by K. Street
“Baby, you’re thinking too damn loud.” Tucker’s sexy voice was scratchy with sleep. He rolled onto his side, slipping a hand under my shirt and dragging the rough pads of his fingers lightly over my skin. “Cam, why are you wearing clothes?”
Cam? I couldn’t help but grin at his use of the nickname.
“Because I got up to get a drink and to check on Shayne. I assumed, going out there naked would be frowned upon.”
“Shit. What time is it?” He was wide awake now.
“Relax.” I stifled a giggle. “Around six, I guess. I’m not really sure.” I had no idea how long I’d been lying here, awake. “What time does she usually get up?”
“It depends, but she won’t be up for a while yet.” Tucker leaned on his elbow and propped his head against his palm.
I rolled onto my side to look at him. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I was able to make out the lines of his face.
Tucker removed his other hand from under my shirt. His knuckles grazed across my cheek, pushing away the lock of hair that had fallen across it. I heard the concern in his words when he asked, “What were you thinking about?”
It was a loaded question, one I didn’t want to answer honestly. I knew I needed to trust him. Believe in the love we felt for each other. However, history had a way of repeating itself, and it wasn’t that I was a pessimist, but I was a realist.
“Just how much I love you.” And how destroyed I’ll be when it ends.
He brushed his lips over mine and then dropped his head back onto the pillow. He took my hand in his, interlocking our fingers. “We’ll talk to Shayne when she gets up, but in the meantime …” He trailed off as he rolled on top of me. His lips went to my neck, and he whispered, “I need to be inside you.”
The hungry words floated over my skin, pebbling my nipples and heating my core.
I didn’t trust myself to speak. Instead, I arched my hips against him. Tucker crashed his lips over mine, and morning breath be damned, I didn’t care. I loved the way our tongues tangled, the scratch of his beard as it rubbed against me. His lips never left mine as we worked together to get my shorts off. Rough hands went to the hem of my shirt, and he broke the kiss to tug it over my head.
Faint light began to trickle into the room around the edge of the blinds covering the window.
On his knees and positioned between my legs, he took in my naked form. “You’re so damn beautiful, baby. I’ll never get my fill of you.”
“Tucker.” I met his eyes, silently pleading with him to understand the words I couldn’t say. I needed him to take me. Own me. Fuck me hard and deep, so thoroughly that my brain would get on board. I drank in every inch of him. All the solid contours and planes. The way his magnificent cock jutted out, full and thick, the drop of pre-cum at the tip begging the same way I was.
Tucker’s body tensed, the nod of his head barely visible. He didn’t order me to tell him what I wanted. What I needed. Because he understood without the words ever leaving my mouth.
“Roll over, baby. Get on your knees, ass up. And, when you can’t hold back anymore, use the pillow to muffle your screams.”
Relief flowed through me as I followed his command. He stretched over me to the nightstand, reaching for the foil packet. His front to my back, heat radiated from his body, stoking the flame deep in my center. I waited for the telltale tear, but I heard his voice instead. Felt his breath on my skin.
“I’m so fucking in love with you. Trust me to catch you when you fall.”
Tears pricked my eyes as he kissed his way down my back and lined his cock up at my entrance.
He dipped a finger inside me, and I heard how wet I was.
I ached at the loss when he withdrew his finger.
“You’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
I peered over my shoulder, watching as he licked my essence from his skin. He sheathed his cock, and I waited with bated breath for him to enter me.
“I’m going to give you everything you need.”
Tucker pushed inside leisurely. Stretching me, filling me so deliberately, I found myself holding my breath, waiting for him to bottom out.
When he finally did, I let out a moan.
“You have to be quiet,” he reminded me.
I pushed back into him, fisting the sheets. Tucker withdrew almost all the way out and gripped my hips before slamming back into me. He set a punishing pacing, driving so hard that I had to brace myself, flattening my palms against the headboard to keep it from slamming into the wall. His thumb circled my clit as he worked me over, playing my body like an instrument and he was a virtuoso.
He thrust a few more times, and I felt myself climbing higher and higher. I was right there, so close. Just as I dropped my face into the pillow, Tucker pinched my clit. A pleasure-filled scream ripped from my throat, the sound muffled by the billowy cotton I’d buried my face into. Seconds later, Tucker quietly growled out his own release, his fingers digging into my flesh so intensely that I knew I’d carry his mark for days.
I wasn’t a masochist. In fact, I was the furthest thing from it, but there was just something about having the token of what we shared lingering on my skin. That it was real. Knowing how well he was able to read me, and I trusted him to give me what I needed. Those bruises would serve as a fuck you to the doubts that I knew would plague me.
He kissed me between my shoulder blades and pulled out. “I’ll be right back.”
“Mmhmm,” I hummed. As I was completely sated, the lower half of my body collapsed onto the mattress. I closed my eyes, inhaling a deep breath and then letting it go.
“Feel better?” Tucker asked quietly.
I looked at him perched on the end of the bed and knew I could go the rest of my whole life and never tire of looking at him. “Tons.” I sat up and pulled the blanket around me.
He reached for my legs, tugging me closer, unhindered by the covers bunching around me.
“Tucker, what are you doing?” I laughed.
“This.” He placed an arm around me, leaning in to kiss my temple. “Do you mind throwing some clothes on and making sure the coast is clear? If it is, I’ll sneak out the back and then run home to get Bug a fresh outfit.”
“What if she’s awake?”
“Then, take her into the kitchen and distract her, so I can sneak out the front.”
“You’ve figured it all out, huh?” I smiled and poked him in the ribs. “Why do I feel like a teenager trying not to get caught with a boy in my room?” I laughed.
“We’ll talk to her today,” he said, reaching for my hand.
“Tucker, she’s your daughter, and that’s your call to make. If you’re not ready—”
“That’s just it,” he cut me off. “I’ve been ready, and frankly, I think Bug is, too. I just …” He trailed off.
“Just what?” I squeezed his hand, urging him to go on.
“You’re sure you want this? Not just me … but her, too?”
“I love you, Tucker, and honestly, I fell for Shayne first.” I had no idea what the future had in store, but I knew I wanted it to include the two of them. “I’m all in.”
His hand went to the back of my neck, and then he brought his lips to mine, softly kissing me. “We’d better get moving,” he said, releasing his hold.
When I stood, he playfully swatted my naked ass.
“Tucker,” I pretended to scold him.
Still shirtless, he stretched his arms above his head. The movement caused his muscles to ripple. It took every ounce of restraint I had not to throw myself on top of him.
“See something you like?” His mouth turned up in a smirk.
“You’re so damn cocky.”
“You like it,” he joked.
I licked my lips. Hell yeah, I liked it. I grabbed the shirt and shorts from earlier, slipped them back on, and gradually opened the bedroom door.
Shayne was still sound asleep, though I wasn’t quite sure how she managed to stay on the couch, considering she was nearly up
side down. Without making a peep, I half-ran on my tiptoes back to my room. When I walked in, Tucker had his shirt was on, and he was straightening the blankets.
Yep, I am definitely keeping him.
“She’s asleep, but I’m pretty sure she’s seconds away from falling off the couch.”
He laughed. “She usually sleeps like that. The kid is a mess.” He gave me a chaste kiss.
We exited the room, and I followed him into the kitchen. He eased the door open and made his getaway.
I took in the furniture arrangement on the back porch, and my cheeks heated as I remembered what we had done last night. I stepped out and began putting things back to rights, cleaning up the mess we’d been too preoccupied to attend to last night. When I was finished, I went back inside, closing the door behind me and walked over to the sink to wash my hands. After I dried them, I turned and came face-to-face with a wide-awake five-year old.
“Ahhh!” I screamed. “Shit. Shayne, you scared me to death.”
Her eyes went large, and her mouth made a perfect O. Then, she asked, “Do you have a swear jar?”
“A what?”
“You know, a jar you put quarters in when you say bad words?”
“No.”
“You should get one, and when you do, you owe the jar a quarter because you just said shit.”
“Shayne!”
“What? That doesn’t count. I was explaining how it works.”
This kid.
Shayne looked around the room and then down at her clothes. “Did we have a sleepover?”
I had no idea how to answer her, but that sure sounded plausible, so I decided to go with it. “Um … yes, we did.”
“Where did Daddy sleep? Is he awake yet?”
Fuckity fuck.
The way I saw it, I had two choices. I could either lie or distract her.
The covered dish on the island caught my eye. “How about a cupcake?”
Her eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Yes, please.”
I pulled out the stool, so she could climb onto it. Then, I poured her a glass of milk, gave her a cupcake, and started a pot of coffee. Maybe, if I kept busy, she wouldn’t ask any more questions. If Tucker didn’t hurry, then I’d probably just keep feeding her sweets for breakfast. It seemed like a completely rational plan. Fine, it wasn’t rational at all, but whatever. If Shayne’s mouth was full, she couldn’t ask questions.
I silently willed Tucker to hurry up. As if summoned by the thought alone, the front door opened, and he walked through it.
27
Tucker
I opened the door to Camryn’s without knocking, uncertain if Shayne would be awake or not. I hadn’t needed to worry. She was in the kitchen, shoving a cupcake into her mouth, so I dropped the bag containing her change of clothes on the couch and walked over to where she sat at the island.
“Good morning, Doodlebug.” I tousled her hair and kissed the top of her forehead.
“Morning, Daddy.” She smiled, and pink frosting showed between the cracks in her teeth. She took a drink of her milk and then asked, “Why did I sleep here? Did you have a sleepover, too?”
I looked to Camryn, who only shrugged. “Bug, how about we go out to breakfast?”
“I already ate breakfast,” she said matter-of-factly.
“That,” I said, pointing to the paper wrapper gripped in her hand, “is not breakfast.”
“Okay. Can Camryn come with us?”
“Yes.”
“Yay,” she shrieked, dropping the now-empty liner. “Camryn, do you like pancakes?” Before she had a chance to answer, Shayne directed her next question to me. “Can we go to Pancake Palace?”
I looked toward Camryn. “Does that work for you?”
“Sure,” she said, grinning.
I imagined, she found this all very amusing. It didn’t take long for the girls to get ready. We loaded up in my truck and drove into town, Shayne’s chatter a constant in the background.
A few minutes after we arrived at Pancake Palace, we were seated in a booth. We placed our order, and when the waitress walked away, I turned my attention to Shayne. She sat across from me on the inside of the booth, next to Camryn.
“Bug, I want to talk to you about something.”
“Am I in trouble? Because, whatever it is, I’m pretty sure I didn’t do it,” she said, elbows on the table, chin resting in her palms. She batted her lashes, exuding angelic innocence. Once she was a teenager, I’d be so screwed.
I laughed. “No, you aren’t in trouble.”
Just then, the server returned with a coffee for Camryn and me and a chocolate milk for Shayne. I nodded my thanks and waited for her to walk away.
Before I could say anything, Shayne asked, “Daddy, is Camryn your girlfriend?”
Camryn started choking on her sip of coffee. “Sorry. It just went down the wrong way.”
“Are you all right?” Shayne patted Camryn’s back.
“Yes, sweet girl. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Bug, Camryn is my girlfriend. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Does that mean you guys are going to hold hands and kiss and stuff?” She crinkled her nose.
“Sometimes.” I grinned.
“That’s gross.” Shayne shifted in her seat, looking at Camryn. “You’re still my friend though, right?”
“Of course.” Camryn tucked a wayward strand of hair behind Shayne’s ear.
“Okay.” She shrugged.
That was the extent of her reaction. I’d expected her to ask more questions. Something other than her being nonchalant about the whole thing. She was the kind of kid who mulled things over, so maybe the questions would come later.
“Daddy, breakfast is taking forever.”
“Want to play tic-tac-toe?” Camryn asked Shayne while she rifled through her purse.
“Sure.”
Camryn produced two pens from her purse and flipped over the paper placemat on the table. She drew the lines and let Shayne go first. Since they were caught up in their game, it gave me a chance to watch them, and the view made my heart ache in the best way. If that made me sound like a pussy, I didn’t give a damn. For the first time in my life, this was what I wanted. Not out of a sense of obligation to do the right thing, but because I couldn’t imagine my life without either one of my girls.
In my periphery, I saw the waitress approaching, balancing our breakfast on a large serving tray.
“All right, folks, who gets the steak and eggs?” she asked.
I raised an index finger.
Camryn cleared space before her and Shayne while the server set a Denver omelet with a side of fruit in front of Camryn.
“That must mean, this one is yours.” She smiled and set the plate in front of Shayne.
Shayne’s eyes grew wide, and a huge smile spread across her face as she took in the plate. She’d ordered something called a Unicorn Stack. Four small chocolate chip pancakes were assembled on top of each other. Each one was a different color, and on top sat a swirl of whipped cream that resembled a horn. Pink and purple sugar sprinkles finished off the plate. The kid would be on a sugar high for days.
“This is the best day of my life,” Shayne declared.
Camryn turned to her and laughed. “Those look amazing.”
The waitress refilled our coffee cups before asking, “Can I get you folks anything else?”
“Need anything, babe?” I asked Camryn.
“No, thank you. I think we’re good.”
“All right. Y’all enjoy, and I’ll be back to check on you.”
We ate quietly for a few minutes until I broke the silence, my eyes landing on Camryn. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”
“I don’t really have any. Why?” she asked.
“I’d like you to come to Sunday supper.” I waited for her reaction.
She stopped mid-chew, her eyes meeting mine, and then she swallowed hard and reached for her coffee.
Before I could say anything, Shayne interjected, “You have to come to Sunday supper.” Then, she singsonged, “We can play on the tire swing, and Grammy makes the most amazing cookies.”
“You want me to meet your mom?”
I heard the surprise in her voice. Camryn knew how important my mom was to me, and if she didn’t know how serious I was about us already by disclosing our relationship to Shayne, she certainly knew it now.
“Yes.” I reached across the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Relax. She’ll love you.” I released her and picked up my fork.
“All right. You sure she won’t mind me just showing up?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay. Sunday supper it is.”
“Yay,” Shayne squealed.
We finished breakfast and drove back to the house. Camryn mentioned that she had plans tonight with Macy, and since Bug was spending the night with my mom, I thought about seeing if Nash wanted to grab a beer tonight after the shop closed.
After we piled out of the truck, Camryn hugged Shayne good-bye, and I walked her to her front door.
“You good?” I asked.
“More than good. Thank you for breakfast.”
“Anytime, baby.” I brushed my lips against hers, making sure to keep the kiss light. Shayne was busy playing on the grass, but I didn’t want to get carried away. There would be time for that later.
“Are you coming over later tonight?” she asked.
“That depends. Do you want me to?” There was only one answer I wanted to hear. I gripped her hand in mine.
“Of course. I’ll text you when I get home.” She kissed me, and as we stepped away from each other, her fingers slipped from my grasp.
28
Camryn
I put the finishing touches on my makeup, slipped on a pair of strappy sandals, grabbed my purse, and headed out the door. Macy and I were meeting at The Hideaway for drinks and some long-overdue girl time.
During the drive to the bar, I thought about how everything was falling into place. I was in love with an incredible man, who had a little girl I adored. I loved my job, and after all this time, it finally felt like I wasn’t alone anymore. That I could love without abandon. The knee-jerk reaction to protect myself from being hurt had faded.