“I saw the horror in your face when you saw my back. The disappointment and disgust was written all over your face.”
“Fuck you, Tuck.” Without thought I shove hard into his chest. “I’ve done nothing but worship the ground you walk on since meeting you. I fell in love with you, and you’ve been nothing but a dickhead to me.”
“You are just like everyone else. All the doctors and surgeons who want to fix me or make me halfway human looking,” he interrupts.
I land my palm across his cheek as hard as I can, and it’s the best sting I’ve ever felt. “I love you, Tuck. I want all of you, and if you can’t accept that, then that’s your issue. I’m done. I’ve given everything to you.”
When I spin away from him, he catches my wrist and tugs me back to him.
“Kissing your back was the sweetest thing I’ve ever done.”
With a hard jerk, I pull away from him. He lets go, and I’m not sure if it’s because he’s given up the fight or if my words stun him. Even though I’m barefoot, I head for the gate and walk down the sidewalk. I have no clue where I’m going, I just need to be away from the asshole. I hear his footsteps behind me, but ignore each one as it pounds the pavement. I’d give anything to be able to run away from him. Open up in a sprint and get as far away as possible.
If only I had my shoes, purse, and phone, then I’d walk to the nearest motel and book a flight for tomorrow. Strong hands wrap around my waist, and it startles me even though I know it’s Tuck. I thought it was him the other night tugging on my shoulder.
“Blue.” I’m spun around in his arms, looking up into his face. “When I was younger, there was a house fire. Killed my parents, and I made it out alive. Joe was already at college. She came home and raised me.”
He drops his forehead to mine. “I’m trying here, Blue.”
“I don’t think you’re disgusting.” I cup his cheeks and force him to look at me. “But I do think you’re an asshole.”
“Uncle Tuck.”
We both look back to Joe’s house to see Ruger hollering from the lit porch. Tuck clasps both of my hands in his.
“Please come back with me, Blue.”
“Don’t ever push me away again. I won’t come back, Tuck.”
“I’m a fucking mess, Blue, I can’t promise anything.”
“Push me away one time—just one more fucking time—and I’m gone. I can promise that.”
I follow the tug of his hand as he pulls me back toward Joe’s, and we walk in silence.
“Mom said it’s bedtime. Will you tuck me in, Tuck?” Ruger giggles after he asks the silly question.
“Sure, buddy.”
We all follow the little guy into the house and see the married couple studying us with worried eyes.
“I’ll meet you in bed,” I whisper to Tuck.
“Blue, you need your pills.” Joe jumps up from the couch.
“Not tonight.”
I don’t give her the chance to push them down my throat. I need to be wide awake for what’s about to go down between Tuck and me, because I have every intention of pushing him to his limits, and if he pulls back even the least bit, I’ll just accept my fate of living with a cursed, broken heart.
“Goodnight.” I don’t make eye contact before I head down the hall and enter Tuck’s room. I want to cry. No, I take that back, I want to collapse into the fetal position and sob for his pain. I keep it all inside because I sure as hell don’t want to scare him off now, or ever again. All elements of emotions for the man who has been burned must vanish, and I can only look into those eyes of his.
The door creaks open and I turn to see Tuck standing there frozen with no dark or pissed look on his face. He’s devoid of all emotion. It takes only three long strides across the room to shut the door behind him, and then I take his hand and guide him to the bed like he did to me at his house. When the back of his legs hit the bed, I stop him and go for the damn beanie on his head and toss it to the side.
I have every intention of stripping this man to his core and proving to him that I’m not running. My fingers nab the hem of his t-shirt and begin tugging it up and over his head, and then I push down his gym pants. I don’t let my gaze linger too long on his scarred body because I can’t help but feel for him.
Taking two steps back, I look up and down Tuck clothed only in his boxers. If I thought the scars would shatter me and make me melt for the man, then the pained look on his face just broke me. I strip before him, exposing every single part of me to him in the light of the room and then close the distance between us.
The moment my skin hits his bare chest I know beyond a shadow of a doubt the curse is real with all the zinging tension bouncing between us. I spiral out of control with love and need, finally feeling Tuck on me. I place my palms on the most damaged part of his chest and look straight into his eyes.
“I love you, Tuck. You saved me, now let me save you.”
I feel the strongest man I’ve ever met tremble under my touch. He holds college records and takes on the best defenses in the nation, but with my touch he collapses back on the bed, and I have no intention of stopping. I’ll push him to his limits just to make him feel me.
“Blue.” Tuck relaxes further back on the bed with his forearms covering his eyes. “I’ve never—”
I plant my palms on either side of his head and crawl up on him, covering him once again, and there’s something about our skin contact that’s oddly addicting.
“You’ve never what, Tuck?” I ask, placing a light kiss on his lips. “You’ve never driven a woman wild with just a look or pleasured her until she fell apart?”
“No, Blue.” Tension and a hint of anger fills his voice, but I continue to push.
“If you love me, you’ll open your eyes and watch me love every single part of your gorgeous body, Tuck.”
Seconds pass, then moments pass, and what feels like an eternity passes, but I don’t give in or remove my palms from his chest. Feeling the burn marks underneath them pushes me harder to make the man open his eyes. My fingertips dig into his flesh, and I see his dark gaze and those eyes that have haunted my dreams.
“Watch me, Tuck, watch me make love to you.”
My lips touch down on his chest, and it’s as if he were stung by a wasp with the sharp intake of breath he inhales. My tongue runs down the rippled and scarred flesh all the way to his belly button. He’s hidden all of this from everyone. As my tongue continues to trail over his hard ridges of muscle, he squirms under my touch.
“Eyes open, Tuck.”
His abs relax a bit while I continue to swirl my tongue around his muscles and run my hands up to his shoulders. He grabs onto the back of my hands, clutching them with desperation. I’m pulled up to face level with him by his powerful force. Eye to eye, I wait for him to tell me to leave. It’s clear there’s something messing with him.
“Blue.”
“Tuck.”
“I’ve never done this, and you are scaring me. I need a moment.”
“So, you’re saying we can’t do this?” My body goes into safety mode and I pull away from him. Before I’m able to get away from him, he flips me over on my back and glares down at me with his stormiest eyes yet.
“If you’d listen to me, I was going to tell you that I’ve never had sex, or even let anyone besides Joe, Ruger, and Austin see the real me. Joe came home and fucking saved me and nursed me back to health while continuing to go to the community college to finish her degree.” Tuck rests his elbows on the sides of my head, and I turn my head and place a light kiss on a part of his marred skin. “I’ve never even been into a girl until you, Blue, and I fought to keep you away.”
My hands run up and down Tuck’s back, caressing and memorizing each contour of his burns. My fingertips gently pay careful attention to them while falling even fucking harder for the man. I’m thirsty to taste each of his wounds, helping him heal one at a time.
“But I want you, Tuck. Does it look like I care?” My hands work harder to portray even more conviction.
“You should.” His eyes squeeze shut. “You’re fucking gorgeous. Flawless, Blue, and I’m a monster of evil emotions and tainted skin.”