“Well, sir, you sure did.” Tuck takes his seat next to me.
“Let’s talk ball.” Dad takes a long drink from his ice water. “Because god knows I’ve spent way too many years hearing about cheer and dance.”
“Dad, you’re an ass.” I flick water in his direction.
“You know you love me, baby Blue.”
The two men quickly and very easily fall into a conversation about college ball, and the sound of their voices mingling soothes me. The two men I need in my life…actually have to have in my life.
I have to cut them off so we can get to the stadium on time.
“Okay, we have to go, Dad. We will see you after the game, or at least I will.”
I shoot Tuck a sideways glance.
“Oh, I’ll meet up for dinner and keep arguing about the fact Emmett Smith is and always will be the best running back in the history of running backs.”
“Boy, I have a lesson or two to teach you.”
Tuck stands and gives my mom a long hug without hesitation, and then shakes my dad’s hand, and even lets my dad wrap him up in a one-armed hug.
“Blue.”
“What, Daddy-o?”
He steps away from Tuck and closes the distance between us. The pad of his thumb rubs along my jawline.
“When did you get this scar?”
“What?”
“This long scar on your jawline.”
“Oh.” I stall with terror and should’ve known my dad of all people would’ve noticed the fading scab. “I, uh, connected pretty hard with the mats one day at practice, but I’ve been using that cream.”
“It’s a nasty one, baby Blue. When you come home this summer, I can do some treatments on it.”
“Nah, it’s fine.” I wave him off.
“Just keep your face from the mats from now on.” He wraps me up into a full body hug and then whispers into my ear. “I expect the full damn story when your mother isn’t here.”
“Dad.”
“Blue, I don’t want to hear it.”
“Fine.” I push back off him. “We really need to get going, or our coaches will have our asses.”
One final wave of hugs and goodbyes are exchanged before Tuck and I finally make it out into the parking lot.
“So?” I ask, clutching his hand.
“What?”
“You are such an ass, Tuck, I swear.”
He scoops me up in his arms and throws me over his shoulder, and I break out in laughter. I swear the man knows when I start to get pissy and then breaks the mood. He begins jogging, dodging, and juking fake defenders.
“Stop.” I helplessly beat at his back. My fingers find the waistband of his boxers and try tugging them up.
He gently slides me down the cab until I’m pinned between him and the truck with my feet barely touching the ground. His sweet lips brush against mine, but don’t stop long enough to kiss me. Instead they trail down to my neck, and he begins and dragging his tongue along my skin, in between quick kisses. I shiver against him and practically moan, begging for more of him. He has this power, or maybe it’s part of the curse—hell, I don’t know—but he makes my knees quiver and heart race with the simplest of touches.
His lips move on my neck, and I try to comprehend each word he says. “I just wish you’d get help, Blue. I know you’re still struggling with the attack, and you won’t let anyone help. Meeting your family was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I’d do it again just for you.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my head against his shoulder. “I’ll be okay, Tuck, I just want to forget. I need to forget.”
He forces me to look into his face. “You won’t forget without help. You don’t believe you’re safe with me, and I don’t know what else I can do.”
“I don’t think…”
The words stick in my throat, and no matter how hard I push, I can’t get them out.
“You don’t think what, Blue?
“I don’t think I’m in danger with you.”
Lying has to be the worst thing in the world. I just lied to my dad, and now to Tuck. It’s wrong, so very wrong, but an addicting drug that I need to have to cover up the pain.
“Can we fuck tonight after dinner?” He thrusts up into me, letting me know how excited he is.
And we are back to our typical duck and weave tactic when hard topics arise.
“You could fuck me right now, right here, if you wanted, Tuck Jones.”
A low growl rumbles in my ear as he swings open the truck door and throws me back on the bench seat and takes me.
Chapter 28
With football season over, Tuck has been driving me fucking nuts. I still have cheer practice, and now a strict schedule with basketball season and national cheer competition coming up. He still works out and does school work at lightning speed. I swear the man is borderline genius and the best athlete I’ve ever met. It took him weeks to bounce back from losing the national championship, but it seems he’s more determined and driven to win it next year.
In the last three months, I’ve avoided the dorms as much as possible, only checking in with Steve and cycling out my clothes. I never let Tuck go in because I don’t want him to stumble across a letter. They’ve been few and far between, but haven’t left my memory. Last time I logged into Facebook, the same messages filled my inbox.
“Tuck, move your ass,” I holler from the couch as I slam my math book. “You promised me.”
“Calm your tits, Blue.”
I’ve finally talked him into going to the beach with me. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since spending time there with Noah. It’s one thing Tuck doesn’t do. He works out there running in the sand, but never spends leisure time bathing in the sun, and I get it.
“Hey, I’ve swallowed like ten times for this afternoon.”
Tuck pulls me up from the couch and drags me into his solid chest.
“I thought the deal was eleven times.” He smiles down on my lips.
I bite down on his lower lip until he winces in pain.
“Take me to the ocean right now, Tuck Jones. Spend a few hours there with me. Then bring me home and thoroughly make love to me, and then do my homework.”
“Damn, I’ve really turned you into a princess, haven’t I?”
“Only yours, Tuck.” I clamp down on his lip again just to make him squirm. “And you’re my prince.”
“You mean Beast?”
I shoot him a dirty look. “You’re either the asshole or my prince. Way too beautiful to be the beast of this story.”
“I’d like to put it in your asshole.”
“You’re such a jerk.” I slap his chest and grab the bag I packed. “Let’s go.”
On the drive, Tuck is quiet and reserved, but just like in the beginning, I push him because I never want him to think anything less of himself. I bought him a short-sleeved t-shirt that barely shows any of his burns, but he’s still less than thrilled to be wearing it.
“Look,” I squeal as we pull into the parking lot. “It’s deserted like god reserved it just for us.”
Tuck chuckles at me. “A bit overdramatic, there, Blue.”
Before he has a chance to back out, I nudge him in his shoulder, urging him out the driver’s side door, and then follow him.
“Grab the cooler. I’ve got the bag.”
“Yes, boss.” He pulls his shades down, and I see a twinge of hardness cover his face.
“Stop.” I slap his ass as he hoists the cooler up on his shoulder, and he only growls back at me.
I could literally do cartwheels across the sand. First getting Tuck here was a battle, and then it being deserted is like the cherry on top of my dessert. I stop for a second and slip off my flip-flops, letting the sand tickle every single inch of my feet.
“Where to, Blue?”
I point off to an area around a slight bend with a mass of large rocks, thinking it would be the perfect spot even if someone did show up. Tuck would appreciate any sort of privacy.
“Damn, you’re so hot.” My gaze is locked on Tuck with that cooler perched on his shoulder and the barest slice of his abs peeking out through his t-shirt.