finally.
The tremble and uncertainty in her voice made his chest feel tight. Suddenly he worried she might cry again, like she had on the gondola, and he quailed at the memory. God, that had been torture. Every sob had twisted his heart. At that moment on the boat, he’d have done anything to take away her distress. He’d wanted to protect her at all costs, and now, here in the deserted banquet room with her weighted question hanging in the air, he realized with a growing sense of alarm that he was always going to feel that way.
He loved her.
He stepped backward, stunned by this revelation. His scalp prickled and he broke into a cold sweat. He told himself that maybe all this sentimentality was because he’d just taken part in the wedding of his lifelong friend. Plus, this was Vegas. Something about this town infected people with a nuptial virus, hence the wedding chapels on every block. Unfortunately, none of that canceled out the fact that his feelings existed.
He loved her. Love was serious. It meant commitment, exclusivity…things he wasn’t necessarily opposed to. He’d witnessed firsthand the happiness a man and a woman could have together. His parents were deeply in love with each other, to the exclusion of most everything else, including their son. Although most of his life he’d fought against resenting them for it, he did have to admit that his mom and dad had something special. What Tucker really craved was what the DeLucas had—a loving, inclusive marriage, one that embraced kids.
He just hadn’t planned on settling down yet. Well, to be honest, he hadn’t really planned at all. Like most guys, he’d never mapped out a specific timetable and relegated all that marriage stuff to “the future”. But maybe the future was now. Maybe his future was Mariah.
Gulping hard, he raised his gaze to hers and tried to talk, but the three words stuck in his throat. He cleared it, determined not to let nervousness get the best of him. Timidity didn’t serve him at the tables and it wouldn’t here either.
Time to go all in.
Leaning forward, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m moving here because of you,” he said clearly. “Because it’s really stupid to live on the opposite side of the country from the woman you love.”
He heard a little squeak as she covered her mouth with her hand. “You didn’t just say what I think you said.”
“Yes, I did,” he said. “I love you.” This time he sounded sure of himself.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted to share everything with her—successes and losses, hopes and worries and even the mundane, everyday goings-on of their lives. He wanted to know what kind of day she had, if she’d invented a new truffle. Hell, if she got a paper cut, he wanted to hear about it. He needed to take care of her, nurture her business, raise a family…all that sappy stuff that Tony had just pledged himself to.
Then he heard the unmistakable sound of her crying again.
“Oh come on, Mariah, please don’t cry. I hate it when you cry.”
He moved forward again, parting her knees so he could get as close as possible, and she threw her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, clinging to him with unexpected strength.
“I can’t help it,” she said into his neck. “I’m so happy. I’m filled up with happy and it’s coming out through my eyes.”
He chuckled, feeling perilously close to filling up too. Good thing it was pitch dark. And good thing he knew how to distract himself. With his declaration out of the way, he would take up where they’d left off. The heat of her pussy was burning him through his pants and his cock was waking up again.
Their mouths found each other, tongues too. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, as if he wanted to absorb her. She was completely off the chairs now, clinging him as he struggled to hold her up and undo his belt at the same time.
“God, I love you, Tucker,” she gasped as he freed his
The tremble and uncertainty in her voice made his chest feel tight. Suddenly he worried she might cry again, like she had on the gondola, and he quailed at the memory. God, that had been torture. Every sob had twisted his heart. At that moment on the boat, he’d have done anything to take away her distress. He’d wanted to protect her at all costs, and now, here in the deserted banquet room with her weighted question hanging in the air, he realized with a growing sense of alarm that he was always going to feel that way.
He loved her.
He stepped backward, stunned by this revelation. His scalp prickled and he broke into a cold sweat. He told himself that maybe all this sentimentality was because he’d just taken part in the wedding of his lifelong friend. Plus, this was Vegas. Something about this town infected people with a nuptial virus, hence the wedding chapels on every block. Unfortunately, none of that canceled out the fact that his feelings existed.
He loved her. Love was serious. It meant commitment, exclusivity…things he wasn’t necessarily opposed to. He’d witnessed firsthand the happiness a man and a woman could have together. His parents were deeply in love with each other, to the exclusion of most everything else, including their son. Although most of his life he’d fought against resenting them for it, he did have to admit that his mom and dad had something special. What Tucker really craved was what the DeLucas had—a loving, inclusive marriage, one that embraced kids.
He just hadn’t planned on settling down yet. Well, to be honest, he hadn’t really planned at all. Like most guys, he’d never mapped out a specific timetable and relegated all that marriage stuff to “the future”. But maybe the future was now. Maybe his future was Mariah.
Gulping hard, he raised his gaze to hers and tried to talk, but the three words stuck in his throat. He cleared it, determined not to let nervousness get the best of him. Timidity didn’t serve him at the tables and it wouldn’t here either.
Time to go all in.
Leaning forward, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m moving here because of you,” he said clearly. “Because it’s really stupid to live on the opposite side of the country from the woman you love.”
He heard a little squeak as she covered her mouth with her hand. “You didn’t just say what I think you said.”
“Yes, I did,” he said. “I love you.” This time he sounded sure of himself.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted to share everything with her—successes and losses, hopes and worries and even the mundane, everyday goings-on of their lives. He wanted to know what kind of day she had, if she’d invented a new truffle. Hell, if she got a paper cut, he wanted to hear about it. He needed to take care of her, nurture her business, raise a family…all that sappy stuff that Tony had just pledged himself to.
Then he heard the unmistakable sound of her crying again.
“Oh come on, Mariah, please don’t cry. I hate it when you cry.”
He moved forward again, parting her knees so he could get as close as possible, and she threw her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, clinging to him with unexpected strength.
“I can’t help it,” she said into his neck. “I’m so happy. I’m filled up with happy and it’s coming out through my eyes.”
He chuckled, feeling perilously close to filling up too. Good thing it was pitch dark. And good thing he knew how to distract himself. With his declaration out of the way, he would take up where they’d left off. The heat of her pussy was burning him through his pants and his cock was waking up again.
Their mouths found each other, tongues too. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, as if he wanted to absorb her. She was completely off the chairs now, clinging him as he struggled to hold her up and undo his belt at the same time.
“God, I love you, Tucker,” she gasped as he freed his
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