Blue

by H. J. Bellus

  “Tuck, slow down,” I beg.

  The friction is so delicious I’m being pushed to my limits before I’m ready. I wind my hands in his hair and tug him up to me, pulling hard as I contain my screams of pleasure when I fall apart on the man who has captured my heart.

  I melt into him, limp and unable to move from sheer exhaustion and the ecstasy coursing through my veins. Tuck moves me about in the deliciously hot water. My knees are propped up on the edge with my nipples now rubbing on the same ledge his head was just resting on, and then I feel him enter me from behind and can’t hold back a loud moan. Our bodies meld, twist, and contort together until he finds the perfect position. His palms splay across my abdomen as both of my arms are wrapped back around his head, and with each thrust I feel him move closer and closer to letting go.

  He tugs on my hair, pulling me as close to him as possible, then nips my ear, and I feel him let go. It’s a sensation I’ll never get tired of. We swirl and twirl until we are back in the same position we started out in.

  “Thank you, Tuck.”

  He quirks up one questioning eyebrow.

  “For letting me in.” I splash water up in his beautiful face, trying to lighten the mood. “And for a virgin, you have some moves, boy.”

  “I never said I haven’t watched porn and used my hand.”

  “You’re full of surprises, Tuck Jones.”

  I rest my head on his shoulder and let him rub my back up and down in the soothing water. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’d give everything up for this man, and I don’t mean like ‘the girl lost her way, hopeless heroine.’ I mean in the way where I’ll fight like a strong woman for this man who deserves to be loved in every way possible.

  “Blue?”

  “Yeah?” My eyes were shut, and I had every intent of drifting off to sleep.

  “Did we just make a baby?”

  “No, your sperm was blocked.”

  “Uh…”

  “I’m on birth control.”

  I feel his muscles relax, and his hands go back to rubbing my back.

  Chapter 24

  Leaving Joe’s house is harder than I thought it would be. Tuck and I spent the last three nights in the hot tub lit by the moonlight, exploring each other into the wee hours. We won’t have this back at campus with both of our rigorous schedules, and that sucks. I want to stay here with him forever.

  My jawline has healed amazingly well, with only light bruising left behind, but nothing my make-up can’t handle. It’s the bruises all up and down my legs that will be hard to conceal. There are five days until the next home game, and I can only hope they magically disappear by then. I’ll cover them up with long spandex pants at practice, and I know my secret is safe with Sophie, Lane, and Noah. It doesn’t make the fact I was brutally attack any easier to digest. I’ve kept it bottled up inside, hoping the lingering fear will dissipate one day. Tuck has brought it up several times and won’t let it go. I know I should tell my parents, and I know I should tell campus security, but call me greedy—I just want to go on with my life.

  “Buckle up and give me another hug.”

  Joe wraps Tuck up into a hug and hangs from his body. It’s hard not to cry seeing the two of them together and knowing what they’ve gone through. Tuck opened up the other night and told me everything about the house fire. I fought to hold my tears back, but when he told me it was because of his mother who cradled him in her arms until the firefighters got to him, I lost it. In fact, I lost every single ounce of pain I thought I’d ever experienced in my life. It’s the reason his face and other parts weren’t burned. And then hearing about the countless surgeries he’s been through shattered me.

  I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity to tell him how perfect I think he is. I know he doesn’t believe me, but one day he will.

  Joe pulls me into a hug. “I love you like a little sister already, Blue. Can’t wait to see you again.”

  I squeeze her right back. “Thank you for everything, and I promise you I’ll never quit loving your brother.”

  “I know,” she whispers. “Mom and Dad would’ve loved you.”

  Tuck’s voice interrupts us. “Let’s go, ladies. We have a long drive ahead of us, and we both have to get settled back into college life.”

  Joe slugs his shoulder, shaking her head at him, and then says the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me.

  “Don’t worry, little brother, I’ll get all your man juice cleaned out the hot tub before my next dip.”

  I hide behind Tuck to conceal my giggles and the red blush I’m certain is covering my face.

  “Oh my god.” I slide into the middle position on the bench seat. “That was a bit horrifying.”

  Tuck just chuckles and continues to shake his head at his sister. Little Ruger stands on the front porch waving frantically at us with his football tucked under his other arm. I have no idea how Tuck has the willpower to drive away from this perfect family.

  I lay my head on Tuck’s wide shoulder, pull my aviators down, rest my hand on his thick thigh, and let out a sigh of contentment.

  “How long is the drive?” I ask, realizing I have no clue. I’ve literally been in la-la land the last few days.

  “Five hours.”

  “Mmmmm. Five hours in a truck alone with you. What shall I do?”

  I run my hand up his inner thigh, creeping so very close to his most favorite part of his body.

  “Behave, Blue.”

  “What fun would that be? Plus, I need to work on stretching for cheer practice.”

  I free him from his pants before he has the chance to argue. The bonus to doing an athlete is they’re always dressed in elastic waistband pants. And then I do something I haven’t done yet. My lips kiss the tip of him, and he jerks and takes a sharp breath. And I go for it, licking him from the base all the way to the tip, and then taking all of him in my mouth.

  “Son of a bitch.” The truck comes to an abrupt stop, but I don’t.

  My tongue and teeth invade and relish every scent and sensation. I help him along, working him hard at the base.

  “Fuck, Blue. Oh fuck.”

  He grips onto my hair and tugs gently, trying to pop me from him, but I resist him and enjoy the twinge of pain he sends through me. It doesn’t take long before I feel him spill into my mouth. My tongue laps it all up and takes a few more glides along his still rock hard shaft before I come up face to face with him.

  “And?” I crook an eyebrow up in question at his sated face.

  “You are going to be the death of me.” He adjusts himself back in his pants and pulls from the parking lot we landed in. “And I’m going to love every second of it.”

  I lie back down on his lap with a very large smile on my face.

  “Oh, and Blue, anytime, anywhere you feel the urge to do that again, just get on it.”

  I giggle at his response.

  “Your turn.”

  I pop up and look him at him, confused.

  “I’ve spilled a lot of details the last couple of days. I want to know about your childhood.”

  I sink back into him and focus on the road.

  “Not much. I’m an only child. My mom was determined I’d be a beauty queen or some shit like that, hence the odd name Blue to stick out. I was in every single sport and activity growing up. My mom pushed me hard, but in the end I loved basketball and cheer. But I chose cheer, and it drives my dad nuts.”

  “I can only imagine. I mean, if you were my girl, there’s no way in hell you’d be in those short skirts. I don’t even like it.”

  “Wait. What?” I push up off of his shoulder and turn to face him.

  “It drives me fucking wild seeing you in that tiny outfit at games. I want to cover you up in a burlap bag, for Christ’s sake.”

  I lie back, leaning my head on the door and laughing hard. “Hell, I didn’t think you even noticed me, Tuck.”

  I send my flip-flops flying to the floor and nestle my feet into his la
p.

  “Blue, you’ve haunted me.”

  “Well, maybe if you mark me and make me yours, others won’t look. You know that night at the party when I tried talking to that guy?”

  “You mean grinding on him and making me blow my fuse?”

  “Yeah, that too. Well, when he found out that Noah and you were eyeing me, he backed off and went running for the hills.”

  “Good.” He shifts his gaze to me quickly and then focuses back on the road. “What do your parents do career-wise?”

  “Mom is a stay at home freak, and Dad is a plastic surgeon.”

  Tuck’s jaw immediately tenses, and it dawns on me what has him so uptight. “He’ll love you, Tuck. He’s into sports and hates that I’m a cheerleader. You two will get along perfectly.”

  “He’ll want to fix me.”

  The words are hollow and full of anger.

  “Do you trust me?”

  Tuck doesn’t answer, so I push him.

  I sit back up and invade his space. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes, you know I do.”

  “He won’t want to fix you, I’ll promise you that.” I creep up his gym shorts and begin to stroke burned parts of his thighs. “He will want to fix me, though. I swear he hates cheer.”

  I change the subject back to me and carry on about my dad’s odd sense of humor and how he’d cut off one of his legs if I would play college ball. Tuck seems to relax the more I talk about my dad and his personality. I know deep down in my heart my dad would never push more surgeries on Tuck, but he’d also be the first one to step up and help him if that’s what Tuck wished.

  ***

  “Blue, we are thirty minutes out. You can hold it.”

  “Tuck, I had to piss, and like ten minutes ago.”

  “For the love of Christ.”

  He pulls over to a gas station. I smile, place a quick kiss on his cheek, and dart for the bathroom before I piss down both legs. I really tried to hold it this time, but I drank way too much water trying to keep myself awake the whole way home so I didn’t miss out on any conversation with him.

  After relieving myself, I snag a diet Pepsi and some licorice for the dorms, and his face is priceless when he sees me packing the loot back to the truck.

  “Are you serious, Blue? I’m not stopping again.”

  “You will if I ask.” I slide across the bench and snuggle back up to him.

  “You’re probably right.” He flips his ball cap on backward and continues to drive.

  “I want you to stay with me tonight until I can find out more about your attack.”

  “But Sophie has been dying for me to get back and hang out.”

  “I’ll drop you off at the dorms, go work out, and then come get you.”

  I try to talk, but he cuts me off.

  “One, you’re not working out tonight, and two, you don’t have an option about staying with me.”

  It’s as if he can now magically read my mind. I decide not to argue with him, but instead crack open the soda and give him an evil grin.

  “You really need to talk to your coach about the attack.”

  “Okay, grandpa, get off my case.”

  “I think it was deliberate, Blue. Whoever it was had been watching you. No way in hell did they randomly find you that late at night running and attack you the furthest from safety.”

  It’s nothing new. I’ve run it over and over in my mind a thousand times.

  “You won’t be out of anyone’s sight until I find out who in the hell did this.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” I pop a piece of licorice in his mouth.

  “Kill the motherfucker.”

  “Well, I don’t think that’s the best idea, Tuck. Can’t we just forget about it? I’ll be extra cautious.”

  He doesn’t answer me, and I know that’s a no to him, but I try to convince myself it’s a yes. I’ll do everything I can to ease his mind about this topic, because he needs to be focusing on football and no other drama surrounding him.

  The dorms come into sight, and I feel a twinge of excitement shoot through me. I’ve actually missed my Sophie over the past few days and have so much to catch her up on. I don’t have the chance to ponder long, because I see her bounding from the front doors with Lane trying to keep up with her. I bolt from the truck and tackle-hug her ass.

  “Oh my god, Blue, how are you doing?”

  “I’m fine. I’m so fine.”

  When I pull back I can tell she notices my perma-grin and the new glow to my skin.

  “Your face looks good. Not that you ever looked like shit, but you look amazing.”

  “Thanks, Sophie.”

  The two men gain our attention, or shall I say Tuck does, as he very clearly instructs Lane that he’s not to leave my side.

  “Baby, go work out. I’m fine.” I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him into me, then stand up on my tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips.

  “I don’t want to leave you.”

  “I’m a big girl, and you better get used to it. We both are going in separate directions back here on campus. Cowboy up, cupcake.”

  He kisses me hard, leaving the sting of a bite on my bottom lip. “Oh, I’ll be cowboying up tonight.”

  Lordy, the man makes my knees quake, even though we’ve been doing nothing but have sex the last couple days. I’m pretty sure we’ve beaten Lane and Sophie in the lovemaking department.

  “Let’s go. It’s my turn with her, Tuck.” Sophie drags me away from him by the waist. I offer a wave over my shoulder as I walk away.

  It sucks walking away, but I do it just like ripping a Band-Aid off a wound.

  “So, are you two dating?”

  I don’t have an answer to her question and stop dead in my tracks. When I turn around, I see Tuck standing by his truck watching us. He’s at least a good fifty feet away.

  “Tuck.” I watch as he makes eye contact with me. “Are you my boyfriend?” I tilt my head to the side in anticipation of his answer.

  He hollers back, never making anything simple. “Are you my girlfriend?”

  “I asked first.”

  Sophie elbows me in the ribs. “Do you really need to be hollering this right now?”

  “Yes, Blue, I’m your boyfriend.”

  I blow him a kiss and turn back toward the dorm. “So yeah, we are dating.”

  Lane busts out in laughter and Sophie just rolls her eyes as if our roles have been reversed. I’m now the giddy, love-struck friend with stars in my eyes.

  “I want details, but not you screaming in the parking lot.”

  When we walk into the lobby, I see the security guard and give him a friendly wave.

  “Hey, Blue, missed ya.”

  “Ahh, you’re too sweet. My dad must have really paid you off well.”

  He chuckles as we pass and wait for an elevator. The ride is long and torturous as I’m dying to expel every detail to Sophie. My excitement is busting at the seams.

  “Oh my god, shut the door, and Lane, get out.” I flop on my bed and stare back at the couple.

  “Did you not hear Tuck?”

  “Are you serious?” Sophie asks Lane.

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “Well, you’re about to hear a ton about sex.” I shrug and climb under my blankets, wiggling out of my shorts and getting comfy. “Grab the ice cream from the freezer.”

  Sophie tosses me my favorite flavor of ice cream, and I dig in, waiting for the two of them to settle in.

  “I’m not sure I’m comfortable telling you everything, because some of it’s Tuck’s story to tell.”

  Lane’s eyebrows shoot up at me.

  “I’ve seen him, Lane. All of him, and I’m completely heels over head for the man.”

  “Wait. What am I missing?”

  I keep my gaze on Lane and watch the shock cover his face. “Blue, he doesn’t even dress down in the locker room.”

  “I don’t care. I love the man, and he’s going to h
ave to get over it.”

  “He’s never had a girlfriend as long as I’ve known him. Hell, he only let a few girls hang on him at that party to piss you off.”

  Note to self, kick him in the shins for that.

  Sophie jumps up on her bed. “Can someone fill me in?”

  “Tuck has scars and doesn’t like to be exposed.”

  Silence fills the room after the words leave my mouth. I trust Sophie to not publish any of this in the school newspaper.

  “He opened up to me this weekend and…” I pause a second, giving Lane a chance to escape. “We had sex. Lots and lots of glorious sex.”

  Sophie leaps from her bed over to mine, wrapping me up in a hug and squealing, and then starts in on her twenty questions.

  “Is he hung? I mean can he, like, go a long time? Tell me everything.”

  I skip the part about him being a virgin and go right into full details of our sexpcapades in his room, the shower, and the hot tub.

  “Bitch, you’re on birth control. How did it feel with nothing between you guys?”

  I look over to Lane, who is clearly trying his best to check out of our conversation. He’s spread across Sophie’s bed with his forearms resting over his eyes.

  “It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”

  “By the looks of it, I bet ol’ Tuck could really entertain some meat curtains.”

  I look at her in question. “What the hell is a meat curtain?”

  “You know.” She nudges me with her elbow.

  I try to process the two words, putting them together and pulling them apart, and still come up with nothing.

  “Oh my god, you don’t know what it is?” Lane pops into the conversation.

  I toss a pillow at him. “Do you know, Lane?”

  “It’s like a puppet show. The balls are the curtain and the dick pops out.”

  Sophie howls in laughter and I try to speak over her. “I think she’s talking about the female part.”

  After Sophie controls her fit of laughter, she sits upright and faces us. “Lips spread like a curtain.” She uses her hands to gesture the sweeping motion of the movement.

  Then laughter hits me and I can’t control it. Poor Lane just shakes his head. Wiping tears from my eyes, I’m finally able to speak. “Clearly, your meat curtain isn’t getting it hard enough.”