Authors: Mackenzie Crowne
“Hey, I’m a guy. We’re wired that way.”
She shook her head and smiled. “What do you want, Tuck?”
“You asked me that once before.” No trace of teasing humor remained in his voice. “Are you ready to hear the answer?”
She swallowed. Well, she’d walked right into that one, hadn’t she? “Uh. Not really.”
A deep sigh. “Are you up for a ride?”
“Maybe.” She blew out a relieved breath. “Where to?”
“Max asked me to stop by and check out a building he’s thinking of buying. Then I thought maybe we could have a late lunch.”
The clock on the wall said one. “How long do I have before you get here?”
“About a minute. I’m out front.”
She slid from the stool and walked to the door. The red Jeep at the curb was comically distorted through the peephole lens. “Thanks for the advance warning.”
He laughed. “I was in the—”
“Neighborhood.” She spun and hurried for the stairs. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”
“Well, this time it’s the truth. You coming out or do I have to come in there and get you?”
“Give me five minutes.”
“Geez, women.”
She laughed as he disconnected the call, and she took the stairs two at a time.
* * * *
“This place is a dump, Max.”
CC stepped over a pile of broken cement blocks and had to agree with Tuck. The stench was so bad her eyes watered. God knew where and what kind of creature had drawn its last breath beneath one of the various piles of discarded rubble.
Max stood in the center of the chaos, his hands on his hips and an easy smile on his face. “You should have seen the building on fifth when I bought it. Made this look like a five star.”
“What’d this place used to be, a morgue?” Tuck’s nose wrinkled. “Damn, it’s rank in here.”
“Pussy.” Max grimaced and offered her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, CC.”
She batted her lashes and waved him off.
“That stink is knocking fifteen percent off my lowball offer.”
Tuck smirked and crossed his arms. “You really thinking of buying this rat trap?”
“I signed the papers this morning.” Max shoved his fingers into the back pockets of his jeans and dropped his head back to study the high ceiling.
Surprise lit Tuck’s eyes. “Well, damn. Congratulations.” He looked around with a grimace. “I think.”
“What are you planning to do with it?” CC shook her head and attempted to breathe through her mouth.
Arms spread wide, Max grinned. “Welcome to my new fight center and home.”
Tuck’s mocking laugh echoed off the filthy brick walls. “What are you, some kind of masochist?”
She rolled her eyes. “There’s lots of potential here. I think it’ll make a fine home. Don’t listen to him, Max.”
He crossed his arms and winked. “I never do.”
A smirk twisted Tuck’s lips as if he considered both of them nuts. She moved toward the nearest wall, and he laughed as she tripped on a rotted floorboard.
Max stepped up beside her and rubbed long fingers over the exposed brick, then wiped the black smudge on his jeans. “It’ll need to be insulated, but I’m planning to keep as much of the natural brick as possible.”
“A little sandblasting would get rid of the…” She leaned closer until her nose was almost pressed to the wall. “Industrial waste?”
Laughing, Tuck hopped over the twisted floorboard to join them. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, buddy.”
“That’s why I called you.”
Tuck held up both hands. “Don’t look at me. I no longer do manual labor unless it’s on the field. I
hire
people to do it. Besides, I leave for training camp in a few weeks.”
The breath stalled in CC’s throat, and she turned away as Max grinned. “I’m more interested in your connections. I’ve got some major renovations in mind.”
CC left them to their discussion of custom shelving and load-bearing walls, and wandered to the other side of the cavernous room. Pretending interest in an empty cavity cut into the brick that looked as if it might have housed a dumbwaiter at some point, she berated her pounding heart. Why should she care if Tuck left town in a couple of weeks? By that point, he’d be out of her life anyway. They had a deal. Plain and simple. So far, he’d lived up to his side of the bargain. She needed to live up to hers.
“You ready, sunshine?”
She turned. Both men watched her, but it was the carefree smile in Tuck’s eyes that swelled the pang of loneliness in her heart. In two weeks, he’d be gone. Best she remembered that.
Chapter 12
“Why aren’t we going in the front door?”
CC dipped her head to peer out the town car’s open door. No windows shed light on the narrow track between the two towering buildings. Dark and gloomy after the lights of Broadway only a few short blocks away, the seedy back alley gave her the creeps. Murky memories threatened. Kris’s hand holding hers backstage with rock ‘n’ roll thumping so loud CC wanted to cover her ears. Cameras flashing as they dashed through similar alleys into the relative safety of an awaiting limo.
Tuck held out his hand, and she shook off the strangling fingers from the past.
“Max and his date are meeting us inside, but I want to say hello to someone before we join them.”
She placed her palm in his and stepped onto the curb. A single unmarked door was the only break in the aged brick wall. An ancient lamp struggled to illuminate the blocked letters, announcing the stage entrance to the downtown theater.
Several yards to their right, a small shadow scurried behind a row of wooden crates. She suppressed a shiver. “Does that someone have four legs and a tail?”
He chuckled and rapped his knuckles on the metal door. “Not the last time I looked.”
Hinges creaked and light flooded the sidewalk. A wide smile creased the ebony face of the burly man filling the doorway. “Tuck! Hey, man. How the fu—er, sorry ma’am.” Ruddy color stained his cheeks as he shot CC a shy smile before turning back to Tuck. “How the hell you doin’, man?”
Tuck stuck out his hand for a vigorous shaking. “I’m doing great, Pit. I was hoping you’d be manning the back gate. How’s Channelle?”
Laughter danced in the big man’s dark chocolate eyes. Deep southern roots echoed in his baritone voice. “Mean as a rattler that’s been poked with a stick. She took off a few minutes ago with the kids.”
“Damn. You make sure to tell her I said hi.”
“Will do, but she’s gonna be pissed she missed you.”
Tuck grinned. “How many years you been married now?”
“Been ten blissful, terrifyin’ years.” Pit heaved a pained sigh, but his shoulders shook with mirth.
Tuck turned to CC. “Pit and I crashed helmets before he retired to go into show business. He’s the toughest left tackle I ever faced and Channelle is a sweetheart.” He indicated the building with a sweep of a flat palm. “They own this place. Pit, this is CC.”
“A pleasure, ma’am.”
She nodded her greeting as he stepped back and opened the door wide.
“You need an escort to Jessi’s dressin’ room?”
Tuck placed a hand on her lower back and guided her inside the busy staging area. “No. The show starts in a few minutes. We’ll see her afterward.”
“Jessi?” She spun on him. “As in Jessi and Spence?” When he’d suggested a concert for their next date, he hadn’t mentioned country music’s Grammy award winning duo or that he knew the superstars personally.
His shoulders rose in an easy shrug. “Jessi’s my cousin.”
She stared at him. Geez. Talk about a family of overachievers. Obviously, he had more experience with the spotlight of fame than she’d previously thought. “Of course she is.”
He grinned at her grumbled tone, grabbed her hand, and clapped the theater owner on the back. “Good to see you, Pit.”
“Same here. Don’t be a stranger, man.”
He shot his friend a two-fingered salute and led her through the backstage maze. They passed only a handful of people as they headed toward the front of the house. After climbing a long set of metal stairs, they left the utilitarian walls and piping of the backstage behind. A hush hung over the plush hallway running nearly the length of the building.
A tuxedoed usher manned his post several feet away and directed them toward a set of double doors. Nerves bubbled in her belly. With the exception of their trips to the park for Walter’s lessons, which hadn’t proven as bad as she’d expected, their
dates
had been relatively anonymous. The barbeque at the Malones’ didn’t count. Everyone there was a friend.
Tonight was the first real test of her theory. She was about to step into the lion’s den with several thousand strangers, and the knowledge made her knees knock beneath the hem of her silk dress. Would Tuck’s comforting presence keep her grounded, or would she lose her nerve, embarrassing herself, and him, in the process?
Maybe they should find a quiet corner and get to the kissing right now.
A hysterical giggle begged for release, and she flicked him a sidelong glance. Without his ball cap and dark glasses, his shaggy, sun-streaked hair and famous face were on display for all to see. Cool, confident, and freaking gorgeous, his dark suit fit his muscular body with mouth-watering precision bound to draw eyes.
He turned his head, caught her studying him, and pulled her to a stop. His fingers squeezed hers. “You okay?”
She slapped her free hand to her belly. “What the hell was I thinking? I can’t do this. I think I’m going to throw up.”
A soft smile curved his lips.
“Oh sure. Laugh. It’s all fun and games until someone blows chunks.”
He did laugh then, but he also wrapped her in his arms. She pressed her cheek against the cool material of his lapel and held on. His warm hand rode the slope of her back.
“Breathe, sunshine. You’re doing great.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew how badly my legs are shaking.”
His chuckle vibrated beneath her cheek. “I can feel them.”
“Ohhhh,” she groaned.
He contracted his arms in a gentle squeeze. “They’re very sexy, even when they’re shaking.”
A tortured laugh gurgled up and out.
Another squeeze. “You’re overthinking things again. Relax.”
“How? There are thousands of people in there.”
“Yeah.” He dropped his chin to rest on the top of her head. “Thousands of people who paid good money to hear my cousin and her partner sing. They’ll be looking at the stage. No one will even notice us.”
She pulled back enough to look him in the eye. “Says the guy who’s been on the cover of six magazines since the beginning of the year.”
His teeth flashed in a wicked grin, and his voice dropped to a sly murmur. “Have you been counting?”
She would not blush. She wouldn’t, but just in case… She tucked her head back into his chest.
Warm fingers spread over her back and drew lazy circles at her waist. “I’m flattered.”
She cleared her throat. Embarrassed, she went on the offense. “Don’t be. It was research.”
The light swat to her ass made her squeak and jump back. He caught her chin with a crooked forefinger and lifted her face. “You’re a beautiful woman. People are always going to look. I say, fuck ’em.”
She squeezed her eyes shut against a wave of nausea. “I know this whole stupid idea was mine, Tuck, and I appreciate you stepping up the game by bringing me here, but I don’t think I can do this.”
He slid his hands up to cup her upper arms. Dipping his head until they were nose to nose, he shook her slightly. “You’re stronger than you think, CC Calhoun. A survivor. Those people in there don’t know you, and they don’t give a damn about you. Why should you care what they think? Are you going to let fear steal the full life that should be yours?”
A harsh laugh escaped and tears stung her eyes and nose. How was he able to peek into her soul? Deep down to where the shadows reigned? Belief gleamed in his eyes. Belief in her. The strength of it, the strength of him, fanned a simmering flame. For him and for the full life he saw in her future.
She shook her head. “No. No, I’m not.”
He dropped his forehead to rest against hers. “That’s my girl.” Straightening, he slid his hands down her arms to link his fingers with hers. “Remember, you’re not alone. I’m right here. Just a kiss away.”
His grin was so tempting she almost rose on her toes for a taste. She rolled her eyes instead.
Grinning, he squeezed her fingers. “Ready?”
She heaved a long breath and nodded. He released one hand and opened the door.
The excited din of thousands of concertgoers made her stomach muscles contract, but instead of entering the fray on the mezzanine floor as expected, he tugged her into a private balcony suite. She gripped the rail with shaking fingers and gawked at the mob of well-dressed strangers twenty feet below.
Turning her head, she cast him an accusing glare. “You might have mentioned we’d be in the penthouse suite.”
His teeth flashed in an innocent smile.
Max and his slim redheaded date were already seated. He stood to greet CC with a warm hug, then introduced them to Amy. The lights began to dim, signaling the show was about to start, and the murmur of voices from below faded. Tuck guided her into a seat and sat beside her.
She leaned close, and he dipped his head toward her to hear her whisper. “How am I supposed to ‘fuck ’em’, like you suggested, if I never get within an arm’s reach?”
His deep bark of laughter drew the attention of the couple in the next suite, along with a handful of people seated in the rows below them. He slid an arm around her shoulders and pressed his lips to her ear. “Baby steps, sunshine. Tonight’s about foreplay. We’ll get to the fucking…soon.”
Holy double entendre
. Jerking straight in her seat, she stared at the rising curtain and refused to acknowledge both the compelling tingles of heat causing a near riot in her lower body and the laughing devil at her side.
Along with her gifted singing partner, Jessi Tucker’s undeniable talent quickly eclipsed CC’s jittery nerves. At the tender age of twenty, Tuck’s petite cousin owned the stage with a powerful voice and easy presence even seasoned entertainers would envy. Within minutes, CC found herself clapping along to the country pair’s upbeat songs and sighing at the heart-wrenching lyrics. She grinned and decided charm must be a Tucker family trait when his cousin invited one of their young fans on stage for a sing along, then complained good-naturedly at how she was in danger of being replaced. The fine hair on CC’s arms stood on end, and she clutched at Tuck’s hand when Jessi closed the show by hitting and holding a note CC didn’t think was humanly possible.