He was unabashedly smug, obviously satisfied with whatever expression she was currently wearing. “God, Tuck…” Della tried to bring her breath under control, but she was still panting heavily. Who’d have thought just kissing could make a person feel like they’d been sprinting around a track.

If this was just the kissing portion of his tutelage, she was going to self-combust long before they got to the really interesting bits.

“You’re just going to leave me like this?” She reached for his shirt and fisted her hand in it—out of frustration, mostly, and also because she didn’t want him to leave. She wanted him to finish what he’d started. To pick back up where he left off.

He smiled, lifting a hand to stroke a finger down one side of her face. “Tomorrow night will be here before you know it.”

“Tucker.” She wasn’t in the mood to be mollified. She was in the mood to be done against her door, damn it.

“If you think it’s easy to leave you standing here wanting more, you’re wrong. If you think I don’t want more, then you’re crazy. But anticipation is the best part about fooling around, and denial never killed anyone.”

Right at this moment, Della sincerely doubted that. “Fine.” She squared her shoulders. “Lucky for me, I have a little something that won’t leave me in the lurch.”

Three, in fact.

“Good idea,” he said with a nod. Then he leaned in and gave her a peck—a peck—on her forehead before moving her sideways. “See you tomorrow night. Think of me when you’re getting off.” Then he pulled the door open and strode outside.

Della glared after him. As if she could think about anybody else…

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Somehow—Della wasn’t quite sure how—she hosted the inaugural meeting of the Credence book club at her house the next night. She’d been working a morning shift at the old folks’ home when Rosemary had lamented that Credence didn’t have a book club. And suddenly, she was hosting the first meeting that night, with one of Winona’s books being discussed.

Ordinarily, Della wouldn’t mind being put on the spot and having everything come together so quickly, and she was really looking forward to future meetings. But she hadn’t been able to think of much today—other than Tucker, and what he’d done to her body last night just by kissing her, and what Tucker was going to do to her body later tonight—so she didn’t think she’d be much good at concentrating on anything else.

But Rosemary was persuasive, and before she could really muster a suitable excuse, it had all been organized.