A Love Like This (Book 1) (50 page)

I find my purse and take out my cell phone to check the messages.
 
My voice mail is full and I have about twenty text messages.
 
I ignore the voice mail.
 
I assume they are all from family and friends calling to wish me happy birthday.
 
The text messages are from the usual suspects:
 
Pookie,
 
Nickie, Sarah and Keisha.
 
There
’
s one text message from a number I don
’
t recognize.
 
I touch the screen and open the message.
 
It
’
s from Shauna asking if Tucker and I want to have breakfast.
 
I head back to the room and climb into the sticky bed.

“
Tuck wake up.
 
Shauna wants us to meet her for breakfast,
”
 
I say rubbing his stomach.
 
He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close then falls back asleep.
 
 
“
Alright I guess that
’
s a no,
”
I say kissing his cheek and squirming away from his grasp.
 
I text
 
Shauna then leave my phone and robe on the bed before heading to the bathroom to change.
 
When I emerge Tucker is sitting up in bed holding my cell phone.
 
He
’
s staring straight ahead and he looks angry.
 
He puts the phone down on the night stand when he sees me.
 
I sit down on the bed next to him and he pulls me onto his lap.

“
Shauna got us a table at the caf
é
 
down stairs.
 
I have to take a shower.
 
The chocolate pasted my package to the sheets,
”
 
He says looking down at the mess we made.
 
Wait for me and we
’
ll go down together.
”

“
I don
’
t want to make her wait.
 
I
’
ll meet you down there.
”

“
I
’
ll be quick just wait here.
”

“
Seriously Tucker,
”
 
I say standing to retrieve my phone and purse.
 
 
“
The caf
é
 
is fifty feet away from the elevator.
 
You
’
ve been a little crazy every since we arrived in LA.
 
What are you afraid of?
”

“
I just want you to be safe,
”
 
he says standing.

“
Safe from what,
”
 
I say turning to face him.

He groans and throws his arms in the air in exasperation.
 
“
Baby I
’
ll be in and out of the shower in a few minutes.
 
Just wait here for me ok.
”
 

I put my hands on my hips.
 
 
“
I will ask Shauna to meet me in front of the elevator.
 
I won
’
t be alone for one second.
”
 
 
He just stands in front of me glaring.
 
I roll my eyes towards the ceiling.
 
 
“
Fine I
’
ll wait,
”
 
I say picking up my phone and flopping down on the bed.
 
 
“
But this isn
’
t over.
”
 
 
He kisses the top of my head turns and walks to the
 
bathroom.
 
I call Shauna and let her know that Tucker and I are going to be late.
 
I click on my voice mail to listen to the messages.
 
I power the phone off and on thinking there must be some sort of mistake because my voice mail box is completely empty.
 
I check the message history and see that all of the messages have been deleted.
 
I shove my phone into my purse and head for the bathroom.
 

I march in and fan away the mist from the shower. Tucker steps out of the shower with water dripping off his hard tan body.
 
I clear my throat and try to remember what I came into the bathroom for.
 
I lick my lips tilt my head and watch him dry off.
 
I frown because I know I walked in here for a reason but I seriously can
’
t remember what that reason is.
 
Damn my insatiable sexual appetite.
 
Tucker smiles, glides over and lifts me effortlessly.
 
He sits me down on the bathroom counter then unsnaps my shorts and removes them along with my underwear in one swift motion.
 
I
’
m going to kick myself later for being so weak.
 
But when he presses me against the wall and drives himself inside me I can
’
t think clearly.
 
I wrap my legs around his waist as he thrusts himself inside me heatedly.

I hold onto him and dig my nails into his back when I reach the peak of pleasure.
 
 
He takes my hands and presses them against the wall kissing me hard as he pounds deeper and deeper leaving me wanting more with each thrust.
 
 
I feel him explode inside
me.
 
The sensation makes me want to do it all over again but I remember that I
’
m mad at him.
 
So I pull away and we get dressed and leave the room in silence.
 
The tension between us is palpable.
 
Shauna stands up to hug me when we reach the caf
é
.

“
Excuse me I need to go to the ladies room.
 
Tucker would you like to come with me or maybe you should call a body guard to wipe my ass.
”
 
 
I say turning to walk away.

*****

“
What the hell was that about?
”
 
Shauna says to Tucker.

He runs his fingers through his hair and pounds on the table.
 
 
“
I married the most stubborn woman in the world.
”

Shauna leans back in her chair and smiles.
 
“
I think that
’
s one of the reasons you love her.
”
 
 
They order three mimosas when the waiter arrives at their table.

“
Leila left her cell phone on the bed this morning and I answered it when you called.
 
I noticed that her voice mail was full so I checked one of the messages.
 
The same woman that
’
s been crank calling me left messages for her.
 
These messages were extremely specific.
 
 
The caller knows what classes Leila
’
s taking next semester.
 
She even knows that we
’
re staying in the Penthouse at this hotel.
”

“
You can
’
t keep this from her.
 
I think you underestimate how strong Leila really is.
 
I
’
ve only known her for a while but she seems to be pretty good at taking care of
 
herself.
 
You have to tell her.
”

“
Tell me what?
”
 
They both spin around in their seats to face her.
 
They hadn
’
t noticed that she returned to the table.

Tucker looks over at Shauna.
 
He knows she
’
s about to blurt out everything.
 
 
“
Sit down,
”
 
Shauna says to Leila.

“What’s wrong, you guys look as if someone died,” Leila says easing onto the seat.

“If you don’t tell her I will.”

“Does this have anything to do with you deleting my voice messages?”

“We don’t need to discuss this right now.
 
I can handle it,” Tucker says.

Shauna shakes her head.
 
“Stop the macho man act, this is serious.
 
Leila the reason Tucker hired a body
 
guards and has been acting like an over protective idiot is---
“

“
Stop,
”
 
He says flashing a frightening glare at his sister.
 
 
“
I
’
ll tell her myself,
”
 
He says exhaling loudly.
 
 
“
I
’
ve been receiving threatening calls.
”

“
What type of threats,
”
 
She says.

“
One of his many scorn ex-lovers has been leaving terrible messages on Tucker
’
s phone.
”
 
 
She blurts out as the waiter sets their drinks down on the table.

“
We
’
ll need a few more minutes to decide,
”
 
Tucker says to the waiter.

“
You
’
re a big guy. You can handle a few phone calls.
”

“
It
’
s not me I
’
m worried about.
 
The messages were threatening you,
”
 
He says.

Chapter 27

 
 
 
 
 
My relationship with Tucker
 
has been like a dream.
 
A dream that I didn
’
t know I wanted until it fell into my lap.
 
He
’
s handsome, smart, kind and sexy as hell.
 
It was all too good to be true so I should have expected a homicidal maniac to step in and disrupt the balance.
 
Tucker, Shauna and I are sitting in the living room waiting for my mom and dad to come out.
 
I was so distraught after hearing that I
’
m being stalked by a lunatic that
 
I couldn
’
t finish my breakfast this morning.
 
I insisted that we pack our things and come here.
 

My mom strolls out of her room running her fingers through her damp curls. I nearly walked in on them making out a few minutes ago so she looks a little flush.
 
Tucker stands up to hug her.
 
 
“
You remember Tucker
’
s
 
sister
 
Shauna from the party,
”
 
I say, although I can
’
t remember if they were ever introduced.

“
Yes.
 
She and I had a long talk about you two after you disappeared last night,
”
 
My mother says with a raised eyebrow.
 
Tucker
’
s face turns bright red.