Trusting Tanner (The Collins Brothers)

by Lexi Lawton

  “You and me staying right here all day.”

  “You want to spend all day in bed? Again?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” He licked his lips and took another kiss from her. Their kisses were becoming longer and hotter. His cock was getting hard, and he needed to be inside her again, like he was last night.

  “What about your brothers? Wasn’t there some sort of party you’re supposed to go to tonight?”

  “To hell with the party.” He moved so he was on top of her, using his knees to spread her legs, settling between them. “I want to spend the day with you. My brothers will understand.”

  “That really is the best idea you’ve ever had.” Then she lifted her hips, her soft, wet lips pressing against his erection. He groaned and kissed her hard.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Juliana rushed to open the door before Tanner heard the knock. “Hey, guys, thanks for coming.” She stepped aside to let Ryder and Xander enter the room.

  “We were shocked to get your call,” Ryder said. “After the way we acted last night, we didn’t think you’d want to talk to us ever again.” He laughed nervously.

  “Yeah, where is Tanner anyway?” Xander looked around the hotel room.

  “What the…? Is that my brother?” Tanner walked out of the bathroom with a towel slung low around his waist. “What the fuck are you two doing here?”

  “I called them.” Jules shut the door. “I thought we could all hang out. Maybe order some room service or something.” She tucked her hands into her pockets and rocked on her heels. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “No, of course not.” He walked over and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “You’re amazing, you know that?” he whispered.

  “Look, we’re cool with hanging out, but I’m not watching you two go at it.” Xander laughed. “Go cover your ugly ass with some clothes, would ya?”

  Tanner chuckled and flipped him off, then retreated to the bedroom. Jules took a deep breath. She hadn’t been alone with or spoken to Xander and Ryder since the bowling alley, and she prayed things wouldn’t go as they had the last time. She wanted to get along with them because she knew it meant a lot to Tanner.

  “I’m sorry about the way I yelled at you and then ran out of the bowling alley,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting all those questions, and I didn’t know how to answer them.”

  “No.” Ryder shook his head. “We’re the ones who owe you an apology. We shouldn’t have pushed so hard, and we’re sorry.” He turned to Xander and raised a brow.

  “Yeah, we’re sorry,” Xander agreed. “Ryder can be a real asshole sometimes. I’m embarrassed to call him my brother.”

  Ryder hauled off and punched Xander’s arm, knocking him off balance. “You’re embarrassed? Have you heard yourself talk?”

  Jules laughed. They really did like to harass each other, didn’t they? It made her long for a sibling of her own, someone she could tease and love and always count on.

  “Seriously, though, we were dicks last night, and that wasn’t cool,” Xander said, rubbing his arm.

  “And if we get out of line again, tell us,” Ryder said with a smile.

  “Thanks.” Her heart warmed. All the fears and doubts and anger she’d had toward them dissipated. “I know you were just looking out for your brother. I can respect that.”

  “Dude, I like her,” Ryder said.

  Xander nodded in agreement. “You’re like the sister we never had.” He grinned. “Tanner better not fuck this up.”

  Wow. She was struck speechless. Of everything he could have said, him referring to her as family had never crossed her mind. It was no wonder Tanner was so close to his brothers—they were funny and forgiving and easy to like.

  “But if you try to steal all his money, we will hunt you down.” Ryder winked.

  Juliana laughed. “Thanks for the heads up.”

  “What’s so funny?” Tanner walked out dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. He looked between the three of them, his lips thinned as if he didn’t know whether to smile or frown.

  She slid her arm around his waist. “Your brothers and I were just making amends.”

  Tanner glanced down at her, eyes wide, a surprised smile tugging at his lips. “Really?”

  “Don’t make a big deal out of it,” Ryder said, sitting on the couch. “Let’s get busy hanging out. Where’s the room service menu?”

  “Forget the food. Where’s the mini-bar?” Xander asked.

  Jules shook her head. Tanner was right about them—they were definitely a handful. But she liked them, and she hoped they liked her, too.

  “Thank you,” Tanner mouthed a second before kissing her.

  “You’re welcome.” She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  …

  Juliana sat under her favorite tree, basking in the sun. She and Tanner had been back on campus for almost a week now, and she missed the privacy of the hotel and the lack of any real responsibility. Strangely, she missed his brothers, too. They were great guys. Funny and smart. It had been easy to forgive them for how they’d behaved when she knew the love that had been behind it. And once they’d made amends, they’d all spent the next day exploring Miami. It was the best weekend ever.

  “I was starting to forget what you looked like.” Devon dropped his bag on the ground then sat next to her.

  She laughed, but there was no humor behind it. Since getting serious with Tanner, she’d been spending less and less time with Devon, and when she did see him, guilt ate away at her. He’d always been her rock, and she hadn’t been a very good friend to him lately.

  “Sorry.” She nudged his shoulder with hers.

  “So things with Tanner are going well, huh?” He picked at the grass around him. His tone was flat, like he had the weight of the world resting on him.

  Tilting her head, she studied him. “Yeah, things are great. Better than I ever imagined they could be.”

  He glanced at her, smiling. But his blue eyes didn’t have their normal spark. “I’m happy you’re happy. You deserve it.”

  “Okay. What’s going on?”

  “I miss you.” He shrugged. “We used to hang out all the time, and now I barely see you.”

  “I’m sorry.” Juliana frowned. Her heart splintered at the heavy sadness in his voice. “Why don’t you come over tonight? I’ll make you quesadillas.” He could never say no to her quesadillas, and spending the evening catching up with him would be good for both of them.

  “So I can watch you and Tanner suck face? No thanks.”

  She flinched at the harshness of his words, but she couldn’t get angry with him. He was right. She’d been neglecting him so she could have marathon sex with her boyfriend. “No, it’ll be just you and me tonight. Like old times.”

  Hope filled his expression. “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  “I’ll bring the beer and the movies.” His familiar grin returned, and she relaxed a little.

  They ate lunch, talking about nothing and everything. Despite not hanging out much lately, it was like they hadn’t missed a beat, and they fell back into their easy groove. She was excited about spending more time with her best friend. But for every ounce of excitement pumping through her veins, there was an equal amount of sadness and disappointment.

  Tonight would be the first night in almost two weeks she wouldn’t be with Tanner. Just thinking about that had her missing him, but the time apart was necessary. They needed to maintain their lives outside of each other, and she would not let her world revolve around him. She’d made that mistake with Zach and it had blown up in her face.

  “You going to the frat party tomorrow night?” Devon asked.

  “Yeah, Tanner asked me to go with him. You’ll be there, right?”

  He nodded and reached for his bag. “Well, I suppose I’d better get to class.” He sighed like it was the biggest inconvenience of his life. “What time tonight?”

  “Five? That’ll give me time to make a trip to the s
tore.” She stood and wiped her hands on her butt.

  “What time is your last class?”

  “I’m done at 3:20 today.” She slung her bag over her shoulder.

  “I’m done at three. I’ll meet you here. We can go to the store together, if you want.”

  She nodded. It would save her from having to take the bus downtown for the few things she needed. “Cool. See you then.” She waved to him as he headed toward class.

  Juliana walked toward Fallon Hall, but before she made it to the door, a pair of strong arms spun her around. And then Tanner’s mouth was on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and arched into him. This was the first she’d seen him since they’d parted ways this morning.

  He moved his lips along her jaw. “Tonight, I think we should test the sturdiness of your kitchen table. Again.” He nipped at her earlobe.

  They’d spent the week “christening” her apartment and new furniture. So far, they’d had sex on her bed, her couch, the kitchen counter, the table, in her bathroom, and every wall he could pin her against.

  She groaned. “I made plans with Devon tonight.”

  “What?” He jerked back. “What’re you doing with him?”

  “Hanging out at my place. He’s feeling kind of down, so I invited him to come over.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, because to her, it wasn’t.

  “Oh.” His shoulders slumped, and he released her. “Okay.”

  She waited for him to laugh or smile or tell her everything was fine, but as the seconds ticked by, his expression remained closed off. “You’re not mad, are you?” She didn’t know why he would be. He knew she and Devon were just friends. Still, the sad look on Tanner’s face pulled at her heart. The very last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.

  “Not mad. Disappointed.”

  That was worse. She frowned. What else could she say or do to prove to him that Devon was more like a brother than anything else? He was important to her, but not in the same way Tanner was. How could she make him understand that, though, without jeopardizing their relationship?

  “Devon is a big part of my life. He’s always been there for me, and I’ve been ignoring him lately. I miss my friend.”

  His lips flattened into a thin line. “It’s fine. I’ll see what Jason is up to tonight.” His tone was flat, and he sounded defeated.

  “Tanner.” Her lips trembled, and she pulled in a shaky breath. “He’s my friend. That’s it.”

  The very last thing she wanted to do was fight with him, not when things had been damn near perfect between them.

  “Shit.” Tanner dragged his hand through his hair.

  She stepped up to him. “I love you, Tanner, and nothing is going to change that. Certainly not spending a few hours with Devon.”

  “I hate the idea of you being alone with him.” He slid his arm around her waist. “I know you’d never cheat on me, but I see the way he looks at you, Jules. You can ignore it all you want, but there’s more on his mind than friendship.”

  He was wrong. Devon had never crossed the line with her, and he never would. Why would Tanner even suggest anything like that?

  “I gotta get to class.” He moved away from her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  And then he walked away without so much as a peck on the cheek. The sting of hot tears burned her eyes.

  …

  Juliana’s stomach was in a knot in her throat, but she wasn’t sure if it was because she was going to have to face Tanner, or because she was getting sick. Her stomach had been queasy since she’d eaten last night. Tanner had been texting her almost nonstop since their disagreement yesterday. She’d been responding, but her answers were short and to the point. Anger was still simmering inside of her about his accusations. Why did everyone always think she and Devon were a couple? Didn’t people realize it was perfectly acceptable for a boy and girl to be friends and nothing more? But more than that, she’d spent too much time looking at Devon differently, trying to see if there was any validity to Tanner’s concerns, and Devon had noticed her weird behavior. The whole thing was so messed up.

  Trying to sleep last night was impossible. She’d tossed and turned, eventually giving up on sleep and instead she’d hugged Tanner’s pillow to her chest. It still smelled like him, and eventually she’d dozed off.

  As she approached the frat house, she had half a mind to turn around, go home, and text Tanner that she wasn’t feeling well, because she was not in the partying mood.

  She shook it off and entered the house to find it packed, more so than normal. Tanner made his way through the crowd and stopped in front of her, hands tucked in his pockets.

  “I’m glad you made it,” he said.

  Not so much as a smile or a kiss or a touch. Her heart started to crack. Had she ruined things between them? Although she was still upset, she missed him and craved his affection. She swallowed hard. “I told you I’d be here.”

  He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry about yesterday.” He stepped closer, each move tentative, as if he expected her to push him away.

  “I’m sorry, too.”

  “We’re going to be okay, right?”

  She nodded and slipped her arms around his waist. His body visibly relaxed against her, and he returned her hug. His strong arms were familiar and safe, and she never wanted to lose this. He kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes and tightened her hold on him.

  “I missed you last night,” he whispered seconds before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

  “Juliana!” Rebecca cleared her throat, interrupting them. “Can you disentangle yourself for a sec so we can talk?” She actually looked contrite. “There’s something important I need to tell you.”

  “Um, sure.” Juliana glanced at Tanner with an apologetic shrug. It was probably a mistake to give Rebecca even a minute of her time, but maybe she was finally going to tell the truth. Everyone deserved a second chance, right?

  “Hold on a minute.” Tanner took Jules’s elbow and moved her out of earshot from Rebecca. “Are you really going to talk to her?”

  “It’s not like she’s going to tell me anything I don’t already know. And I know anything she says about you will be a lie.” She shrugged. “Besides, if I don’t hear her out, she’ll probably just be a pain all night.”

  He dragged his hand through his hair. “Okay. I’ll go get us something to drink.” Clutching her chin, he brushed his lips over hers. “I love you.”

  A warm, tingly feeling buzzed through her. “I love you, too.” When he walked away, she returned to where Rebecca stood. “So, what’s up?” She crossed her arms.

  “I miss living with you.” Rebecca pouted.

  Juliana narrowed her eyes. Was this for real? They did nothing but fight and annoy each other. Why on earth would she miss that?

  “I never got along with my last roommate,” Rebecca continued. “And I know we had our problems, but I consider you a friend, Jules.”

  “Uh…” She had no idea how to respond.

  “It’s stupid we let a guy come between us, and I’d really love it if you’d move back in.”

  Her jaw dropped, and then she snapped it shut quickly. “First of all, I can’t move back in. I just signed a lease. And second, a guy didn’t come between us. You did, Rebecca. Even if we forget the fact that you were constantly kicking me out of the room and bringing people over all the time, you flat-out lied to my face about having sex with Tanner.”

  “I didn’t lie to you about him.” She shook her head. “I really wish you’d see how he’s playing you.”

  Juliana gritted her teeth. She knew clear to her soul Rebecca was a dirty liar, but that knowledge didn’t make it any easier to stand there and listen to her talk about Tanner. “If you really do consider me a friend, you’ll stop acting like this.”

  Rebecca scowled and shook her head. “Guess the jokes on me for thinking we could move past our differences.” With a huff, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

  All Julia
na could do was stare after her in disbelief.

  “Doesn’t look like that went too well.” Tanner handed her a beer.

  She took one sip, and her stomach recoiled. She forced back a gag and scrunched up her face. “No, it didn’t. She still insists you and she have hooked up, and then she tried to guilt me into moving back in with her.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “My thoughts exactly.” She set the beer on the nearest flat surface and rubbed her stomach.

  “You all right?” Tanner’s hand was on her back, rubbing along her spine.

  “No, I haven’t been feeling that great. I think I’m going to head home and lie down.” Sleep would help. It always did.

  “Am I invited?” His tone was as uncertain as his actions had been earlier.

  If he came home with her, they’d end up having sex, and while that was a tempting idea, her stomach couldn’t handle that type of activity. She shook her head. “Not tonight, but I’ll call you in the morning, okay?” She gave his cheek a kiss then left before he could convince her to change her mind.

  Chapter Thirty

  I’m losing her.

  That was the only thought in his mind as he watched Juliana walk out of Alpha house. Tanner downed his beer and then reached for the one Juliana had left, guzzling that one, too. He fucked things up because he couldn’t get a handle on his jealousy. But dammit, he knew there was something more going on with Devon, and with the history those two had… He had every right to be scared shitless.

  How many more times could he apologize? He messed up, but that didn’t mean things had to end between them. They could get past this, if only she’d give him a chance. But she was shutting him out, and that wasn’t going to solve a damn thing.

  He wandered into the kitchen in search of more alcohol. It was the only thing that would stop him from thinking. Or from getting in his car and driving over to Jules’s apartment. If she needed a little more time away from him, fine, he’d give it to her, but he wouldn’t let her go without a fight. He found two more cold beers in the fridge and claimed them for himself. After wandering around the house for almost an hour, mingling and doing a few shots with Spencer, Tanner’s eyes became heavy. He yawned.