“I’ll go,” Maryn interrupted.
Tuck swung to face her and the pain in his eyes about buckled her knees.
James spread his hands wide and grinned. “That’s my girl.”
Maryn ignored James’ comment, watching Tucker’s fists clench.
“I need to get back to work, to my real life,” she tried to explain to Tucker. “Being here with you has been…” She looked over his shoulder at James. “Can you please wait for me outside? I need to change my clothes and say goodbye.”
“As long as he doesn’t help you change your clothes,” James muttered.
“Go!” Tuck commanded.
James brushed a lock of blond hair from his face and slowly turned and walked down the stairs. Braxton gave him an imperious glare and followed. Maryn couldn’t believe the way James was acting. He obviously thought he was coming to her rescue, but to bring a camera crew? That was slimy.
Tuck stood with the muscles in his shoulders bunched into knots, not looking at her.
“Thank you,” Maryn said.
“For what?” he muttered.
Maryn moved to within inches of his chest. She reached up and gently turned his chin until he was looking at her. “Thank you for saving me from the bear and thank you for the past three days. They’ve been the most… relaxing time of my life, no relaxing isn’t quite the right word.” Especially when she thought about snuggling him throughout the night. “Stress free.” She shook her head. “No, that isn’t it either.” Tuck had stressed her quite a bit until she’d seen into his heart. “Enjoyable. Yes, even though I could’ve done without the bear attack and the stitches, being with you has been wonderful.”
Tuck simply watched her during her monologue. He reached up and captured her hand, drew it to his mouth and kissed her palm. Her heartrate increased as his dark eyes bore into her. “Then why are you leaving?”
Maryn looked down, unable to hold that gaze. “I have a life, Tuck. I need to write and be with…” She about said my friends, but with Alyssa married and busy, her exercise, church, and work friends were fun, but they weren’t close friends who needed her. James was about the only friend who seemed to need her, and at the moment she couldn’t imagine wanting to spend time with him.
“That James guy?” Tuck scowled.
“No. I just… can’t stay.” She wanted him to beg her to stay and be part of his life. She could write from here. They could make it work. She shook her head. It had only been three days since she met him. You don’t make that kind of commitment after three days, one brief kiss when you’re on drugs, and a night of snuggling. It was ridiculous. She looked over Tuck’s broad frame, his large hands that could be so tender, those dark eyes she could get lost in, those lips… Three days wasn’t nearly long enough.
“James will make a scene and make you look bad,” she murmured.
“I don’t care what the media thinks of me.” His eyes begged her to believe him.
“I know, but I do.” Maryn placed a hand on his chest, feeling his strong muscles under her palm. “It’s better this way. Believe me. James is… very convincing when he wants to be and he’ll shred both of our lives.” She’d been convinced that James was a good person, but right now she was doubting that.
Tucker’s broad shoulders rounded. He took a step closer to her, reaching up and cupping her cheek with his hand. “If it’s better for you, I’ll let you go. If you promise to stop by the Instacare in Rexburg or Idaho Falls before you fly out.”
She nodded, grateful he cared so much.
Tucker exhaled slowly then gave her a soft smile. “Have I told you I really like you in my shirt?”
“Why Tucker Shaffer, you’re sounding a bit possessive.” Maryn batted her eyelashes, but could hardly catch her breath with him standing so close and looking at her like that.
“More than a bit.” His hand trailed along her jaw and into her hair. “I love the way you say my name,” his voice was low and oh so appetizing.
“I love saying it.” She paused then asked, “Do you know the worst part about leaving?” Biting at her lip, she hoped he wouldn’t think her too forward.
“What’s that?” His breath was coming in short puffs as he bent his head closer to hers.
“Last night you promised me a better good night kiss tonight and now I won’t be here to make you keep your promise.”
Tucker smiled and she got distracted by that scar at the corner of his mouth. She reached up and traced it with her finger then went on tiptoes and kissed the scar. Tucker turned his head and she gasped at the intensity in his eyes. He brushed his lips across hers and she sighed from the sweetness of it.
Tucker took her face in both of his large hands and gave her a kiss for the record books. Maryn clung to his shoulders as he manipulated her mouth with a soft passion that fit him—strong, caring, and thorough. He slowed down the kiss and gently ran his hands along her arms until he grasped her hands then rested his forehead against hers. “Was that a bit better than last night?”
Maryn blinked as if waking from a deep sleep. “I’m not even sure where I am at this moment.”
Tucker chuckled and tenderly kissed her again. “I guess that will have to last you until I see you again.”
“Will I… see you again?”
“A bear couldn’t keep me away.”
Maryn shuddered and Tucker grimaced. “Sorry, bad joke.”
“No. The image of you protecting me from that bear is something I never want to forget.” She sighed and pulled away. “I’d better get going.”
He nodded and released her hands.
She turned, walked back into his bathroom, and softly shut the door. Her overnight bag was in the closet. Slipping his shirt off, she shoved it in her bag. It was painful, but she managed to get back into her own clothes, run a brush through her hair and put on some powder, mascara, and lipstick. James had cameras outside. Man, she was ticked at him right now. She had no desire to write any kind of article about Tuck. James had acted like he brought the cameras to rescue her, but it was for profit, she knew that as well as she knew that she didn’t want to leave Tucker Shaffer. Ever.
She shouldered her bag and her purse that she’d all but forgotten about, Braxton had brought it to her this morning. Apparently she’d left it in the office when she ran from Tucker that first night. She opened the door. Tuck still stood in the sitting room, his shoulders slightly hunched and an unreadable expression on his face. He turned and offered a sad smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Maryn Howe.”
“The pleasure was mine, Tucker Shaffer. Please know that I will only reveal the best things about you.”
He crossed the room to her in three long strides, not touching her, but so close she could feel his breath on her forehead. “What are the best things about me?”
She glanced up and met his eyes. “All of you.”
Tuck wrapped his arms carefully around her back, avoiding her injuries, lowered his head and kissed her until she couldn’t tell which way was up. The kiss was full of heated passion, but also surprisingly innocent and pure.
Releasing her, he backed up a couple of steps and murmured, “I’ll miss you.”
Maryn about broke then and begged him to let her stay. “Don’t forget me,” she whispered.
“Not possible.”
She clutched her bags with trembling hands and forced herself to turn from his brown eyes that were looking so mournful and sad at her and place one foot in front of the other. Somehow she made it down all the stairs without tripping and falling. Johnson, Braxton, and Mama Porter all stood in the entryway, glaring at James, who was tapping away on his phone, acting oblivious to the undercurrent. Her heart softened a fraction. James always pulled out his phone when he was nervous. This was an awkward situation for him and she knew in his twisted way he did think he was rescuing her.
Mama Porter broke from the stoic group of three and rushed to her. She hugged her gently. “Darling, girl. Are you sure you can’t stay?”
Maryn nodded bravely. She felt Tuck’s eyes on her and looked up the three stories to see him next to the railing, his dark eyes so full of sadness. She lifted her fingers, kissed them, and pushed them his direction. He smiled.
Forcing herself to focus on Mama Porter, she said, “Thank you for everything, I hope to come see all of you again, some day, real soon, that is when you’re not snowed in and I don’t have to drive a snowmobile to get in here.”
“As soon as you can, dear.” Mama Porter squeezed her hand, then stepped away, wiping at her eyes with a handkerchief.
Braxton shook Maryn’s hand with all seriousness. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Howe.”
Him saying pleasure like that had her glancing up at Tuck again, but he was gone. She bit her lip to keep in the cry of pain. “Thank you, Braxton.”
“Will you promise to go to the Instacare before you fly out and then visit with your doctor at home tomorrow?”
“I will. Thank you for stitching me up.”
He nodded formally.
Johnson came next, giving her a brotherly side hug. “I’ve never seen the big guy like this,” he whispered in her ear. “Please, keep in touch and don’t make any asinine decisions.” He glared at James who had finally pocketed his phone and was watching them all warily.
“Good advice, mate,” she whispered back and squeezed his arm. He released her and James was immediately there, wrapping his arm around her back. “Ouch,” she cried out.
“Oh, sorry, I don’t know where you’re hurt at.”
“Don’t touch my lower back or left side,” she said, thinking of how perfectly Tuck had managed to touch her without hurting any of the wounds moments before.
James took her overnight bag and then held her arm and escorted her to the front door. Maryn tugged him to a stop. “Please tell them not to shoot this.”
“You can do this, Mar. Come on, I’m right here with you.” He beamed at her. “Your story is going to be the biggest hit of the year. We’ll use this video footage on all our social media and splash his name all over it, pointing them to the article you’re going to write about him. You can say whatever you like. It’s going to be amazing.” He swung the door open and sure enough there were videographers and photographers, some staff from the magazine who called out greetings to her.
Maryn gritted her teeth, forced a smile, and allowed James to escort her down the stairs. She only allowed herself to look back once. Mama Porter, Braxton, and Johnson all watched from the porch steps and if she glanced way up she could see the dark eyes of the man she’d fallen in serious like with the past three days, watching her being taken away by jerk-bait James.
The next two weeks dragged like a kayak trying to pull a water skier through the ocean. James had taken Maryn to an Instacare in Idaho Falls before they flew out. They’d done a thorough exam including an MRI to make sure she had no damage that’d been missed, checked her sutures, and gave her some Lortab for the trip home. She’d endured the airplane ride and been thankful that the drugs made her sleepy and cut the pain enough that it was all a blur.
The next day she drove herself into the doctor because James was too busy marketing Tucker Shaffer’s story. He claimed he was fulfilling their dreams to have The Rising Star top the charts for circulation, but those weren’t her dreams anymore. She’d left a lot of her dreams in Island Park when she realized there was more to life than writing and being recognized for her writing. Tuck was what she dreamed about now.
The doctor was impressed with how well done the stitches were and gave her some cream that he promised would minimize any scarring. It was a relief a week later when the stitches were removed. The nurse helped her look at all of the markings on her back in the mirror and she was impressed with Braxton’s skills as well.
She poured herself into the article on Tucker, reliving every wonderful minute she’d spent with him as she wrote, shivering as she remembered the bear attack, smiling to herself as she thought of something sweet Tucker had said. She was having trouble sleeping at night and wished he was there to hold her. Wearing his shirt helped, but the smell faded and then she ached for him all the more.
As soon as she got a new phone she texted Tucker. He immediately texted back and the highlight of her day came when he started texting her every night. They shared funny things that had happened throughout their days and sometimes it dipped into flirtation, but neither of them approached the subject of when they’d see each other again. She missed his voice and wanted to call him, but there was a gulf between them and she knew it was her fault. She was the one who’d allowed James to take her away from him.
The article consumed her. It would’ve been twenty pages long if she had her way, but she eventually found a way to cut three-quarters of what she wrote before finally passing it off to editing. James was impatient for the final product, but she wanted to make sure she didn’t reveal anything that would hurt Tuck or his friends.
Many hours were spent looking through the pictures Johnson had emailed to her. He’d done a great job capturing the exact poses and locations she’d requested. Less time could’ve been taken selecting the best shots for the article, but Maryn found herself sighing and drooling over picture after picture of Tucker. He’d been extremely attractive when she first met him, but the longer she’d spent with him the more his appeal grew. She studied the strong planes of his face, his longish dark hair, those intriguing brown eyes, and those lips she wished she could feel on hers again, for so long that she feared she would grow cross-eyed. If only she could see him again in person.
Almost hourly she entertained happy thoughts about packing up her Bug and driving to Island Park. The image of Johnson opening the gate to her and then Tucker waiting for her on the porch always got her heart thumping. Then she talked herself into reality. Her life was in L.A. She looked around her little apartment and wondered about that life. It certainly seemed empty lately. Alyssa and Beck were due back from Honduras tomorrow. That would help, but they were so in love it was sometimes hard to be around them, be a spectator to their fulfilling life. Maryn was simply a fun friend to go to lunch with on occasion. She’d gone roller-blading and to movies with her church friends and been texting a couple of her girl’s camp friends, Haley and MacKenzie more, trying to convince one of them to come visit, but they both had busy lives of their own.
James was acting really weird and he was driving her crazy. He begged her to come into the office more, he asked her to lunch and dinner every day, and he couldn’t stop pledging his love to her, even though she tried time and again to explain she didn’t feel the same. It was over the top. She recognized she’d changed too, but it was like her former friend was trying too hard, pretending to be something he wasn’t.
James had been a good friend to her, but her feelings for him were nothing compared to Tucker. James’ career and them achieving notoriety together used to be their goals. Now it seemed like making money had become James’ sole motivation. If she was honest, she used to care about her career with that same intensity. Now she wasn’t sure what she wanted out of life… except a chance to be with Tucker more.
Two weeks after the accident, the article was done and set to print the next day. James had finally talked her into going out to dinner. She was lonely and the article was a reason to celebrate. She hoped Tuck would love it.
While she waited for James to arrive, she picked up her phone and saw she had a text from Tucker.
Hey, I noticed one of my favorite shirts has disappeared.
Oh? I wonder what happened to it.
I’m just hoping the girl who stole it will send me a picture with her in it.
Maryn bit at her lip and grinned. It was much easier to text brave words so she plunged ahead, Maybe you should come see it for yourself. It looks better in person.
There was a pause, too long of a pause for her to feel comfortable. A knock came at the door. She stood reluctantly, wanting to see Tuck’s answer. As she walked to the door, h
er phone chimed.
Maybe I will.
Maryn held the phone to her chest, smiling.
James drove them to Otium, a contemporary restaurant near the cultural corridor of Grand Avenue. She’d dressed in a long, sleeveless black dress that was comfortable and classy with a red wrap around her shoulders and red and black striped heels.
James gunned into the parking lot, squealing the brakes. He grinned over at Maryn and rubbed his hand across the dash. “Do you like it?”
“What happened to your Altima?”
James scoffed. “Upgraded. It’s a Maserati, Mar!” He looked like a little boy with his first homemade go-kart, but Maryn knew enough about cars to know there was nothing homemade about a Maserati.
The valet opened Maryn’s door and she stepped out, biting her tongue when she wanted to ask James why he would go into debt for a flashy car. Had he gotten a raise she hadn’t heard about?
“Can we eat outside?” Maryn asked as James took her elbow and escorted her into the restaurant.
“Of course. Anything you want. You are so beautiful tonight. Did I tell you that?”
Maryn didn’t reciprocate. James was handsome in his suit, but she knew he highlighted his hair, and his nails were definitely manicured. Tucker would never highlight and the thought of him sitting through a manicure was hilarious. She smiled to herself. James grinned in return, assuming she was smiling at him.
The maître d’ led them to a table out on the patio and Maryn was happy to enjoy the warm night air. That was one benefit of southern California over Island Park. It was warm outside most of the year. She held in a sigh. Island Park had better perks than weather. It had Tucker Shaffer.
Maryn declined the wine list. James ordered them a Cabernet from Italy. She sipped her water as he tilted his head to the side. “Why don’t you ever drink with me?”
The Feisty One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Page 10