Page 25 of Trusting Tanner
“Tanner’s not like the other guys in the house. He doesn’t have a revolving door.”
A weight she didn’t know she’d been carrying lifted off her, and her shoulders slumped with relief. “Okay,” she said slowly. “That’s not a bad thing, right?”
Devon shook his head. “No, but it’s another reason he moved out of Alpha house. I guess some of the guys had been harassing him about his lack of extracurricular activities. He got fed up and left, which explains why he’s not as involved with the frat as he used to be.”
She let this new information settle, but she still didn’t understand what Devon was trying to warn her about. Tanner seemed like a stand-up guy.
“My point is…” Devon opened the door to Fallon Hall. Jules stepped inside, and he followed. “He’s not into casual sex or dating. He’s looking for something long term, and after Zach…” He frowned. “I’m not sure jumping into something so serious is what you need right now.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You think I should stop hanging out with him?” Her voice was tight, and her steps became heavier as she tried to stomp down the coil of hot anger winding its way through her.
He stopped outside of her class. “I think you should take things slow and be careful.” His blue eyes were full of genuine concern, and his tone was soft.
It was impossible to get mad at Devon. Mostly because he was being sincere with her, but also because he was the only person—other than herself—who she could consistently count on to be there, and she wasn’t going to throw that away over something as stupid as him being concerned about her. Even if she didn’t agree with his methods.
Nodding, she said, “Don’t worry. I’m taking it slow.”
“Good.” He released her hand.
She moved out of the way so a couple of students could enter the room. She glanced inside. Tanner wasn’t there yet.
“How’re things with your roommate?” he asked.
She groaned. Talking about her nonexistent dating relationship with Tanner would be less painful than a discussion about her roommate.
“That good, huh?” Devon leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “If it’s so bad, move out.”
“I know I probably should, but I don’t really want to.” She averted her gaze and chewed on the inside of her cheek.
“Why not?”
“For starters, it’s expensive to move, and by the time I find an apartment and move in, the semester will more than likely be almost over. And I think it’s too late to get a refund from the housing department, so I’ll be stuck paying for the res hall.” It was a pathetic excuse, and she knew it. So did Devon. But she wasn’t going to tell him the real reason she didn’t want to move out: she was afraid of being alone, and she couldn’t stand the thought of having another failed relationship hanging over her head. Even if Rebecca was messy and inconsiderate and borderline vile, she was making an effort to be friends with Jules, and she wouldn’t turn her back on that. “Maybe if I try talking to her, we can work something out.”
“Why do you do this to yourself? Not everyone is worthy of being in your life, Jules.”
“Don’t start this again.”
Devon straightened and did that head nod chin thrust combo only a guy could pull off. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey, Devon,” Tanner said.
The sound of his voice triggered something in her, and it was like her skin came to life, tingling with warmth, crawling with desire. The tiny hairs on her arms stood at attention, waiting for his touch.
“Jules.” Tanner grazed his fingers across her back as he walked into the room, books tucked under one arm, and she shuddered.
How did he do that? How could one small gesture turn her inside out?
“Friends my ass.” Devon laughed.
She punched him in the arm and grinned. “Go to class. Slacker.”
He turned and headed down the hall, waving his hand over his head. She walked into class and took her seat next to Tanner. He smelled better than he had last night, and she leaned closer, eyelids fluttering as she soaked in his scent.
“Y’know, if you go out with me, you could spend an entire night sniffing me.”
His gorgeous smiling eyes stared back at her, daring her to deny what she’d been doing. She was busted, and there was no way out of it. Talk about embarrassing. “Aren’t you getting tired of hearing me tell you no?”
“Yep, but every no is one step closer to a yes, so I figure if I blow through all the no’s now, we can both stop pretending this”—he waved his finger between them—“isn’t going to happen.”
