Chapter 8
Tanner
Noelle had the body of a goddess with lips meant for pleasure and there was no fucking reason why I shouldn’t enjoy feeling her tongue on my neck.
She crawled onto my lap and moved my hands so they cupped her ass under her dress.
She went without anything underneath and while my cock tingled with awareness, I couldn’t wrap my head around my holdup.
“You’re so tense, TJ. Let me take care of that for you. ”
I am tense. I closed my eyes and caressed her smooth skin, wishing she interested me. I gave it another two minutes before accepting defeat. “Noelle, I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well.”
“Tanner, is it the draft? I’d be stressin’ about it, too.
Come on, let me take your mind off it for a while in your room.
” She ran her tongue over her lips, her intentions glaringly clear, but just hearing her say the word draft was the out I needed.
She batted her eyes at me but stopped when she saw my face. “Oh, you weren’t kidding.”
“No, perhaps another time.” I picked her up and set her on the couch next to me in one swift motion. “It’s not you, baby, trust me. You’re a sight to take in, and if we meet again when I’m in a better headspace, you won’t be able to walk home.”
She flushed at my words, and any sign of disbelief left her face.
I traced my fingers under her jaw and gave her my best fake smile before leaving her there.
If I was honest with myself—which I really fucking didn’t want to be—I kept thinking about Kenzie.
God, the spitfire made my blood sing in every good and bad way, and three days away from her might’ve helped me forget about seeing her in the towel.
But it hadn’t helped my attraction. It was as though the time apart had made it worse.
I scanned the basement and struck out, so I moved upstairs and checked every room before coming up blank.
She was probably playing beer pong again, the sneaky competitive girl, and I helped myself to a large beer.
It was only my third one and the cool liquid calmed the storm inside me.
Carter also walked into the kitchen, his cheeks a little red from drinking, and I laughed. “Dude, you look sloshed.”
“I’m not. Swear.” He refilled his glass and gave me a weird look, as if he was contemplating something. I waited no more than ten seconds before he said, “Dude, Hilly’s sister is hot.”
I didn’t expect that. “Do you want to die?”
“No, that’s why I’m telling you, not him.” He made a stupid face, as though I was in the wrong, and put a hand over his heart. “She lives here, right?”
“Don’t even finish your thought.” I couldn’t explain why I wanted to smash his face into the counter, or why I needed to find her that second. “I’ll be back. Don’t do anything idiotic.”
The crowd had only grown since the beer pong game, but her crazy blonde hair wasn’t anywhere in sight and a prickle of fear hit me.
The bedrooms. But why would she—fuck. I set my cup down on the first surface I found and stormed up the stairs three at time.
Zade’s room was locked, Aaron’s too. If she wasn’t downstairs, would she be in her room?
I knocked on her door, impatiently waiting for an answer that didn’t come. “What the fuck? Kenzie?”
Nothing. Questions raced through my mind.
Is she trying to forget Sean?
Is she drunk?
Is someone taking advantage of her?
She wouldn’t leave with someone…right? Fuck. I sprinted down the stairs and asked the first person I saw. Amber Henderson, a journalism student who’d written a story about Aaron the previous year. “Have you seen Kenzie Hill?”
“The girl who kicked your ass? I haven’t since the game,” she said, her face expression changing to one of concern. “Is everything okay?”
“Can’t find her.”
She set her drink down and followed me through the crowded living room. I hadn’t checked the front porch, but I couldn’t see why she would be there. The cool night breeze greeted me but didn’t calm my anxiety. “Kenzie!” I yelled on the off chance she heard me.
“What?”
Oh my god. I scanned the ten faces on the porch, searching for her. I knew I’d heard her annoyed voice. People looked at me as if I’d lost my mind, but it didn’t bother me. I hopped from the porch to the grass and scanned the few people walking up to the party. “Kenzie!”
“Tanner, what?”
Did her voice come—oh fuck. I went farther into the yard and craned my neck to see the roof. She sat with her knees pulled to her chest, her arms wrapped around those skinny legs and her head resting on those. My heart skipped a beat in relief. “You’re on the roof.”
“Keen observation.”
I couldn’t stop my smile. She was safe. She was there.
I brushed past Amber, stopping to thank her, but she waved her hand and was already distracted by something one of the juniors on the team was saying.
I’m an idiot. I forgot about the roof access Jeff and Zade had in their rooms. It took less than a minute to unlock my bedroom door, rush through our shared bathroom and crawl through her window.
She didn’t give any indication she heard me and I moved to sit right next to her.
Our shoulders touched, the red cup in her head swaying a little.
“You shouldn’t be on the roof if you’re drinking. You could get hurt.”
“It’s water,” she replied, something off in her voice. She sloshed the liquid and pointed it toward me. “You can smell it if you don’t believe me.”
“I do.” I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. She wasn’t crying, or frowning. She was drinking water to sober herself, but something didn’t make sense to me. “Why are you up here?”
“It’s peaceful.” She still hadn’t looked at me, just stared toward the direction of campus, and I placed my hand on her back, rubbing it up and down. She was cold.
“You’re freezing.”
“It feels good.” She sighed, finished the rest of the cup and set it down. Only then did she face me. “Why were you screaming my name?”
“I couldn’t find you.”
Her only reaction was a slight curve of her lips. “I’ve been up here for about an hour.”
“I thought something happened to you when I went to look for you. It…it scared me.” There, I’d admitted it. It felt more terrifying than a bottom of the ninth, two out pitch, but her expression hardened.
“I don’t need you watching after me.”
“It wasn’t like that. I remembered your list, and you were a little drunk from the game, and the thought of some asshole taking advantage of you…” I paused, taking a second to swallow down the lingering anger. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice losing some of the vinegar from earlier. “Head back into the party, TJ. You know I’m safe now.”
“Will you come back with me?”
“I’ll probably make for bed.”
“It’s ten-thirty. Don’t be lame.” I moved my hand from her back to her neck, placing it right above her collarbone. “Come on, if I can accept you beating me in front of all those people, you can return with me.”
“I don’t want to intrude on your night. What about that girl?”
Great question, but pass. I’m not answering.
Instead, I studied her and realized why I felt drawn to her.
We were more similar that she thought—both forced to remain strong for our families, both unable to show weakness because it meant inconveniencing those around us—but mostly, the way she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders was similar to mine.
“Tanner.”
Shit, she said my name again and shifted under my hand, but I kept my touch on her. “I’d rather hang out with you.”
That caught her attention. She spun, her green eyes dancing with amusement. “Is this some sort of revenge for beating you? Is someone recording this?”
“What? No. Don’t be absurd.” I didn’t like how fast her mind went to a joke, as though I couldn’t actually want to hang out with her.
“Honestly, it’s your first college party and I want to make sure you get the entire experience.
You have beer pong and roof sitting down. There is so much more to be done.”
“Is it like bingo?”
“Are you obsessed with winning? Seriously, you’re sick.”
She laughed, her normal fire coming back. “I might be.”
“Well, make sure to add get game rehab to your list.” I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her lips when she smiled like that, as though I’d told her the best news in the world. It wasn’t fair for her smile to have that much of an impact.
“I can officially check off having fun so I don’t have to add anything I know I won’t cross off.
” She scooted toward the window and, just before she slid through, stopped and gave me a warm look.
“Thank you. I got into a weird cycle of thoughts and it overwhelmed me. I’m glad I have you on my team, TJ. ”
I most definitely am. But I just smiled and helped her through the window. My throat got a little tight at those words and the unsettled feeling I’d had all night disappeared. We rejoined the party and I dragged her back to the yard. “First up—flippy-cup.”
Two hours later, I’d introduced Kenzie to five guys on the team, a handful of girls who I hadn’t hooked up with and Greta had even joined us. It was past midnight, two kegs were out and things officially got sloppy.
“Hey.” Aaron’s voice carried over the yard and his tone worried me. “I need your help.”
“What’s up?”
“Gotta kick someone out. Need backup.” I lowered my head and told Kenzie to stay there and I’d be right back.
She nodded and stared up at me with the clearest green eyes and hopeful expression.
It took every single muscle in my body to pull myself away from her.
I hated drama, but it happened in a house filled with high-profile athletes.
Aaron beckoned me to the basement where some kid I’d never seen before was yelling his head off about something incoherent.
“Shut the fuck up, Steven. You gotta go,” Hilly said, the venom in his voice hard to miss.
The kid argued and I did my part. I moved his arms behind his back and Aaron and I shoved him up the stairs and out of the door.
He fell when we let go, but it wasn’t our problem.
I checked his pockets and took his car keys.
He could remember where he’d left them the next day.
Aaron hissed and said, “Fuck, I forgot why we used to love this shit.”
“Young, drunk and stupid,” I replied.
“Man, my buzz is killed. Hey, is Kenzie having a good time?” His jaw tightened and a part of me was pissed. He’d left her alone, too.
“She is now. I don’t think she appreciated us all leaving her after the game, but she’s strong.”
He stared at me with his unblinking intensity and I didn’t flinch. Then he said, “I don’t like your friendship with her.”
“You don’t have to.” I shrugged, meaning every word. He could be as pissed as he wanted, but I hadn’t crossed any line. “She’s great to have around. Zade likes her. I’m allowed to, too.”
He didn’t have time to respond before Greta walked up and his attention went to her.
She had that effect on him and, while it’d annoyed me at first, since I’d lost a little bit of both my best friends, they were perfectly created for each other.
I left the two of them with their lovey-dovey expressions and went back outside to find Kenzie.
She was leaning against the deck, her elbows on the ledge and two inches of her skin on display.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and hoped I didn’t look constipated.
I must’ve missed the dude next to her, the one leaning forward and running his nose down her neck. She giggled. I saw red. He brought his hand up to her bare skin and I clenched my fist, ready to knock him over the railing.
“Kenzie.” I didn’t mean to sound so pissed, but fuck it, I was. She blinked and looked back and forth between the soon-to-be-punched dude and me. She had the gall to look embarrassed and pushed him off her.
“Sorry, Keith. It was, uh, nice meeting you.”
“I’ll see you again, Mackenzie. That’s for damn certain.” He kissed her hand and gave me a look that said she’s mine.
Nope. Nope. Nope. I took her hand with more force than I should and dragged her inside. “Why are you—Who is that?”
“Are you upset with me?” she asked in the smallest voice. It made my chest feel squishy, a feeling I had never had before and one I instantly hated. “I’m sorry. Was I embarrassing? I was, I know it.” She hung her head so her chin rested against her chest, and I didn’t think before picking her up.
It wasn’t romantic. It was more caveman-like with how I carried her up the stairs and set her right outside her door. I tilted her chin up with my fingers and hated how sad she looked. “You didn’t embarrass me. I promise. I shouldn’t have made you feel that way.”
“Why did you?”
“I didn’t like seeing that fucking creep kissing you. Why did you let him?”
She leaned her head against her bedroom door and let out a small laugh. “I wanted to check off the other part of my list.”
“What part?”
“The part about forgetting Sean. He was the last guy I kissed and I want to erase that.”
“By kissing someone else?”
She nodded. “I want someone to kiss me, Tanner. I need it.”
It was the way she said it. The words meant one thing, but the attitude and the subtle dare in the words were meant for me. I knew it. I could feel it in how she jutted her chin and wet her bottom lip.
I didn’t think. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her.
Our mouths met with an explosion of lust, her taste my new personal favorite flavor.
She moaned, the little sound sending something rivaling electricity through my blood, and I deepened the kiss with my tongue, the need to have her strong enough for me to forget how to breathe.
I was helpless, lost in her sounds and the way she met every stroke with one more daring, with how she clutched my shirt in her hands in a quiet desperation and with how her mouth was made for mine.
Seconds, minutes, hours slipped away, and it wasn’t until a door slammed that I realized what I was doing.
What we were doing, and where we were doing it.
I pulled back, loving how swollen her lips were from me and how her wide eyes looked at me with the same longing I felt.
“Did you forget about Sean?” I asked, my voice low, rough.
She nodded, moving her fingers to touch her bottom lip.
“Good. Now, go inside your room and lock the door. Don’t forget to check forget Sean off your list.”
She nodded again and snuck inside. I waited for the lock to click before I went into my own room, wondering how the fuck that had happened and what it meant. Because if I learned anything that night, it was that I wasn’t going to get only one taste of Kenzie Hill.