Give Me Something (22 page)

Chapter 16

“Would you wake up!?” I jumped up and down on the bed, trying to stir the most beautiful sleeping man I'd ever laid eyes on.  It was past noon, and I was in need of a meal after the serious calorie burning that went on only a few hours ago.

“
Would you relax?” Tucker grunted pulling the pillow over his face, never once opening his eyes.  I was pretty sure he mumbled something about me giving him a few more minutes to sleep, but that was not about to happen.  I quickly leaned down and snatched up the covers he was so snugly wrapped in.

“
Seriously, I'm starving!” I smiled as I watched him curl up when the cool air in the room hit his skin.  I knew I'd worn him out last night, but damn.  A girl's gotta eat!  I didn't get back to the city that often, and I really wanted to walk these familiar streets for a bit.  Tucker had taken me to his home; now it was my turn to show him off.

“
That's the worst thing you could have done, Garrison,” he said, his eyes shooting open to find me standing above him.  I'd been up for thirty minutes – dressed and ready.  He quickly reached up, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into his arms.  “Now you're going to have to lay here and keep me warm,” he ordered, curling his leg over the top of mine and closing his eyes. 

I wiggled beneath his limbs in a fit of laughter. “You're gonna mess up my hair!” I managed to say.

“Hasn't anyone ever told you not to wake a sleeping baby?” he asked, tightening the squeeze he already had on me.

“
Hasn't anyone ever told you never to keep a hungry girl waiting,
baby
?” I replied.  I added, “Not to mention, if I don't get something to eat ASAP, you can forget about a repeat of last night's events.”

“
Okay, buddy.  You win,” he admitted, rolling off of me and the bed, laughing.  “I'll get ready.”

I was amazed at how fast such a pretty boy could get ready.  Within fifteen minutes we were walking onto the elevator that had caused us so much trouble the night before. Only this time, we were alone.

“Come here.” Tucker placed his arms around my waist and pulled me into a kiss that I was thankful no one was present for.  “Who needs to eat?” He grinned with lips still against mine.

“
You promised you'd still love me even if I was fat,” I reminded him, “so now I want to get fat.”

“
About that...” He started to recant his words from before.  “I kind of love you just like this.”

“
Well if last night is any indicator of how this thing between you and me is going to go, I'll be able to eat a truckload a day and not gain a pound.” I playfully slapped his chest, as the elevator doors opened in the lobby.

“
Then get ready to eat your little heart out,” he said and kissed my forehead in the way that only he did, and we walked hand in hand out the door.  The November air rolling in off Lake Michigan was brisk, to say the least.  As I brought my freehand up to my lips, trying to spread a little bit of warmth to my freezing digits.  Tucker watched as I let out a breath of warm air into my clenched fist.  Taking my other hand in both of his, he drew it to his lips and did the same.

“
Pit stop!” he exclaimed, pulling me into the first store we strolled by on Michigan Avenue.  “This girl needs some gloves!” he announced as we walked into the designer boutique. Tucker's confidence and unapologetic way of entering the room made me laugh.  In fact, I didn't think I'd ever laughed as much as I did when I was with him.  Within seconds his credit card was in the hands of a very accommodating sales clerk and we were browsing their small selection of winter gloves.

“
I have some more in the back if you can't find what you are looking for out here,” the brunette clerk explained as she tilted her heart-shaped face and smiled.  I wasn't sure if she was being helpful because she'd already run Tucker's credit limit or because he was so easy on the eyes. 

I tucked my arm under his. “I'm sure we'll find something.  Right, honey?” I placed my chin on his arm and gave him a lovestruck stare, hoping Little Miss Helpful would take a hint.   The only thing she was going to get from him was a signature on a receipt.

“Well, just let me know if you need any help,” she said to excuse herself and walked back to the counter.

“
A little snarky this morning?” he jested, reaching out and grabbing a pair of black leather gloves.

“
First of all, it's afternoon,” I corrected him sweetly.  “Second, I was just staking my claim.” I took the gloves from his hands and quickly brushed my lips against his.  I ran my fingers across the smooth, soft leather and looked at the price tag.  “Tucker, you don't need to buy these for me.  I can pay for them.”

“
First of all,” he quickly fired back, taking the gloves from me and opening one up so I could slide my hand inside, “I know I don't
need
to buy you the gloves.  I
want
to.”  He wove his fingers between my now gloved-covered ones and smiled.  “And, second... you don't have to claim anything.  I'm already yours.”

I felt my heart melt as he tugged me toward him and his lips found mine.

$ $ $

After three hours of Chicago tourism and two slices of deep-dish pizza, we'd found our way back to our hotel room.  Tucker started picking up his clothes from around the room and placing them in his suitcase.  When he finished with his, he started on the mess of clothes I'd strewn about the room, picking up each piece and folding it neatly.

“What are you doing?” I asked, lying back on the bed.

“
Packing up.  I figured you needed to get back for class tomorrow.”

“
No, I mean with my clothes?”  I thought about the night I stayed in his room.  I'd magically woken up to my clothes neatly stacked the same way.  “Do you always do that?”

“
What?  Pick up after you?” he joked.  “Someone's gotta take care of you.”

“
Actually, I booked the room for two nights.  I don't have class until noon tomorrow.”  I motioned for him to join me on the bed, needing to get my hands on him and make sure I hadn't dreamed up this sweetheart of guy.

“
Oh,” he said hopefully, dropping the clothes in a pile and falling onto the bed next to me.  “Well in that case, I'm going to call room service and have them send up a bottle of champagne.”

I nodded,“That sounds fantastic.”

After he'd called down to the front desk, he rested his head in my lap and I clicked on the television.  It was nice to just lie with him.  Come to think of it, Nick and I hadn't just hung out in years.  It was always work and plotting.  “So, this is what it's like to have a boyfriend?”

“
What do you mean?” he asked, rolling onto his back to look up at me.

“
I've just never had a boyfriend who I just lounged around with.”

“
You mean in the con game you never just watch TV?”

“
No,” I chuckled.  “The kind of guys I was hanging around with never just wanted to watch TV.”

I could see the questions start to run through his head, knowing that he was debating on whether or not he wanted to know answers.  I couldn't just sit there and let him assume the worst.

“I never slept with any of them, if that's what you're wondering.”

“
Good to know,” he exhaled, as I ran my fingers through his hair.

“
I wasn't lying when I said I'd only been with one other person.” I tried to ease his mind.

“
Who was he?”  Well, my mind-easing backfired.  I had an idea that Tucker already knew who the other person was, but now I was going to have to confirm it.  I bit my lip and looked down on his face, not needing to actually speak.  “Nick?” 

I nodded.  “I should have told you.  I'm sorry,” I added, placing my hand on his chest.

“Don't be.” He placed his hand over mine, securing it to him.  “It is what it is.  I had a feeling it was him.”

I bent over and kissed him before sitting back up.  “It was a couple years ago and it only happened one time.”

“It's not a big deal.  You're over him, right?” I could still see a little bit of concern it in his eyes.  He had every right to wonder.  What he knew about our history would have been enough to make anyone wonder, and for a split second I pondered his question. 
Was I over Nick?

“
So over him,” I answered honestly.  Lying there with Tucker, I knew there was no one I wanted to be with more than him.  He'd given me something that Nick had never been able to.  Two things actually.  First, honesty, and second, his heart.  And as sappy as that sounded, it was the best score I'd ever made.  I'd never been happier than I was with him.  I hadn't thought about money or expensive things.  I just wanted him.  Maybe my parents had been on to something with that whole “love is all you need” thing.

He smiled.  “I mean, you were able to get over my past.”  He sat up and settled his arm behind my shoulders, inviting me to snuggle against him.

“That's right,” I agreed and ran my hand over his chest.  “All seventy-three of them,” I added.

“
Easy, seventy-four.  Don't go getting a big head,” he joked and looked down at me with a smirk.  I just shook my head and laughed.

“
We're not running with that nickname,” I added seriously.

“
Girl,” he said, raising an eyebrow, “you're number one in my book.”

I kissed him, knowing that it was true.

I spend the rest of the night trying not to think about how perfect the past twenty-four hours had been.  I had better sense than to think the mess I'd left behind with Nick wouldn't need some serious attention.  I knew now that I didn't want him the way I wanted Tucker, but I still needed some answers.  He'd lied to me about owing Belletti and I was bound and determined to figure out why.  Even if we weren't going to be anything more than friends, I was not going to watch him let the greed and need for revenge take over his life.

Chapter 17

After the ninety minute drive back to school the next morning, the majority of which was spent convincing Tucker – via cell phone – that I had to talk to Nick, I pulled into the parking lot of my dorm.

“I have to talk to him, Tucker.  He needs to hear everything from me,” I explained, turning off the engine.  I wished we hadn't had two vehicles in the city.  I was tempted to leave mine in long term parking and ride back with Tucker.  It would have been so much easier to have this conversation face to face.

“
I just don't understand why we can't talk to him together.  Better yet,” he added, “I don't understand why you have to talk to him at all.”

“
I just need to tell him what's going on between us.  He doesn't even know that I'm not trying to pull one over on you anymore.  He's not a horrible person.  He's made some jacked decisions, yes, but I can't just turn my back on him.  Not to mention, he's walking around thinking he's your brother.” The silence on the other end of line led me to believe I had Tucker's full attention.  “Plus, do you really think he'd listen to anything I had to say if you were hovering over him with that pissy look on your face.”

“
What pissy look?”

“
The one I know you're making right now.  The same one you make anytime Nick's name is mentioned.”

“
Whatever,” he snickered.

“
It will be fine.  I know you don't understand, but before all the bullshit started, Nick and I were really good friends.  He was my only friend for a long time.  I have to tell him the truth and find out why he lied to me.”

“
Okay,” he finally conceded.  “You promise you're over him, right?”

“
Absolutely,” I assured.  “You know, the sooner I deal with him, the sooner I can be
under
you.”

I heard him juggle the phone around as if I'd caught him off guard. “Are you trying to distract me with sex talk?” he finally blurted into the phone.

“Is it working?” I laughed.

“
I just about ran over Duncan in the parking lot.  Sorry man!” I heard him call out the window.  “Hurry up and get this over with.”

“
I will.  I have class in an hour.  I'll come by after that.” I stepped out of my car and shut the door behind me. “I love you.”

“
I love you, too,” he replied before hanging up the phone.

Just like I expected, Nick was waiting for me in my room.  I'd walked in expecting a fight, but when our eyes met, I could tell that this was going to be more like a war.

“Where have you been?  I've texted you like a hundred times,” he rambled quickly.  He didn't even take a breath.  “I swear to God, Rae. You better not have done something stupid.”

I dropped my bag on the floor and held my shoulders back, not wanting to let him get under my skin.  “First of all, I don't do stupid things anymore,” I crossed my arms over my chest as I witnessed the stunned look in his eyes.  “I went into the city to fix your
stupid
mistake.  You know, the one where you told me that you owed Marco Belletti a shit-ton of money.  Do you mind telling me why you lied about that?  I would have much rather spent my Friday night doing anything other than being eye-fucked by a sleazy criminal.”