A Love Like This (Book 1) (18 page)

Tucker looks at me seriously,
 
“
The man you were with earlier----
“
 
He
 
pauses uneasily waiting for me to fill in the blank.
 

“
Are you two--- is he,
”
 
he stammers.

“
You
’
re usually so articulate Tucker spit it out, is he what,
”
 
I say trying not to laugh.
 

He smiles and reddens a little flashing those dimples that I love.
 
“
You
’
re playing with me.
”
 

I run my fingers through his thick glossy locks.
 
He opens my hand brings it to his lips and kisses my palm gently then wraps his arms around my waist and nuzzles against my neck.
 
I close my eyes and feel a charge of energy pulsate through my entire body.
 
 
“
So who is he?
”
 
 
He says without moving his lips from my neck.
 
The heat of his words causes my nipples to push against my dress.

“
He
’
s my boyfriend but we have a very open relationship.
”
 

“
I
’
ll just go find out for myself,
”
 
Tucker says and leans forward to stand nearly sliding me to the ground.
 

“
Oh sit down macho man. He
’
s my uncle.
”

“
Good because I can
’
t stand up right now anyway,
”
 
he says kissing my neck.
 
“
Let me take you out tomorrow.
 
Sarah told me that you never go out.
 
I
’
ll show you around the city.
”
 

I frown a little when I think about what else Sarah might have told him.
 
The woman can
’
t keep a secret to save her life.
 
 
“
That sounds like fun.
 
Sarah was supposed to show us around tonight but we ended
 
up milling around the
 
city picking up
 
strays.
”
 

“
Sarah
’
s insane,
”
 
He says.
 

I laugh,
 
“
She
’
s a bit spirited but she has a good heart.
”
 

We stop talking and look up when
 
Pookie
 
walks over carrying
 
Nickie.
 
I slide off Tucker
’
s lap and he pulls his shirt down over his crotch.

“
I hate to interrupt but you
’
re big sister is through for the night.
”

“
Let me help you,
”
 
Tucker says standing up.
 
 
Pookie
 
pours
 
Nickie
 
into Tuckers arms and plops down in a chair.
 

“
Phew thank you, she
’
s a lot heavier than she looks.
”
 
 
Nickie
’
s
 
head rests limply against Tucker
’
s chest.
 
 
We all stop when we hear a grumbling coming from her stomach.
 
 
Nickie
 
hiccup
’
s once then spews brown and white goo all over Tucker
’
s shirt.
 

“
I didn
’
t see that coming,"
 
Pookie
 
says dryly.

“
Oh God,
”
 
I say looking for the quickest exit.

______

I drive across the bay bridge with
 
Nickie
 
and Sarah snoring on the back seat.
 
 
Pookie
 
sits up front and helps me navigate through the San Francisco streets.
 
 
Pookie
 
drops Sarah and me off in front of the dorm and heads back to the hotel with
 
Nickie.
 
Sarah looks like the walking dead with blood shot eyes and disheveled clothes.
 
 
Back in the room I help her into bed then I shower and dress in
 
the
 
pink footie pajama
’
s my grandma Bess gave me for Christmas.
 
I pick up a highlighter turn on a book light and open my textbook.
 
I
’
m starting to doze off when my cell phone rings at around 2 AM.

“
Did I wake you,
”
 
Tucker asks when I answer.

“
No I
’
m awake,
”
 
I say sitting up.

His voice is low and husky,
 
“
Just wanted to make sure you all made it home safely.
”

“
Yeah we made it.
 
Sorry my sister puked on you, if it
’
s any consolation you took it like a real trooper.
”

He laughs.
 
I pause for a second,
 
“
is that the only reason you called?
”

He hesitates then says,
 
“
I just wanted to hear your voice.
”

My breath catches in my throat,
 
“
that was really sweet,
”
 
I whisper.

“
So why do I make you nervous?
”

“
That question makes me nervous.
 
Let
’
s just talk normally, like friends.
”

“
Ok let
’
s start with your family, then tell me about your dreams and finally we
’
ll discuss us,
”
 
he says.

“
Us,
”
 
I say feeling my heart rate increase.

“
Yeah let
’
s discuss us, because I want to be more than just your friend.
”
 

“
Oh my God, what are you two in high school?
”
 
Sarah says as she climbs out of bed to go to the
 
bathroom.
 
“
Just come and pick her up you loser,
”
 
She shouts into the phone as she passes.

“
May I?
”
 
He asks eagerly.

“
Yeah I
’
m really going to let you see me in my pink footie pajamas.
”
 

“
Are you really wearing footie
’
s?
 
Take a picture and send it to me.
”
 
He says.

“
Yeah like that
’
ll happen,
”
 
I say.

“
I would send you a picture but I
’
m not wearing anything.
”
 
 
I
 
gasp and
 
press my thighs together tightly.
 
This is definitely a new feeling.

Chapter 8

 
 
 
 
 
Tucker and I talked until dawn
.
 
 
I
’
m not even sure when we got off the phone.
 
 
He told me that his mother and father have been together for nearly thirty years.
 
He said that he initially majored in architecture because he knew it
’
s what his father wanted.
 
His father is a real estate developer and he
’
s been grooming Tucker to take over the family business since he was five.
 
Tucker said he still has the tiny hard hat he wore at the construction sites when he was a little boy.
 
He said that he had great teachers throughout his education and he knew that he wanted to teach so after completing a bachelor
’
s in architecture with a minor in urban design he started substitute teaching.
 
He loved it so much that he went on to complete a master
’
s degree and doctorate in education.
 
Of course his father was disappointed but Tucker said that he couldn
’
t live for his father.
 
 
“
When I want something I go after it,
”
 
he said.
 
I wouldn
’
t allow myself to focus on the double entendre.

I told him that I initially chose architecture as a major because I wanted
 
to
 
make my mom proud.
 
I said that she gave up her dream of becoming an architect to start a family.
 
 
I told him that I
’
ll never let that happen to me.
 
He said that I can do both, that I
didn
’
t have to give all that I am to a career or a family.
 
Tucker said that he wanted to
 
get married someday soon and that he wanted kids.
 
I told him that was a pretty heavy subject for our first conversation.
 
He thought it was funny that talking about marriage and family gave me hives so he started cracking jokes about knocking me up so that I can
’
t get away from him.
 
He stopped joking because I had a mild panic attack.
 
Before we got off the phone he reminded me that he was still naked and that it was never too early to start working on Tucker junior.

Right now I
’
m floating around in a strange place between awake and asleep.
 
This is the time of morning that the sun starts to break through the fog from the bay.
 
I can hear the ea
rly bird joggers trotting past
my window.
 
I pull my blanket over my head and try to relax but visions of Tucker
’
s naked body keep popping into my head.
 
I
’
ve only seen him shirtless once but I felt the rest of him against my leg while sitting on his lap last night and I have a pretty good imagination.
 
I
’
m tossing and turning trying to push the image away.
 
I freeze when I hear a rustling at the front door.
 
I
’
m positive I locked it when Sarah and I got home.
 
I stop breathing and listen, my heart pounding in my chest.
 
I
’
m about to climb out of bed and wake Sarah who
’
s snoring like a buzz saw a few feet away.
 
But the dorm room door swings opens before I have a chance.
 
I
’
m too afraid to move so I hope the person realizes they
’
re in the wrong room and goes away. The door slams shut and I hear footsteps approaching my bed.
 
I can
’
t believe Sarah
’
s still snoring.
 
I slowly lower the blanket and peek at the massive figure hovering over my bed.