Page 13 of Tucker

He seemed to make up his mind, locking his gaze on hers and taking a step toward her. “Are you insinuating that you’re a virgin?”

* * *

TUCKERHELDHISBREATH, unsure which answer he’d prefer. In his head, he knew it didn’t matter...unless something had happened to make her avoid sex. And that thought squeezed his heart. Had something in her life made her fearful of intimacy?

If so, he’d like to make her first experience the best possible.

All through the night, the idea of her being a virgin had taunted him—then he’d scoffed at himself and called himself a fool. She was twenty-five, gorgeous, smart, independent and confident—but also a flirt, and he’d be willing to bet every guy in Buckhorn had called on her at one time or another. Nothing seemed to faze her, and she had no problem speaking her mind, so—

“I never wanted anyone but you.”

Those words, said with such an innocent expression, staggered him. An invisible vise squeezed his throat, and he croaked, “Is that a yes?”

“Don’t make a big deal of it, okay?”

“No, no I’m not.” He couldn’t take his gaze off her.She’d waited because of him?

“Don’t you dare judge me, Tucker.”

Her growling tone snapped him out of his surprise. “Why would I? You’re not defined by your experience—or lack of it. I just...” He shook his head, at a loss for anything else to say.

A flush tinged her cheeks and she started for his hallway, her stride long and fast as if she wanted to flee. “Is your bedroom back here? I want to see the dog and her babies.”

No. Her getting near his bedroom wasn’t a good idea. “Kady, wait.”

“I can hear them,” she called back, quickening her pace.

Right behind her, he watched her peer at the rest of the house as she breezed past the living room/dining room combo on the right, then the hall bathroom on the left, his guest bedroom, and finally his bedroom with a small connecting bath. The house was small, and it took almost no time for her to be in his room.

Standing beside his bed.

Looking at his mattress.

“Wow.” She smoothed one small, soft hand over the corduroy comforter. “It’s big.”

“A king.” And seeing her there by it, touching it, did funny things to him.

Blue eyes glanced his way. “Do you make your bed every day, or were you expecting company?”

He shook his head, although honestly, he’d been half expecting her. Yesterday she’d proven bold and determined. He still wasn’t sure if he was glad, or disappointed, that she was here now. “I like things neat,” he said by way of an explanation.

“Interesting.”

“You think so?” Shaking out the beige comforter and rearranging the pillows wasn’t a big deal, and took him only a minute or two.

Most of his house was decorated for comfort and convenience, not fashion. He’d bought it furnished when he’d first moved to Buckhorn, and had changed only a few things. There was very little clutter, but then he was a simple man who didn’t need a lot of fuss.

She put both hands on the mattress and pressed as if testing it. “Firm.”

Now why the hell did that make his dick twitch? “Kady...” he warned.

He couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like she bit back a grin. “That must be an expensive mattress. I’m jealous.”

Before he could come up with a reply to that, she kicked off her low-heeled sandals and went to her knees, the skirt of her summery floral dress floating around her before settling gently against her thighs. She lifted the edge of the comforter and peered underneath.

Holding back near the door frame, Tucker watched her.

The feminine outfit was typical for Kady when she expected to be on the air. On business days, she normally wore her beautiful blond hair in a casual updo, but today she had it loose, and now, as she knelt on the floor, it swung forward to hide her face.

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