Chapter 23 #3
“I have nothing to hide, Taryn. I’m an open book to you. Last year I met this girl. She was my former team captain’s twin sister. It was love at first sight for me, but not for her. So this is a reminder to only trust the right person with your heart.”
“Did she hurt you?” I ask.
He shakes his blond head. “Yes. But it wasn’t intentional. She fell for someone else. She never even saw me as more than her boyfriend’s teammate.”
“It’s her loss.” I bite out.
Tucker’s tone is surprisingly soft. “It wasn’t her fault.
She didn’t even know how I felt. I made such a fool of myself when I realized that I liked her, that there was no way she could ever have taken me seriously.
But I wanted a reminder to guard my heart.
And my body, too. I want you to know something, Taryn. ”
“What is it?” I realize that Tucker’s easy going, goofy personality is just a thin veneer that hides incredible depths.
“This, between us, means something to me. I know we’ve just started to get to know each other, but I care. I haven’t hooked up with anyone since I fell for Bex. I didn’t even kiss another woman. Until you. So if I let myself fall for you, Taryn, please don’t hurt me.”
That resonates with me more than I thought possible. His trust in me means more than anything else. More than the attraction and how much Tucker makes me laugh.
Tucker makes me feel safe, and I realize that I trust him too.
For a really brief moment, I had felt something vaguely similar for Tim. That’s why I hooked up with him. Even though in Tim’s case I was planning for it to be just a one-night stand, I trusted him. I felt safe with him. Until he roofied me and maybe I…
I shudder at the memory.
Since I packed everything and got in my car with Jodie, I have tried my hardest not to think about my last night in Hemlock Beach.
I’ve been successful for the most part in keeping my mind occupied with training camp and the guys.
My thoughts and my fears catch up with me at night, when I’m about to fall asleep.
“Baby,” Tucker’s hand cups my jaw, his touch gentle, his voice soft. “Where did you go just now? I’m sorry for mentioning another woman. I did just because you asked, and I didn’t want to lie to you. But I swear that I’m over Bex. I’ve been over her for a while now.”
I look into his dark blue eyes and I almost tell him everything.
That I don’t know if I did it, but that it’s a possibility.
Would Tucker believe me? Or would he be terrified of being alone with me? Would he call the cops if he knew?
His eyes are shining with pure, unadulterated desire and trust. When he says that he could fall for me, I believe him because I feel the same way about him.
That’s why I should tell him my secret. I almost do, but the words stop in a painful knot in my throat at the last second.
Because despite the feelings that are beginning to exist between us, our relationship is still too new.
How would I react if Tucker told me that he doesn’t know if he killed someone while under the influence of powerful drugs? Would I trust him? Would I feel safe? Or would I run far, far away from him? It’s a risk I can’t take. Or, at least, not yet.
“I’m sorry.” I whisper. “I wasn’t mad because you mentioned someone else. I was just thinking about this. About us. I like you, Tucker. And I would never hurt you. I hope you know this.”
His smile lights up his whole face. “I know. I have a good feeling about you, Taryn.”
He kisses me, hot and intense, and I can vaguely taste myself on his soft lips.
Before I know it, I’m straddling him again. My fingers are playing with the waistband of his sweatpants.
I can feel his hard length under me, and another thing the girls said before comes to mind.
“He’s got the biggest cock I’ve ever seen. And he definitely knows how to use it.”
“Baby,” he covers my hand with his. “We don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for.
I know you’ve been with Colsen and Nash, but that doesn’t mean you have to go there with me too unless you really want to.
Tonight is just about you and all I wanted was to spend time with you and make you feel good. ”
The feeling of him pulsing under my hand is intoxicating. Tucker is handsome and popular enough that he could have any woman he wants. Especially with his reputation as a great hookup. The fact that he wants me makes me feel sexy and powerful.
I palm his hard-on through his pants. “I know all that. And I want this. I want you, Tucker.”
“I was kinda hoping you’d say that.” He smiles, lifting his hips to help me slide his sweatpants down his hips.
When Tucker’s cock springs free, I can’t hide my surprise. I expected him to be big after what the other girls said and after touching him through his pants. But the reality of his huge size still causes a gasp to slip out of my mouth.
“Oh my God, Tucker.”
The Cove Knights’ goalie isn’t the shy type. I’ve always seen him joking, laughing, and exuding confidence. So seeing him blush is another surprise.
“I swear I can be gentle, baby.”
Of that, I have no doubt. “I know. But you must admit that’s a lot.”
His cock isn’t just long and thick, it’s also nice to look at.
I’ve never thought of dicks as a good-looking thing, but Tucker’s is perfectly proportioned to his size.
The head is round and smooth, a slightly darker pink than the rest of his package.
His shaft is encased by smooth, silky skin; a vein is slightly raised on one side.
His balls are symmetrical and his skin tightens as I cup them gently in my hand.
“Fuck. That feels good.”
His shaft pulses when I close my fingers around the base, tugging my way to the top and teasing the smooth patch of skin under the crown.
“If you keep touching me like that,” he bites out. “I’m not sure we’ll get to do anything else, baby. I told you I haven’t been with anyone in almost a year and you turn me on so much that I don’t think I’m gonna last very long, anyway.”
I pout a little. “So what you’re telling me is that I’m not allowed to taste you too?”
“If you wrap those pretty lips around my cock, I’m gonna come in two seconds. I’m sorry, I’m too worked up right now.”
“Ok, then.” I sigh. “I’m going to take you into my mouth next time. I want to feel you inside me too much to risk it right now.”
Tucker grabs my hips, a low growl rumbling from his throat. “You have no idea how much I’ve been dreaming about you riding my cock, baby.”
Excitement courses through me, and a little anxiety at the thought of taking Tucker’s huge cock as he lines himself up with my entrance. The blunt head of his erection touches me, his skin warm and smooth, and I feel myself getting wetter. I know Tucker won’t hurt me.
The desire that’s blazing in his dark blue eyes reverberates through me as I hold on to his broad shoulders to keep my balance.
“You need to tell me if I’m hurting you, baby.” He murmurs as he begins pushing inside me and driving my hips down, but he stops mid-thrust without actually entering me. “Fuck. Condom.”
He’s right.
“Oh. I forgot about that.” I groan.
For a second, neither of us moves. A part of me is considering telling him that I’m on birth control and we can go without.
But Tucker helps me off his lap with gentle hands. “I should have some in my room. Maybe we could move this whole show to my bed, just in case the guys decide to come home early.”
“Ok.” I hadn’t thought about that. And while Colsen has seen me naked and Nash has seen most of me too, I would be mortified if Mack walked in on me and Tucker.
And there’s the fact that I’m involved with all three of them. Or I am with Colsen, Nash is a little more complicated. Regardless, it's one thing being ok with me dating all three of them; another thing is being confronted with the stark reality of it.
I lift the spaghetti straps of my dress back up my shoulders and smooth the skirt down my hips.
“Baby, what are you doing?” Tucker laces his fingers with mine. “I was hoping you’d take that dress off, not put it back on. Did you change your mind?”
I shake my head. “No. I just did it without thinking. I guess you can undress me again.”
His smile comes back as he pulls me closer. “Sounds like a plan. Do you think we should bring Baety? She’s been asleep, but I don’t know if we can trust her in the living room by herself.”
“Maybe.” I agree. “I guess it’s better to keep her close.”
Tucker lets go of my hand and goes to lift the small dog bed off the couch. The movement, however, wakes up the duckling.
Quack.
Baety slips off the couch, landing onto the carpeted floor.
“Oh shit. That didn’t look good. I hope I didn’t break my little baby within a few hours of adopting her.”
As if to confirm that the fall didn’t affect her, Baety shakes her fluffy feathers, her small body vibrating with the motion. It reminds me of a dog shaking itself somehow.
“I think she’s ok.” I want to reassure Tucker, but I don’t get the chance to say anything else because the duck finds his discarded boxer briefs and takes a piece of the fabric into her beak.
“Baety, no.” Tucker scolds her. “Those are Daddy's.”
The scene that unfolds is as funny as it is unbelievable. The small creature begins dragging away Tucker’s underwear with remarkable speed.
Quack, quack!
Baety takes off headed to the hallway that leads to the apartment’s door, and Tucker takes chase. Buck naked.
I follow to make sure that neither of them ends up injured. In reality, I’m more concerned about Tucker. While the duckling sneaks under the coffee table, Tucker almost face plants when he runs into it.
“Fuck. Baety, wait.”
Then he trips over his own clothes but recovers with surprising agility for such a tall man. I guess it comes with the territory for a hockey goalie.
Quack.
I stop by Tucker’s bedroom doorjamb as the chase comes to a standstill.
Baety finds refuge under the plush chair opposite the bed.
“Baety Swalls, you better come out of there.” He says with his hands on his hips.
Quack.
The front door opens, and the guys’ voices reach us before they begin appearing next to me one by one.
“What are Tucker’s clothes doing on the floor?” Colsen asks.
“I guess someone got lucky… oh look, pizza.”
Tucker hasn’t moved an inch from his position in the middle of the room when he calls out to his teammates. “Guys, over here.”
“What in the ever loving fuck am I looking at?” Colsen snorts when he reaches the bedroom door.
“Dude, are you ok?” Mack chuckles around a bite of leftover pizza. “Hey Tar.”
I can only imagine how this must look to them.
Tucker’s cock is still semi-hard as he scowls at his rescue duck who, in the meantime, has made a little nest for herself, wrapping her little body in his underwear under the chair.
“I think someone has an underwear fetish.” Nash is laughing, but his probing green gaze is fixed on me.
As relief floods me because I’m not naked right now, I know I have to find some time to speak to Nash and find out what he knows about my last night on campus.
Avoiding him is turning out to be impossible, and deep down, I don’t think I want to.
“Maybe you should just let her keep those.” Colsen muses, referring to Baety.
“No, man.” Tucker argues. “I don’t want her to get into this habit. My fucking underwear is off-limits, Baety. That’s a very bad baby girl. And cockblocking Daddy is uncool.”