Tucker shifted uneasily. “It can’t be that bad.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Nevada said, before heading to the kitchen to help her mom.
“I KNOW THE WAY HOME,” she said four hours later, after a huge dinner.
“I’m not walking you home,” Tucker told her. “You’re walking me. If what you and Ethan said is true, I need the protection.”
“Oh, please. I think you can handle a few love-starved women.”
“Not at the same time.” He leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “I’ve never been into the group thing. After the first five or six times, it’s not all that fun.”
“You’re not impressing me with stories like that.”
“What kind of stories do impress you?”
“Move across time like Kyle Reese in the first Terminator movie. That will get my attention.”
“I’ll work on it.”
The night was warm and clear, stars dotting the sky. There were still plenty of people walking around, so nothing about walking next to Tucker should have felt intimate. Still, she was aware of him close to her, of the breadth of his shoulders and the sound of his voice.
“Your family is great,” he said. “Your mom really has it together.”
“She’s good at managing a crowd.”
“She’s been alone a long time. Does she date?”
“She started this year. I can’t believe my dad’s been gone over ten years. That’s a long time for her to be by herself.” She glanced at Tucker. “Your dad never remarried.”
“True, but he wasn’t alone. He’s a big believer in the concept of a girl in every port. Or in his case, a woman at every job site. The man’s made a fool of himself over more women than I can count.”
“Does that bother you?”
Tucker shrugged. “I don’t get the volume. He never takes a break. But he loves to keep them coming. He’s pushing sixty and acting like he’s seventeen. Like I said, he’s acting the fool. But love does that.”
“Love doesn’t make people foolish.”
“It can.”
She knew who he was thinking about. “Only if you pick crazy artists.”
“She didn’t change my opinion.”
They rounded a corner and Nevada realized they were on her block. “I thought I was walking you home.”
“I’ll hide in the shadows,” he said.
They crossed the street and walked toward her front door.
Lights were on in both apartments, but there weren’t any sounds.
“Whoever invented headphones deserves to be made a saint,” she said. “Both my tenants are college guys. They don’t make a move without listening to something, but I don’t have to hear it.”
“Lucky you.”
They were standing by her porch. The moon had barely cleared the horizon and she could see it over Tucker’s shoulder. One would think a big white object hanging in the sky would capture her attention, but all she seemed to see was the man in front of her.
“Thanks for walking me home,” she said, prepared to turn and go inside. Quickly, she thought. Because if she didn’t, she was in danger of wanting what wasn’t sensible. “You’re welcome.”
His gaze was intense, seeking something in her face. She stared back, not sure what he was thinking or how best to protect herself. Actually she knew how. The truth was she didn’t want to.
He cupped her jaw with one hand and put the other on her waist, then kissed her.
She’d seen the kiss coming, could have stepped away. But she didn’t and then his mouth pressed against hers and nothing else mattered.
The heat was back, all sticky and sweet, and when it engulfed her, she surrendered. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, letting herself fall into the madness of bad judgment and great kissing.
He claimed her lips with a confidence that made her tremble. She was aware of nothing but the man holding her and the way his touch made her feel.
He shifted his hands so they were both at her waist, then swept his tongue against her bottom lip. She parted instinctively, welcoming his gentle invasion.
He tasted faintly of the brandy they’d had after dinner. Each stroke aroused her until she lost what little will she’d had left. When he pulled her closer, she went willingly, letting her body press against his.
Her br**sts found comfort against his chest. Her belly nestled against the hardness of his erection. He drew back enough to kiss his way down her jaw to her neck. He nipped at her earlobe, before licking the sensitive skin below. Goose bumps broke out on her arms.
Then they were kissing again, his tongue teasing and exciting her. She moved her hands up and down his back. Her br**sts ached, wanting their share of his attention. Between her legs, she felt the first erotic ache of swollen flesh, hungry to be claimed.