Chapter 25
NORA
ALL THE thoughts and emotions swirling in my head and chest come together to form a big lump in my throat, blocking my speech as I stare at him.
My head and heart wage a silent war in that moment.
My head is telling me to run; my heart wants me to wrap myself up in the arms of the man in front of me and never leave.
I’m sure I look like an idiot just standing here, my mouth partly open, and struggling to take a deep breath. A cool sweat breaks out across my forehead as my head wins the battle and I blurt out, “I have to leave.”
He takes a step toward me, and I take a step back, if he touches me, I won’t be able to walk away.
Just one touch from him and all reason will dissolve into his warmth and strength.
I can’t chance Matt doing something to him, something worse than false criminal charges.
He drained my bank account and shut it down like it was nothing.
What would he do to Tuck? Or even worse, his family?
I could never forgive myself if Matt were able to ruin Tuck in any way.
His eyes narrow as they move over my face before he looks over my shoulder to the duffel and my backpack on the bed. When he takes another step into the room, I step away again, putting more space between us.
Turning his head to look around the room, he coolly steps over to the dresser and sets the beautiful bouquet of roses, the box and his cowboy hat on top before turning back to me.
Every move he makes is controlled and lethal, like a predator circling its prey.
If it weren’t for the slight limp, he would be like a lion.
Sharp hazel eyes have me in their sights as he steps toward me again. I let go of the door handle and step back again; it’s like a game of tag-you’re-it. His intense focus says he has accepted the challenge.
Another step and he’s next to the door. Keeping his stare on me, he softly pushes it closed and turns the lock. My heart stumbles over its own rapid beat, and I clear my throat as my breath gets stuck behind the lump.
Fear of something happening to him because of me plays on repeat in my head as my back bumps against the wall with my next step back. But he closes the space between us anyway, my head tipping back to meet his heated stare.
My new boots add a couple of inches to my usual five foot five, and I don’t have to tip my head back as far to meet his eyes; his nose is just inches from mine.
Setting his palms on the wall on each side of my head, caging me in, my stomach clenches and a rush of heat washes over me.
Taking a calming breath, I try to hide my reaction to him, and lift my chin, but that’s the wrong move because his cologne tickles my olfactory and sends a spark right to my center, chipping away at my resolve.
His eyes dip to my lips and back up. “Why do you have to leave, sugar?” His deep masculine voice is controlled and wraps around me like a seductive caress.
The voice in my head is ordering me to tell him I don’t want him, to hurt him so he’ll go away from me where it’s safe. In total opposition to his firm voice, all I can manage is a raspy whisper. “Because I don’t want my past to affect you.”
In translation, I don’t want Matt to do anything to you because of me.
I didn’t think the heat in his eyes could smolder more, but the warmth from his broad chest is warming my front, and I have to curl my fingers into my palms to stop myself from touching him. Lifting his hand from the wall, his palm moves toward my cheek.
“Don’t.” I’m trying to be assertive, but the word comes out small, on a breath.
Holding his hand suspended in the air next to my cheek, his eyes narrow again. “Why?”
Sucking in a shaky breath, I ignore the tingles dancing on the surface of my skin. “Because if you touch me, I won’t be able to walk away.”
His eyes hold me captive as his palm gently brushes my jaw, his fingers wrapping around my neck as his lips meet mine. Logic vanishes. The kiss is not chaste or gentle; his tongue dips between my lips, and the patchwork dam I’ve erected to control my need for him collapses.
Wrapping his other hand around my waist, he pulls me flush to his front, his chest and stomach are hard against me.
Lifting my hands, I grab his stony biceps and press as much of my body as I can against his; every part of me craves him.
A small moan crosses my lips as he slips his fingers through the hair at my nape, fisting the strands to pull my head back and deepen the kiss.
It’s the hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced.
Lifting his head, his grip in my hair doesn’t loosen, and he locks eyes with me. His eyelids are heavy with desire. “Did you think I would let you go that easy?”
His breath tickles my cheek, and some of the anxiety crawls back up my spine. Tears sting my eyes as they volley between his. I don’t want to say it out loud, but I have to. “I got an email, I think he’s here.”
The lines on his face harden. “What did it say?”
Clearing my throat, I take a breath. “Found you.”
“That’s all?”
I nod.
Pressing his lips into a tight line, he grazes his thumb across my bottom lip as he nods. “He’s in Tulsa.”
Confusion pulls my eyebrows down, and I’m stunned silent for a moment. I try to pull away, but his arm tightens around my waist. “You know?”
Hazel eyes bounce back and forth between mine as he nods.
A small part of me feels betrayed in a way; he was looking into Matt, but he had to look into me to do that. Why? Setting my palms on his chest, I lean away until my head touches the wall. His arm doesn’t loosen around my waist even a little. “Did you not trust me to be honest with you?”
Tilting his head, his face softens. “Sugar, I don’t believe you have a dishonest bone in your body.
But just from what I heard, I knew he needed to be investigated.
My gut told me he’s much worse than you think.
” He slides his fingertips across my cheek and pushes my hair behind my ear as he takes a hesitant breath.
“He’s done some pretty bad things, some of them in your name. ”
My stomach drops, and I wonder what other false charges he’s pinned on me. Everything just keeps getting worse. What fresh hell has he brought to me now? I can feel the blood drain from my face, and I breathe the question, “What has he done?”
He looks around the room and lets me go to grab my hand. “Sit with me.” He pulls me to the bay window.
The fringe on my suede skirt swishes around my legs as I walk around the bed and sit next to him. He urges me to sit on his right side, and he keeps his left leg straight in front of him.
When I cross my leg over the other and the fringe of my skirt falls to the side, exposing my thighs, his eyes drop to my legs and the heat in them from earlier comes back.
I’ve always been self-conscious that I don’t have a thigh gap, it was something that was pointed out a few times, but the way he is looking at me right now makes me forget all about that.
Lifting his eyes back to mine, he blinks, and the heat dissipates as he turns his body to face me, setting his hand on my knee. This can’t be good.
Clearing my throat, I twist the ring on my finger. “Tuck, you’re scaring me.”
Setting his other hand on my fidgeting hands, he says, “Tell me about the papers your ex asked you to sign every few months.”
How can he even know about that? Then I remember Allison and Kinley telling me he was some kind of big shot in the military. Apparently, the kind that has connections.
“Well, he said some of them were for the bank accounts we shared, some were for some stocks he said were attached to some of them. He said we both had to sign because they were connected to our bank accounts for deposits. Why?”
“We’ll get to that; bear with me so I can get a better picture. How long have you been signing them?”
My face flushes in embarrassment; I don’t really want to talk about my ex with him.
Lowering my eyes, I clear my throat. “Right after I moved in with him after I graduated three years ago.” I also don’t want to repeat all the things I just followed blindly.
None of this shines a very flattering light on my decisions.
His finger taps under my chin, and he tilts my head up, genuine warmth looking at me. “Don’t hide from me, sugar.”
Wrapping my fingers around his wrist, I suck in a small breath. “I didn’t know not to trust him. He was clean-cut, he had a good job, he was nice in the beginning. I know from the outside, I look stupid, and I just don’t want you to think less of me.”
He cups my face in his hands, his eyes locked on mine. “He took advantage of you because you trusted him. I could never think less of you, sugar. But because you signed those documents, it’s put you in some pretty hot water.”
“I read the documents the first few times I signed them, but they were always the same, and it became a routine to just sign on the signature line next to the little arrow stickers that said ‘sign here’. What did he have me sign?”
He takes my hands in his, and a small wince blends with his signature squint. “I just found out that your ex and his brother are involved in insider trading through a shell company in your name. It’s all in your name, sugar.”
That’s a felony!
Son of a bitch!
Oh, my God! I let go of his hands and shoot up to my feet to walk to the other side of the room.
He was using me all that time. Everything clicks into place; all the questions in my head have been answered.
All the hot and cold behavior, the disparaging comments, and now I know just how ridiculous he made me.
Tuck stands up, but I’ve started pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed. I could go to jail. I stop and spin on Tuck, but my mind is spinning faster. “Am I going to jail? Am I being charged?” My hands fly to my mouth as a panicked keen escapes my throat.
Suddenly, anger straightens my spine. For three years my life was a dark lie. Sliding my fingers through my hair, I press my palms into my temples and the raging headache that is starting to squeeze my skull.
I lower my eyes to the floor and try to focus on logic. In my periphery, I see Tuck shift his weight to his good leg, his hands hanging at his sides. How can I put myself out there? How can I trust anyone? Should I listen to the warnings about him?
My heart splinters into pieces, and my chest feels like a boulder is sitting on me. I’m tired. I’m so damn tired. Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back.
“Can you leave, please? I need to be alone.” I keep my eyes on the scratched hardwood at my feet.
He doesn’t move. “I can’t do that, sugar.”
Jerking my head up, I drop my hands to my sides as I take a step back. “Why?” Is he here in a legal capacity?
Keeping his feet planted right where he’s at, he lifts his hands in surrender. “Look, I know you’re feeling betrayed and scared right about now, but I only want to help.”
I feel like I’m on a roller coaster and I can’t get off. The pull I feel toward him keeps grasping at every nice thing he says, but my head is screaming at me to distance myself. “You can help by giving me room to breathe. I need to think.”
His eye contact is steady as he nods. “I’ll give you all the room you want, but I won’t leave you here alone. I want you to come back to the ranch with me.”
I jerk my head back in shock. “What? Are you crazy?”
A smirk that doesn’t reach his eyes pulls the corners of his lips up. “I’ve been called a lot worse, sugar. But I won’t leave you here knowing you could be in danger.”
“How do I know for sure you’re safe?”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel like shit. He’s done nothing to hurt me, but I feel like I just shoved a knife in his back. That the smirk on his face falls and his eyebrows pinch together tells me he feels the same way. I want to apologize, but I can’t do it.
A slight nod tips his head, and he looks away from me. Losing his eye contact makes me feel like I’m bobbing alone in a cold, raging sea. I fight the urge to walk to him, ask him to forgive me, and force him to look at me, to get his steady support back.
Pulling his phone from his back pocket, he taps the screen a few times and the trilling sound of a call fills the room. He avoids looking at me as he watches the screen.
“Hey, what’s up?” Kinley’s perky voice meets my ears.
“I have you on speaker, and I’m with Nora. Did Rhys tell you about our conversation?”
Her perky voice turns angry. “Yes! He told me what that fucker did. Nora, are you okay?”
His eyes lift to mine as I answer. “To be honest, I’ve been better.”
“I’m so sorry, honey. Rhys is going to pull a team together and take care of this…”
Tuck interrupts her, his voice is clipped. “Kins, I need you to tell Nora it’s safe for her to go to the ranch with me. Her ex is in Tulsa, and I won’t leave her here alone.”
“Oh yeah, for sure! You need to go to the ranch. You’ll be safe there, my family won’t let him get to you. Rhys will be there tomorrow to go over everything with you.”
The guilt I’m feeling is making my eyes sting again as I look at Tuck. He’s trying to help. “Okay, thanks Kinley.”
“Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow. Tuck, take care of our girl, she…”
Tuck ends the call while Kinley is still talking and slides his phone back in his pocket. He looks at my full duffel on the bed. “Do you have more to pack?”
Remembering that I was gathering my toiletries when he got here, I look toward the bathroom. “Just a few things from the bathroom.”
He nods and walks past me to the door. “I’ll wait for you in the hall to get your bags when you’re ready.”
Damn it! I feel like such an asshole.