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“Tanner!” She tried to cover up Kye’s ears. “You cannot talk in front of children like that.”
Tanner grinned at her. “If he’s going to be around me or my brothers, he’s gonna hear worse than that.”
“Then you should clean up your language. And what does that have to do with anything?”
“My dick’s been in you. I’ve kissed you. Slept with you. Cared for you.”
Cared?
So, he didn’t anymore?
Pay attention, Lilac. That’s not what is important.
It felt like it was, though. Because her heart felt like it was tearing into pieces.
“And here’s the thing, I never let you go.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What?”
“I never let you go. You left. But I’m thinking now that you didn’t want to. I think there’s a reason you left which you’re going to tell me soon. But that just means you didn’t want to leave me. My claim still applies.”
“There . . . there was no claim!” What the heck? Was he for real right now?
“Baby, there was definitely a claim. And that claim still exists. So, get your head around being mine.”
“How did I not know how arrogant you are?”
He grinned. “You knew. You just liked it before. But now that I’m bossing your ass for your own good, I might add, you’ve decided it annoys you.”
“Of course it does! Arrogance is annoying.”
“Nope. Arrogance is me knowing I own you.”
“Nobody owns me. Nobody!” She practically yelled the words, her heart racing. It was too close to something Stefan would have said to her.
Kye let out a startled cry while Tanner stared down at her in shock.
“Here.” Opal reappeared, taking Kye from her. “I think it’s best we all get home, yeah?”
Lilac nodded. She felt more exhausted than she could ever remember feeling before. It was like all of her energy had been drained out of her. Turning, she stumbled again as she tried to walk to Tanner’s truck.
Letting out a grunt that she assumed was one of annoyance, he picked her up and carried her over to the truck.
“You don’t need to carry me.” Even though she knew she should be stronger than this, it was kind of a relief.
“I think you’ll find that I do. You’re so exhausted that you can barely walk. And I don’t want you tripping up. Plus, this means I get hold you. Never a bad thing.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“Why would it be, baby?”
“Because when I first arrived here and you saw me at Dirty Delights, you looked at me like you hated me. You said what we had was just a fling.”
“I told you I didn’t mean that. I wish I hadn’t said it because it’s not true. I’m mad at you, make no mistake of that. And you’re going to get punished. For running from me. For not coming to me if you were in trouble. Oh, and for jumping out of a moving truck. Yeah, your ass is toast.”
“What?” She looked up at him in confusion as he placed her in the front passenger seat. “When did I jump out of a moving truck?”
Opal was already in the backseat with a now-quiet Kye. Tanner pulled her seatbelt over and buckled it in. “Earlier, when we pulled up here. Make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
