Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Tanner grins against my lips, and just to be an ass to his sister, he deepens the kiss, giving me exactly what I want. My hands wind up his body and curl around the back of his strong neck, holding him close, but nothing is better than when his thigh pushes between my legs and grinds against my clit.
“Get a room.” Riley’s booming laugh sounds through the hallway just moments before his hand flies up and smacks Tanner on the back of his head.
Tanner laughs against my lips before regrettably stepping back and taking my hand. His eyes sparkle with happiness as he looks down at me, and my whole body warms. This right here is home. I haven’t seen him happy like this for a while. There’s always something weighing him down, but at this very moment, nothing else matters to him.
Tanner loops our joined hands over my shoulder and pulls me in tight beside him, positioning us in a way that Addison is blocked from the students passing us in the hall. Considering what she said earlier, I really can’t tell if Tanner is trying to protect Addison from their whispers or protect them from her wrath.
Logan and Chanel start bickering, and just as I roll my eyes at their performance, the bell sounds and as one, we sigh. “Come on,” Tanner says, stroking his thumb over my wrist. “I’ll walk you to homeroom.”
Ilaria falls in beside me as everybody takes off in different directions. We follow Addison and Logan down the hall, and just as Tanner releases my hand outside the door of my homeroom, a passing comment has venom pulsing through my veins.
“Fucking whore,” a guy I recognize from Tanner’s team says, turning around to look back at Addison as she passes him. “I bet you wanted it, didn’t you? You filthy little slut. You were frothing at the mouth. Bitches like you are always begging for it.” He laughs at his own comments, clearly not having enough sense to shut his mouth. “Probably cried rape because you got caught, but we all know you were bouncing on his cock like a fucking pornstar.”
Tanner tenses beside me, and my eyes widen with fear. “Tanner don’t,” I rush out, reaching for him in a panic, but it’s already too late.
He rushes him, grabbing the fucker with ease and tossing him around like a fucking ragdoll. His back slams up against the wall before he even knows what hit him. “The fuck did you say about my sister?” Tanner growls, the sound so icy-cold it sends shivers down my spine.
Fear flashes in his eyes, knowing damn well what Tanner did to the last guy who got in his way, but the cockiness quickly comes rushing back. “Come on, man.” The asshole laughs, trying to shrug it off. “I was just playing around with her. Chill out.”
“Oh yeah?” he questions as Logan barrels back down the hallway, wanting to defuse what could be a really bad situation if someone doesn't intervene. “If you’re just playing around, you wouldn’t mind saying it to my face then.”
The guy swallows hard, realizing just how much trouble he’s in, and I push in beside Tanner, gripping his arm that’s pressing against this asshole’s throat. “Tanner, let’s go,” I urge him. “You’re already in enough trouble.”
His jaw clenches and those dark eyes flash down to me before he turns and glances down the hallway, finding Addison standing at the other end, tears streaming down her face. Agony twists in the pit of my stomach, but before I can run after her, she disappears into the crowd.
“Shit,” I sigh, watching as Logan pauses, knowing damn well he needs to double back and find her, and the moment he does, a new resolve comes over me. Fuck football, fuck the cops. Addison is hurting right now, and the longer we allow assholes to get away with talking shit like this, the more it’s going to hurt her.
Reaching up, I grip Tanner’s chin and force his stare down to mine. He’s visibly shaking with rage, barely holding on, but because I asked him not to, he’s doing everything he can to hold that rage inside. “Take a breath,” I tell him, keeping my stare locked on his and watching as he calms before my very eyes. “You good?”
He nods, more than ready to release the asshole back into the wild, but I shake my head, trusting him to be in control. “Now, teach him a fucking lesson,” I tell him. “Let him have it.”
Without another word, I take a step back, narrowly avoiding Tanner’s elbow as it pulls back past my ribs. He doesn’t hesitate, and like lightning, his strong fist slams into the asshole’s stomach, instantly winding him.
The guy drops to the ground, groaning and gasping for air as Tanner calmly steps back and glances at me, the asshole already long forgotten as Tanner refuses to lose control. “Love you,” he says, ducking his head to press a feather-soft kiss to my lips before dropping his hand to my lower back, the moment so melodic and peaceful.