Never Say Never (Haven Harbor #3)

Chapter 3

THREE

COCKY IS HOT

D aisy

I turn the volume on the radio up and then put my sunglasses on, hoping to mask my frustration. I can feel Briar lasering a hole into the side of my head from where she sits beside me in the passenger seat of my Mini Cooper. I let out a sigh, and that’s all it takes for her to turn the volume back down.

“Tucker Collins strikes again, huh?”

I shoulder check before backing my car out of its spot outside the pickleball courts. “He is such an ass. He ruins everything.”

I force myself to ease up on the white-knuckle grip I have on the steering wheel, trying to wipe all six-foot-something of that man from my brain. A powerful cocktail of frustration and lust spirals through me. Tucker drives me crazy. How else can you explain the heat that simmers at the back of my neck or the lump that forms in my throat whenever he’s around? The physical effect he has on me is a giant pain in my ass. Just like Tuck. We have nothing in common, he treats me like a kid, and most of the time we can barely stand one another. And yet, whenever we’re together, it feels like fireworks.

But that’s just my body’s mixed-up response to how much he aggravates me. Nothing more. I am one hundred percent not attracted to him.

“What did he do this time?” Briar asks.

“Oh, he was just inserting himself into my life, as always. He overheard us talking about Scott and went on and on about my questionable taste in men. He wouldn’t let it go.”

“Well, he was sort of right on this one. You said it yourself, there were zero sparks,” she reminds me, then adds, “Those only seem to ignite with Tucker.”

I whip my head in her direction, eyes narrowed.

Briar holds up her hands as if to defend herself. “I’m kidding,” she says, her gold-rimmed green eyes wide with innocence. “Kind of.” She winks at me, then flips her sun visor down to look at her reflection in the mirror. She frees her hair from its ponytail, shaking the short, platinum-blonde waves loose.

I decide to ignore her comment, grumbling under my breath instead. I’m not in the mood to argue about this. No, thank you. I have much better things to think about than him .

A phone call pops up on the screen on my dash and I’m surprised to see it’s my dad. My parents are on vacation in Florida, their annual spring golf getaway with Tucker’s mom and dad.

“Hey, Daddy.”

“Hey, princess. How’s my girl? Staying out of trouble?”

A genuine smile curves at my lips. I am very close to my dad. He’s my biggest cheerleader and always has been. “Always. How’s Florida?”

“It’s fine. Can’t complain. Your mom says hi.”

“Tell her I say hi back. What’s up? Shouldn’t you be golfing?”

“We just got back to the house. It’s hot as heck out there today. Anyways, I’m just calling to ask a favor for Aunt Daisy. Would you mind running over to her house today to pick up an Amazon delivery from her doorstep? You’ve got your key, right? You can just leave it inside.”

Addy is away with her husband Jonathan and while Tucker doesn’t live too far from his parents’ place, I’m not surprised his mom is asking me instead of her own son. She and my Uncle Mark never trust him to get anything done. Tucker’s dad has been hard on him since we were kids. I can’t even count the number of times the two of us would get into some harmless trouble together and Tuck’s dad would blame him entirely. I, on the other hand, seem to do no wrong in Uncle Mark’s eyes.

Tucker’s parents have always adored me. Tuck and I were born in the same hospital on the same day, and we were raised practically as siblings. Aunt Daisy was there when I took my first steps, and my dad was always in the stands at Tucker’s baseball or football games. Our parents have a thousand stories of the two of us growing up side by side, and they like to tell them to us often.

Tucker and I may have grown up together, but in some ways our lives were quite different. Whereas his parents could be demanding, mine were always kind and supportive. I love Aunt Daisy and Uncle Mark, but I have seen firsthand the pressure they put on Tucker. My mom and dad, on the other hand, have only ever wanted me to be happy.

The Collins’ house looked much like ours from the outside—big, luxurious homes nestled in perfectly manicured gardens. But while Tucker’s house looked like a show home inside, mine was filled with family photo galleries. Our families just had different priorities. The Collins’ like expensive things, and my Uncle Mark worked all the time so they could afford the best. My parents were more concerned with making memories than making money, and it showed.

“Of course. Let her know it’s not a problem.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

I end the call and shoot Briar an apologetic look. “Sorry about that,” I say, but she doesn’t seem to hear me. She’s leaning against the headrest with a far-off look in her eyes.

“Hello? You okay?” I ask, wondering where she has disappeared to.

“What?” She returns to the present with a heavy sigh. “Sorry. Just trying to decide which one I’d marry and which one I’d fuck.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tuck or Holden.”

I groan.

“Tucker’s tats, baby blues and biceps or Holden’s curls, mysterious gaze and killer jawline,” she says wistfully, with one foot pressed into my dashboard. “How’s a girl supposed to choose?”

“They’re both egotistical and cocky.”

“Cocky is hot.”

“They’ve both slept with half of Reed Point. Still hot?”

I look over in time to see Briar smirk. “Well, they’re obviously good at—”

My hand flies up like a stop sign between us. “Spare me your disgusting fantasies.”

“Fine, I’ll stop,” she laughs. “You obviously have a thing when it comes to talking about Tucker.”

I don’t have a thing.

Okay… maybe just a small one.

Tucker and I have fallen into a pattern of provoking each other, which usually ends in us not talking for days. But that wasn’t always the case.

When we were little, we did everything together. Swimming lessons, preschool, endless hours spent on his couch watching movies. Our family photo albums are full of pictures of us together: our first day of kindergarten, the day we graduated elementary school, the two of us celebrating our birthdays together. Most of my childhood was spent with Tucker and his older sister Addy. We were thick as thieves… until we weren’t.

I remember the day I first noticed him in a different way. It was so cliché. We were 15 years old. We were spending the afternoon swimming in the pool at his place, as we often did in the summer. Tucker pushed himself up to sit on the edge, feet still in the water. I was lying on a floatie trying to get a tan. I was half-expecting him to kick a spray of water in my face, but when I turned my head to glance in his direction he was just sitting there quietly, looking at me. Something about his expression made my pulse speed up and my chest tighten. It was the first time I thought of Tuck as anything other than a friend.

After that day, there was a shift between us. We’d still hang out, have lunch together at school, sneak out and meet in his backyard at night, lying on a pool lounger and talking for hours. But the air between us felt different. Charged.

No one has ever made me feel unsteady on my feet like Tucker. No one has made me feel this deep connection, this intense attraction. I’ve always felt a pull toward him, and for a while I thought he felt it too. I thought maybe he wanted more.

I blink away the memories when I pull up to the two-bedroom apartment Briar and I share just four blocks from the beach.

“We should go to Cucina Caliente for dinner tonight,” Briar says as we head up the walk to our building. “I am craving tacos. Also, the place will be packed tonight. Maybe we can find you a hot dentist since the nerdy doctor didn’t pan out.”

“I’ll pass,” I tell her, heading up the stairs to the second floor. “I’m going to do some research for my trip and then I have to head over to Aunt Daisy’s.”

Briar shakes her head. “It’s Saturday night. You’re not leaving for months; you have lots of time to plan. It would do you some good to get out.”

Not a chance. Tucker and his buddies are always out drinking on Saturday nights. Reed Point is a small town, and I don’t have the energy for another run-in with him today. I also have zero desire to have a front row seat as a bunch of girls throw themselves at him.

“Have fun without me. I’m still a hard pass.”

“Big mistake, Daisy. It might help relieve some of that sexual tension you’ve got brewing inside of you,” Briar says with a wink as I unlock the door to our apartment.

A snort escapes me. “Yeah, right.”

“Okay, fine. Well, at least lock your door and get that toy out that you hide in the top drawer of your nightstand. Trust me, you’ll feel better.”

I roll my eyes. “You think an orgasm is the answer for everything. If that were the case, there would be world peace.”

“Ooh, you may be onto something. If I ever run for president, that will be my platform. Orgasms for peace!” Briar says, flashing a peace sign at me.

I shoot her a smile to appease her. “I think it needs a little work, but you’ve got my vote.”

I escape to my bedroom before Briar tries to physically drag me out of the apartment with her. I strip out of my sports bra and shorts and jump in the shower, determined to scrub all thoughts of Tucker from my mind. After I’m dressed, I settle onto my bed with my laptop. I’ve been planning my next adventure for a while now, eager to cross Italy off the long list of places I want to visit. Last year, I travelled to South Africa and two years before that I spent a few weeks backpacking in Costa Rica. I love finding hidden places, meeting new people, exploring different cultures. I want to see as much of the world as I can.

The next couple of hours pass in a blur as I lose myself in creating an itinerary for my trip: a few days in Rome, a farm stay in Tuscany, a train to Venice. When I realize my stomach is grumbling, I close the lid of my laptop and quickly heat up some leftovers from the fridge before heading over to Aunt Daisy’s.

It's after 8:00 p.m. by the time I step outside of my apartment building into the cool fall night air. I’m wearing jeans and a cropped T-shirt and am thankful that I threw on a baggy cardigan before heading out. Arriving at the Collins’ 15 minutes later, I find Aunt Daisy’s package tucked beside the beautiful potted Hydrangeas that sit on the doorstep. I scoop it up and then twist the key in the lock and walk through the large front doors of the stone mansion. I stride through the foyer with its vaulted ceiling and gigantic chandelier toward the back of the house, dropping my keys and the package on the kitchen counter.

Grabbing a glass from the cupboard, I move to the sink and turn on the tap—and then freeze when the sliding glass door opens and Tucker walks into the kitchen from the backyard. He’s wearing just a pair of swim shorts—bare chest, water dripping from his slicked back brown hair down his muscular torso. Our eyes meet and it only takes two seconds for the tension between us to skyrocket. The two of us are in this kitchen every Sunday night for dinner with our families. So why does this feel so awkward, being here alone together?

We stare at each other in silence for a moment before I clear my throat and attempt to appear as if my pulse isn’t racing beneath my skin. Tucker runs one hand through his dark, wet hair as his other hand trails down his chest to the shorts he’s wearing deliciously low on his hips. The sight of his sculpted abs, his tattoos and the dusting of hair leading into his shorts sends a wave of lust through me. I swallow hard. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Tucker shirtless, and in that time, he’s filled out. My eyes wander to his torso, where droplets of water trail slowly down his smooth, golden skin, and I fight the urge to reach out and touch him.

I hate to admit it, but Tucker Collins is complete perfection.

“What are you doing here?” I blurt out, regaining the ability to speak.

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here? Last time I checked this is my parents’ house.”

Needing to move, to put distance between us and stop standing here and staring at him, I walk back to the counter where I dropped my keys. “Your parents called and asked me to stop by to bring in a package that was delivered today.” There’s a beat of silence, the tension so thick it’s suffocating.

I can’t read the look in his eyes. Is he upset that I’m here? Annoyed?

“So, what are you doing here? It’s Saturday night. Shouldn’t you be out with one of the girls from your fan club?”

“I was supposed to have a date,” Tucker says, and jealousy sinks its sharp claws into me.

“What happened? She cancelled? Came to her senses?” I ask, attempting to sound unaffected.

His eyes search mine as if he’s trying to chip away at me, to read the thoughts in my head. “Wasn’t feeling it so I called it off.”

It’s only when my chest falls, and I exhale that I realize I was holding my breath. “Oh.”

It’s all I can get out before he’s crossing the kitchen, eating up the space between us. “Since we’re both here, what do you say we stay and watch a movie? It’ll be like old times.”

My skin heats.

When I don’t answer, his chin tips downward and he looks at me through thick, dark eyelashes. “Come on, Daisy. It’ll be fun.”

Tucker

My eyes are all over the only girl who has ever been able to make my heart stop in my chest. The one girl I should not be having filthy thoughts about. But Daisy, damn her, is looking fucking amazing in fitted jeans and a crop top that shows off just the right amount of smooth, golden skin. Her ass looks incredible in those jeans, and it has my cock stirring. I’ve imagined fucking that ass a time or two. My fingers ache to touch her. Her body is perfection, long and lean from years of running. As I drink her in, I try to convince myself that I am not attracted to her one tiny bit. I’m used to being around pretty girls. But it’s pointless. No matter how hard I try to get her out of my head, in the end it’s always Daisy.

Daisy Carter is a triple threat— smart, funny, and ridiculously sexy. And I’m not the only one who has noticed. For as long as I can remember, she’s turned heads. Back when we were in school together, guys would follow her around like love-sick puppies, hoping they had a shot with her. I’d see them eyeing her in class or offering to carry her books for her; I’d hear the whispers and cat calls that she did her best to ignore. Daisy was always polite to them—that’s just who she is—but I made sure those assholes never got too close. Any guy who tried to make a move on her had to deal with me. My dad drilled it into my head that it was up to me to look out for Daisy, to protect her from guys who only wanted one thing: to get in her pants. Fuck that. It wasn’t going to happen as long as I was around. If Daisy was off-limits to yours truly then she was off-limits to every other guy at Reed Point High School too.

Daisy is still standing a couple of feet away from me, and I take it as a good sign that she hasn’t already bolted out of the house. Having her so close, her blue-green eyes on me, is all it takes to send a bolt of lust right through me. It would be so easy to kiss her right now. I take a half step back, hoping the space will help calm my racing pulse.

My eyes drop to the Amazon package sitting on the counter. Of course, my parents would call Daisy when they needed a favor. Why would they ask their own son? I shake my head at the ridiculousness of it all. Do they really think I’m not capable of driving the 10 minutes to their house to pick up a box off their doorstep? I feel my jaw clench, frustration rising. I don’t know why it surprises me.

My dad has never made it a secret that he thinks I’m a screw-up. He’s your classic Type A over-achiever. After earning a degree in accounting, he joined his father’s firm, where he spent almost a decade working his way up the ladder. Eventually, my grandpa retired, and my dad stepped in as CEO. He always assumed I would follow in his footsteps, but I had zero interest in joining the family business. My dream had always been to play professional football, but when an injury made that impossible, I knew I wanted to do the next best thing: coach. When I told my dad that I planned to get a degree in exercise science and then teach and coach football at the college level, he lost it.

After graduating from college, I accepted a job at Reed Point University and my dad refused to speak to me for months. He just couldn’t comprehend that being happy and fulfilled matters more to me than making millions. Now I’m the athletic director at the school and head coach of the football team. I have an epic job that I enjoy going to every day. I love seeing my athletes meet their potential. I love the smell of the turf. I love constantly learning and sharing my passion for the sport. I get that my dad had other plans for me, but he has to understand that those are his dreams and not mine.

Daisy is leaning against the counter, looking at me like she’s trying to figure me out.

“So, what do you say, Daisy? We can watch Wedding Crashers like old times. It was always your favorite. I think you made me watch that stupid movie 40 times with you.”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” she says with a laugh. “I was a little obsessed.”

“I’m pretty sure I still know every word thanks to you.”

She blinks, her big eyes locked on mine. “I didn’t think you were paying attention.”

I’ve gotten used to Daisy having her guard up around me, to the constant sarcastic banter between us, but right now the vulnerable look in her eyes makes the air in the room feel thick. My mouth turns cottony. It’s so hard not to tell her that I see everything when it comes to her. I always have. But that would be dangerous and would only lead to trouble.

I crack my neck from side to side in an effort to relax. “So, did you break up with Doctor Dud?” My vision practically blurs red when I think about the two of them together.

“Why do you do that?”

Daisy crosses her arms over her chest and my eyes drop, admiring her tits. I’ve seen her in a bathing suit, and I know they’re each a perfect handful.

“Do what?”

“You always have something snarky to say about the guys I date.”

She’s right, I do. And that isn’t going to change. I feel completely out of control at just the thought of her with some guy who doesn’t deserve her. It kills me. But I’m not stupid enough to tell her that.

“What are you talking about? I couldn’t care less who you date, Daisy.”

Her gaze is locked on mine. Her head tilts to the right like it always does when she’s pissed off at me for something. It’s cute as hell but I hate being the guy to upset her. She just makes me crazy and trading jabs with her is the only way I’ve been able to keep her at an arm’s length.

“You realize that you are full of shit, right? You’ve been this way since high school and I’m sick of it. You’re not my brother, Tuck, so stop acting like it.”

The tension between us kicks up, the air in the room growing thicker by the second. Daisy keeps her eyes pinned on mine for another beat before she huffs out a breath, grabs her keys from the counter and turns to walk away. I slip my fingers around her wrist before she’s able to get far. “Where are you going? We aren’t finished talking.”

My fingertips press into the warm, soft skin at her wrist and my breath catches in response to the feel of her. Daisy’s cheeks are flushed pink; I notice the sharp rise and fall of her chest. My fingers stay firmly around her wrist, in no rush to let go.

I know it’s careless. I shouldn’t be this close to her. The attraction I feel for Daisy has always been a problem. When I’m around her, I can’t think straight.

I let go of her wrist and she blinks, then glowers at me. “You aren’t the boss of me, Tucker, so explain to me why you seem to think you are? Scott is a nice guy. It’s not like I have a track record of dating dog killers.”

“Setting aside the fact that he’s about as interesting as a rock, you work with the guy,” I growl. “I thought you were smarter than that, Daisy.”

Anger flashes in Daisy’s eyes as she lifts her chin to hold my gaze. “How many times do I have to say this, Tucker? It is none of your business who I date. And frankly, dating advice from you—the king of meaningless sex with dumbbells— is laughable. I’ll date whoever I want, and you don’t get a say in it. I mean it, Tucker. You aren’t my dad, you aren’t my brother, and you do not get a say in who I choose to be with.”

Rage flows through my veins like boiling water, just like it always does when I think about her with another guy. There was a time I thought I’d be that guy, but that dream got shut down pretty quick. I shove that thought from my mind, knowing it’s pointless to think about the past. I can’t stop the jealousy that flares up in me when I think about the fact that some other guy is going to get to take that place in Daisy’s life. I’m not na?ve enough to think that she will be single forever. It’s only a matter of time before someone wins her heart. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet.

I take a step closer to her, erasing some of the distance she’s put between us. “I am the closest thing you’ll ever have to a brother, and that’s not changing, so you might as well get used to it.”

A look of irritation crosses her face. “Why are you even here, Tucker? It’s not like you to turn down one of your groupies. What’s going on with you?”

Good question. Since when do I turn down a date? Since never . I am always in the mood for sex. I love women, and if I’m being honest, women love me. So why am I standing here arguing with Daisy in my parents’ kitchen on a Saturday night instead of hooking up with the girl I met at the bar? I could have taken that girl home and fucked her for three hours straight without a care in the world. No strings, no complaints. She would have left with a smile, and I’d have fallen asleep in my empty bed. A perfect fucking Saturday night.

Except…

Daisy Carter is in my head.

I’ve been lusting over her all day, like a starved animal with a ribeye steak in its sights.

I have learnt to push my feelings for her as deep down as I can, but lately that’s been harder to do. Every time I see her, the urge to touch her, kiss her, feel her lips on mine again is getting harder to control. It feels like I need every ounce of willpower I have not to put my hands on her.

“I came over to swim some laps. Cool down.” I clear my throat. “And I wasn’t expecting to see you here. But it figures my parents would have you doing their favors.”

I see some of the fight leave Daisy as her expression softens. My parents have always treated Daisy as if she’s their own kid. In their eyes, she can do no wrong whereas I can’t seem to do anything right. I’ve gotten used to it. Daisy can be their precious “bonus” daughter for all I care. I’m over it.

That’s what I keep telling myself, anyways.

“It’s not a big deal, Tucker. It’s Saturday. I’m sure they just thought you were busy. They probably thought you were coaching a game.”

Silence settles in the air between us.

“Tuck?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry your dad is the way he is with you.”

I shrug. “You know him. He thinks he’s better than me, and he likes to remind me of that every chance he gets.”

Daisy tucks a few strands of her thick, honey-brown hair behind her ear. “You know it’s him and not you. You’re the best coach they’ve ever had at Reed Point University. He’s just too stuck on you refusing to take over his firm to notice.”

“That is the nicest thing you’ve said to me in a long time,” I tell her, surprised at the shift in her tone.

“Well, it’s true,” she says with a soft smile. She looks at me a moment longer, then pushes off from the counter. “Okay, I’d better get going.”

With that, Daisy turns and walks toward the door.

I watch her leave, wishing with everything in me that she’d stay.