by Kait Nolan
“Stay with me,” he growled.
“I’m with you.” She drew his mouth to hers and murmured against his lips, “I’m with you, Tucker.”
And at last that infinite control snapped. He picked up the pace, plundering her mouth as he plunged into her. His eyes went blind as he lost himself in her, and the sight of his pleasure catapulted her over the edge. She bowed up, wrapping around him and seating him deep as he spasmed, finding his own release.
They clung together trembling from aftershocks. His bigger body draped over hers, his cock still twitching inside her. Corinne decided she’d never been quite so completely, wonderfully used. If she could pause this moment for a year or three, she’d be good with that.
“I’m crushing you.”
Before she could protest, he’d rolled off, disappearing to the bathroom to take care of the condom. A chill spread through her that had nothing to do with the temperature. Would that be it, then? Would he expect her to go ahead and get dressed so he could drop her home?
The mattress dipped as he came back, hauling her against him.
“Whatever you’re thinking right now, don’t.”
“What?”
“You looked like you were about to panic.” He brushed a kiss over her brow. “Regrets already?”
“No. Absolutely not.” Because it was there, because she could, she pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “I’m not good at this part.”
“Which part?”
“The after.” Lance hadn’t been one for cuddling or talking. Sex hadn’t been about them, it had been about him. Tucker wasn’t Lance. Why did she keep having to remind herself of that? “It’s…been a long time for me.”
“Since the divorce?”
She nodded.
His fingers traced patterns on her back. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the sensation. She hadn’t realized exactly how badly she’d needed to be touched. Yet again, Tucker had given her exactly what she needed. He’d made her feel desired and beautiful. And his pleasure had been in giving her hers.
“It’s been a while for me, too. Since a certain sad-eyed brunette walked back into town.”
Her eyes popped open. “Seriously?”
Tucker searched her face, his lips curving. “Not so sad now.”
“Have you been waiting for me?”
“I don’t know as I was actively campaigning to get here in the beginning. I wasn’t interested in anybody else, and I’m not the scratching an itch sort. But for the last six or eight months…yeah. And if you hadn’t had the stupendous idea of crossing this line tonight, I’d have waited longer. I’m a patient man, and I know how to play the long game.” His grin widened. “I’m damned grateful I didn’t have to.”
“God, so am I.” Wanting to lighten the mood, Corinne smoothed her hands down the flat plane of his abs. “You know, you’re in amazing shape for a guy who works in a suit.”
Tucker laughed. “I spend a fair amount of time in the gym. A good bit more since you came back to town. Had to work off all the pie I ate in the name of seeing you.”
“Really?” The idea that he’d come more for her than the pie delighted her because Mama Pearl’s pie was a reason unto itself. She ran her hands over his perfect ass. “I don’t think the pie’s hurting you any.”
He flopped backward, arms open wide. “Feel free to examine the rest of me to confirm.”
Pressing a kiss to his pec, Corinne snuggled into him, loving the closeness of skin to skin. “I would like nothing better. But…”
“But you can’t stay.”
“I can’t stay,” she confirmed. “I wish I didn’t have to get back to real life. I wish I could just stay here, in your bed.”
“Someday you’ll be able to stay. You’ll wake up with me, and I’ll wow you with my French toast for breakfast. After sating us both with stupendous morning sex.”
That he looked so far ahead, saw a future where that could be a reality warmed her down to her toes. Corinne propped herself on his chest so she could look into his face. “I’ve had a serious dry spell, Tucker. Sating me might take a while.”
His smile was unapologetically male. “I believe I’m up to the challenge.”
Evidence of that fact stood cheerfully in her peripheral vision. His smug grin turned into a groan as she wrapped her hand around him. “You’ve effectively proved you’re a skilled and thorough lover. How about presenting evidence to the court that you can pull off a quickie?”
“Challenge accepted.”
She was still laughing as he slipped inside her again.
The verdict was a resounding oh yes.
Chapter 13
“What’s wrong with you?” Corinne whispered. “You’re jumpier than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”
Tucker laced his fingers with hers and squeezed. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
She smiled and leaned into him. “I think you’re more nervous than I am. I’ve never seen you nervous before.”
“I’m not nervous.” Was that smoke coming from the grill or his ass?
Corinne leveled him with what he thought of as her Mama-can-smell-the-stink-of-that-lie-from-a-mile-away-so-you-want-to-try-that-again look. He bet it had Kurt spilling his guts.
“What do you have to be anxious about? They’re your friends.”
From Tucker’s perspective, he had plenty to be anxious about. He and Corinne were truly together now, and everybody knew it. He ought to be pleased that Tyler had organized a couples cookout for everyone and included Corinne, but the only thing he could think about was all the ways this could go wrong. They’d been the last to arrive. That hadn’t been the plan, but he’d had an impromptu lightsaber battle with Kurt, while Corinne had thrown together her tomato and sweet corn salad for the occasion, and he’d lost track of time.
Tyler and Cam had been fine. They’d both made an effort. Norah and Myles, too since they’d been outsiders to this whole thing. But Brody was an unknown quantity. And though Piper had promised she’d work on accepting things, he didn’t fully trust her not to stick her foot in it.
Discussion thus far had largely centered around the competition and the current level of fundraising. With two performances to go—both already sold out—they were slated to exceed their goal. At the moment, Cam and Brody manned the grill, while Norah, Piper, and Myles clustered around the patio table. He and Corinne had taken a quick tour of the backyard, admiring the landscaping Brody and Cam had put in.
To put Corinne at ease and to soothe himself, he lifted her hand to his lips and mustered a smile. “It’s been a long time since I brought a girlfriend into the mix.” They hadn’t actually had that discussion, but he hoped it might distract her from his real concern.
“And you’re worried because that girlfriend is me and there’s...history between most of us.”
So much for distraction.
“No argument on the girlfriend thing?”
One dark brow arched.
“Look, I just want you to be comfortable. I know how difficult it is for you to hang out with them. It means a lot you were willing to come.”
“You want this to work. So do I. Part of that is making peace with your friends.” She stepped away from him, shoulders straightening, head tipping up as she moved with purpose up the deck steps. Tucker hurried after her.
As Tyler came out of the house with a platter for the burgers about to come off the grill, Corinne spoke. “I’d like to say something, if y’all don’t mind.”
“What are you doing?” Tucker asked.
“What I should’ve done a long time ago.”
He knew in an instant that she was about to rip the Band-aid off every wound this group carried from high school. “You don’t have to do this.”
Conversation around them muted, and Tucker could all but feel the spotlight of attention turning their way.
“Yes, I do. Part of coming back here has been about me owning my mistakes. They were some of my biggest, and they have every right to
say whatever they need to to me. And you’re going to let them.”
He scowled. “The hell I will.”
“Tucker, hush.” She didn’t raise her voice, but the command in her tone was unmistakable. “You need to give all of us a little more credit.”
“It’s not about—”
Corinne laid a finger over his lips. “Stop. This needs to be done to clear the air so you don’t keep trying to crawl out of your skin every time we’re all in the same room together because you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Maybe she was right. Maybe if she reopened these wounds, they’d finally run clean.
“All right.”
She cupped his cheek, then nudged him toward a chair. “Now sit down and stop glowering like some kind of attack dog. I don’t need you to protect me from this.”
But he still wanted to. That need to save her from any more pain rose up, had him wanting to argue. One more look from her, though, and he sank into a chair.
With a bracing breath, she took a step away from him—deliberately separating, he thought, so she stood alone. She didn’t have the stage training he, Brody, Piper, or Tyler had, didn’t have Norah’s professional poise or Cam’s comfort with addressing crowds. But Corinne held their attention as she squared her shoulders and braced, as if for a firing squad.
“First off, I’d like to thank you for inviting me tonight. It means a lot to Tucker and to me. Now, maybe this isn’t the perfect time to bring all of this up, but I’m not sure there is a good time, and I think—hope—we’ll all be better for having cleared the air.”
Her hands knit together, the only outward sign of her agitation. “You’re all good, kind people. You opened up your circle to me simply because Tucker asked you to, even though I’m sure some of you don’t think I deserve it. I don’t think I deserve it.”
Tucker opened his mouth, but she laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
“At least not the me I used to be. Norah, Myles, this really doesn’t impact you at all, as neither of you knew me until recently. But to the rest of you—I’d like to offer my sincerest apologies. I behaved badly in high school. Probably for longer than that. I won’t offer any reasons or excuses. Whatever they are don’t matter, and they don’t change that I said and did things to all of you, at one point or another, that were intended to hurt you. I hurt a lot of people back then. I’m not proud of it. Any of it. But I own that I was wrong. I’ve had a lot of years to reflect on that, and I carry around a lot of regrets, a lot of things I’d be ashamed to admit to my son.”
Her gaze skimmed over the table. “But that’s not who I am anymore. I’d like to think I’m a better person now, and I’m working on being the kind of person who’s worthy of Tucker’s good opinion, and yours. But that kind of thing takes time. Trust takes time to build. So if any of you needs to say anything to clear the air, now’s your chance. Because whether I deserve him or not, I’m with Tucker, and I will be as long as he’ll have me. So we might as well get it on out there so we can all move past it.”
She’d laid herself bare to them, stood quietly waiting for their attack or their judgment. It was one of the bravest damned things Tucker had ever seen. Pride shone through him like a beacon. He started to rise, to go to her, but a subtle shake of her head had him sinking back into his chair. She was determined to do this on her own, come hell or high water.
Tyler spoke first. “It takes a lot of guts to stand up and admit when you’re wrong. It takes more to strike out on your own as a single parent to make a life for yourself and your child. I, for one, accept your apology and say everything else is water under the bridge.”
Corinne angled her head in acknowledgment, murmuring a soft, “Thank you.”
Brody crossed his arms. “I’m fairly sure we’re close to even after you kicked my ass for fucking things up with Tyler again last year.”
That got Tucker’s attention. “She what?”
Corinne’s attention stayed on Brody—actually looked at him, instead of off to the side or at his feet. “I just gave him a needed dose of honesty at the right time.”
“I’m where I’m supposed to be because of it.” Brody wrapped his arm around Tyler. “So I’ll say thank you and that makes up for all the rest.”
Her cheeks colored. “If we could maybe never mention the rest ever again, that would be awesome.”
Cam kicked back. “I’ve got no beef with you. I was always peripheral to that drama.”
“So was I, but I’ve had plenty of beef,” Piper said.
“Piper—” Tucker began.
“No, let her speak,” Corinne insisted. “The whole point of this is to air grievances.”
“I spent a lot of time hating you. I hated how you treated people, how you kept trying to poach Brody, how you fought dirty to get what you wanted. When you came back to town, it was easy to fall back into that.”
Tucker ground his teeth.
Corinne didn’t even flinch. “I can’t blame you for any of that. I deserve all of it.”
Piper sighed. “No, you don’t. Not anymore. And if you’re strong enough to stand there waiting to be flogged, I’m strong enough to admit when I’m wrong, too. And that if not for Tucker, I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to revise my opinion based on who you grew up to be. But he pressed us all to look beyond the past, to give you another chance. I’ve known him all my life, and he’s a damned good judge of character. Maybe we don’t see yet what he sees—and I kinda get the impression you don’t either—but what is obvious is you did grow up, you did become a better person. You’re going to make a damned fine nurse. And I’m not the kind of asshat who won’t take that into account. So I’ll say the past is past and we’re on a clean slate.”
Corinne’s throat worked. “Thank you. All of you.”
Christ, what did it say that she could take a verbal punch without so much as blinking, but a compliment had her near tears? Unable to sit any longer, Tucker sprang up and pulled her into his arms. This time she didn’t resist, burrowing in, and he could feel the trembling she’d held back.
He glared over her head at his friends. “Is everybody good now?”
“No,” Brody said. “I’m with Corinne. You should’ve given all of us a little more credit. Assuming the worst of us was a dick move.”
“Then it was a dick move. Blame it on the day job. I see the worst of people all the time. And all too often Corinne bears the brunt of it.”
“Simmer down,” she murmured. “It’s over and done. We talked about it and the Earth didn’t shatter.”
Didn’t mean he had to like it.
“I’ve gotta admire your moxie,” Piper admitted. “Laura would never have done that. She’d have gone right on pretending the world was perfect and hoping the bad stuff would go away.”
Corinne lifted her head. “Who’s Laura?”
Shit.
In the silence, Tucker knew there was no avoiding an answer. “My ex-wife.”
“Your—” She cut herself off. “I didn’t realize you’d been married.” Her face smoothed out into the polite mask he knew she used when she was upset. She stepped back.
Tucker wanted to swear. “For about five minutes my first year of law school. It was a long time ago.”
“I see.”
No she didn’t. Tucker could tell in the absence of the facts, she was drawing her own conclusions. Probably all of them were wrong. But now wasn’t the time to get into it.
When she smiled, the edges were brittle. “It seems we have some things to discuss. But later. I believe those burgers should be about finished.”
Brody rescued the burgers from burning and everybody made a valiant effort to rescue the conversation, steering toward safer topics. Corinne was a good actress, pretending everything was fine. Tucker didn’t like thinking about why that was the case. He had to employ some of his own skills to get through the rest of the dinner, not that he thought any of his friends believed him.
Shit was
very definitely not okay.
As soon as they got into the car to head home he said, “It’s not what you think.”
“You can’t possibly know what I think, Tucker.” Her voice was maddeningly calm.
“It’s not a big deal.”
“That you were married at all, no. That you and I are supposed to be together and I didn’t know about it? That is a big deal. That’s a pretty major omission.”
Tucker thought of all the omissions she’d made, everything she hadn’t told him about her marriage. But he wasn’t interested in starting a full-blown fight right now.
“I wasn’t deliberately keeping it a secret. I just…don’t ever talk about her. We were college sweethearts. Got married straight out of undergrad and divorced before the end of my first year of law school. It was over and done six years ago.”
“And how hard would it have been to say exactly that when we were at dinner the other night?” A rare hint of temper underscored the question.
“I avoided talking about it for the same reason you avoided talking about your divorce. That night was about us and no one else.” He laced his fingers with hers. “Look, I’m sorry you got caught by surprise. I don’t know why Piper even mentioned it. They don’t talk about her either. The fact is, there’s still a ton we don’t know about each other. That’s the whole point of being in a relationship—having the time to learn those things. Once the competition is finished, we’ll have the time to sit down for whole damned infodump marathons of biographical information to fill in those holes. I’ll tell you anything you want.” And you can do the same.
Corinne sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It just blindsided me. Tonight took a lot out of me to begin with and not knowing something that huge was just…embarrassing.”
“I’m sorry. That was never my intention.” He pulled into her driveway. “For what it’s worth most of town doesn’t know I was married.”
Which was the only way anything could stay a secret in Wishful.