“Laugh it up, assholes.” I sit next to Jamie knowing he won’t give me a hard time.
His girlfriend hasn’t been around much since The Queen ousted him for talking to other girls. It was all a misunderstanding, of course, but like me, Jamie suffered from the news.
“Don’t pay any attention to him,” Taylor says to me, smacking Drake on the arm. “He’s an idiot.”
I nod, unwrapping my sandwich from the paper. “I’ll get him back later… when he’s least expecting it.”
Drake laughs. “I’d like to see you try.”
“How’s it going with the tutor?” Preston asks with a mouth full of food. “You gonna pass?”
I take a few bites of my wrap, starved after going straight from practice to the library to meet Sam. “I think so.”
“Don’t think,” Preston says. “You need to know.”
“I got it under control,” I assure him and then nudge Jamie in the side to get his attention. “Any new leads on The Queen?”
He shakes his head. “She’s always one step ahead of me.” Jamie scratches the stubble along his jaw, deep in thought. “There’s something familiar about her code. I know it from somewhere, but I can’t remember why.”
“Dude, I don’t even know what that means. Way over my head,” I say, holding my hand up.
“Every time I break through one of her firewalls, I get shut out again. The bitch even wrote a virus into one of the patches.”
“So, what does that mean?”
I’m clueless when it comes to this kind of shit. Jamie is a whiz when it comes to computers. He gets that from his dad. And I got natural athletic abilities from mine.
“It means that she knows I’m on to her. Her code is like poetry. It’s like art,” he says, sounding somewhat impressed.
“I still don’t understand,” I confess.
Preston laughs. “Jamie has a crush on The Queen.”
“No, I don’t,” Jamie shoots back, annoyed. “It’s just… I’ve never met anyone like her…” His words trail off, and I can see it in his eyes. Jamie has a thing for this girl. What if she’s a man? I don’t even want to point it out to him because he seems oddly fascinated with her.
“Jamie’s in love,” Drake’s deep voice booms.
“Fuck off,” Jamie growls at Drake. “You guys don’t get what I’m saying anyway, so there’s no point in explaining myself.” He slides his legs off the bench, turning away from us to leave before he adds, “Incoming.”
I turn around to see what he’s talking about and find Sam walking down the long aisle between the tables headed in our direction. I expect her to stop when our eyes meet, but she keeps going until I shout her name.
She stops, glancing at me over her shoulder with a tray of food in her hand and a messenger bag draped over her shoulder.
“Is that her?” Drake asks under his breath. “She’s hot.”
Taylor smacks him again, this time hard enough for us to hear the skin-to-skin contact.
I nod in answer and beckon Sam to come forward with my index finger. Sam rolls her eyes at me debating whether or not she wants to approach our table. With some hesitation, she strolls over to my side, her eyes pointed down at me.
“Yes?”
Preston laughs, shoving more food in his mouth. Jamie stares at Sam in awe as if he’s shocked a girl would ever be so rude to me. Drake is silenced by Taylor whispering in his ear. As long as she’s around, he’ll keep his mouth shut.
“Sit with us.” I pat the open bench next to me, and her eyes follow my hand. When she doesn’t budge, I add, “Please.”
She bites the inside of her cheek, mulling over my offer. “I guess I can stay for a few minutes.”
Why does she have to play so hard to get with me? She drives me fucking crazy.
Sam takes her place next to me and scans the faces at the table before looking at me to make an introduction.
“This is Sam,” I tell my friends. “She’s my tutor.”
“And your TA,” she adds, holding up her hand to give them a quick wave.
Until now, only Jamie knew Sam was also my teacher, since he’s in the same class.
“Hey, I know you,” Taylor says to Sam. “You work for the paper, right?”
“I’m an associate editor at the Strickland Gazette,” Sam offers.
Even I didn’t know this about her. She’s right about me not taking the time to learn a damn thing about her. I have to step up my game if I’m ever going to impress this girl. The old Kane tricks won’t work on her.
“I thought so,” Taylor says. “You look exactly the same as your picture online. I read your last article about the ‘Top Ten Ways to Stay Ahead of Your Assignments.’ It was brilliant. I started using all of your tips, and they really work.”
Sam smiles. “Aww, thank you. I didn’t think anyone read the Gazette.”
“I read it, too,” Jamie says. “You’re a very talented writer. Tuck lucked out getting you as his tutor.”
I love that my friends are taking a liking to Sam, but they are making it apparent that Sam was right about me. I should have known, at the very least, that she works at the school newspaper. Have I ever asked her a single question about herself? We talked about the past and how she could help me graduate, but the focus has never been on her.
I brush my fingers along her arm and whisper against the shell of her ear, “I should have known that about you.”
She glances up at me. “There’s a lot you don’t know.” Her tone doesn’t carry its usual irritation or condescension. Instead, it’s level and soft.
“I plan to fix that,” I promise. “Starting this weekend.”
A smile touches her lips. “How do you intend to do that?”
I honestly have no clue, but I will figure something out before Saturday.
“It’s a surprise.”
“I’m not a fan of surprises,” she challenges because, of course, she has to be so damn stubborn. But that’s also what I like about her.
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
She drags her teeth along her bottom lip, and I have to fight the urge to kiss her.
“Okay,” Sam whispers, holding up her index finger. “You have one shot. Don’t blow it.”
I flash one of my boyish smirks in response.
Challenge accepted.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sam
I stare out the window of the limousine, my eyes wide in shock when the driver pulls up next to a private jet.
“What are we doing here?”
“You ready?” Tucker ignores my question and slips his fingers between mine.
I turn to face him, confused. “Why are we at the airport?”
He smiles. “I told you it’s a surprise.”
“I’ve never been on an airplane,” I admit, feeling somewhat stupid. “I haven’t even left Pennsylvania.”
“Are you afraid of heights?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so. But I’ve never really tested the theory.”
I haven’t done much of anything. My father never took me on vacation. He was barely functional enough to get his drunk ass to work.
“Don’t be scared.” Tucker squeezes my hand. “There’s more of a chance you’ll die in a car accident than on a plane.”
A pang of nerves tugs at my chest. “Well, when you put it that way…”
Tucker chuckles. “Yeah, I guess that wasn’t the best thing to say before take-off.” He brushes his lips against mine, my anxiety slowly dissipating from his touch. “I’ll keep you safe.” His hand moves to my leg, sliding up my inner thigh. “And help take your mind off flying.”
Smiling, I lean my head back against the leather bench and look into his pale blue eyes. “Where are we going? I have to work tomorrow morning.”
“We won’t be gone that long. It’s only a two-hour flight. I’ll have you home in enough time for work.”
“Promise.”
He nods, and then presses his lips to mine
, making me forget about everything but him.
When we landed in Orlando, Florida, I was in complete shock. I’m still in awe of the lavish date he planned for me. Tucker won’t tell me why we’re here or what we’re doing.
By the time the driver parks in the covered lot at Universal Studios, I’m dying with anticipation.
“I always wanted to come here when I was a kid,” I tell Tucker. “But my dad could never afford it.”
He was also never sober enough, but I leave that part out.
“I know it’s a bit much for a first date, but we don’t do anything half-assed in my family.” Tucker brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear and smiles. “I wanted to show you that I’m serious about you, Sam.”
“I see that,” I mutter.
After we enter the park, I’m in awe of my surroundings like a little kid falling in love for the first time. We walk past a sports bar, a donut shop, Starbucks, and a Transformers ride before I see why Tucker brought me here. My mouth goes wide in shock when I notice a replica of the Knight Bus from the Harry Potter movies.
With my hand covering my mouth, I turn to Tucker while speaking between my fingers. “Did you know this would be here?”
“Yes.” He leads us down a ways and then turns me to the left where I see Sirius Black’s house.
I’ve seen pictures of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter online, but I never thought I would see it in person.
My eyes well up with tears from what Tucker has done for me. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek. “Tucker, I don’t even know what to say. Thank you.”
“There’s a lot more to see,” he says, rubbing his hand down my back. “We have to ride the train if you want to go inside Hogwarts.”
“Hogwarts,” I whisper, still in disbelief. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He drags his thumb along my bottom lip, and sparks of electricity set my skin on fire. “I did it just to see you smile.”
I smile in response. “You’ve succeeded.”
I never thought Tucker was serious about anything other than having sex with me. Not until the day he asked me to sit with his friends in the cafeteria. That’s when I knew I was more to him than another fling. Now, I feel horrible for everything I’ve done to him. He has no idea I’m involved with The Queen.
How do I tell him? I can’t. He would hate me, and I couldn’t blame him. I would hate me too if the tables were turned.
“I have no idea how I will ever repay you for this,” I confess. “It’s so much…”
And I have nothing.
“I don’t expect anything in return.” He kisses me on the forehead, and my skin heats again. “I just want you to have fun.”
Forehead kisses aren’t reserved for just anyone, neither are gestures this grand. How come he couldn’t just tell me how he felt about me? He must like me more than a little bit to do all of this. Men are so strange. They can never flat out tell you how they feel using their words, but Tucker’s actions say it all.
We take our time walking through Diagon Alley, a cobblestone shopping area for the wizarding world. The likeness to the Harry Potter movies is remarkable. I feel like I’m Harry Potter walking alongside Hagrid for the first time to buy school supplies. We enter each shop where you can buy Harry Potter merchandise. I want all of it but can’t afford more than a bookmark.
When we find Ollivanders, I drag Tucker into the wand shop. Tucker offers to buy me a wand. I refuse because all of this is too much, but he ignores my protest and hands me a box. It’s like a dream come true. My very own wand from Ollivanders.
We wander in and out of each store, and Tucker seems to notice every item I look at.
“We’ll take one of these.” Tucker points at a Quidditch shirt I was eyeing up. His eyes travel over my body for a second, and then he adds, “In a small, I think.”
“No, that’s okay,” I say, but he dismisses me and hands his credit card to the store clerk.
He collects bags on his arms from each store by the time we climb the stairs to the train. I don’t feel worthy of this. He’s spent hundreds of dollars on Harry Potter shirts, scarves, mugs, and candies.
I’m not even his girlfriend.
Or does this make me his girlfriend?
I have no idea.
A date of this magnitude comes with expectations. Am I ready for more? I like Tucker a lot even though I try to deny my feelings for him. I have always liked Tucker. He was my first, and despite the circumstances, I will always feel something for him because of it. But I’m scared of getting hurt. Like last time.
“Oh, my God,” I say as the Hogwarts Express leaves the station. I hold my hand against the window unable to stop smiling at the video footage displayed through the window of the private car. “It looks so real. This is amazing.”
Tucker squeezes my knee. “I don’t understand all of this stuff, but I want to learn. I want to know everything there is to know about Samantha Marchand.”
I turn away from the window, smiling. “What do you want to know?”
“You never told me you’re an associate editor at the school newspaper.”
“I didn’t think it was relevant to our tutoring sessions.”
“We’re beyond the student and TA relationship. I like you, Sam. A lot.” He holds out his hand to point out the fact we’re sitting on the Hogwarts Express. “Obviously. I wouldn’t do this for anyone. Actually, I’ve never done anything even remotely close for a girl. And I want you to be my girl.”
I lean into his warmth and kiss him in answer. He wraps me in his arms, cradling me against his muscular chest. His musky scent fills my nostrils, and I drink him in. All of him.
Tucker Kane has somehow managed to break down my walls by chipping away at the ice around my heart.
“That was some kiss,” he whispers against my lips when the train slows to a stop. I can feel his lips curl up into one of his usual smirks. “I guess that’s a yes.”
I smile so hard my face hurts. “A hell yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tucker
They say a smile is worth a thousand words. Sam’s is worth every penny I spent to make her dream a reality. We walk through a town from Harry Potter called Hogsmeade, and Sam is practically glowing. She raises her cell phone in the air snapping pictures and giggling with excitement. I’ve never seen her like this, and I love it.
When I’d asked Trent for help, he suggested asking my dad who loaned out the Wells Fargo Center to him for his first date with Jemma. I wasn’t about to repeat Trent’s date. But I also knew it had to be something Harry Potter related since Sam loves it so much. I probably could have gone the less extravagant route, but Kane men don’t do anything half-assed. We go big or go home.
“Can we go inside?” Sam points at Hogwarts. “There’s a tour through the castle and a ride at the end.”
“It’s your special day, girl.” I slide my fingers between hers and lead her toward the castle. “We can do whatever you want.”
She smiles up at me with a dreamy look in her eyes. My expression mirrors hers, and when she looks at me this way, I can’t stop smiling until my cheeks hurt. I’ve never felt this way about a girl before.
How did I not see this girl freshman year? All I could see at the time was a good blowjob and hot sex. I was an asshole to her. I took her virginity and walked away like she meant nothing to me. Because she did. And now, she means everything. It’s funny how time and space from someone can change your perspective.
After we ride each amusement three times, we stop for a quick bite at a tavern in the park. We eat and drink and explore everything Universal Studios has to offer, and by the time the sun goes down, Sam is yawning, leaning into me for support.
“What a long day,” she says.
I hook my arm around her back and pull her closer, leading her out of the park. “You can sleep on the plane.”
She peeks up at me and yawns again. “I think I might.”
And Sam does just that. On the flight home, I glance out the window as Florida passes us by. My gaze roams between Sam peacefully sleeping and the city below us. I could stare at her all day and never get bored. She reminds me of an angel, her features soft and beautiful.
Now, she’s mine.
When we land, I lift Sam in my arms, and she stirs for a moment while breathing softly against my chest. Sam doesn’t open her eyes until we’re two blocks away from Strickland University. She rubs the sleep from them and sits up straight, looking confused.
“Where are we?”
“Almost at Strick U.”
She stretches her arms above her head and yawns. “I slept through the entire flight?”
I nod. “You look too cute when you sleep to bother you.”
Sam laughs. “I doubt that. Eden tells me I snore sometimes.”
“More like purr,” I say. “But it’s cute.”
Why do I keep saying cute? Oh my God, what’s wrong with me? I never say shit like this. It’s true, though. Sam isn’t the hot girl I would typically go for. She’s the girl-next-door type, the kind of girl you see all the time but never really see until you get to know her. And I’m glad I did.
We pull up out front of my house, and the driver opens the door for us.
Sam looks out the window, biting her bottom lip. “Is this your house?”
“Yeah. But I can take you home if you want.”
“No,” she says. “I want to see where you live. You said you know nothing about me, but I also know very little about you.”
“We can watch a movie in my room.” I extend my hand to her. “Trent won’t be home until tomorrow. So, we’ll have some privacy.” I can see her gulp and feel the need to add, “We can just watch the movie. I don’t have any expectations, okay?”
She presses her lips together and nods.
Most of my friends are out with their girlfriends or at a party except for Drake. He’s on the couch with Taylor on top of him, their lips locked and tugging at each other’s clothes.
Drake and Taylor’s heads snap up as the door slams behind Sam.
Teaching Tucker (Face-Off Legacy Book 3) Page 12
