Trusting Tanner (The Collins Brothers) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Discover more New Adult titles from Entangled Embrace… Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny

  Trusting Tanner

  The Heartbeat Hypothesis

  Full Measures

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 by Lexi Lawton. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

  Entangled Publishing, LLC

  2614 South Timberline Road

  Suite 109

  Fort Collins, CO 80525

  Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

  Embrace is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

  Edited by Karen Grove

  Cover design by Letitia Hasser

  Cover art from Fotolia

  ISBN 978-1-63375-797-4

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition May 2017

  For the “Secrets of Success” girls—you know who you are, and I love you!

  Chapter One

  Juliana approached the door and took a deep breath. Her heart raced, and her hands trembled. Why am I so damn nervous? She was only meeting her new roommate for the first time. No big deal at all, right?

  She lifted a fisted hand and gave one hard knock before blowing out a pent-up breath. “Hello?” She pushed open the door with her shoulder and awkwardly lugged her bags into the room. “I’m Juli—”

  “What the fuck!” her roommate screeched. She rushed to cover her breasts with her arms and then turned around, her shiny white ass a stark contrast to the dark-colored furnishings.

  “Oh my gosh!” Juliana’s eyes widened, and then she quickly turned her head, but not before she got an eyeful of her roommate’s boobs. Holy double D’s. Her face warmed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t—”

  “Shut the damn door!” The girl yanked an extra-large T-shirt over her head.

  “Right. Sorry.” Juliana nodded, kicked the door closed, and dropped her bags. “I knocked, but no one answered. I assumed the room was empty.”

  After slipping into a pair of denim shorts, the girl turned around and shrugged. “No biggie. You must be my new roomie. I’m Rebecca.”

  “Yeah. I’m Juliana Shea.” She extended her hand. “But everyone calls me Jules.”

  Rebecca flopped down on the bed positioned against the left wall. “Well, welcome to McKenzie Hall, Jules.” She grinned as if that was the most ridiculous name she’d ever heard. “The RA can be a bitch, but almost everyone else on the floor is cool.”

  Jules nodded and dropped her hand. “Good to know.” She moved her bags to the foot of the unoccupied bed that would now be hers and then sat. “So, you’re a junior, too, right?”

  “Yep.” Rebecca snatched her phone from the headboard, glanced at the screen, then laughed.

  Was she texting a boyfriend? Jules looked around the room. It was set up differently than her room last year. This had the beds pushed against either wall with the headboards right beneath the windows. There was a large nightstand between the beds, and at the foot of each was a dresser and a simple desk with a chair. It definitely wasn’t luxurious, but it would do.

  Looking up, Rebecca said, “My last roommate was a real dick. I hope you’re not going to be like her.”

  Juliana’s jaw dropped. She was afraid to ask what Rebecca meant by being a dick, but she refrained, not wanting to start a fight with her roommate after only knowing her for five minutes. She cleared her throat. “I pretty much keep to myself. I spend a lot of time in the library studying.”

  Admitting she was a boring study-holic without much of a social life probably wasn’t the best first impression to make, but she wasn’t going to lie about who she was, either. She stood and lifted her bags onto the bed, intent on unpacking and having a quiet night before classes started on Monday. Before she could get her suitcase open, her phone vibrated in her back pocket. She pulled it out and a grin split her face. “Are you back already?”

  “No, I’m leaving home now to head to campus,” Devon said.

  “Then why are you calling me?” Her tone held a lightness she hadn’t felt in months.

  “Seriously?” He laughed. “I haven’t seen my best friend all summer and you’re going to give me shit about calling you?”

  “No, it’s just odd. You usually only call once you’re back. Besides, we have literally talked or texted every single day.”

  “Yeah, and you were supposed to call me when you got back. I was starting to worry.”

  “Sorry.” That was the thing about Devon: he worried about her way too much. He really was like the big brother she never had. “I was busy meeting my new roommate and unpacking.”

  “Yeah? She hot?”

  “You’re an ass.” She laughed.

  “Hey, it’s a valid question that, conveniently, you didn’t answer. Don’t hold out on me, Jules.” The sound of a horn blaring pierced her eardrum, and she held the phone away from her ear. “Fucking moron!” After a moment, he said, “Sorry about that. So, this roommate…?”

  Jules glanced over her shoulder at Rebecca, who still had her head down and her cell phone in her hands. She was not going to talk about her while she sat across the room. “When are you getting back?”

  “Few hours. You wanna grab some food later?”

  “Of course.” Like she’d ever say no to hanging out with him. “We’ll eat until we explode, and we can catch up on everything.”

  “She’s in the room, isn’t she?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Devon chuckled. “All right. Cool. I’ll text you when I get to the frat house.”

  “Sounds good. Drive safe.” She ended the call.

  “Who’s that? Your boyfriend?” The sound of Rebecca’s voice startled her.

  “Devon?” Juliana laughed. “God no. He’s my best friend.”

  “He must be gay then.”

  “What? No. Why would you say that?” She couldn’t stop the angry indignation from creeping into her voice.

 
Rebecca lay down on her bed, her black hair spread out around her. Juliana couldn’t deny she was a beautiful girl. Devon would be happy about that. “Because there’s no way a straight guy could be BFFs with you and not want to tap that. Hell, I don’t swing that way and I want to bang you.”

  Was that supposed to be a compliment? Juliana refrained from rolling her eyes.

  “Do you have some sort of friends with benefits thing going on?” Rebecca smirked.

  “Ew, no. That’s gross. Devon’s like a brother to me.” She tucked her phone into her back pocket. Her stomach rolled with unease. She’d never been the gossiping type, and she sure as hell wasn’t the type to talk about her personal life, especially with someone she’d just met.

  Rebecca propped herself up on her elbows. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “No,” Juliana said. “Do you?”

  “There are a few guys I hook up with every now and then. But nothing serious.” Rebecca sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. “I know. I’m going to help you find a guy.”

  “Uh, thanks, but no thanks.” A relationship was the very last thing she wanted. She still hadn’t gotten over the train wreck of the last one she’d been in.

  “Aw, c’mon, why not? One night with one of my guys and you’ll be thanking me.”

  My guys? Was Rebecca a pimp or something? She needed to tone down the snark if she was going to make this work. Sighing, Jules sat on her bed. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate your offer, I do, it’s just…” Bile rose in the back of her throat, and her palms became sweaty.

  “It’s just what?”

  The promise she’d made herself this summer raced through her mind: I won’t let my junior year be as shitty as my sophomore year, and I’ll go out of my way to open up and make more friends. Actually, it was a promise she’d made Devon, but she’d taken it to heart. “I recently got out of a bad relationship, and I need some ‘me’ time to get my head back on straight.”

  Rebecca leaned forward like that was the most interesting thing she’d ever heard. “What happened?”

  Jules tucked her hands under her legs and averted her gaze. “A lot.” She swallowed hard. “He cheated on me with his ex. More than once.” She shook her head with disgust and self-loathing. “I was stupid and bought into his lies and fake apologies. Then he started to say some pretty awful things, telling me I wasn’t good enough to keep a man happy and that I wasn’t long-term girlfriend material.” Letting out a nervous laugh, Jules stood and wiped her palms on her jeans.

  “He sounds like a first-class dick bag.”

  “You’re being entirely too nice.”

  “Seriously, the fastest way to get over an ex and boost your confidence is to hook up with a new guy, get him to fall crazy in love with you, and then dump his ass. Trust me, it will make you feel so much better.”

  That was probably the worst advice she’d ever heard. She wasn’t the type to do random hookups. Not to mention, she wasn’t going to hurt some poor, unsuspecting guy just to make herself feel better. She wasn’t cold and heartless like Zach.

  “Let me know if you change your mind. I can find you a guy, like that.” Rebecca snapped her fingers. She stood and stretched her arms over her head. “I’m going out with some friends, so don’t wait up for me.”

  She hoped Rebecca wouldn’t be the type to stay out late partying and then come in at all hours of the day or night. Her last roommate had been a partier, and Juliana got cranky when she didn’t get enough sleep. “You’re leaving now?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got a few things to do before I meet them. Do whatever you want with the room. If there’s anything you need…clothes, bathroom stuff, whatever, feel free to use mine.” And then Rebecca left.

  Jules blew out a breath. It was certainly going to be an interesting year. She busied herself with unpacking. Even taking her time, it only took about two hours for her to settle in. Devon wouldn’t be back for another three or four hours. Checking to make sure she had some cash, her ID, her meal plan card, and her phone, she left the room and walked to the closest dining hall.

  It was early afternoon, and all the parents who were on campus for move-in day seemed to have flocked to the dining hall. One final meal before they left their almost-grown kids to fend for themselves. The looks of uncertainty and sadness on the parents’ faces were met with expressions of impatience and excitement. The kids wanted the parents to go, and the parents wanted to stay. A stab of longing for things she’d never get to experience pierced her chest, but she forced it away before it could take hold and ruin her day. The start of every semester was always hard, but it was worse than normal this year.

  She got in line and grabbed a bottle of water and an apple. She knew she’d eat a ton with Devon later, so she didn’t want to eat too much now. Making her way outside, she found her favorite spot beneath the largest tree and sat. It was the same spot where she and Devon usually had lunch since meeting a year and a half ago. As she ate, she watched the bustle of students and parents.

  Her gaze was drawn to a group of guys standing not too far from her. They were all attractive, but the tallest of the three was downright sexy. Dark hair. Dark eyes. He flung his head back and laughed. Whoa. Those dimples. They were like craters on either side of his full lips. His T-shirt was either a size too small or his muscles were too big to be contained. His cargo shorts looked like they were made specifically for his body, hugging all the right places. She’d seen him around before, in some of her classes and at Devon’s frat, but she didn’t know his name. And that was probably for the best. After what happened with her ex, she’d sworn off men for the foreseeable future.

  “Hey, Jules!” Mariah waved.

  “Hey!”

  Mariah was Lucas’s long-time girlfriend, and Jules knew Lucas because he was part of Devon’s frat. She wouldn’t call them good friends, not like her and Devon, but they were strong acquaintances who were always nice to her. It was calming to see a friendly face among the chaos of move-in day.

  Mariah walked over and smiled. “Where’s your sidekick?”

  “Devon? He’s taking his sweet-ass time getting back to campus.” She laughed. “What’re you up to?”

  Mariah held up a shopping bag that had the bookstore logo on it. “Trying to beat the rush.”

  “Did it work?”

  “Not really.” Mariah grinned. “This whole damn place is crazy today.”

  Juliana glanced around again. “No kidding.”

  “Well, I still have a lot to unpack. I’ll see you around Alpha house though, right?”

  “Yeah, of course.” She smiled tightly. The mere mention of frat parties had her appetite vanishing and a knot tightening in her chest. Unfortunately, it wasn’t something she could avoid. Devon wouldn’t let her. Him and his stupid “get back up on the horse” cliché advice.

  “Great. See ya later then.” Mariah gave another wave and walked off, her long ponytail swishing behind her.

  Juliana tossed her half-eaten apple in the trash and then walked back to her res hall, enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

  When she arrived back at her room, she unlocked the door and walked in, but the sound of a man’s voice cursing caused her to look up. Juliana’s eyes widened, and her heart slammed against her chest so hard, she took a step back. Oh. My. God. Rebecca was naked—again—and this time she was on her knees, blowing some guy. Some big guy with dark, smooth skin whose muscles had muscles, and it was hard to miss the fact his head wasn’t the only bald thing on him.

  Holy shit!

  Juliana’s face heated with embarrassment. She quickly backed out of the room and slammed the door. She leaned against the wall and squeezed her eyes shut to ward off the images she’d worked so hard to bury. But it was useless. The too-vivid memory of walking into Zach’s room, finding him with his pants around his ankles and the redhead on her knees with a mouthful of his cock filled her mind. That was the first time she’d caught him cheating on her. She’d been so stupid bac
k then. Naïve. Blinded by what she thought was love. The threat of tears burned her throat, and she swallowed hard. She sucked in a deep breath, counted to five, then blew out slowly, repeating the process until her racing heart slowed. Then she turned and headed for the lounge at the end of the hall.

  …

  “Mondays should be illegal,” Devon complained as he drove around one of the campus parking lots, searching for an empty space.

  “You say that every Monday morning. You’d think by now you’d be used to it.” Juliana stifled a yawn.

  “Yeah, you’d think.” He finally found a spot and pulled into it.

  “Your car seems to be running better,” she said. He’d had engine trouble on the way back to campus and hadn’t arrived until after ten p.m. As a result, they hadn’t been able to hang out, which is why she’d been stuck sitting in the lounge like a loser for five hours while Rebecca entertained her friend.

  “It should after the money I dumped into it yesterday.”

  The car was a classic and the reason she’d become friends with him in the first place—their mutual love of cars. One of her many foster dads, the only one she ever actually liked, had taught her everything she knew about cars. But she often wondered if Devon was overcompensating for something with the Hemi engine. Not that she’d ever ask him because it would lead to him making some perverted joke about showing her his dick. He was so proud of his ’68 Road Runner. It was a graduation gift from his parents, and she swore he cared more for this car than any human being.

  Shutting off the engine, he got out, and she did the same. She adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder. Her bag was mostly empty, which made trying to carry it awkward, but she’d be going to the bookstore later and would need it. They walked toward the quad together in silence.

  “We’re still on for lunch, right?” Devon asked. He opened the door to Fallon Hall and nodded for her to go first.

  “Yup. And you’d better not ditch me, either.” She bumped his hip with hers and stopped outside the door to room 112. “This is my class.”

  “You know I didn’t ditch you on purpose.” He subtly jutted his chin out toward someone behind her.

  “Who’re you looking at?” She twisted and glanced over her shoulder. Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome from the other day lifted his hand in a half wave. His gaze landed on her, and a thrill raced up her spine. She quickly turned back to Devon.