Torn by Love (Scarred by Love #4) by C. A. Harms Read Free Book Online

assured me.
    “You better,” I said.
    Lily approached us with caution, and I offered her a reassuring smile. “You ready for another round?” I asked. “Or are you ready to quit?”
    That confidence I longed for twinkled in her eyes as she smirked. “Oh, I’m just getting started. Why, do you already need a nap, old man?” She placed a hand on her hip and cocked her eyebrow in question.
    A snicker came from my right as Max leaned back against the ropes.
    “Old man?” I asked. “I’m only three years older than you.”
    “Yeah, but you seem a little out of shape. Figured you may need to take a nap or something.” She smiled teasingly, taking a step back toward the mats.
    Carson was the one chuckling this time. I ignored both of them. I was used to the quiet, standoffish Lily. Now here before me stood a feisty little thing who ignited a fire deep inside me.
    “Out of shape,” I repeated. Standing up, I pulled my shirt up over my head and threw it to the mat. My cockiness won out as I began flexing my pecs. “Does this look like a man that’s out of shape?”
    “Well now that you mention it…” she began.
    I never gave her a chance to continue before I tossed her up and over my shoulder. Forgetting that my brothers were there was easy to do when I had Lily in my arms.
    “How about I show you just how in shape I am? This time I’ll be doing all the pinning.” Yes, I admit it, for the first time since I picked her up this morning, my mind was wandering into new territory. I allowed myself to picture her beneath me, as her eyes rolled back into her head from the pleasure I was giving her.
    Fuck, I had to rein it in. Sporting a hard-on right now would be the last thing I needed.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eleven
     
     
    Lily
     
    For the first time in over a month I felt alive. Tanner had spent the last two weeks showing me everything he could about how to protect myself. I hoped I never had to use the skills, but it was nice to know I could if needed.
    I was seeing a whole new side to Tanner, a side I had no idea even existed. Yeah, he was still the same cocky, dominating ass, only with more compassion. I don’t know if that makes sense at all, but he was just a better version of the Tanner I knew a month ago. He had let his guard down, and I was getting a glimpse of the man I knew he was capable of becoming if he let go.
    I noticed I was looking forward to the time I could spend with Tanner. Knowing that we would be together helped me get through my time without him. The two hours a day I spent with him gave me the confidence to face the rest of my tasks and the jump-start to reconnect with the Lily I’d lost touch with.
    I knew I had to be careful with Tanner given the kind of past he’d had. I knew he had the ability to suck me in and spit me out, leaving me a mess once again. I couldn’t allow that; I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pick myself up again. Still, over the weeks Tanner and I had developed a friendship. He’d become someone I could rely on, the person who pushed me to stay strong. That friendship became my foundation to rebuild myself.
    “Rise and shine, sweetheart. We got work to do,” Tanner called as he beat on the door of my apartment. “You’ve got ten seconds to open up before I use my key.”
    What? His comment made me stumble as I walked toward the door. I yanked it open and placed my hands on my hips. “Key? How the hell did you get a key to my apartment?”
    He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Don’t have one, but it got you to open the door now, didn’t it?” He nudged me with his shoulder and chuckled as he pushed his way inside. Taking a seat on the couch, he then propped his feet up on the coffee table, reached for the controller, and began flipping through the channels. He had a way of making himself at home.
    I closed the front door and took the empty spot next to him. He stretched out and placed his arm behind my head, and without thinking I rested