Give Me Something (24 page)

$$$

“I missed you,” I said, falling on the overstuffed sofa in Tucker's living room.  Something about being in Tucker's country home gave me a feeling of serenity.  Nothing could touch us out here.  It was our place.  I was really hoping that Nick and Brynn would decline my invitation.  What was I thinking, inviting them both?  It was different when it was just Brynn.  I figured she'd seduce some hick down at the bar and end up spending the weekend in his bed.  If they showed up now, the two of them would obviously be sharing one of the guestrooms, and even thought I told myself I didn't care about the two of them being together, I didn't need to hear their all night sexcapades.  No, they wouldn't come.  Nick was probably beside himself that I'd found out about the two of them the way I did.  He'd been doing his best to win back my friendship.  There was no way he'd show up now.

“
I just went to get the bags.” Tucker strolled into the living room, dropped our suitcase on the floor and joined me on the couch.

“
What?”  I looked up at him, shaking the thought of Brynn and Nick crashing our Thanksgiving weekend.

“
You said you missed me.”

  “
I was talking to the couch,” I said, snuggling down into the mound of throw pillows.  “It's just so comfy.”

“
I see how it is,” he laughed, curving his hand over my bottom and nudging me forward.  He quickly slipped in behind me and wrapped his arms around my body.  “You're using me for my furniture.”

“
Among other things,” I giggled, pressing my backside into his lap and wiggling my hips.

“
I don't mind being used for that.”  He whispered against my neck, letting his fingers slip under the edge of my shirt and run across the skin at the top of my jeans.  I could feel every hair on my body stand up as a wave of excitement swept through me.  If the way he made me feel wasn't so damn good, I'd probably be pissed that, even after almost a week of uninhibited access to each other, he could still overtake my will at any given second.  I was finding it impossible to build any sort of tolerance to him.  All it took was one touch, one kiss, one word and I came unraveled. 
Who I am kidding?
  One look from him and I went into heat like a cat in the spring.  I rolled onto my back to gain better access to the mouth teasing the sensitive skin of my neck.

“
I'm about to make this couch your favorite place for a whole new set of reasons,” he teased and nipped at my lips with a devilish grin.  I was just about to fire back some witty comment, when he pulled his mouth from mine.  With eager eyes, I watched as he lowered himself down my body, stopping at my waist.  He inched up the hem of my shirt, before pressing his lips to the skin just below my belly button.  I pulled the shirt over my head then let my fingers find his hair as he continued to navigate his mouth over my stomach.  As much as I wanted to watch him skillfully drag his tongue across my skin, the feeling was just too much.  I closed my eyes, lowered my head back to the couch and enjoyed the ride, blindly anticipating the kisses and flicks of his tongue.  With each movement, my legs squeezed together, trying to force some relief to the steadily increasing, throbbing sensation at my center.  His lips moved higher and his hand parted my knees.  Centering his body between my legs, he pressed his erection into me.  Arching into him, my head went back farther as I stifled a moan between sealed lips.

“
We're all alone out here.”  I looked down to find Tucker hovering above my lace-covered breasts.  We weren't in my populated dorm or the thin-walled bedroom of his frat house.  We were in the middle of nowhere with no one around for miles.  “You don't have to hold it back,” he smirked, drawing the edge of my bra between his lips and tugging it down.  As soon as my breast sprang free of the fabric, his mouth was pulling it in, his teeth rolling the beaded flesh of my nipple between them.  My fingers tangled further down in his hair, pulling him closer, needing him to give me more.  “Greedy girl,” he chuckled as he lifted his head just long enough to tug his shirt over his head and pull the straps of my bra off my shoulders. He pushed the bra down to give him free access to my entire chest, which he lavished with attention with his willing lips and kneading fingers until the moans and whimpers that I was no longer muffling echoed off the ceiling. 

When I'd taken as much as could, I untangled my fingers from his hair.  Moving my hands to his chest, I pushed him up and slid out from underneath him.  Directing him to sit up, I stood between his knees, ready to give him back a little.  With him watching my every move with his sultry stare, I removed my bra from around my waist and dropped it beside me on the floor.  When my fingers moved to the button of my jeans, I watched him shift slightly in his seat with a hard swallow.  With the clasp undone, I pressed my jeans and panties to the floor and quickly stepped out of them.  “You're body is ridiculous,” he moaned and reached out for me, stroking my hips and my ego simultaneously.  His hands started to pull me closer to him.

“Now who's being greedy,” I joked and stepped back with a sexy tilt of my head.  “You're going to want to take your pants off for this part,” I advised, dropping down to focus my attention on the waistband of his jeans.

“
Yeah,” he quickly agreed, lifting his hips allowing me to slide them down after unfastening the button.  I slowly pressed up against him, dragging my mouth up his stomach and chest.  “Fuck,” he sighed, only intensifying what it was doing to me as well. “That feels so good.”

Each movement I made caused his already tight muscles to harden even more.   When I finally reach his neck, I drew my knees up and placed one on each side of his lap.  His hands and mouth quickly found their way back to me, and I willingly handed control over to him.  As he lowered my body onto his, I felt a wave of intensity rake through me.  “Tucker,” I breathed his name from my lips.  I didn't hold it back, and I relished the fact that it would soon be followed by another. 
Maybe I was a little greedy, but I had plenty of time to make it up to him and judging by the look in his eyes and the way his arms wrapped around my waist, raising and lowering me at the perfect pace, he didn't mind giving me exactly what I wanted.

When I felt him shudder with his release, I was more than satisfied.  His head rested against my chest as he regained his composure.  I raised his face to mine and kissed him.  “That was amazing,” I whispered, resting my head on his shoulder.  Even though I enjoyed the feeling of him being inside me, I started to pull myself free to put my clothes back on.

“What are you doing?”  He stilled my movement with his hands on my hips.

“
Getting dressed.”

“
I'm not done with you yet,” he warned and stood up, wrapping my legs around his waist.  On instinct, my arms moved around his neck.

“
What are
you
doing?” I laughed, watching him gracefully step out of the pants at his ankles and step forward.

“
Taking my naked girlfriend to the bedroom,” he informed, carrying me down the hallway.  “There's more furniture in this house that needs some attention.”

$$$

“What's the best score you've ever made?”  Tucker asked, running his fingers through my hair as I rested my head on his chest, after properly christening the bed.

“
You sure you want to hear all of this?” I looked up at him.  Somehow, our post-coital snuggle had turned into a Q&A with the con artist.

“
Yeah,” he nodded with a smile.  “It's pretty interesting, and it's kind of bad-ass that I'm dating a criminal.”

“
Former criminal,” I corrected him, staring up into his eyes.  “I'm a changed woman, Tucker Kline,” I added with a bat of my lashes.

“
That's right. I reformed a bad girl,” he chuckled, pressing his lips to my forehead.  “So, tell me.  What's the biggest haul?”

I rolled on to my stomach and folded my arms across his broad chest.  I settled my chin on my hands.  “Let's see...” I ran threw the countless jobs I'd been a part of.  “I'd have to say it was the time I pretended to be a Russian mail-order Bride.”

“Seriously?” Tucker asked, as if I'd completely made it up.

“
Seriously,” I confirmed. “Nick set up a website and everything.  We waited for the sucker with the biggest credit limit and then Irina took him for forty-two grand.”

“
No shit,” he said in disbelief.  “That's a lot of money.  Did you feel bad for taking it from him?”

“
Him?” I thought for a second.  “No.  He was scum.  I think I was the fifth or six girl he'd arranged through the internet.  He just wanted some foreign girl who didn't understand English that he could treat like shit.  Four of his exes had restraining orders against him for beating them up.”

“
Did he hurt you?”  His eyes were suddenly full of concern.

“
No.  Only took me a week to weasel that money out of him.  He liked to flash it around.  It didn't take much convincing to get him to buy me things or hand over cash.  I was never even really alone with him,” I shrugged.  “Nick would never let anyone hurt me.  He was always around in case I needed him.”

I watched as Tucker's concern turned to anger and once again it was directed at Nick.  “He should have never asked you to be in a situation where it was even possible for you to get hurt.”

“The decisions I made were mine, Tucker.  Not Nick's,”  I defended.  “I had my priorities confused.  I was greedy, jealous, and stupid, even though I thought I was being smart.  Money was all I could think about.  I didn't want to go back to being poor.”

“
Is that why you don't speak to your parents? 'Cause they're poor?”  Hearing him ask me that question made me feel about two inches tall.  How had I become such a shallow person?  I'd actually cut off all ties to my parents because I thought I needed money to make me happy.

“
Yeah.” I reluctantly nodded. “I'm a horrible person.”  I felt a tear run down my cheek.

“
No.” He quickly sat up and drew me into his arms.  “You said it yourself... you've changed.  It's not too late to fix things with them.  Everybody makes mistakes.  I mean, shit, I have a delinquent little brother because of my dad's mistake.”

I nodded with his sentiment, watching the tears from my eyes fall down my cheek and onto the smooth skin of his chest.  I drew my hand up to wipe the wetness away, not wanting to taint him with my imperfections.  I really hoped he was right.  I'd regret my past – the cons, the lies, the manipulation.  But more than that, I regretted pushing my family aside without a thought of how it made them feel. 

“What made you change your mind? About the whole life of crime thing,”  Tucker asked when I finally got my tears under control.

“
You,”  I answered without hesitation.  Before Nick asked me to do the job with Tucker, I'd half-ass attempted to be a good person, but as soon as he asked me to help him I jumped right back in.  It wasn't until I fell in love with Tucker that I realized none of it mattered.  “I don't need the money or expensive things.  The only thing I want or need is you.”  Cupping my cheeks in both of his hands, he drew my face up to his.  His thumb brushed a stray tear from my cheek.  “I love you,” I whispered, leaning toward him.

Just before his mouth reached mine his lips curled into a smile.  “I love you, too,” he added before letting our lips meet.

Chapter 19

The knock on the door the next evening was expected.  What wasn't was who was behind the door.  They actually showed up.

“
Hi,” Brynn mumbled when I pulled the front door open.  I could tell by the reserved way about her that she was nervous.

“
Hey!” Nick didn't hesitate barging through the door.  “Thanks for the invite!” After a quick peck on my cheek, he made his way into the foyer.  I knew by the way his eyes were jumping around the room that he was casing the joint. 

“
Don't even think about Nick.” I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow.

“
I would never!” he brought his hand to his heart as if I'd actually offended him.  “Just checking out how the other side lives.”

“
I'm really glad you invited us,” Brynn finally spoke, as she pulled her coat off.  “I wasn't sure...”

“
Don't,” I said as I took her coat and hung it on the hall tree.  “I should be furious with you, but I'm not.  I get it.”  The anxious lines on her face slowly faded.  “But take it from me Brynn. Things with him are not always what they seem.  You need to be smart.”

She brushed her hand down my arm. “Thanks, and don't worry,” She nodded in Nick's direction.  “I see him with both eyes opened.”

“I hope so,”  I sighed.  “So, right this way...” I led them into the kitchen, dreading the look on Tucker's face when he saw our guests.  I hadn't exactly told him that I'd invited both of them.  My assumption that they wouldn't show up, gave me a good reason not to tell him.  There was no sense in bringing up Nick's name if it wasn't necessary.  “Hey babe,” I called out sweetly, gaining his attention from the drink he was mixing.  “Brynn and Nick are here.”