Dear Rose 2: Winter's Dare (2 page)

“Ally.” He reached over to the nightstand drawer. The one that kept all her toys. The one that wasn’t locked right now because they’d played last night before bed. Even though no one should be going through her house and there were no little kids to snoop, she still kept a lock on it. With one hand, still keeping her thighs apart, the other one searched until it seemed to find what it wanted. He straightened up. “Give me your hands.”

Now this was going too far. She had to work. Hadn’t she told him that? Or was it only in her head? “Tucker, I don’t have time for this.”

“You don’t have time to not do it either.” He jingled the handcuffs. “I’m going to kiss you there. I’m going to handcuff you. We can do this the hard way or…” He shifted his hips against her, letting her feel his erection. “…or the hard way.”

A shiver rolled across her. “Jerk.”

“So be it. But I’m still going to.” He grabbed her hand and put it inside the cuff. Another shift of his weight and he grabbed the other one.

She weakly resisted for a moment until he forced her hand into the ring of metal. A
click
told them both she was locked down.

He took the rope in the center of the cuffs and tied it to her wooden headboard. “Now that’s better.” He seemed to stare into her soul with his glittering eyes. “Just the way I like you.” He rubbed his hand against her pussy. Took it to his nose and sniffed her. “Wet. Wanton. Tied.” His finger went down to delve into her again. “So wet.”

Yeah, so she liked it. Anyone who knew Tucker would be amazed at the man in the bedroom. He took no prisoners and was the aggressor. He liked to tie her up. Presumably, he had with many of his past lovers.

Or maybe she was special?

She quickly dismissed that thought. They were friends with benefits, that was all. She wasn’t special to him. They were best buddies. They bar hopped together. Watched soccer together. They did all the things that couples never did together. They talked about everything.

Well, except one thing.

He dived in with his hand again, rubbing his finger on her clit. She lifted her hips to meet him.

He always got his way. Now was no different. She couldn’t think about leaving, had to have him.

His thumb strummed across her clit like she was his guitar and he was playing a rocking melody. She shifted up and down with each move of his digit.

“That’s my girl.”

Only she wasn’t, was she?

Before she could even think anymore, he lowered his head. He licked her from stem to stern. She became one big quaking mass of fireball. He began to explore her pussy like she was the greatest adventure he’d ever had. He licked up and down. Played with her folds. Stuck his tongue as far down her as he could get.

He toyed with her. Not giving her the big licks and sucks until she thought she’d go mad. She moved her fingers, straining against the cuffs.

“Something wrong?”

“Jerk.”

“You’ve already said that.” He lifted his head to scrutinize her. She remained tied to the headboard, hands cuffed together. Wasn’t like she was going anywhere. “It’s been established.” He paused, looking at her with those glittering eyes. “Tell me what you want.”

The million-dollar question. Only he meant for now, not anything beyond that. Because that was how Tucker lived. “I want…” she hesitated. God, this was hard for her. And he knew that. He didn’t often make her ask. “You know what I want.”

“I want to hear you say it.” He licked up her clit but not down and not nearly hard enough to make a difference.

She whimpered.

He didn’t go back to doing anything. He was a jerk. But she was so needy. “I want to…come.”

His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s better. Now say please. Say, ‘Please make me come, Tucker.’”

She huffed.

He didn’t resume anything on her pussy that was feeling so left out. He wouldn’t either until she did what he wanted. She always did what he wanted in the end.

“Please make me come, Tucker.” She gasped the words. Couldn’t quite get her breathing right to sound irritated.

“I love you…your way of saying my name.” He lowered his mouth and sucked her clit into his mouth.

She arched her head back so far she thought she’d go through the mattress. God, about time. When he strummed his tongue against her clit while she was still in his mouth, she lost it and began to cry out. She keened, talking to God and Tucker at the same time. She always said the stupidest things when she climaxed.

He didn’t stop until the last of the shudders had swamped her. He licked his lips. “Love your taste too.” After putting on a condom, he threw a leg over and started to mount her but stopped. He just stared down at her.

“Want an invitation?” She lowered herself, trying to encourage him to get on top of her.

“No. But I want to hear you say what you want me to do.”

“Again?” She stared up at him, puzzled. Just what was he up to with all this asking of her?

“Yes.”

Again, he waited with his leg over her and erection jutting out from his body like an exclamation point. And he’d wait all day long if he had to.

She tried glaring, but that never worked. “I want you…to have sex with me.”

He arched a brow. “If you’re going to say sex, why not say fuck? And I have a name.”

She searched his unreadable face for any clues to his mood. He seemed almost angry. But why? She usually could read his moods. Not today. He seemed strange and almost different somehow. “I want you inside me, Tucker.” She wasn’t going to say the f-bomb just to get laid. No matter how good the lay was.

“Inside you to do what? And keep saying my name.” He still looked irritated and patient. Only he could pull off that look.

“I want you to…” She should be able to come up with words. She’d minored in English for heaven’s sake. A double minor with history, but still. “…to make love to me, Tucker.” Even if it wasn’t lovemaking.

His entire face changed. It lightened, softened somehow. “That’s my girl.” And he slid into her in the most delicious of ways. He moved against her like a knife through butter. Easy. And a hardness to her softness. They fit together like gloves that had been paired up for so long they knew how the other would move and rose to meet it.

It was bliss.

It soon became frenzied as they rocked against the other. Back and forth, back and forth. Until he was pounding in her and she was returning the favor by meeting him with as much as she could give him.

When she came, she cried out his name, and he followed her into the abyss seconds after. His entire body shook with his rapture as he lay on top of her. Sweat covered their bodies, and they both struggled to fill up their lungs. He laid his forehead on top of hers.

She tried to quiet her breathing.

When he spoke, it was quiet. Soft so she almost didn’t hear it. “Why aren’t you happy, Ally?”

It was a question she’d been asking herself lately. She possessed a great job, assisting at a veterinary clinic. She’d volunteered there from high school on, which meant once she’d graduated with her degree in biology and attended veterinary tech school, she’d had a reputation already to land her a job. She also gave her free time to the local history museum, and she enjoyed being a docent. That was the job she was headed for now. She had two great best friends, Devyn and Tucker. She experienced great sex with Tucker, great conversations with both of them. Even her apartment was…great. So why wasn’t life great? And how many greats could she pack into one thought process. A few.

The thing that caught her off guard was that she thought she’d been hiding it. She hadn’t expected that question. Especially from Tucker. She didn’t think he would notice if she sprouted two heads.

She held out her arms. “Unlock me please. I do have to go.” She pretended she didn’t hear him. “I’m going to be late as it is.”

He shifted off her before he pulled the condom from himself. He wrapped it in a tissue and dropped it in the trash can. Then he grabbed the keys and undid her cuffs. He looked morose. Was it because she ignored his question? Maybe he deserved an answer. But how could she answer him when she didn’t know herself?

She dressed in a hurry, tossing on her clothes. “I won’t be back until dinner. You can let yourself out if you’re working today.” Tucker had a key.

She paused and looked at him, spread out in her bed. “I don’t know, Tucker.” And with that she walked out of the door.

Chapter Two

Tucker rubbed his forehead before he took a swig of water. Would have preferred something stronger, but the sun was up high in the sky. He didn’t think that would be appropriate, as he had to go back to work after this.

Like you care?

He didn’t. But it would take one hell of a big drink to dull the feelings inside him, and working with power tools and a buzz didn’t sound so appealing. It sounded like something that would wind him up in the emergency room.

Devyn slumped into the seat across from him. He glared at Tucker with a look that would have scared Darth Vader. “This better be good.” He straightened and glanced around. “God, how do people get up this early and still function?” He picked up a menu lying by his seat. “And read this before the coffee comes. Damn, they are expecting rocket science here.”

“Normal people do get
up
at this time, you know. And even earlier. Ones who don’t do drag shows for a living.” Tucker wasn’t into early mornings either. But especially with the summers here, working at carpentry was much better in the a.m. than the p.m. Ally had been the only early riser among the group. And so damn cheery about it too. Like some nervous lab puppy.

“Whoopee for them. Not for me.” Devyn looked at the menu, closing one eye. “Okay, where is the waiter?”

“It’s waitress and over there.” Tucker pointed toward a woman hovering by the kitchen. She saw him point and came rushing over.

“I’d like some coffee, please.” Devyn smiled his electric smile. The one that Tucker referred to as his BS smile. It was designed to charm. He always used it in restaurants and service industry places. He looked up and startled. “Josie. I didn’t know you worked here.”

The waitress, who Devyn apparently knew, smiled. “I just started.” She scampered off to bring Devyn the manna that always got him going. They’d always joked that he needed an IV of the stuff with early morning classes.

“Who was that?”

“Josie.” Devyn yawned again and spoke as though that explained everything. He saw Tucker look at him and said, “She comes into Temples a lot.” Devyn looked at his menu as though it were the most fascinating thing on Earth.

Tucker stared at Devyn until he looked up from the menu to peek at him, but Devyn glanced quickly back down. Why hadn’t Devyn asked him why he’d called him yet?

Devyn continued looking down and finally slowly lifted his head. His gaze rose to meet Tucker’s. He looked behind himself first, then met Tucker’s stare. “What?”

“What? I called you for an emergency meeting. And you haven’t even asked why?” The reason could be as simple as Devyn was hungry or as complex as Ally had already talked to Devyn, and he already knew the problem. The two of them were always talking. It had never made Tucker feel left out. Until now.

“I’m hungry. I was going to order first.” Devyn’s gaze drifted down toward the menu. “And I’m guessing it’s a problem with Ally. As you said on the message, ‘I need to talk you about a problem with Ally.’” His gaze went back down south. “What? Did she use your razor again?”

Tucker could beat the man. But he’d probably go to jail. And not only that, Ally liked the infuriating son of a bitch and would be even more melancholy than she already was. Neither was a good scenario, so he’d refrain from doing it. “
No
. And that was years ago. We worked that out fine.” Ally had a drawer at his apartment. And Tucker made sure there was a razor there. A woman’s razor. They spent more of their time at Ally’s place anyway.

“Can I order some food first?”

Tucker must have thrown a murderous look Devyn’s way, because Devyn shut his menu with a deep sigh.

“I guess not. So what’s wrong with Ally?”

Only Josie came back to their table and poured Devyn a cup of coffee, so Tucker still couldn’t state the problem.

“Here you go. Cream?”

“Yes, please.” Another dazzling smile tossed Josie’s way. “I saw you last weekend at Temples. You were talking to Quinn. One of my dancers. And Zach. A friend.”

“Sugar?” She didn’t smile at him. “Yeah. I was.” She didn’t elaborate further. Tucker thought he knew Quinn. But he didn’t know who Zach was. Rose must know. That bitch knew everyone.

“Have any substitutes?” Devyn batted his lashes. “I’m trying to keep my figure.”

She giggled. Both of them seemingly unaware that Tucker was stewing at each disturbance. Devyn could charm the socks from anyone. Tucker didn’t need his charm. He needed his knowledge of Ally to help fix this. “I do. I have blue, pink, and yellow.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a trio.

“Yellow.” Devyn took the small rectangle with a flourish. His movements were graceful and exaggerated at the same time.

“Can I take your order?” She pulled a pad from her pocket and clicked a pen, getting ready to write.

“Maybe if someone had let me look at the menu.” He cut his eyes toward Tucker who wondered how far someone could be pushed before it would be considered self-defense. “Fine. I’ll have a chicken Caesar salad. Dressing on the side. No olive.”

He put the menu back into the Josie’s eager hands. She turned to Tucker. “And for you, sir.”

Tucker had been looking at the menu but hadn’t paid attention to it. He didn’t care what he had. “Same here.” That caused Devyn to look pointedly at him. Tucker never ate salads. Except by force. Ally had gone on a vegetarian kick one time when they’d been roommates. They’d had spinach and radicchio coming out of their ears. But she’d been in charge of grocery shopping that week, and that had been all she’d bought with the shared grocery money. None of them had been able to afford more groceries. They’d all been so tired of greens by the time it was Tucker’s turn to shop. They’d never enjoyed grilling out so much as they had that night with steak and shrimp that had mercifully been on sale, and they’d even had a coupon.