Jude

by Lane Hart

  "Nope, that's good," I assure him and he ties the bow. "Thanks, Sam."

  One man down, two dozen more to go.

  I climb out of the pool, now adjusting my bottoms to make sure my ass is covered before heading over to the table set up with drinks and a cooler of ice. Of course everything is non-alcoholic. That was one of my dad's rules for promising to stay away.

  Lifting the lid off the cooler I grab one of the chunky cubes of ice and pop it into my mouth to cool myself down, then reach for another one.

  "Ice...ice...baby?" Alex says from behind me with a chuckle. He's another welterweight guy like Jude and Matt, but he's shorter and stockier than the two of them, making him a better wrestler than an on-his-feet-fighter in the cage. He's not as good as Jude though. Alex runs his hand through his medium length brown hair that's wet and messy, dripping heavily like his bare upper body. It's so awesome that men only have to wear shorts when they swim, but even with all the muscular hotness wandering around, none get me hot and bothered like seeing even an inch of Jude's perfect carved body.

  "Yeah, you want some?" I ask holding up the extra cube while crushing the other between my teeth.

  "Sure," he says with a smile, opening his mouth wide for me to put it in. Only, instead of his mouth, I decide to do more of the very obvious flirting. I reach down and grab the elastic front of his boardshorts with one hand and drop the cube in with the other, seeing all the treasure at the end of his trail.

  Surprise shows on Alex's face, his amber eyes going wide and jaw falling open an instant before he starts doing the ah-fuck-that's-cold dance. Honest to God, uncontrollable laughter bursts from me when he shoves his hand down his pants to try and chase the ice around his privates before finally fishing it out. But then there's a mischievous gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his face.

  "You're in for it now," he warns with a smile before he lunges for me.

  I run around the side of the pool, but he quickly catches me, trapping me against the privacy fence with his hips pressed into mine and a strong grasp on my shoulder holding me in place. My hands can't make his budge when he presses the ice cube against my bare stomach and rubs it lower in a straight line, past my sensitive belly button before pushing it down the front of my bikini bottoms. Now it's my turn to squeal and squirm, trying to dig it out as everyone around us watches, hooting and hollering with laughter.

  When I get a hold of the ice after it's started melting in my bikini waxed area I look up and hold Alex's eyes before I pull it out and pop it into my mouth.

  "Damn Sadie," he groans. "You play dirty. And just as soon as my junk unthaws, you're gonna make me embarrass myself."

  That has me giggling again, and for a few minutes it's nice to not think about how much Jude hurt me.

  With a flirty tilt of my head, I smile wide, holding the ice cube between my front teeth in offering, seeing if he'll take the bait.

  Alex quickly goes for it, gripping both of my hips when he leans down and presses his lips to mine. Using my tongue I push the melting cube into his mouth, brushing his tongue on the retreat.

  "When did you get so fucking sexy, Sadie?" he asks when he pulls back with only inches separating our faces.

  "When you guys finally stopped treating me like I'm a little girl," I tell him honestly.

  "Yeah, you’re definitely all grown up, and now you're the gold championship belt everyone wants to win."

  That ridiculous comment makes me grin. "Oh really? So who's currently in the lead?"

  "Malone," he says, crunching the ice between his teeth. "And everyone except Matt is too scared of him to make a move. But Matt's a fucking idiot, one you shouldn't waste another second with. He's only after one thing from you and every other girl he can get it from."

  I know Matt is a player. I've heard the rumors at school about all the girls he's hooked up with. If he's using me then that's fine because in a way I'm using him, too. Best case scenario, seeing me with him will make Jude jealous, and worst case Matt will remind me that I'm wanted by someone.

  "So you're not making a move?" I ask Alex curiously.

  "Nope. Just wanted to make sure you knew. He's gone from having his best week ever when he was with you to the shittiest without you. If he's gonna beat Linc, I think he needs you in his corner."

  "He doesn't want me in his corner," I reply.

  "Yeah he does. He can't take his eyes off of you. If you think I'm wrong then step one foot inside your house with Matt and see what happens."

  "Uh-uh," I say, shaking my head with a smile when I ease away from Alex.

  I grab a bottle of water from the cooler and start sipping on it while I glance around the pool. When my eyes of course are drawn to Jude, I find him sitting up, straddling his lounge chair, and rubbing both hands over his face.

  While I'm distracted Matt sneaks up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Hey, what the hell was going on with you and Alex?"

  "Just messing around," I tell him.

  "I'm the only one who gets to mess around with you," he says against my ear. "I've been waiting all week to mess with you."

  "You want to go inside?" I tilt my head around to ask him. I'm ready to do this. Either Alex is right and Jude will stop us, or he won't, which means it's time for me to try and move on. One sure way to forget Jude is to replace the memories of fucking him with someone else. And Matt is damn hot. Brayden thinks he looks just like Zac Efron but taller. I can do casual sex with him, and enjoy it while I try to get over Jude. Sure. I have to start somewhere.

  Oh God. I hope I don't throw up.

  "Hell yeah," Matt says. "Got any rubbers?"

  I swallow back the bile and nod, thinking about the condoms Jude left here. Telling myself I need to do this to move on, I grab Matt's hand and take him up the back steps into the house.

  By the time we get to my bedroom all the strings of my bikini have been pulled by him. The scraps of fabric fall to the floor, leaving me naked. While I'm grabbing a condom out of my dresser drawer, Matt starts to shut the bedroom door.

  "No! You can leave it open," I tell him quickly. "If anyone comes in, they can um, watch."

  "I'd rather lock it, so we, uh, don't get interrupted," he says, his voice shaking like he's nervous. Is he scared of Jude busting in? Well he won't be able to if the damn door's locked. I need to distract him.

  The door's still cracked open when I toss the condom on the bed and drop to my knees, taking Matt's black boardshorts with me. His hand instantly comes off the doorknob and cups my head to bring it forward. Wrapping my fist around his half-mast cock I give him a few teasing strokes. He increases the pressure on my head, eager for me to take him into my mouth. I feel the exact opposite, in fact my stomach drops like it does on the plunging descent of a rollercoaster. Thankfully for me, and unfortunately for Matt, he never gets even a single lick of my tongue on his cock.

  My bedroom door explodes wide open, hitting Matt in the side and knocking him off balance since his shorts are still around his ankles. I slap my palm over my mouth to keep from laughing. Some of the humor fades seeing Jude’s expression.

  He looks like a beautiful, avenging angel. One that's extremely pissed off with tightly clenched jaw and fists, his bare chest heaving.

  Jude hauls his fist back, and landing one hell of a haymaker to Matt's chin, sends the other man spinning to the floor. Grabbing his ankles, Jude pulls the unconscious man out into the hall, his cock still exposed, and then comes back into my bedroom, slamming and locking the door.

  Now I have no idea what to expect, and I'm a little scared.

  I stay kneeling on the floor, palms resting on my naked thighs. Jude presses his forehead and clenched fists against the door, the muscles in his back flexing because his chest is still rising and falling rapidly. I know he won't hurt me, at least not physically. But if he simply yells at me and walks out, it'll hurt worse than if he knocked me out cold.

  After a few seconds he turns around, bracing his back against the door. Hi
s eyes are closed as his hands scrub down his face. When he finally looks at me I almost flinch at the rage in his dark eyes. With a single blink the emotion softens and turns to lust.

  "Sadie, get off the fucking floor and put some damn clothes on," he says, his gaze dropping to my breasts before moving lower. Despite his words, he wants me, now I'm certain of that.

  "No," I reply and his dark eyes come back up to meet mine again, the question in them easing more of his anger.

  "No?" he repeats, pushing off the door and stalking toward me with the fluidity of a confident predator. I don't move a muscle when he comes to a stop towering above me. Even with the evidence of his arousal now less than an inch away from my face he says, "What? You think I want your mouth on me after you just sucked his cock?"

  "Yes." I smile triumphantly, thinking about how he interrupted before it got that far. Alex nailed it. Jude's seriously pissed off. He wouldn't be this jealous if he didn't care about me. Matt and I had only been in here maybe two minutes tops before he busted in. He wants me and he doesn't want anyone else to have me.

  "What the fuck are you smiling about?" he asks, looking down at me with heavy lidded eyes. His tone already sounds calmer despite the caustic words.

  "I never got around to sucking his cock. He didn't even get a single lick before you knocked him out," I tell him, unable to hold back my giggle. "He's going to be really disappointed."

  Shoving his own shorts down, I gasp when Jude's hard cock practically slaps me in the face when it springs free. With one hand stroking his shaft, the other grips my ponytail.

  "I can't wait to tell him I got his blowjob while he was sleeping," Jude says, pressing the tip of his cock to my lips. I wet them with a swipe of my tongue before I open wide for him. He pulls my head forward, filling my mouth with his smooth, velvety length. And I want all of him. I don't resist when he starts using both hands in my hair to guide my head toward each forceful pump of his hips. From the corner of my eye I see a flash of red on Jude’s wrist. He’s wearing the Strings of Fate bracelet I gave him for his birthday. The simple sight of it causes a ridiculous feeling of hope to swell in my chest before his words bring me back to the task at hand.

  "That's right, take it all. Ah fuck that's good," he groans. "I want to beat your ass and fuck you until you can't walk after watching you cock tease all those bastards. And then seeing you on your goddamn knees for him...FUCK!" he shouts.

  I moan around the fullness in my mouth and grab Jude's ass with both hands to pull him forward, showing him that I want him to take me, spank me, and fuck me hard. I've been so miserable without him that he can do anything he wants to me and I'll beg for more.

  He thrusts deep one last time and presses my head forward. I swallow quickly as his warm, thick liquid pulses down my throat, his body shuddering with his shouted curse.

  When he's finished Jude grabs my jaw to pull my mouth off of his cock, telling me gruffly, "Bend over the bed, legs spread, ass in the air for me."

  Gasping for breath I get to my feet and do as he says, bracing my palms on the mattress, my feet shoulder width apart. He could've easily picked me up and put me into the same position, but he was giving me a choice, making sure I want this from him.

  Even though I'm expecting it I still cry out with the first smack on my ass cheek. Then I shiver when Jude's fingertips penetrate my tight, drenched heat. I push my hips back, begging him for more. I want him to go deeper, harder, faster.

  "Fuck you're wet," he groans before he slaps my right ass cheek again without removing his left hand from between my legs. When he starts circling my clit with his thumb my body begins to tremble. Three more slaps and I come on his hand, screaming his name.

  I cry out in bliss when Jude thrusts his hard length into me from behind. He wraps an arm around my waist holding me still while he pounds into me, hard enough to make the bed squeak and the headboard bang against the wall.

  "Oh God," I moan when Jude's hand slips between my legs again. His other hand squeezes my breast while he grunts against my ear with each pump of his hips.

  "Give it to me, Sadie. You only come for me," he orders and my body convulses under his as if on command.

  As I lay limp and momentarily relaxed under Jude's bodyweight I start worrying. Did he use a condom? Does this change anything between us? What now? He didn't even kiss me. I just sucked his cock, and then he spanked me and fucked me. That's not exactly a great sign.

  "What the hell were you thinking coming in here with that filthy bastard?" Jude grumbles, startling me out of my questioning thoughts.

  Lovely.

  "Why do you care?" I ask.

  "He's just using you, and you deserve better than that."

  "I know that. I could care less about him," I reply.

  "But then why..."

  "I want you, you asshole, and you don't give a shit about me. Well, except when someone else tries to fuck me."

  "Sadie...that's not true," he sighs and possibly kisses me between my shoulder blades. "I miss you."

  He misses me? My heart skips a beat when he actually admits it.

  "Then what's the problem?" I ask.

  "The fight...training...I can't-"

  "Can't what? Keep fucking me a few nights a week? Why not?"

  "That's not fair to you," he says.

  "Who said I want anything more than fucking?" I ask, trying to sound ambivalent about dating and everything else I want with him but apparently can't have.

  After several quiet seconds, Jude says, "So you're okay with just doing this? No strings?"

  "Yeah."

  "You're sure?"

  "Uh-huh. Just...no kissing on the mouth, though. Isn't that what hookers say, you know, to make sure no feelings and shit get in the way?" I ask, channeling Pretty Woman. Having Jude physically is better than nothing at all. Besides, I'll be leaving for Durham in a few weeks, starting college.

  "Okay," he says, lifting his body off of mine. He squeezes my ass cheek before lightly slapping it one last time for good measure.

  "I'll see you tomorrow morning," he says, which I assume means he's ready to leave. "Pick you up around nine?"

  "Sure," I say, pushing myself up into a sitting position on the edge of the mattress. I wince at the ache on the right side of my bottom and shift to distribute most of my weight to the left side. Jude's shorts are back on and his hand is on the door knob while he watches me.

  "Did you use a condom?" I ask.

  "Yeah, the one you had on the bed for him," he says, clenching his jaw. "If you're fucking me, you’re not going to fuck anyone else."

  "Fine," I agree. "As long as you agree to be monogamous too."

  "Don't worry. I don't have time to fuck anyone else even if I wanted to," he says before jerking the door open. "Morning, sunshine. You missed a helluva blowjob and an even better fuck," Jude tells Matt when he steps over him. "My handprint's on her ass now to remind you who she belongs to in case you forget. She sure as fuck won't."

  Jude's proprietary words should offend me, but they don't. I want to be his.

  I watch Matt sit up, rubbing a hand over his sore jaw.

  "Tell her dad or anyone else about us and we'll tell them you got knocked the fuck out with your pants around your ankles," Jude warns him. "Then I'll make sure you never fight again unless it's in the women's league."

  Jude's threat should do the trick to encourage Matt to keep his mouth shut. After Jude walks away, Matt doesn't say anything as he stands and pulls his shorts up. He looks at me for a second, still sitting naked on the bed, my hair coming loose from my ponytail. Then he walks away and I hear the front door open. For the first time.

  Wait, where did Jude go?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jude

  It's official, I've lost my fucking mind.

  As soon as Sadie and that asshole came inside I saw red and charged like a bull. Seconds was all it took me, and I was certain that it wouldn't be enough time for anything to happen. Then I found Sad
ie on her knees.

  She looked so goddamn beautiful and...tempting, completely fucking naked, getting ready to suck his cock. The fucker.

  Looking back...hell I know I was too rough with her. I was jealous, angry and horny, a lethal combination for a man that trains to knock people out. Now I'm worried I shoved my cock down her throat and fucked her too hard. And hitting her...fuck! I've never thought about touching a woman like that. In the moment, I couldn't help it. I wanted to punish her for hurting me. I needed her to have a reminder of being with me and only me every time she sits her ass down. It's wrong and makes me an even shitter person for getting so out of control.

  After it all though, she agreed to keep fucking me. No strings attached fucking, or so we said. I'm so damn happy I could do backflips. Sadie agreed to fuck me and no one else. I can focus on fighting and not who she's fucking. Everything's looking up.

  The front door opens and closes quickly, signaling the fucker's departure. Damn right. I'd sat my ass down at the kitchen table, waiting to make sure he got my message loud and clear. The bastard is so stupid I'm surprised he actually left without trying something.

  I get up and head back outside to the party, knowing everyone can probably guess what just went down. I'm almost certain none of them will say anything to me, Sadie and hopefully not Coach, but I'm going to corner Alex so he and I can have words. If his hands go near her bikini bottoms again, I'll snap him in half.

  Before I can drink a bottle of water Alex, holding a red plastic cup, has the nerve to approach me.

  "Not that I really care, but is Matt still alive?" he asks with a smirk.

  "Barely. Are you calling next?" I ask straight to the point.

  "Hell no," he answers quickly.

  Both of our heads turn when the back door opens and Sadie walks out. Her tiny ass black string bikini is back on, covering only a few inches of her incredible tits and ass. I thought she might try and cover the marks, but nope, half of my red handprint remains on her right ass cheek.

  Alex coughs, choking on his drink when she walks by us and dives into the pool. "Very subtle." He laughs. "Did you piss all over her bed, too?"