Give Me Something (16 page)

“What are you talking about?” he asked, exhaling his first drag.

“
You tell me not to get drunk because I might do something stupid. Then here you are wasted, following me outside to a secluded picnic table.  People are going to assume we're messing around.  Go back inside before you screw this up,” I scolded him.  At this point I realized that my anger toward Nick should have been directed at Tucker.  However, seeing as how I still had a need for Tucker's wallet, Nick would just have to take the brunt of it.

“
Don't be mad,” he lectured as he flopped his arm around my shoulders.  “Tucker went upstairs, and as far as anyone else is concerned, I came out for a smoke.” 

“
You should really quit smoking.” I rolled my eyes.

“
I will... just for you.” he leaned over and kissed my cheek through his drunken haze.  He'd told me that a million times, but I'd yet to see him quit the habit.  “Now, tell me what happened.”

“
Nothing.  It's not a big deal.”  I should have been expecting Tucker to turn into a what Nick predicted.  I so did not want to deal with this right now.  It was my freaking birthday.
Well, not really, but that was beside the point!  I was becoming increasingly pissed off at Tucker.  He didn't even come to check on me when I left the party upset.  And now, I had to deal with Boozy Magoo.  “Just go back inside.  I've got everything under control.”

“
You better,” he warned, stumbling to his feet.  “We need that money.  And don't forget, Rae. You were my girl first.” He tried to wink at me as he walked away but ended up just blinking stupidly.  I clenched my fists and was just about ready to tackle Nick for his insensitivity when I saw Tucker approaching.  He was smiling until he saw Nick stumbling away.

“
Is everything okay?” he asked as he sat down next to me.

“
No,” I snapped.  “Everything is not okay.”

“
What did he do?” he asked. I could see the red rising in his eyes.

“
Other than being a drunken idiot?” I deadpanned.  “Nothing. You're the one I'm pissed at.”

“
Whoa!” he exclaimed and threw his hands up, surprised by my accusation.  “What did I do?”

“
Well, for starters,” I began and crossed my arms over my chest,  “you're just now coming to check on me when I clearly left the party pissed off.”

“
I had no idea you were mad,” he explained as he rested his hand on my shoulder, which I quickly shrugged off.  His head fell momentarily in defeat.  “Seriously, I thought the shots and the dancing just went to your head.  I really thought you were just coming outside for fresh air.”  My eyes narrowed in as I debated his excuse.  “So what else are you mad about?”

“
They way you were talking to Matt about me.  I was standing right there.”  I probably shouldn't have said anything.  I should have just played my part and let him say whatever he wanted to about me, but then again, he thought we were in a real relationship and real couples fight.

“
What are you talking about?”

“
Don't play dumb.  I know I'm just another piece of ass for you. 'Don't worry, I'll show her a good time,'” I mocked him in a deep voice.

“
You've lost your mind,” he teased as he fought back a smile.

“
Don't laugh at me!” I was beyond irritated.  Everything with him and Nick was really starting to get under my skin.  For all I cared, they could both fuck off.

“
I'm not laughing at you,” he smirked.  “You're just so cute when you're mad.”

“
Whatever.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

“
I don't know how many more times I have to tell you. You are not just a piece of ass to me.” His arms wrapped around me, securing mine to my body, and making it impossible for me to get away.  He pressed a soft kiss to one cheek and then the other as I tried to fight back a smile.  With his lips hovering inches from mine, it was hard to resist him, but I gave it my best shot.  “You know you're more than that.”  I let my control slip right out the window as he eased his lips to mine.  Those damned exceptionally kissable lips.  I wiggled my arms free and slid them up his chest as my lips began to forgive and forget a lot quicker than my mind did.  By the time he pulled back for a breath, my mind and body were on the same page.  “Do you want to know why I didn't follow you outside?”

“
Yes.”  I tried to harden my freshly kissed gaze, remembering that I was supposed to be mad at him.

He released his arms from around me and reached into his back pocket.  “I went upstairs to grab this,” he said, presenting me with a tiny, gift-wrapped box.  “I wanted to give it to you when we were alone,” he beamed placing it in my hand.

As I tore the paper off the little box, my mind was anticipating its contents.  I'd could cash in big on a nice piece of jewelry.  Nick told me that he'd been dropping hints all week about my love of diamonds, so hopefully Tucker took the hint and opted for something from the locked case.  I had a plan. I'd wear it a couple times, then find a knock off replica, and pawn the original.  I was hoping that whatever was in this tiny box was worth at least a couple grand. 

As soon as I opened the box, I knew Nick was still in the hole.  I carefully grabbed the thin silver chain, pulling it up so that the pendant caught the moonlight.  My eyes focused in on the shiny, silver “T” that hung in front of my face.

“The clerk at the jewelry store said that a lot of girls are wearing these now.” His voice cut through my appraisal.  It wasn't very big.  Just a simple silver initial “T” charm in a script font that represented Tucker, not worth enough to even make a dent in what Nick still owed.  I closed my eyes and cursed Tucker for being sentimentally sweet, but at the same time, I melted just a little.  He really was making this difficult. Why couldn't he have just gotten me something flashy?  Gaudy even.  Tucker's eyes caught mine.  “You hate it.” His shoulders slumped a little as he looked down and nervously shuffled his foot.  “You think it's tacky.”  He was usually so sure of himself.  This was a side I'd never seen before.

“
No,” I reassured and moved my hand to his cheek, pulling his face back up to mine.  “I love it.”  I really did love it. It was simple and thoughtful.  Damn it!

“
You do?”

“
I do,” I said, handing him the necklace.  I turned my back to him and moved my hair to the side, letting him know that I wanted to wear it.  His hands rested on my shoulders after he'd secured the clasp around my neck.  Looking down at his initial, I smiled to myself before turning around to share it with him.  “So what exactly does this mean, Mr. Kline?”

He started to laugh as he pulled me back into his arms. “I guess this means I've staked my claim.”

“I guess it does.”

$ $ $

The rest of the night seemed to pass in a blur.  I'd forgiven Tucker, Nick went MIA and Brynn was a lightweight who checked out of the party before my third shot from Jenna the birthday fairy.  The sound of Nick clearing his throat woke me from my alcohol-induced coma.

“
Not now, Nick,” I murmured.  I really needed to get my key back
.

I'd wiggled myself further down in the cozy cocoon of blankets, when I felt a pair of strong arms tighten around me.  “Yeah, Nicky.” Tucker's voice vibrated against the back of my neck. “Let us sleep.  It was a late night.”

I pursed my lips and waited a second before slowly opening one eye, suddenly scared of the reality that lay on the other side.  I was hoping that it was all just a dream.  It wasn't.  Nick was standing in front of me, in his and Tucker's room, with a face full of questions.  I felt my eyes stretch saucer wide, trying to explain the situation I was in.  I could feel that I was wearing clothes and I wasn't drunk enough to not remember having sex.  We'd just slept here. That was all.  Well, actually there was a lot of kissing that I remembered, but that was it.  I hoped that Nick was able to read my thoughts, but when he spoke I knew that it was a negative.

“
Sorry,” he mumbled as he grabbed his laptop and started toward the door.  “I just needed to grab my computer,” he added before walking out the door, letting it shut harder than a normal person would, but not hard enough to alert Tucker to anything more than Nick's ungraceful demeanor.  In my mind it sounded like a slam.

“
Well, now that we're awake...” Tucker moved the hair from my neck and slowly moved his lips against my skin.  Physically, Tucker was pulling me closer to him, but Nick may as well have had a collar and leash around my neck mentally.

“
Shit!” I jumped from Tucker's embrace and moved quickly out of the bed.  “I just remembered I have a huge paper due tomorrow.”  I looked down at my attire.  Tucker must have given me a pair of his gym shorts and a t-shirt to wear, because I was swimming in them as I looked around the room for my own clothes.  I located them in a neatly folded pile on his desk chair.  Who knew drunk me was such a neat freak?

“
Are you sure you can't stay in bed with me a little bit longer?” Tucker asked from a sinfully delicious position.  In my haste, I'd strewn the covers over him, revealing his shirtless body.  With a wicked grin and his arm propping his head up, his free hand patted my now vacated spot.  I contemplated diving back into bed with him and his six pack and forgetting everything that just happened, but I couldn't.  I needed to find Nick and explain that nothing had happened between us.  Not wanting Tucker to get suspicious, I decided that now was as good a time as any to sink my hooks in a little further.

“
I wish I could...” I pulled the draw string on the oversized shorts, releasing them from my waist.  After they hit the floor, I carefully stepped out of them and gently kicked them in Tucker's direction. My bare legs almost distracted him from grabbing them, but he was a seasoned baseball player and wasn't one to miss a catch.  “But I really need to get started on my paper.”  I tugged the bottom of the t-shirt up and over my head, revealing the cutest lacy, black secret Victoria had ever given me. 

“
You better be careful,” Tucker warned as I shrugged with a smile.

“
Of what?” I let the shirt hit the floor.

His eyes washed over me as he licked the corner of his lips.  “Careful of not getting your paper done.  I'm more than half tempted to lock the door and keep you here with me.  All. Day.”

“Well, I better get dressed then,” I laughed, seductively pulling the chain of my necklace up to my mouth, cradling it between my lips, momentarily.  We both smiled as I let Tucker's initial fall back against my chest.  His eyes never left me as I slowly got dressed.  I wanted to make sure he was taking in as much of me as he could.  I didn't want him to get any ideas of finding someone else to lie in bed with him.  After I pulled on my boots, I stood up and walked over to the edge of the bed.  “I'll call you later,” I promised and leaned in for a good bye kiss.  He rose up to meet me.

“
The next time I see you...” he whispered and pressed his lips to mine before finishing his thought.  “The only thing you're going to be wearing is that necklace.”

“
Is that so?” I asked, standing back up.

“
Oh, it's more than just
so.
” He fell back against the bed with his hands behind his head.  “It's a goddamned guarantee.”

I shook my head, laughing at his assured response, but wanting more than anything in that moment to give in to him.  “Okay, buddy,” I chuckled.  He laughed, but not before swatting me on the behind as I walked away.  “I'll talk to you later,” I jumped.

“Okay, buddy!” he called out as the door shut behind me.

Chapter 11

Nick was waiting for me in my room when I finally took the walk of shame back to Marris Hall.  The look on Nick's face when I walked through the door was somewhere between pissed off and disappointed.

“It wasn't what it looked like,” I stated before he had a chance to start in on me.  Nick was seated in my desk chair with pursed lips while he rocked back and forth in disbelief.

“
Really?  Because it looked like you spent the night with your
boyfriend
,” he snarked.

“
Nothing happened,” I said, taking my coat off and throwing it on the bed.

“
You expect me to believe that you spent the night drinking with him and nothing happened.  Come on, Lila. I wasn't born yesterday.”

“
Yes, I expect you to believe it!  I spent the night with
the mark
and nothing happened.  I was just doing my job.”

“
I'm sure there was some kind of
job
involved.
”

“
Ugh! What I do with Tucker is really none of your business.  Your only concern should be the cash that I'm shoveling into your pockets!”

“
Really!?  I should have known you couldn't handle this.  Such a rookie move, Rae.”