My teammates thought they were playing a prank on me when they packed that nail polish at the bottom of my bag. Well, joke’s on them because tonight I’ve got all the fancy shit I need to take care of this woman. And then, I’m going to fuck her into the wee hours of the morning.
Iris’s naked body is tangled up in silk sheets, propped up on a mountain of pillows and throw cushions. I live for the contented look on her face as she stares down at me through the creepy eye-holes of that weird gel face mask.
“All done,” I announce, screwing the wand back into the bottle. “Gotta warn you, though—it doesn’t look great.”
With a soft smile, Iris lifts onto her elbows and peels off the mask. She cranes her neck to get a peek at her feet. She wiggles her toes around and laughs softly. “You didn’t do too bad for your first go at it.”
My brows jerk up in surprise. “So are you saying you’d give me another shot at painting your toes?”
Her expression goes serious but tender at the same time. “I’d give you a shot at a whole lot of things, Jude Kingston. You’ve more than earned it.”
“You mean, like anal?” I tilt my head.
She flings a pillow at me.
I fall back on my ass, laughing. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” I tickle the bottom of her foot. “Seeing you smile after the kind of day you’ve had? It’s a feeling that rivals winning the Super Bowl. True victory.”
I don’t have much experience with women in situations like this. It doesn’t help that I grew up in a home full of boys. But I am doing everything I can think of, everything in my power, to help her cope with the revelations she discovered this afternoon.
It devastates me to see Iris in so much pain. Especially pain inflicted by her mother. Hasn’t she been through enough?
First, that whole mess with Kirk. Then, losing her sandwich shop. Now, this? No wonder she’s wrecked. I doubt she can weather even one more blow from life.
“She didn’t mean to hurt me, y’know…” Something like guilt covers her features.
I imagine she’s making excuses for her mother. “I know,” I assure her.
“She was doing what she thought was best for me.”
“You don’t have to justify anything to me, Iris.”
She picks at a loose thread on the comforter with her fingernails. “I just…I don’t want you to think that she’s a bad person.”
I drop my head and shake it. “You’re truly incredible.”
I’m in awe of this woman. In her darkest moment, she’s here trying to protect someone she loves. Even though that person is the one who caused her this pain. I’ve never met anyone more beautiful than Iris, on the inside or on the outside.
After all the destruction I’ve witnessed in her life, one thing is blindingly clear. Iris Merlini does not need a fuck buddy. She doesn’t need a sort-of-boyfriend. She doesn’t need any of that fake bullshit. This woman needs someone who’s all in, all the way committed. Because she’s never had anything or anybody she could rely on. Now, I want her to rely on me.
I’m in too deep to run anyway. I can’t resist this unwavering pull to be there for her. Especially since she was there for me when no one else was. More than anything, she needs to know what it feels like to be protected. Cherished. Needed.
No one has ever done that for her.
But I could.
I can.
Fuck—I will.
There’s no use in pretending anymore. We might be fooling ourselves, but what we’re doing feels more real than anything I have ever experienced. What I feel is genuine. We can call this whatever we want, but we’re two people who are falling for each other.
I lift her foot and place a kiss on the arch. “You deserve to be cherished, Iris.”
I kiss her shin.
“Respected.”
I kiss her kneecap.
Loved.
I don’t stop kissing her skin until I’ve traced a path up to her core. With tender hands, I spread her thighs, spread the lips of her pussy, taste her the way she needs to be tasted. Slow, patient, thorough. Until she’s fisting the sheets, bucking against my mouth, calling my name.
She’s trembling as she descends from the high of her orgasm. “Jude…” she whispers. So much reverence in her tone. “You're so good to me…It’s too much.”
Throbbing cock clenched in my fist, I crawl the length of her body until my pelvis is aligned with hers. Her fingers cover mine and she gives my cock a soft stroke that makes my vision blur at the corners. My face drops into the sweet-smelling curve of her neck as she guides my bare cock inside her.
The effect of this woman on me…
If I knew anything about love, I’d have to guess that I’m on the brink of it. And with Iris, it doesn’t scare me one bit.
“You are a goddess, Iris.” I trail the length of her neck with my mouth. “Let me fucking worship you…”
39
Iris
Lily’s kitchen is absolutely adorable, like something straight out of an old edition of Country Living Magazine. There’s chicken and rooster wallpaper and an old-fashioned kitchen set that has seen better days. There’s just something cozy and warm and inviting about the place.
I’m huddled around the kitchen table with Lily and her sisters…my sisters, I guess. I’m still not quite used to that idea yet. Nerves are eating at me. Now that I know these stunning, fierce, brilliant women are my family, I want so badly for them to like me. I’ve always wanted a sister, and now, overnight, I’m given three.
I was afraid that after my mini-meltdown at Faith’s barbecue, they’d think I’m an unstable weirdo. But they’ve welcomed me into the fold like I’ve always belonged here.
The girls invited me to the quaint, old farmhouse where Lily and her husband, Jakob, live with their half-dozen babies and Jakob’s grandmother in the picturesque Reyfield countryside. Faith explained to me that even though she and the girls have an office space in the local community center building, they often work here at Jakob’s farm since it’s close to the small plot of land where they grow fresh produce for their non-profit.
“Can you explain what the Mellow Initiative does?” I cradle a warm cup of tea in my hands.
Faith smiles and rocks forward on her chair. “Basically, once a week, the fruits and vegetables that we grow here on our small plot are taken to the community center where I work and Gracie teaches middle schoolers how to prepare healthy meals which is no easy feat because the last thing middle schoolers want to eat after school is vegetables.”
My mind drifts to someone else I know who isn’t a fan of his leafy greens. Beyond the window, I can see Jude, together with Maxwell, throwing a football with Lily’s sons in the wide open fields of the farmlands.
“Gracie’s a badass in the kitchen, by the way,” Lily tells me as she nudges the oldest Monroe sister in the shoulder. “She even has her own YouTube cooking channel.”
Grace blushes at the praise, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. She’s the shy one.
While Lily and I look the most alike, I find that I feel most comfortable with Faith, and my personality is most similar to Grace’s. It’s fascinating to see how we all just sort of click together. It’s even more amazing how quickly they’ve pulled me into their fold.
These girls are so incredible. On top of being beautiful and kind, they’re also successful. They’ve transformed their hobbies into a solid, profitable venture. That’s impressive—and slightly intimidating—and it’s exactly what I wish I could do.
They’re eager to get to know me, asking dozens of questions about where I grew up and what I was like as a child. They inform me that while Faith and Grace have the same mother and grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, they only met Lily a few years ago when she showed up here in Reyfield, pregnant and looking for somewhere to stay. They also warn me that their—our—father was a philanderer and that there might be other Monroe brothers and sisters roaming around out there. I have lots of questions
about the man but my sisters’ feelings about him are tepid at best and they don’t hear from him all that often.
In any case, it’s still nice to be able to get answers—finally—and to find my tribe, a place where I belong. I haven’t talked to my mother since that day at Faith’s barbecue. I know I’ll have to sort things out with her eventually, but for now, I just need time to process everything.
In any case, I can’t wait for my new sisters to hang out with my friends. Lexi, Penny and Jessa will love them.
After chatting for a while, Lily offers to take me on a grand tour of her husband’s farm. Grace and Faith tag along. They show me their famous vegetable plot and I marvel at the rolling green hills that surround us. In a faraway field, dozens of cattle dot the horizon. It’s like a postcard.
There’s a smaller pasture where the livestock is darting around. “Stop chasing the damn goats, Chellie!” Lily shouts at one of her girls who’s running after the poor creatures. Lily is adorable but she definitely has a whole ‘frazzled, overwhelmed mom’ vibe going on.
“That girl is a damn handful,” Faith mumbles with a grin.
“Hey, I heard that!” Lily says protectively and bumps Faith in the shoulder.
We pass other kids scattered all about, playing around the farm, running as free as the animals. I can’t help but want something like this for myself—albeit, on a smaller scale because I don’t have the stamina to run around after six kids like Lily does. But the idea of my own family sounds like a dream. And a business I can run alongside people I trust. I’ve got to admit, I want that.
My conversation with Jude from the other night keeps replaying in my head. I can see myself running that flower shop. With Jude alongside me as my partner. But is that even realistic? He’ll be back in Iowa next season, playing football, living his dream. I’ll just be an old lover he used to know and this adventure of ours will be a distant memory. I have to be careful not to invest too much of myself into this.
In the short time since we’ve been living together, the man has taken up so much space in my life—filled up so many empty voids. I’m terrified by the idea of going back to the lonely woman I used to be. But when Jude looks at me from across the cattle pasture and smiles, I feel anything but lonely.
When Lily invited me to come check the place out, Jude didn’t hesitate to offer to drive me. The man is so amazing.
After all the drama I’ve lived over the past year, this sense of calm and security he brings to my life is so needed…I need him.
He’s made me no guarantees, no promises. I don’t even know where we stand. That’s a bit frightening but I try not to dwell on it. I try to just live in the moment and enjoy the gift of his presence.
As the afternoon wears on, the girls and I cozy up in the beautifully-crafted gazebo Jakob built for Lily. Someone’s child runs up to me. She’s cute, with untamed, dark blonde curls. I still haven’t learned all the names, and who belongs to who, but I’m certain this girl’s my niece…I’ve never had a niece before.
The girl’s hands come forward, and a frantic, flapping chicken is thrust in my direction.
“Uhh…” I laugh while blinking in Lily’s direction, completely unsure of how to react.
“Rose, quit it. Iris doesn’t want to hold that filthy thing,” Lily scolds her daughter.
I feel bad, so I take the outstretched bird into my hands, and before I can grip its tiny, feathery body, the chicken immediately flaps into my face before dropping back to the ground.
“Whoops. Is it okay?” I laugh, clutching my startled heart. “I’m guessing if I kill a farm animal on my first day here, my approval ratings will take a huge dip with my new family.”
Everyone laughs, and Lily waves a hand dismissively. “Ugh! The bird is fine, and if it wasn’t, I’d just fry it up for dinner.”
Grace makes a cringing face. She cups a hand around her mouth and whisper-yells. “You don’t want Lily cooking for you. Trust me.”
Lily rolls her eyes. “My cooking has gotten better. Cut me some slack.”
The girls laugh and poke fun at each other while the men do manly things and the wild children bop around in the fields. They are all one big, happy family, and even though I’m just on the fringe of it all, I’m grateful that they’ve carved out a space for me.
In the distance, Jude and the guys are striding toward us. He’s been doing a lot of walking this afternoon, and I can see the exhaustion in his body from here. I don’t need to check the time to know he’s ready to head home.
At the sight of him, my heart fills with a big, big feeling I’m terrified to put a label on. I have this man to thank for getting me in touch with my sisters. I would have gone my entire life without meeting these girls had he not invited me out to dinner with Faith and Maxwell that night. The thought is almost terrifying.
How will I ever repay that debt? How will I ever thank this man for all the things he’s done for me?
Jude says a quick goodbye to everyone and limps off to wait for me in the car.
“I’m so grateful to have met you guys,” I say, struggling against the tightness in my throat as my sisters and their children take turns giving me hugs. The amount of love is almost overwhelming. “Let’s stay in touch.”
Faith grins and throws an arm around my shoulder. “Oh, honey, you just opened up Pandora’s box. There’s no getting away from us now.”
40
Jude
In the middle of the night, I wake up needing her. I want to grab her and haul her into my arms. But when I reach for her body, my fingers clench on nothing but crisp, cool sheets. And a bony, furry ass.
“Sorry, Foxxy…” I gurgle the words as the cat darts out of the warm bed.
I pat around on the mattress like an idiot expecting Iris to materialize out of thin air. Eventually, I crack one eyelid open in the dark. She’s not here and, in an instant, I feel off-balance.
God. I’m losing my head over the woman. I’m falling head-first in love with her. There’s no point in trying to deny or justify my feelings anymore.
Things are still so fresh between us. We’re both going through so many life changes. I’ve got to figure out what my future holds, and Iris has to come to terms with her new family, her new business ideas, her new life. I don’t want to push things since I don’t know if either of us is ready for a heavy discussion at this point.
I didn’t expect we’d be in each other’s lives long-term. This living arrangement was supposed to be temporary. But now, all I want is to find a way to make it work.
Maxwell was full of unsolicited advice yesterday, spilling secrets on how he and Faith keep their fire alive even with his crazy travel schedule and her plateful of work commitments.
“Go for it, man. Iris is a great girl, and we’d practically be brothers. Shit, can you imagine us fighting over the last turkey leg every Thanksgiving?”
I chuckle to myself as I sit up and press my feet to the cool floor. My QB is clearly rooting for us. He’s a happily married man, unlike most of the skanky bachelors on the team. He’s not giving me shit for falling in love with a good woman. And he has me thinking—if he and his wife can have a thriving relationship, maybe Iris and I can do the same.
I pull on some sweatpants. Then I’m stalking down the stairs, needing to be close to her. I find her in the kitchen, hair piled on top of her head while she taps furiously at her computer. She’s wearing nothing but her tank top and lacey boy shorts. Sexy as hell.
I lean a shoulder on the doorframe. “Come back to bed.” My voice is still scratchy from sleep.
She pauses to take a sip of her coffee then smiles at me. No wonder she’s so wired. She shakes her head vigorously. “Sorry, baby! I just have so many ideas after spending the day with the girls. I’ve got to get it all on paper before I forget.”
She looks happy, excited. I love this look on her.
I pad over to the freezer and grab an ice pack. My knee is healing well but when I’m on it too much—like I
was yesterday—it still puffs up like a balloon. The therapist tells me that’s normal at this stage, but I can’t help but be cautious. My whole future is riding on this damn leg.
“How was that for you, spending time with your sisters?” Iris and I didn’t really talk last night. As soon as we got home, I’d dropped into bed with my ice pack. She got under the covers, curled up beside me and fell asleep in an adorable, blissfully exhausted, little ball.
She gets this faraway look in her eyes. “Well, I’m still trying to remember all their kids’ names.” She lets out a giggle. “But overall, it wasn’t as weird as I expected. My sisters are really easy to be around. Plus, we have way more in common than I’d imagined. I just wish I’d met them earlier.” She sighs.
“Glad you got along with them,” I tell her as I pull out a chair and sit across from her. “They all seem like genuinely nice people.” I soften my voice as I broach a touchy subject. “Are you ready to talk to your mom yet?”
Iris closes her eyes and chews on her bottom lip. “I…I don’t know. I’m still trying to sort through my emotions on that. I mean, I understand why she kept all this a secret from me but at the same time, it still hurts. I missed out on so much time with my sisters and I’ll never be able to get those years back.”
Her words singe my heart. My brothers piss me the hell off but I wouldn’t trade our childhood memories for anything.
I brush my fingertips over her knuckles. “I’ll support you in any way I can when you’re ready to talk to her.”
Iris’s eyes hold a soft light. “Thank you, Jude,” she says simply, earnestly.
With a jut of my chin, I shift my focus to her computer screen. “So, tell me what you’re working on.”
She returns her attention to her laptop and her smile inches back into place on her mouth. “I’ve been putting some serious thought into the flower shop idea.”
Mister Baller: A Small Town Enemies-to-Lovers Sports Romance (Bad Boys in Love Book 2) Page 21
