“Good morning. You’re just in time,” Tucker said softly, not turning from the window as Elise slid in through the (now unlocked) door to his upstairs study. She hadn’t realized it was an additional two flights up from the second floor, but when the door finally opened and she saw his broad, strong back standing there, she decided it was well worth the climb.
And so was the view.
“Good morning,” she breathed, moving closer to the windows as though powerless to avoid them, her eyes locked on the view beyond.
“This is what I wanted you to see,” Tucker said, holding out a hand behind him, not even turning and taking one of hers, pulling her closer to the window, putting her directly in front of him, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders as though directing her eyes.
The view was nothing short of magnificent.
Magnificent didn’t even cover it, she realized belated.
From this high up, they could literally see for miles and miles out to the lake – Elise could even see a huge tanker on the horizon, something she never would have seen from beach level.
She could see the tops of so many trees, could see every inch of the beach that stretched for miles in both directions from Timberline, could see the sky just beginning to tinge pink and yellow with the coming sun.
She’d seen sunrises before, but she had a feeling this would be one for the ages.
“Look,” Tucker whispered, taking a step closer to her, tucking his body behind hers, his hands on her hips now, his breath on the back of her neck, making her shiver. “Just there,” he said softly, gesturing.
Elise craned her neck towards where he pointed and saw what he was pointing to – an enormous nest, with a majestic bald eagle perched atop it, surveying its surroundings. Its mate was sitting on a nearby branch, also watching.
It was breathtaking.
“That’s why I call it the aerie up here, same as their nests,” Tucker said. “Seemed fitting,” he added. “I’d never seen one so close until I built Timberline and this space.”
Elise nodded, speechless as she watched the two eagles interact with each other, as well watching as the lightening sky, the sun just beginning to appear on the horizon, tingeing the water an unbelievable blue.
“This is…” Elise breathed, unable to complete her sentence, her thought.
“I know,” Tucker said, reading her thoughts. “I know.”
Elise stood, watching the horizon, her body slowly relaxing against his, his arms tightening around her waist, pulling her closer to him as the sky became lighter and lighter, illuminating them both.
“I know you always walk at night, in sunset, but I thought you deserved a view of a sunrise too,” Tucker murmured against her ear. “Why do you always prefer sunset?”
Elise swallowed, considering her answer. “Maybe because my life has always been about darkness, about endings, whereas sunrises are about beginnings, and hope and new days. I haven’t had a lot of that in my life. I seem to thrive better in the darkness. It’s… safer there.”
“I know you have demons. I know you have a past,” Tucker said, his voice filled with concern and comfort. “If you trust me enough, I’d like to hear about it. All of it – not the whitewash you gave me when we first met. Everything. I want to know you, Annaliese Blake.”
“I don’t know if I can bear to dredge it up when this.. this right now is so perfect,” Elise whispered.
“Please?”
Elise felt a tear slide down her cheek, a tear of gratitude that someone, somewhere was finally taking enough of an interest in her to want to know her past, to understand her, to understand why she was the way she was.
Tucker wanted to know her.
All of her.
“Only if I can tell you this way, without you looking at me,” Elise said, and Tucker tightened his grip on her waist in response. “I want to look out at that beauty to counterbalance the rest. And I don’t think I can say it if I have to look you in the eye.”
“Okay,” Tucker said, snuggling his body a bit closer to her, pulling her tight. “Tell me.”
And she did.
She told him about every foster home, every rape, every ugly act committed against her. She told him of her struggles to find food, to find shelter, to educate herself. She told him of her struggles to trust people – men particularly – to trust herself, and to know herself.
In short, she bore her soul to him in a way she had never done with another human being.
Ever.
And if she was honest, it felt liberating… freeing… safe.
She was safe with Tucker Hale.
He would never hurt her, would never hold it against her.
She knew that, just as she knew the sun would rise again tomorrow, no matter what ever happened between them.
She kept her eyes locked on the horizon during her whole sordid tale, and when she was done, they stayed locked in place for several seconds before she took the initiative to turn in his arms, bury her face in his chest, and let him hold her.
Let him carry part of her burden – something she had never let anyone else do.
“I’m glad you told me,” Tucker whispered against her hair. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“I do trust you,” she agreed, looking up at him, a small smile on her lips. “Even lords of the manor can be trusted sometimes, sir.”
“Tucker.”
“Tucker,” she repeated, pouring emotion into that one utterance.
Without pause, Tucker dropped his lips to hers, sealing them together, their bodies fused together as their mouths joined, ripping the breath from each of them. Elise could feel her whole body trembling with release, emotion, trust and lust.
And she had a feeling Tucker was trembling too.
“Is this a good idea?” she asked with a gasp, several minutes later as she finally dragged her lips from his.
“I’m pretty sure it’s the best idea ever,” Tucker said huskily, nipping her earlobe and making her laugh. “But let’s check to make sure…”
Seconds turned to minutes, then to more minutes as they stood, simply kissing and caressing, relishing the feeling of finally bringing to the surface all the tamped down desire that had been flowing between them for weeks.
God, it felt good.
“Yep,” Tucker confirmed a while later. “Best idea ever.”
Elise laughed, a deep, throaty laugh, making Tucker’s belly curl and his groin tighten. God, he wanted her so badly, now that the dam had burst between them…
Elise finally took a step back, needing to place physical distance between them lest things get further out of control.
“I thought you had to work today,” she said, wagging a finger at him. “I thought you were leaving on a business trip.”
Tucker groaned in frustration and pent up lust. “I am. I have to leave soon, and I’m going to be gone for a couple of days. God, I just found you…”
Elise smiled. “I’ve been here all along. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be here when you get back.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“I’ll call you every night. And I’ll text you,” he said, taking her hand and pressing his lips to her palm tenderly. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too,” Elise said sincerely. “Can I hang out up here while you’re gone?”
Tucker cocked his head at her, a teasing smile on his lips. “Why? Watching the eagles?”
“Well, yes, but because…” she looked down, embarrassed. “It smells like you. Makes me feel closer to you up here, with all your favorite things.”
“How do you know my favorite things are up here?” Tucker asked, curious.
Elise glanced around, observing. “Framed artwork, favorite books, I’m guessing, a leather couch that looks very broken in, star charts, bird watching books… and this view.”
“And you,” he said. “Now that you’re up here, I definitely have all my favorite things in here.”
She smiled, meeting his eyes and seeing her own emotions reflected back. “I am pleasantly surprised not to find a Playboy calendar hanging up or fishing manual anywhere in sight.”
“I put them away before you arrived.”
“Ah.”
“Yes,” tucker said, pinching her bottom teasingly. “You little imp.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Say my name again,” he insisted, pulling her into his embrace. “One more time.”
“Tucker,” she whispered in his ear, making him shiver. “Come back to me soon.”
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