The Feisty One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance

by Checketts, Cami

  She realized she was clinging to Tucker’s hand. She let go. “Sorry. I really am loving it.”

  “You promise?”

  “Yes.”

  They were floating along now and the view of the boats, beach, and island vegetation was beautiful.

  “You don’t ever have to do anything you don’t want to do when you’re with me,” Tuck said.

  She turned her gaze from the view to his deep brown eyes. “I know that, Tuck.” She paused and flung out a hand to encompass the beautiful ocean. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long, but never been brave enough. Thank you.”

  He grinned. “I’d like to make more of your dreams come true.”

  Maryn’s breath caught at the implication. The boat slowed at the same time and they dipped down. She cried out in surprise then laughed. When they levelled out again, she said, “I’m holding you to that.”

  They were turning in their snorkeling gear after a decent snorkel at Lover’s Cove when Tucker felt eyes on him. He spun around and Hawaiian shirt was staring at him. The guy ducked into the bathroom.

  “Excuse me for a minute,” he said to Maryn. Her hair was plastered to her head from the snorkeling gear and water. Her bright blue eyes sparkled at him and he couldn’t help but smile at her.

  “Sure. I’ll just wait down on the beach.”

  “I’ll get your paddle boards down there and waiting for you,” Travis, the bleached-blond guy who’d helped them all day, said.

  “Thank you.” Tucker gave Maryn one more smile before striding to the bathroom. Banging into the bathroom, he looked around, but it appeared to be empty. He used the urinal, flushed, washed his hands, and then pushed open the door. Letting the door close again, he didn’t move. Five seconds later, Hawaiian shirt came out of a stall.

  The guy swore loudly when he saw him. Tuck walked slowly to him and didn’t touch him, but he got in his space. “Why are you following us?”

  “I-I’m not.” The guy’s black eyes darted around the bathroom, anywhere but at Tuck.

  “Do I look like somebody you want to mess with?”

  The guy finally met his eye and shook his head quickly. He backed toward the wall.

  “Be square with me and I might not rough you up.” Tuck didn’t like to threaten, but he wanted some answers. He probably could’ve offered the guy money and got faster results, but he hated bribes worse than threats and he was ticked that this guy was following them.

  “I’m not watching you,” the guy’s voice quavered. “Please. Just let me go.”

  Tucker took a step closer. “Tell me now!”

  “I’m watching the girl.”

  “Why?” That was what he feared.

  “She’s hot.” A quick grin flitted across his face but left quickly.

  Tucker grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the wall. “So you want to get beat?”

  “No! Sorry.” The guy was shaking now and Tucker would’ve felt bad for him if he wasn’t so angry. “I got paid to follow her. That’s all. The guy just wanted to make sure she was okay.”

  That was a punch in the gut. Somebody was afraid Tucker would mistreat Maryn? “Who paid you?”

  “I don’t have a name. Preppy dude. Dressed real nice. Blond hair.”

  “How long have you been following her?”

  “Just for today.” The guy squirmed, but didn’t try to push his way to freedom.

  “From her apartment?” Tucker wondered if it was that James guy. It would actually make him feel better if it was, a jealous ex-boyfriend was better than a stalker or worse.

  “Yeah, he gave me the address and told me to be there before eight, follow you two wherever you went, and make sure she was safe. I caught the ferry over and found you.”

  Tucker bent down a few inches, his fingers curled around the guy’s shirt until he heard the fabric rip. He waited a couple more seconds before speaking, “Tell whoever paid you to back off. Maryn is mine and no one is messing with her.” His face flushed as he said it. He had no rights to Maryn and maybe the guy who sent this dude really wasn’t looking to hurt her, but he wanted the message sent anyway, just in case. “Got it?”

  “Sure, man.”

  Tucker released him. “How’d he find you?”

  The guy straightened his shirt and studied the sink behind Tucker. “I work for an agency that does private investigating and this sort of stuff.”

  “What were you going to do if I did hurt her?”

  The guy’s gaze flitted over him then quickly away. “When I saw how big you were I had to change my game plan. I would’ve called the cops.”

  Tucker nodded, grateful this guy seemed to be on the up. “Good plan.” He turned and banged out the bathroom door. Luckily, it was a decent walk to the beach. He needed that few minutes to calm down. It was bothersome and scary that someone was tracking Maryn. Should he tell her?

  When he saw Maryn in her bright pink and blue swirled swimsuit, trying to balance on a paddle board, all those protective instincts fired again. He wanted to be the one to take care of her and make sure no one hurt her. What right did that guy have to pay someone to follow her?

  He watched her for a minute, enjoying the way she looked in her suit that was fitted but modest. Her shape was definitely beautiful and she could’ve looked amazing in a string bikini, but he liked that she didn’t feel the need to display everything.

  Maryn lost her balance and with a little scream fell into the water. It was only a foot deep so she didn’t go all the way under. Tucker couldn’t help but laugh. She saw him and called out, “Come on! You need to share in some humiliation. This isn’t easy on waves.”

  Tucker jogged to the water’s edge then plunged through to her side. He lifted her onto the board and kept his hands at her waist steadying her. Touching her never failed to get his blood pumping. “You just need me teaching you.”

  “Maybe I just need you.” Maryn winked and Tucker’s chest swelled. He hoped she really did.

  Their day together had been near perfect, but Maryn didn’t want it to end. As they got into his Lexus parked next to the Dana Point Harbor, Maryn asked, “Can we go see Mama Porter, Johnson, and Braxton?”

  “They’d love that. You know Mama Porter will make you stay for dinner.”

  She fingered her hair. She’d showered before they left the island, but without any product, her blonde locks were looking pretty frizzy. Tuck didn’t seem to be bothered by her make-up free appearance. “No way would I miss out on Mama Porter’s cooking.” Though it was more about staying with Tucker longer.

  “Let me text them to make sure Johnson is home. He’s been busy lately with some real estate transactions but he’d be mad if he missed you.”

  The drive was only about fifteen minutes. Tuck parked out front and got Maryn’s door. The house was impressive, not that she’d expected anything different. It was three sprawling stories, overlooking Laguna Beach. She had a hard time appreciating the arches and columns or the stucco entrance as Braxton swung the door open. She ran to him and gave him a hug. He was stiff but smiling. “Ms. Howe. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

  “You too, Mr. Braxton.”

  “Did you recover well?”

  “Perfectly. You’re the best stitcher upper a girl could ask for.”

  His starched exterior seemed to be cracking as he almost grinned at her.

  “Would you look who’s here?” Johnson called from a formal room off to the right. He swept her into a bear hug. “Glad the big guy finally grew a brain,” he muttered.

  “I heard that,” Tucker said.

  “I don’t care.” Johnson winked at her.

  “My girl!” Mama Porter shrieked and ran to her. She squeezed Maryn into her generous bosom and wouldn’t let go. “We’ve been so worried. Are you okay? We all missed you so much.” She finally let go and darted a glance at Tucker.

  Maryn looked at Tucker as well. He smiled at them, his dark eyes glinting with delicious promise. She wanted to run her fingers thro
ugh his hair and be alone with him until she got tired of him. No, she’d have a hard time getting tired of him.

  “Well.” Mama Porter interrupted their glancing communication. “I’ll just go check on dinner while Tucker gives you a tour. You are staying for dinner?”

  “I wouldn’t miss your cooking,” Maryn reassured her.

  “Perfect.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you,” Johnson said. “She hasn’t cooked this much good food in weeks.” He winked at her then he and Braxton followed Mama Porter.

  Maryn turned to Tucker. “It’s so good to see them all.”

  “We all really missed you.”

  Maryn held his gaze. “All of you?”

  “Some of us more than others.”

  She flushed with pleasure, too happy to respond to that. Tucker placed his hand on her lower back and escorted her through the formal rooms on the main floor and then onto a huge deck that overlooked a lush flower garden, trees, and the ocean beyond. The house was on a cliff, but had a staircase down to the beach. Maryn could definitely get used to living in a place like this. She stared at the view, inhaling the scent of plumeria and imagined running on the beach every morning and sitting on the huge patio overlooking the ocean at night. Most of all, she imagined it with Tucker by her side. She needed to slow down her imagination.

  “It’s beautiful here,” she said. “I love the feeling in your houses.”

  Tucker rested a hand on the window frame above her head, his body inches away from her side. “Even when you ran away in Island Park?”

  Maryn turned to face him. He was so close she had to arch her head back to meet his gaze and she barely resisted wrapping her arms around his waist. “That was a stupid misunderstanding.”

  Tucker studied her. “Forgive me for being scary?”

  “Yes,” Maryn whispered. “But remember what we talked about, have you forgiven yourself?”

  “For hurting you?” He traced his finger along her chin and across her lips. “That’s a tough one.”

  Maryn trembled from his touch, but knew she had to talk to him about this. “I’m talking about the things you had to do in the Army.”

  He didn’t move, but his body stiffened. “Since you left… I’ve tried to pray.”

  “You have?”

  “It’s definitely a struggle to put it behind me, but I have felt some peace.”

  Maryn smiled up at him. “The forgiveness will come. You’re a good man, Tucker Shaffer.”

  “Thanks.” He swallowed. “I wanted to know that you could forgive me. I’ve blamed myself for you getting hurt.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I forgave you the instant you turned into Superman and saved my life.”

  He smirked at the Superman reference, rested his other hand next to her head, effectively framing her face, and scooted closer. His large body brushed against hers and Maryn caught a breath, her heart beating a staccato so sharp she wondered if he could feel it.

  “I’m good at forgiving,” she told him, unable to keep her gaze from straying to his lips before going back to those chocolate fudge eyes that seemed to see into her. He was serious about life, but still made her feel light and happy. “I forgive everyone, kind of like an eel, it all just slides right off my slippery back.”

  Tucker grinned and lowered his head closer to hers. “Good way to be.”

  She giggled as his breath touched her lips. He smelled like that wonderful mixture of lime, jasmine, and salt water that was uniquely Tuck. Had he brought a bottle of cologne with him to Catalina? He’d had a small bag. She’d been so excited this morning she hadn’t thought to pack much more than her suit and probably smelled like rotten fish.

  “Yep, Granny Ellie was always telling us to love our enemies, it would drive them crazy.” Her mouth kept running even though she wasn’t concentrating on what she was saying, just hoping he would kiss her. “Not that you were my enemy, you could never be my enemy. Even though I was scared of you for a minute, I know that wasn’t the real you. I like you, the real you, very much. You’re very heroic and I don’t think I could ever be afraid when you’re with me.” She paused for a breath, but had a hard time catching one with the way he was grinning at her.

  “Maryn?” His deep voice rumbled through her chest, they were that close.

  “Yes?” She bit at her lip and prayed she could stop talking long enough to kiss him.

  “Do you think you could stop talking for a minute while I kissed you?”

  Maryn laughed. Her eyes flickered from his amused gaze down to those lips again. His lips were soft, commanding, and such a great shape—the top lip had a slight bow and the bottom lip was just full enough to make things interesting. She’d daydreamed about those lips and about the little scar next to them. “Maybe one minute.”

  He smiled and pressed his lips to hers. Maryn sighed from the pleasure and contentment that shot through her. “Or two,” she whispered, running her hands up his chest to entangle them in his hair.

  Tuck placed one hand on her cheek and slid the other one down her waist, bringing her even closer to him. He took advantage of her lips for several wonderful seconds. Maryn arched up on her toes, molding her body to his, returning kiss for kiss.

  He groaned and kissed her jawline. “Or maybe twenty,” Maryn murmured.

  Tuck chuckled and then captured her lips again. He lifted her completely off her feet, kissing her more thoroughly then she’d ever been kissed.

  A door opened and closed and then feet tapping a staccato on the wood deck and a soft, “Ahem,” should’ve pulled them apart, but they were in their own world.

  Finally, Tucker set her down, but didn’t let her out of the circle of his arms. “Yes, Brax?” he growled. His face pressed against Maryn’s.

  “Mama Porter has informed me that dinner is ready.”

  “Thanks, Brax,” Tuck said, running his hand through Maryn’s hair and not looking at his friend.

  “Very good. We’ll see you in a minute?” It sounded like Braxton was having a hard time not laughing.

  “Or two,” Tuck responded, winking at Maryn and gently rubbing his nose against hers.

  Braxton harrumphed and marched away.

  “Or twenty,” Maryn said, pulling his head down again.

  Tucker kissed her with a grin on his face. Maryn knew she should feel bad that Mama Porter’s delicious food was getting cold, but with Tucker kissing her like this, she didn’t have an appetite for anything else.

  The next night Maryn knew she had to go with James and sort out their friendship, but she wished every day could be like yesterday—spent in its entirety with Tucker Shaffer and lots of kissing at the end.

  After a delicious dinner with very few awkward pauses and bantering like they used to do before all this drama came into their relationship, James tugged Maryn out of her seat on the rooftop of Perch, a French bistro that Maryn enjoyed but thought was overpriced. The view of the city was amazing up here and it was a beautiful, mild night.

  Now if she could get brave enough to tell James she was dating Tucker exclusively. Not that Tucker had asked that of her, but she wanted to do it. Committing herself to more with Tucker was exactly what she wanted in her life.

  She smiled just thinking of Tuck. Their day yesterday kept playing through her mind, especially those kisses on his patio last night. Oh, my, he was the whole package for her—fun, kind, thoughtful, handsome, kissed like a rock star.

  The wind whipped her hair and she pulled it away from her face. James escorted her toward the glass wall, his hand a bit more possessive than she would’ve liked through the thin material of her blue sheath cocktail dress.

  They gazed out over the city lights and didn’t say anything for a few minutes.

  “Thanks for coming with me tonight,” James said.

  “Sure. It’s been fun to catch up, kind of like old times.” She swallowed hard and forced a smile. “James I need to tell you—”

  He put his fin
gers on her lips and cut her off. Maryn leaned away from the awkward pushing of his first and second fingers.

  “Please. I need to say this first.” He looked out at the city then focused on her. “I know I’ve asked you to marry me a dozen times and you always tease me and somehow say no without breaking my heart.”

  Oh, crap. Oh, no. This was not a good start to the breakup talk. “James…”

  “Mar… I love you.” His blue eyes sparkled. “We just fit together, you and I. I love working with you, being with you. You’re beautiful, smart, fun. I can spend my whole life just listening to your funny expressions and laughing with you. Please say you’ll marry me.” He pulled a ring box out of his suit coat and popped it open.

  For the first time in Maryn’s life, she was temporarily speechless. If James’ sweet words hadn’t knocked out her communication skills, this ring would certainly do it. The center diamond had to be over three karats with dozens of smaller diamonds embedded in the white gold and building up to surround the main diamond. It was obviously expensive, gaudy, and not her style at all. She truly hated it.

  She looked into James’ expectant face. They had been close friends for years, but she didn’t love him, had never loved him like that. Even if she hadn’t fallen for Tucker, she knew she would never be able to marry James.

  “James. I’m so grateful for your friendship and really appreciate that beautiful speech, but I’m sorry.” His smile drooped. She tried again, “You and I are not really…” She glanced at the diamond ring then back up at him. “How in the criminy did you afford this monstrosity?”

  James’ face paled then mottled red spots appeared in his cheeks. He snapped the box shut and jammed it into his suit pocket. “I guess that’s Maryn’s twisted way of saying no.”