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“How’s Rick?”
“He’s home. With the physical therapist now, actually.”
“Wanna tell me what happened?”
I swallow and nod, not at all happy with the distance in his voice, which makes me a complete asshole because I’m about to tell him I can’t see him anymore.
“When I got home last night, I found him on the kitchen floor. He’d fallen sometime after Phillip left and before I got there. I panicked and called the ambulance.”
“But you didn’t call me.”
I tip my head to the side, watching him. “Well, no. It happened really fast, and I was just worried about Dad.”
He nods once, using a wrench thingy on the mower. “Go on.”
“Well, you saw most of the rest.” I twist my hands at my waist, more nervous than I’ve been in a long time. “We went to the hospital, and they x-rayed the wrist and knee. He didn’t break anything, thank goodness. He’s a little sore today, but I think it just scared us all more than anything.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I also came over because I need to talk to you.”
“I figured.”
He stands, and with one hand, he whips his shirt over his head and proceeds to wipe his sweaty face with it. My tongue is now permanently stuck to the roof of my mouth.
For the love of Mary and Joseph, the man has abs for days. And I remember how they feel under my fingertips. How they move when he’s thrusting in and out of me, and…why did he take his shirt off?
He wipes his hands, then walks over to the sink in the corner of the garage and starts to wash them.
With his shirt off.
“I’m listening,” he says.
I shake my head, trying to pull myself out of the sexy fog that seeing his bare torso dragged me into.
“Well, I had a lot of time to think last night, and you know, Lexi’s not entirely wrong. It is my job to look after Daddy. And I really shouldn’t be letting myself be all distracted by you and your—” I gesture to his body when he turns to look at me, watching me with hot eyes as he dries his hands on a towel.
“My what?”
“Your sexy ways,” I say with a deep sigh. “It’s not fair to Dad, and I just think I need to be focused. I need to worry about him and getting him well. I can do other things in my spare time, like write songs and maybe weed the garden or something. I have enough on my plate, Tucker.”
“I see.” He nods and leans on the workbench, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
“I’m glad you agree.” I nod once and turn to leave, but he stops me in my tracks with his next words.
“I don’t agree. Everything you just said is complete bullshit.”
I spin around. “It is not bullshit.”
He walks toward me, slowly, his hands curling and uncurling into fists at his sides as he approaches. I step back, but he cages me against the wall, one hand planted next to my head, and the other cupping my cheek.
“I don’t believe a word of it.” His voice is a hoarse whisper. His eyes are pinned to mine, and I’ve never been so damn turned on in my life. “I know you’re used to dishing out the orders and having everyone bend to your will, but I’m not your employee or your minion, Scarlett. I was buried deep inside you not twelve hours ago, and you know as well as I do that it wasn’t a casual fuck for either of us.”
“Tuck, I just—”
“I listened to you. Now, it’s your turn to listen. You walking out of here and never speaking to me again is not how this is going to work. Not today or any other day.”
He leans closer and presses his lips to that spot he found last night, the one just under my earlobe. But he doesn’t kiss me there. No, he whispers against my skin.
Because I didn’t already have gooseflesh all up and down my damn body.
“You can be a good daughter and be in a relationship, Scar.”
“Is that what this is?” My voice sounds breathless to my ears.
“How would you describe it?” He lifts me effortlessly, and with my back propped against the wall, and my legs wrapped around his waist, his thumb makes its way under the hem of my little cut-off shorts and finds my wet panties. “I don’t think just anyone does this to you.”
“That’s just sex,” I insist, then moan when he makes light little circles over my clit. Even through the thin material of my panties, it makes me crazy. My nipples immediately pucker, and my legs tighten around him.
“Tell me what you feel is purely physical,” he challenges.
“You tell me.” I watch his face, unwilling to be the only vulnerable one in the room.
