Page 12 of Wildest Dreams

She glances over her shoulder toward the guys at the other side of the lake and says, “I’m sure that I could acquire a bodyguard or two.”

I bet she fucking could.

“Yeah, I don’t doubt it. But that’s not sufficient.”

She turns back to face me. “My brother will be here in a couple of days,” she says. As if that makes it okay that she’s going to be living in an unlocked cabin. Then her voice turns all tempting and husky when she adds on, “with half of his football team.”

I shove my tongue in my cheek and feel my biceps tighten.

Great. More men.

I avert my eyes and nod once, telling her without words that I get the picture.

“Anything else you want to express an opinion on before you step foot out of my lake house for the last time ever?” she asks casually. She’s so unapologetically savage that it honestly almost makes me smile. “Besides, you’re on a boys’ vacation. I wouldn’t want to keep you from whatever it is that I’m sure you’re going to be doing.”

That catches my attention, because what the actual fuck is she talking about now? But to my surprise when I look down at her, her eyes are staring unblinkingly at her sandals.

Whatever it is that I’m sure you’re going to be doing?What the hell does that even mean?

I walk over to her, wishing that she’d meet my eyes. Give me some of her fire so I can see she’s as strong as I know she is.

When I’m only a foot away from her she lifts her perfect nose high into the air, defiantly meeting my eyes.

For some reason, something like pride courses through my chest.

There she is. That’s the girl that I know.

I stand there for one long moment, enjoying the sensation of being close to her after so many years of having to keep my distance. Look, I can take a hint, and I know that what we had was a one-time thing. But I also know that if it was up to me that wouldn’t have been the case.

But this isn’t the moment for a heartfelt confession. So before I step out of the door I jerk my thumb toward the large fireplace, savouring the way her jaw drops to the floor when I say, “Hearth’s empty. I’m gonna get you some wood.”

Chapter 3

Tanner

Four years ago

We watch each other from opposite sides of the elevator, her leaning against the railing with her hands behind her back, and me gripping into one of the pieces of her bed-frame, smiling every time she meets my eyes. She lets out a pretty laugh and moves over to the doors, giving me a couple of seconds to check her out from behind.

I mean, I’ve got eyes and she’s the hottest chick that I’ve ever seen, so as I reposition the wood in my palms I let my eyes trail over her perky cheeks.

She’s wearing leggings.

Grey ones.

I clear my throat.

Goddamn.

I’m almost at the end of my first week as a freshman at Carter U and after the fucking bender that the hockey team has taken us on I’ve been feeling worse for wear. I haven’t had a tonne of classes so it’s been mainly ice time and a couple of parties, because the guys on the team are dead-set on meeting every chick in Carter Ridge.

The problem with that for me?

I alreadyknowevery chick in Carter Ridge.

God knows how but even the freshmen girls have caught wind of my reputation, which is not exactly ideal seeing as I was intending to make this year my fresh start.

At high school it was fine to fuck around – we all knew that soon we’d never have to see each other again, going to different colleges or moving halfway across the country. But now I’matcollege, and I’m going to be here for four more years, so I don’t want every girl that I meet thinking that I want to fuck her brains out.

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