Nine
Tucker
When we finish our first set, I ignore all of the people coming up to us and make a beeline for Gracie. I wait as patiently as I can as she serves beers to a group of gals who already look like they’ve had one too many.
I grab her elbow as she turns around and I can feel her stiffen until she realizes it’s me.
“Tucker,” she exclaims and gives me a big grin. I love when she smiles and her entire face lights up. I’ve never seen her smile like that for anyone else and I hope she never does. I selfishly want that smile all to myself.
“So?” I say and hold my breath.
“So what?” she teases.
“How did I do?”
“You know you were awesome.”
I let out the breath I’m holding and breathe a deep sigh of relief. Even though the crowd seemed to appreciate my performance, the only opinion that matters is the one I just received.
I pull Gracie into a more secluded area of the bar and pull her close to me. I know it’s probably a mistake, because I know I can’t have her until later tonight, but I want her to know how strong my desire is.
I lean down and place a kiss on her lips. Before my brain has a chance to catch up with my body, our lips and tongues are already a tangle and I can feel myself getting very hard very fast.
“I have to be on stage again in a few minutes,” I say.
“And Harley is probably going to kill me for not helping her serve drinks.”
“Jake and Hunter are helping her. And Cooper’s probably pitching in as well. I’m sure they can handle it.”
“Harley said that we’re both broken. That’s why you like me so much.”
Harley never ceases to find ways to piss people off. She’s almost an expert at pissing me off.
“I’m broken enough for both of us,” I admit. “No denying that. But you’re absolutely perfect in every way.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not perfect. Far from it…”
I place my index finger to her lips. “You’re perfect for me. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. Sometimes I have to touch you just to make sure you’re real.”
That makes her smile.
“And I don’t just like you.” I add. “It’s way more than that.”
I want to tell her that I love her. That nothing on earth will ever make me stop loving her. But it feels like it’s too soon. I don’t want to completely freak her out. And maybe she doesn’t feel the same way about me. I want her to but I also want to give her time. I’m not exactly the type of guy that girls instantly fall for. I’m not Cooper and I’m definitely not Jake. I’m more of a guy who grows on you. A guy who is always there for you until one day you realize that you love him and maybe you always have. Hopefully Gracie knows I’ll always be there for her and I’ll grow on her. I feel like it’s the best shot I’ve got.
I hear someone give a cough behind us. We both turn to see Hunter standing behind us. “We need your help at the bar. We’re set to play in a few minutes and there are still a lot of people lined up for drinks.”
“We’d better give them a hand,” I suggest, and Gracie nods in agreement.
We follow Hunter back to the bar. He didn’t exaggerate. There’s a mob of people waiting to be served. Cooper, Riley and Harley are doing their best to keep up. Of course, there’s no sign of Jake anywhere.
Gracie and I join Hunter and all of us do our best to make sure everyone who wants a beer gets one. By the time most of the crowd has been served, Jake finally decides to grace us with his presence. Everyone glares at him but I notice Harley looks like she’s ready to pop a cork she looks so angry.
“Where were you?” she spits when Jake approaches.
He grins. “Just giving one of our fans a quick tour of the back room.”
“And does the tour also include the inside of your pants?” Harley looks like she wants to strangle Jake.
“Babe, relax. I was just having a little fun. Besides, you’re the one who decided to start seeing other people. Remember?”
“It’s not even possible for me to decide to see other people, Jake, because you and I were never seeing each other in the first place. Remember? You’re the one who said you don’t do relationships.”
“You’re really a piece of work,” Cooper adds. “You know that?”
“I’ve never led anyone on,” Jake defends. “If a girl decides she wants a little action, I can promise her a good time. Fifteen minutes of fun and we’re done.”
“Fifteen minutes?” Harley laughs. “You wish.”
Jake looks a bit deflated but recovers quickly. “There’s enough of me to go around, Harley. You’re the one who told me you were moving on.”
“I am,” Harley insists but she looks like she’s going to cry.
I want to punch my brother in the head for being such an asshole. Harley deserves a lot better than the way he treats her.
“Come on, Harley,” Riley says. “Let’s go check out that group of guys that just walked in. I’ll bet there’s a least one in that crowd that you’ll think is cute.”
Riley turns back to Cooper and he gives her a nod. He knows he has nothing to worry about with Riley and that she’s just trying to make Harley feel better.
“Do you want to join us?” Riley asks Gracie. I’m glad she decided to try and include her.
“I don’t know,” Gracie says. Her voice is so small again she can barely be heard.
“It’s okay,” I encourage. “Go with the girls.”
When she looks up at me with her wide grey eyes, my heart almost bursts open. She could kill me with just one of her looks. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. Go ahead.”
She gives me a big smile then heads off with Harley and Riley.
As soon as the girls are out of earshot, I grab Jake by the collar and pull him close. “You’re a real asshole.”
He actually smirks. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“How many times are you going to break that girl’s heart?” Cooper asks.
Jake shakes his head. “She’s a big girl. She knows the score.”
“She’s also in love with you, Jake,” Cooper adds. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
For the first time in my life, I actually see my oldest brother blink back tears. “I think it’s time for her to find someone else to love. Someone who can love her back.”
“You’re right about that,” I scoff.
“Did you ever think that maybe she doesn’t want anyone else?” Cooper asks.
“I don’t think I can give her what she wants,” Jake admits.
“And you’re not even willing to try,” I add.
“You know me,” Jake says. “I only do what I’m good at.”
“I think you’re missing out on something that could be very special,” Cooper says.
Jake nods but it’s clear that he’s done talking about his sex life. “If you’re all done lecturing me, we should probably get back on stage. We’ve got a crowd waiting for us to perform.
***
“You’re sure we were good?” I ask Gracie for what seems like the millionth time.
“You were all fabulous,” she replies for the millionth time in her infinite patience.
“So did you and Riley find someone for Harley?” I ask as I pull into our long driveway.
Gracie heaves a sigh. “I don’t think she’s actually going to go after anyone but Jake. She’s too crazy about him. Why? I have no idea.”
I roll my eyes. “Everyone loves Jake. Didn’t you get the memo?”
Gracie laughs. “Apparently not. I’ve fallen for one of the other Wilde brothers.”
She’s fallen for me. I don’t want to read too much into that statement but I can feel my heart start to race at the thought.
I stop my truck in front of the house. Cooper and Riley have beaten us here, which was no feat in their luxury sports car. Hunter’s truck is also parked in the driveway. He�
��s not one for staying out late, especially with the start of the police academy only a few weeks away. The only truck missing is Jake’s. Knowing my oldest brother, I can only assume that he’s picked someone else up for another fifteen minutes of fun. It’s been a while since he’s had two in one night but it’s by no means a record.
I hurry over to the passenger side and help Gracie out of the truck.
“It’s cold,” she says and I can see she’s shivering.
I pull her close and try to shield her from the wind as we head into the house.
“Do you want some tea or maybe hot chocolate to warm you up?” I suggest.
She shakes her head and I can see there’s a glint in her eye. “I know another way we can get warm.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh, really. What’s that?”
“Why don’t we go upstairs and I can show you?”
She doesn’t have to ask me twice. I lift her up in my arms and she squeals in delight as I carry her upstairs. I can’t help but feel like a little bit of a caveman. Is it bad that I kind of like it?
I place Gracie on my bed and just stare at her for a few moments. It’s still so hard for me to believe someone so beautiful wants to be with me.
“What?” she says shyly. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” I tease as I move in and sit on the edge of the bed.
“Like a starving man who has just been seated in front of a buffet.”
I laugh. “That’s a pretty good analogy.”
“I got good grades in English before I had to drop out of school.”
“Have you given any more thought to getting your GED?”
She nods. “I’d like to. After I get my driver’s license. That way, I can drive myself to school. Maybe after I complete the GED classes, I can take some college classes.”
I smile. “Great idea.”
“What about you?” she asks. “Have you ever thought about taking some college classes?”
I laugh. “Do I look like a college boy to you?”
She frowns. “What does a college boy look like?”
“Cooper,” I state.
“You’re just as smart as Cooper,” she insists. She looks dead serious.
“I’m definitely not that.”
“I think you are,” she says defiantly. She sounds so convinced I almost believe her.
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Will you at least think about it?” she pleads. Her grey eyes are so wide there’s no way I could ever say no to her.
“Fine, I’ll think about it. I’m not making any promises though.”
She gives me a little smile that says, by the end of our next conversation about it, I’ll be registered for a class at the community college. I wonder if a weight lifting class counts?
When I glance back at Gracie, she crooks her finger in a come here gesture and I happily oblige. As soon as I place a kiss on her soft lips, I’m completely undone.
Again.
In almost no time our hands are reacquainting themselves with each other’s bodies, and our lips and tongues are working overtime.
Every fiber of my being longs to possess Gracie. I crave being with her and burying myself deep inside her lovely body. I want to hold her and have her in every way possible.
Gracie doesn’t waste any time unbuttoning her blouse, which completely surprises me. When her task is completed, and she lets her blouse fall to the floor, she moves toward the buttons on my shirt. She gives me a sexy little half smile before she unbuttons my shirt. It quickly joins hers on the floor. Her hands are on my bare chest just as fast.
“You still haven’t told me what all these tattoos mean,” she says as she uses her index finger to outline the wings on my pecs.
“I have a tattoo for each of the guys in my platoon who died the day I was injured.” I can feel my throat tighten. Gracie is the only person who has ever asked me about my tattoos. Even my brothers never felt comfortable asking me about them, although I have a feeling they knew they were somehow related to my time in Iraq.
“How many do you have?” she asks.
“Fifteen.”
Her eyes go wide. “That many died?”
“And fifty-two of us were injured. I guess we’re the lucky ones.”
I’m surprised when Gracie places a light kiss on my sword tattoo. The one I got for Red, one of the guys in my squad. She makes her way up my chest and places kisses on the tattoos on my shoulders and upper arms. The she lifts each of my arms and places kisses on the tattoos on my forearms.
After she manages to kiss most of the tattoos on my chest and arms, we both look at each other. “Tell me what happened.”
It’s not a question. Gracie wants to know exactly how I got hurt and she wants me to tell her. It’s not something I like to talk about. My therapist knows and my friend, Savage, knows parts of the story.
I clear my throat but I still feel like it’s half closed. “They were just kids,” I manage to say.
Gracie is looking at me with so much tenderness I relax just enough to tell her the rest of the story. “There were two of them. They looked like they were only ten, maybe twelve years old. They hadn’t even gone through puberty yet. Our platoon was in the mess hall. In the middle of dinner. We didn’t think much of it when they ran in. Until someone realized they were strapped with bombs. By the time I heard someone yell to get out of the mess hall, it was too late. They were already detonating the bombs. I jumped under the table but my leg was exposed and it got hit. Red was sitting next to me. He got hit in the head. I had parts of his skull and brains all over me. If it wasn’t for him being like some kind of human shield, I would have gotten hurt even worse. How do you live with the fact that one of your best friends died so you could live?”
I blink back the tears I feel starting to form in the corners of my eyes. The last thing I want to do is cry in front of Gracie. I want her to see me as someone strong and tough. Someone capable of protecting her.
She places her hand on my cheek and I’m surprised by how warm it feels. When our eyes meet, we look at each other for a long moment. “It’s okay to be vulnerable. It makes you more of a man, not less of one.”
I lean in and give her a soft kiss. Then we both look at each other again. I’ve never felt as defenseless as I feel at this moment. I feel like every part of me has been exposed and I’m completely unprotected. I wonder if Gracie realizes she has the power to hurt me more than I was hurt in Iraq. Bombs took half of my leg and a piece of my sanity, but Gracie owns my heart and soul.
As she removes her bra, she keeps her gaze fixed on me. A rush of desire surges through me that is so strong it momentarily takes my breath away.
I kiss Gracie again but this time it’s more intense and needier. I’m already so hard I could cut ice with my erection. The zipper of my jeans can hardly contain the monster that’s growing inside my pants.
As I move down onto the bed, I take Gracie with me. She giggles as we go down and it breaks the tension a bit. The need to be inside of her…to connect with her so intimately and profoundly…is almost as strong as my desire to forget everything that happened in Iraq. I know I’ll never forget but in moments like this, with this lovely woman in my bed, I can at least numb the pain for a while. Gracie is almost like a healing balm for all of my broken parts. Maybe someday her seemingly tireless devotion to making me feel better about myself will actually be successful.
I place the softest of kisses on her lips then I work my way down and place light kisses all over her shoulders and chest until she shivers in response. Her small nipples are completely erect and when I give them a few quick licks she moans in response.
I place my index finger on her collar bone and slowly make my way down her body until I reach the top of her jeans. She gives me a sexy smile as I begin to unbutton her pants and then bites her bottom lip in anticipation.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think that someone would ever anticipate being with
me. And as if she can sense that I need to hear it, she says, “I want you, Tucker.”
Her declaration sends another wave of desire through me that is so strong it overwhelms all of my senses.
Before I know it, I have Gracie’s jeans and underwear off and I take a long look at her beautiful body.
She’s so perfect, so absolutely enchanting, it almost hurts to look at her.
I quickly remove my jeans and underwear and experience a moment of utter and unexpected panic as I remember my leg.
Then I can’t believe I almost forgot about it. Thinking about Gracie and about us being together, I almost forgot all about my leg. It doesn’t matter that she saw it last night. It doesn’t matter that she kissed all the ugly parts of it and made me feel like she accepted every broken part of me. I feel like I’m back at square one and I’m scared she’ll reject me.
When I look at Gracie, her eyes are firmly fixed on another part of my anatomy that works a lot better than my leg.
When she reaches down and begins to stroke my erection, it’s almost too much for me to handle. I grab her hand and place a kiss on her palm then I move so that I’m on top of her and ready to make my entrance.
I kiss her again, soft at first, but that doesn’t last long. Soon, we’re in a frenzy of tasting and touching each other as our tongues and hands explore each other.
I love the way Gracie tastes. Is it possible for a person to taste as sweet and delicate as she looks? If she were a food, she’d be tiramisu.
I move my hand between her legs and she feels so wet, it turns me on even more. I’m not sure how long I can last as I push inside of her. I’m so hard, she gasps.
“Did I hurt you?” I ask.
“No, it’s just...”
“It’s okay,” I say.
I take my time slowly moving in and out of her until she relaxes enough to accommodate me. “Is that better?”
When she nods, I quicken my pace a bit. I expect her to close her eyes but she looks at me with her eyes wide open instead. It’s like she’s trying to get inside me as deeply as I’m inside her. The only difference is that I’m inside her body and she seems to be trying to get into my soul.
And she’s doing a damn good job of it.
The Wilde One (Old Town Country Romance) Page 12
