naked body against him. She felt warm, slick with sweat from the heat and the quickened pulse. Kissing her, his hands roamed down the smooth contours of her neck to the perfect curve of her shoulders.
His soul knew her a million times over, even if it was their bodies’ first time. He caressed her flesh like a devoted addict, satiating his tangible understanding of her. He relished in the feel of her legs, smooth as velvet wrapped around his hips; he delighted in the taste of her moistened flesh as their bodies heated up; and his heart melted with the little gasp in his ear as his body joined hers. He understood it all in that moment. She was everything, and he was nothing without her.
Chapter 13
The sun filtered through the crack in the curtain, casting a line of light across the scuffed hardwood floor. Tucker rolled onto his back and stretched. There was a foreign feeling in his chest—a levity of spirit, possibly even an eagerness to roll out of bed and start a new day. Throwing back the covers, he swung his legs to the floor. He snuck a peek out his window. Josie’s silhouette moved about her kitchen. His lightened heart easily picked up speed.
Skipping breakfast, he headed to Josie’s and knocked on her door.
“Tucker,” she said, opening the door only wide enough for her head to poke out.
“You all right?”
“I, uh, I think I may be coming down with the flu. Or something.”
She sounded fine. A bad feeling crept up his spine, but he shook it off. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m okay. I just need sleep.”
“I could keep you company.” He leaned an arm against the door frame.
“That’s all right. I’ll be fine in a few days.”
He nodded, but didn’t move.
“I think I better go lie down.” Josie took a step back, closing the door.
Tucker placed his hand against the door, stopping her. “Josie, about last night…”
Josie’s hand flew to her mouth and her face drained of all color. “Please don’t. Not now.”
She did look like she was about to vomit. Tucker began to think maybe she was sick. “You have my number, right?”
She nodded.
“You call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” she said, shoving the door closed. He heard the lock turn, then the sound of footsteps as she ran through her house.
“Well, hell.” He headed to the garage and got his work done. Afterward, he visited Ella and picked up soup and ginger ale for Josie. He planned to make it for her, but she took the bag from him with a “thank you” and nearly slammed the door in his face.
He gave her three days, then returned, knocking on her door.
She answered looking like hell. Her curly hair was fuzzy, sticking out all over as if she’d been electrocuted, and she had large shadows under her eyes. He shoved the door open before she had a chance to hold it closed against him. Stepping into her cottage, he saw that the bag of food was still on her table. He looked inside. She hadn’t even unloaded it. There were no dishes in the sink. Turning to her, he asked, “Have you been eating?”
“Of course.”
Tipping her chin until she had to look him in the eye, he studied her. Her eyes were rimmed in red and her skin was too pale. Her hand wrapped around his wrist and her eyes sparkled with tears. His thumb brushed the tender skin of her cheek. “What is it, Josie? What’s wrong?”
She swallowed and tried to back away, but he wouldn’t let her go. Wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, he held onto her.
“You’re going to tell me what’s going on. No more I’m sick bullshit, either.”
She bit her lip. Her chin quivered, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Tucker’s own eyes stung and his chest tightened. Pulling her close, he wrapped her in his arms. As if exhausted, she sighed and laid her cheek against his chest.
Tucker kissed the top of her head. “Is this about the other night?”
She nodded.
“Then we should talk about it.”
She shook her head.
“It was
His soul knew her a million times over, even if it was their bodies’ first time. He caressed her flesh like a devoted addict, satiating his tangible understanding of her. He relished in the feel of her legs, smooth as velvet wrapped around his hips; he delighted in the taste of her moistened flesh as their bodies heated up; and his heart melted with the little gasp in his ear as his body joined hers. He understood it all in that moment. She was everything, and he was nothing without her.
Chapter 13
The sun filtered through the crack in the curtain, casting a line of light across the scuffed hardwood floor. Tucker rolled onto his back and stretched. There was a foreign feeling in his chest—a levity of spirit, possibly even an eagerness to roll out of bed and start a new day. Throwing back the covers, he swung his legs to the floor. He snuck a peek out his window. Josie’s silhouette moved about her kitchen. His lightened heart easily picked up speed.
Skipping breakfast, he headed to Josie’s and knocked on her door.
“Tucker,” she said, opening the door only wide enough for her head to poke out.
“You all right?”
“I, uh, I think I may be coming down with the flu. Or something.”
She sounded fine. A bad feeling crept up his spine, but he shook it off. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m okay. I just need sleep.”
“I could keep you company.” He leaned an arm against the door frame.
“That’s all right. I’ll be fine in a few days.”
He nodded, but didn’t move.
“I think I better go lie down.” Josie took a step back, closing the door.
Tucker placed his hand against the door, stopping her. “Josie, about last night…”
Josie’s hand flew to her mouth and her face drained of all color. “Please don’t. Not now.”
She did look like she was about to vomit. Tucker began to think maybe she was sick. “You have my number, right?”
She nodded.
“You call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” she said, shoving the door closed. He heard the lock turn, then the sound of footsteps as she ran through her house.
“Well, hell.” He headed to the garage and got his work done. Afterward, he visited Ella and picked up soup and ginger ale for Josie. He planned to make it for her, but she took the bag from him with a “thank you” and nearly slammed the door in his face.
He gave her three days, then returned, knocking on her door.
She answered looking like hell. Her curly hair was fuzzy, sticking out all over as if she’d been electrocuted, and she had large shadows under her eyes. He shoved the door open before she had a chance to hold it closed against him. Stepping into her cottage, he saw that the bag of food was still on her table. He looked inside. She hadn’t even unloaded it. There were no dishes in the sink. Turning to her, he asked, “Have you been eating?”
“Of course.”
Tipping her chin until she had to look him in the eye, he studied her. Her eyes were rimmed in red and her skin was too pale. Her hand wrapped around his wrist and her eyes sparkled with tears. His thumb brushed the tender skin of her cheek. “What is it, Josie? What’s wrong?”
She swallowed and tried to back away, but he wouldn’t let her go. Wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, he held onto her.
“You’re going to tell me what’s going on. No more I’m sick bullshit, either.”
She bit her lip. Her chin quivered, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Tucker’s own eyes stung and his chest tightened. Pulling her close, he wrapped her in his arms. As if exhausted, she sighed and laid her cheek against his chest.
Tucker kissed the top of her head. “Is this about the other night?”
She nodded.
“Then we should talk about it.”
She shook her head.
“It was
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