by Aly Martinez
After that, Jude and I swapped stories about our families. He told me about his overdramatic but incredibly loving mother and his stoic but also incredibly loving father. It made my chest warm in the strangest way possible. I was happy he’d had that and truthfully, jealous that I never would.
But, when Jude whispered a consoling, “Butterfly,” across the line as I told him about the day my father died, the jealousy evaporated. Right then, I was thankful that his parents had raised such an incredible man.
When he yawned for the tenth time, I let him go. Or, more accurately, I said goodbye, ended the call, and burst into tears. It had been a long time since I’d felt that kind of connection with anyone. The kind that, even over the phone, made me feel like I wasn’t alone.
He was off on Monday so he could spend more time with Val, but our texts and phone calls continued. By the time my eyes closed that night, I feared my smile would never fade. And the idea of that filled me in unimaginable ways.
I had written that man at least twelve different ways over the years, but never once had it come close to the real thing. He was by no means perfect. He was a Raiders fan, preferred domestic beer, and had quite the penchant for telling me how things were going to be. But maybe that was exactly what made him better than my words ever could.
Jude Levitt.
Was.
Real.
I woke up on Tuesday morning to a knock at my door. Nerves rolled in my stomach as I cautiously flipped the security cameras on my TV on and saw Jude standing at my door. I did the best I could to comb my hair down as I struggled to shrug my robe on before rushing to answer it, cursing myself the whole way for not swinging by the bathroom for a once-over with a toothbrush first. However, by the time I got there, he was nowhere to be found. There was only a tiny, black box sitting on my welcome mat. No note. No card. The gift equally as illusive as the man who had delivered it.
But, when I opened it, my heart nearly burst. Tears welled in my eyes as I lifted the repaired platinum chain I wore my mother’s diamond on out of the box.
Up until that moment, there’d been nothing special about that chain. I’d bought it only six months earlier, after I’d broken the last one. That tended to happen a lot when you wore the same necklace twenty-four-seven, three-sixty-five.
Truthfully, I’d already restrung the diamond on a spare I’d had waiting in my jewelry box for such an occasion.
But Jude had taken precious minutes out of his limited time with Val in order to get my necklace fixed.
So, with shaking hands and an unrivaled smile, I threaded my mother’s stone onto my now second-most prized possession and proudly hooked it back around my neck.
Needless to say, by the time that night rolled around, my excitement at finally having Jude alone was off the charts. He was out on an assignment that he said could last anywhere between two and twelve hours. And, as the clock hit seven, it appeared it was going to be closer to twelve.
The aroma of my homemade chicken pot pie was barely lingering in the air as I sat on my couch in a pair of skinny jeans and a clingy, cream V-neck T-shirt. I’d tried approximately seventy-five outfits on before deciding to go casual. Though I wasn’t sure it could be considered casual because I was rocking a pair of bordeaux feathered Jimmy Choos.
I wedged beer number two between my thighs and switched the phone to my other ear. “I’m not changing it, Brianna.”
“But what does Maleficent see in him? I don’t even know who the hero is in this book. He’s supposed to be Prince Philip, but you’ve given him this dark need to own her,” she argued.
“Heroes aren’t infallible. It’s the flaws that hold all the beauty. Besides, if Johnson showed up at your door right now, saying he wanted to own you, you’d turn him away?”
“That is not fair. You know Johnson is my weakness.”
“Yeah, well, Maleficent’s weakness is Prince.” I took a sip of my beer.
“And that’s another thing. Every time she calls him Prince, I break out into the chorus of ‘When Doves Cry.’”
I nearly spit lager across the room as I burst into laugher.
She giggled right along with me. “Can we please change his nickname, Rhion?”
I was trying to collect myself when a knock sounded at my door. I snapped my head up and stared at the door as though I had x-ray vision. “Shit. Shit. Shit. I have to go. I think Jude’s here,” I whispered.
“Okay. Call me as soon as you can and let me know how he is in the sack.”
I scowled and whisper-yelled, “I’m not sleeping with him tonight!”
She barked a laugh. “So Jude Levitt shows up at your door right now, saying he wants to sleep with you, and you’d turn him away?”
She had a point, and as I opened the door and his dark-green gaze landed on me, I had a feeling that was exactly what he wanted to do. And there was no question I was going to say yes.
He’d changed out the suit he usually wore when he was working and into the most amazing pair of faded jeans and a plain, black T-shirt. It was what I’d learned from the guys to be the tough-guy, off-duty uniform.
But on Jude? Sweet baby Jesus in a manger.
My mouth dried as I raked my eyes over the hard planes of his chest displayed through the tight cotton. My nipples peaked, and it had not one thing to do with the rush of cold air that wafted in around him.
“Brianna, I have to go,” I said before hanging up without tearing my gaze off Jude—or his incredible chest.
“You got the necklace,” he said, stepping inside.
My hand immediately went to the chain as I stared up at him. “Thank you so much. It was really sweet of you to get it fixed for me,” I all but panted.
“You are very welcome. Now, stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
He chuckled and slipped a hand around my back at the same time he touched his lips to my forehead. “Like I’m gonna need a hell of a lot more time to kiss you than I’ve got.”
My stomach dipped. Twice.
First in anticipation of that kiss.
Second in disappointment that it didn’t sound like he had much time.
The latter must have shown on my face, because he laughed and tucked my hair behind my ear.
“Wow. Don’t look at me like I just told you there was no Santa Claus, either.”
“I thought we were hanging out tonight?”
He grinned and traced the tips of his fingers down one of my arms. “We are. But you need to grab a coat. Change of plans. Due to the snow being predicted for tomorrow, the furniture store is working overtime to get all the scheduled deliveries out tonight or they can’t get me rescheduled until Monday. Trust me when I tell you I need a bed. My back is not going to make it another night on an air mattress.
Panic blasted through my system. “But we agreed to stay in tonight.”
He cocked his head to the side and drawled, “Yeah. But things changed. And I gotta be home in thirty minutes and it’s a twenty-minute drive. So we gotta get a move on. Grab whatever the hell smells so good and let’s take it to my place.”
The tingles started in my hands, and from experience, I knew, if they made it to my legs, I’d crumble.
Breathe, Rhion.
Jude’s beautiful face contorted with concern. “Jesus Christ, Rhion,” he said, folding his arms around me. “What the hell?”
Sawing my teeth over my bottom lip, I allowed his warmth to beat back the ice coursing through my veins. “I…I thought you were going to hang out here.”
“I was. But then the furniture store called. Now, tell me what this is really about.”
I couldn’t though. Not without explaining it all.
Thankfully, he offered me my out.
“Is this about your stepmom?”
“Yes,” I lied into his chest.
“You scared she’s still in town?”
“Yes.” Another lie.
He sighed and kissed the top of my head. “I talked
to Johnson yesterday, babe. She’s gone. Leo tracked her until her plane landed at JFK.”
Shit. “I…would feel more comfortable…if…”
“Look at me,” he ordered.
But the last thing I wanted to do was to give him my eyes. He’d see the truth. And, worse, if I had to lie to his face, I feared the truth would come tumbling out…in chapters.
When I didn’t look up, he gave me no choice. He caught my chin with two fingers and tilted my head back.
“I know you’ve had a rough few weeks,” he said gently. “First with me coming here and stirring up shit from the past. And then with Margaret showing her ass by bringing up your brother. But you’re safe with me, Rhion. That is one thing I can swear to you.”
And, deep down, I knew that too. After all, he’d saved my life once. I had no doubt he’d do it again. But, sometimes, my mind was my worst enemy.
Jude continued. “My job is to protect people. Those people expect me to put my own life in the line of danger in order to keep them safe. And I absolutely would. Those are people who pay me. People I don’t give a damn about.” His fingers swept down my neck and traced over my collarbone before traveling to the subtle line of exposed cleavage, sending a shiver down my spine and a spark to my core. “And, Butterfly, I don’t think I have to point out that those people are not you. There are no limitations to the lengths I will go to make sure you are safe. I lost you to the flames once. It won’t happen again. Not a man, a woman, or a natural disaster could get past me when it comes to you.”
My breath hitched, but it was no longer because of the panic. It was because, as I held his gaze, I knew he meant those words with every fiber of his being, right down to the marrow in his bones.
I also knew something else. “You didn’t lose me to the flames.”
“I did.” His fingers stopped tracing my cleavage and moved to one of the larger scars that ran over my left breast. “And I’ll never be able to make that right. All I can do is make you understand that it won’t happen again. You’re safe with me, Rhion. It’s a truth. A fact. And a promise.”
A flutter hit my stomach.
His hand shifted up to cup my jaw, his thumb stroking the curve. “If you don’t feel comfortable with leaving, I’ll understand. You can stay here. I’ll go wait for my furniture and come back later, or maybe we can reschedule for tomorrow night.”
The disappointment settled heavily on my shoulders. I didn’t want to reschedule. I’d been waiting a lot of years for a night with Jude. And over a week for another night with this different, real version of him.
Technically, he was a trained bodyguard. Leo never would have hired him if he wasn’t one of the best in the business. But…
No.
I refused to allow the “buts” to rule my life when it came to him. And not because he was Jude. Rather because he was a man I liked, he made me laugh, and I felt comfortable with him.
We shared the same scars.
I wanted to get to know him and see if our connection could evolve into something bigger. And, in order to find that out, I needed to pull a coat on, go to his house, and eat a freaking delicious homemade chicken pot pie.
“It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’ll come back—”
“No,” I blurted. “I’ll just…grab my coat.”
His smile grew wide. “I like that decision, babe.”
I did too. Even if it terrified me.
As we moved around my apartment, preparing to go, my mind checked out.
Panic scrambled my thoughts, leaving me unable to focus on more than one moment at a time.
Bile burned my throat as I armed my security system with shaky hands.
Jude’s strong hand reassuringly rested on my back while he pretended not to notice.
My eyes watered as I stepped onto the elevator, clutching my purse to my chest like a shield.
With one hand balancing a pan of pot pies, Jude used his other to hook me into his side—where his lips found the top of my head and he mumbled, “I’ve got you.”
It was only the sound of his voice that kept me from losing it as the elevator door slid open to the parking garage.
Blood thundered in my ears and my chest felt like it was going to explode as he escorted me to his Jeep.
When the jarring sound of someone shutting a car door attacked me, a cry tore from my throat. His only reaction was to step around me, his tall body folding down over me, cocooning me from any potential danger—even the imaginary kind.
The embarrassment of it all soured in my stomach as he guided me into the passenger seat and shut the door behind me.
He didn’t ask questions as we drove the twenty minutes to his house. He did, however, keep one hand planted on my thigh and watch me out of the corner of his eye as I fought to breathe.
When he turned into a small apartment complex and then parked in front of a two-story, brick quad-unit building, the process started all over again, only in reverse.
I held my breath to keep the panic from showing. Though, judging by how tightly Jude kept me pressed into his side, I had a sneaking suspicion I was failing.
The moment I stepped over the threshold and into his apartment, a blast of fresh air filled my burning lungs and my whole body sagged. Jude stepped in behind me, his hand moving around my middle as he placed a kiss to my temple.
“See? Safe and sound,” he murmured.
I closed my eyes and smiled, swaying back against him, mentally celebrating the enormous victory.
“Thanks, Jude,” I whispered.
“No need to thank me. It wasn’t hard to dodge the Chinese throwing stars from the little old lady closing her car door in the parking garage,” he replied, flipping the lights on to reveal a virtually empty apartment.
There was a large dining room table, which was entirely too big for the modest space, and a chocolate leather sofa that had seen its fair share of wear and tear. But they were his, so they felt comfortable.
I tilted my head back against his chest and shot him a smile. He was oblivious to how big of a deal this was for me. And I decided right then and there I liked it that way. He wasn’t coddling me. Or staring at me like I was a mental case. Or pressuring me to spill my soul. He simply returned my smile.
It was the most liberating smile of my life.
Something inside me snapped—in the best possible way.
Jude freed me.
“Are we alone?” I asked, taking the pot pie dish from his hand and walking to the laminate countertop of his bar.
“Until the furniture guys get here,” he chuckled.
He stopped chuckling when I set the dish down and tore my shirt over my head.
“Jesus, fuck, Rhion,” he cursed, his gaze jumping to my breasts and staying there as I sauntered toward him.
“Let’s hope they’re late,” I purred. I caught him by the back of the neck and then dragged him down to my mouth.
His hands landed on my hips at the same time his lips met mine. Our tongues tangled as our moans and growls collided. I folded my arms around his neck and took him deeper. I wanted more. More of the freedom I felt in his embrace. More of his mouth. More of his hands at my breasts. More of the way his talented fingers could draw me to the edge. And that had been when he was drunk.
From the way he kissed me, I knew that sober Jude would be better.
He continued to work my mouth as I reached back to undo my bra.
“Wait,” he ordered against my lips, catching my hands to still them.
“I’m done waiting,” I replied, giving up on the bra and going for his shirt.
He palmed either side of my head and held my gaze. “Rhion. Wait.”
After tugging up on the hem of his shirt, I slid my hands underneath and raked my nails up his stomach. His abs flexed, rippling under my touch.
Dropping his forehead to mine, he groaned, “Woman, what are you doing?”
I pushed up onto my toes and brushed my lips against his. “I’m simply finishing w
hat we started that first night at my place.”
His hand moved down to my ass. “Maybe that’s our problem. I don’t remember what exactly we started.”
“Then I’ll show you.” I rolled my hips against his, finding him long and hard behind the denim. Electricity shot between my legs and up to my nipples, igniting every nerve ending in its path.
“Fuck,” he mumbled before taking my mouth in a punishing kiss. It was the most beautiful pain I had ever experienced.
Then it was my turn to curse as he used my ass to grind me against him again.
With our lips—and our tongues—still connected, he backed me into the room. I shuffled my heels across the carpeted floor in step with him as he continued to kiss me, deep and demanding.
Jude’s arms wrapped around my waist, and then the ground disappeared beneath my feet.
Seconds later, I found myself horizontal, teetering on the edge of his dining room table.
“Scoot back and get comfortable, baby,” he said with a dangerous grin.
I obeyed—eagerly.
“Mmm. Good girl,” he purred, grazing the tip of his finger down the swell of my breasts.
I groaned, fisting my hands at my sides as he placed a kiss at the top of my breast. “Lower,” I begged.
He spoke between kisses against my chest. “I’ve got two men on their way to deliver my bed.” Kiss. “They are going to be here any minute.” Kiss. “But.” He lifted his head and his blazing, green gaze locked with mine. “If you want to show me what happened on Friday night, I’ll have them leave the damn thing on the front porch.”
A chill shook my shoulders as he teased a finger over my bra. And then my head fell back and a moan flew from my mouth as he dipped inside, brushing my sensitive nipple.
“Is that a yes, Rhion? You finally gonna let me in on your little secret?” he asked as he gave the fabric a tug, popping my entire breast free.
My body made the decision for me when he rolled my nipple between two fingers and overloaded my system as a million sparks traveled straight to my clit.
“Yes!” I cried, arching off the table.
