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“Sure, take your time.” She
wouldn’t be disappointed if he had to cut the night short. She was looking
forward to going home, sinking into a hot bath, curling up with a good book,
and going to bed.

She stole one more glance at
Tucker and he grinned as he raised his beer bottle in a mock salute. His dark
hair was a tad too long, curling around his collar and looking tousled from the
numerous times she’d seen him run his hands through it. His black t-shirt was
drawn tight across a chest that doubled the size of the oak chair he had his very
fine ass planted on. He was so damn good looking. It wasn’t fair. No woman
could be expected to resist a man who looked like that. Rachel sighed. But she
had no choice. She realized a long time ago fun was for other people. She had
responsibilities, and a little girl who was counting on her to keep them both
safe.

“I’m sorry about that,” Tom
said as he disconnected the call. “It seems my little guy has come down with
the flu.” He tossed a few small bills on the table to cover their soft drinks.
“Can I get a rain check?”

She smiled, trying to find
the words to tell him she didn’t want to see him again. She didn’t have a lot
of experience with letting men down gently, but she knew the “friends” speech
was detested by all men, the world over. “Um, I’m pretty busy with work right
now. Do you think we could just play it by ear, Tom?”

He smiled. “I know what that
means.” He held his hand up. “Don’t feel the need to explain. As soon as I saw
you walk in here with…” he crooked a finger over his shoulder, “the chief over
there, I knew I didn’t stand a chance with you.” He pushed his glasses up the
bridge of his nose. “You’re a beautiful woman. What would you want with a guy
like me, right?”

She reached for his hand.
“No, that’s not it at all, really. I think you’re a lovely person, and I had a
great time tonight, but…”

He kissed the back of her
hand. “Say no more, Rachel. It was nice meeting you.”

She watched him walk away,
wishing she could say something to make him feel better, but there was no sense
sugar coating it. The man was right. With Tucker’s kiss fresh in her memory,
poor Tom didn’t stand a chance.

Rachel glanced at her watch.
Damn, it was only 10:00. Dixie wouldn’t be able to drive her home for hours.
She looked at the four-inch heels her cousin insisted she wear to compensate for
her inadequacy in the height department. Walking five miles in those was going
to be torture, especially in the pitch black with nary a street light to guide
her. Even after taking a few self-defense classes, she was still afraid of who
might lurk in the shadows. She knew her hands were no match for an angry and bitter
man wielding a knife or gun. She shuddered. No, walking home alone wasn’t an
option.

She opened her wallet. She
had $5.28 to her name. Not even enough for a taxi. A bus maybe, but Brant
County had only one bus, and it only took passengers to the shopping district
in neighboring Lindsay four times a day.

She didn’t know how she was
going to pay for her car repairs. She couldn’t use credit cards, and all of her
cash was tied up in the necessities like food and utilities. She sighed. She’d
hoped there would be a market for a dance studio in Brant, but if it weren’t
for the few massage clients she saw each week, she’d have been forced to close
her doors last month.

Rachel slung her purse over
her shoulder and made her way to the bar. She hated the thought of borrowing
money from her cousin, but she didn’t see another alternative.

Dixie smiled when she saw her.
“Hey, hon, how’s it going?”

She sighed. “Tom had to
leave. His kid got sick.”

Tucker came up behind her,
looping his arm around her neck. “Aw, isn’t that a shame? Tommy boy had to
leave.”

Dixie smirked. “You’re cut
off, smart-ass. Let me call you a cab.”

He held his hand up as he
looked down at Rachel. “Don’t bother, Dixie. Your cousin here just offered to
give me a lift home.” He kissed her lips. “You don’t mind returning the favor,
do you, sugar?”

She was caught off guard by
his public display of affection. “Uh, I don’t know if…”

He pressed another kiss to
her lips, effectively silencing her. “Please.”

She couldn’t deny it would
solve the immediate problem of how she was going to get home tonight. She knew
Tucker’s house was only a few blocks from the unit she was renting on Lennox.
She could walk, or run, home from there. “Okay, fine. Give me your keys.” She
held her hand out as he fished the keys out of his pocket.

Dixie frowned at Rachel. “Are
you sure this is a good idea?”

Tucker scowled. “She’s a
grown woman, Dixie. Besides, you’ve known me my whole life. You really think
she’s in danger with me?”

She bit her lip, looking
anxious. “No, but…”

 Rachel knew her cousin was
worried that Tucker might be able to charm her into revealing too much, but that
was never going to happen. She had everything to lose if Tucker found out the
truth. This was one secret she intended to take to her grave, hopefully later
rather than sooner.

Tucker waved to his buddies
as he slipped his arm around Rachel’s waist and guided her out to his vehicle.
He’d had quite a few beers tonight, but nothing compared to the way they used
to drink back in college; too many drinks to drive, but not too many to show
her a night she’d never forget.

He couldn’t wait to get her
alone. He’d been watching her all night, the subtle way she tilted her head
when she was listening to her companion, the way she tossed her hair over her
shoulder when it got in the way. And those lips… He swore she was licking those
full, moist lips just to torture him.

His buddies gave him grief
about her all night. Despite the fact that most of them were involved in
committed relationships and would never even consider cheating, they all agreed
Rachel Morgan was the sexiest woman to grace the streets of Brant County in
years. And Tucker wanted to take her off the market.

It would mean that he’d have
to swallow his pride, admit he’d been wrong about her, and beg her forgiveness,
but it seemed a small price to pay to have that luscious body all to himself
every night. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in a while, but he missed the regular
sex and the mundane couple things, like watching TV and cooking dinner
together.

He opened the driver’s door
and adjusted the seat for Rachel before climbing into the passenger’s side.
“You like to cook?”

“I don’t have much of an
opportunity, but yeah, I love to cook.”

“How about TV?” he asked as
he buckled his seatbelt. “What are some of your favorite shows?”

She laughed. “Would you
believe me if I told you I don’t have a TV?” She shrugged. “It seems like a
waste of time. On the rare occasion when I have some down time, I’d much rather
read a good book.”

“You’re missing out. There’s
nothing better than curling up on my big leather sofa, in front of a roaring
fire, under a blanket, with a big bowl of popcorn…”

She adjusted the mirrors
before putting the vehicle in reverse. “I’ll admit you paint an enticing
picture, aside from the fact it’s too hot for a fire.”

He reached across the seat to
take her hand. “Those crisp autumn nights are right around the corner.” He
kissed the back of her hand. “The invitation stands.”

She smiled as she stole a
glance at him. “It sounds nice.” She chuckled. “I have to admit, I didn’t peg
you for a romantic guy.”

He wasn’t, but a walk on the
beach or a long drive in the country followed by a candlelight dinner was
starting to sound good, as long as she was by his side. He sensed that she
needed a man to treat her right, and he wanted to be the man she could count on
to come through for her when she needed someone to lean on. He’d never gone to
the trouble of wining and dining a woman before. He’d never had to, but Rachel
was worth the effort.

“Careful, I just might
surprise you, darlin’.”

She grinned, revealing her
dimples. “You’ve already surprised me tonight, first by rescuing me, then
giving me a pass when you could have thrown my butt in jail for assaulting
you.”

He laughed. “You call that
assault? Besides, who said I wasn’t planning on whipping the handcuffs out
later?” He watched the color drain from her face as she withdrew her hand from
his. Shit, he’d done it again, said something to scare her. “Sweetheart, I was
just joking. I’m not into that stuff.”

She turned the indicator on
to make the turn down his tree-lined street. “You said before that you were a
dominant…”

He frowned. “No, I said I had
a dominant streak, that I like to be in control; there’s a big difference.” His
alcohol-induced fog seemed to lift as some of the puzzle pieces shifted into
place. He waited for her to pull in to his driveway and cut the engine. He
didn’t bother asking how she knew where he lived. It wasn’t important now. The
only thing that mattered to him was who had hurt her and how far he would have
to go to hunt him down.

She handed his keys back to
him. “Thanks, Tucker, for giving me a lift and having my car towed.”

He reached out to grab her
hand. “Hey, where are you going?”

“I can walk home from here.
It’s only a few blocks.”

There was no way he was
letting her walk home alone. Most Brant County residents still didn’t lock
their doors at night, thanks to his department’s zero-tolerance policy, but he
wasn’t willing to take any chances where she was concerned. She stirred
something in him, and he was afraid if he took the time to analyze it, he might
have to face the fact that he was getting in too deep.

“Come in, just for a glass of
wine.”

She smiled. “Don’t you think
you’ve had enough to drink tonight?”

He thought it was sweet that
she was concerned. He needed someone like her, someone who gave a damn about
him. Aside from his family and friends, it had been a long time since the women
in his life cared whether he made it home from work alive. “Fine, I’ll make us
a pot of coffee.”

“I really should get home. I
have to be up early for work.”

“How are you going to get to
the studio without a vehicle?”

She shrugged. “I guess I’ll
just walk.”

He frowned. “Rachel, that’s
seven miles.”

“I don’t intend to wear these
shoes.”

“No worries, I can give you a
lift.”

She shook her head. “No!” She
cleared her throat, as though she was embarrassed by her outburst. “But thanks
for the offer.”

Why was she shutting him
down? It was obvious that she was attracted to him by the way she responded to
his kiss, but... “Listen, I owe you an apology.”

“What are you talking about?”

He sighed. He hated
apologizing, but he owed it to her to make things right after the way he’d
treated her. “I made a lot of assumptions about you. Obviously I was wrong.” He
reached over to trace the line of her jaw with his index finger. “I should have
listened to Jess, given you the benefit of the doubt. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

Her eyes landed on his lips
and he smiled. “You’re sorry about giving me a hard time about the pole dancing
lessons or…”

“I’m sorry about all of it.”
He held her cheek in his hand. He was dying to kiss her, but this time he
wanted to let her set the pace. “I was wrong about you. You’re beautiful and
sweet, thoughtful…” He couldn’t wait for her to give him the green light; he
needed to taste her again. He was tentative at first, kissing her gently, until
she moaned and fisted his t-shirt in her hand to pull him closer.  

God help him, he wasn’t
fifteen anymore. He couldn’t be satisfied with a few chaste kisses in the front
seat of his car. He needed her in his bed, where he could explore her beautiful
body at his leisure. He brushed her hair aside as his mouth trailed down the
length of her neck.

She tipped her head back to
give him better access as she threaded her hands through his hair.

He eased his hand up the
outside of her smooth leg, moving to the inside of her thigh to pry her legs
apart. Her short denim skirt gave him easy access, thankfully, since he didn’t
trust himself with buttons and fasteners right now. He needed to get her naked,
and he didn’t think he could wait another minute. He pushed the silky barrier
of her panties aside and thrust one finger inside of her. She wasn’t just wet;
her panties were drenched. If one kiss aroused her like that, he couldn’t wait
to find out how responsive she’d be once he finally got her into bed.

“Oh God,” she said, moving
against his hand. “Tucker… I…”

He swirled his thumb over her
clit as he claimed her mouth, mimicking the action with his tongue. He glided
his tongue over hers, exploring her mouth as she grinded her pussy into his
hand, silently pleading with him to give her more.

The gearshift was digging
into his abdomen, but her pleasure took precedence over his pain. He would
gladly endure slightly bruised ribs to win her over. There was something
addictive about this woman. The more he knew about her, the more he wanted to
know. The more he touched and tasted her, the more he hungered to feast on her.