Rumor Going ‘Round Read online

  “I want to see what can come of whatever this is between the two of us. I know who you are deep down, I know your values and the type of man you truly are, and I want that man in my life.”

  “How about you show me to the couch, and we can watch a movie before I head home for the night? I just want to hold you for a while longer.”

  9

  Lindsay

  “What time are we meeting the guys at the bar?” Allison asks while I fix my eye makeup. I’ve got her on speakerphone so that I can use both hands.

  “An hour,” I tell her as I swipe the mascara wand across my lashes a second time.

  “Do you want to swing by and pick me up or just meet there?” she asks.

  “I can pick you up; that way, when you go home with Lee, you don’t have to leave your car at Joe’s for everyone to know the next morning that you didn’t drive home.”

  “Who’s to say I’m going home with Lee?” she questions, trying hard to feign her innocence in that assumption.

  “I’d bet drinks for our next girls’ night that you go home together,” I tell her as I toss the mascara into my makeup bag sitting on the counter.

  “Nope. Not taking any bets.” I can totally hear the smile in her voice.

  “What about your car? I have a feeling you could leave with Tucker just as easily as I’d leave with Lee,” Allison asks.

  “I guess I’ll just drive myself home, and he can follow me,” I tell her, shrugging my shoulders, even though she can’t see me.

  “Hold on, I’m getting a call from Lee. I’ll be right back,” she says, and my phone goes silent after she clicks over to take his call. I turn side to side, checking out my reflection from as many angles as I can to make sure that I look okay from all sides. Approving of my simple yet sexy look, I grab my cell and head for the kitchen.

  “Okay,” Allison’s voice comes back over my speaker. “I’m back and change of plans.”

  “What do you mean, change of plans?” I question.

  “The guys, apparently, were thinking ahead as we were, and they’re picking us up. Lee said Tucker will be at your place in about thirty, and Lee will be at mine in about the same amount of time. Then we’ll meet at the bar.”

  “I guess that works and solves the car issue,” I say. I fill a glass with water, starting early with the hydration so that I don’t regret tonight’s drinks tomorrow.

  “I’m going to go so I can finish getting ready! See you soon.”

  “Bye,” I call out before the line goes dead. Since I’m ready early, I take my water and go plop myself down on the couch while I wait for Tucker to pick me up.

  I look outside and the sun is setting, lighting up the sky in some beautiful colors, so I decide to go sit out on the porch and enjoy it. He should be here in the next ten minutes, so I take advantage of that time. I stand on my porch, my back to the open air, and snap a selfie with the colors of the sky lighting up behind me. I add it to my Instagram account, Beautiful night in Monroe! I captioned the post and hit submit. I take a seat on the rocking chair on my porch, just watching as the colors change as the sun sets in the distance.

  A few minutes later, I hear the rumble of Tucker's truck coming down the road. I stay on the rocking chair while he pulls into my drive, parking in the spot nearest to my front door.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” he greets as he makes his way over to the steps. “You ready to go?”

  “I am; how was your day?” I ask, making small talk as I stand and join him at the bottom of the stairs. He slides an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his front.

  “It's better now,” he growls, his face going to my neck. A shiver slides down my spine as his breath hits my skin and then his lips. “I’ve missed the fuck out of you,” he whispers into my ear before moving and claiming my mouth in a demanding kiss that leaves my body humming in anticipation of what’s to come later tonight. After he turned me down for sex the other night, I’ve had to take matters into my own hands a few times, but it was nothing compared to what I’m sure he can do.

  “Damn,” I whisper against his lips. “If that’s the kind of greeting I’m going to get, you’d best be stopping over here every day,” I joke with him. I step away quick to lock the door and grab my wristlet and phone from where I’d placed them next to the rocking chair.

  “Don’t tempt me, woman,” he says, snagging my hand and tugging me behind him as we head for his truck. “If we don’t leave now, I don’t know if we ever will,” he grunts out as we close the distance to his truck.

  “You owe me some dancing,” I remind him, tapping his nose once we come to a stop next to the passenger door. I press a quick kiss to his cheek, then step back so he can open the door. I know he’d be pissed if I attempted to do it myself.

  “That I do,” he agrees as I get settled into the seat. I watch as he rounds the front of his truck and then settles into his seat and buckles up before we back out of the driveway.

  * * *

  “Who wants another round?” Lee calls out, looking at the table before he heads for the bar. Joe’s behind it tonight, just like every ladies' night that I’ve ever been to, I believe. He comes back a few minutes later with a pitcher of beer and starts filling everyone’s glasses.

  “Only half a glass for me, please,” I tell him before he fills it to the top. Tucker slides behind me, having just come back from the bathroom. It's hot in the bar with how busy it is tonight, but the moment his hand slips along my hip and his thumb finds bare skin between my shirt and jeans, a shiver makes its way down my spine. I’ve noticed my body responds to his touches like that a lot. We’re like fire and ice. I’m attracted to his flame, but the moment our skin makes contact, it's like ice, but in a very good way.

  “You want to dance?” he whispers in my ear a few minutes later. I’ve finished off my half glass of beer as we’ve talked with everyone standing around our table, or more so, listened to their conversation. My mind was focused more on the feel of his thumb tracing lazy circles on my hip and what I wouldn’t do for that hand to slip entirely under my top or below the waistband of my jeans.

  “Yes,” I answer, letting my head press against his shoulder behind me.

  “We’re going back out,” Tucker says to the group at large. Before anyone can reply, he’s leading me out on the floor just as “From This Moment” by Shania Twain and Bryan White fills the speakers. I used to love this old song, and I let the words filter into my mind as I let Tucker sway us in a small circle. I hear him quietly singing a few of the lyrics of the song along with Bryan and Shania. His words are hardly even loud enough for me to hear completely.

  The song ends, but he holds on tight. The way we stop on the dance floor, I can see our group of friends, and catch a few of Tucker's truck mates giving him a look as if they’re asking if we can get any closer out here on the dance floor.

  “Everyone is staring at us,” I tell him, bringing my attention back to Tucker and not our friends.

  “We could put these rumors to rest and really give them something to talk about,” he tells me before cupping my face and claiming my mouth. I can faintly hear the catcalls from all our friends, and the calls of “it’s about time” from them, as well.

  I can’t hold it in any longer, breaking the kiss so I can laugh at their antics and the show we’re putting on out here on the dance floor.

  “So, what now?” I ask, placing my hands against Tucker's chest and looking up at him.

  “You’re mine,” he growls. “From this moment,” he tells me, quoting the lyrics from the song we just danced to.

  * * *

  The drive back to my place takes only minutes but feels like an hour. All the light touches building up to that kiss on the dance floor, and Tucker claiming me in front of our friends and everyone else in the bar has me hoping that he’s on board with staying the night tonight and losing our clothes. I don’t know how much more build-up I can take.

  Tucker cuts the engine once he’s parked in my driv
eway, then turns to look at me. “What are we doing tonight, sweetheart?” His slight southern accent is coming out in his question.

  “I don’t know, you tell me.” I toss the decision right back at him. He’s the one that put the brakes on things last weekend. While I was a tad bit disappointed at the time, I know it was for the best. There’s no need to jump into sex. It should be something special, and it is okay to wait for a few dates to take that step.

  “I know what I want to do, but I want to know what you want. There’s no pressure from me for anything you’re not comfortable with.”

  “I know,” I tell him, knowing damn well that even if I told him to take me inside and fuck me, and then changed my mind once we were naked, he’d back off without a second word. That’s just the kind of man Tucker is. “Let’s head inside. Maybe have a nightcap and see where that leads us,” I suggest. That leaves things open to more happening, or we might just fall asleep on the couch together.

  “Okay,” Tucker agrees to my suggestion and hops out of his truck. I open my door, waiting for him to come around, taking his hand to help me jump down. I lead the way up to my house, almost getting a déjà vu feeling from our previous date.

  “What would you like to drink?” I ask, tossing my keys onto the rack just inside my door.

  “A beer is fine if you have one,” Tucker says, toeing off his boots.

  He looks mighty fine tonight in his tight but not skin-tight Wranglers that show off his ass, cowboy boots, and a button-up shirt. Looking like the southern gentleman he is.

  I grab him a beer and me a glass of water and meet him back out in the living room. I hand over the beer, taking a drink of my water before setting it down on the end table. I sit down on the couch, patting the cushion next to me for Tucker to join me. He does so, plopping down next to me, his arm going around my shoulder and pulling me in closer to his side. I end up rotating until I’m lying on my back, my head in his lap, and looking up at him. His fingers start to slide through my hair, and the feeling has me groaning in pleasure.

  “You’d best be careful moaning like that, especially with your head in my lap,” he warns, and I smirk just as another groan escapes.

  “You could make me moan a whole lot more if you’d just take me to bed,” I throw out there. I don’t know if it's Tucker that makes me so bold or the alcohol or the combination of both, but I’m apparently not afraid of asking for what I want tonight.

  “I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you in my life, but fuck if I’m going to pass this opportunity by,” he says, just as he stands and swoops me up on his shoulder, fireman style, of course, and carries me down the hall. “What bedroom is yours?” he asks, and I can’t help but laugh at his quickness and the way he’s got me slung over his shoulder.

  “The second door on the left,” I say, slapping his ass as he quickly walks down the short hall. He deposits me on the end of the bed, and I take a quick peek around my room to make sure that I didn’t leave it in a disaster zone after trying on multiple things before settling on my outfit.

  He stands, bracing his arms on each side of me. “I’ve got a few rules for tonight,” he says, dropping a kiss to my shoulder.

  “Do you now?” I ask, quirking a brow at him.

  “First, you say stop, and we stop,” he says, kissing my cheek. “Second, no matter how far we go tonight, I want you in my arms all night.” He kisses my other cheek. “Third, you let me make you breakfast in the morning and then spend the day with Paisley and me tomorrow. I want her to get comfortable with you around and vice versa. She inquired what a date was after she heard me telling my parents about our date last weekend.”

  “Okay. I agree with these three rules.” I kiss his lips lightly. “Do I get to have any of my own rules?” I ask, trying to see how much I can push him.

  “Of course, let me hear them,” he says, standing up straight, his hands landing on his hips. I drop my eyes to the bulge in his jeans, and my mouth waters at the thought of getting him out of said clothing.

  “First,” I start, slightly mocking him. “You’re going to drop those jeans, the shirt, as well, and whatever you’ve got under them,” I tell him, flicking my eyes back up to his, the room dark except for the hall light that shines in, giving off just enough light so we can see one another. His pupils dilate a little more at my words. “Second, you’re going to stand there while I suck your cock.” I purposely slide my tongue along my bottom lip just to see what he does at my bold words, and am slightly disappointed when he doesn’t start dropping his clothes. “Third,” I begin to say but don’t get to finish because his lips land against mine in a demanding kiss. His body presses into mine, taking me flat against the mattress.

  My hands slide into his hair as he finds the bottom of my shirt. He pulls it up as his fingers glide up my skin. The feel of his calloused fingers causes my body to break out in goosebumps and send tingles down my spine. “You’re going to be the death of me, and I haven’t even been inside of you yet,” he says against my lips after breaking our kiss.

  I take the chance and pull my shirt off over my head. Tucker follows suit, shucking his own. I unbutton my jeans and start to shimmy them off my hips, deciding to leave my panties on for now. I slide the jeans down my legs, having to sit up so I can get them entirely off. I slide off the bed, tossing my shirt and jeans toward my laundry basket, then rounding the bed and flipping my bedside lamp on. The light floods the room in a low glow, giving us just enough light to see one another, but not so bright that it is distracting. I know some women prefer to have sex, especially with a new partner, in a dark room, but I want to see him. I might not have the tightest body around, but I’m also not ashamed of my healthy curves.

  I look over at Tucker, still standing at the end of the bed; he’s also down to just his boxer briefs, and damn do they hug him nicely. He’s all sinewy muscles, tanned skin, and a few tattoos that I, all of a sudden, find myself wanting to trace. He drinks me in, standing now in only my bra and panties.

  “You’re beautiful, you know that, right?” he asks, the desire he’s not hiding also evident in his voice.

  “Thank you, I’d say the same for you, but men don’t like to be called that, right?” I ask, trying to keep the moment light.

  “I don’t care what the hell you call me right now; as long as you aren’t telling me to get out, I’m a happy man.”

  “Definitely not saying that,” I tell him as I slowly start to close the distance between the two of us.

  Once I’m standing just a few inches in front of him, I reach out and bring my palm to his chest. I trace the tattoo of Paisley's name across his heart. It’s a beautiful script font surrounded by a few flowers.

  My fingers leave his tattoo, drifting down his abs. I love how his body reacts, twitching under my touch as my fingers ghost down his ridges. I don’t miss the twitch of his cock in his boxer briefs, as they don’t leave much to the imagination. I sink to my knees in front of him, pulling the elastic of his briefs down as I do. I look up at him as his cock springs free, making sure he’s enjoying this as much as I am. I’m met with eyes that are so lust drunk that it spurs me on even more. I want nothing more than to bring this man to the edge of pleasure and make him fall over.

  I run my fingernails up his thighs, appreciating how they quiver under my touch. His cock is hard and standing at attention. I wrap a fist around the base, giving him a quick squeeze just as I dart my tongue out and lick the bead of pre-cum from the tip. “Holy shit, Linds,” he groans out, his fingers sinking into my hair as he gathers it out of my way and pulls it all into his fist. I lick around the head of his cock, then down the underside, before coming back up and sucking him fully into my mouth. My fist following my mouth up and down his shaft as I work him over. My tongue runs circles around his head, flicking the sensitive spots that I get the most reactions to. I hollow out my cheeks as I suck him until his cock is hitting my throat before I pull back, popping him out of my mouth. I keep my fist mov
ing up and down as I catch my breath, watching his reaction.

  “I think that’s enough,” he says, reaching down to pick me up by my armpits.

  I continue to stroke his cock as he kisses me hard. His hands slide down my sides until he’s cupping my ass. He lifts me up, and I have to let go of his cock as my legs wrap around his torso. The press of his hard shaft against my needy center sends shockwaves through my body.

  Tucker breaks the kiss, bringing his face down my neck and to my chest. One of his hands slides up my back, finding the back of my bra, and a quick flick of his wrist, and my bra is falling off. I should probably be a little offended by how quickly he was able to unclasp my bra, but now is definitely not the time to unpack that tidbit. “Fuck, your tits are perfect,” he says, licking at one of my nipples before he sucks it into his mouth. My head falls back, bringing my chest up and pushing it further into his face. He switches breasts, repeating everything on the other one.

  He turns us so that the bed is behind me, then places me on it, my ass at about the edge of the mattress. My legs fall from being wrapped around him and rest on either side of his hips. He pulls up from lavishing my breasts, looking deeply into my eyes before he traces a fingertip from my lips, down my neck, and between my breasts. He continues sliding it down my torso, his lips occasionally following it as he drops kisses to my exposed skin. Each kiss causes my skin to pucker in goosebumps until his fingertip reaches my panties. “Can I take these off of you?” he asks, his voice deep and gritty.

  His question almost catches me by surprise, but that’s just the kind of man that Tucker is. He wants me to know that I’m in charge here. He might be the one to deliver the pleasure I’m about to experience, but I’m the one in control. “Yes,” I answer him, nodding my head along with my words.