Hunks, Hammers, and Happily Ever Afters (46 page)

“Mm, I do love the sound of my name on your lips. Particularly when my cock is buried balls deep in your sweet little pussy.”

“I had no idea.”

“What?” He nuzzled the side of her neck. “That I’m getting addicted to your pussy?”

She couldn’t contain the glow of happiness at his words. Yes, it was probably just teasing on his part. But she’d still take it. “No, that you’re a filthy talker.”

“I’d ask if you like it, but your soaked pussy is answer enough.”

“Maybe I’m just wet from the shower. Ever think of that, Mr. Smarty Pants?”

“No, baby. That cream is definitely all because of and for
me
.” He backed up his boast by withdrawing slightly, nudging her G spot with the tip of his cock.

She whimpered.

“You’re going to come so fucking hard for me.”

“God,
yes
. Please.” Craving that promised orgasm and the steely shaft guaranteed to deliver it, she pushed back against him, countering his stroke. He freed his hands from her breast and clit and gripped her hips, pulling her into his plunging thrusts.

The steam, the warm caress of water, the ceaseless friction of Huck’s cock shuttling in and out of her, driving her to the edge and beyond. It was all too much. She whimpered and bit her lip.

“Rub your clit for me.”

She complied with the command, shivering, her fingertip glossing over the drenched nub. Decadent sensations shimmered through her body. “Oh
God
. I think I’m going to—”

“Do it, sweetheart. Come.” Huck’s raspy request pushed her past the brink. She hit the looming wall of rapture and shattered into a million pieces of bliss. His uneven breaths and desperate strokes hinted that he was close behind her in catching that same wave of ecstasy. With one last thrust that nearly sent her through the tile, he lodged to the hilt, cock pulsing as he shuddered and groaned.

For several minutes neither of them had energy to do anything beyond slump weakly on the tiles. Eventually the water cooled and Huck killed the spray before opening the shower door and snatching a pair of towels. After wrapping one of the bath sheets around his waist, he dried her dripping hair, his gentle ministrations somehow managing to be the perfect blend of sweet and sexy. A man who took care of her like this? Yeah, she could definitely get used to it.

Snuffing a sigh, she took the towel from him and finished drying off. He handed her clothes over. “Better snap to it. Tow’s due to arrive in six minutes.

“Well, if someone would stop distracting me with hot sex...”

Winking, he pinched her butt on the way out of the bathroom. “You love it, baby.”

Lord, she did. More and more. Which would only make it harder when this intimacy between them ended. And it would. She needed to remain practical about this. No amount of wishing for a forever would make it happen.

~*~

T
he hydraulic whine of the steel tow cable provided a noisy accompaniment to the country ballad blaring from the speakers in Larry’s cab. Apparently tone deaf to both, he spat a stream of tobacco to the right of his foot and squinted at her. “Say again how you ended up down there?”

She caught Huck’s amused look from the corner of her eye. “It was a pothole.”

“You know it’s best to avoid them things, right?”

She wisely chose to ignore him and the evilly grinning Huck. 
Men.

Once the station wagon was returned to the road, the three of them inspected the vehicle. Straightening, Larry slapped his ball cap back in place over his bald spot. “Doesn’t appear to have suffered any damage. Damn miracle, if you ask me.”

Man, he’d hit the nail on the head with that one. Or at least close enough. Probably more accurate to call it a magical intervention.

“If you still want me to tow you into the shop, I can. Give everything a proper looksee.”

“No, I’ll drive it into town.” Speaking of which, she needed to haul ass to the book shop. No doubt her granny was wondering if she’d been abducted by aliens. Or was in jail.

“Suit yourself. You run into any problems, you’ve got my number.” After collecting his fee, Larry hopped in his cab and rumbled down the road.

She glanced at Huck. There’d never come a day when she’d get tired of looking at him. The man was sex-on-a-stick. Dressed in jeans and his requisite flannel shirt, he resembled the hottest Paul Bunyan in town. Only minus the beard. Though he’d probably rock the hell out of that too if he ever decided to grow one. “Do you need a lift back to your place?”

“The walk will do me good.”

“Okay.” God, why did she suddenly feel so awkward? “Well, thanks again for walking me down here. And waiting. Also for loaning me the sneakers.” She shuffled her feet. Even with three pairs of socks on it felt like she was wearing clown shoes. In Huck’s case, he lived up to that whole myth about the size of a man’s feet.

“No problem.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and cleared his throat. “I was thinking of having lunch at Moonies. You’re welcome to join me.”

Her heart skipped a joyous beat. Yes, a silly reaction to such a simple offer. But it made her ridiculously happy to know he actually wanted to spend time with her. “I’d like that. A lot. But we’ll make the gossips wag their tongues off,” she felt duty bound to remind him. She certainly didn’t care. But he might. Particularly since folks were already having a heyday about Melanie.

“Fuck ‘em.” He followed her to her car and leaned his elbows on the window ledge. “I enjoyed breakfast. And dessert.”

She blushed. “Me too.”

“Good.” He ducked his head and provided a goodbye kiss that left her nerve endings buzzing and her panties undoubtedly damp. He shoved away from the car. “See you around noon.”

Her brain too fried to piece together a coherent sentence, she nodded dumbly.

The trip into town might as well have been done on autopilot for all the attention she paid it. There was no question that she was getting in way over her head with Huck. Her feelings for him were her Achilles heel. They always had been. And after the time they’d spent together yesterday and this morning, those emotions were stronger than ever.

He might have given up on love, but her heart simply refused to give up on him. Even if it stood a real good chance of getting broken in the end.

She pulled into the first available parking spot and killed the engine. Fortunately her mom and dad were still enjoying their twenty-eight year anniversary cruise in the Bahamas. That left only her granny to deal with. Steeling herself for the upcoming Sera Eastwood version of the Spanish Inquisition, she grabbed her purse and made the short trek to the renovated old Victorian housing Blue Moon Books.

Her granny tossed up her arms the second Tully skulked through the doorway. “You had me worried sick!”

“I’m sorry. I would have called you but my phone wasn’t working.”

Sera offered up a disbelieving squint. Intent on smoothing her ruffled feathers, Tully crossed to her grandmother’s side and squeezed her in a hug. “I’m not making up a BS story. But the one I have to tell you probably will sound like it is.”

Leaving out the sexy parts, she gave her granny an abridged account of yesterday’s insane adventures. By the time the tale was done, Sera’s grumpiness had vanished, replaced instead with obvious delight. She clapped her hands. “I
knew
it.”

Tully frowned. “Knew what?”

“That you two were meant to be together.”

She gaped at her grandmother. “Me and Huck?”

“No, you and that raccoon.”

It was clear where she got her smartassery from. “I’m pretty sure Huck would completely disagree with you there. He doesn’t even believe in the tree.”

“It doesn’t matter if he believes it or not, it’s the truth. I’ve always felt it in my bones.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just arthritis?” She winced when Sera whopped her upside the head. “Okay, clearly you
don’t
have arthritis.”

“No. What I do have is a feel for these things. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“Like he’s contemplating strangling me?”

Sera rubbed her chin. “Well, yes, there is that. But I was referring to that certain sparkle a man gets in his eye.”

“Sparkle?”

“Yes. It’s especially prevalent when he’s imagining a woman naked. Your grandfather always had that sparkle, horny old dodger.”

Tully grimaced. “There’s something I could have spent the rest of my life not knowing.”

“Take my word for it.”

“Ugh. I’d rather bleach the memory from my mind.” She preferred not to fixate on old people’s sex lives if she could help it. Particularly when they appeared to be livelier than hers. At least until recently.

“I was talking about Huck.”

“Oh.” She fidgeted with the pockmark indenting the corner of the register. “Lust and love don’t always go hand in hand.”

“Of course not. And you know my thoughts on the matter. One without the other makes for a dull marriage.”

“I don’t think that’s something that will ever be an issue in regards to me and Huck.” She rolled her eyes at her grandmother’s wicked cackle. “You know I was referring to the marriage part, dirty old lady.”

“Uh huh.”

Eternally grateful that she hadn’t spilled the beans on the wild sex-a-thon in the woods, she coughed delicately into her fist. “If you’re done naming our nonexistent grandchildren, I have three boxes of books that need shelving.”

Judging from her grandmother’s knowing smirk, she’d seen right through Tully’s smoke screen, but she surprisingly kept her mouth shut. Grateful for that miracle too, Tully trudged up the stairs to change.

~*~

B
y the time noon rolled around she was a basket case of nervous excitement. Jeez Louise, you’d think it was Christmas morning, giddy as she was.

It’s just lunch.
Sternly reminding herself of that fact, she locked up the store. Sera was upstairs, taking her daily two hour siesta. Normally she’d work through her grandmother’s naptime, but nothing short of a packed house of customers would convince her to cancel her lunch date with Huck. Considering she’d only rung up one purchase all morning, a mad rush remained highly unlikely.

Blue Moon’s town center consisted of an entire block. It could be a real pain in the keister living in such a small community. Limited shopping and people who knew your business before you did. Yeah, definitely the pits. But the one thing she didn’t have to contend with was burning through a tank of gas to get to the grocery store or post office. She crossed the street and ducked into Moonies. Huck’s truck was noticeably absent out front, so she already knew she’d beaten him to the diner.

Picking a booth adjacent to the large picture window overlooking the street, she slid onto the vinyl upholstered bench and snagged one of the menus. Sorta unnecessary, since she ate there at least once a week. But it kept her preoccupied and her gaze away from the front entrance. She didn’t want to give Huck the impression that she was anxiously awaiting his arrival. Even if she was.

Fran—the owner of Moonies—hustled to the booth and slapped down a glass of water and eating utensils rolled inside a paper napkin. “Did you hear Huck McKenzie is intending to cut down the tree?”

“I...might have caught wind of it.”

Scowling, the woman tapped her pencil against the order pad in her hand. “What in the world is that boy thinking? Tourism has been down as it is with that construction on 75. Without the tree, it’ll completely shrivel up.” Fran continued ranting before Tully could respond. “We’re holding a town meeting tonight. Figured you’d want to be involved.”

Oh shit. “Town meeting?”

“Lloyd is contemplating filing an injunction against Huck. Or whatever the heck you call those things.”

“The tree is on his property. He’s free to do pretty much anything he wants to with it.” No matter how much the mayor or anyone else wished it to be otherwise.

Fran scooted her cat’s eye glasses lower to peer at Tully over the frames. “Have you been body snatched by aliens?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Why?”

“Cause you’re the last person I woulda suspected of sticking up for him.”

“I’m not. Just pointing out that an injunction is unlikely to hold up in court.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Uh oh. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to have lunch in town. Worried Huck was about to walk into a hornet’s nest, she scrambled for her purse and cellphone just as his truck pulled into the open spot directly in front of the window.
Crap.
Talk about horrible timing.

“Well, speak of the devil.”

Gauging from the inflection she put on that last word, Fran’s announcement wasn’t rhetorical.

This isn’t going to be pretty.
Cringing, Tully waited as Huck made his way to the front door. He stepped inside, his gaze seeking her out. The happy grin that slid in place the instant he spotted her banished the unease percolating in her gut. Unfortunately that only lasted a hot second as Fran launched into her diatribe.

“Huck McKenzie, you’ve got a lot of nerve showing yer face around here.”

Displaying a calmness she’d give her eye teeth for, he sauntered toward them. “Howdy to you too, Fran. I see you doubled up on the feisty pills today.” Gripping the edge of the booth, he leaned down and claimed Tully’s mouth, his kiss extra generous with the tongue. His dark eyes smoldering, he slid into the seat across from her. He glanced up at Fran—who was gaping at him like one of those singing fish wall mounts. “I’ll take a water to start.”

Fran’s gaze ping-ponged from him to Tully. “Guess that explains why you’re against the injunction.” Harrumphing beneath her breath, she stalked toward the kitchen.

“Injunction?”

She returned her attention to Huck and exhaled wearily. “To stop you from cutting down the tree. Apparently they’re having a town meeting about it tonight.”

“Ah.” He tucked his arm over the back of the booth. “You planning to attend?”

“Really?
That’s
what you want to focus on right now?”

“I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the injunction. Let ‘em try and see how fast it ends up being a waste of time.”