along the column of her neck. She trembled, and he held on to her tighter, desperate for her to know he had her, he’d never let anything hurt her, that he was her lover, the man she could count on.