“Here you go. I’ve marked all the changes you, well, I won’t say asked for because it’s more like demanded.” Ryan smirks and leans back in his chair.
Aaron rubs his palms together before reading through the document. He is my agent, after all, and the ten percent of my nearly half a million per episode is nothing to sneeze at. After he reads through the changes, he slides it over to me.
“I appreciate you working with me on this, Ryan.”
“You’re welcome. You can thank me by getting your ass to Vancouver in five weeks to film the next story arc.” He tosses a Mont Blanc pen across the table at me.
“I’ve got a few things to take care of before then, but I’ll be there. You can count on it.” I sign the papers and slide the package back across the table.
We stand and I shake hands all around. Aaron joins me on the walk to the elevator.
“I got a call from a rep over at Tock watches. They want to sign you for a print campaign. You interested?” He asks the question nonchalantly as he presses the button to call the elevator.
“Not right now. I’ve got some things to take care of. Get Jared. He’d like that kind of exposure.”
“What, did you forget? He won’t be working for the next twelve weeks.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He’s headed to Bienestar up near Carmel.”
I’d heard about the celebrity twelve-step program for every kind of addiction from prescription meds to alcohol. I had no idea Jared was heading up there. Of course, I hadn’t talked to him in weeks, either.
“Right.” The beef between Jared and me is not something I’ve talked to Aaron about, so I pretend to have forgotten.
I decide that, as pissed as I am, I should stop by Jared’s on the way back to my place.
It takes a while for him to answer the door.
“You look like shit,” I say as I walk past him and into the house.
“Thanks, asshole. I know I look like shit.”
He walks out toward the patio, and I follow him, finding a seat on a lounge chair.
“Aaron says you’re heading up to Bienestar. What’s that about?”
“Since we talked the last time, I’ve been thinking a lot about who I am, and I’m not sure I like the guy in the mirror much these days.” He shakes his head. “I think I’ve been hurting people as a way to make myself feel better. It’s toxic. I’ve gotta figure out how to get past all that bullshit.”
“I’ve gotta give you credit, Jared. It takes a big man to admit when he’s got a problem. I hope you can get what you need up there.” I sit up and face him. “But I’ll tell you this and I swear on my Mama, I mean it. If you ever lay a finger on Gretchen, or do anything at all to hurt her, I’ll do such a number on you that Doctor Brigman will never be able to put your face back together. Got it?”
He winces, and nods. “Got it. And I’m not gonna be that guy anymore. I’m gonna be a better friend. A better man.”
I stand and put my hand out. He looks down at it and smiles, then shakes it.
“You wanna ride up to Bienestar with me? We could maybe grab some burgers on the way, and a couple of beers. I don’t think they’ll have any beer at the resort.” He chuckles, and the old Jared, the one I knew as a kid, is in that smile.
“I’d love to, but I can’t. I’ve gotta go get packed. I’m catching a late flight home. A fan came after Gretchen at the diner, and I’m going to see if I can convince her to come out here for a while so I can at least keep an eye on her.”
I tell Jared to call me when he’s back so we can go out and he seems happier when I leave.
Back at my place, I call a car service to take me to the airport and throw a few essentials in a bag. I’m surprised when the doorbell rings much earlier than I expect the car.
“Yeah, come in I’m almost rea—” As I open the door and look up, I’m stopped in my tracks by the site on my doorstep.
She’s wearing a sundress, and her hair is straightened and shiny. She’s wearing makeup, too. Not a lot, but just enough to draw attention to her already perfect features.
“Gretchen?” I grab her up into my arms and twirl her around on my front step.
My lips are on hers in an instant. I suck on her bottom lip and she melts into me with a sigh. It’s heady, sweet perfection, just like her.
“So, it’s okay that I just showed up?”
“Are you kidding me?” I tangle my fingers in the back of her hair and walk her backward until she’s against the wall. I tip her head back with my fingertips and kiss her neck. Her sighs tell me she’s missed me as much as I missed her. “You look so fucking beautiful, Gretchen.”
I slide my hands down her sides and grab her ass, lifting her. When I start to carry her to the bedroom, she objects.
“Tuck, my bags.”
“I’ll get them later.”
She lets out a sweet, clear laugh that makes me want to bury myself inside of her and turn that smile into a deep moan.
“Mr. Chips is out there.”
“Oh. Right. Hold on.” I put her down and step outside, grabbing her luggage and the dog carrier.
Inside, I leave the bags in the hall and let Mr. Chips out in the living room where Gretchen is standing behind the sofa, looking out through the panoramic windows to the Pacific below.
“There you go buddy,” I pat his head. “The house is yours. Gretch and I have business to take care of.”
My eyes are lasers, scanning her as I close the distance between us. She smiles as I pull her close, her body pressing against mine. I brush my fingers across her cheek and dip my head to swipe my tongue along the seam of her lips. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. I’ll keep you safe from now on, Gretchen. I swear I will.”
She does that thing where she wraps her fingers around my forearm and the sexy-sweet move does what it always does by making my cock twitch.
“Tucker, I came out here because I thought…well, maybe we should keep each other safe.” She presses her palm to my chest. “Here, especially.”
“You came out here because you were worried about me?”
“I love you, Tucker. You were worried about me and my safety, and that was makin’ you miserable. So, I asked Maisie to take over the diner—just for a while. I thought Mr. Chips and I could stay here for a while, if you want us to.”
Her scent is clean and fresh, like summer sunshine. Her body feels warm and soft in my arms. Everything about her feels new and full of promise. She stares up at me with those big eyes, the color of fresh grass in the spring, and I’m lost. I belong to her completely. Maybe I always did.
I brush my thumb across her bottom lip and pull her closer. “Stay forever.”
A smile tugs at her lips and her eyes flash with heat as she nods. She tiptoes up and kisses me, hard, as she presses her body to mine. Her sweet lips part and my tongue slides against hers. When she presses against me, I know she can feel how hard she’s making me. She lets out a soft little sound that shoots straight to my cock as she sighs into our kiss.
I press my palm to her cheek as I break the kiss. “I need to be inside of you.”
Pink paints her cheeks as she chews on her bottom lip. It’s the sexiest thing and I can’t wait another second.
“Don’t move. I have to grab a condom.”
I turn, but she grabs my hand and pulls me back. “I started on birth control a few weeks ago, so…if you want…”
My hands find her jaw and pull her close. “You’re sure?” She nods, and she doesn’t have to say it twice.
I step behind her and kiss her neck as I pull up her dress. My hand goes to the heat between her legs and when I feel the warm, damp cotton of her panties, I step forward, letting her feel my cock straining against my jeans as I push against the curve of her ass. She lets out a little whimper as I pull the fabric of her panties aside and dip my fingers into her seam. My fingers glide against her silkiness as my lips brush against the warm skin of her neck. As I s
troke her, sliding my fingers against her swollen clit, her hips move, and she presses her ass against my painfully swollen cock. She turns her face to look up at me.
“Tucker, I need you inside of me.”
I grab the sides of her panties and pull them down so she can step out of them. She steps forward and leans, bracing her hands on the back of the sofa and moves her feet apart. We’ve never done it this way before, but my girl knows what she wants and there’s nothing sexier than that.
I practically tear off my shirt and unbutton my jeans, sliding them down with my shorts. When I lift off her dress, she braces her hands on the back of the sofa again. I press my cock against the smooth skin of her cheek, and she sucks in a breath. I move to glide my slick head against her opening, and she tips her ass up to get closer. I push inside and she is sublime. Her pussy is so tight and with nothing between us, the heat of her flesh against my skin is the best damn thing I’ve ever felt.
I lean forward, my body covering hers.
“You okay, baby?” I press the words to her ear against a fall of soft, blonde hair.
“God, yes.” Her words come on a moan and she moves her hips, grinding back against me.
“I need you, Gretchen.” I pull on her earlobe with my teeth. “I can’t be gentle right now.”
“Don’t you dare try.” Her words are barely there. “Fuck me hard, Tucker.”
I take her hips in my palms and lean back so I can watch myself pull out and push deep inside of her again.
“Oh, God!” She cries out, seeming a little surprised at the volume of her own voice.
“Don’t hold back, sweetheart. Be as loud as you want.” I push inside again and start to move in deep, smooth strokes.
“You’re so deep…Fuck, that feels so good.”
“It’s incredible. You’re incredible.”
I move faster, my length finding the spot that sends her higher as I slide in and out, her pussy so incredibly tight around me that I’m afraid I won’t last as long as I want to, and I never want this to end. We’re both breathing hard, panting, and the sound of our desperate bodies, skin moving against skin, fills the space.
“Fuck, baby, you feel too good. Your pussy is so damn tight. You’re perfect, Gretchen. You’re perfect and you’re mine.”
“And you’re mine, Tuck. All mine.” She lets out a single, low, sexy laugh and as I lean forward to kiss her cheek, I see her smile. Her hips move faster to meet my thrusts and she tightens around me.
I let out a low groan because I’m right there with her. I feel the tension in my gut, and it rolls up my body. I can’t hold on anymore, so I tighten my grip on her hips and pump deeper inside. When my heat fills her, she cries out, her channel still tensing around me.
When our bodies relax, she seems a little unsteady, so I lift her onto the sofa where she lays back, one arm above her head so that it frames her beautiful face. Her smile is glowing as she looks up at me when I lay on top of her, holding her.
“That was somethin’ else.” She says through a broad grin. “You could spoil a girl with sex like that.”
“I plan to. Besides, I wanted to welcome you home the right way.” I wink and her brows dip.
“Welcome me home?”
“Well, yeah. When we’re together, it feels like being home to me.” I lift a shoulder and let it fall, watching her eyes as emotion flashes there. They grow moist, her brow furrows, and she nods her head.
“Yeah, you’re right. This is home.” She squeezes her arms tighter as they circle me. “Right here.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
The press follows us right to the doors as we walk up the steps to the Parker Palm Springs. It’s the same hotel where I helped Marissa and Willa hide out a couple of years ago. They’re getting married next year. I’m looking forward to playing the role of Marissa’s best man. Dude of Honor, as she puts it.
“Tucker! This way, Tucker!”
“Do you have news for us, Tucker?”
“Is it really over with Marissa?”
“Tucker! Tell us about the blonde!”
“Who’s the mystery woman?”
The paparazzi and reporters are going nuts when Gretchen and I pull up. I lean down and whisper in her ear. “You ready for this, baby?”
Her eyes glimmer as she looks up at me. “I was born ready.”
“That’s my girl. Let’s go.”
My left hand is tucked into the pocket of my jacket. Her jacket is draped over her arm as she carries Mr. Chips.
The security team parts the sea of reporters so we can walk up the stairs. When we get to the top of them, Gretchen stops just before I open the door.
“What’s wrong?”
“I wanna tell them.” She says, her face suddenly serious.
“Really? You’re sure?”
“I’m positive. Here, take Mr. Chips.” She hands me the dog, and I cradle him in one arm as I follow her back to the top step to face the crowd.
The camera flashes are blinding as Gretchen looks out over the crowd, one hand fisted on her hip. “If we give ya’ll a statement, will you shut up and leave us be for a bit?”
The crowd murmurs in hushed tones for a moment, then finally, Emily Blaine, the reporter from the ABS affiliate, pushes her way to the front and holds out her microphone.
“Give us a statement and we’ll clear out until you leave.” She turns to the guys behind her and they all nod their agreement.
“Alright then. My name is Gretchen. I’ve known Tucker most of my life. We dated right outta high school. We broke up when he moved out here.” She turns and looks back at me and smiles. “He was kinda a dumbass for a minute. I was a dumbass, too. We’re good now, though. We’re perfect.”
She looks back to the crowd. “So you can stop printing a bunch of bullshit about how he’s dating his costars or got some starstruck fan pregnant, because I know better.”
She turns and starts back up the stairs.
“You’re fucking perfect, you know that?” I whisper.
“I know we’re perfect together.”
The calls from the crowd start back up.
“Gretchen! Are you an actress?”
“Gretchen, are you two setting a date?”
“Hey, Gretchen?” Emily asks. “Can I get your last name for my story?”
Gretchen raises her brows and I nod. “Go ahead. Tell ‘em if you want to.”
Her smile is beaming as she turns back around. “Kane. My name is Gretchen Kane. Now, if ya’ll don’t mind, we had a deal. My husband has been filming for weeks and we’ve got a lot of time to make up for.” She looks up at me. “So much time to make up for.”
“Damn straight, Mrs. Kane.” I lean down and capture her lips with mine.
I can sense the flashes going off, but I don’t give a fuck. I pull her close with my free hand and kiss her harder. Her hands slide up around my neck and she presses against me. That’s it. I’m done kissing her with an audience. I want my mouth on her in private.
“You heard it here first, folks,” I hear Emily say to the camera. “ABS star Tucker Kane has married his childhood sweetheart in a secret ceremony. Sorry, ladies, but this heartthrob is off the market.”
I whisper against Gretchen’s lips. “Can we please go to our room and fuck now?”
“Hell, yes, we can.”
She turns toward the door and one last voice filters through above the cacophony. It’s one of the less sleazy photographers who’s been around over the years. “Hey, Tucker, she’s hot. Way to go, man!”
I turn back and yell, “Damn straight!” I give them a thumbs up and disappear into the hotel.
We get checked in and head back to the cottage that’s secluded at the back of the property.
“I know I said it before, but thank you.”
“For what?”
“The wedding. I know I wasn’t much help with my filming schedule. I’m glad we did it at the beach.”
“Me, too.” She beam
s. “It just felt right so everyone could be there.”
I took a week off from filming my final season of Sins of the Father last month and flew down to Galveston to marry the woman of my dreams. I don’t know how she pulled it off, but those details were locked up tight. Not a reporter within a hundred miles had any idea what was happening.
“We could’ve just had our reunion at home, ya know,” Gretchen reminds me as she kicks off her Chucks.
“I know. There’s too many distractions there, though. You’d be trying to work half the time, or thinking of things you needed to do. You’re not great at taking it easy, in case I’ve never told you that before.” I pull her close and press a kiss to her forehead.
“Okay, fair enough.”
There’s a knock at the door and I answer it, letting the porter in to drop off our bags. I tip the guy, and he clears his throat. “Sir, I believe we had a spa appointment booked for you?”
“Oh, right. Hang on.”
Gretchen tips her head and furrows her brow when I walk over and pick up Mr. Chips.
“Grooming, puppy massage, and a walk around the grounds. He’ll be gone for a few hours.” I wink at her.
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Puppy massage. You’ve gotta be fucking kiddin’ me.”
I hand the guy a fifty and our dog, and lock the door behind him when he leaves.
“Now, about what you said before…,” I pull Gretchen into my arms. “Making up for lost time and all.”
“Honestly, I kinda can’t believe I’ve got you all to myself.” She slides her palms up my chest and I feel like we’ve both got on way too many clothes.
I reach down and grab the hem of my shirt, tugging it up and off, and toss it to the floor. Her eyes narrow as she trails them up and down my body. She presses her soft lips to the center of my chest, right over my heart.
“This spot right here,” she whispers against my skin. “This is my favorite spot.”
I wrap my arms around her and tug on her hair so she tips her head back. “I don’t think I have a favorite. I love every inch of you.”
The Last Virgin in Texas Page 25
