Chapter Thirty-Two Danny
When I’d walked into T’s apartment on New Year’s Eve and she’d wrapped her arms around her pillow, hugging it to her chest, the icy fingers of her hurt had wrapped themselves around my heart and squeezed. I’d wanted a do-over in taking her to Kaitlyn’s party, but in the end, I discovered we were way past that.
Late in the afternoon of New Year’s Day, we walked into my place to drop off my stuff only to find two of my roommates, Bax and Finn, playing a video game.
Because of course they were.
“Happy New Year, assholes!” I laughed at their expressions as we walked in.
“Thought you went to see your mom,” Finn said.
“I did. Had a great Christmas. But I wanted to spend New Year’s with my girl.” I hugged T close to my side. “How ’bout you?”
“The parents and my brothers are good. My older one got himself engaged while we were home.” From Bax’s tone, I couldn’t decide if he was happy or not about his brother’s news.
“How was your Christmas, Finn?”
“Mom fed me like she thinks I don’t eat when I’m here.” He grinned. “So it was awesome.”
I glanced toward the kitchen, and Bax laughed. “No, Danny, there are no leftovers. Finn ate ’em all before I got back yesterday.”
Finn’s shrug was unapologetic.
“You guys have a nice break?” Bax asked, including Taryn in the conversation.
“I came back early to work,” she said. “But Christmas was fun.”
“Callahan and Jamaica should be back any time.” Finn picked up his game controller again. “Wonder how ‘meet the parents’ went.” He smirked.
Bax nodded to the screen. “My brother designed a new video game, asked if we’d give it a go and tell him what we think.”
“What do you think?” I asked.
“Bax has already played it too much. You should try it with me after we finish this level,” Finn said, his tone grumpy.
“Sorry, man. I’ve got a better offer.” I kissed Taryn’s temple for emphasis. “Maybe later.” I picked my duffel bag up off the floor and ushered T ahead of me on the stairs.
“I know you came back early to work at the tire shop, but why are your roommates all back already? Classes don’t start for another ten days,” she said as she sat on the edge of my bed.
“Football, babe.”
She pulled a face. “But you lost the semifinal game.”
I hung some shirts in my closet. “Doesn’t matter. Next season starts day after tomorrow with winter lifting and goal-setting.” I rolled my eyes. “And film of our last game, unfortunately.” Pulling my underwear and socks from my bag, I tucked them in a dresser drawer.
Her eyes twinkled. “You’re excited for it.”
Sitting beside her, I picked up her hand, kissed her palm, and twined our fingers together. “I am. Since I got promoted to starter at the end of the season, if I work hard in spring ball, I have a shot at a scholarship. It would mean I could stop working at the tire shop and have more time to spend with you.” I kissed her hand again.
Lips twitching, she asked, “And maybe study?”
“Hey, I study,” I added with a smirk. “The two of us study together well.”
Clearing her throat, she said, “About that. Now that we know some things about each other—”
“Like how loud you are when I make you come?” I asked innocently.
“Like how insatiable you are.” The prim sniff accompanying her words cracked me up. “We should probably set some ground rules.”
“Like...?” I stretched the word like a rubber band.
“No fooling around until we’ve finished at least one solid hour of homework.”
“A reward for doing our work? I like it.” I grinned.
“Danny.”
I could seriously get on board with her attempts at talking me into keeping my hands—and my mouth—and my cock—to myself. She was so cute in her earnestness. But the truth was, we were probably going to make love first, take the edge off, then study.
“I need top marks this semester in order to go for a scholarship for grad school. I can’t spend all my study time fooling around with you.”
“But you have to admit, Miss Communications Major, the way we communicate skin to skin is effective.” I waggled my brows for emphasis.
“That kind of communication is not what I’m studying in any of my classes.”
Giving a dramatic sigh, I said, “Probably for the best. No one else but me needs to know how well you use your body to communicate.” I slipped my arm around her and pulled her closer. “Every touch, every kiss, every sigh tells me you love me. It’s the best form of communication I’ve ever experienced.”
“You’re going to make this rule impossible to enforce, aren’t you?”
I could tell she was trying to be stern, but the breathy way her words came out said she knew exactly what my plan was—and she was in.
Nibbling the side of her mouth, I said, “If you could see you when your skin is flushed and your eyes are glowing as I move inside you, you would get why.”
Right as I had the idea to lock my door and indulge in some intimate communication, someone banged on it. Loudly.
Finn called out, “Hey, Danny. Some guy downstairs wants to see you. Says he’s a friend of yours.”
Opening the door, I said, “Did he give a name?”
“Nope. But to be honest, he looks like a douche. Has a hell of a shiner too. You know anything about that?”
“Fuck.”
Taryn stood beside me. “Why would Derek show up here?” The tremor in her voice solidified my resolve.
“I thought I made myself clear last night, but as usual, he thinks he’s the only one entitled to an opinion.”
Finn’s gaze bounced back and forth between my girl and me. “If you need backup, Bax and I are here.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it. But this showdown has been coming for years.” Turning to T, I said, “You should probably stay here.”
Narrowing her eyes, she shot back, “Like hell.”
“Lucky you, Danny.” Finn nodded. “Your lady is feisty. Whatever the problem is, maybe this guy needs to see a united front.”
Puffing out my cheeks, I blew a breath and said, “Let’s get this over with.”
Downstairs I was gratified to see Finn had left Derek to cool his heels on the front porch. Opening the door, I stood in the middle of it, letting him know I wasn’t inviting him in.
“What do you want?”
“Going after me when I was drunk was low, Chambers. But I’m stone-cold sober now. The fight’s going to be fair this time,” Derek sneered.
“When I ring your bell again, what’s your excuse going to be? That you could only see out of one eye?”
He flexed his fists and gritted his teeth. “You couldn’t leave her alone, could you? Became her ‘friend.’ ‘Studied’ with her at her house all the time. After making sure no one else would even look at her, I had a shot senior year. She would have had to give in. But no. You showed up and kept hanging out with her when she was supposed to be mine.”
Taryn slipped beneath my arm. “I’m not your property.” Planting her hands on her hips, she jutted her chin out, her defiance making me proud. “I’d rather Danny didn’t have to risk his hands teaching you your dad’s money doesn’t entitle you to abuse women with impunity. But since his friends are happy to help him teach you that lesson, perhaps I’ll step aside and let them. Then serve as a witness that you brought the fight here.”
I stepped onto the porch to stand beside T, a united front. Bax and Finn flanked me, and even Derek’s swollen eye rounded.
“You didn’t bring Mike with you. Why’s that?” I asked. “Has he finally figured out what a loser you are?”
Puffing up his chest, Derek said, “This is just between me and you.”
“No, this is between you and me,” Taryn said. “You take whatever you want. When I wouldn’t give it to you, you deliberately made my life hell. You’re an entitled, petulant little boy who needs to grow up.”
“You bitch.” Flexing his hands, he made a move toward her.
He always forgot I was left-handed, which was why he didn’t see it coming at Kaitlyn’s party, and why he didn’t see it coming again until he was on his ass at the edge of the front steps.
Putting his hand to his jaw, he glared up at me. “That was a cheap shot.”
“No. Hitting a woman is a cheap shot. If you ever come near my girlfriend again, your pretty face won’t be the only thing messed up.” I stood over him. “Get lost and stay lost, Derek.”
After scrambling down the steps, he stopped in the middle of the front yard. “She’s never going to put out for you either, Chambers.” He rubbed his hand over his swelling jaw, turned on his heel, and walked over to the fancy pickup his daddy had bought him. Firing up the engine loud enough to rattle the windows of the house, he stomped on the gas and left a trail of rubber on the street behind a cloud of smoke.
“Definitely not your friend,” Finn said from beside me.
“The problem with moving from town to town for your dad’s job is that sometimes you have to put up with assholes,” Bax said. “But once you’re on your own, that all changes.”
Having grown up the son of a pro football player who’d played for more than one team, Bax was the first guy I’d met who had had a clue what it was like changing schools and making new friends on the regular. We’d bonded pretty quickly over that.
“Thanks for having my back.” Glancing at T, I amended, “ Our backs.”
“Anytime,” Bax said as we headed inside.
Once we were back in my room, I locked the door and took my girl in my arms. Only then did I notice the way her teeth were chattering. I was pretty sure it wasn’t from the January cold out on the porch.
“D-do you think it’s finally over?” she asked.
“The thing with bullies is that in their hearts they’re cowards. All of them. The way he scrambled off the porch and that show he put on with his truck? He’s done. I doubt we’ll see anything of him again.” Kissing her forehead, I said, “I’m proud of you for standing up to him. He needed to see how strong you are.”
She sagged into me, all the fight and adrenaline flowing out of her. I carried her the few steps to my bed and laid her on it then climbed over her.
“The delay of game that came from being in the friend zone for so long gave us the chance to be ourselves with each other. You’re the one person in the world who truly knows me.” I brushed my fingers through her silky dark hair. “You’re a gift, Taryn. I love you so much.” I took her lips in a gentle kiss. “I love you forever.”
She plastered her lips to mine and kissed me like I was her only source of air. When she let me up at last, her sweater was unbuttoned and so were my jeans. Panting, we grinned at each other. Then the race was on for who could get naked faster.
It ended in a tie.
For the rest of the afternoon, we shared our love with our bodies, our hearts pounding as one. When at last we were lying quietly in each other’s arms, she whispered, “You were my first love. And my last. And my only. I’ll love you forever, Danny Chambers.”
“You are my home, Taryn Hamilton. Thank you for waiting for me.”
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