“Yeah.” Deep in his bones, Tucker knew Drew was right. Arlo was an old friend, and Della was his sister. He could reasonably expect that they’d clue him in.

“The wisest thing you can do right now is get out in front of it.”

It may be wise, but Tucker did not want to go there. “What? Just say, hey Arlo, I’m tutoring your sister in the fine art of lovin’ a man for her future use, but don’t worry, we’ll be going our separate ways soon.”

“Well, I personally wouldn’t mention loving or leaving, but hey, you do you.”

Tucker shook his head. “No way am I having that conversation.” He’d rather have every old biddy and their dog catch him with his pants down and pass judgment on his junk.

Maybe he could bribe Eadie Doyle into silence. He seemed to remember she was a huge fan of Annie’s coconut cream pie.

Drew regarded him with pity for a long moment, then shrugged. “Your funeral.” Then he grinned around the mouth of his beer bottle, because that joke really never did get old.

…

Three nights later, Della decided it was time to move on. She’d been enjoying this journey very much so far, but she was ready to kick it up another notch. She’d been ready for a while but had let herself be too easily distracted by Tucker giving her multiple orgasms until her brains leaked out her ears and she was incapable of anything more than breathing.

Tonight, she was ready for more. Ready for it to be about him more than her. She wanted to explore him. To go down on him.

Curiously, she was okay with them not having done it yet. They’d decided to take it slow and not rush, and she had to admire Tucker’s commitment to giving her myriad sexual experiences she could learn from and treasure that didn’t involve actual penetration. She never knew how good a prolonged tease could be, but she did now, thanks to Tucker.

But still…that worked out very well for her—not so much for him. And she wanted to right that wrong tonight.

The fact she wanted to touch him, to explore that hardness between his legs, was a revelation. After the way Todd had used fellatio to brutalize her, she hadn’t thought she’d ever want to be in the same room as a naked penis, never mind touch one.

She certainly hadn’t thought she’d want one in her mouth ever again.

The idea of voluntarily giving a blow job was unthinkable three years ago. But being with Tucker like this night after night, so intimately, knowing he was as aroused as she was and ignoring it in favor of her and her pleasure, was a revelation.