Rumor Has It Box Set: The Complete Series, Books 1-5

by RH Tucker

  “It feels like someone else is up,” she giggles.

  “Sorry,” I reply, smiling into her neck.

  “Don’t be. I, um … I’m ready.”

  “Are you sure? We can wait if you need to.”

  She turns to face me, wrapping both arms around my neck. “No, I want to.”

  “Damn the Pop Tarts, then.” I laugh and start kissing her.

  Taylor walks into the kitchen behind us. “Morning, you two.”

  “Good morning,” I answer as Veronica giggles into my chest.

  “Morning, Taylor,” she says.

  “Did you guys pray this morning?” he asks, already dressed in shorts and a polo shirt for work.

  I look at Veronica, who stares back at me with a confused expression, then turn to face him. “What?”

  “Pray.” He looks at me like I should know what he’s talking about. “You know, to God?”

  “What are you talking about?” I ask as Veronica raises an eyebrow.

  “Oh, sorry. I heard you guys praying last night, so I thought you might do the same thing in the morning.”

  Veronica’s face contorts with confusion. “What do you mean you heard us praying?”

  “You know …” He smiles before closing his eyes and his voice hits a higher pitch. “Oh my God! Oh my God!”

  Shit.

  Veronica’s face drops in horror. “What? You … you heard us? Me?”

  “Girl, our neighbors heard you.”

  “Oh my God!” She bolts out of the kitchen.

  “He’s standing right there,” he replies, pointing to me.

  “What the hell, Taylor?” I cringe.

  “Oh, come on, you know I’m joking around. It’s all good.”

  “No, it’s not—” I wrinkle my nose, staring at the kitchen door as I hear my bedroom door slam shut. “Damn it.”

  “What?”

  “Last night …” I don’t want to talk about our sex life with him, but he needs to know he crossed a line. “Dude, last night was her first time.”

  Now his face drops. “You for real?” I nod. “Shit, now I feel like an ass.” His voice drops lower. “Wait, she made those noises, and she was a virgin?”

  “That’s beside the point, Taylor.”

  Turning around, he walks out of the kitchen and toward my room.

  “What are you doing?”

  He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he knocks on my door. “Hey, Veronica. I’m sorry. I … I’m just sorry, okay? My bad.”

  He looks over at me, both of us waiting, hearing nothing but silence.

  “It’s fine,” she finally calls back out.

  Taylor looks at me. “Dude, I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, I’ll talk to her.”

  He nods and lifts his hand to fist bump me. “I’m headed out. Sorry again, man.”

  Nodding, I watch him walk out our front door, and then stare at my door for a second, unsure what I’m going to say. Stepping inside, even though no one else is in the apartment, I close the door behind me. This room is our space now, and I really hope that hasn’t changed.

  “Hey,” I say.

  She’s already changed out of her shorts and stands up, buttoning her pants. “Hey.”

  “Vero, Taylor really didn’t mean—”

  “I know,” she cuts me off. “But that was really embarrassing.” Her head swivels around, and she lifts the blankets, searching for something.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for my shirt. I think maybe I should go home. I just—”

  “What? No, stay. Please.”

  She shakes her head, still not facing me. “No, I … I should go.”

  Taking a seat on the bed, I grab her hand and pull her closer, so she’s standing between my legs. “Veronica, please. It’s not that big of a deal. So, you were a little loud.”

  She jerks her hand away from me. “A little loud? Are you serious?” She crosses her arms and stares down at me. “And why didn’t you say anything? I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Honestly?” I wait for a second, unsure how my answer is going to sit with her. “Because last night was amazing and those sounds you were making just turned me on more.” Her mouth drops for a second, before she snaps it shut, fighting off a grin.

  “There she is.” I wrap my hands around her legs, pulling her closer.

  “No.” She doesn’t move away, but keeps her arms crossed. Her eyes narrow, but her mouth’s fighting back a smile. “I’m still mad.”

  I run my hands up her legs, cupping her butt. “You look cute when you mad.”

  “You’re to blame for this, you know that?”

  “Oh, I know.” I give her a devilish grin.

  “Nooo,” she protests again, but now she sits on the bed, her knees pinning my waist. Putting a hand on my shoulder, she jabs a finger into my chest. “That’s not what I mean. You could’ve told me something.”

  “To be fair, I did try to tell you.”

  “No you didn’t.”

  “Yeah, I did.” I nod. “Remember, I whispered your name?”

  “You said my name a lot.”

  “Okay,” I agree. “The first time I said it. I put my hand over your mouth, and you bit my fingers.”

  She looks away, redness crawling up her neck. “Oh.”

  Her shoulders slump, and I run my lips under her chin. A soft moan comes from her, my tongue tracing her skin to her lips. “Am I forgiven?”

  “I don’t know,” she pouts. “Maybe.”

  I pick her up, turning us around, and then lay back down on the bed, pinning her underneath. She lets out a giggle that turns into a soft whimper, as I run my lips up to her ear, taking a small bite. Finding her mouth again, I kiss her deeply, my tongue meeting hers. Her smell, her skin, it’s all intoxicating. Last night was everything, and I always want her.

  I nuzzle her with my nose. “Please?”

  “I’ll have to think it over.” She smirks. “You might have to give me some valid reasons why I should forgive you.”

  “I think I can do that,” I whisper, finding her lips once again and running my hand under her shirt. “I might have you screaming those reasons though.”

  “Stop.” She pushes my chest, laughing. “It’s still embarrassing. Plus, you have neighbors.”

  I run my lips down her neck and over to her other ear, trailing her skin with my tongue. “We never see them. Besides, I don’t care if they know I’m having an incredible morning.”

  Holding myself over her, our laughs intertwine, and she shakes her head. “I hate you,” she says through a giggle.

  “I love you.”

  Her eyes pop open. Crap.

  I mean it. I absolutely, positively mean it, but from her reaction, it might be too soon. There’s no turning back now though.

  “You don’t—” She stops herself and nervously averts her gaze. “You don’t have to say that just because …”

  “Just because what?”

  “Just because … we slept together.”

  “Whoa.” I bring a hand up, cupping her cheek. My thumb brushes along her skin and I give a slight shake of my head, but she’s not looking at me. “Vero?” I wait for her to face me, but she doesn’t. “Veronica, please look at me.”

  It takes a moment, but she her eyes finally find mine. They’re glistening.

  “I would never say that just because we had sex. I said it because it’s the truth. I’ve known I’m in love with you for a while now, but I wasn’t sure if it was too soon to say it. My favorite time of day is when I wake up and you’re in my arms. Your hair tickling my face, then seeing your smile. I’m in love with you, Veronica. I don’t know if you’re there yet, but—”

  “I am. There. I love you, too.”

  I let out a breath then my lips slam into hers. This kiss right now, knowing how she feels and that she knows how I feel, makes it feel like any and all barriers are gone. There’s just us and our love.

  Chapter 18

  Veronic
a

  So, Cindy was right. I think about sex a lot now. I mean, a lot.

  It’s been a couple of weeks since we had sex for the first time. In that time, I’ve stayed over at his place almost exclusively. The next night, I went home, avoided eye contact with my brothers, and quickly left the next day. I’ve been home just once since. Javier and Miguel haven’t texted me, accept to remind me of an upcoming trip our family takes every year. Tomás has messaged me more, but when I tell him I’m staying over at Micah’s, he replies back with, “Okay. Don’t say anything else.”

  But back to the sex … you see? It’s always on my mind. And now that the “first time” is over, it’s easier to broach the topic. Or, maybe I should say, tackle the topic. Because that’s what I’ve done. Multiple times.

  Sometimes when we’re sleeping, I wake up to shift the covers, feel him there, and … well, that’s that.

  A few days ago, I decided to catch up on my reading list. While I was lounging in bed, he walked into the room after showering and kissed my neck softly. “What are you reading?”

  “The latest CoHo book.”

  “Good?”

  “No,” I side-eye him, “it’s amazing.”

  Chuckling, he kisses me again, then reaches over and grabs his iPad, opening an app to read a comic. We read quietly, my legs crossing over his when he speaks up. “I haven’t worked on my comic in a while. I need to get on that.”

  “You should,” I tell him, snuggling closer to him, tapping my phone to turn the page.

  It’s then that something strikes me. Glancing over at him, he’s staring intently at his screen, and I start to giggle. It’s soft at first, and I try to stifle it, returning my attention to my book, but it continues to build. The giggle turns into laughter, and I set my phone down, bringing my hand to my mouth in hopes of trying to stop it. It doesn’t work.

  “What?” he asks with a smirk.

  “It’s just—” The words are cut off by my laughs. He’s still smiling, but he’s eyeing me cautiously. “I can’t … it’s just … we’re reading.”

  “Yeah. So?”

  More laughter. “Are we old?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I lean into him, the laughter getting louder. “It’s nine o’clock. We’re lying in bed, not out partying but … reading!”

  His eyes narrow, a mischievous smirk crossing his lips, and he grabs my phone from me.

  “Hey,” I exclaim.

  He puts it with his tablet, setting them off to the side, then rolls over on top of me, attacking my neck with his lips. “You brought this on yourself.”

  There was no more reading that night.

  But of everything, all things being equal, I think my favorite is morning sex. I know I’m not as experienced as Cindy, but there’s no way she could’ve adequately explained how great morning sex is. I mean … amazing doesn’t begin to describe it.

  I love it when he initiates it, but I really love it when I do. Knowing that I’m turning him on, it turns me on.

  His hands run over my legs and slide up my back, under my shirt. I still haven’t taken it off. I go to sleep feeling warm and loved by him, but waking up like this is incredible.

  His chest is heaving, his lips connect with mine, and he kisses me, long and deep. My lips break away from his, resting my forehead against his.

  As he holds me, I feel him everywhere, and bite my bottom lip so hard I think I may have drawn blood. His thumb slides over my lips, our eyes locked on one another. “I love you so much. You’re so beautiful.”

  His words are so honest, I even feel them. They’re a weight tied around my heart, and whenever he speaks, they tighten, binding me to him. A loud moan escapes me again before I scream out his name and fall against him.

  Our warm breaths mixing with one another’s, he’s about to kiss me again when we’re jolted from our euphoria.

  “Shut the fuck up in there!” Taylor’s voice echoes through the apartment. “We don’t live in a porn studio!”

  My eyes widen, biting my lip in embarrassment. Micah smirks up at me as I roll off of him. I’m not as embarrassed as the first time Taylor said he heard me. All of the time before having sex, wondering how it’d feel, or how much I’d enjoy it, I never gave a second thought on whether I’d be loud while doing it.

  “Okay, I’m leaving for work,” Taylor shouts. “You can continue screaming your brains out.”

  My face burns. “I really have to work on that.”

  Micah rolls on his side, wrapping his arms around me. As much as I love the connection we share, and as incredible as it feels, there’s nothing that feels better than when he wraps his arms around me right after. “You really don’t,” he whispers, his lips grazing my ear. “He’s just jealous because he hasn’t gotten any for a while.”

  “Micah, I’m too loud.”

  “No, you’re not, V. I love it when you’re loud. And I love it when you tell me what you like.” He presses his lips against my cheek, his hand traveling up my thigh.

  I turn so I’m facing him. “You just like it when I say your name.”

  “Yeah, that too.” His hand skims over my waist, and he runs his fingers over the hem of my shirt. “When do you think you might take this off?”

  He’s only asked me once before. And even then, it wasn’t a request, just a simple question if I wanted to leave my shirt on or not. I love that it’s okay with him that I’m not as comfortable with my body as he is with his. I wish I were. I wish I could sleep with him, not even have sex, but just sleep next to him, skin to skin. Or even in that present Cindy got me, which I have thought about, but still haven’t dared to break out.

  He’s next to me right now, his arms still around me, and he’s completely naked. But he’s shaped like a Greek god, or at least, a demi-god. How am I supposed to compare to that? He’s never brought up my weight. Not once. But I’m still self-conscious about it.

  “I’m gonna take a shower,” I say, ignoring his question.

  His eyes stay on me, a knowing smile on his face. “When do you have to leave? I can’t believe you’re leaving me for a week. How am I going to survive?”

  “Toto said we’re leaving at eleven, so I have a couple more hours.”

  I scamper out of bed, pulling my shirt below my butt. Grabbing some clothes out of my drawer, I head to the bathroom, casting a glance back at him before closing the door. He smiles, and if I were wearing panties, they’d be dropping. Again.

  Letting the water warm, the bathroom begins to steam up. I step into the shower, and the water falls over me while my fingers trace over my stomach.

  Ten more pounds.

  When I lose ten more pounds, I’ll take my shirt off in front of him. Things probably won’t be as noticeable. Even if he’s told me he loves me, and holds me like I’m what he wants while we’re intimate, my mind doesn’t think of Micah first. It thinks of Tim and his damn words. It doesn’t matter that Micah hasn’t said that and now, has technically been with a big girl. The words still sting. I hate that that’s where my mind goes, but it’s where it’s always gone.

  After the shower, I head back into the room, folding the shirt I just slept in. “I’m taking this.” I stuff it in my bag.

  He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone, as he nods. “Ensenada has some gorgeous beaches.” He waves his phone at me.

  “Yeah, they’re pretty nice.”

  “I’m gonna miss you.”

  His voice is almost somber. I walk over to him, our arms wrap around each other, and he lays his head over my chest. “It’ll only be a week, Micah.”

  “I know.” He nods. “I was thinking right now …”

  “Okay?”

  “Veronica, you know I love you, right?” He looks up at me, his eyes latching onto mine.

  “Of course. I love you, too.”

  “So, I don’t care if you want to wear my shirts forever while we sleep together. I just want you to be comfortable with your
self, and know that I think you’re gorgeous.”

  Can he get any more perfect? My eyes start to tear, and I lean down and kiss his forehead. “Thank you.”

  “With that said,” his voice switches to a more lighthearted tone; cupping his hands over my butt, he smirks, “I order you to keep on my shirt and forbid you to take it off while you’re in Mexico, without me around. And I’ll be texting you every single day, making sure there aren’t any guys down there hitting on my girl.”

  Laughing, I lean down again, this time kissing his lips. “Dumb boy.”

  Chapter 19

  Micah

  Me: I miss you

  Vero: :-*

  Vero: What do you miss the most?

  Me: Will your brothers read your text messages?

  Vero: Ur bad lol. I miss you too. Only 5 more days

  Me: Ugh. Don’t remind me

  Vero: Gotta go. My cousins are deep in the throes of judging who’s cuter - Justin Bieber or Nick Jonas? They’re both pleading with me to take their side

  Me: LOL! You better not pick either

  Vero: u never know ;)

  Me: Wow. Ok, I’m gonna give u a good reason to not choose either when u get back

  Vero: Ok lame-o. That better be a big reason to not pick Nick Jonas. You know he’s my top celeb freebie-choice

  Me: I still can’t believe he’s at the top of ur list

  Me: And…

  Me: You and I both know it’s a BIG reason

  Vero: Great. Now I have to delete these messages in case my brothers DO read this LOL

  Me: Love u

  Vero: I love u too

  “Get off your phone,” Taylor says, throwing a hand over my cell phone. “She’s only been gone two days. Grow a pair.”

  “Shut up,” I reply with a laugh.

  “I’m glad you didn’t put up a fight into coming to this party.”

  I look around the house. I haven’t been back here since high school. Since the night I caught Lana cheating on me. And honestly, I surprised myself when I told Taylor I’d come to Matt’s party. His dad’s out of town, and I guess his little brother is spending the summer with their mom, so he decided to throw a big party, now that Izzy has more free time for the summer. Truth be told, I think that’s the only reason I came; knowing Izzy and Cindy were going to be at the party. They’re Veronica’s best friends. I want to get to know them better. Plus, with her gone for a week, it kind of feels like I have a kinship growing with Cindy.