Only His (Fool's Gold #6)(56)

“You are part of a classic American family.”

She laughed. “I’m not sure about that.” She took a bite of pizza and chewed. After she’d swallowed, she said, “You really haven’t seen Cat?”

“Nope. No reason to. I’m not sure why she’s in town, but it’s not for me.”

He sounded cheerful as he spoke. As far as Nevada could tell, there wasn’t even a hint of longing for what had been.

He poured her more wine. “This is nice. I like your place. Did you remodel?”

She nodded. “I did most of the work myself. The house was built in the nineteen twenties. The traditional Victorian style didn’t fly with the neighbors, but the original owner was powerful and no one told him no.”

“A man after my own heart. I like being the guy no one says no to.”

“You would. In this case, people came to like the house. I’ve loved it from the time I was a kid. Over the years it was sold and turned into a low-rent apartment building. No one took care of it. By the time I bought it, the whole place was trashed. It took me nearly three years to do all the work, but it was worth it.”

She’d also squeezed every penny she could from the second mortgage she’d used to pay for the materials. Once the remodeling was done, she’d been able to rent out the bottom two apartments. She’d paid off the second mortgage last summer and was now paying down her first. A good feeling, she thought.

“To your house,” he said, raising his glass.

She touched hers to his. “Thank you.”

“Want to show me the rest of it?”

There was only the third floor, which was her bedroom, the large bath and a study. She was about to say that when she realized Tucker was watching her with an interest that said he wouldn’t mind his pizza getting cold. She went from hungry for food to hungry for something else in the space of a heartbeat.

He stood and walked around the table, then held out his hand. When she placed her fingers on his palm, he drew her to her feet and pulled her close.

She went willingly, wanting to feel his strong arms around her. His mouth claimed hers with a kiss that left her breathless.

He pressed his lips against her cheeks, her nose, the line of her jaw. He trailed his way to her neck, then kissed just below her ear. Goose bumps erupted as he licked the skin there. He moved lower, to her collarbone, then to the V of the long-sleeved shirt she wore. The hands at her waist reached higher.

Desire poured through her. Hunger grew. She remembered how it had been before, when he’d touched her with his skilled and patient fingers. She remembered the feel of him between her legs, filling her over and over again.

She put her right hand over his left and stepped away. Keeping hold of him, she drew him toward the stairs.

“You wanted to see the upstairs,” she whispered.

“I did.” He put his free hand on the railing. “Should I stop to admire the workmanship?”

She laughed. “Maybe later.”

She led him into her bedroom. It was already dark outside. She flipped on the switch, which illuminated the floor lamp in the corner.

The room itself was a girly combination of soft fabrics, dozens of pillows and delicate furniture. Her queen-size bed had a carved headboard. The walls were done in pale mauve. It was a woman’s retreat.

Tucker paused for a second and glanced around. “I like it. It suits you.”

No one had ever said that before. Even her sisters had been surprised by her decorating choices. In her mind, this room reflected a part of her personality that she kept hidden—sometimes even from herself.

Tucker toed off his boots, then walked toward her. “Tell me there’s a big claw-foot tub in the bathroom.”

She smiled. “There is.”

“You’re my kind of girl.”

They moved into the bathroom. While he got the bath temperature right, she lit candles. As water poured into the tub, he crossed to her. He kissed her, his tongue plunging inside and circling hers. His hands roamed her body.

Everywhere he touched grew more and more sensitized. A stroke of his fingers across her hip had her squirming toward home. Fingers down her arm had her wanting more. When his hands finally settled on her br**sts, she had to consciously keep from begging.

He brushed against her tight ni**les. Tension surged in her belly, then moved lower. She closed her lips around his tongue and sucked. The fingers at her br**sts moved faster.

“Water,” he murmured as he pulled back.

She released him reluctantly, knowing the disaster an overflowing tub would cause.

He turned off the taps, then unbuttoned his shirt. When he’d dropped it on the floor, he went to work on what she was wearing. Her shirt followed his. He unfastened her jeans and tugged them off along with her socks, then quickly removed her bra and panties. He paused to kiss her br**sts before taking off the rest of his clothes.

She stepped into the tub first. The water was warm, lapping against her skin. He stepped in behind her and settled in. She sat in front of him, her back to him.

“Wait a minute,” she complained. “This isn’t going to work.”

“It’s going to work just fine,” he whispered against her skin. “Trust me.”

He pressed his lips to the skin at the nape of her neck. At the same time, he brought his hands around her body and cupped her br**sts. The curves were buoyant in the water, her body more sensitized to his touch.