Then an energy I hadn’t felt in a long time zipped through my body when Tucker picked me up and set me on the island.
“Damn, you scraped both of your knees.”
Inhaling a deep breath, his cologne swirled around in my nose. The mental and physical sensations were threatening to pull me under. Being this close to Tucker again was sensory overload, and I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to be in his sphere. Right now, all I knew was he left me breathless and momentarily unable to form any coherent thoughts.
I couldn’t pull my eyes off of the way his muscles flexed under his shirt. Jesus, his body was nice back in college. Now … now he had all tight-looking muscles with abs that appeared to be painted on.
Shaking my head, I looked down at my poor knees. Crap.
“Nah. I’m okay.”
Tucker’s head lifted and he frowned. “You’re bleeding.”
I smiled. He must have thought I hit my head on the way down with the way I ogled him.
God, he has amazing eyes. Not really hazel, not really blue. A mysterious gray.
Note to self: Take a mental snap shot of this moment for later use.
Wait. Bleeding?
Dropping my stare, I looked at both knees. They were covered in … in … blood.
“Oh God,” I gasped as I grabbed onto Tucker’s arms. “B-blood. Everywhere.”
Tucker cupped my face with his hands. “Charlie, look at me.”
The smell of it hit me like a brick wall, and I started to sway. I’d never liked blood. Ever.
“Charlie. Look. At. Me.”
My gaze slowly lifted until we were staring into each other’s eyes.
“Take a deep breath in through your nose, out through your mouth.”
Tears threatened to build as I tried to do what he said. A sob slipped from my lips. “I hate blood.”
He nodded. “I know. Just don’t pass out again.”
I was known for passing out at the sight of blood. I dropped face-first once when we were playing volleyball. Nash jumped up to spike the ball and hit it straight into Blake, breaking his nose. I ate sand the second I saw the blood.
“You okay, Pumpkin?”
Tucker calling me his pet name tossed me right over the ledge. One tear, then two, then the onslaught came. I never cried. Ever. I was stronger than this, but this marked two breakdowns in less than twenty-four hours.
Being here with Tucker, I was an emotional mess. All the tears I had tried to keep inside over the last week pounded on the door, demanding I let them out and show how weak I truly was.
Why did my parents leave me?
His thumbs ran across my cheeks. “Please don’t cry,” he whispered while leaning his forehead to mine. “Charlie, please don’t cry.”
Between my soft sobs, I tried to speak. “Th-this … has … b-been the worst … w-week of … my l … li … life.”
“I’m so sorry. Tell me what to do to take it all away.”
My breath caught in my throat as I made immediate eye contact with him. I needed this man more than I needed my next breath in this moment, and he had no idea what he asked of me. This was no longer about me trying to seduce him for a stupid setup marriage. It was about my feelings for him and how he made me feel when I was with him. Lifting my head, our eyes met. I searched his face.
Did he feel the energy between us too?
It was so strong I swore I heard the air crackling.
I hated that he brought out this silly-in-love feeling from the middle of my chest … yet I was so over the moon for this guy. I always had been, and I always would be. There was no changing our chemistry and attraction. That mushy phrase came to my mind, “the heart wants what the heart wants,” and even though I didn’t want to be that woman, I was that woman in this moment.
The heat caused by the trail his thumbs left was unmistakable. His mouth opened and his gaze was almost pleading, begging me to say what he wanted to hear and what I longed to say.
With a heavy breath, he pleaded, “Tell me.”
Say it, Charlie. Say it!
“I … I need—”
My chest rose and fell with each breath.
His hand dropped to my neck and pulled my lips slightly closer to him.
“What do you need?”
Another tear slipped down my cheek as I responded with a barely audible, “You.”
Pulling me to him, our lips crashed. I instinctively wrapped my legs around him, feeling the fabric of his pants rub against my throbbing, exposed clit.
When his hand pushed into my hair and grabbed a handful like I was his life preserver, I moaned into his mouth.
Oh. God. I’d missed him so much. My arms wrapped around his neck as I held on for dear life. The way he explored my mouth and nipped at my lower lip had me grinding myself into his hard-on.
His hand moved down my back and under my ass, pulling me even closer to him, causing me to gasp with the feel of his cock pressed against me.
He pulled his lips from my mouth. “Fucking hell, Charlie. You’re not wearing anything.”
I smiled and chewed on my lip, feigning innocence. “Easier access,” I whispered before he crashed his mouth back to mine.
The knock on the door caused me to jump, and Tucker quickly stepped away from me. Both of us breathed as though we had just run a race. He looked down at his hitched-up T-shirt that showed I had nothing else on. I quickly pulled it down.
“Jesus,” Tucker whispered as he scrubbed his hands down his face. The way we both got so lost in each other scared me, and I knew if he had known I wasn’t wearing panties sooner, he’d have been inside me.
The door opened and we both turned to see who was walking in.
My mouth fell open when a beautiful red-haired woman appeared. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw us. She looked familiar, and I tried to remember where I’d seen her.
“Hey,” was all she said.
I instantly fiddled with the T-shirt to make sure I was covered up as much as I could be, considering the few garments I wore.
“Gina. You’re late,” Tucker said with an edge to his voice that hinted at anger.
My heart dropped. Who is Gina?
“What happened?” She gasped as she made her way over to me. “Oh my gosh. Tucker, run upstairs and get some gauze and antiseptic from the half bath.”
Okay, who is this person? Why is she in Tucker’s house and how in the hell does she know he has gauze and antiseptic in the half bath?
That warm, fuzzy feeling was now gone as my libido got doused with ice water. If that wasn’t enough, the nausea came back when I looked at the blood.
Tucker cleared his throat and said, “Perfect timing.”
My head jerked over to him. What? How could he say that after what happened between us? There was no way he could deny the connection we still had.
My eyes widened in horror. What if she was … oh, no. Oh. Dear. God.
“Um, I’m okay,” I sputtered out. The realization I had no panties on and this woman had her face near my vagina did not sit well with me.
“No, you have two nasty cuts on your knees. What in the world happened?” the redhead asked. When I looked back up to Tucker, he was gone.
“I, ah … I tripped over the barstools.”
She chuckled. “Tucker told me you were a bit of a klutz.” Snarling my lip, I stared at her head while she tried to dab the blood off my knees.
Anger raced through my blood. “And who exactly are you?” I asked. The unfriendly nature of my tone surprised me.
Glancing up, her eyes turned evil. “I’m Tucker’s girlfriend.”
Whoosh.
All the air from the room vanished.
My head spun as I lifted my fingers to my tingling lips.
Tucker came racing back into the kitchen and handed the gauze and spray to Gina. He ran his hand through his hair. “Let me check to see if your clothes are dry.”
I jumped when she sprayed my knees. “Shit! Fuck! Damn! That h
urts like a motherf ’er.”
She looked up at me. “My, what a ladylike mouth for a CEO of a billion-dollar company.”
About to tell her to fuck off, she kept talking. “Looks like they are small but deep. Wow, you must have hit the stool hard.”
Nothing would come out of my mouth as I watched her put the gauze on my knees and then add tape to hold it in place.
Tucker cleared his throat. “Your clothes are, um … they’re dry.”
Gina stood up and smiled. “There, all better.”
With a forced smile, I started to get off the island.
“Let me help you,” Tucker said.
“No!” I yelled out, causing him to freeze. The last thing I needed was to feel his hands on me again. My skin was still singed from where he had his hands before the arrival of Gina. I jumped down and then gasped when the pain shot through my kneecaps.
“Shit,” I mumbled. Tears burned in my eyes again. This time it wasn’t from my knees or the blood; it was knowing Tucker had been about to cheat on his girlfriend. With me. What was I more upset about? The fact that he had a girlfriend or that he was a cheater? Maybe it was because my plan was just ruined. There would be no getting Tucker to marry me and save my job. I was fucked.
“Why didn’t you let me help you?” Tucker asked.
Reaching for my clothes, I glared at him while grabbing them from his hands. “Do you even have to ask? Forget it. May I use your room to change?”
He nodded while rubbing the back of his neck.
“Of course you can.”
Turning back to Gina, I grinned. “Thank you so much.”
She shrugged. “I’m a nurse, so it was no problem. I just got off a double shift.” She looked at Tucker. “That’s why I was late for breakfast.”
I felt sick. I thought he was cooking breakfast for me … but he was cooking it for her. I’m such an idiot.
Feeling like a complete fool, I rushed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, ignoring the pain in my knees.
When I shut the bedroom door, I dropped back against it and covered my mouth to keep from crying.
Why am I crying so damn much?
Hell if I knew. My parents were gone, I was left with the responsibility of running a global business, and I had to find a husband with a business degree in three months.
And Tucker had a girlfriend.
My phone buzzed on the bed. Ignoring it for the moment, I ripped his T-shirt off my head. Tossing it onto the bed, I got dressed.
Paul Ricker’s name flashed across my screen. Whatever the hell he wanted, it would have to wait. He was the last person I wanted to talk to right now.
The knock on the door caused me to quicken my pace getting dressed. Slipping on the red dress, I grabbed my heels that were next to the chair. Reaching for my purse, I went to open the door, but it opened for me. Tucker stood there with a confused expression on his face.
Are you fucking kidding me?
He was confused. I was the one who should have been confused after he just had his tongue down my throat and his dick pressed against my very naked vagina all the while his girlfriend was on her way over for breakfast!
Note to self: All men are scumbags.
“I have to know something.”
Standing up straight, I held my breath. “What?”
“Why did you come downstairs in only my T-shirt?”
“You told me to get dressed while my clothes dried. What else was I supposed to put on, Tucker?”
He pinched his brows together and was about to say something when I asked, “Who’s Gina?”
When his mouth shut, he looked taken aback by my out-of-the-blue question.
Ugh! Damn it, this week keeps getting worse.
Pushing past him, I made my way down the steps.
“Charlie, wait. How are you going to get home?”
Gina came walking out of the other room, interrupting my not-so-nice response to Tucker. “Leaving so soon?”
If I hadn’t known any better, I would say there was a bit of a bitch tone to her voice. Understandable, considering the circumstances.
“Yes. I have an appointment I need to get to.”
“Oh, bummer. Well, I’m glad Tucker was able to take care of an old college friend who got a bit too drunk last night.”
Great. Let’s just add to my humiliation, why don’t we? I didn’t even bother to answer her as I kept my eyes forward.
“Gina! What in the hell?” Tucker said as I pulled the front door open and stepped outside. A cold front must have blown through because it was a breezy, cool September morning. I inhaled the much-needed air.
Hitting the only number I knew to call, I prayed Tucker wouldn’t follow me outside. I needed to put as much distance between the two of us—and his girlfriend—as possible.
“Hey. I need a ride.”
“Where are you?”
I could hardly get the words out of my mouth. “Your brother’s.” She didn’t even question it. “I’m around the corner. I’ll be right there.”
My voice cracked. “Thanks.”
My shoulder burned from the contact when he touched me.
“Charlie, why don’t you come back in? We really need to talk about what happened in there.”
Counting to five, I put on my game face. The one I’d been wearing for the last seven years. The one that would make me a successful businesswoman for the rest of my pathetic life. Turning, I flashed him a wide grin. “Which part, Tucker? The one where we almost fucked on your kitchen island? Or the part where Gina walked in?”
His brows furrowed.
“You know what? Never mind. I’m sorry if I ruined your evening last night and clearly your morning. It’s a good thing she came when she did before we did something we would regret.”
His face was pained. “You like that word, don’t you? Or maybe you just associate it with me.”
My heart dropped. “What?”
With a shrug, he glanced over my shoulder. “Looks like Lily’s here. I hope your knees feel better.”
He turned and walked back into his house, leaving me feeling as empty as I felt that day seven years ago.
Tearing my stare away from his retreating figure, I walked to Lily’s Jeep. Opening the car door, I slipped in and shut it.
One look at Lily and I let my tears fall. Again. Fuck me, this crying shit was for the birds.
She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Oh, Charlie.”
With a subtle shake of my head, I dropped it against the headrest. My head pounded, my knees hurt like hell, I missed my parents, and the only man who could save me from the mess I was in professionally had a girlfriend. And as much as I told myself I couldn’t stand to be near Tucker, I knew it was far from the truth. Deep down I was more upset that he’d kissed me knowing that he had a girlfriend. Tucker never seemed to be the type of guy who would cheat. Never.
The only way I could make this marriage thing work in such a short period of time was with Tucker. What in the hell was I going to do now?
Great.
Just freaking great.
LILY SET THE cup of coffee in front of me. I was on my sofa with my knees tucked under my chin and Mr. Pootie by my side. I’d gotten the silent treatment from him after coming home. His breakfast was late, and he had been pissed. He refused to eat it until he couldn’t take it any longer, probably from what he thought was starvation. Now he was settled in next to me snoring.
“Terri said she was on her way.”
I didn’t respond as I looked out the window. The letters the lawyer had given me caught my eye. I hadn’t had the strength to open and read them yet. I knew the moment I did, I’d be thrown into another fit of crying. It seemed to be my go-to reaction the last few days.
“Do you want to tell me what happened between you and my brother?”
The only person I had ever been truthful with when it came to Tucker was Lily. She knew how I felt about him and the real reason I walked away from him that morn
ing. She also knew how miserable and pathetic I was every time I saw him with a girl.
With a deep breath in, I held it for a few seconds before exhaling. “God, Lily. I’m such a bumbling mess when I’m around him, and I don’t know why. He makes me feel like I’m walking around in a damn fog. And the worst part is, I can’t stop falling whenever he’s around me.”
“Your knees?”
Looking back at her, I frowned. “I had this brilliant plan that I was going to seduce him this morning, and I tripped over his barstools.”
Her mouth fell. “What? Seduce him? Why?”
I heard the worry in her voice.
The doorbell rang, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Lily jumped up. “Stay there, I’ll get it.”
After Terri and Lily greeted each other, Terri practically skipped into the living room. She flopped down in a chair and looked at me. “So! What happened? Did y’all work out your stupid differences and bump uglies?”
“Gross! He is my brother, you know, Terri.”
With a weak smile, I looked down at Mr. Pootie sleeping soundly. If only my life was such a breeze. I shook my head and answered softly, “We kissed.”
They both gasped, and Mr. Pootie meowed.
“Oh. My. God. Tell me you didn’t ruin it, Charlie.”
My head snapped up, and I glared at Lily. “Why would you assume I ruined it?”
She shrugged. “He seemed a bit upset when I picked you up. Wouldn’t even wave back at me when I pulled up.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh no, that was because his girlfriend showed up and broke up the kiss that the cheating asshole instigated.”
Lily and Terri both looked at me with a confused look on their faces. “Tucker doesn’t have a girlfriend,” Lily stated.
“Psh. Then he doesn’t keep you very informed. Gina showed up this morning for breakfast.” Mr. Pootie stood and looked at me. Running my hand down his perfectly shaved back, I grinned. “I know, boy, you’re the only man in my life I can trust.”
He seemed pleased with this declaration of mine as he turned three times and settled back in next to me.
With her fingers rubbing her forehead, Lily responded with a sigh. “Wait. Gina is not Tucker’s girlfriend. They dated months ago and not even for that long. She was stopping by this morning to pick up some medical books she left at his house. Tucker mentioned yesterday she was stopping by after her shift.”
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