Endurance (Harris Brothers, #2)

by Amy Daws

A Harris Brother doesn’t toss out that emotion freely either. We only have two loves in our lives. Our sister and the gorgeous game of football. Nothing more.

The entire team loves her and not in the perverted way that Camden was worried sick over.

Yet he turned me down as if I was some kind of demotion for him.

Maybe I’m still a bit cross.

“Tanner, this isn’t safe!” I look around his shoulder and see the man watching us with a curious expression on his face. “I’ll keep you safe.” He reaches out and squeezes my forearm with his hand as an act of reassurance.

“Sedgwick, you showed me a kindness and I’m showing you one back. That’s all this is. Repaying a favour.”

An aching in my stomach begins as I evaluate what just happened. Tanner Harris—the loathsome pig whom I’ve grown to detest—did something humane. Extraordinarily humane. I would have never in a million years expected that of him.

And it’s the first time ever that I’ve laughed with Tanner Harris.

“Tanner, there’s obviously another side to you. A side that you showed with Sedgwick. I just can’t, for the life of me, understand why you think hiding behind Tanner the Slutty Footballer is a better choice for your day-to-day life.”

I don’t want to be a moaning sap, but I fucking miss my brother.

However, when shit hits the fan for me, he’s always the first to call. And he never judges. He never makes me feel worse than I already do. He just…helps.

“What are brothers for?” “To make it glaringly obvious that I’m the best looking Harris Brother.”

Plus, I love having her here. We’ve been friends since the first day we met in med school, and she’s as close to what I think a normal family should feel like. In fact, I wish we were family.

If she needs somewhere to stay, she belongs with me.

My nighttime snack is not an accident; it’s a commitment.

Get me a lump of chocolate any day and you have me begging like a sex addict in a strip club.

Her family is a big fucking deal and this isn’t the kind of scandal they’ll be willing to tolerate.”

Suddenly, everything I was worried about for myself has evaporated.

I haven’t even told them about my new job yet. They wouldn’t care. They never care.

But, to my family, me being photographed semi-naked with a footballer who has a publicly loose reputation will be as devastating as the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. In two words, I’m fucked.

I looked to Indie for clues as to what I should do, but she didn’t have the faintest idea. She just silently handed me sherbet lemons to tamper my rage.

“It was Vi’s. She said she wouldn’t let me hold the baby when it’s born if I didn’t bring you there.”

“Well, change how it looks. Make it not look so bad…Make up a story or something, I don’t know.”

He’s always putting Bethnal first.

Once upon a time, I couldn’t make eye contact with my father. I’d cower in his presence. But once upon a time, I also cared what he thought of me. That is no longer the case.

like to punch you, but your bloody face looks like an angel and I’m afraid it would secure my seat in hell.”

“Figure out a way to mess with Tanner until his balls feel like they’re going to shrivel up and die.”

My brows lift at my scarily vindictive friend, but it’s not a bad idea. If I’m being forced to date London’s sluttiest footballer—a man I loathe—then I’m going to make it my mission in life to torture him while I do.

All because she tried to help me out. God, I’m such a prat.

I roll my eyes. Of course my brother wants a front row seat for the show. The bastard. He’s probably enjoying this spectacle.

“I missed you, Specs.” He moans his pet name to her and, by the looks of their embrace, you’d think he’s returned home from war, not a few days away for a match.

And let’s face it, I liked Indie’s idea of making Tanner miserable. He rejected me once, so I crave the pleasure of returning the kindness.

I close my eyes and do my best to ignore the way he says Ryan. I don’t know why it irks me that he refers to me by my last name. Perhaps it’s because I can’t stand my family and the bullshit title they like to flaunt with it. Or perhaps it’s because it’s Tanner and most things he does irk me.

“What the fuck was that?” I pant. The side of his mouth curls up. “Sorry, I’ve never been much of a gentleman.”

I’ve been going about this situation all wrong. I’ve only been thinking about myself and haven’t been listening to what she needs out of this.

All of this”—she gestures to her face and body—“is just a bit much for their scene.” She lets out a sad sort of self-deprecating laugh that bothers me. I eye her objectively for a minute and can’t find a single flaw.

“Why is it you seem to be so forgiving?” “For you throwing wine on me in public?” She nods. I shrug. “I guess I can admire someone who’s passionate about their convictions, even if it is at the expense of mine.”

“Then we’re a match made in heaven, Tanner, because my passion, as you so kindly called it, usually sends men running for the hills.”

guess this would be a perk of monogamous dating. Restaurants, good food, good drinks, attractive company. I can see the appeal.

But nothing about the night tops the way Belle’s eyes light up when she sees they have a dark chocolate ganache truffle dessert. She looks like a kid getting a puppy on Christmas morning. It’s sweet and hilarious and innocent.

Watching her eat it, however, is the exact opposite description. Her large, touched-up lips wrap around the spoon of chocolate like she’s devouring the most sensual thing on the planet. I suppose it is to her. T...

She offers me a bite on more than one occasion, but I refuse because I don’t want to take a single bit away from the show I’m enjoying more than I care to admit. It’s ten times better than any foreplay I’ve ever had.

She’s a witch. A temptress. She’s got me completely under her chocolatey, crazy chick spell and I’m entranced.

I’m not sure I got a chance to properly thank you for the lift last night.” “Oh, it was my pleasure. Especially since you had the decency to wear clothes.”

“Have you been sleeping in the bed?” I ask, walking over to the bed and noting the pillow mint still sitting there. Sedg looks down and runs a hand through his damp hair. “I erm…I sat on it once. It wasn’t my cup of tea. I have a bad back.”

“Well, if I don’t, people will worry about me.” This gives me pause. Of course this man has some semblance of a family that cares about him. Apart from the fact that I know he’s homeless, he seems like the kind of bloke you couldn’t stand losing.

When the door closes behind us, I can’t help myself. I lean down and kiss Belle on the cheek. “You’re a goddess.” She smiles back. “I know.”

Having longer hair has made me far more sympathetic to women. It’s high fucking maintenance, and it’s not lost on me that I can no longer just roll out of bed and head out for the day. Now I have to tame the mane on a daily basis.

Indie’s suggestion to torture him while we go through this whole façade sounds like a fun sort of challenge. However, I can’t seem to quiet the small voice in my head that feels insecure around him. Tanner blatantly rejected me that night at Old George.

I’m certainly different than the women he’s been banging more recently, that’s for sure. Yes, he’s a scruffy manwhore who you’d think would shag anything that walks, but he’s also a famous footballer. They have stunning women throw themselves at them all the time.