Tacker (Arizona Vengeance #5)(57)

His arm comes up around my shoulder, and he steps in closer to me as we watch the happy couple. I don’t have to look at his face to feel the joy radiating off him. I imagine engagements or weddings may be difficult for him, but there’s no denying the fact Tacker has reached a point he can actually engage in true happiness for the things his friends have that he no longer does.


I had an amazing time at Erik and Blue’s. The party got a little crazy as the alcohol flowed freely. At one point, Erik grabbed Blue and jumped into their pool fully clothed. She didn’t seem to mind, though, as they spent a good chunk of the night lip locked. Luckily, Billy had been taken back to the group home when he started getting tired, so he didn’t have to witness all that engagement debauchery.

Tacker walked me to my door like every other night we’ve had a date. Hand in hand up the steps, stopping just under the yellow porch light.

Just like every other night, I had a million nerves fluttering at the thought of a goodnight kiss.

Like every other night, he dips his head and brushes his mouth against mine.

Except tonight, our heads seem to tilt, and our mouths open just a bit wider. The kiss extends, and Tacker’s hand comes to the nape of my neck. It’s a touch I love… possessive and controlling.

I can’t help but lean into him because his kiss feels like magic. Mesmerizing and pulling me under. Tacker’s tongue touches mine, and a million pulses of pleasure soar through my entire body. Groaning, I kiss him back, my hands going to his head to pull him into me.

Tacker makes a harsh sound within his chest, pushing me into the door. His body presses into me—all hard muscles and strong legs pinning me there, with that one hand still gripping the nape of my neck.

I can’t think when he’s kissing me, which is why it takes a few moments to realize he’s pulled back with an inscrutable expression on his face.

“I’ll call you when I get home,” he says gruffly.

“Or you could kiss me again,” I say with a hopeful, suggestive lift to my eyebrows.

Tacker’s smile is soft as he shakes his head. “I don’t want to rush you.”

I take stock of his tone… commanding. He feels strongly about this… taking it slow.

And I’m okay with that.

Sort of.

“I don’t feel rushed,” I say.

I mean, I’m incredibly attracted to him and I want more. He wants it, too. I felt it pressed against my belly. If my gaze were to drop, I know I’d be staring at an impressive bulge against his jeans.

“I know,” he replies, his tone turning a little hesitant. “But… I’m not sure when it’s the right time. While so many things are clear to me where you’re concerned, I don’t want to do anything to fuck this up. I want it to be absolutely perfect.”

I’m overwhelmed with a swooning sensation that he wants our first time to be perfect, and my heart swells knowing he’s just not sure how to go about it.

Somehow, I think it will be perfect if we just keep kissing, but I can’t do much more than nod my head with a gamine smile. “That perfect time will come.”

“I know it will,” he says, his eyes dropping longingly to my mouth. “Goodnight, Nora.”

“Goodnight,” I whisper.

I stand at my door as Tacker gets in his truck. When he waves, I lift a hand in return before he guns it out of my driveway and down the gravel road that leads out.

Shutting the door, I lean against it and ponder what just happened.

Two people who weren’t looking for anything, yet found something anyway.

What that long-term something is we don’t know, but it’s a daily revelation.

What I do know is we’re attracted to each other on more than just an emotional, spiritual, and intellectual level. While we haven’t acted on it past a few hot kisses—my lips still tingling from the one just moments ago—we’re going to.

Not sure when, though.

Tacker says he doesn’t want to rush me. He doesn’t want to fuck up. He wants it to be absolutely perfect.

And then it hits me… Tacker’s worries are going to be there tomorrow and the next day. Given everything he’s been through, this must be an incredibly hard step to take. It’s one thing to become interested in a woman after coming out of a grieving period over the woman he once thought he’d spend his entire life with.

It’s another to become intimate. It’s the deepest connection two individuals can make, and I imagine if there’s anything that’s going to cause Tacker doubt, it’s this.

One other thing I know… that whenever we decide to move forward, there won’t be a feeling on my part of being rushed. There’s no way Tacker could ever fuck this up.

And I believe it will be perfect.





CHAPTER 24




Tacker


I’m that strange mixture of tired and exhilarated at the same time as I unlock my apartment door. I’ve been burning the candle a bit at both ends between balancing my hockey career and my dating life.

So weird… dating life.

So weird that I’m dating at all.

I remember what it was like from when I first started dating MJ. Juggling a schedule that varied every week, road trips, and trying to sneak in quality time. Late-night phone calls that could go on for hours.