She gave him a smile that made his knees weak. “I’d like that.”
He held her gaze for a long time, glancing at her lips when she licked them. Full, pink lips he was dying to taste. Why the hell he bothered to stick to the arrangements of the contract, he did not know. It would be so easy to lower his face and kiss the sense out of her. No one would ever know.
Something held him back though. Not just the contract, but the fact that he respected Jodi too much to start their relationship while he was technically married to another woman. That fact alone told him how very special Jodi was.
Even though he hadn’t taken her out on a date, not kissed her, not allowed his hands to roam over her body, he had fallen hard for her. Every time he saw her smile, it lit him up inside. He couldn’t wait to get to work each day just so he could be in the same room as her. He’d started taking long showers every morning so he could close his eyes and get some release while thinking of her. Fuck Katia and the possibility she listened closely from the other side of the bathroom door. He no longer cared. Nothing in his contract said he couldn’t masturbate in the shower.
Jodi set her forehead against his chest, her hands flattening on his abs. “Go back downstairs. Give me a moment. I’ll be there soon.”
He kissed the top of her head and groaned. “Jodi…”
“Please, Tuck. I promise I’m okay.” She lifted her gaze again, a smile plastered on her face. “This was all I needed. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I’m good.”
He felt like a world class dick.
She smiled wider. “Seriously. I got a hug and a promise of a date. I can do this. Swear. I feel much better. Go. Catch the asshole who’s dropping drugs into people’s purses. At least you have a better idea what you’re looking for.”
He chuckled. “Women with purses?”
“Yep.”
He held her gaze, smiling wider too. His heart was slightly lighter from this momentary banter. In six days he would have this with her every day. In front of people too. Reluctantly, he released her, clutching her hands in his as he slowly retreated until he was forced to let go.
Chapter 12
Three days later, Katia got on Tuck’s last nerve. “I’m gonna catch you in the act, you know.”
Tuck closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. He would not let Katia make his blood pressure rise. She was nothing to him. Absolutely nothing. All he had to do was play this stupid game for a few more days and it would all be over. He’d never have to see her or hear her voice again.
She strolled closer to where he sat at their small kitchen table trying to enjoy his lunch while flipping through the latest news on his phone. She set her hands on the table and leaned into his face. “I know you’re sleeping with that waitress.”
He cocked his head and glared at her. “Really. And how exactly do you know that?” They were off script today. It happened. The producers didn’t even care. Most of the time ratings were higher when they strayed from the plan anyway.
“Ha.” She shoved off the table, cocked her hip, and planted her hands on her hips. “I have spies. It’s not hard. You spend ten hours a day at that stupid bar.”
“I work there, Katia,” he pointed out.
“Sure you do,” she drawled. “How often do you sneak to the back room with her?”
Interesting. The back room? Katia obviously didn’t know much if she thought the office would be the best place for Tuck to hook up with Jodi. Apparently, Katia wasn’t even aware Jodi lived above the bar and there was an entrance to upstairs from inside the building.
He returned his attention to his phone. “You’re full of shit. Go back to your Instagram and try to sell some lipstick or something.”
“Are you making fun of my job?”
“Job?” He lifted a brow.
“I make way more than you do, Tucker. So, yes. Job. It’s a legitimate business. If you had even one tenth of the followers I have on Instagram, more people would know who you are. How do you expect to get ahead in this world without name and facial recognition?”
He chuckled sardonically. “Oh, I don’t know. Hard work? I have no interest in being recognized. It’s a pain in the ass.” He hoped this whole fiasco would blow over soon and people would slowly forget him.
“You’re pathetic,” she said as she spun around and flounced across the room to the sofa. Seconds later, she was sitting in her usual spot, legs tucked under her, laptop on her thighs. And she thought he was pathetic.
Tuck rose from the table. “I’m leaving. And just so you know, if you have me followed, I’m not going straight to work today. I took a few hours off to visit with a SEAL buddy this afternoon. I’d rather not have his face and name dragged through the mud, so if you don’t mind, call off your goons. I’ll take pics to prove where I was.”
She gasped. “I do not have you followed. You’re an asshole.”
He turned back from the door. “Do you kiss your lovers with that mouth?”
She screamed in frustration. “I told you Brittany and Dawson are not my lovers. We’re just friends.”
“Who said anything about Brittany and Dawson?” he asked. She was so dense he couldn’t figure out how she managed to be an influencer of anything at all on social media. Then again. He shouldn’t wonder. She was gorgeous. That was all that mattered in her world.
She grabbed a pillow from the couch and launched it his direction, coming up short.
“Cute, Katia. So adult. And just so you know, I’m not stupid. I saw the pictures of you leaving that apartment. You looked like you’d been rolling between the sheets for hours. Your hair was a mess. Your dress was crooked. And you didn’t even have the same shoes on. Did you lose them under the bed?”
She turned beet red, and Tuck didn’t give her a chance to respond. He was out the door in less than a second.
He jogged down the outside steps and hurried over to his car, glancing every direction, hoping to escape notice. He should have taken Bill up on his offer to permanently trade vehicles for a while the night after he borrowed his car. Tuck didn’t figure he would have gotten away with the switch for very long, however. It probably wouldn’t have been worth it.
During the drive to McP’s he looked in the rearview mirror a thousand times. Somehow it seemed he managed to make it to his destination without a trail.
While Katia was in the shower that morning, Tuck had called his friend Nick, the one who got him into this mess with Cold Feet in the first place. Nick had suggested Tuck meet with him at the one place SEALs always met in Coronado, McP’s Pub.
As soon as Tuck stepped inside, the bartender spotted him and nodded toward the back door. “They’re on the patio waiting for you. I’ll keep your fans at bay if they come in. Give you some privacy.” He chuckled.
Tuck groaned. “Thanks, Ray. Appreciate it.” Ray had been tending bar there forever. He was one of the good guys. Tuck was certain he would indeed keep anyone who had followed Tuck from bothering him.
Tuck stepped through the side door, wondering who Ray meant when he said “they’re waiting for you.” He’d only expected to meet with Nick. Instead, three men sat on the patio. They all stood as Tuck approached.
Nick held out a hand. “Hey, Tuck. Brought some people along I thought you should meet.” As he shook Tuck’s hand, he nodded toward the dark-haired man. “That’s Clay. Retired. Team One.”
“Good to meet you,” Clay said as he shook Tuck’s hand.
The light-haired man reached in next. “Zach. Team Three. Active.”
As they took their seats, Nick poured a beer from the pitcher and handed it to Tuck. “Both these guys were involved with New Millennia Media at one point. They talked me down from the ledge when I reached the level of frustration I’m sure you’ve reached by now.” He chuckled.
Tuck glanced at the two men. “You were both on reality shows with New Millennia?”
“Yep.” Clay nodded. “Mine was called Hot House. Renovation show.”
“Mine was a d
ecorating show. Did it for my girl. I’m not even going to tell you the lengths we went through to get what she needed to decorate with.” Zach shuddered.
Tuck smirked at Nick. “You got me into this.”
“Yeah, but I only signed you up for two weeks. You’re the one who took the bait and added three months to your contract.” He chuckled. “Still can’t believe you did that.”
“Money talks, I guess.” Tuck ran his fingers along the condensation on his glass.
“So, what are you up against?” Clay asked.
“Got three more days left before I’m done. I’m not sure I can last three more days living with Katia. That woman is unbearable.”
Nick laughed. “He’s not lying. I worked on set with her for a few weeks myself. In fact, she tried to get me to replace her groom on the show. That’s when I threw Tuck under the bus. No way was I going to pretend to be married to that woman. She drove me bonkers, and I didn’t have to sleep with her.”
Zach leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. “You’re sleeping with her?”
“Fuck no. The apartment has cameras everywhere but the bedroom. I’ve been on the floor for eleven weeks.” He rubbed the kink in his neck just thinking about it.
All three men chuckled.
“Guys, you’re not helping. I need advice.”
“Why?” Nick asked. “You’re almost home free. Three more days and you can file for divorce and move on with your life.”
Zach grinned. “There’s a woman, isn’t there?”
Tuck cringed. “Yep. She’s the daughter of the owner of the bar where I work. Never thought I’d see this day, but I’m head over heels for her.”
Nick sighed. “And you can’t touch her because of your contract.”
“That sums it up. She’s been really understanding. I think she at least stopped watching the livestream of my constant banter with Katia. It was torturing her. But I feel like a total jerk stringing her along all this time. Probably makes her feel like she’s not as important as fifty grand. And she totally is. She’s far more important than that. I think I should pull out. Tell Maria I’ve been cheating. Let Katia win. At least my relationship with Jodi won’t start off on the wrong foot.”
“Yikes,” Clay responded. “That’s a tough situation. What does Jodi think?”
“She’s the sweetest woman I’ve ever met. Hasn’t even pressured me to break the contract, even though we probably could get away with it. Insists she can stick this out. I’m still worried though.” Tuck took a drink of his beer.
“So, let me get this straight,” Nick continued. “You have not even kissed this woman, Jodi?”
Tuck shook his head.
“You’re a better man than me,” Zach admitted. “Not sure I could have done the same thing in your shoes. I’d have caved and hoped I got away with it.”
“At first, I considered it, but the longer I knew Jodi, the more I realized she wasn’t just some woman I had the hots for. She’s the real deal for me. So, I backed off. No way was I going to mess around with her while I was married. Even if the marriage is a total joke.”
“It’s a legit marriage though?” Clay asked.
“Yep. Totally legal. I’ll have to file for divorce like any other disgruntled spouse. Plan on doing that Monday morning.”
“And Jodi? Does she want to wait until your divorce is final before she’ll go out with you?” Nick asked.
“Nope. Said she would go to lunch with me Monday.” Tuck shuddered. “If I had to wait any longer, there’s no telling how that might affect our already tumultuous beginning. No idea how long the divorce might take.”
“You can get it done pretty quickly these days. Especially if there’s no contest and you don’t have mixed assets,” Clay said.
Tuck took another drink. “There are certainly no mixed assets, and it’s not like Katia could come after me for alimony. The woman makes way more money than I do.”
“Then you shouldn’t have a problem dissolving it pretty fast,” Clay added.
Tuck tipped his head back and groaned. “I can’t believe I let myself get into this mess.”
“Sorry, man. If I’d known it would have snowballed, I never would have called you,” Nick said.
Tuck met his gaze. “Not your fault. You didn’t force me to do anything. You just offered me an opportunity. I appreciate it too. I was pretty down from leaving the SEALs, selling my mother’s house, and dealing with her failing health.”
“How is she doing, by the way?” Nick asked.
“Not well. It’s so hard to know how long she might last. The doctors won’t give me a guestimate. But she’s failing rapidly. Could be days. Could be months. They just don’t know.”
“So sorry, man,” Zach said. “That’s hard. You have a lot on your plate.”
They all sat in silence for a few minutes, finishing their beers. Clay was next to speak. “Can’t tell you what to do, Tuck, but follow your instincts. If your woman is willing to hold on three more days, I say take your cues from her. If you really think she’ll leave you over this, and she means that much to you, bail. It’s just money.”
That was the fifty-thousand-dollar question. Could Jodi really live with this decision in the long run? Or would she forever feel like she wasn’t as important to Tuck as fifty thousand dollars?
Chapter 13
“Roxie, what the hell has gotten into you today?” Liz hissed at Roxie as Jodi watched. It was midafternoon. They’d only been open a few hours. A slow day. Only three customers so far. A man at the far end of the bar and a couple in a booth.
Roxie rolled her eyes dramatically. “Why do you two always think something’s wrong with me? Maybe it’s you. Not everyone has to be all perfect all the time.”
Jodi frowned. Roxie was often moody, but she’d never heard her be downright rude. She came closer, hoping the two of them would lower their voices and keep the clients from hearing. “Both of you, stop it,” she whispered.
Roxie stiffened. “I didn’t do anything. Liz is the one who started it.” She pumped out her chest like she wanted to throw down with Liz. This was out of control.
Jodi lifted the end of the bar to get through to the other side, glanced back at both women, pointed to the hallway, and gritted out. “Office. Now.” She hurried that direction.
Her father was at the desk. “Dad, can you handle the front for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” He stood, glancing around at the women and apparently deciding his best bet was to get out now.
Jodi shut the door. “Roxie, what the hell is going on?”
Roxie cocked a hip and growled. “Nothing. Can’t I just have a bad day?”
“Of course you can, but you can’t take it out on others.”
Liz narrowed her gaze at Roxie, letting her eyes glide up and down the slender woman’s body. “Have you lost weight?”
Roxie glanced down. “Maybe. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything, if you’re taking those fucking diet pills,” Liz added.
Jodi winced.
Roxie’s face paled. She didn’t respond.
“Roxie?” Jodi’s voice rose. “Those things are dangerous.”
Roxie moaned. “They’re not that big a deal. They work.” She pointed at her body. “Even Liz noticed I’ve lost weight.”
“At the expense of your personality,” Liz pointed out.
“Don’t be so dramatic. I’m fine.”
“You’re not,” Liz agreed. “Not even close. You’re moody and temperamental all the time. That’s one of the symptoms. How long have you been taking them?”
“I don’t know. A few months, I guess. Don’t make a big thing out of it. If you want me to stop, I will.”
“Oh, yeah. I want you to stop.” Jodi’s voice rose. “Immediately. Before you die. Are you buying them from the same guy as everyone else, right here in the bar?”
Roxie cringed.
“Shit.” Jodi spun around to face the wall for
a second. “I can’t believe it,” she said as she spun the rest of the direction. “We’re working our asses off to find this dealer, and you’ve been buying from him all along?”
Roxie at least had the wisdom to look chagrined. “It’s not a big deal,” she repeated.
“It’s illegal, and dangerous,” Liz shouted.
A knock sounded at the door a second before it opened a crack. Tuck stuck his head in. “You ladies okay? I could hear you from the main room.”
Jodi sighed. “Come in.”
He did, looking a bit hesitant. “Bill said you were having a bit of a dispute back here.”
“Roxie’s been taking the stupid diet pills from the damn dealer you’ve been trying to catch,” Liz informed him.
Tuck flinched. “You have?”
Roxie bit the corner of her lip. “It’s no big deal,” she repeated yet again.
“I tried to reason with her,” Liz added. “So did Jodi. Your turn.”
Tuck kept his gaze on Roxie. “Roxie, that’s very dangerous. Don’t you realize how many women have ended up in the ER? Those things are banned for a reason.”
“It’s not like people are dying. They just get a little angry is all,” Roxie defended.
Tuck nodded. “I saw the effects firsthand on the set of Cold Feet. The women were like alien beings on crack, clawing at each other and fighting all the time.”
“You’re exaggerating. They were acting.”
“No. They were not. They were drugged. So are you. Now I understand why you have such violent mood swings.” Tuck was pissed. His face was red. This wasn’t the least bit humorous to him.
“I think you should go home for the rest of the day, Roxie,” Jodi stated. “Come back tomorrow if you’ve stopped taking those stupid pills. If you can’t stop, get help. I can’t risk you blowing up in front of the customers in a rage.”
Roxie slouched. “Fine.” She spun around before anyone could say another word and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
“That went well.” Liz followed her. “I’ll tell Bill what’s going on.”
Hot SEAL, Cold Feet (SEALs in Paradise) Page 7
