Chapter Twenty-Seven
Phoebe
“Fuck, baby. That’s it. Ride me,” Tucker moans as I brace my hands on his chest and grind my hips against him.
He palms my chest and tugs at my nipples as I move faster on top of him, my orgasm just on the brink. So close.
Between the bakery and helping out at Perk Up Café, we haven’t had as much time together as we normally do, but Sarah’s working alone today, and the café’s taken care of. I have the day off to spend with Tucker.
It was a late night with little sleep, and I woke up to Tucker’s mouth between my legs. I’m a morning person, but damn if this isn’t the best way to wake up in the morning.
“Yes!” I cry out, my body clenching tightly around him as I fall forward onto his chest.
Our chests stick together from the sweat beading on mine, but neither of us care. He wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly against him, as he takes over and thrusts hard and fast into me. His mouth finds my neck, and he grunts and groans as he works himself to his own orgasm.
I’m spent and thankful for the break. Exercise has never been my thing, but with how frequently we come together, I’m going to have to do something to help build up my stamina in general. It’s the only way I’ll be able to keep up with him.
Which isn’t really the worst problem to have. My boyfriend wants me so much that I get sore and tired from all the lovemaking. Poor me!
I kiss his shoulder, and I take a chance and nibble slightly. He growls in appreciation and squeezes my ass while he continues to pound into me.
“I think we should spend all day in bed,” he grunts. “Fuck all day long.”
“I won’t be able to walk if we did,” I say, a moan escaping me.
I say that like I wouldn’t let him have his way with me all day and all night. The things he makes me feel can’t be described, and I want to live here.
Never have I felt this way before. Like I have a place in this world. Family and friends. And it’s all thanks to Tucker.
Another orgasm sneaks up on me, and I cry out, Tucker still hammering into me, and he shouts my name as he finds his release.
It seems to be a game with him. How many times can he make me climax before he does. I’m pretty certain he’s keeping track and trying to beat a personal record every time we have sex.
Again, not a bad problem to have.
His lips crash against mine as he stays buried inside me, and he flips us over so that I’m underneath him. And he manages this with very little separation of our bodies, his tongue sweeping into my mouth as he cups my face.
I’m not sure if he considers what we do as making love, but it is. The way we come together is love. Sure, it’s also passion and pleasure, but it’s love. And the way he kisses me right now tells me he desperately wants to love me.
If only he’d let himself. There’s so much I want to give him, but I need him to give himself to me fully. Just like I have him.
The alarm to the house goes off—something I’ve never heard before—and Tucker jumps off me. He grabs his jeans, shoves them on, and unclips his gun from the holster hanging on the hook behind the door.
I slip out of bed and slide into the robe he bought me because I’m always cold in the mornings. Padding quietly after him, I’m relieved to find Scotty in the kitchen.
“What the fuck?” Tucker shouts at him as he walks to the keypad and punches in the code.
0-3-2-1
Joanna’s birthday.
Sometimes, like this specific situation, I feel jealous of his relationship with her. But it quickly disappears when I remind myself she’s gone. She was killed, and Tucker could only hold her as she died.
No one with a heart could just let someone go after that. But I do sometimes wish he’d want to change some things. Like, maybe use my birthday instead of Joanna’s for the security code.
Maybe if we ever officially move in together, he will. This is still his home, not mine. Our arrangement is only temporary while Ryan’s still out there.
“You weren’t answering your phone. Shit’s going down at Velvet,” Scotty says.
“Must be bad if they called you,” Tucker snaps.
“Your brother was there.”
Jaw clenched, Tucker runs to the bedroom, and I stand there in shock. Ryan’s back in town? This isn’t good. And I know how responsible Tucker will feel if anyone gets hurt because of his brother.
And poor Queenie. She was just attacked by Jake. I hope she’s okay.
He runs back out in record speed, his boots and leather on, and he points at me. “You’re not leaving the house. No matter what. We don’t know what the fuck my brother is planning here. Scotty, stay here with her.”
“Got it,” he says.
Kissing my forehead, he hurries to the door and resets the alarm before taking off.
I had plans to make carrot bars for Tucker today, so I have something to occupy my time. And it’ll be a surprise for him when he gets home.
“It’ll be okay, Phoebe,” Scotty says. “You’re safe here.”
Smiling, I nod. “I should probably go and… put on clothes.”
“Shit, I interrupted the two of you doing the horizontal tango, didn’t I?”
The reference makes me giggle, but Scotty actually looks pained. Like the realization physically hurts him.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. I’ve never seen Pacino like this before. And he deserves to be happy. But his fucking family…”
“Don’t worry about it, Scotty. We were… done.” At least with that round.
Scotty flushes as he puts it together, and I giggle as I walk back to the bedroom. That was kind of fun. I’m learning why Tucker likes to rib people like he does.
Shutting the oven door, I reach for the timer. I can’t wait for Tucker to come home to the dessert his mom used to make for him. Or at least a variation of it.
Assuming his oven doesn’t burn it. I’ve had to learn quite a few adjustments to the way it bakes.
His kitchen could really use an upgrade. Or twelve. But it’ll do the job.
“I wonder what he’ll choose to eat first,” I murmur to myself as I smirk.
If I set a carrot bar on the nightstand while lying naked on the bed, which would he dive into first?
“Me,” I answer and giggle.
And it’s the truth. This man can’t get enough of our intimate moments together. He’s the most attentive man I’ve ever met in my life, and I love being able to please him.
He gives me a confidence that I’ve never had before. Around him, I feel sexy. And he never looks at me like he wishes I would tame my attitude. Be less of myself.
Tucker makes me feel like I’m good enough just the way I am. He doesn’t want me to change, and I want to find ways to show him how much that means to me. I know I’ve changed since being with him, and while I’m not exactly proud of everything—like stabbing Jake—I finally feel like a strong woman.
I’ve never felt that way before.
And I’m pretty sure he loves me whether he realizes it or not. He doesn’t tense when I look at him during sex anymore. The first few times after he told me about Joanna, he struggled. But he wouldn’t let me give him a break. He was determined to get past it.
Then he told me something that still floors me. He needs me to look at him. To see him and watch him because he wants that connection. And he hasn’t wanted that with anyone until me.
Now, he stares into my eyes as he comes, and he smiles at me afterwards. The only thing better than Tucker smiling is Tucker laughing.
God, I will do anything to make him laugh. It’s not something he does often or gives away freely—unless sarcastically—and it’s like climbing Mt. Everest. Sure, he chuckles. And snorts. But laugh? It’s one of those things I live for, and I love that it’s possible but not something everyone can do.
The house alarm goes off, and I wait a moment, expecting Tucker to turn it off and appear in the kitchen. He would show up early and ruin my surprise for him.
But it doesn’t turn off, and I wonder if Scotty somehow forgot it was set before heading outside. I open the fridge and grab the cream cheese to set on the counter to get to room temperature for the frosting as I hear footsteps.
“Did you forget the alarm was on, Scotty?” I ask, shutting the fridge door and freezing.
Scotty struggles against three large men in black suits, one of them holding a gun to his temple.
They’re here for me. They have to be. And when Ryan walks in behind them, it confirms it.
I drop the cream cheese on the floor and stare with wide eyes. “Please don’t kill him.”
Sarah would be inconsolable if Scotty died, especially because he was trying to protect me. And I’d never forgive myself because it’s me Ryan wants.
All I get is a menacing smirk from the men, but Ryan steps forward and runs the back of his hand over my cheek. “That’s up to you, Phoebe. Will you come willingly?”
“Don’t do it, Phoebe,” Scotty says. “They’ll just kill us both.”
The alarm continues to blare in my ears, and I can’t think. I can’t find a way out of this. Is there even one? I can’t outrun them. And I definitely can’t outrun bullets.
Besides, running would ensure they kill Scotty.
The only safe place in the house is the safe room. In the basement. And I cannot go down there. Even to save my life. I’d go mad and probably hurt myself worse than what they’d do to me.
Knowing there’s no other option than going with them, I nod my head.
“Good girl.”
I hate the way he says it, and it sends chills down my spine. He sounds just like my uncle when he’d take me into the basement at night.
Ryan whips around, smacks Scotty right behind the ear with the butt of a gun I didn’t notice him holding, and Scotty collapses onto the ground, limp. I gasp, and my hands fly to my mouth.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt him!”
“No, I said I wouldn’t kill him.”
Yeah, that distinction doesn’t make me feel better. Especially when he just chuckles.
“Relax, Sunshine. He’ll be fine. He just needs a short nap.”
I’m not grateful Tucker decided Sunshine was too cliché to call me. Otherwise, I don’t know if I could ever let him call me it again.
Ryan grabs my wrist roughly, and any chance I had to run disappears. The bracelet Tucker made me breaks, and the beads roll along the floor. My heart sinks. Tucker made that for me, and now it’s ruined.
“Turn off the alarm.”
“I-I don’t know the code,” I lie. “Tucker set it before he left to go to the brothel.”
Growling, he drags me outside, the other three close behind him. He shoves me into the back of a car and curses. “Fucking paranoid fuck.”
A hood gets shoved onto my head, and someone ties my hands together. I’m restrained and left in total darkness with nothing left to do but pray Scotty’s okay. I yelp as something sharp hits my arm, but then my racing thoughts disappear as I pass out.