Teaching Tucker (Face-Off Legacy Book 3)

by Jillian Quinn

  I told Jamie the e-mail address came from someone on campus. He didn’t push too hard when I told him I couldn’t give away my source. All he cared about was meeting his match. He’s so obsessed with The Queen that he let his relationship with Shannon turn to shit. Maybe once he discovers the truth, he will go back to Shannon and grovel for a second chance.

  “I hope so,” Jamie mutters.

  Poor guy.

  “Okay, now get out,” I say, joking but not really.

  Jamie nods. “I have to go find my girl.”

  “Shower,” I remind him. “Girls don’t like guys who smell like barn animals.”

  “Dick.” He laughs and then bends down to punch me in the arm. “Thanks for the tip, Tuck.”

  “Anytime.” I wave him off. “Now, go.”

  After Jamie closes the door, I’m all over Sam, exploring every inch of her. She molds her body to mine, hooking her leg around mine. I roll her onto her back making room for myself between her legs.

  “Tucker,” she groans as I thrust inside her.

  I lean forward and rest my forehead against hers, taking my time as I slide in and out of her.

  “I love you,” I confess, and she says it back, digging her nails into my shoulder.

  Everything in my life is falling into place. Sam. The Frozen Four. The identity of The Queen. Pretty soon, the NHL. And all of it started with the girl of my dreams.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Tucker

  I kick my feet up on the coffee table taking the last of sip of my energy drink as I wait for Jamie to assemble the troops. He cups his hand around his mouth and calls upstairs for Drake, Preston, and Trent. Jamie hasn’t spoken a word since he came home early this morning. He never stays out all night, so whatever he found out about The Queen must be big.

  The guys shuffle downstairs, their footsteps sounding like a herd of elephants hitting the wooden planks. Trent sits next to me on the couch. Drake and Preston take their places on the other side of the sectional. With his hands shoved into his pockets, Jamie stands in front of the coffee table staring at each of us with a strange look on his face. He no longer looks disheveled, but he does look like he’s going through an internal struggle. It’s as if the wheels keep turning in his head and won’t stop.

  “Cece is The Queen,” Jamie confesses.

  His words suck the air from the room, all of us too stunned to speak. Preston gapes at him, slack-jawed and shaking his head. He knows Jamie better than anyone, and he knows how much Cece means to Jamie. She’s the one, as in the one who got away and Jamie never got over. Until he met Shannon, I never thought Jamie would get over Cece.

  And now, she’s back. She’s the one who fucked all of us. Or at least tried to fuck us over. She coerced Sam and Eden into working for her. It’s time she pays the price.

  “That bitch,” Drake growls. “Taylor wouldn’t even talk to me over her dick-pic post.”

  “What about me?” Preston interjects. “She called me out on dating Bex before I told Coach about us. He could have kicked me off the team.”

  “Instead, you managed to kick yourself off the team,” Jamie quips.

  Preston’s jaw hardens as he stares at Jamie, his expression growing dark.

  I laugh because what else can I do in this moment? A girl got the best of all of us. Go fucking figure.

  “You gotta be kidding me?” I say, my words meant for Preston. “You hooking up with Bex is nothing. How about what she did to Trent and me?”

  “And Jemma,” Trent adds. “We weren’t planning to tell anyone she was pregnant.” He holds out his hand to motion to the group. “Except for you guys.”

  “I’m sorry for what she did,” Jamie says, waving his hand in the air to get our attention. Once he has it, he continues, “But we have bigger problems.”

  Drake folds his arms over his thick chest. “She put us all through hell.”

  “Why did she do it?” Preston asks.

  “To get to me,” Jamie admits.

  Preston smirks. “You fucked her, didn’t you?”

  Jamie steals his gaze away from Preston and shoves his hands into his pockets.

  “Like you even had to ask,” Drake says. “He can’t resist that stupid cunt.”

  “Never could,” Preston adds.

  “Hey, all of you need to shut the fuck up,” Jamie growls, throwing his hands in the air. “Look, I’m sorry that she told the whole school about you and Bex…” he says to Preston, “… and about you showing your dick to every girl on campus,” he says to Drake. He turns to Trent and me, looking truly sorry about what was said about us. “And most of all, you two. I mean, what she said about you guys could have gotten Tuck kicked out of school. She exposed Jemma’s pregnancy and a whole bunch of other shit. I don’t even know what to say other than sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I say, meaning it. “You didn’t make her do shitty things to us.”

  He sighs, scratching the corner of his jaw. “It’s my fault, though. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for me.”

  “She left you,” Preston says. “She’s the one who walked away.”

  “Yeah, but I…” Jamie has a mischievous look on his face. He switches his balance from one foot to the other, avoiding our gazes.

  “But what?” Preston asks.

  “I did something I shouldn’t have done. I brought this on all of us.”

  “Jamie,” Preston says, his voice like gravel.

  “What did you do?” Drake finishes.

  “Last summer, I hacked through the firewall at her father’s company.”

  Preston frowns, blowing out a puff of air. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because she stole a game I was working on for my dad and tried to pass it off as her own.”

  “I don’t get it.” Drake leans on the arm of the couch, confusion scrolling across his face. I’m just as confused as the rest of my friends. None of us are computer nerds like Jamie. We like video games. What guy doesn’t? But all of this tech shit is lost on us.

  “What are you talking about?” Preston asks. “You haven’t seen Cece in years. How could she have known about anything you were working on to steal it?”

  “I fucked up.” Jamie sighs and joins Preston and Drake on the couch. He runs his hand through his short, brown hair, tugging at the ends. “I did something stupid. I saw her in a forum and wanted to get her attention.”

  “What is it with you and that girl?” Trent says. “You need to let her go. Yeah, she’s hot, but she’s not worth all the bullshit.”

  Jamie looks away, ashamed. Now that I’ve found the love of my life, I couldn’t imagine living without Sam. That’s why I forgave her so quickly. It hurt too much not to have her in my life. Cecelia Carmichael, aka Cece, is Jamie’s kryptonite, the only girl who makes him weak, and now he’s struggling with doing the right thing. I can’t believe he fucked her again. She uses sex to manipulate him every time. And every time she wins.

  “So, what are you going to do?” I ask Jamie. “You gonna see her again or get rid of her?”

  “I don’t know.” He leans back against a stack of pillows and groans. “I hate her. I love her. I want her out of my life. But I don’t. She’s one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever known. Cece just gets me.”

  Lord knows we don’t get Jamie on that level. His dad does. So do his online gamer friends. And then there’s Cece. She’s a genius, rich, beautiful, everything a man could ever want. Except she’s cruel and cold and only uses Jamie when it benefits her. Maybe at one time she loved him, but I have trouble believing she cares about anyone other than herself.

  “Don’t go back to her,” Preston pleads. “Go beg Shannon to take your sorry ass back instead. You don’t need Cece. She’s only going to leave after she gets what she wants from you.”

  “She said she wants me.” Jamie’s voice is so low his words are almost a whisper.

  “That’s what she says every time,” Preston points out. “A
nd you fall for her shit every damn time. Don’t do it, J. You deserve better than her.”

  “You should talk to her,” Drake says. “Because I want my revenge.”

  I smirk, liking the way he thinks. “Me, too.”

  Trent agrees.

  “Let me handle her,” Jamie says. “I know how to teach Cece a lesson.”

  And with that, the conversation is over. Jamie leaves the living room without another word.

  Sam is afraid of The Queen. She doesn’t want me to engage with her. I promised her I would leave it in the past if we found out her identity. This is Jamie’s cross to bear.

  My entire life wasn’t derailed from The Queen’s monthly dethroning. Neither were my friends. All of this bullshit helped Sam pay for college. In some ways, The Queen brought Sam and me closer together. If not for her bitterness over Jamie, Sam might not have given me a chance.

  Regardless of the circumstances, I have to consider this a win. Because I still got the girl. All of us did.

  Except for Jamie…

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Sam

  Three months later

  We’re in Vancouver for the NHL Draft. My nerves are uncontainable, though I try to hide it from Tucker. He pretends as though he’s cool and confident, but I know he’s terrified. So, I put on my game face for him.

  Sitting between Tucker and his mom, I hold both of their hands, praying he’s selected. Kennedy is biting the inside of her cheek, her fear shaking through me, so I squeeze her hand tighter. His dad looks worried, not just for Tucker but also for Trent. They were both eligible for the draft.

  Digging his elbows into his thighs, Tucker leans forward. He sucks in a deep breath and then turns to me giving me a quick wink and a playful smile. I return the gesture, and his attention falls back to the stage where the next draft pick is being announced.

  I want to puke. My stomach is in knots. I don’t know how Tucker is able to stay so calm when I want to jump out of my skin.

  Tucker was raised to become a hockey player. This is his only dream. I hope and pray for his sake that his dream becomes a reality. I know he’s good enough. He knows it too. But spots are limited, the opportunities few and far between.

  Trent’s name is called in the first round, and our entire row lets out the breath of air we were holding. We rise to our feet, clapping and congratulating Trent. Tucker hugs Trent and whispers something into his ear, slapping him on the back.

  Three more picks come and go, and I’m sweating through my clothes. I know Tucker well enough to see the worry on his face. He slacked off for most of his senior year, even lost some playing time over it. But he learned his lesson. He deserves to be here.

  When they announce the tenth pick, my heart slams into my chest. We shoot up from our chairs, and I don’t even realize I’m screaming at first.

  Tears fall from my eyes as I hug Tucker. “You did it, Tuck. I’m so proud of you.”

  Tucker smiles and then plants a kiss on my cheek. He looks as though he’s trying not to cry, so I do it for him.

  I point at the stage where a man is holding a red and blue New York Rangers jersey and hat. “You better get up there before they take it back.”

  He laughs, and then hugs his mom before heading toward the stage. His mom cries louder when Tucker fixes the hat on his head. I love him so much my heart beats faster when he looks in my direction. A wave of emotions rush through my body, pride being the most prominent.

  Four months after the draft, I’m sitting in a luxury box next to Jemma who has two newborn babies sleeping in the stroller in front of her. Thea and Teddy are the most adorable twins, the perfect combination of Trent and Jemma. They have Jemma’s auburn hair and Trent’s clear blue eyes.

  Jemma makes jokes about how people will be able to tell her kids apart. I’m surprised she didn’t notice Trent and Tucker are identical twins when she met them. They’re different in so many ways even I could tell back in freshman year. Tucker was always the life of the party. He still is. And Trent is more of a thinker, the quieter of the two.

  “They’re on the ice together.” Jemma points down at the ice. “It’s so weird seeing them on different teams, playing against each other.”

  “Tucker likes it,” I admit, hoping she won’t tell Trent. “We’re not twins, so we don’t get it. But I’m sure it must be strange having someone constantly compare you to someone who looks exactly like you.”

  Jemma glances at her sleeping babies and smiles. “I guess.”

  “Tucker hates being compared to Trent or his dad. Playing for a different team gives him some space, more of an identity if that makes sense.”

  “I hope Thea and Teddy don’t go through the same thing,” Jemma says.

  “They’re not identical,” I point out. “It shouldn’t be any different for them than if they were years apart.”

  The twin babies are fraternal and only share the same hair and eye color. I don’t think anyone will have a problem telling them apart. But I do wonder if I’ll end up having twins too. I can’t imagine two more of Tucker. He’s enough for me to handle. For right now, anyway. I love having him all to myself.

  She nods. “How do you like your new apartment?”

  “It’s nice. You know Tucker, he bought the most expensive one he could find. I could live in a three-floor walkup with an efficiency kitchen and make do with it.”

  After signing with the Rangers, Tucker and I moved to New York. We live in this ridiculous apartment in Manhattan. It has more gadgets and hidden switches than I can count. Jamie’s dad upgraded all of the technology for us. I still have no idea how to use half of it nor do I care to.

  “When is your interview with The New York Times?”

  I clear my throat, choking back the bile rising from my stomach. “Monday morning. I still can’t believe Kennedy was able to get me an interview there.”

  Like me, Tucker’s mom went to school for journalism. She owns an online newspaper called Sports Buzz. But before she started her own company, her father owned Sentry Publications, which is how she helped me get my foot in the door with a few magazines.

  “I’m hoping after I graduate next year that I can work for a paper like The New York Times. Hell, I would be happy to write the editor’s shopping list if it helped me get a job there.”

  “You’re gonna work with Kennedy for a while, right? Just to get some experience until the kids are a little bit older.”

  “Yeah, that’s the plan. With Trent on the road all the time, I have to focus on the kids and school before I can take on more work. Maybe in a few years I’ll join you.” She winks. “Wouldn’t that be the dream?”

  If someone had told me I would become best friends with one of Tucker’s former lovers, I would have told them to get lost. But I’ve gotten closer to Jemma since the Frozen Four. Now that Trent and Tucker are living thirty minutes away from each other, and Jemma and me know no one in this area, we’ve bonded more.

  “Yes, it would,” I tell her. “Fingers crossed I get the job.”

  She smiles. “You’ll get it. We’re all rooting for you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Sam

  Tucker strolls through the front door of the apartment we share, and he’s whistling. That’s weird. I can hear him drop his bag in the living room, still humming a tune as he steps into the kitchen.

  His smile reaches up to his eyes when he sees me, and my expression mirrors his.

  I run to him, throw my arms around his neck, and breathe in his spicy scent. “I got the job.”

  He lifts me up and kisses every inch of my face. “That’s my girl.” Tucker strokes my jaw with his thumb, and I lean into his hand. “I’m so proud of you, Sam. You worked so hard for this. You deserve it.”

  I smack a kiss on his cheek. “You made this happen.”

  He smirks. “I can’t take any of the credit. All I did was ask my mom to make a phone call. You did the hard work on your own. Don’t ever let anyone take that away
from you.”

  “I love you, Tuck.”

  “Love you, too, baby.”

  His lips crash into mine, his tongue invading my mouth. After days of being apart, I missed him so much. I never knew I could love a person this much. It’s when he’s on the road I feel that sudden loss, only for him to return and make me whole again.

  I slip my fingers through his hair, loving that it’s not gelled into place. Tugging hard, I pull him closer to deepen the kiss as if I need his last breath to survive. I sink into him and allow myself to get lost with Tucker.

  He lifts me up and lowers me onto the granite countertop at the center of the kitchen. With his big hands, he pushes my legs open, making room for himself between them. My body hums when he touches me. I crave him so much my skin burns.

  Our lips separate, and Tucker smiles. He rests his forehead against mine, taking a second to catch his breath. “I missed you. So fucking much.”

  “I missed you, too.” I cup his strong shoulders with my hands and return his smile. “Now you need to show me how much you missed me.”

  He chuckles, tugging at my clothes, peeling off layers until we’re both naked. I moan as he rubs my inner thighs, and my entire body trembles.

  Tucker’s eyes travel down the length of my body. “Fuck me… you’re perfect,” he hisses.

  I smile in response.

  Until I met Tucker, I never felt good enough. But he makes me feel worthy of him every day. He continually reminds me that I deserve his love, and that all men are not assholes even though he once was one to me.

  I sit back, my palms on the counter, my hips arched. Tucker bends down to suck on my nipples, one at a time as he takes each of them between his teeth. He’s so rough sometimes, but I love it.

  As Tucker inches inside me, my mouth falls open, and an intense sensation rocks through me. He fills me up, breaking through my inner walls, his pace now quickening to the point I could unravel.