TUCKER: Valley Enforcers, #3 (15 page)

I let my head fall against him completely, my damp forehead bouncing from the back of the couch to his strained neck. “Fuck, yes.”

Tucker let out a rush of air, his chest pushing into mine. He grunted, “You like that, Em?”

I wasn’t sure exactly what the ‘that’ was but I let out a wail of approval as his pace quickened. “Yes – God, Tucker – don’t stop!” I could feel him in my stomach. We were so close that his groin ground against my clit. Pleasure rolled from my toes to my fried brain, and just as I was losing the battle with my orgasm – he stopped. “What the hell?
Tucker!
”

I didn’t have to look at him to know he wore a rakish, annoying smirk. He nipped my ear teasingly, warm laughter zapping me full of love. “Something wrong, baby?”

“Something wrong?” I mocked, struggling against his hold. “Yes something’s wrong! If you don’t start doing that thing with your hips again I’m going to murder you in your sleep.”

“No need to be so vicious.” He let go, and I wobbled as I leaned back to stare at him; my eyes twitching involuntarily with pleasure as I slid further on his rod. Tucker seemed to be affected, too, as he let his head hit the cushion. “Ride me, Em. I want to watch you.”

We both were near our breaking points, and though I hadn’t done much more than sit helplessly as he fucked me, my muscles screamed a protest when I started working his cock. Our moans synced up. Though I wasn’t going as fast as Tucker had been, I was just as deep. He penetrated me to my core, and I couldn’t remember ever feeling as full as I did in that exact moment. While it had been raw and hard and rough when he
fucked
me, this was sensual and deep and I was overcome with the need to cry. We were making love.

Bodies slick with sweat and hands that couldn’t quite stop roaming, we came together. The coil in my core unraveled. Despite my strained muscles, I lifted my body and rocked harder. His name was on my lips along with the taste of blood as I willed myself not to let my fingers elongate into claws; the need to mark him was nearly as powerful as my orgasm. Moments later his hands slid up my legs to my hips where he guided me through his own tremors. Feeling his release without a latex barrier between us for the first time made me feel like I could touch the stars.

We stayed like that for a few lingering seconds before my discomfort forced me to carefully lift myself from his body and stand. My muscles quaked out of their own volition as I attempted, and failed, to keep my legs crossed.

“I think I’m going to faint,” I joked, but I was pretty sure it was the truth.

Tucker, who had raised his arm to his forehead, dropped it back down so he could push up off the couch. He wore a lazy smile, like a satisfied cat, as he circled my waist and pressed a few kisses to my neck. “You’re welcome.”

“Cocky, much?”

“I’m just teasing you, Em.” Like he couldn’t stay away, he kissed me again. Our bodies swayed to non-existent music. “Why don’t you take a bath? I can cook something real quick, and we can watch a movie.”

“We can take a shower together – no funny business; I’m still recovering. Then we can order takeout and watch
Neighbors
. Deal?”

His bear hummed approval before I got the words. Tucker slid in front of me, goofy smile still in place, and tilted his head towards the hallway. “So does that mean you’re not going to kick me out? I can stay for the night?”

You can stay forever
.

“I don’t work tomorrow morning,” I responded, as if that was the answer to the million dollar question.

It seemed to work for him. “It’s a date, then.”

And it sort of was. We showered together, sticking to the ‘no funny business’ clause. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to handle another round, so afterwards I put on my frumpiest pajamas and spread out my favorite takeout menus on the kitchen counter. We settled on Thai; it was Tucker’s first time, so I helped him pick out the perfect meal. We put the movie on while we waited for our delivery; and despite my bright pink Eifel Tower pajama pants from my high school days and a
Star Wars
shirt – two sizes too big, Tucker still wound up with his hand up my shirt and his lips against mine.

That night, after firing off a few text’s to Kate (who left me a rattling voicemail about my monkey sex interrupting her attempt to sleep off her margarita), Tucker and I retreated to my bedroom. This time, there was no denying that we were
making love
. And I’d never felt so complete.

Emily

Brows furrowed, I looked over my shoulder at Tucker. “You sure you want to do this?”

“You’re really dramatic. Anyone ever tell you that?” He ran a hand through the back of his hair and flashed me his pearly whites. He’d been doing that a whole lot since the night before – smiling, that is. He seemed happier. Lighter. It warmed my heart. “She’s your best friend. Of course I want to meet her, Em. You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together. I’m going to need to meet her at some point.”

I turned back to the door to hide my frown.
Spending a lot of time together
. There was a bitterness in my mouth that I couldn’t quite place. Though I desperately wanted to bring up the elephant in the room – our status as a couple; were we fated mates, as I hoped, or was this a little more than a fling for him – nothing sounded right and the timing just seemed off. Tucker said the words and made the promises, but after Connor I had a hard time believing just words. There was a twinkle in his eyes, though, when he looked at me. And the heat beneath his voice when he told me he loved me spoke more of the things not said than the three little words that passed his lips.

We’d find time eventually to talk about it, and I was happy just having him back in my life. Time didn’t mean a hell of a lot to shifters, but that didn’t mean rushing things was necessary. Nor did it mean we were comfortable with rushing. Raised in a human world where “insta-love” was a creation of the story books, it was hard not to buy into the structured formality of what most would consider a lasting relationship. It didn’t matter if shifters claimed the first day they met or waited two years; their love was pure and true.

“Are you alright, Em? If you don’t want me to meet her, you just have to say something.”

“What?” I shook my head. Realizing he couldn’t really see me, I turned around fully and smiled at him. It was genuine. “Sorry; I just got lost in my head. You ready? Kate only has forty-five minutes for lunch, so we better hurry. She’ll be mad if she gets to the restaurant before us, and then I’ll owe her frozen yogurt and it’ll be a whole big thing.”

He made a disgusted face. “Don’t tell me you two are on the frozen yogurt bandwagon.”

“Have you ever
tried
fro-yo?” I gawked, ushering him outside. I waved to Echo, who didn’t even lift her head up, before pulling the door shut and locking it.

“You think we don’t have frozen yogurt out in little ol’ Brown Bear Valley? I know you think you Missoula folk are hotshots, but I ain’t just a country bumpkin.” He drawled his words, laying a really heavy cowboy accent that had me giggling like a schoolgirl. He ran his hand along the top of my Jeep. “Heck, this is one fancy auto-mobile you got here, pretty lady.”

“Stop,” I laughed, motioning for him to get into the passenger seat. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just know that my brother refuses to try it because he thinks it sounds gross and way too California for his tastes.”

“I don’t even know what that means, but I agree. Hey, maybe we’ll have something to talk about in between blows. You’ll still love me when I have to knock your brother’s teeth out, right?”

“You say I’m the dramatic one, eh? Look, don’t worry about what my family thinks. It’s not like you’re going to meet them so it’s not a big deal.” Suddenly, it felt like all the air was sucked out of the car and we were vacuum sealed in with my words. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that it’s not like we’re going to meet with them for lunch. Things will blow over. Shawn just has a short fuse, and with all the shit going on with the poachers he’s especially rowdy.”

“I get it, Emily. It’s fine.” His tone indicated otherwise, and I cringed when he used my full name. We drove in silence for a few minutes before he reached over and placed a hand on my knee. When he spoke, his voice was lighter. “It’s poachers, then? Is your Alpha taking preventive measures?”

“Of course he is. The rotational group shifts started a few days ago. My wolf liked being around her pack. I think Echo is mad at me because I can’t take her out so we can run around together, but I’m not taking those chances. She’s not a wolf, but she has beautiful fur.”

“Just group shifts? That hardly seems like enough.”

Despite my frustration, I cracked a smile. “No, not just group shifts. I can’t talk about pack policy with you, Tucker. You of all people should know about that. Alpha Matthew has things under control.”

“I hate that your safety is out of my control.”

“When I’m with you, I’m the safest I’ll ever be. When I’m not with you, I follow the rules and stay at home. I’m not ruffling any feathers or making waves. Nothing is going to happen to me. I should be the worried one, anyway. You showed up last night with a chest full of new scars.”

Like a nervous tick, his fingers drew circles over my jeans. Chagrined, he admitted, “I fought with Justin. Over you. My Alpha and the Head Enforcer interrupted before we could work things out, and we both got punished for it. I got an extra few lashings for bringing you onto clan property without permission, but
c’est la vie
.”

“You bled for me? How romantic,” I joked, though I didn’t hide the primal pride that rode along with my words. My wolf, however fickle and submissive, was ready to park the car and hop onto his lap in the middle of the busy downtown street. “Look, Tucker, I’m sorry about the thing I said about my family –”

“I get it; it’s okay. I’m just a little tense. Happy, but tense. You know? There are so many things I need to say to you, but I’ve never… I’ve never done this before. I don’t want to screw things up. I love you, Em.”

As I pulled into a city parking lot, a spark of hope lodged in my throat. My emotions were a teeter-totter, and I didn’t know what was good or bad. The screws were rusty, squeaking with confusion as I ran through every scenario. Though I’d been burned in the past, I was wildly optimistic about Tucker.
Because you know it’s him. He’s your mate.
The thought wasn’t as scary as it used to be. I didn’t get heart palpitations every time ‘Tucker’ and ‘mate’ wormed their way into my thoughts – which was often.

“I love you, too, Tucker. We’ll talk when we get home, and then maybe tonight… maybe tonight I can take you to see my family.”

Tucker wasn’t leaving until the next morning when I had to go to work. I knew about his strict schedule, so I was baffled when he told me we had a whole day together and another night. Two nights with Tucker. It would be the longest we’d actually spent together at once. It felt silly, admitting I loved a man who I’d spent less than a week with, collectively. But he had a home in my heart for weeks, never leaving me to my own devices. Tucker went with me everywhere I went. He was as part of me just as much as my wolf was.

“Don’t feel obligated to introduce me to them, Em.”

“Obligated?” I snorted as I fished through my wallet and found some change for the meter. “I want to show you off. You’re a hunk, Tucker. Mandy usually goes for the blonde jock type, but you’re going to have her tongue wagging out of her head. And my dad will love that you’re an Enforcer. I promise you, Mom will be picking out bridesmaids dresses by the end of the night.” Realizing what I’d insinuated, I blushed and fumbled to make up for my slip of the tongue.

Tucker let out a genuine laugh; one of the ones that comes deep from your belly. “Our Moms would be best friends, I think.” The door slammed and he rounded the back of the Jeep. I fed the meter and turned, running straight into his embrace. “Lemon cake.”

“What?”

He kissed my forehead. “If your mom asks, I want lemon cake at our wedding. It’s my favorite.” I was too stunned to speak, so I squeaked like I was a mouse and not a wolf. He was teasing, but there were no lies in his voice. We both were worrying ourselves into knots over a conversation, but it was as simple as lemon cake. “We’re four minutes late, and I’m not buying Kate frozen yogurt. Come on.”

“You don’t even know where you’re going!”

He shrugged. “I was going to wing it. Lead the way, captain.”

We were going to
The Griddle
, a popular spot located near the bank Kate worked at. They had the best banana and walnut pancakes, but I was rarely downtown during their breakfast hours. We missed the breakfast margin by an hour and a half, but I made a mental note to wake Tucker up one morning while he was visiting so he could experience the magic of Griddle Cakes.

Butterflies tickled my insides at the thought; Tucker visiting me meant we were in an actual relationship. It was real before, I guess, that we were together. Our connection went beyond physical. Hell, I was totally and unequivocally in love with him. Taking him out to breakfast after having him spend the night, for some reason, made me feel like a school girl.

“Have I ever told you how sexy I think jeans and heels look together, Em?” Tucker’s husky voice brushed against my ear as he leaned down behind me in front of the restaurant. He pecked my neck; the chaste kiss still left me quaking in my stilettos. “You look good enough to eat, my dear.”

“It’s the Big Bad Wolf, not the Big Bad Teddy Bear,” I teased, leaning back into him. I typically gagged at public displays of affection, but it was impossible to stay away from him.
What am I going to do when he goes home?
I swallowed the bitter pill and turned in his arms to kiss him. With my shoes, sexy black peep-toes that were totally worth the falling hazard in the Montana winter, I didn’t have to lean up very far. “But I think I can play along. You know how much I enjoy being your dessert.”

He groaned. “If we don’t go inside, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and fuck you in the car.”

“That would be a bad thing?” I countered with a smirk as I pulled away and opened the door to the restaurant. To my very brief embarrassment, I noticed that the place was full of people who definitely got an eyeful through the big glass windows at the front of the building. “There’s Kate.”

Sitting at a little booth in the corner sipping on a milkshake with her honey hair braided to the side, my best friend looked like a little kid pretending to be an adult. She pushed aside her drink (dessert almost always came first with her) and smiled at us as we approached.

“Sorry we’re late,” I apologized, sliding into the booth. “Kate, Tucker. Tucker, Kate.”

“I would demand payment in form of frozen yogurt, but I think I can forgive you this time.” Like a cat toying with a ball of yarn, she grinned at Tucker. Kate was an innocent flirt, but I had a feeling she was going to push it too far with him. “You did keep me up all night while you fucked seven ways ‘til Sunday, so you could buy my lunch though.”

I coughed, raising my hand to my mouth. For a second I thought Kate was going to act like a twenty-two year old woman.
Wishful thinking
. One of the great things about Kate was her ability to act like a seventeen year old boy at any given moment. I had, at least, prepared Tucker and given him a warning about her shenanigans.

Giving her a panty melting grin, he rested his elbows on the table and drawled, “That would be the polite thing, huh?” He looked at me through his lashes. “I’m not a very polite guy, though.”

Kate and I spoke at the same time. I snorted, “Whatever. You’re the definition of a polite guy.” While she said, “Oh, believe me, I know. Did you miss the part where I said I heard you two all night?”

“I’m right here. Can we stop talking about my banging sex life?”

Kate slurped the last bit of her milkshake down and pushed it to the end of the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw our waiter approaching. Tucker and I missed breakfast; I intended on waking up and serving him a romantic platter in bed, but my alarm was like a fog horn and he was like a furnace. After letting Echo out, I crawled back into bed with him and forced him to be the little spoon.

The college aged server with hair that was a little bit too shaggy and a goofy, wide smile that probably drove girls wild introduced himself as he handed us our menus. We put in our drink orders (Kate tried to get Tucker to get a milkshake at least twice before she gave up). Their menu was small, but I pointed out what my favorites were to Tucker. He claimed he wasn’t picky, but even after spending just a few days with him I knew otherwise. He wasn’t picky, but there were things he did or ate for the sheer sake of not stirring the pot. Tucker liked to pretend that he was unapproachable or damaged, but he was selfless and giving.

“So, has anyone ever told you that you look like Oliver Queen?”

“Not this,” I groaned. I bit my lip and gave Tucker a shrug, mouthing an apology.

“Uh, who?”

“Oliver Queen, AKA Arrow. AKA the most badass vigilante superhero in existence.” She was already tapping on her phone, pulling it closer towards her when she saw me reach out for it. “You’re in security, right? Or are you in ‘security’? Either way, it fits. See?”

His lips curved to the side, though his expression was mostly blank. “I’m a bodyguard, and I don’t look anything like that guy.” He turned to me. “Do I?”

“You sort of do. You’re more handsome, obviously.”

“You don’t need to try to rack up brownie points, Em,” He teased, leaning over and kissing my forehead. It was chaste, but it still made my stomach flutter with butterflies. His voice lowered to a husky grate intended for my ears only. “I’m madly in love with you, you know?”