Leah

 

“An hour, I promise. No more than that. He’s been a good friend to me. I owe it to him to end it in person.”

Tucker isn’t crazy about the idea of me meeting with Quinn to officially break things off. I feel guilty, but I know I shouldn’t. Quinn and I weren’t exclusive and we hadn’t even slept together yet. I’ve slept in Tucker’s bed for the last week, but we’ve only held each other. I haven’t done anything wrong, but I know Quinn will be disappointed and I hate to hurt him.

I told Quinn when we started seeing each other I wasn’t ready for anything serious. I was just doing my best to move on when every day began and ended with thoughts of Tucker. It was like he was haunting me.

Tucker nods, his lips pressed together. He isn’t going to try to stop me, but he’s not going to pretend to be happy about it. “I expect you to have dinner ready when I get back,” I tease as I open the front door. “There’s an apron hanging on the wall.”

Quinn is waiting at the nearby park where I arranged to meet him. He stands from the park bench and hugs me. “Hey, how are you doing?”

“Better. I’ll be okay.”

We sit down and I swallow hard. “Look, Quinn—

“I know,” he interrupts. “You don’t want to see me anymore.”

He smiles sadly at my look of surprise. “You had me meet you instead of inviting me over like usual. It’s not hard to figure out.”

“I’m sorry. I really like you and I’ve had a lot of fun with you, but I’m in love with someone else.”

“The big guy from the hospital?”

“Yes.”

Quinn sighs. “Well, he’s a lucky guy.”

I peek up at him. “Thank you for being so good about this.”

He gets to his feet. “We never made any promises to each other and you told me from the start you weren’t ready for anything serious. It sucks because I think we could be good together, but I understand.”

“Take care of yourself, Quinn.”

“You too,” he replies and walks away with his eyes pointed at the ground.

After the understanding way he took the news, I feel like shit, but it had to be done.

Now, I just have to find a way to tell Derek about Tucker without any more fists flying.

I’m barely gone an hour, and when I return, the house smells wonderful. “I smell garlic,” I call out, kicking off my shoes inside my front door. “What are you making?”

I’ve never seen Tucker cook before so I’m a little afraid. When I round the corner into the kitchen, a burst of laughter leaps from my throat.

Tucker is standing with a spoon in one hand, calmly stirring a pot of sauce that’s bubbling on the stove. The only thing he’s wearing is an apron. My bright red apron loops over his neck, and ties above his bare ass.

Tears fill my eyes because every time I look at him, I fall into hysterics again. It would be funny to see any man in just an apron, but Tucker’s muscular bulk looks like it’s trying to burst through the material. Plus, this is so out of character for him. He’s not known for jokes.

He turns and crosses his arms, leaning against the counter, his face impassive as if he cooks like this every day. “You said you wanted dinner.”

Wiping my eyes, I walk up and grab the edge of the apron, giving it a little tug. “I did.” Still chuckling, I lift the front of the apron and watch as his cock hardens. “All I did was look at it,” I tease.

“All you have to do is be in the room.”

I can’t resist. I wrap my hand around him, giving a couple of long, slow strokes. A curse jumps from his lips and he reaches behind him, turning off the burner. Suddenly, I’ve never wanted anything more than I want to bring this man to his knees by getting on mine.

I reach around and untie the apron, and he tosses it away. A groan rumbles his chest when I kneel down. Silver eyes plead with me when I take my time, and his entire body jerks when I lick the sensitive spot beneath the head.

“You don’t know how many times I’ve pictured this,” he growls.

“Being naked in my kitchen?” I tease, licking him again and reveling in his reaction.

“Your lips around my cock. Those innocent eyes looking up at me.”

Caressing his balls, I look up at him. “I’m afraid I’m about to kill the impression you have of my innocence.”

Before he can respond, I take all of him that I’m capable of. He’s big, there’s no deep throating him, but by the way he groans that’s not going to be a problem. One of his hands reaches back to grip the counter, while his other tightens in my hair.

I’ve never really minded giving head, but it’s not typically enjoyable. It always used to make me feel a little…demeaned, even if I was the one initiating. Something about being on my knees in front of a man just triggered odd feelings of shame that I assume are related to my past abuse.

It’s not like that with Tucker. I can feel the respect and care in the way he caresses my head and neck while I increase my pace. He traces a finger across my cheek and over my top lip, and I suck him hard. His groans and curses spur me on until his hand tightens on my shoulder and he murmurs, “I’m going to come, babe.”

Yeah, he is.

I cup his balls and reach one finger back to stroke just behind them and he jerks, coming down my throat. I can’t help the grin on my face when I feel his legs weaken and he grasps the counter, breathing hard.

I plant a few kisses on his chest as I stand up. “Now, what’s for dinner?” I tease.

“You,” he growls, yanking me off my feet.

He has me stripped down to nothing by the time we reach my bedroom. “Turn off the light,” I order and he just laughs, shaking his head.

He stands at the foot of the bed and grabs my ankles, pulling my legs over the edge of the bed and parting my knees. He stares down at me until my face heats. “There’s that innocent blush,” he murmurs. “Get used to it, Leah. I’m going to be looking at you like this every day.”

His eyes never leave mine while he reaches down and drags a finger through my folds. “So wet. Did sucking me turn you on?”

“Yes,” I moan, responding to his question and the sensation of his thick finger dipping inside of me. He finds my spot and grins with satisfaction when my hips jerk off the bed.

I’m already on the edge. “Oh, you’re not there already, are you?” he teases, adding another finger and rubbing quicker.

It’s embarrassing how fast this man can make me come. Just looking at him, standing over me with a sheen of sweat covering his muscular chest is enough to do it. “Feels so good, doesn’t it?” His deep voice is not helping me resist the sensations stealing my sanity. “Fight all you want, sweetheart. You’re still going to come all over my hand.”

His words send me over the top, and I grip his leg as I shudder and shake through an intense orgasm. When I recover, he’s staring down at me, his gaze scorching my skin. His cock bobs between his legs, hard and ready. Wow. He bounces back fast.

Leaning over me, he presses his forehead to mine, and we stay that way for a moment, breathing each other’s air. “I love you,” he murmurs.

“I love you, too.”

After slipping on a condom, he crawls up my body and proceeds to kiss every inch of me until my skin is singing. My hands roam his back, tracing every luscious line and crevice.

His tongue parts my lips, and I groan into his mouth as he slides completely inside of me. His kiss matches the pace of his long, slow strokes that are slowly driving me out of my mind. My hands find their way to his ass and I pull him against me, trying to get him to go harder. His eyes are warm when they gaze into mine.

“Slow,” he murmurs. “I just want to feel you.”

The intense emotion showing on his face overwhelms me. He’s making love to me, and I realize in that moment that anything I ever felt for a man was nothing compared to this.

This is love.

 

* * * *

 

It’s kind of adorable to watch Tucker squirm at the thought of telling Derek we’re together. It’d be cuter if I knew our announcement wasn’t going to end in a fistfight, though. I’ve done all I can and convinced Tucker it’d be best to tell him when the other guys are around. Plus Ayda, since she’s the one who can reel him back in once he’s pissed.

Landon and Zoe have had an in ground pool installed in their backyard so they’ve planned a little pool party to celebrate. It’ll be the first time everyone is together since Frannie’s death. I think he’s trying to help Zoe by surrounding her with her friends.

The guys teased Landon, asking him if his hazmat suit was waterproof, when he announced they were adding a pool. It is kind of funny, but he just flipped them off and announced a nighttime pool party.

It’s the perfect opportunity to tell Derek. He knows I stayed with Tucker the week after Frannie’s death, but not that we’ve been seeing one another again.

It’s barely dark when we arrive at Landon and Zoe’s place, but Justus and Sadie are already there. Ethan, Zoe’s brother, and his boyfriend, Colin, are splashing around in the pool with two more boys I don’t recognize. Ethan has been at college this year, so I’m sure Zoe is happy to have him home for the summer.

“Hey, Zoe. How are you?” I ask, hugging her.

Tears instantly fill her eyes and she forces a smile. “I’m getting by.”

It’s only been two weeks since Frannie’s death and Zoe was her best friend. “It’ll get easier,” I murmur.

“I know.” She wipes her eyes. “Let’s not talk about it tonight. Let’s get drunk and have some fun.”

“Hell, yeah!” one of the boys calls from the pool.

Zoe laughs and hands around bottles of beer. “Forget it, Zach. You’re eighteen.”

“I’m nineteen!” he huffs, sounding offended and making the rest of us laugh.

“Which is still two years short of legal,” Zoe reminds him.

Justus chuckles and lowers his voice. “And we all know we’d never break the law.”

Hannah smacks his chest. “None of us would give alcohol to a teenager.”

“Ow! Take it easy! You’ll damage the merchandise.” Justus brushes off his chest, and his sister rolls her eyes.

“Sadie, you’re a saint. I don’t know how you put up with him.”

“The big cock helps,” Justus says.

“Now I really need a drink,” Hannah grumbles, walking away.

Tucker takes my beer, opens it, and hands it back to me.

A grin leaps onto Justus’s face. He gestures between us. “What’s all this?”

“All what?” I reply, trying to remain inconspicuous.

“No, no, no. I saw that. You two are…” He makes a hand gesture that causes the boys in the pool to crack up, and Sadie shoves him.

There’s no point in denying it, but I still look to Tucker to see what he wants to do. No indecision exists on his part, and he slings his arm around my shoulder and stares at Justus, daring him to comment.

Of course, he does.

“Oh shit. Somebody get some milk to keep Tucker’s teeth alive until we get him to the hospital.”

Ignoring him, Sadie hugs me. “I’m happy for you both.”

“Me too,” Zoe adds.

Silence fills the night when Derek and Ayda walk in. Derek’s eyes go right to Tucker’s arm around me and his lips press together.

Without a hello, he barks, “Tucker, a word?” He gestures for Tucker to follow him back inside.

“No,” Tucker says. “There’s something I want everyone to know.”

Heat fills my face as everyone falls silent and all eyes are on us.

Tucker doesn’t look the least bit uncomfortable, though, as his deep steady voice fills the night. “I’m in love with Leah.” He looks down and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “And I’m one lucky son of a bitch because she feels the same way about me.”

Derek glares at him. “She’s young and she has plans for her future.”

“No, you have plans for my future,” I argue, stepping forward. “I’m happy with my present.” I approach Derek and look him in the eye. “I know you’re trying to look out for me, just like you’ve always done. I can never thank you enough for all you’ve done for me. I’ll always be grateful, but I’m not a child anymore. You helped raise me, Derek, and now you have to let me go live my life, just like everyone else.”

I step forward to hug him, and he squeezes me tight. “I love you.”

“I love you, critter,” he mumbles. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I love him.”

Tucker walks over to Derek, and I hold my breath, waiting for the worst.

“I love her. She’s it for me, Dare. I know you don’t like it. You don’t have to like it, but I want you to know I’m serious. I will always take care of her and put her needs first. One day, when she’s ready, I’ll make her my wife. So hit me again if it’ll make you feel better, because someday we’re going to be family.” A smirk pops up on Tucker’s face. “Brother-in-law.”

“Fuck,” Derek scoffs, shaking his head. It feels like the whole universe is holding its breath, waiting to see what he’s going to do until he takes a step forward and sticks out his hand.

Tucker shakes it, but after a moment, Derek jerks him forward and murmurs something in his ear. Tucker nods, and Derek slaps him on the back, releasing him.

Silence reigns for a few moments until Sadie whispers to Zoe, “That’s the most words I’ve heard Tucker say in a row.”

Everyone laughs, and Justus wraps an arm around her. “You still can’t whisper for shit.”

It breaks the tension and I sit on the edge of the pool, watching the boys wrestle around.

Tucker joins me, practically growling at one of the boys when he pretends he’s going to pull me into the pool.

“Stop. He’s a kid.”

“Didn’t stop him from trying to look up your shorts. And he’s closer to your age than I am.”

“There’s a line,” I laugh.

“That Tucker here smashed through like the Kool-Aid man,” Justus says, taking a seat on my other side.

“Eavesdropper,” I accuse.

“See, it just occurred to me. Leah has always been off limits because of the whole bro code thing, but Tucker has already demolished that, so, what do you say? Threesome with me and Sadie? I can talk her into it.”

Before Sadie or Derek can attack him, Tucker shoves him into the pool.

Surfacing, he shakes the water from his face. “A simple no thank you would have sufficed.”

Sadie laughs and says, “I’m not into girls, but we can discuss a one night swap. If half what I read in your book was true…”

Oh god. Since the deck won’t do me the favor of swallowing me up, I slide off the edge into the pool and dunk underwater. I hear a splash behind me before Tuckers arms circle my middle and we surface.

He’s wearing a smirk. “I really need to read this book.”

“No, no you don’t. I…embellished and…”

“Fantasized?”

“I never said it was about you!”

“I believe that’s been established.”

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I loop my arms around his neck. “You are forbidden to read it. Just forget I’m a writer.”

“What’s your next book about?” he asks.

“A group of criminals who become a family.”

Laughing, he runs his lips across my shoulder. “But you don’t write from experience.”

Damn.

We climb out, and I strip off my shorts and hang them over a chair to dry. I’m wearing swimsuit bottoms underneath, but I still wrap a towel around me before joining the girls at the pool and opening another beer.

Tucker goes inside with the rest of the guys while we all chat.

“Does anyone know how Jeremy is doing?” Ayda asks.

Sadie leans back in her chair. “Justus went to check on him a few days ago and he threw him out. Said he needed time alone.”

“I’ll have Landon check on him tomorrow,” Zoe says.

“Everyone grieves in their own way and needing space is normal, but I agree, the guys need to keep an eye on him,” I offer.

Cries from the boys in the pool draw our attention.

Ethan surfaces, rubbing his eye. He keeps one eye closed and one of his friends asks, “Dude, what are you doing? A pirate impersonation?”

“Well, he’s a type of pirate,” his friend adds, and they all bust out laughing, Ethan and his boyfriend included.

“And yet, I’ve still touched more pussy than you,” Ethan claims.

“Ah!” Zoe slaps her hands over her ears. “I don’t need to hear this!”

Ethan grins at her. “I don’t need to hear you begging Landon in the bedroom either, but apparently, we both have to suffer.”

Tucker returns and sits down beside me. Turning to Zoe, he asks, “Ethan is spending his summer with you?”

“If he survives it.”

Tucker gets quiet for a moment, then asks, “But he’s returning to school in the fall?”

“Actually, his classes this semester are all online so I’m going to try to talk him into staying here. It’d be cheaper, anyway.”

“Do you think he’d want to stay out at the farm? His boyfriend could stay with him.”

“Are you running away?” Zoe teases, glancing at me. She knows what he’s getting at.

“Leah has a job she doesn’t want to leave, and it’s an hour and a half commute if she stays with me. I can’t leave the animals alone for long. If they want to take care of the place, they can stay until we’re ready to move back, or he goes back to school, whichever comes first.”

“And you can beg Landon all you want,” I add.

Zoe rolls her eyes. “I’ll talk to them.”

Ethan and Colin jump at the chance to have a house to themselves for the summer, and Tucker makes arrangements to take them out to the farm to learn what they’ll need to do for the animals.

“Are you going back home tonight?” I ask him once it gets late and everyone is leaving.

“No, but I have to go early in the morning. Do you want to stay with me a couple of days until we get the boys settled in?”

“Of course. Just drag me out of bed when you’re ready.”

Just as we’re saying goodbye, Justus shows up, clearly upset. He left an hour ago so I don’t know what could have happened in that amount of time.

“Is Sadie okay?” Zoe demands, first thing. Her worst fear would be to lose another person she loves.

“She’s fine. It’s Jeremy. He’s gone.”