by Holly Renee
“Are you okay?” Brooke’s voice broke through my Tucker fog, and I took a step back out of his embrace.
I wiped under my eyes and tried to school my features before I turned to her.
“I’m good.” I smiled at her, but I knew it was weak and I knew she would see right through me.
She narrowed her eyes at me, but she didn’t say anything. I knew she was sparing me in front of Tucker, and I appreciated it, but I also knew that I would get the fifth degree later.
“JoJo is cooking dinner. Do you want to go help her?”
“Absolutely.” I walked toward my best friend, but Tucker caught my wrist right before I was out of his reach.
I looked back at him, and he looked like he was struggling with what he wanted to say. His thumb rubbed over my knuckles and a chill followed in its wake.
“You can always talk to me. You know that, right?” Worry was etched across his handsome face, and I wanted to take it away.
“Of course. I’m fine. I swear.”
He hesitated, but he finally let my fingers slip out of his hand. I followed my best friend into the house to help cook dinner, and I ran my fingers over the skin he had just touched. As if he had branded me, I could still feel him even though I was walking away.
“Are you going to date my son?”
“JoJo!” I looked over at her like she was crazy.
“What? You said that you two were just friends, but then he came home and looked at you like that.” She waved her hand around in the air.
“Like what?”
“Like someone who is completely infatuated,” Brooke piped up, and I shot her the evil eye.
“Bingo,” JoJo replied while stirring the sauce in front of her.
“He wasn’t looking at me like someone who is infatuated. He was looking at me like a friend. He was just worried about me.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“I’m his friend too.” Brooke pointed to her chest. “He doesn’t look at me like that.”
“Whatever.”
“I’m his mother. I have never seen him look at a woman like that.” JoJo looked at me with a small smile on her face.
“Trust me. You all are reading into something that isn’t there. It will never happen.”
“What won’t happen?” Tucker’s voice caused my back to go stick straight, and I made big eyes at JoJo.
“We were talking about whether or not Ramsay Bolton could ever take down Jon Snow.”
“Oh. Kennedy loves Jon Snow. She doesn’t think anyone can take down her Jon Snow.”
I took a deep relieved breath that he hadn’t heard our conversation. “That’s because they can’t.”
“I know, Mrs. Snow.” Tucker wrapped his arm around my shoulders and looked down to me. He was smiling and his damn dimple was showing.
“Don’t make fun of me.” I poked him in the ribs.
He chuckled then wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me into a hug.
“Never, firecracker.” He kissed the top of my head before he let me go and headed back outside with the guys.
When I finally got my bearings back, I turned back to JoJo and Brooke to help finish cooking. JoJo had a large smirk on her face and an eyebrow raised at me. Brooke’s arms were crossed over her chest, and I could tell that she was dying to say something.
I raised my hands before either one of them could. “We are just friends.”
“Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.” JoJo winked at me. I would keep telling myself that because I wouldn’t get my hopes up otherwise. If there was one thing that I was one hundred percent certain about Tucker Moore, it was that he had the power to ruin me.
…
“Wake up, sleepy head.” My body shook, and I grumbled.
“Go away.” I swung my hand out in the air trying to connect with the asshole who was trying to wake me up from my nap.
“Firecracker. Get up,” Tucker’s deep voice called out but I wasn’t sure if it was the real Tucker or dream Tucker. Because the man was invading my every thought. I couldn’t get away from him.
“Come on. I want to take you somewhere.”
His face was soft and a small smile rested on his lips. I couldn’t tell him no.
“Where are we going?”
I sat up in bed and stretched my arms over my head.
“It’s a surprise. Just make sure you wear jeans and tennis shoes.”
He looked down at my legs, and I followed his gaze. I was wearing a pair of Captain America sleep shorts that barely covered any skin.
“Okay. Give me a few minutes to get ready.”
Tucker nodded his head then walked out of the room.
After throwing on the clothes he told me to, I left my room in search of him. Brooke was sitting on the couch with Liam when I made it downstairs, and she was still in her bathing suit.
“Are you not going with us?” I asked.
When Tucker said he wanted to take me somewhere, I assumed he meant with everyone else.
“Nope.” She smirked at me. “Tucker said it’s just you and him tonight.”
My heart rate took off at her words. I pulled the ends of my long sleeves down over my palms and tried to hide my awkwardness over being alone with Tucker.
“Do you know where we’re going?”
“No, and she couldn’t tell you if she did.” Tucker walked into the living room dressed similar to me in jeans and a T-shirt. Except he looked good enough to eat. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” I walked toward him hesitantly because I wasn’t sure if I was actually ready for whatever he had planned for us.
Tucker grabbed my hand in his much bigger one and led me outside to where his four-wheeler was parked.
“We’re going four wheeling?” My voice squeaked, and Tucker chuckled.
“Yes. Is that okay?”
“We’re going alone? What if it breaks down? What if it gets stuck?” What if I don’t think I can stand to have my body pressed against yours while we frolic through the woods?
“Don’t wound my ego. I can fix a four-wheeler. Plus, we have these things called cell phones.” He waved his around before slipping it into his jean pocket. “What happened to my firecracker?”
“Nothing happened. I’m just making sure we are being safe.”
Tucker chuckled again before putting his hand on the handle of the ATV and lifting his leg over to straddle the seat. “Come on.” He patted the seat right behind him.
I took a deep breath and made my way over. I placed my foot in the same spot he had put his and gripped his shoulders as I climbed on. As soon as I was settled, I dropped my hands to my sides.
Tucker started the machine and the loud rumble met my ears and the vibrations shook my body. I looked around for something to hold on to. Tucker’s large body was seated between my thighs and blocking any chance of holding on to anything in front of me. Behind me, there was some sort of black railing, and I decided that it was my best option. I weaved my fingers below the metal and held on for dear life.
“You ready?” Tucker yelled over the rumble of the ATV.
“I think so.”
“You need to hold on.”
“I am.”
Tucker turned then and looked at me, and I could tell he wanted to laugh. There I was leaning backward holding onto the four-wheeler for dear life, and we hadn’t even moved yet.
“No, Firecracker. You need to hold on to me.”
“I’m fine like this.”
“Yeah. If you want to break a wrist.”
I immediately let go of the railing, and he pulled my arms around his waist. My chest rested against his back, and I could feel the heat of his skin through my shirt. He was too big for me to manage to clasp my hands together so I rested them against his stomach, feeling his taut abs that lay beneath his shirt. As soon as he took off, I let out a small scream and clasped his shirt in my fists.
After the initial shock, I finally poked my head out from where it was hiding against his back and watched the scenery
as we flew by it. We were riding through a wooded area with lots of bumps as we rode over rocks and fallen branches, but the lake stayed visible in my sight the whole time. The water was perfectly smooth now that the sun was going down, and it looked completely peaceful. The waves caused by boaters and swimmers were long gone and left in their wake was water that looked like it had never been touched. Smooth as glass and reflecting the bright orange of the sinking sun.
The wind whipped the hair that had fallen out of my ponytail around my face. I started to pull my hand away from Tucker to tuck it behind my ear, but as soon as my hand lost contact with him, Tucker’s much larger hand grasped mine in his and pulled me closer into his back. He tucked my hand back against his stomach before moving his back to the handlebars.
I rested my face against his back to protect it from the wind, and I inhaled his scent. There was a hint of his cologne mixed with the spicy smell of his body wash. It was intoxicating. It was a smell I had loved since the moment I met him, but this was the first time that I was allowed to really take it in without him thinking I was a lunatic.
Tucker’s left hand touched my knee and my legs tightened around him. His hand squeezed my skin before I was bounced in the air as he made some jump that caused us to become airborne. My arms tightened around his waist, and I buried my face deeper into him. We landed with a hard thud, and I smacked him in the arm as soon as I knew we were safe.
“What was that for?” he yelled over his shoulder.
“You know what. A little warning would have been nice.”
I could feel his laughter against my body even though I couldn’t hear it.
We rode for about five more minutes before he pulled to a stop and turned the four-wheeler off. I lifted my face away from his back to look around. We were parked next to a small creek that was surrounded by rocks, flowers, and trees. The sun peaked through the trees touching the water and flowers that hid below.
Tucker climbed off before reaching his hand out and helping me. He messed with the back of the four-wheeler pulling things out while I took in the view that surrounded us. I don’t think I had ever been to a place this beautiful. The water flowed through the creek gliding over rocks and making the most peaceful sound.
Being out in nature wasn’t something that I was used to. Sure, I went to parks and things like that, but I had never really ventured to places where I could see nothing but nature. This place looked untouched by human hands. It was refreshing, serene, and beautiful.
“I brought your camera in case you were interested.”
I turned my head toward Tucker to see him pulling my camera, a blanket, and a small bag out of a compartment in the ATV that I didn’t even realize was there.
“Thank you.” I walked toward him and pulled my camera into my hands. I was itching to look around me with my lens and capture everything.
I pulled my camera out of my bag while Tucker laid the blanket on the ground. Holding my camera up against my glasses, I started getting lost in it. I captured the light that was coming down through the trees. I squatted low to get the perfect shot of the water cascading down over the rocks. I took my time, and by the time I came up for air, I felt much calmer. Much more grounded somehow.
I looked back at Tucker, and he was sitting on the blanket watching me. His small smile was genuine and breathtaking. I lifted my camera again and captured it before he could look away.
“How did you find this place?” I pulled the camera away from my face and looked at the picture I had just taken. It was perfect.
“My sister and I used to come here all the time with our dad. It was one of our favorite places in the world.”
“Where is your sister now? Do I get to meet her?”
“I wish. She couldn’t miss classes. She is going to come visit in a couple of weeks though. You’ll get to meet her then. You’ll love her. She’s super dorky, but she’s awesome.”
I knew how much his sister meant to him just by the look on his face.
I sat down beside him on the blanket and put my camera safely back in its bag.
“You love nerdy girls and you know it.”
“You’re right. I do.” The seriousness of his voice made me look up at him. His brown eyes were staring down at me, but I couldn’t tell what he was hiding behind them. My eyes dropped to his lips, and I wanted so badly to lean over and press mine to his. But before I got the chance to embarrass myself, I laid down on the blanket and stared up at the sky.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
He was practically leaning over me, and he was blocking my chance to pretend like I was looking at something else.
“Every time we get close. Every time we talk about something real. You close down on me.”
“I do not.” My stomach ached in unison with my chest.
“You do.” He brushed a piece of hair out of my face. “You were just giving me this look, and then you shoved it down and planted on one of your fake smiles.”
“I did not do that. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” I so knew what he was talking about. “What look?”
“The look where you wanted to do this.” He leaned his body down over mine and his hand went to my jaw. His face came down over me and his lips touched mine. The kiss was soft. Just barely there, but I felt it. I felt it so deep that I knew it was something that I would never forget.
A soft, breathy moan slipped from my lips, and Tucker kissed me again. This kiss was very different from the last. His hand thrust into my hair and gripped it at the root to perfectly position me where he wanted me. His other hand tightened on my jaw as his tongue traced my lips and begged for entrance.
My lips opened on a sigh, and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue along mine. When I tasted him, a hunger like I had never known took over me. I met his every move with one of my own. When his teeth sank into my bottom lip, I sucked his tongue into my mouth. His hand in my hair tightened, and the hand on my jaw moved to my thigh, just below my ass.
His body was leaning over me. His weight pressing me into the blanket. My skin was tingling even though he barely touched me. My breathing was erratic, but I didn’t need air. I only needed him.
I could feel him pressed against my thigh, and he was just as turned on as I was. My body bowed into him and suddenly he pulled away.
He stared down at me. His hand still wrapped in my hair. Both of us tried to catch our breath as we searched each other’s eyes. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. Not that I had many options. I was basically a puddle beneath him who would bend to his every move.
He pressed his forehead to mine, and I could feel his breath against my lips.
“I knew you were a firecracker.” His voice was gruff and his words were a whisper.
A smile took over my face, and I buried my face in his neck.
We stayed like that for several moments. Just holding onto each other and that feeling that I had never felt before. My heart hammered in my chest, and I couldn’t even form a complete thought. The only thing that ran through my head was the feel of his lips against mine. When Tucker did pull away, he sat back down on the blanket and stared up at the sky for several moments.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to kiss you?” He turned and looked at me.
“I have a pretty good idea.”
He smiled at me and fixed my glasses that had gone crooked during our kiss.
“Are you going to tell me any more about your family?”
My stomach ached just at the mention of them, but I knew he wasn’t asking to upset me. He genuinely wanted to know more about me.
It made me both excited and scared.
“There isn’t a whole lot to say.” I shrugged my shoulders. “My family thinks they are better than everyone else. Including me. I’ve never quite fit in with them.”
“You do know that is bullshit, right? You say they are better than you like you actually believe it.”
I sat in place an
d thought about what he had just said. I didn’t believe that. Did I? I had always been the black sheep of the family. The one they hid in the back of family pictures. The one my mom always spoke about as if I wasn’t in the room. I used to get upset. I would sit in my bedroom surrounded by expensive things and I would cry. I cried myself to sleep.
But I wasn’t that sad girl anymore. More than anything, I was pissed. I hated my parents for what they had done to me. I hated them for making me feel like I was less than. Less than them. Less than worthy.
“I don’t believe it. It’s just hard sometimes. They’ve made it difficult for me to trust people. To trust their motives. Every time I get a phone call from them, I question what they truly want from me. Why do they still call me when they would prefer that I wasn’t a part of their family at all?”
Tucker’s eyes were on me, and I could see the sympathy shining in them. I hated that look. I fucking despised it. There was a moment where something else flashed across his face. It looked like guilt, but I knew I was being crazy.
“Listen, Firecracker. I need to tell you something.”
As soon as the last word left his mouth, a raindrop hit my cheek and ran down my neck. I looked up to the sky and watched the dark grey clouds roll above us. Then the sky opened up and rain began pouring down on us.
Tucker and I both jumped up off the ground and started packing up our stuff. He pulled my camera bag out of my hand and stuck it back in the compartment on the four-wheeler. When he jumped on, I followed his lead and hopped on behind him.
I was already soaking wet, and I could barely see through my glasses. Tucker patted my hands to make sure I was holding on and then took off back in the direction of the house. The rain pelted against us as we sped through the trees.
It was exhilarating.
By the time we pulled up to the house, there wasn’t a single spot on us that was dry. My jeans clung to my legs and my feet squished in my shoes. It was already dark outside, and for the first time since we left the house, I realized that we had been gone for hours. Being with Tucker was easy. I never checked my phone, the time, or my feelings when I was with him. We just were. No questions asked.
