Page 72 of Tuck & Roll

“We did fuck. You just don’t remember it,” she told him again. She paused, searching his face for something, he wasn’t sure what. She must not have found it because she shook her head, squared her shoulders and went on. “We ran into each other at Big Shots. I was there with my sister and her friends celebrating Beth’s birthday. She needed to leave and you told her that you would get me home. We had a drink and a couple of dances, then you put me on the back of your bike and brought me here. We fucked a couple of times and both times you were in such a hurry you didn’t bother with a condom.”

Tuck swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat. “Are you sure you want to discuss this in front of everyone?” He glanced around, finally noticing all eyes were fixated on what was going on between the two of them.

She shrugged a shoulder. “Might as well. You started it in front of all of them. They may as well know what a heartless jackass you are.”

His brows dipped as he concentrated and thought back at the same time not liking that she thought he was a heartless jackass. Okay, he could give her jackass, but he definitely wasn’t heartless when it came to her. “I vaguely remember being at Big Shots, but the rest of it, I don’t,” he was embarrassed to admit and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I know. I figured that out when you got bent out of shape when Jed brought up the hickey you left on my neck and didn’t remember putting there. You actually wanted me to give you the name of the person who’d done it so you could go kick his ass.” She laughed without humor.

He did try and get the name of the guy from her, more than once. “I’m sorry I don’t remember. Maybe if you had stuck around and been there in my bed when I woke up, I might have.” From the look of her pinched lips and fire in her eyes, he’s said the wrong thing.

“Yeah, well, I would have, but you fucked up when you called me Taylor. Excuse me for being offended that you called me by another woman’s name while lying naked in your bed.”

“What?” he asked in a strangled voice. How did he not remember this? No wonder she was so angry at him. “How did you get home?”

“I took her home,” Darren filled in for Kylie.

“What? You took her home? Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Tuck frowned at Darren. “Don’t you think that’s something you should have told a brother?”

“Don’t you think you should keep your wits about you long enough to figure out who you have in your bed?” Darren challenged.

What Darren said was true, but there wasn’t a brother in here that hadn’t taken a woman to bed at one time or another and forgotten her name. He wasn’t proud of it, but it had happened a time or two. That didn’t excuse the fact that he’d had Kylie in his bed, a place he’d dreamed of getting her more than once over the years, and he’d been so messed up he didn’t remember it. He always imagined when they came together it would be phenomenal and from the times he did remember fucking her it had been. The worst part was finding out he’d called her Taylor. That had to have been like a knife to the chest for Kylie.

Kylie sighed heavily, bringing his attention back to her. “Darren didn’t tell you because I asked him not to when he brought me home.”

“Why didn’t you want Darren to say anything?” he frowned.

“Because I was humiliated and hurt that what happened between us wasn’t any different for you than what you’ve had with other women or with Taylor.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t know if it’s funny or sad, but I always thought that if we ever did get together it would mean a little more to you than just another random fuck.” Her face was flushed and her arms were crossed over her chest. She looked off to the side, looking so damn lost, it broke his heart. He’d done that to her.

He knew she was hurt by his actions and carelessness, but the more he thought about everything, the madder at her he was getting. She wasn’t the only one wronged in all this. “Why didn’t you ever say anything? Why did you let me think the first time at my house was the first time we’d been together?”

“What was I supposed to say, Tuck?” She spread her arms wide, clearly frustrated. “Hey, Tuck. I don’t know if you remember it or not because you were totally drunk off your ass and I wasn’t much better, but we hooked up in your room at the clubhouse.” She took a menacing step closer. “Tell me, what kind of conversation would that have been?”

He understood where she was coming from, but it didn’t negate his aggravation. “If I’d remembered it, I sure as hell wouldn’t have waited so long to do it again. I would have dragged you off to bed and fucked you on the regular instead of jacking off to fantasies of you in my shower until I thought you were ready. Fuck, woman!” It was his turn to throw his arms out to the sides. “I thought I was going to rub my dick raw waiting for you to come around.”

“Well apparently you got over it after Taylor moved in considering I found the two of you in bed together. Fucking!” She leaned in with her hands on her hips. “This is bullshit. I’m done. Can you give me a ride home, Darren?”

“Oh no, you don’t! You’re not going anywhere until we get some things straight between us.”

“There is nothing to get straight. You’ve made it abundantly clear what you think of me.” Her voice cracked. “I’m nothing more than another whore to you.”

His head jerked back. Not once had ever thought that about her. “I never said that.”

“That’s what you call a woman who runs around behind your back and gets knocked up by another man, isn’t it?” Her face finally crumpled and she stepped around him to leave. Her words were like a cold slap across his face.

“Come on. I’ll get you home,” Darren told her.

Tuck stood motionless waiting for the sound of the door to click into place as it closed behind Kylie and Darren. She was right. He’d all but called her a whore by accusing her of fucking Darren behind his back.

Why was he constantly fucking things up with Kylie?

He hadn’t realized he’d said that out loud until Race stood before him, his face set in grim lines. “Because when things matter the most, it’s too easy to find ways to lash out when you’re hurt and scared.”

Tuck let his head drop back on his shoulders, his face to the ceiling and groaned.

“Come on.” Race led the way, knowing Tuck would follow. He took a seat behind his desk and waited for Tuck to close the door and have a seat.

“Fuuuuck.” Tuck rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “How did my life get so fucked up?”

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