Tuck’s brow quirked. “Is that a no?”
“That’s most definitely a no.” I’d be tender for a day or two, but it was so worth it.
He kissed one temple, and then the other, and lastly, my forehead. God, I loved when he did that. “I gotta get rid of this condom.”
I nodded and lifted myself off him, feeling a slight sting at the loss of him. I rolled to my back, watching him rise, muscles bunching and flexing, tanned skin that seemed to glow in the low light of the room. He turned for the bathroom, and I gasped.
Tuck spun around. “What’s wrong?”
My hand covered my mouth. “Your back. I murdered your back.”
Tuck smirked. “You murdered my back?”
I jumped off the bed, urging him into the bathroom. “Look!” I turned his body so that his back faced the mirror and pointed.
Instead of the horror I expected to see, Tuck grinned like a cat who got the canary. “You marked me.”
On his back were deep, red scratches. I’d even broken the skin in a couple of places. “What the hell is wrong with me?”
Tuck’s head snapped back around. “Not a goddamned thing.” He pulled me to him and then cupped my face. “You lost yourself with me. I fucking love that. I did the same. I was so deep in that with you that I never wanted to come out. Not a thing you did hurt me. All it did was drive me higher.” A small smile curved his mouth. “My Wilder.” He brushed his lips against mine. “I like you just as you were meant to be. Wild and free.”
I slumped into him. “You’re sure?”
Tuck swept the hair out of my face. “Never been more sure about anything in my life.”
“Can I at least clean those scrapes?”
“Oh, you can clean them, all right.” He reached in and turned on the shower. “As long as I can return the favor.” His gaze traveled over my body. “And let me tell you. I am very thorough.”
“Merry Christmas Eve Eve,”I called to Arthur as he headed out the door of the Kettle.
“You guys really get into Christmas around here, don’t you?” Kennedy asked.
I grinned, looking around at the festively decorated space. I really didn’t think much about it because we went all out every year. As soon as Thanksgiving passed, we were in full-on Christmas mode. Winter-themed cookies in the display case, little white lights hanging everywhere they could, and an array of vintage Santas decorating each table.
“My mom is big into pretty much every holiday, so I don’t even think about it anymore. I just let her go to town and enjoy the end result. But I have to put it all away after New Year’s.”
Kennedy laughed. “I guess that’s fair.”
I paused in wiping down the counter. “Hey, do you have plans for Christmas Eve? Want to come over for dinner? We always have a big, crazy group, and it’s super low-key.”
Kennedy straightened from rearranging the bakery case. “I actually have plans, but thank you for inviting me. That is really kind of you.”
I wondered what Kennedy could be doing since she’d just arrived in town a couple of weeks ago and didn’t seem to know anyone yet. My nosy self couldn’t resist asking. “What are you up to?”
Kennedy smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her apron. “I, um, I’m volunteering at the shelter.”
Well, I was a shitty human. Here I was, planning to gorge myself on my mom’s epic feast, and Kennedy would be spending her time helping others. “That’s really kind of you.”
She waved me off. “It’s nothing, really. I wish I could do more.”
“You know,”—I started wiping down the counters again—“we do those early morning orders tomorrow before we close at ten, and we always have leftovers. Why don’t you take the extras with you to the shelter?”
Kennedy’s expression brightened. “That would be amazing. I’d offer to help bake some extra, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea yet.”
I chuckled. So far, Kennedy hadn’t quite gotten the hang of the baking side of the business. Making drinks, serving tables, helping customers, in those, she was a rock star. But every time she had tried to bake something on her own, it had turned to disaster. “I think that’s probably a good idea. I’ll come in a little early and see if I can’t add on a few more dozen cookies.”
Kennedy shut the case and turned to face me. “You have a really good heart, Jensen.”
