“I was in and out of it for the first couple days. I came to after three days and multiple surgeries, but I was too exhausted to even think until the next day. It felt like I had every injury under the sun, including a piece of metal that had lodged itself only a hair away from puncturing my lungs.” Judd looks at me and smiles, running his hand across my cheek as my eyes once again begin to tear up. “It was bad, but it could have always been worse; I’m alive.”
As if my heart wasn’t flying enough from the exhilaration of this night, those few words completely sweep me away and make me fall deeper in love with him. It could have been worse! That’s something Dad would say.
At that moment, a bold thought enters my mind and I refuse to ignore it, “I am going home tomorrow. Would you come with me?”
Judd wiggles around beneath me nervously with a huge grin on his face. He suddenly flips me over and presses his hard body against mine, with a devilish smile on his face.
“Are you asking me to meet your parents?”
I laugh. “I guess I am,” I tease back. “I guess it’s kind of sudden to ask you that, but I think they would really like you.”
His fingers lightly stroke my cheek as he searches my face from my eyes to my lips and back up again, as if he is committing every detail to memory.
“Not really. You know, it wasn’t really the physical part of our relationship that I missed as much as the way we talk. How we can talk all day and never run out of things to say. It’s so easy being with you; so right; like my life has never been without you. I love when you talk about your parents and sisters. So meeting your family doesn’t feel sudden to me at all. It actually feels like I already know them.”
His slow caress along my face and honesty sends shivers through my body. All I can do is stare into his beautiful hazel eyes. His seriousness fades to a playful grin as he shifts a little above me to get comfortable.
“So my answer is yes. I will definitely come with you to your parents.”
His answer has my heart bouncing with happiness as I throw my arms around him and squish him in an over-powering hug.
He laughs and counters my hug with a slow, warm kiss that sends electric surges straight down to my toes.
We hold each other and talk half the night away from his car wreck to Dad’s sickness. When I ask about Tristan, worried that he was injured in the car wreck as well, Judd explains how he himself doesn’t know much about the details of Tristan’s injuries and then he quickly diverts the conversation.
Once we get to the topic of Dad’s news this past week, he holds me close with assurances that I will not face this alone. Caught up in thinking about my father, I tell Judd story after story and he listens to every word.
As the seriousness of our conversation starts to wind down, he runs his hand over my cheek to catch a few fallen tears and gives me a look that says just how much he loves me. I have no doubt that he will be here for me and that has me finally being able to come up for air.
Somehow the topic changes to when we met and my somber mood quickly changes.
“. . . . I almost dropped the mirror when I saw you in that bikini. I really shouldn’t have been doing all that work alone, but I wanted to get it done and go see you,” he admits, making me giggle from the memory. “Oh and when you were cleaning the shower stalls . . . Geez!” His eyes dance with excitement as he pulls me closer.
My stomach bounces with laughter and butterflies. He never had me fooled; I knew he was enjoying the view.
“Oh, I know.” I press my lips together to stifle the huge smile that is itching at the corners of my mouth. “I think I was about to pass out the first day I saw you. Here, I step out of the van and there you are . . . no shirt, all sweaty and flexing.” I roll my eyes dramatically and let out an exaggerated breath.
“I was not flexing,” Judd laughs and moves in, snug against me.
“Oh, you were in my mind. Then my mind proceeded to strip you down one layer at a time.”
Covering my mouth with my hand, I burst with laughter while Judd stares at me. His eyes flood with adoration and love, as a small smile ticks at his lips.
“Hey, Happy Birthday,” Judd softly says before laying a peck at the corner of my mouth.
“Thank you, but my birthday isn’t until tomorrow,” I correct him between laughs as I lean my head sideways to look at the clock on my nightstand. “Holy crap!” I flinch and look at Judd a bit alarmed.
It’s after midnight.
Judd leans back to a sitting position.
“What’s wrong?”
Of all the things we discussed tonight we never breached the subject of Bethany. She will have a conniption fit if she sees us together, considering she doesn’t know that I already knew Judd.
“Well . . . it’s just that . . . Bethany really likes you.” I look at him, trying to think of a way to explain this.
She is my best friend and to her this would be an act of betrayal.
“Yeah and so? I love you, not her. I’ve never been with her. . . . ever.”
I sigh, not quite sure I can clarify how this may look to her. “I know you do and I love you, too, but she is really into you and since I never told her I knew you, it will seem like I made a move on her boyfriend.”
Judd’s eyes widen in surprise.
“I was never going out with her. I told her I just wanted to be friends and that is all she’s ever been; a friend. Besides, technically you’re still my girlfriend, because we never officially broke up.” He smiles with the last line and my heart skips a beat before getting back to the topic at hand.
“No, no . . . I know that. She told me that, but she was still dead set on getting with you.”
Judd shakes his head.
“Maybe we should just tell her about us and this summer,” he suggests and although I agree with him totally, part of me is selfish and just wants this perfect night to remain ours without her drama; and there will be drama once she finds out, no matter the reasoning.
“I agree and I will, but for now, I don’t think she should come home and find us together. Either way, it will hurt her, plus I think seeing us lying in bed together would be a bad way to break this to anyone.”
Judd’s eyes narrow in confusion as if I said something that caught him off guard. “You want me to just leave?”
I take in a deep breath and quickly divert him from that thought.
“No, I mean, maybe we could go somewhere else . . . together.”
His mouth crooks to the side in a sly grin and then he stands up, grabbing my hand to pull me up.
“Let’s go stay at my apartment. We can leave for your parents in the morning and then tell her later.”
I smile and give him a quick kiss before running off to get his clothes from the dryer.
Once I am back, Judd throws them on, looking eager to get to his apartment. “Do you need to pack for your parents?”
“Shoot, yeah, I almost forgot.” I bolt over to my dresser and point to my bed. “Can you grab my bag from under the bed?” My stress level is elevating as the clock ticks closer to 1:00am, so I throw random clothes in my bag as fast as possible.
As I shove a pair of flannel PJ’s on top, his warm arms snake around my waist and he pushes my hair away from my neck, tickling me with his breaths.
“I don’t think you’ll need those for tonight.”
My pulse rate kicks up with that comment as he slings my bag over his shoulder and leads me away from the dresser by the hand.
We rush down to the parking lot where he has parked out in front of the building and I scan the lot nervously.
When he opens the door of his truck, my mind instantly diverts to the last time I was in here with him. It was the night he asked me to be his girlfriend. My body tingles as I climb in with him right behind me. Before he puts the key in the ignition, he flips the center console up and instructs me to sit right beside him by slapping the seat. I happily obey and scoot over with the warmth of his body immediately
heating me up like a furnace.
He must feel the energy passing between us as well. Out of nowhere, Judd pulls me closer and his mouth closes in on mine, his tongue softly caressing my own.
We stay wrapped up together, heat building in my core as he pulls me into his lap between him and the steering wheel. My hands find his face and I kiss him wildly, lit up with the same frenzy I always have when I’m with him. I move my hips towards him, instantly feeling the excitement within him. I want him and I don’t even want to wait. His hands run down my back and our bodies melt together.
A headlight flashes into the truck and douses the blazing fire between us. We both look over to see cars spilling out of the parking lot. The party at the community center must be over.
Judd breaks the silence, “We better go before she gets home. Besides, I’d rather have you to myself rather than putting on a show for everyone that passes by.”
Unable to help myself, I brush my lips against his one last time before scooting to my side of the seat. From the corner of my eyes, a shadow in the doorway of the apartment complex catches my attention. I snap my head back around sure that I will see Bethany, but only see an empty door frame. Shaking my head, I push away the thoughts of her finding out about my summer this way while Judd puts the truck in gear and drives away.
It’s a short drive from my apartment to his. The whole way, I lay my head against his shoulder, breathing in the intoxicating smell of his skin. Like magnets, his fingers naturally slide between mine and he keeps a firm grip the entire way. My eyes watch the road briefly before they turn back to his face, allowing me to marvel at the fact that he is right here beside me at last. I only wish I could erase the last several months that we were apart.
Keeping my eyes glued to his face, I study all his perfect features: from his sharp jaw and the slight shadow of stubble on his chin, to his long eyelashes that surround his flawless hazel eyes up to his soft brown hair that is just long enough for me to comb my fingers through. His lips curve into a gorgeous smile, highlighting the dimple in his right cheek and I know he can tell I am watching him. I missed that dimple.
Judd slides the truck into park, we scurry out and up the stairs to his door in record time.
Before we even make it inside, he pins me against the door with his body. His lips attack my mouth with a longing and need so strong that I can barely contain myself. After fumbling with the keys, he gets the door open and in one swift movement he has me up in his arms. I’m not paying attention to anything except him; the way his hands hold me steady, the caress of his tongue against mine, the way his heart drums in his chest and the sound of his rapid breaths.
My back falls onto something soft and Judd rises back up, pulling his shirt over his head. He looks at me with a playful gleam in his eyes. His fingers slowly ease down to the snap of his jeans and he wiggles his eyebrows up and down.
I giggle and sit up, hoping for a show. He nods his head, clearly reading my mind and then proceeds to shove his shoes and jeans off. My eyes follow a path down his chest to his chiseled abs, on to the deep v along the edge of his hips and then to the obvious sign that he is just as hot and bothered as I am. This is definitely a sight I could get used to. I slowly trail my eyes back up his body and return my gaze to his.
His mouth quirks to the side as he points to me, motioning his finger up and down. “Your turn.”
I burst out laughing.
Bouncing up onto my feet in the center of the bed, I crisscross my arms to grab the hem of my shirt. I take a deep breath and see Judd do the same. His smile is gone and he stares at my hands in anticipation. Wanting to make this show as entertaining as possible, I sway my hips side to side, slowly pulling my shirt up and pausing every so often to prolong his torture.
Once the shirt is over my head, I throw it to the side. My hands immediately go to the front clasp on my bra and his eyes lower into a sexy glare. I take two steps towards him, trying not to get my feet tangled in the sheets as I move and continue to sway to the silent music playing in my head.
Judd places his hands at my waist and looks up at me as I drop my bra to my feet. I have every intention to continue my seductive dance for him, but his fingers move to unfasten my jeans before I can. The rough denim brushes over my thighs as he slides them off and then gently nudges me backwards to lie on the bed.
Like fire burning out of control, goose bumps spread over my skin as his fingers hook under the edges of my panties. As if they have a mind of their own, my hips rise off the bed allowing him to glide them down my legs.
Finally, after ditching his boxers, his warm body covers me in an instant and has me hungry for his touch. Trailing a path down my neck and over the entire length of my body, his moist lips taste every inch of my exposed skin while his hands work their own magic. Mocking his actions, I glide my fingers up his back feeling each dip and curve of his muscles, but unable to touch him enough to quench my desire. He leans up and looks at me.
“I love you,” he whispers right as the door flies open.
“Hey man, are you asleep? I need to talk . . .”
Judd pulls the sheet up and over our bodies within seconds.
“Damn it, Evan! Could you knock?” Judd hisses over his shoulder.
My face is buried under the pile of sheets, but cool air on my legs tells me that he may not have gotten us fully covered.
“Hey, it’s about time. Hell, I thought you were going to join a monastery and take a vow of celibacy. Good to see you’re finally moving on.”
Evan’s words do something to my heart, knowing that this whole time I have weighed so heavily on Judd’s mind. I push the sheet down to my chin and peek out, letting my presence be known. Evan’s eyes widen and a full blown smile spreads across his face. He raises his eyebrows and looks from Judd to me and then back.
“Well, cool . . . you got her. Way to go.” He looks back at me and drops his smile. “I was just kidding about the whole moving on comment,” he says while comfortably leaning back against the wall.
For a minute, I think he is going to just come right in and have a seat.
“Get out, Evan!” Judd yells waving his hand back behind him and this time he sounds completely serious.
“Oh yeah, I guess you guys are busy, huh?”
I nod my head, nearly unable to suppress my laughter as Evan continues to get under Judd’s skin.
“Yes, we are! Would you leave?” Judd blows out a frustrated breath but then he suddenly looks like he may laugh.
“No problem.” Evan gets the door halfway shut and then slips his head back inside. We both look up at him and I can’t stop myself from giggling. “So, are you guys going to be making lots of noise?”
I squeeze my eyes shut remembering how Evan got to experience our noise level first hand back at the shower house at the Lake.
“Yes, we are! Leave!” Judd hollers with a smirk on his face.
“Ok, I’ll go take a drive for an hour or so. You guys have fun; go nuts, get crazy,” Evan says, shaking his fist in the air like he is rooting us on.
Finally, he shuts the door and Judd swings his gaze around to me. He shakes his head and laughs.
“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that Evan is my roommate.”
I laugh along with him. “Well, it just wouldn’t be normal if he wasn’t included in this reunion,” I laugh harder as Judd’s face shifts to a mischievous grin.
“Are you staying the night?” he says in a husky tone.
“I don’t have my car with me so I guess I’m your hostage for the night,” I tease, knowing very well that there is nowhere else I would rather be.
Judd leans in and starts placing slow, intimate kisses from my neck to the corner of my mouth as he says, “Then, he is going to be real disappointed when he gets back in an hour, because I don’t plan to let you get any sleep tonight.”
I laugh between breathless kisses, because I know it’s the truth.
Tonight, I am fully prepared to make up for lost time.<
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AFTER AN EVENTFUL NIGHT FILLED with breathless kisses, whispers of love, heart stopping pleasure and definitely no sleep, Judd wakes me in the best way ever.
Not even ten minutes after I catch my breath from the amazing things that he can do with his tongue, he whisks me away to the shower. Although I think Judd would prefer to spend the day glued to each other under the spray of the water, we eventually get cleaned up and get on our way to my parent’s house.
On the trip there, I sit as close to him as I possibly can while he grips my hand, rubbing tiny gentle circles into my skin with his thumb. We both sneak goofy grins at each other and I shiver every time his dimple appears on his cheek. I missed the sight of that.
How did I survive this long without him? I swear there is a direct link from him to my happiness. The last few months I felt like I was going through the motions; just passing one day to the next. Now, I feel alive; on fire; like I am a bird soaring above the clouds.
He squeezes my hand and smiles over at me, his green eyes sparkling with love and I know he feels the same thing I do.
As we merge onto the interstate, I decide to send Abby a quick text.
Me: Hey Abs! I’m on my way but I am bringing company . . . . . . .
I grip the phone in my hand, anxious to hear back from her, because I know she will more than likely want an explanation.
Abby: ?????
I sigh when she instantly texts me back. Do I just say his name or do I go into details of what happened? Last I told her, he was with Bethany; at least that is what I had thought.
Me: I’m bringing Judd.
I decide to go with a more shocking confession of my guest and just lay it all out there. Gritting my teeth, I watch the phone feeling as though time is moving in slow motion.
Abby: WTH! Are you joking!?
Bringing Judd home to meet my parents, at first, seemed like a crazy move and I have actually been nervous since the idea spilled out of my mouth, but the closer we get, the more excited I am.
Me: Ok, calm down! He and I finally talked and it was all a big misunderstanding. I’ll talk to you later about it but please, just be happy for me. I love him and always have, you know that!
Take My Breath Away Page 21
