Tucker had to grin, enjoying her excitement. But it also saddened him that he wanted to use her joy over New York food to press her about her old life. See if he couldn’t find out something more, anything that would allow him to help her.
He couldn’t think of a way to tell her what had brought him to Safe Haven without screwing everything up. Trying to convince her that he believed she was innocent and he was on her side wouldn’t be enough. She’d be furious and frightened and would probably never trust him again.
That wasn’t part of the plan. Even if he explained his about-face, she’d still know he’d lied to her. If their situations were reversed, he wouldn’t believe anything that came out of her mouth.
All she was doing was trying to protect herself. And she’d done it by being a selfless defender to those that couldn’t defend themselves. So what the hell should he do? Damn. If Christian had told the truth, and the mob was involved, Tucker’s choices had narrowed considerably. His first priority was to keep her safe. Even if it meant she’d hate him forever.
“What’s the matter? Are you okay?”
Pasting on a quick grin that became genuine as soon as he saw the concern in her eyes, he nodded. “I’m fine. Too many things look good. Like the Parmesan chicken sandwich. And the Bronx Bomber.”
“That’s the Philly cheese steak, right?”
He nodded. “So tell me. Carnegie Deli or Katz’s?”
“That’s a trick question. The pickles at Carnegie and the pastrami at Katz’s. And how does a cowboy from Dallas know about Katz’s, anyway?”
He shrugged. “Well, shucks, ma’am. I’m not rightly sure. But I think I hopped on that there subway train from Midtown to the Lower East Side, and there she was.”
She ducked her head and looked at him through her lashes. “God, you’re adorable.”
“It’s a burden, but one I’ve grown to accept.”
The waitress came by to take their hefty order, but Annie still made the time to ball up her straw wrapper and throw it at his head. She had damn good aim, too.
The best part of the meal was hearing her make the sounds he hoped to duplicate when they got back to the room.
The other great thing was her laughter. She seemed like a different person, sitting across the booth from him. No wonder. This was probably her first break in years, and it had been a revelation. Seeing her shed the burden of her responsibilities gave new light to her eyes, and when she smiled...
She made him forget, for long moments at a time, that he was unsure how to help both her and his brother, that his mother was walking on thin ice, that he had grown so used to being alone he’d learned to ignore the loneliness.
“Think we could stop here tomorrow before we head back home?”
“Sure.” He wanted to sit here for hours, just staring, thinking about how her eyes matched the blue of the sky. “To eat here or carry out?”
She sighed, leaning back in the booth. “I’m taking home as much food as will fit into my fridge.”
“That would be what, half a sandwich?”
She glowered. “There’s another fridge in the stable, you know. A big one.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to put the cheesecake on the same shelf as the pergolide.”
“Where there’s a will...as they say.”
“I’d be delighted to help you improve your stash. Frozen burritos? That’s just not right.”
Annie leaned forward. “Guess what? You do what you have to. Money’s tight. And you know as well as I do that horses are accidents waiting to happen. Not to mention goats. I swear, they should have first-aid competitions at rodeos. I can wrap a blown kneecap in under a minute when necessary. And that includes any injections.”
How was it possible to become even more impressed with this woman? And how quickly could he get her back to his hotel room?
12
“L
ET
ME
HELP
YOU
WITH
THAT
,”
Tucker said, walking toward Annie with a wicked smile.
“You’re so thoughtful.” She had already taken off her boots and socks and left them in the main room. The bath was filling quickly, the scent of lilacs hinted at summer gardens and would be forever imprinted with Tucker in her memory.
Unlike the first rush to push aside anything standing in the way of sex, he took his time unbuttoning her shirt. Would she have to get rid of these clothes once he left? Hide them in coffee cans so they wouldn’t torment her?
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to be present, right here, right now. Why was it so difficult to stay in the moment with him? To experience every second as it was happening instead of jumping ahead?
After her shirt fell, she took hold of him. Instantly, she felt more grounded. Of course she’d have to let him go, but for now, contact was all important.
He’d been looking down at her chest, at her ugly bra, but then he shifted his gaze to her face, to her eyes. His touch halted as they met in a kiss. It was easy and sexy, and each time they parted lips, they kept hold of each other with their warm breath, and when they came back together it was a jolt of the best kind. Again and again, as if they were near a waterfall, lying in a meadow, alone in a steamy cave, all at once while never leaving the simple, spacious bathroom in an ordinary hotel.
Both of his hands, so strong and real, went to her bare waist and she came back to earth. He undid the buttons of her jeans as if he were popping champagne corks, and the image made her laugh.
“What?”
“Nothing. You. A bubble bath.”
Just his smile did startling things to her. “Exciting, huh?”
“You have no idea. I have recurring dreams of taking long, luxurious soaks in perfectly scented water.”
“Did they include a devilishly handsome man tending to your every need?”
She sighed as she leaned against him. “They will from now on.”
“Good,” he said, his lips close to her ear. “Keep that thought.” Pulling away, he turned off the water, then came back to finish his task.
“I like that look.”
She shook her head, not understanding.
“You, just like that. Your jeans open, bare feet.”
“My retro bra?”
“Yes, even your retro bra. I want to get my camera, take a picture. I’d put it up on the inside of my locker.”
She grinned, because it was such a sweet notion. “You’re a long way from locker rooms.”
“I don’t know. I could go to a gym. I think I’d sign up for one if you’d be my pinup.”
“Those kind of lockers are temporary.”
His smile changed into something else. “And you’re for keeps.”
She stopped. Stopped everything, including breathing, because he hadn’t meant... That would be ridiculous. Turning away, not wanting to see him wince at his mistake, she finished taking off her jeans.
When she reached behind to unfasten her bra, he touched her hands, moving them down. His mouth went to the curve of her neck, where he brushed away the awkwardness with his cool lips and warm tongue.
She let her bra slide down her arms, pool at her feet. His gentle hands cupped her, teased her nipples. She cocked her head to the side to give him all the room he wanted, and he kept up his delicious assault on the sensitive skin just below her ear.
Her eyes opened—she hadn’t even realized they were closed. Now she was facing the mirror, but she couldn’t see herself or Tucker clearly. They were shapes in the steam, nothing specific and real, and wasn’t that perfect?
Nothing real. This was the image she’d hang on to. The one that felt like a dream. Anything else was too dangerous.
Tucker chose that moment to run his hand down her belly straight into her panties. Dreams be damned. His finger found the precise spots that would give her the most pleasure, and he played her like a Stradivarius.
Part of what made her body thrum was listening to his breathing change. Deepen. Grow harsh and insistent as she trembled. Two fingers pushed inside her, though the building pressure of his circling thumb was what got to her the most.
Standing was becoming an issue. She reached behind her and grabbed what she could. Lucky for her, it was mostly his butt. God, the thickness of the denim was unfair. She wanted skin...she wanted to grip him with both hands and feel those muscles. Mark him so that later, when they were in bed, she could run her tongue where she’d scratched.
“Jesus,” he whispered. The pumping stopped as he pushed his hips forward, pressing his trapped erection against her bottom. He hadn’t even taken off her panties, and she was going to come.
She ground back into him, even though it cost her the pressure of his thumb, the steady buildup of intensity. Didn’t matter, his groan was worth it.
He bent lower again, and this time, he wasn’t teasing. Not with his fingers and not with his mouth. There were no kisses. Just his voice. Closer than anything, almost inside her head as he whispered, “Come for me, sweetheart. Come on. I want to feel you squeeze around my fingers. Do it. I’ve got you.” His warm breath clipped her ear. “Just let go. Let go.”
Every muscle strained. Then she shattered. But he was there to catch all the pieces.
* * *
T
UCKER
WAS
ABOUT
AS
HARD
as he’d ever been, but there was no way on this earth he was going to disrupt Annie’s bliss. She could barely stand, which he took full credit for, and the bathtub was ready and waiting. He was going to massage her neck, even though there was no really comfortable place to sit. But then there didn’t seem to be much comfort at all in his immediate future. Which was okay. He wasn’t the one who’d had to deal with that joke of a shower in her farce of a cabin. He hadn’t given up every luxury, every piece of himself, to hide from an uncertain future.
He’d tried to think what he would have done in her situation, at least what he knew of it, and he doubted strongly that he would have devoted himself to the care and feeding of abandoned animals.
“Oh, my God,” she said, stirring as he pulled his hands from out of her panties. He’d made sure not to linger inside her after her orgasm, because she was sure to be sensitive and there was so much more of the night left. But it took a lot for him to stop petting her just below the line of her underwear.
“Are you ready to get into the tub?”
She nodded. Her arms dangled by her sides, her head lolled to the right. Even her eyes were half-lidded. “That was...”
“Yes,” he said, kissing her lightly on the top of her shoulder. “Can you stand? Just for a minute. Let’s get those panties off so you can get in the tub.”
“Ohhh. The bath. Yes. Okay.”
He waited for a sign she intended to move at all. Finally, just when he was planning how he could carry her into the tub without causing a horrible mess, she shifted her weight from him to her own two feet. “There we go.”
“I’m perfectly capable of standing on my own,” she said, awfully petulant for someone swaying as if she were drunk.
“I am very aware of that fact, Ms. Sheridan. You are capable of so much.”
She sniffed, then smiled. “Are you getting in the tub with me?”
“Nope. That’s all yours.”
“But what about...” She turned around and put her hand directly over his cock.
He jerked back as if she’d burned him. “That’s fine. We’ll take care of that later. It’s your turn to relax.”
“That’ll probably be gone by the time I’m done.”
“It won’t be gone for long, I promise.”
She sighed, and he could see her returning from her orgasmic haze. With a two-handed push and a hip wiggle, her underpants dropped to the floor. “That was better than any massage I’ve ever had at any spa.”
“I should hope so. Damn. What spas do you go to?”
“I wasn’t being literal.” She walked over to the tub and put her fingers in the water. The bubbles weren’t as plentiful as they had been, but there were still enough. “Perfect.”
“Good. I’ll let you get settled, then come back to lend a hand.”
She smiled as her eyes widened. “Like the one you just gave me?”
“I was thinking of a shoulder rub, but I aim to please.”
She left her bath and circled her arms around his neck. “This is the best vacation ever. You’re not what I expected.”
“In what way did I disappoint?”
“Funny.” She tipped her head back. “I mean. You’re still here. You’ve been generous, and I don’t mean just the check. Generous with yourself. Your time, your attention. I thought I’d show you paperwork, and take you for a tour. That would be that, and then we’d find out later whether Safe Haven made the grade.
You
were definitely a surprise.”
“I guess we were both caught off guard. You’re not who I pictured, either.”
“I’m just a hermit who’s found her calling.”
He huffed. “Not even close.”
She kissed him and there was no possibility his erection was going down a centimeter when he held her naked against him, when each kiss was better than the last.
When he finally pulled back, it was with great reluctance. “Your water’s getting cold.”
“There’s more where that came from.”
One more peck on the tip of her nose, and he moved out of her arms. “Go relax. Enjoy. Soak until you’re one big prune.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet...what an image.” She laughed and stuck a foot in the water.
He left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He rested there for a minute, waiting for his cock to settle down.
As soon as he checked his phone and saw that he had three voice mails, he cooled off. Too anxious to wait and listen, he checked the list of incoming numbers. None from George or Christian, only business associates. The pressure in his chest eased. It wasn’t as if he was expecting the other shoe to drop at any second. He knew Annie was safe. So was his mother. No reason to think anyone, criminal or otherwise, was lurking in the shadows.
Only George knew Tucker had actually found Leanna and that they were in Montana. As far as Christian and Irene were concerned, they thought maybe Leanna had been located, no certainty there. He pondered for a moment, unable to recall if he’d told Irene he was in Montana. Shit. He couldn’t remember. He had a feeling he had told her, but she obviously hadn’t passed the information to Christian.
Restless, he picked up his iPad. The amount of work piling up and the panic he sensed in Darren’s email was enough to put a damper on his mood under normal circumstances. Now it barely provided a distraction.
This wasn’t like him. None of this. His original goal was met the moment he’d realized Annie was in fact Leanna Warner and found corroborating evidence. The next step should have been a phone call to the New York district attorney’s office and a return trip home.
He hadn’t even been gone that long, which made no sense. He felt as though he’d known Annie for weeks. Longer. The connection with her had been fast and deep, unlike anything he’d experienced before.
His unromantic soul had dismissed such a thing as possible. And yet here he was, having willingly put his life on hold. He’d written her a twenty-thousand-dollar personal check. That did not happen.
He’d been raised to be cautious not only with money but with his trust, his admiration, his affection. She’d broken through all his barriers with no apparent effort.
Looking at the bathroom door, imagining her soaking in the tub, eyes closed, the water lapping at her skin, he realized he wouldn’t have changed a thing. Not that there wasn’t more work to do, because now that he had her, he wasn’t about to lose her to false identities and an overeager D.A.
The thing with Christian wouldn’t be easy, though. Their relationship was already so muddled, and now with his mother pinning all her hopes for the future on winning her son back, Tucker had no idea what the outcome would be. It wouldn’t do him any good to keep beating himself up for being so intentionally blind to his brother’s connection to the embezzlement, but it was hard not to regret it. Not simply on his mother’s behalf, either. He would like to have a brother again, not a memory overshadowed with guilt.
Now, all the blinders had to come off. He hoped there were extenuating circumstances and that Christian would walk away from this debacle with his reputation intact. Maybe he and Annie had both been duped somehow, or Christian had been the one coerced by bookies. What a mess.
His gaze fell on his briefcase, the files for Leanna Warner locked safely inside. In a way, he had known Annie longer than a few days. He’d studied her past, learned who she’d been as a teenager. How honorably she’d conducted herself as an adult. He knew her better than he did Christian. Tucker wasn’t wrong about her. No doubt in his mind. The woman described in those files was exactly the one behind the bathroom door. Someone like her didn’t suddenly rip off charities.
She was, however, a woman to whom he’d promised a shoulder rub, and he was nothing if not a man of his word. He put away the iPad. The real world would suck them back in soon enough.
* * *
A
NNIE
’
S
IDEA
OF
HEAVEN
was made complete when Tucker took off his clothes. She’d even made sympathetic noises when he complained about how cold the bathtub rim tiles were on his ass as he settled himself behind her, his legs in the water on either side of her arms.
But the true beauty of this moment of perfection didn’t hit until he began rubbing her neck. His technique was basic and effective. Mostly just hands on skin and pressing down on parts that hurt until they stopped hurting.
Eyes closed and body floating on a sea of endorphins, she moaned as she let him have his way. It surprised her to find she’d been running her hands up and down his legs, because she didn’t remember starting. It was nice, though. He had great calf muscles.
“Oh, right there,” she said, as his thumb went deep right next to her spine.