But Della didn’t shift as he tried to move forward. She stood her ground. “You don’t like blow jobs?”

Oh, dear God… He was a red-blooded man. Liking blow jobs was pretty much hardwired into his circuitry. Along with boobs and football. “I like blow jobs just fine.”

“So let me…” She reached for his fly again, hooking her index finger over his and tugging.

But Tucker held firm. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to say no if she actually got her hands on his erection, and he had to be mindful of her history. “There’s no need.”

Her hand slid away, her make me eyes changing to are you seriously fucking kidding me eyes. “But…I want to.”

And Tucker would like nothing more, but that incident with her waking to the lamp being off had rattled the hell out of him. Maybe all those memories weren’t as far away as she thought.

“Why don’t you let me get you first?” Tucker waggled his eyebrows. “It’s the gentlemanly thing to do, after all.” He tried to push forward again, but still she didn’t budge.

“So you can melt my brains and make me forget all about it?” she demanded.

Tucker grinned. “I melt your brains, huh?”

She rolled her eyes. “Quit stalling, Tucker.” And she walked away.

Tucker was grateful for the distance. Those damn buttons were distractingly tempting. She pulled to a stop near Betty’s basket. The dog had been dozing and thumped her tail twice at Della’s presence but didn’t rouse further.

“Do you even want me?” she asked, turning to face him. “Or am I just a duty to you? Some kind of favor? Teach poor, sex-starved Della the ropes—check!”

Tucker blinked. Duty? Favor? Was she crazy? He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. Including that Birdhouse skateboard signed by Tony Hawk he’d jonesed over obsessively when was a kid.

How could she take him inside her night after night and not know the depths of his want?

But the question was clearly rhetorical as she pushed on. “Because all I think about is having sex with you. Like, all day and right up to the second you knock on my door, all I think about is tearing your clothes off and pushing you to the floor and grinding all over you.”

Tucker swallowed hard at her frank admission. Christ…he hadn’t let himself go there, but the fact that she had was like rocket fuel to his already supercharged arousal.