Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TUCKER
“ D amn it.” I grab the pillow and flip to my side. When I can’t get comfortable, I flop onto my back and stare up at the ceiling.
I’ve been tossing and turning for nearly three hours. It’s well after midnight, and I should’ve spent the night making love to Scarlett, but here I am, brooding over our fight.
Normally, I’d be quick to concede because I don’t like to fight, and I sure as hell don’t want the woman I’m in love with mad at me, but I don’t feel like I’m wrong in this situation. Scarlett wants me to bend, but she isn’t willing to give me the same courtesy. And, okay, maybe I was a little harsh and quick to shut her down, but we’ve only been together for a short time. She left me once already, and who’s to say she won’t do it again? And how awful would it be for that to happen after I’ve shifted around my entire life to accommodate hers?
It would be fucking horrible.
I’ve given her my heart, but that doesn’t mean I fully trust her with it.
But what’s the alternative? Living a life without Scarlett? That’s not something I want to even consider. Over the last several weeks, she’s grown to mean so much to me. Our childhood friendship compounded into a love that I never thought I could feel for another human being. Aside from Chloe, of course.
If you love her that much, then why are you in this big-ass bed alone?
As much as I don’t want to crawl back to her with my tail between my legs, I’m also not willing to leave things the way they are. We’ve come too far to let one little argument ruin what we’ve built.
I fling the covers off and stand up. I pull on a pair of sweats and open the door only to crash into a soft, warm body.
My hands reach out, and I grab her arms, slowing my momentum in an attempt to keep us from falling over. “Scarlett? Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to plow you over.”
“That’s okay,” she says softly. “Where were you going in such a hurry?”
I drag my fingers through my hair. “I was coming to you.”
“You were?” She sounds hopeful, and I hate that I can’t see her expression.
I pull Scarlett into my room and flick on the bedside lamp, illuminating her beautiful face. Her eyes are glossy, and her cheeks are red, and I’ll be damned if that doesn’t make me feel like even more of an ass.
“Have you been crying?”
She shrugs and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t like fighting with you. When you walked away, everything felt so final and…” Her words trail off, and she shakes her head as though she doesn’t know what else to say.
“Damn, sweetheart, you could bring a man to his knees.” I pull her into my arms and press my lips to the side of her head. “Scarlett, we are going to fight. There are going to be times when we need to take a step back and catch our breath, but we will never be over. I love you, and there’s no way in hell I will let an argument like that come between us.”
“I was coming for you.”
“Huh?” I say, pushing a chunk of hair behind her ear.
“That’s why I was standing outside your door. I couldn’t take it anymore. After having you in my bed for the last few nights, I couldn’t stand being in there alone. It just felt wrong, and I didn’t know where we stood, and I hated that. I love you, Tuck, and I’m sorry I bombarded you with all of that.”
“Don’t be sorry. You said what was on your mind, and that’s something I’ve always loved about you. You’re honest to a fault, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And I’m sorry, too.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
I lay back on the bed and pull her down beside me. She curls into my side and rests her head on my chest. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to give this up. When I tell you I love you, I mean it. You’re in my heart, and I have no plans of that changing. Ever.”
“I feel the same way. But how are we going to make this work? If neither of us is willing to compromise, how do we move forward?”
“We make a choice to stay together,” I say, skimming my fingers up and down her arm. “We make a choice to work it out. That doesn’t mean we have to have all the answers right now. As our relationship grows, those things will become clearer. But for now, I think we simply make the choice to stick it out.”
Scarlett props her chin on my chest so she can look at me. “You’re right. We’ve known each other forever, but our romantic relationship is still new. Why push it?”
“Exactly. Right now, I can’t commit to uprooting my life, and I know that your career will take you away from me, so we’ll work on things one day and one situation at a time.”
“Okay,” she says, sounding pleased. “But one of these days, we’ll have to revisit the topic, because we can’t live like that forever.”
“When that time comes, we’ll sit down and have an adult conversation about how to move our relationship forward. Until then, we keep enjoying each other and let things progress naturally.”
Her eyes twinkle. “And we keep having sex. Because the sex is great.”
In less than a second, I have Scarlett pinned beneath me. “Of course, there will be sex. We might suck at compromising, but we’re really good at sex.”
“You mean more to me than that,” she whispers, pulling her hands down my back.
“I know.” I kiss her softly—once, twice, and a third time. “I hated being in this room without you tonight.”
“Me, too. My bed was cold, and it felt empty. It was awful.”
“Let’s never do that again, okay? From now on, we work our shit out before it gets that far.”
“Deal.”
“And while we’re on the subject of beds, I want you in mine.”
“I am in yours.” Scarlett rubs her soft body against mine. “Well, technically, it’s my bed, but I gave it to you for the night.”
“What I meant is that I want you in my bed for the remainder of your time in New Hope.”
Scarlett blinks, her lips forming the perfect little O . “I just assumed that I’d stay with my dad until it was time to leave.”
“And you can, if that’s what you want to do, but I’d really like you with me. You said that Rick was cleared, and he’s been by himself all weekend and has done fine.”
Finally, Scarlett smiles. “You’re right. And I’ll still be super close in case he needs me.”
“So, you’ll stay with me?”
Scarlett pushes her fingers into my hair, palms the back of my head, and pulls me to her. “Yes, I’ll stay with you.”
“Can I please have a dog for my birthday?” Chloe curls her hands under her chin and begs me with her big, brown eyes. “Please, please, please.”
“Chloe, you know we can’t have a dog.”
“But I’ll have all summer to work on potty-training, and I’ll teach it to learn different commands. I promise I’ll take care of it all by myself.”
“That’s not why I’m saying no. We just don’t have time. Maybe one of these days, but not right now.”
Chloe gives me the stink-eye and sulks out of the room.
“When is Chloe’s birthday?” Scarlett says, walking into the living room from the kitchen.
“In two weeks.”
“I had no idea! Why didn’t you tell me her birthday is coming up?”
“We’ve just been so busy, and I just never thought about it.”
Scarlett rubs her hands together and gets a twinkle in her eye. “So, what are we getting her?”
“We?” I pull her onto my lap and press my lips to her ear. “I like the sound of that. And we are getting her a dog,” I whisper.
“What?” Scarlett pulls back, a giant grin on her face. “But you just said?—”
“I know what I said,” I say, pressing a finger to my lips so she’ll keep quiet. Chloe has been asking for a dog for years, but the timing has never been right. I think we’re finally ready to make the commitment now that she’s old enough to take on the responsibility. “It’s going to be a surprise. The local shelter has some puppies that will be ready for their forever home by the time her birthday rolls around.”
“Are you going to give it to her at her birthday party?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet.”
“What’re you doing for her party? What’s the theme?”
“Theme?” I shake my head. “There is no theme. My parents, Dean, and Scooter will come over for a BBQ. Rick usually finds his way over, too. And you…I’m hoping you’ll be here this year.”
Scarlett nods and wraps her arms around my neck. “Of course, I’ll be here. I don’t have to go back for another month. But, Tucker, come on, she’s turning twelve. You have to throw her a party.”
“No, I don’t. Chloe has never really had a big birthday party with friends.”
Scarlett looks appalled. “That’s all the more reason to throw her one now.”
“I don’t know.” I scratch my head and think about it. “I’m a little short on time. Maybe next year.”
“There’s plenty of time! Let me plan it.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. I love Chloe, and I would love nothing more than to throw her a party she won’t forget. Plus, I have mad party-planning skills.”
How do I tell Scarlett no? She looks so darn excited, and it makes me happy that she wants to do this for Chloe. “Fine, but we have to agree on a price limit.”
“There is no price limit.”
“Scarlett, I’m not loaded.”
“You’re not, but I am. And before you even say it, you are not paying for a penny of this party. Consider it my gift to her,” she says, ending her rant with a heated kiss to my lips.
Whatever rebuttal I was building up in my head dissipates when she slides her tongue into my mouth.
“Okay, this is really starting to get old,” Chloe says.
Scarlett’s cheeks turn a deep pink as she slides off my lap.
Chloe just shakes her head and walks out of the room.
“I’m going to get started on the planning,” Scarlett whispers.
I barely see her for the next three days. She’s on the phone, traveling from venue to venue, all the while keeping things very tight-lipped. When she said she was a mad party planner, she wasn’t joking.
Finally, at the end of the week, after a long shift at work, Scarlett pulls me into the bedroom and hands me a file folder.
“What’s this?”
“It’s all the information on Chloe’s party. Everything is detailed down to the napkins.”
“Napkins? She isn’t getting married, Scarlett.”
Scarlett rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry, they’re paper napkins. But they’re super cute and match the rose gold color scheme perfectly. Go ahead, open it, let me know what you think.”
I take a breath and open the file folder as I sit on the edge of the bed. Scarlett paces the length of my room as my eyes scan the pages, reading about everything from invitations, to a catered meal full of every kid’s favorite foods, to party favors, and of course, napkins. She even hired a DJ. After reading every last word, I set the folder aside and pull Scarlett between my legs.
With my hands cupped to the back of her thighs, I look up at her. “You rented out the local water complex.”
“I know!” Scarlett squeals, dancing a little jig. “Chloe and everyone in her class will have three hours of private access to the pool, all three water slides, and the splash pad. And do you know what’s even better than having a pool party?”
“Having it catered?” I say since Scarlett booked a caterer.
“Besides that. I hired a DJ. How cool is that? It’s going to be amazing. I really think the kids will like it.”
“Not like. Love. They’ll love it. I don’t even want to know how much this is costing you.”
“Don’t ask, and I won’t tell.”
I shake my head, but I can’t keep from smiling. “I can’t believe you hired a DJ.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already put together the playlist for the entire party. There will be no songs that talk about sex, drugs, or alcohol, and absolutely no cuss words.”
“You’ve thought of everything. I think the party might top the puppy I’m getting her.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
She wags her brows and smiles. “I have a few things in mind that you could do to thank me.”
One look at her hooded eyes and I know exactly what my little spitfire is thinking. I stand up, picking her up along the way, and then toss her onto the bed. Scarlett laughs as she bounces, and then settles against my pillows.
“Where’s Chloe?” she asks, glancing at the clock. “Shouldn’t she be home from school by now?”
“She had running club after school. I don’t have to go pick her up for another forty-five minutes,” I say, pushing Scarlett’s skirt up over her hips. “God, you’re beautiful.”
I slide her panties off and bury my face between her legs. Scarlett’s hips lift, and she grinds herself against my face as I kiss, lick, and suck her pussy. When I push two fingers deep inside of her, I glance up the length of her body and nearly come in my pants.
She’s propped up on an elbow. At some point, she managed to work down the front of her dress and is rubbing her breast. She twists and pinches her nipples into tight peaks while watching me.
“Fuck, that’s hot,” I say against her wet flesh.
Having her watch me as I eat her out is the sexiest thing. Her lips part, her breath comes in short pants, and then her legs begin to quiver, and I know that she’s close. She struggles to keep her eyes on mine, and when I suck on her swollen clit and roll my tongue around it, she loses the battle.
Scarlett doesn’t hold back. Her lids fall closed as she buries her fingers in my hair, holding me against her core as she screams through her release. I suck her dry and continue fucking her with my tongue until her body stops shaking.
“Jesus, Tucker,” she rasps as I lift my face from between her legs.
She’s all mussed with her dress bunched around her hips, and her breasts red from being played with.
“You liked that?”
“I loved that.” A beat passes. Her eyes clear and then soften. “I love you, so much.”
I reach between my body and the bed, work my pants down, and free my cock. “You’re about to love me a whole lot more.”
I crawl up the bed, kissing every inch of her body along the way until I’m hovering above her.
“I don’t think that’s possible.”