He frowned, not sure what she was talking about.
“When I was saying that I didn’t want to have lunch. I just wanted to have sex and stuff like that. I thought maybe that had turned you off.”
He threaded his fingers in her hair and held her head. “Jodi, not even close. I love when you suggest things that seem risqué to you, causing you to blush and fidget. It’s adorable. Never stop. And I will never complain if you tell me you want to have sex instead of lunch. Never. Not once.”
“Good, then you won’t mind that I don’t want to go out to dinner either. I’m starving though. We might need to order pizza in a while. After we have sex again.”
He nodded. “Love that idea.”
She held his gaze a few seconds longer and then pulled back. “I’m going to use the bathroom. Be right back.”
He watched her as she slid off the bed and padded away from him, his cock stiffening again at the vision of her fantastic ass. When she returned, she grabbed his T-shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head.
“Now, why’d you do that?”
She giggled. “It’ll be more fun if you unwrap me again, won’t it?”
“Maybe.”
She glanced around. “So, this is where we live now?”
He pulled himself to sitting, leaned against the headboard, and drew the sheet over his once-again stiff erection. “You like it? The beige is so attractive. We could maybe add a few colorful pillows and really liven it up.”
She eyed his suitcase and various piles of belongings. He’d dropped everything in random spots when he arrived in the middle of the night. “Do you have stuff somewhere?”
“Yeah. I have a storage unit. When I sold my mom’s house, I got rid of most of the furniture, but mementos and childhood things are all in a unit nearby.”
She wandered over to the bedside table and tapped the folder on top, shivering visibly. “For the rest of my life I’m going to wince every time I see a manila folder like this.”
He chuckled. “Why’s that?”
“Because all I can think about is you carrying around those ridiculous scripts all the time.”
He reached over and snagged this last folder. “This one’s even worse. You want to see?” He opened it and handed her the papers.
She stared at the top one for a long time before lifting her gaze. “They asked you to star on the next season?”
“Asked is a mild word. Joanne, the executive producer, practically got on her knees begging me. For some reason, it was really important to her. I dropped this folder in the trash can. She pulled it back out and forced me to take it.”
Jodi smirked. “Have you seen how many followers you have?”
“Nope. But she mentioned that.”
Jodi leaned a hip against the bed as she kept reading. “Jesus, Tuck. That’s a lot of money.”
“I never even saw the final offer. She kept upping it throughout the night every time I told her fuck to the hell no.”
Jodi flashed him the paper.
His eyes widened. “Wow. That is a lot.”
“You thinking about it?”
“Fuck no.” He grabbed the pages from her and flung them over her head so they fell all around on the floor. Then he picked her up by the waist and settled her over his lap, straddling him again. He eased his hands up her body under his shirt. “I’m never doing that again. It’s not worth all the money in the world.”
She smiled. “You’re sure? I mean I don’t want to hold you back from your burgeoning career.”
He rolled his eyes. “That is not a career. That’s more like a hurricane. I’ve never seen more shallow people in my life.”
“Still. I want to make sure you didn’t turn it down because of me. I lived through it once. I can do it again if it’s what you want.”
He cupped her breasts and molded his hands to them until she arched and moaned. Now was a good time to drop the second part. “They offered to take you too.”
She jerked her attention back to him. “What?” Her face was red.
“Yep. When I told Joanne I had a woman I was going after, she added you to the offer. Said we could do it together.”
“Be the bride and groom on the show?” Jodi looked like she was going to vomit.
“Uh huh. What do you think?” He pinched her nipples as he asked.
“Over my dead body,” she whispered as she moaned again.
Tuck chuckled. “That’s what I told Joanne. Are we done with this discussion? Because I’d much rather flip you onto your back and kiss my way up to your sweet pussy than talk about that stupid reality show.”
Jodi nodded.
“Thank God.” He did just as he’d suggested, grabbing her by the waist and flattening her onto her back as she giggled. Seconds later, he was between her legs, holding them open, her hands in his hair.
The guttural, sexy sound she made when he sucked her pussy into his mouth was worth every second of the banter. God, he loved this woman.
He thrust his tongue into her tightness and then lathed her clit with it until she came against his mouth, her fingers pulling on his hair.
Afterward, he climbed up her body and thrust into her before she fully came down from her orgasm, meeting her gaze as he watched her become fully aroused yet again.
Yeah, he loved her so much it hurt. He would gladly freeze this moment in time forever.
Chapter 30
Six days later…
* * *
Tuck sat at the kitchen table in Jodi’s apartment watching as Bill walked from room to room grabbing things and bringing them back to the kitchen. He’d just announced that he hadn’t had a vacation in years, and he was leaving this afternoon to spend some time with his brother in Colorado.
Tuck knew the man was just leaving to give Jodi and Tuck some space, but he also agreed Bill should go on a vacation, so he didn’t argue.
In front of him were the handwritten books Bill had kept with every expense the bar had incurred from the moment Bill first opened the bar. Handwritten.
“Did you look over my accounting?” Bill asked, pointing at the books.
Tuck nodded, humbled that Bill had so much faith in him that he would so easily bring him into the fold of the family business. Tuck would never let the man down, but he wasn’t sure why Bill was pressuring him. “You know,” Tuck offered as gently as possible, “I could help you transfer this to a computer spreadsheet, and it would be much easier to maintain.” He didn’t want to step on the man’s toes, but this was barbaric.
Jodi coughed from the sink behind Tuck, nearly choking herself. When Tuck turned around, he saw that she was barely containing laughter as she spun back to face the window.
Bill’s face lit up. “Could you do that?”
“Uh…yes.” Tuck was confused.
“Perfect. You’re indispensable. Things have run much smoother since you joined us.” He rushed back out of the room, still talking. “The bar is safer, there’s another set of hands to help Jodi with the heavier lifting, and you even know computers.”
Jodi chuckled behind Tuck.
He turned to glare at her, mouthing, “What the hell?”
Bill bustled back into the room and stuffed something else in the suitcase he’d left open on the coffee table. “I’ll feel much better leaving Jodi with you here.”
Tuck nodded slowly. “I promise everything will be fine.” He was fairly certain Jodi handled most things in the past few years anyway. Her dad was someone everyone knew who spent a lot of time talking to the regulars, but he could go on vacation and not worry about Jodi. Something else was going on.
Jodi set her hands on Tuck’s shoulders from behind his chair and slid them around to his chest. “Dad, stop it. You sound ridiculous.”
“What? I’m just making sure all my ducks are in a row.”
“He’s not leaving, Dad. I already talked to him. He’s going to stay.”
Suddenly Tuck realized what was going on. Bill was trying to make h
im feel like a necessary piece of the puzzle so he wouldn’t quit.
“In fact,” Jodi continued, “he has some ideas about how we can expand the bar.”
“She’s right, sir. I hope you don’t mind but I called the realtor for the space next door and ran some numbers. Nothing’s set in stone, of course. I was just checking to see how feasible it would be before running it by you.”
Bill focused on Tuck. He was frowning. “How can we afford that?”
Tuck shifted his weight, leaning forward, not sure how the man was going to react to his proposal. “It turns out, I have recently come into a nice paycheck.”
Bill didn’t even blink for a moment, and then his eyes widened. “What? The money you got from that show?” He shook his head. “No. I couldn’t take that.”
“You wouldn’t be taking it. I’d be giving it. To you. To Jodi. To us. To our future. I want to marry your daughter one day, sir. Soon. I know it’s fast, but I love her. I’m in this for life. Let me help with the bar.”
Bill froze, his expression unreadable. For several heartbeats, he stood there, not moving. Finally, a smile spread wide and he rushed across the room and tugged Jodi into a hug. “Honey, I’m so happy for you.”
Tuck stood from the table, prepared to shake Bill’s hand. Apparently the man was not mad or even worried. But Bill surprised him by hugging him too. A big bear hug that made Tuck feel like he really belonged.
Bill’s face was lit up with excitement when he finally stepped back. “Well, shit. That’s just… That’s just great…” He grabbed Jodi’s left hand. “Did you get a ring already?”
“Not yet, Dad. We’re not in a hurry. We’re going to wait until we save up some more money.” She smiled at Tuck.
That was the line Tuck had given her when they discussed this yesterday, but he didn’t intend to wait very long before he bought her a ring. He wanted to surprise her with it. Select it carefully. Making her think they should wait had been a distraction so she wouldn’t know when to expect it.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t made it clear that he wanted to marry her. He had. But not on one knee yet. He would still do that. They had simply discussed the future in vague terms with him telling her his intentions.
“When the time is right, and she least expects it, I’ll propose properly. I promise,” Tuck assured Bill.
Bill was beaming. “So, you won’t quit? You’ll stay with the bar?”
“Of course.” He loved the idea of being with Jodi all the time. Most people might think that was a bad idea, but not Tuck. Every moment he was with her was precious. They didn’t get on each other’s nerves or in each other’s space. Not for a second. If in the future, that changed, he could get a job outside the bar and give them some time apart, but he couldn’t imagine that day coming.
Bill jerked his attention to Jodi. “Hey, where are the other books? The ones with the purchases in them? You need to show them to Tuck also.”
“I will, Dad.”
“Well, go get them?”
“Now?”
“Yes. I think they’re downstairs in the office.”
Jodi sighed, but headed down the stairs anyway.
Bill rushed from the room, confusing Tuck once again. Two seconds later, he was back. He was also holding out a ring. A gorgeous solitaire with smaller diamonds surrounding it. It took Tuck’s breath away.
“This was Jodi’s mother’s. I kept it for her. She always loved it. I don’t think she even knows I still have it. I think she would want you to use it.” He set it in Tuck’s hand.
Tuck swallowed back emotion as he stared at the ring and then slid it into his front pocket. “Thank you, sir. I’m sure you’re right. It will mean a lot to her.”
Bill smiled, beyond pleased with himself. “Good. Then it’s settled. You’ll stay here, and I’ll go visit my brother for a while.”
“I know what you’re doing, Bill. Giving us space. And I appreciate it, but this is your home. I’ll find an apartment as soon as possible. I promise.”
Bill waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Take your time. It’ll be crowded around here for a while, but we’ll manage.”
Tuck nodded. There was no chance he was going to sleep with Jodi in the room next to Bill, but he didn’t say that. Maybe in the future, after they were married, after they got to a point when they didn’t need to have sex more than once every night. Maybe then. But not now. He’d find another apartment this week if it killed him.
Jodi returned, heaving a huge book. She dropped it down on the table. “I don’t know why you’re still trying to make Tuck feel needed. He’s not going anywhere.”
“Well, he should still see the books. Know what we do and how things run. Make changes if he sees a need.” Bill patted the back of the chair and then headed to his suitcase. He closed it, zipped it, and lifted it off the coffee table. “I think that’s everything. I have one of those Uber things coming to get me.”
Jodi giggled. “Dad… Lord.”
“What? I’m hip.”
“So very hip. Yes.” She hugged him tight. “I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.”
Later that night, Jodi stepped into her bedroom and hesitated, leaning on the door frame. She hadn’t stopped smiling for so many days her face hurt. Tuck was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard, typing on his laptop. He lifted his gaze and shot her a smile. “Give me just another minute. I’m almost done here.”
“Take your time. The view is amazing.” He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and watching him work in her bed with his bare chest and bulging muscles was like a dream.
She didn’t move until he finally shut the laptop and set it on the bedside table. “I wasn’t sure what side you wanted,” he stated, pointing at the mattress.
He’s in my bed. God, I love it. “The middle,” she teased.
“Well, then I’ll hold on to the edge. Which edge would you like me to have? The right or the left?” His smile warmed every inch of her body.
“Did you finalize the plans for your mother’s ashes?”
“Yes. We need to pick them up. I arranged a burial spot. We can have a little ceremony one day soon.”
“You’re sure you don’t want to do something bigger? Have people come? A visitation at the funeral home?” She was worried about his closure.
“Nope. It’s not what she wanted. She told me years ago she didn’t want people fussing over her after she died. It’s the only thing she ever mentioned, so I’ll heed her wishes. I’m good with it. I feel at peace.”
She nodded. “Okay.” He looked sincere. She just didn’t want him constantly worrying about the money. They could afford a ceremony if he preferred. He seemed done with it though.
He scanned her up and down. “You make me hard every time you put on my T-shirts, by the way. I don’t know why, but that’s so much sexier than thin pieces of lacey lingerie.”
She giggled as she approached and climbed up the center of the foot of the bed to crawl to him. When she reached him, she straddled his lap and set her hands on his shoulders. “Because it’s yours and it’s personal. I get aroused when I put your shirts on too. They smell like you. And they’re soft. I picture you wearing them, your muscles bulging out the sides.”
He slid his hands under the cotton material to run them up her body, skimming the edges of her breasts. Every time he did that, her breath hitched.
“You’re probably desensitized from watching all those bridesmaids strut around the set in almost nothing.”
“That was only two weeks three months ago. And I’m not desensitized when it’s you wearing them. The last two hundred negligees I saw did nothing for me. It’s all about the woman underneath.” He kissed her gently, making her squirm on his lap.
His erection was hard against her sex. She wanted him even though they’d had sex an hour ago and two other times since her dad left the apartment. It was Sunday night, the only night of the week they would be able to casually sit around relaxing
and having sex like this. Starting tomorrow, the two of them had responsibilities. They would drop into bed exhausted at two in the morning most nights.
She was okay with that. Morning sex was good too.
“What are you thinking?” Tuck asked, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.
“I was just picturing us sliding into a normal routine, wondering what it might look like.”
“It’s going to look like you naked under me all morning every day while I feed you breakfast and lunch in bed before we go downstairs in clothes and open the bar.”
She giggled. “I like that plan.”
“Oh.” He snapped his fingers. “I have something I’d like you to wear so you won’t feel so naked.”
She furrowed her brow as he reached over to the bedside table, opened the drawer, and pulled out something she couldn’t see. It was fisted in his hand. “Jodi Bridgman, I’m not on my knee, and I know you didn’t expect something like this so soon, so I hope I caught you off guard.” He opened his palm to reveal her mother’s ring. “Will you marry me?”
She gasped, her hand coming to her mouth. “That’s…” She swallowed.
“Yes, baby. It’s your mother’s ring. Your dad gave it to me earlier today. I considered waiting a while before I asked you, but I was busting at the seams, and I wanted to surprise you. Did I?”
Tears fell down her cheeks. “Yes. God, yes.”
He took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. She already knew it would fit. She had the same hands as her mother. She’d been wearing the rest of her mother’s jewelry for years.
“You didn’t answer me.” He kissed her knuckles, still holding her hand.
She smiled at him, holding his gaze. “I’d be honored.”
He released a long breath as if he’d been uncertain she would say yes. And then he grabbed her by the waist and flipped her onto her back, hovering over her with the biggest grin she’d ever seen. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance. I know it’s been hard.”
Hot SEAL, Cold Feet Page 15
