“Oh, hey honey,” she says. “How was the game?”

  “We won,” I tell her, pointing out the boxes. “Are we moving out?”

  Mom cringes. “Not exactly,” she says, motioning for me to follow her. She walks into the living room and drops on the couch, and I do the same, my curiosity driving me insane. Mom takes my hands and gives me a hesitant smile. “I don’t know how much you’ve been told, but from the sound of it, Orlando will be going away for quite some time, and despite how much I love this house, I simply can’t stay here.”

  “Oh,” I say, panic starting to claim me. “Where are we going?”

  “Not we,” she clarifies. “Me. Unless you want to come with me.”

  My face scrunches with confusion. “Huh?”

  Mom laughs and her smile widens. “I’ve bought a small apartment with the money I had left from selling our Hope Falls home. However, as long as Orlando and I remain married, this house will remain ours … well, ours and Jensen’s of course.”

  “What’s … what are you getting at?”

  “I thought you might like to stay here,” she tells me. “I know our relationship has been quite strained over the past few months, and that’s entirely on me. I want you to thrive, Brielle, and I know taking you away from the place that makes you so happy isn’t going to do me any favors. So you can stay, unless you’d prefer to come with me, which is more than okay.”

  “I, ummm …”

  “You don’t need to make any decisions right now,” she tells me. “Jensen will be attending Brown in the fall, so the place will be all yours. You can move all your things into the master room and keep all those fancy clothes in my closet. I don’t want any of it. I just want you to be happy. And this school, this town, and being so close to Tanner and his sister, this place is your home.”

  I nod. “It is.”

  She pulls me into a tight hug and I hold her like a little girl, terrified to let go. “I’m so proud of you, Bri. Look at this incredible young woman you’ve become. I’m going to hate being away from you, but it’ll only be a fifteen-minute drive at most. I’ll come visit you all the time, and you’re always welcome to come and stay with me. I’ve got two spare bedrooms, one for you and your brother.”

  Tears well in my eyes, and as I pull back, I hastily wipe them. “What are you going to do?”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “Who knows?” she says with a fond smile. “I guess that’s all part of the adventure. Something for me to figure out along the way.”

  A strange mix of emotions rest in my chest. Sadness, joy, pride, and nervousness, but most of all, I just feel love. “I’m going to miss you,” I tell her. “I hate that things have been weird, but I’m excited to work on it and get back that old friendship we had.”

  “You and me both, kid,” she says, letting out a heavy sigh before standing and dragging me up with her. “I’ve got movers coming in the morning to take all of my stuff to the new apartment, and if I don’t keep going, I’ll never have it all ready.”

  “Okay,” I tell her, reading the signs she wants me to get out of here so she can get herself sorted out. “I need to get going anyway, but I’ll text you in the morning and you can show me your new place. Tanner and I can come and help you unpack.”

  “That would be lovely, sweetheart,” she says before pulling me into another tight hug. “Now, if you could convince a few of those other strong boys to come along as well, I’ve got some furniture that needs to be put together.”

  I laugh and roll my eyes. “Ahhh, that’s what Jensen and Damien are for,” I remind her. “But sure, I’ll see what I can do.” And with that, she gets right back to work, and I glance around this massive house that somehow just became mine.

  A knock sounds on the door and as I peer through the foyer, Tanner opens the door and shoves his head through the gap. “You ready?” he questions with a grin, only for it to fall away as he sees all the boxes. “If you’re about to tell me you’re moving away, heads are gonna roll.”

  I laugh and shake my head, striding up to him and throwing my arms around his neck, letting him pull me into his warm body. “As if you could get away from me that easily.”

  He smiles back at me, his lips dropping to mine. “As if I would ever want to.”

  Chapter 35

  TANNER

  It’s the biggest and wildest party of the year. Everybody who’s anybody is here and feeling good. I’ve got my girl in my arms, her body moving against mine as she dances for me, while Riley’s had Zoe in the spa for the past hour, their faces now permanently attached to one another’s. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already fucked her in there.

  The music is pumping and there are more people crammed into the twins’ mansion than I’ve ever seen in one place before, every single one of them chanting for the reigning champions.

  Tonight has been fucking epic. Right from kick off, I knew we were going to kill it. The atmosphere in the air and the fact we were battling it out on our own turf just made it that much better. Not to mention Brielle up in the stands wearing my name and number.

  We’ve all been through hell, but tonight we say goodbye to it all and finally get to take that step to put it all behind us. Orlando is locked up, my father is across the globe—hopefully where he’ll stay, Colby is dead, and Rachael … well, Rachael can go fuck herself.

  I’m not going to lie, I have four half-siblings I never knew about—three in Australia and one living under the roof of my sister’s dead rapist—and maybe one day I’ll be able to lose the chip on my shoulder and get to know them. It’s still too fresh. My father’s betrayal is something we’ll all have to deal with for years to come, especially my mom. The fact he divorced her without her knowledge … that’s just messed up. But apparently messed up is his new motto, like screwing underage girls, getting them pregnant, and pinning it on his son. All I know is that motherfucker better not show up at my mother’s doorstep ever again because I’ll have a few things to say, and I have it on good authority that I like to speak with my fists.

  The song changes and Bri turns in my arms, smiling up at me and making my chest ache. She’s so fucking gorgeous it’s hard to look at her sometimes. She pushes up onto her tippy toes, brushing her lips over mine, and I feel a smile spread across her lips. “I think Jax and Ari worked through their issues.”

  “Huh?” I mutter, my brows furrowed as I pull back to meet her gaze.

  She nods toward the house where Jax has Ari pressed up against the wall, the two of them locked in a deep conversation. Judging by the look of pure bliss on Arizona’s face, I’d say things are going well. Though no one could ever be too sure with those two. But one thing is for sure, he paid hell after the game for the performance he put on during the final quarter. Coach Wyld had some things to say about it too, but seeing as though the football season is over and Jax is about to graduate, there’s not a lot he can do about it now.

  I laugh, shaking my head. “Those two give me whiplash.”

  “At least they’re not as bad as Chanel and Logan,” she tells me, sending a pointed stare across the party to where Chanel and Logan are arguing by the bar. It’s been going on all night. They fight and then ten minutes later, they’re sneaking away to fuck in the pool house. They return with Chanel’s hair all ruffled and sure enough, they end up arguing again. At least when Jax and Ari fight, Ari storms off and gives him the silent treatment for a few days, giving the rest of us just a little bit of peace.

  “Good point,” I tell her as she takes my hand and drags me away from the dance floor. “Where are we going?”

  Bri glances back over her shoulder and without murmuring a single word, I know exactly where she’s taking me. After all, she’s still wearing my letterman jacket, and I have a promise I plan to fulfill ten times over.

  We reach the house and just as we go to walk inside, something catches my eye, sending a wave of anger rushing through my body. “Hey,” I call out, sending a venomous glare to Hudson as he mauls my sister on the kitchen counter. “Watch your fucking hands, man.”

  Addison’s head snaps up, grinning at me, and I shake my head before the words have even come out of her mouth. “If you think this is bad, you should have seen what I did to him on the hood of your Mustang last night.”

  Hoooooly fuck. I don’t know whether to strangle him, lock her in an ivory tower, or throw up all over the house.

  I give it a second, trying to figure out how to handle this as the spark in Addie’s eyes only shines brighter, challenging me to come at her, but as Bri tugs on my hand, I get shoved from behind. “Out of the fucking way, bro,” Riley says, dripping water from the spa all through the house, his hand shoved down the front of his pants, gripping his cock.

  “What the fuck, man?” I grunt as Bri’s eyes bug out of her head, horrified by the sight in front of her.

  “Sorry, dude. It’s an emergency. This chick is freakier than I anticipated. The things she’s saying she’s gonna do to me. Holy fuck, she’s my dream girl. I’ve never been one to let a chick eat my ass before, but for her, I’d do it. I’d fucking bend over and let her get her tongue all up in there. But listen, I’d love to stay and tell you all about it, but she’s been grinding up on my dick for the last hour, and I have every intention of dropping my balls into her mouth, but if I don’t go and have a tactical jerk now, I’m gonna blow my load before I even get in there.”

  I laugh as Bri groans. “Shit, Riley. I didn’t want to hear that.”

  He grins at her, turning around to face us while still jogging away. “It’s gonna be great, like two heavenly love nuggets swishing around in her mouth.” He stops walking, a seriousness coming over his face as his body starts to jolt. “Oh, no,” he panics, clutching his dick harder. A second passes before he lets out a heavy sigh. “Ahhh, shit. I’m good. Almost fucking came just thinking about it.”

  He gives a beaming smile before spinning around and rushing away.

  Brielle looks up at me, her eyes dancing with laughter. “He definitely just came in his pants, didn’t he?”

  “Oh yeah,” I laugh, hooking my arm over her shoulder and leading her toward the stairs.

  “Wanna make it a two for one deal?” she questions. “We’ll see how fast I can make you come.”

  Without even a hint of warning, I grab her by the waist and press her up against the wall, my knee slipping between her legs and grinding against her clit. “Fuck no, Killer,” I growl in her ear, lowering my lips to the base of her throat. “I plan on taking my sweet fucking time, even if it takes all night.”

  A soft moan slips from between her lips and her body relaxes into mine, but that doesn’t stop her smart mouth. “Oh really?” she whispers, her hand slipping in the front of my jeans and curling around my hardening cock, her thumb brushing over the tip and making me groan. “Because I’d bet everything I have I could get you on your knees before we’ve even made it to the top of the stairs.”

  Fucking hell. She could do that and more, but I’m not about to let that happen. Not when I want to taste that sweet cunt first.

  I pull back and meet her stare as her grip tightens on my cock. “Unless you want me to fuck you right here in front of everybody, I suggest you unhand me, woman.”

  She grins wider, rising to the challenge as her fist pumps up and down my cock while making a show of licking her lips. “Unless you want to come right here in front of everybody, I suggest you hurry up and take me upstairs so you can spread my thighs and really fuck me.”

  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Brielle Ashford was made for me.

  Before she can get another word out, my hands are at her waist, hauling that fine body over my shoulder. She squeals, gripping my shoulders as I bolt up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I kick in the first door, and glare at the two freshmen making out on the bed. “OUT.”

  Their eyes bug out of their heads before scrambling off the bed and racing out of the room, slamming the door behind them. Within the same second, I have Brielle’s back pressed up against it with my lips crushed against hers.

  She fumbles for my shirt, tugging and pulling, but our bodies are glued together, making it impossible to pull it off. Instead, she reaches around my neck, grips the fabric between her hands, and tears until the fabric falls away.

  Her hands roam over my body and it’s fucking everything. I’ll never tire of her touch. It’s like a drug to me, potent and raw, feeding into this wicked addiction I have for her.

  My thumbs hook into the waistband of her pants and I push them down her thighs, taking her panties with it as she pulls at her shirt, trying to rid herself of my jacket and tank at the same time. I pull back just a little, shaking my head. “The tank can go, but the jacket stays.”

  Her grin widens, her gaze darkening with hunger as she adjusts herself, dropping her tank to the ground before fixing my jacket back over her shoulders. “This better?”

  My gaze trails down her body, her perfect tits just visible past the open jacket and I slip my hand inside, brushing my thumb over her nipple and watching as it pebbles under my touch. My fingers trail right down her body, past her toned waist and in between her legs and I don’t hesitate, pushing them deep inside her. She’s fucking wet and ready, her warm cunt squeezing my fingers and making my cock jolt in my jeans. “Fucking perfect,” I growl, the words rumbling through my chest.

  Brielle lets out a breathy gasp, and I pull my fingers free before lifting them to her mouth. She opens wide, curling her hand around mine and guiding my fingers inside. She closes her mouth and rolls her tongue over them, tasting just how fucking sweet she is.

  I pull them from between her lips before leaning in and kissing her deeply, tasting what’s left on her tongue as my fingers trail back down her body and slip right back into her sweet pussy. They curl around, massaging her walls until her knees go weak. I smile against her lips. “You ready for me, Killer?”

  Her hands fall to my pants, hastily unbuckling my belt before freeing my cock and letting it drop heavily into her hand. She grins against my lips, her tight fist pumping up and down. “Depends,” she tells me. “Are you ready to get on your knees and worship me?”

  Taking her waist, I pull her body hard against mine. “You fucking bet I am.” And with that, I lift her into my arms, her legs locking around my waist. I step away from the door, crossing the luxurious bedroom until my shins brush against the bed.

  I throw her on the bed, staring down at her as I grip my cock, gently stroking. Her eyes darken, hunger in her hooded stare. She goes to scramble up the bed, but I grip her ankle and pull her to the very edge, her ass barely hanging off the end, and just as she wanted, I drop to my fucking knees.

  “Tanner,” she gasps, bracing up on her elbows as I take her thighs and push them wide, putting her on display just the way I like her. “Oh, God,” Brielle groans, knowing damn well what’s coming.

  My tongue rolls over my lips, my hunger for her only getting worse the longer I wait. Putting us both out of our misery, I hook her legs over my shoulders and close my mouth over her clit before flicking my tongue over that tight bud of nerves. She gasps and I slide my hand up her body, cupping her tit and circling my finger around her nipple.

  Taking my other hand, I slip it under my chin and push two thick flingers deep in her cunt as I continue working her clit. Her head falls back with a breathy groan. “Oh God, Tanner,” she moans, reaching down and knotting her fingers into my hair, gripping on with everything she’s got.

  I don’t stop, working her just the way she likes it, her body jolting beneath me. I grin against her, knowing the adrenaline rush of seeing her come undone is something I have never experienced with another woman.

  Her grip tightens in my hair, and I feel her body being pushed to the edge. She’s almost there, ready to fucking detonate. I suck her clit, my tongue rolling over it as my fingers dive deeper, curling inside her and making her scream.

  She pants, barely holding on but I don’t dare stop, pushing her to her limit until she finally explodes, her orgasm tearing through her body. “OH FUCK, TANNER,” she cries, tipping her head back as her eyes clench, looking like a fucking goddess.

  She’s everything, the whole goddamn package, and I’ll never let her go.

  I keep going, keep sucking, flicking, rolling, and massaging until she finally comes down from her high, her tense body relaxing. “Holy shit,” she moans, flopping back against the bed, absolutely spent, but I’m not even close to being through with her.

  I get back to my feet, gripping my cock as she watches me, her hooded eyes locked on my body. “I think my soul just left my body,” she murmurs, her gaze drifting back up to mine.

  I grin, stepping in closer, and as my fist slowly pumps up and down my cock, the movement gains her attention. She stares at it with hunger, and her tongue rolls over her bottom lip. “You got plans to use that thing?” she questions, her voice filled with desire and lust.

  “You fucking bet I do,” I say, dropping my gaze to her pussy, unable to resist the pure need pulsing through my veins. Leaning down, I curl my arm around her toned waist and pull her up off the bed, whipping her around to slam her back up against the wall, knocking a canvas print off in the process.

  She squeals, her legs locking around my hip and as my body presses against hers. I line myself up with her warm cunt and thrust inside her, burying my cock as deep as her body will allow. “Oh fuck,” she groans, her arms twisting around my neck and holding on for dear life.

  I thrust again, clenching my jaw as pure satisfaction rocks through my body, leaving me wanting so much more. I fuck her hard and fast as her pussy clenches around me, squeezing tight, and making me feel like the luckiest fucking bastard in the world. I’ve been with other girls and it’s never, fucking never, felt as good as it does with Brielle. She’s my goddamn Killer, a fucking atomic bomb with the potential to take out every fucking man in sight.