I let my belly lean on the counter next to Tuck, so that our shoulders and arms rub each other, flop the grocery sack down, and poke the green call button flashing on my screen.
“Hey, Mom.” I force my voice to be chipper and just what she’d expect to hear.
“Blue, sorry no FaceTime today. I have a tee time at the country club, and by god if I’m going to let that bitch, Dianne, beat me today. I need my game face on.”
“It’s okay, Mom.” I chuckle into the phone.
If anyone ever wonders where my competitive spirit comes from, they don’t have to look too far. I feel a slight vibration rolling off of Tuck and know he can hear my mom’s voice.
“How was school today?”
“Really good.” It’s all a lie, but I don’t need her to worry at all. “The bike’s holding up and I have everything down. Cheer practice was cancelled tonight, so I’m just going to settle in and catch up on some work.”
“Oh, why was it cancelled?”
I panic and look toward Tuck, elbowing him in the bicep. I only get a shrug and a hell-if-I-know look from him, and then he points to the lights.
“What?” I mouth.
“Power out,” he whispers.
“Blue, are you there?”
“Oh, yeah, I guess there’s a power outage at the practice facility, so a day off for me.”
I tear open the bottle of meds in the bag and pop three, and then I grab the beer from Tuck and wash them right down. I listen to my mom go on about how odd it is the power is out, and the more she talks, the worse I feel for lying to her, and the more of the beer I pound.
“Okay, Mom, I’ll let you go. Go kick ass and take names. Text me your winning score.”
We exchange our goodbyes, and I hang up the phone and bury my face in my hands.
“You suck at lying.”
“I never lie to my parents, ever. That was just the cherry on the top of my fucking day.”
Tuck turns me around and has me seated up on the counter before I know what’s happening. My legs open for him as he steps in between them. I can’t help but focus on his blood crusted knuckles. Reaching over, he turns on the faucet and dampens a paper towel and begins cleaning my lip. I place my palm on his forearm and try to grip onto his shirt. He flinches and becomes uncomfortable, but I don’t care and refuse to lose the contact.
I let out a contented sigh as I watch him open a tube of antibacterial cream, and I shoot an eyebrow up in his direction. He melts my heart when he smiles back at me.
“I could use rubbing alcohol to clean you up.”
I wedge one of my legs between his. “And I could knee you in the nuts.”
A chuckle vibrates low in his chest as he uses his inner thighs to squeeze my leg. I let go of his arm and grab on to the back of his neck, dragging my hand up to his beanie.
“I won’t take it off. Trust me.”
Leaning forward, I’m shocked when he doesn’t move. My lips brush his, and I inhale his scent. He pulls me to the edge of the counter and then relaxes, cupping my ass, and I smile at him.
“Why are you fighting this?” The question pours from me onto his lips.
“You’re way too beautiful for me, Blue.”
Cupping his face, his cheeks sting my palms.
“You don’t feel this, do you? I’ve never wanted another person in my entire life, and you won’t let me in, Tuck.”
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“You won’t like what you see, Blue. You’re meant for a castle and king. I’m just the poor peasant.”
“You have no idea what I’m meant for.”
Before he has the chance to throw me another excuse, I seal my lips to his, and it’s a short distance, considering we were lip to lip. I let go of his beanie, hoping he’ll be comfortable with me if I leave it alone. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling myself deeper into him. Our kiss turns passionate and heated as our lips attack each other. I’m the first to open my mouth, and Tuck doesn’t hesitate to take full advantage, exploring it deeply with his tongue. He forces me back as he leans into me, and my head crashes into the cabinet behind me. The pain sears the back of my skull, but I don’t let it stop me. Tuck winces as he hears the crashing sound, and I take advantage of his mouth, lapping up his taste and sinking my teeth into his bottom lip.
Noah’s voice slices into our passion. “Tuck, Blue, I’ll go grab us dinner.”
We pull away and I peer over Tuck’s shoulder as he buries his face in the crook of my neck. I focus on the smile pressing into my skin. Noah sends me a look, and there’s no hiding what we were doing. It’s written all over my swollen, love-struck lips.
“Pizza okay with you two?” A blush covers Noah’s light skin.
“Yeah, sounds good,” I reply.
“I’ll be back in fifteen.”
He shoots out of the kitchen as if his ass were on fire, and once I hear the front door slam shut, Tuck and I break down into fits of laughter.
Wiping the tears from my eyes, I say, “I feel like we’ve been busted by a father figure or something.”
“Yeah, no shit.” Tuck finally lifts his head and looks me in the eye. I love how soft his eyes are now. “I’m sorry if it comes across that I treat you poorly or whatever. You’re too much, Blue. Too much beauty, life, and, shit…I don’t know.”
Tuck pulls away, placing his hands on the top his beanie, and for the first time I see real pain covering his face and don’t push him any further.
“I need to shower.” My fingers grip the yellow countertop until my knuckles go white. It’s the only way I won’t reach out for him.
“Follow me.”
“Hey.”
He stops in mid-step, turning back to me. “What?”
I hold up the tube of medicine he was going to put on me.
“After your shower.”
“Now.”
It only takes him three long strides before we are back in the same position, but this time it’s only business as he applies the medicine and then helps me off the counter, gently setting me back on the ground.
“See, you know how to treat a princess, Tuck.” I slap him on the ass as he walks me down the hall to the bathroom. He doesn’t respond, only shaking his head.
We enter the small bathroom, and it’s so clearly a man’s place. I watch as he kicks together a pile of towels and boxers into the corner.
“This shower is a tricky bastard. I’ll get it going for you.”
I let Tuck fiddle with the shower and gaze in the mirror at the impressive bruise forming on my face. It’s going to take a whole hell of a lot of concealer to hide this one.
“Okay, it’s ready. My room is right across the hall if you need me.”
Tuck left himself open for so many comebacks on that one, but I let it go. As he passes, I snag his wrist to stop him. Bringing his hand to my lips, I plant a light kiss on each blood crusted knuckle.
“Thank you, Tuck.”
He throws his head back and stares up at the ceiling. “You’re going to ruin me, Blue.”
I hear Noah walk in the front door, so I let Tuck go and lock the bathroom door behind him. If the man wanted to take this further, he could have me in this damn steaming shower, but he doesn’t. I hear the deep voices of the two men down the hall and let my curiosity get the best of me.
Cracking the door a bit, I try to listen to their conversation, but with the noise of the shower and the distance to the voices, I can only make out Noah’s enthusiastic tone. After several minutes, I give up and climb in the shower, remembering Tuck’s soft brown eyes, gentle touch, and the words he spoke. I’ve been pissed and intrigued by the man, but nothing has hit me as hard as when I saw the pain covering his face. It was deep and real. It almost seemed as if he wanted to reach out to me as well, but forced himself to hold back.
I growl at the man soap and two-in-one shampoo and conditioner in the tub. Since there’s not much of a choice, I use it and rinse off quickly. Turning off the shower and sliding across the smiley face shower curtain, I see someone left me two fresh towels and a brush on the counter. I could’ve sworn I locked the door. Well, whoever it was, I hope they enjoyed my rendition of Everybody by the Backstreet Boys.