Page 100 of Just One of the Groomsmen
“I fear nothing,” he automatically said, puffing out his chest, and she tilted her head.
“At least tell me one of your secrets—something I don’t already know.”
That narrowed it down quite a bit.
He also didn’t want to say anything too deep or too real that would ruin the happy mood, and he searched his brain for a tidbit to satisfy her.
“I mentioned I love working with my hands and fixing up the boats…”
She nodded.
“Once in a while when I’m out in the shed, I wonder what it’d be like to do that to a whole house. To either take an old one and breathe new life into it or to build one from the ground up.”
That’d make it harder for someone to take away, too, right? Or maybe it’d leave him with more to lose, but he wasn’t going to think about that.
Part of him simply wanted to prove to himself he could do it. Then, sure, he’d love to plant a flag and claim it as his forever.
Addie picked up the hand not holding the spoon and ran a tingly line down his index finger and palm. “A house built by these hands? I have no doubt it’d be incredible.”
Her unwavering faith in him sent the zipping sensation from the center of his palm to the center of his chest.
He lowered his voice. “But I might need the tiniest bit of help while working on the roof—I’m not a fan of heights. My office had that nice view, and I couldn’t get too close to the windows or I’d think about cracking the glass and falling two dozen stories.”
She beamed at him. “Not to rub it in or anything, but statistically, gators are responsible for more deaths than people falling through office windows.”
“And where are you pulling these statistics? From your ass?”
“Possibly,” she said with a laugh.
“Well, I’ll give you some statistics that came from a reliable—if not as nice to look at—source. You’re way more likely to be attacked by a cow, horse, or some other mammal than a gator.”
“I’ll still take my chance with the cows, thanks. Now, stop hogging the ice cream.”
She reached for the spoon, and he quickly dug a bite out and shoved it in his mouth. But he offered her the next one.
A few minutes later, they were cuddled up watching a movie with gratuitous explosions over mini peanut butter cups, and he couldn’t speak for her, but he was experiencing the best slumber party of his life.
…
Gentle shaking accompanied her name. Addie clung tighter to the warm body she was wrapped around, not yet ready to let go or open her eyes.
“Isn’t that your alarm?” Tucker asked, and now she heard the familiar chiming sound that woke her every weekday morning, a good hour or so before she preferred to climb out of bed.
Addie nuzzled his neck, taking a moment to inhale the scent of cedar and musky cologne and all things Tucker. “Nuh-uh.”
“Funny…” The roughened pads of his fingertips dragged across her skin, waking up her libido as the rest of her body fought to stay asleep and immobile. “It’s notmyalarm.”
“It’s cool,” she said. “My boss is super chill about me being late.”
“I thought he was an asshole.”
“Yeah, he is. An old school, misogynistic one at that. I made up the super-chill part so you’d let me sleep.” With a sigh, she stretched, gradually forced her eyelids up, and found herself peering into stormy blue eyes.
She ran her hand down Tucker’s scruffy face, enjoying the way his whiskers tickled her palm, and he gently pressed his lips to hers.
“Morning.”
“Morning.” Gathering her strength and what little motivation she’d managed to summon up, she slid over him, planning on silencing her alarm and climbing out of bed. But then she felt his erection pressing into her, awakening all the places that were pleasantly sore from last night, and she only made it halfway off.
