Tangled Like Us (Like Us, #4)

by Krista Ritchie

It’s my job to make her life safe. It’s not my job to imagine tasting her words against my tongue while I push deep inside—don’t. Don’t.

I wasn’t sure how their relationship would be but I am so freaking pumped he’s into Janie

It’s not my job to think about what she’d taste like if I spread her legs. I have pictured it, and I’ll do a hundred deadlifts as punishment for even thinking about her pussy.

I possess the unfortunate inability to run away from my own mortification.

suppose there are worse stains like blood or jizz.”

💀 god bless her

Thatcher suddenly rips the frilly lace right off its seams. In one motion, it’s gone. My ovaries just exploded.

🫠🫠

Thatcher is like a sacred text. I’m tempted to rush through the pages, but something has compelled me to draw out each line, each word. Reading so slowly and carefully so as to never miss a syllable. So a single book, a single person, could last me forever.

😌🖤

My eyes dart down to his black slacks that mold his butt like perfectly rounded fruit. “Oh my God,” I breathe underneath my breath. I just checked out my bodyguard’s ass. It wouldn’t be the first time. “You’re most surely going to hell, Jane,” I whisper more softly to myself.

🤣 honestly, so relatable. But I probably would’ve tried to pinch a cheek

I won’t devalue her achievements just to find value in myself. My mom is brilliant and beautiful. And so am I. Just in my own way.

I’m not a sad little cub about to be eaten. I’m a motherfucking lion.

*rawr*

“I’m seventeen—I mean, I’m Jane.”

She’s so awkward and I could not love her more for it 😂

“Just date Moretti,” Oscar suggests so suddenly, and the room explodes in two exclamations: “What?!” “Oscar?!”

I adore this man 😂

“I’d do anything to keep you safe, Jane,” he says deeply and without falter.

🥹

In a swift, natural move, I cup the back of her thighs, and I hoist Jane up against my body—we’re eye-level, her legs instinctively spreading apart. Wrapping around my waist, gripping tight.

“That’ll make your pussy throb”

“That’s quite a lot of ears that could hear…things.” She lifts her chin and straightens her off-kilter headband. “Rain check? For other things besides your cock in my pussy.”

“Is it odd to say that I’m actually excited? I’ve never faked an orgasm before. Usually I just tell the guy that they didn’t please me, and I’ll provide pointers and then let them solve the rest. So this is a first—the faking orgasm part.”

AS. YOU. SHOULD DONT LET MEN THINK THEY’RE HOT SHIT

“Factually, yes—but if we were really having sex, there’s a high probability that I’d orgasm.” I’m unblinking. Unmoving. Frozen. His biceps seem to flex. “Not a high probability.” “No?” I hang on the edge of his words. “If I put my cock in your pussy, there’s a hundred-percent certainty you’d orgasm in my arms. More than twice.”

JESUS🥵

I think my heart just came, if hearts could cum. Mine just did.

The way I SNORTED

“Change of plans.” I nod in agreement. Our eyes say the same exact thing. We need more. We want more. “What’s…the new proposal?” I pant and watch him stand up at the foot of the bed. Towering, he clasps my ankle and tugs me toward the edge of the mattress. He yanks my pale yellow jeans down my thighs. “I’m eating out your pussy.” An irrepressible noise breaches my lips. “Yes,” I gasp, nearly crying out in happiness. “Yes…please.” Words jumble in my head as he continues without pause.

About to become his favorite meal

“It seems we are dreadfully tangled, you and I.” Couldn’t agree more.

“Yeah, we’d have to get Donnelly to tattoo hypocrite on his ass.” If that’s what it took to make things right with him, I’d fucking do it.

💀💀

Her smile widens when she realizes what I’m doing. Our eyes never detour, not even as I start gathering her hair in my hands. It’s messy. Not even close to perfect. But I’m able to tie her hair up into a knot at the top of her head. When I’m finished, her gloved hand hovers above her bun, and she scans the room for a mirror. None. Her eyes hit mine. “How do I look?” she asks. Beautiful. But I feel the hot gazes of Charlie and Farrow. They’re quiet, which means they’re listening. Fuck it. “Beautiful,” I tell her. Surprise parts her lips, but her smile reaches her eyes. “Tom called you an honorary Cobalt this morning on the phone,” she says. I didn’t know that. Charlie overhears and he calls out to us. “Until you two stop fake dating.” His yellow-green eyes pierce me. “Then you turn back into a pumpkin.” We hold each other’s gaze. He’s calling me the Cinderella in all of this. And maybe he’s right. I am coming from nothing suddenly being welcomed into a world that I don’t belong in. An uncomfortable tension winds between Jane and me. Security is holding the “end” of the fake dating op over our heads. I hate that it could come sooner than Halloween. I hate that I can’t do shit about that. Mostly, I hate when we have to breakup, I won’t be able to call her beautiful. Not out loud. It’ll stay in my head. Like it always has before.

🥺🥺

I easily step inside—I freeze. Luna is under the neon-green sheets on her bottom bunk, but her face is exposed. Her lips in an O. And by the other body shape and movement happening under the sheet, she’s not alone. A guy’s head is definitely between her legs. My feet don’t move and my eyelids don’t work properly when I need them to. She spots me quickly and also tenses. “Shitshit,” Luna curses. I open my mouth, but the guy’s head pops out of the sheet in a flash. He stares up at Luna with wide, concerned eyes. I know him. Chestnut brown hair, tattoo sleeve, and cut muscles, trained in MMA—he’s a twenty-seven-year-old Omega bodyguard. Paul Donnelly. “What’s wrong?” he asks Luna, worried. He’s already turning his head towards the entrance. Towards me. I’m frozen. She’s frozen.

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS😂 At least not so early on. But I’m here for it

“Can’t know,” Luna says adamantly. “I can’t even imagine what his reaction would be if he knew Donnelly and I hooked up—for scientific purposes—but still.” She looks to Donnelly. “Moffy goes three-fourths Loren Hale, and there is no universe you’d ever survive one-half of my dad if he found out.”

“I’m not your mom or your conscience, Moretti. But you are a fucking hypocrite.” I nod. Not disagreeing. “You need me to tattoo it on my ass?” His brows spike. “Would you?” I wouldn’t care. “Why not?” When he sees that I’m serious, because I always fucking am, he laughs into a smile. “This can definitely be arranged—”

I need it to happen 😂😂

When I got there, I dropped my bike and ran straight in the water. Skylar had jumped off a common diving point. But it was dark. No moonlight. The water was too shallow, and he hit rock. He ended up unconscious in the water around ten minutes before I showed up. There wasn’t anything I could do. But I tried. I was strong for twelve. I learned I was stronger than Sky, and I wished I’d seen how badly he coped with our strict dad. I wished he didn’t go to that fucking quarry and horse around. And I wished I could’ve taken the burden off him like I did Banks. I dragged him out of the water, and my gold chain twisted on the gold chain around his neck. Our cornics stuck together. Later, my grandma unknotted the chains and put both gold horns on one necklace. She said they were meant to be together.

EXCUSE ME WHILE I FUCKING SOB

“Spring and fall are rising.” More accurately, those seasons can’t rise together. Fall rises when spring ends.

😭😭 ughhhh

“I’m going to ask you one question,” Price says, his voice even, despite the bite in his eyes. “And you better be fucking honest with me.” I nod. “Did you sleep with her?” “Yes, sir.” Sinclair lets out an aggravated laugh. Price shoots to his feet. I stand at the same time as Akara, who slashes his hurt, angered gaze at me. “You and me, Thatcher,” he says harshly. “You and me—we’ve protected our men for years. That’s the way it’s been.” Covering asses, cleaning messes. Good cop, bad cop. Him and me. I nod. “And you should’ve known better,” Akara says between gritted teeth. “You knew, more than anyone, what you’d fucking destroy.” His nose flares, pained. SFO. His men. His responsibility. Nothing I say will make a difference. But he deserves an apology. “I’m sorry,” I say from my core. Akara shakes his head more, still fuming, still in disbelief. Sinclair glowers. “This fake dating op wasn’t a gateway for you to stick your dick in her.” I rake a hand across my mouth, acid in my throat, shifting tensely on my feet. Don’t charge. But I fucking hate how he’s talking about Jane. “You took advantage of my trust in you,” Price states like a leader disappointed in his men. “And I should fire you right now. I honestly can’t stand to even look at your fucking face.” That one cuts. Only because I think of Banks. How much shit is he going to get for this? My jaw clenches, muscles flexed. Staying quiet. Opening my mouth isn’t going to help, and I can’t disagree with them. I did take ad...

Price and Sinclair can kick rocks. I hope their pillows are always warm and their beds are always filled with crumbs. I hate this for Akara…but your time is coming babe 😂

“One more question,” Price says. “And this stays here. We won’t tell anyone. But we need to know so that we can see the warning signs when we hire new guys.” I stiffen, having no clue what’s coming. Price says, “Was it for the fame or the sex?” “Neither,” I say, not even hesitating. “It was just her.” It was always just her.

Thatcher Moretti is PERFECT

“And you want to be my boyfriend,” I say out loud, my lips lifting into an overwhelmed smile. “My real boyfriend.” “You want to have a boyfriend.” He says what is true. I’m no longer closed off from the idea of a relationship. My heart is open for him to hold. And to protect. Breathless, I whisper, “Only if that boyfriend is you.” His hand encases my cheek. “I love you, Jane.” My lungs swell with deeper emotions. He cradles my gaze. “You don’t have to say it back. I know it may take time for you because of your feelings about love—” “I’m falling so terribly in love with you,” I say, my heart speaking for me. It feels good and right and perfect. “I think I’ve been falling for you for some time now.”

😭 they deserve this