AMBER
It’s getting late. So late in fact, the sun has long since set on the horizon, and the inky dark sky has taken over. The stars appear in the sky, like a million tingling diamonds, and the faint sliver of the new moon can be seen.
And yet, despite how tired I am, and the fact I have the early morning shift at the kennels, I can’t sleep. I feel restless, as I pace from the bedroom, downstairs and to the kitchen to make a glass of lime water.
It could be the baby keeping me awake, but I think it’s more likely caused by the fact Caitlyn called me earlier to tell me Tucker is back in East Hampton.
Against the wishes of the doctors in California, he discharged himself and then got on a flight back to New York.
According to Caitlyn, Tucker hasn’t visited any of his brothers, and that fact alone worries me.
I can’t keep still. One moment I’m pacing around the kitchen, the next I’m sitting on the couch, winding a lock of hair around my fingers, only for me to stop a moment later and ball my hands into fists.
Fear gnaws at my stomach, making me feel sicker than any amount of morning sickness ever has.
Where is Tucker? Has he gone back to the drink already? Are his injuries so severe that he’s collapsed somewhere on the way home? Is he simply avoiding me, and everyone else, because he’s made his choice?
A knock at the door has me jumping out of my skin. My heart pounds as I clamber to my feet, and Elsa starts barking in her crate.
I quickly quieten my dog, and then hurry to the door. As I pull it back, I’m half expecting it to be the police, or one of the Braddock brothers, come to tell me Tucker is dead.
I let out a long breath when I came face-to-face with the familiar ocean eyes of the man I love.
He offers me a small, lopsided smile. “Sorry it’s so late. I had some stuff to sort out.” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other. I have never seen Tucker looking so uncertain. “I got your note. At the hospital, I mean. Can I come in?”
“Yeah.” I step back and allow him entrance, and then lead him down the hallway to the living room.
We both settle on the couch, but not close to each other. In fact, we sit so far apart we’re on opposite ends.
“How are you? Is everything okay with you and the baby?”
His brows draw together, and I can feel the worry radiating off him.
“I’m fine. We’re both fine. How about you? How are you feeling since getting out of hospital? Caitlyn told me you discharged yourself.”
“Yeah, I was going crazy in there. There’s so much I need to do.”
“Oh yeah?” I raise an eyebrow, and apparently that’s all the invitation Tucker needs, because he moves in closer, and takes my hands.
“Amber, I’ve got so much to tell you. I’ve been thinking about everything. Did you know Ryan threatened to cut off my inheritance if I don’t get my shit together?”
“Fuck. What did you do?” I imagine Ryan has a second black eye to go with his first.
“I told him I didn’t care.” Tucker laughs, but it isn’t the laughter of a crazy man. It’s carefree, like he doesn’t have a worry in the world. “Money doesn’t matter. Not to me. I almost lost everything anyway. But not you. Not you and the baby.”
He looks up at me hopefully, and I nod. “I meant what I said at the hospital. If you can prove to me that me and the baby are your priority, we can work something out.”
“I will. I’ve already started. I threw out all my drugs and alcohol, and I’ve booked myself in with the local AA group. I wanna get clean. I wanna sort my life out. I was already thinking about it after you came to see me at the hospital. Then Ryan visited and gave me his ultimatum.
“You know, almost dying really puts a lot of things in perspective. I’ve been running for the last five years.
Running from the pain of losing my parents.
Running from the pressure of living up to my older brothers.
Running from the responsibilities of being an adult.
And where has all that running got me? In intensive care, that’s where.
You know, I won the surfing contest, and then I was immediately disqualified because one of the officials realized I’d taken something. ”
“Shit,” I say, but Tucker shakes his head.
“No, it needed to happen. I needed to learn. I needed this wake-up call. I can’t go on like this Amber, crashing from one disaster to the next. I want my kid to grow up with a dad they're proud of, like I’m proud of my parents. I want the kind of relationship and happiness they had.”
As he gazes deep into my eyes, I see his eyes are shimmering with tears.
My own grow moist as Tucker continues. “They were perfect, you know? They built the whole resort up from nothing. Sure, by the time I came along, they were billionaires, but it wasn’t always like that.
They had to work hard for what they got.
But they did it. They never let it wear them down.
Even with five kids. They remained strong.
They were strong together. That’s one of the many things that really fucking sucks about losing them.
They never got to see what all their hard work became.
They really loved each other, too. Despite their flaws, and all the shit they went through, even at the end, I know my parents loved each other. And they loved all of us, too.
That’s what I want, Amber. I want you; I want our baby. I want you to both know how much I love you.”
Mine and Tucker’s lips meet in a passionate clash, as we try to get as close to each other as humanly possible. His arms wrap around me, and mine loop around his neck, as the kiss deepens and our tongues swirl together.
As we kiss, my hands move from his neck, down to his shirt, while he grabs my waist. Slowly, piece-by-piece, our clothing comes off. We break away from the kiss, breathless and almost naked.
“I want to take you to bed,” Tucker says, and for once, he isn’t staring at my tits. He’s staring deeply into my eyes. “I want to take you to bed and wake up with you tomorrow morning. Then, I want to have breakfast together, and plan the rest of our lives.”
I stand up from the couch and offer Tucker my hand. Then, I lead him upstairs and to my bedroom.
As I push open the door, he looks around, seemingly impressed.
“I didn’t invite you up here to admire my decorating taste,” I say, throwing the line he said to me all those months ago -- on the night of his housewarming party -- back at him.
Tucker burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you remember me saying that!”
We both fall onto the bed together, our lips quickly finding each other’s, as we continue kissing, and making up for lost time, as though we’ve been apart for years and not just a few weeks.
As our hands rove over each other’s bodies, our underwear is cast down to the floor, and finally, Tucker and I lay side-by-side, completely naked.
He cups my breasts, and grins. “I knew these were gonna get bigger now you’re pregnant.”
I laugh. “That’s all you want me for, isn’t it, my boobs?”
Tucker’s gaze locks on mine and he says, “Amber, you’ve got the most amazing tits I’ve ever seen. Seriously. But even if you had no tits, I’d still love you.”
Coming from Tucker Braddock, I know that’s the biggest compliment ever.
He kisses down my neck and chest and comes to a stop at the valley between my breasts. “One of these days, you’ve gotta give me a titty fuck,” he says.
I blink, and he laughs. “Only if you want to. And not now of course. Now, I need to be inside you.”
He pauses to suck on my nipples only briefly, before continuing down my body, his tongue leaving a trail as he gets closer and closer to my stomach. Once there, he pauses again.
Tucker splays his hand across my stomach, and asks, “How big is the baby now?”
“My baby book says about the size of a lemon.”
Tucker’s eyes widen. “You have a baby book? Can I borrow it?”
I giggle. “Of course.”
“And does it say anything about … you know … what we’re about to do?”
“Don’t worry, it’s safe. In fact, the book says if the woman feels up to it, sex is encouraged while pregnant. In the later stages, it can even help induce labor. The baby won’t feel anything, and when they’re born, they won’t remember or anything like that.”
Tucker looks relieved. “Okay, thank god, because I don’t know if I can go six months without sex.”
I laugh. “I know, me either. Especially not with you in my bed.”
I close the distance between us, beckoning Tucker up to me for another kiss. Our mouths meld together, and his hands slide down my body. He nudges my legs open gently and swipes his finger from my clit to my opening.
I take hold of his cock, grasping it in my hand, and stroking on it until it’s rock hard.
Tucker swirls his fingers around my clit, and then pumps them into my opening, until I’m wet and panting.
“Make love to me,” I whisper huskily.
That’s all the invitation Tucker needs. He breaks away from our embrace, and positions himself at my entrance, then gently plunges inside.
In the past, our sex has been frantic and animalistic, but this time, Tucker takes his time and moves slowly. I feel his hands cupping my cheeks, and I open my eyes to see him gazing softly at me.
“I love you, Amber.”
“I love you too, Tucker.”
-----
It’s way too early to be awake, but I need to be at the kennels soon. Tucker lays beside me, walking his fingers lazily up my midsection, as my body curls around his.
“You’re the boss. Can’t you just take the day off?” he asks.
I laugh. “No, that’s not fair on Cait. She's covered for me so much recently. Why don’t you come with me? We can walk Elsa, then I can show you how everything at the kennels works, and after that we can grab some breakfast.”
Tucker grins, presses his lips to mine, and throws off the bed covers. “That sounds like an excellent idea. Dibs on the first shower.”
I laugh as he races off to the bathroom.
If this is any indication what the rest of our lives together will be like, I can’t wait to get started.