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“At least the curse has been broken,” Emmie said and scooted past Tucker.

  “What curse?” he asked with concern etching his features.

  I shook my head. “Never mind her. There’s no curse. She’s just superstitious. That’s why I spit. She thought it would help stop whatever hex I might have put on Willa and Hunter’s engagement.”

  His brow rose. “Hex? If you put a hex on them, I’d hate to see what you did to me. Is there a voodoo doll I don’t know about? Is that the reason for my lower back pain lately?”

  “I may or may not have taken a lock of your hair while you slept at my place two weeks ago,” I said and smiled.

  It felt good to talk to Tucker again. I liked joking with him. Maybe we were best as friends and nothing more. A healthy distance where neither of us got hurt—and my kitchen didn’t burn down.

  “Come in. The party’s in the tent out back.”

  “Tent? It’s thirty degrees outside.”

  He held the door open for me. Once I was through, I was blown away by the size of the back of the property. There were gardens that looked like something from Versailles. A large white tent took up a good portion of the middle, where one hundred people could fit inside, easily.

  “Damn, this is huge.”

  “My brother had to go big. It’s almost as if he’s compensating for something . . .”

  I giggled and playfully slapped Tucker on the shoulder. “He’s your brother. You shouldn’t talk about him like that.”

  “It’s because he’s my brother that I talk about him like that. It’s my duty as his sibling to bring him down a peg or twelve.”

  Despite the chill, it was nice strolling through the garden. I could hear the noise from the tent, but it was muffled. The sound of Tucker’s wheels on the paved path was clearer than the music in the tent.

  I inhaled deeply, hoping to get a whiff of his spicy scent, but only the crisp, smoky winter air filled my lungs. I wasn’t close enough to feel his heat or take in the smell of the man I missed.

  I hated that I still thought of him. And being right next to Tucker reminded me that I was far from over him. My sad need to inhale the air around him was proof of how pathetic I really was.

  Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t have come. Willa’s my good friend from childhood but it wasn’t her wedding. She probably wouldn’t notice I was missing anyway. Perhaps I could pretend to twist my ankle and leave.

  Oh, who was I kidding? That would be a pretty shitty thing to do to a friend, especially at their engagement party. I needed to leave my hang-ups at the door. Just because I had an extremely dirty dream about Tucker and some of his dildos last night didn’t mean I should flake on my friend.

  We pushed through the closed tent flaps and into a surprisingly warm party. There were twinkly lights strung all over the ceiling and tables around the tent which were overflowing with white tablecloths and flowers. It looked like a winter wonderland.

  “May I take your coat?” Tucker asked, holding out his arm.

  “Yeah, thank you.” I shrugged it off and handed it over.

  For a moment, I wondered if he would stare at what I was wearing. It was a warm, pale pink, cashmere dress, but it clung to my curves. I loved it because it was soft, warm, and sexy.

  But the only reaction I got from Tucker was a quick nod as he took my coat before he moved past me and toward the back of the tent.

  Good. That was a good thing he didn’t gawk at me or make some sexual comment that would warm my cheeks or cause my thighs to tense. It meant that he was over me. It’s not as if he was ever in love with me to begin with, but whatever feelings we had together were completely dead to him.

  I frowned and watched as he gave my coat to a man standing near a clothing rack. Once he was done, I wanted him to come back, so I waited. But when he glanced over at me, he waved before he rolled off in another direction. He acted like I was just some old buddy—someone to acknowledge but nothing more.

  He really was over me.

  Fuck. What had I done?

  TWELVE

  Tucker

  “I’M LEAVING,” I SAID to my brother as he took a sip from his champagne flute.

  “What? But the party hasn’t even been going for an hour yet. At least get out on the dance floor and show everyone your wheelies—you practiced enough times in the backyard. Now is your time to shine.”

  The whole left side of my body burned. Not because I was ill but from Niki. She was several feet away to the left and even my skin could sense it. No matter what direction she was to me, I knew—every cell of my body reached for her.

  She was beautiful today in the soft pink dress. I wanted to curl around her while doing every filthy thought that popped into my head.

  “Nah, I’m a bit tired.”

  “It’s only two o’clock in the afternoon . . .”

  My eyes drifted to where she was sitting, deep in conversation with Emmie. I hoped Emmie was talking me up, but I doubted it. The brutal conversation I had with Emmie two weeks ago was rough but necessary.

  I realized that if I didn’t like myself, how was I ever going to get someone like Niki to like me. I’m thankful Emmie told me what she did, even if I didn’t want to hear it at the time. That woman needed her own show.

  “And I’m hungry. Hungry-tired. Hunred or tigry. I don’t know, I’m sure there’s a word for it.”

  He folded his arms and glared at me. “I believe the word you’re looking for is cowardly.”

  I pointed my finger at him and winked. “That’s the word I was looking for.”

  “I used to look up to you, you know. The way you took control of your life and enlisted after high school. Went overseas and did things that I would never have the balls to do. But now look at you. Running away from a party because the girl who dumped you is here.”

  I held up my hands. “I get it. I’m a loser. It’s been well-drilled into my head by multiple people. Might as well get in line.”

  “That’s not what I mean. I love you, Tucker. You’re my brother and I would do anything for you. But right now, there’s a beautiful woman sitting right over there that needs to dance. You got a kick-ass wheelchair that’s itching to move around the dance floor like it was made to do just that.”

  I gazed over at Niki. She was laughing and my chest ached at how stunning she was when she smiled. For a moment, she glanced over her shoulder and our eyes met. Hope sprung in my heart, but it quickly died as her grin faded into a frown.

  “Nah, I think I need to use the bathroom.”

  My brother groaned. “Fine, but come back after. There’s cake.”

  “It’s not a wedding, bro.”

  Hunter shrugged. “I know, but Willa had an idea for a cake that I don’t think would be appropriate for a wedding, so we’re using it here instead.”

  “Okay, I’ll be back.”

  I began to push at my wheels when I heard my brother say, “Don’t use the bathroom off the kitchen. The handle’s broken. Use the one by the front entry.”

  I nodded. When my brother and I first moved into the place, there was only one bathroom I could fit inside. He immediately had all the bathrooms fitted for my wheelchair and an elevator installed so I could get to the second floor and basement whenever I needed to.

  With what my doctor told me about the prosthetic leg I’m getting, I might not need the wheelchair in a few months. In just a few weeks I could have it but it’s going to take even more weeks, if not months, to have it fitted properly.

  Then there’s physical therapy. I knew it’d be an ordeal and that’s one of the reasons I put it off.

  As much as I refused to think about a fake leg before, hearing that it wasn’t too late from my doctor gave me hope. Now I wanted to work hard during physical therapy. If there was a chance that I could move around like my old self, then I wanted to make it happen.

  Before I left the tent, I went to the bar and had a couple of drinks. Might as well get plastered and fulfill my duties as the embarrassing brothe
r who made a fool of himself at his sibling’s engagement party.

  It’s what I was born to do.

  Someone walked up to the bar and when I glanced up, I was surprised by who I saw.

  “Sinclair Ramsey. Didn’t expect to see you at my brother’s engagement party.”

  He turned his head to me as a few strands of black hair fell over his eyes. As he pushed them back, there was something in his stare that sent a cold shiver down my spine.

  But then he smiled as if he wasn’t making a play for my company.

  “Tucker. It’s been a while. We should get together and have lunch one of these days.”

  “Why would I do that? You’re a turd.”

  I used to like the guy. Koi introduced me to him when I first started to work for him. Sinclair seemed like a typical businessman—always talking about work with not much of a personality, but not one who I considered bad.

  Then last year he got on the L-Association and we never spoke again. I assumed he was busy, but with the laws the Association had been passing recently and him trying to buy my company, I believed Sinclair wasn’t a typical businessman after all.

  “Wow. Tell me how you really feel.” He chuckled and glanced around the room.

  After a moment, he bent down until he was in my face. “It’s only a matter of time until I own this town. I make the rules, and I will one day run the businesses. I may be a turd but I’m a turd who will be so far up your ass you’ll wish that bomb destroyed your whole body and not just your leg.”

  Like I said, a turd.

  I began to laugh. It started as a small rumble and then it turned into a body-trembling explosion. I calmed down after a minute. The look on Sinclair’s face was priceless. He was confused and angry, and I wished I had a camera to capture it.

  “What the fuck is so funny?”

  “You. Asshole. You’re hilarious. Acting like some Hollywood movie villain. Are you going to grow a creepy mustache and curl the ends, too?”

  I pushed away from the bar to let him stew in confusion as to why I was really laughing. In truth, I only wanted to fuck with him because if anyone needed a good mind-fucking, it was Sinclair.

  But owning all the businesses and making all the rules . . . ? I thought there were laws against that? Something about a conflict of interest. I made a mental note to speak to Six Infinity’s lawyer on Monday about that possibility.

  As I moved closer to the entrance of the tent, I glanced around but couldn’t find Niki. Maybe she left. That made me want to hide out in the house even more. Not only was Sinclair here, but the thought that Niki couldn’t stand to be in the same room . . . er, tent, as me made me feel like the turd. I was never going to get her back.

  Sighing, I left and rolled through the garden. The air was biting but still. It could be sleeting and I wouldn’t have felt anything. I didn’t know if I was numb from the alcohol or because of my heart, or maybe it was a bit of both.

  Rolling up the ramp to the back entrance, I opened the French doors which led into the kitchen. Maybe I should grab that bag of candy I knew my brother hid from Willa and finish it off in my old bedroom.

  That’s right, go and eat your feelings. Alcohol and candy, the perfect mix for a broken heart.

  As I opened the cabinet under the sink, I heard a muffled voice. Listening again, I heard, “Help.”

  I moved to where the voice was coming from and realized it was the bathroom. My brother mentioned the door handle was broken. A guest must be stuck inside.

  Glancing up at the door, I saw the sign on it that read Do Not Use.

  Why would someone go into the bathroom with that sign posted?

  “Hello?”

  “Oh, thank God. I can’t get out.”

  “Niki?”

  “Yes. Tucker, is that you?”

  I smiled. She hadn’t left. She was just held prisoner in my brother’s bathroom.

  “Yeah, it’s me. Why did you use this bathroom with the sign on the door?”

  “I thought that meant the toilet wasn’t working. I only came in here to wash my hands and freshen up. I didn’t realize I’d get stuck.”

  Chuckling, I said, “Next time just use a different bathroom.”

  “Noted. Now can you get me out?”

  “Sure, but when I do, I might have to spank you for your disobedience,” I joked.

  There was silence, and I realized the joke wasn’t really funny. More like inappropriate. I shook my head. Why did I always say these stupid things? Ugh, Emmie was right. I was one big man-child.

  I was about to apologize for the hundredth time to Niki for going too far when she said, “Okay.”

  “W-What?”

  My chest pounded, and I wished it would quiet down so I could hear what she was about to say.

  “You can spank me, Tucker.”

  I gripped the handle and turned but the door wouldn’t open. Where’s a sledgehammer when you needed one?

  “I’ll be back. I just need to get a screwdriver to take off the handle. Don’t lose that thought.”

  I heard her snort. “Okay, I won’t.”

  Moving back into the kitchen, I knew there was a screwdriver in the junk drawer somewhere. As I opened it, a few condoms fell out along with some batteries. I was surprised my brother still had those condoms I placed in the drawer when we first moved in. He was so against it, but I guess with Willa here now, he wasn’t so against my condoms-in-every-room idea anymore.

  I found a screwdriver and hoped it was the right size for the bathroom door handle. Once I was back at the door, I found the screw and the driver fit. After some tight turns, I managed to loosen the handle. I tugged until the thing clattered to the floor.

  Pushing the door, it swung open with ease. There stood the woman of my dreams in soft pink, surrounded by light.

  “You ready for that spanking now?”

  I crossed my fingers and hoped that wasn’t just an in-the-moment talk, because she was desperate to get out.

  Niki bit her lip and blushed. “Yes.”

  THIRTEEN

  Niki

  “THIS IS MY OLD ROOM,” Tucker said as he finally let go of my hand. He held my hand since we left the bathroom, which was hard because he had to use his to maneuver the wheelchair. I offered to push him, but he refused. So, it was a very slow stroll down the hall to his bedroom that left him panting and rubbing his arm once we were in the room.

  “Do you want to get back to the party?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Nah. There’s someone there that I don’t really want to see.”

  “Who?”

  A guy I used to date. The one that I opened up about myself to only to have him belittle me. I didn’t realize Hunter knew him, so I wasn’t about to tell Tucker in case they were good friends.

  It was actually the reason I was in that bathroom. Not to check my makeup, but to hide.

  “No one important. I never knew you had a sliding glass door to the backyard in your old bedroom. I can see the tent from here.” I went up to the window and pushed back the curtains. Warmth crept up my neck.

  “It’s a beautiful view,” he said.

  I turned my head and noticed his eyes weren’t on the window but on my ass.

  It had been difficult to see him here. As much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I liked Tucker—and more than I should. I just wish I knew him better.

  “Tell me about yourself.”

  “Huh? You know about me. I own Six Infinity and live next to you.” He pushed his wheelchair until he was next to me, pointing out the window. “My brother’s engaged to your friend. What else is there to know?”

  I sat in his lap and Tucker’s eyes widened in surprise. My arms encircled his neck as I nestled my head next to his. “That’s just the present-day facts. I mean, how did you grow up? Willa mentioned you were in the Marines. Where did you serve? I told you about my mom and why I was an actress, but I know almost nothing about your past.”

  His arms quickly encircl
ed me and squeezed. “Because if I tell you everything, then you won’t want me to spank you.”

  My gaze flickered up to the window for a moment as I saw a few people leave the tent to light up cigarettes.

  “Unless you went on a murderous rampage killing puppies and small children in the Marines, I’m pretty sure I’d still want you to spank me.”

  He groaned and snuggled his head into my chest. “Can I give them one last squeeze before I tell you my story and you decide you never want to see me again?”

  I chuckled and said, “Okay.”

  He lifted his hand and caressed my breast. It felt good and the more he did it, the more heat grew between my legs. When his thumb brushed over my nipple, I arched my back.

  “I knew it was too good to be true that you wanted me. I knew this wouldn’t last,” he said before his mouth fell to my neck. My skin prickled and a moan escaped my lips.

  I shifted my hips so I could turn closer to him and felt his hard cock dig into my leg.

  As much as I didn’t want to, I pulled away. “Why wouldn’t this last? Because long-term isn’t your thing?”

  “No.” Tucker shook his head. His eyes grew wide as they gazed up at me. “Because I don’t deserve you.”

  He sighed and turned his head to look out the window. “My parents died in a car crash when I was in high school. My brother came home from college and my grandmother moved in with us, and they helped raise me. I wasn’t exactly the perfect child, even before my parents died.”

  I gasped and placed my hand on Tucker’s cheek. “I’m so sorry, Tucker. That couldn’t have been easy.”

  He grabbed my hand from his cheek and kissed my palm. “No, it wasn’t. Teenage hormones and grief weren’t a good mix.”

  “Why don’t you think you were a good kid before they died?”

  “Because of my brother.” She chuckled in a way that told me he didn’t find it funny at all. “He was my parent’s favorite. Always getting good grades without really trying. And, this may come as a shock to you, but he can sing. Did you know that?”

  I tilted my head pondering his words. “Perhaps I heard something about him being a rock star.”