by A. m Madden
“You go both ways?” Kyle spouted off, directing his comment to Brae. “That’s hot as fuck.” He turned to me. “Congrats, my man.”
“No, you dickhead. She means at her parents’ dairy farm.” I looked to Brae for assistance. “That is what she meant, right?”
“Of course that’s what she meant!” Brae gasped with an exaggerated eye-roll. While still shaking her head, she lifted her champagne to take a sip.
“Oh my God. Oh my God! Is that an engagement ring?” Cassie’s voice went shrill, and Luca, who was closest to her, jammed a finger inside his ear.
“Yes!” Brae exclaimed. “We’re engaged!” The women all screeched at the same time.
“Jesus Christ. You’re getting married?” Kyle looked like I just told him Santa wasn’t real. He looked to Luca. “Did you know?”
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug.
“Are you sure you want to commit to one chick?”
“Lyle.” Vanessa smacked him on the arm. “Are you kidding right now?”
“It’s Kyle. Ky . . . with a K . . . Kyle. And yes, I was kidding.” Frustrated, he took a sip of his beer. “This guy owes me huge. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have met the love of his life.” He rubbed his arm. “And don’t hit me. Damn, that hurt.”
“Whatever. This isn’t about you.” Vanessa was back to gawking over Brae’s ring. She let out a whistle. “Nice job, Jude. I knew you’d be a winner. I was rooting for you the whole time.”
“Thank you. That must be why you call me Mr. Wrong.”
“Wrong never felt so right,” Brae interjected.
I looked down into Brae’s eyes, and added, “I completely agree.”
Vanessa snatched Brae’s hand from mine and tilted it back and forth. “Damn, that’s a beauty.”
“Again, I couldn’t agree more,” I responded, my eyes pinned to Brae’s. She cupped my face and pulled me in for a kiss right before a chorus of awww’s came from the female side of the table.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Desiree asked in a faint South American accent.
“Des, we just got engaged. Probably in a year or two.”
I stared at my fiancé like she sprouted antlers. “A year or two? We are not waiting a year or two.”
“You need to book a proper venue, and flowers, music, the photographer—these things take time,” Cassie argued.
“Then we’ll elope in Vegas. Do the Elvis thing.” I tightened my grip around her shoulders and she giggled at my reference. “Invite strangers instead of our annoying friends.”
“What’s the rush, dude? Did you knock her up?” Kyle asked, laughing at his own joke.
Brae stared up at me wide-eyed as I said, “No, jackass.”
“Slow swimmers? It’s all those times you sat in the sauna at the gym. I told you the heat kills the swimmers. Those dumbass bathing suits you wear don’t help either. Too tight. You need board shorts, nice and roomy to air out the bat and balls, eh.” He lifted his beer and toasted his own stupid logic. Cassie cleared her throat, and my ex-friend suddenly remembered we were among company. “I’m sorry, ladies. Excuse my crude comments.”
“Oh my God,” Brae said with an eye-roll. “How did we get here?”
I leaned closer and placed my lips on her ear. “Welcome to my world, babe.”
Brae
Jokes and jabs were in abundance as we all got to know each other. Obscenities and sexual innuendos continued to fly around the table, mostly by Kyle and Vanessa, who both seemed to have met their match.
“Do you think they’ll end up doing it or killing each other?” Jude’s question made me laugh. His warm breath tickled my ear.
Taking a moment to glance at our outgoing friends, I smiled. “Both. She’ll kill him in the act.”
Jude pulled me closer to him and started laughing. “God, I love you.”
“Do your parents know?” Desiree’s question came as no surprise. Of course she’d be the one to ask. The others were occupied with joking around. Cassie and Luca were easily humored by Vanessa and Kyle, so they were hardly paying attention—that was, until Des mentioned my parents.
“Not yet.” I glanced at Jude. “We decided we’re going to call them tomorrow.”
“I’ve been thinking we should tell them in person. They are your parents, my future in-laws. I need to ask your dad for permission.”
Kyle’s chuckle gained our attention. “It’s a little late for that, isn’t it?” He looked at Luca and cleared his throat. “Sir, may I please have your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
Luca chimed in. “No.” he said in a deep baritone, attempting to mimic my father.
Their roleplay continued. “But, sir, I must marry her. We’ve been living together and your daughter is great in bed.” Kyle’s last comment caused my friends to gasp and Jude to shoot daggers at him.
“Well, then, yes, by all means, make an honest woman out of my daughter.” Luca and Kyle tapped their beer bottles and took a sip.
Jude shook his head. “Can you believe these assholes are my best friends?”
“In all honesty, no.”
The waitress came by to deliver another round of drinks. The champagne was starting to go to my head and all I kept wanting was Jude to lick it off my body—and me off his.
He nuzzled his nose in my hair as I took a sip of the effervescent liquid. “Just watching that slide down your throat is making my cock hard.”
A blush rose up my body. “I was just thinking about how I’d rather lick it off you.”
The growl that escaped him made a rush of heat pool between my legs. “We need to get out of here soon.”
I nodded as Kyle asked, “Hey, lovebirds, we’re all in the wedding right?”
We hadn’t discussed even having a bridal party, but of course we’d want them to stand up for us. Jude looked at me, and I shrugged then nodded.
“Do you think you’ll be able to keep your antics to a minimum on that day? I swear to God, we’ll elope.” Jude was dead serious. It wasn’t the first time he said he’d whisk me away and make me his wife.
Kyle’s eyes went wide. “You’re worried about me? What about Jezebel over here?” He hitched his thumb, motioning toward Vanessa.
Jude dropped his head, and grumbled, “Idiot.”
“Did you just call me Jezebel? You don’t even know me, you arrogant ass.” Vanessa chirped as she looked at me. “You know I’d never do anything to ruin your big day.”
Desiree shook her head at them both while Cassie laughed.
I looked at our five friends and frowned. “It’s uneven.”
Kyle glanced at Jude, then back to me with a cocked brow. “Bummer, dude.”
“You’re such an idiot. I believe Brae is referring to the fact that she’d have three bridesmaids and I’d have two ushers.”
“I’m good with a threesome. Wouldn’t be the first time.” Kyle raised his hand to high-five Luca, but it just hung in the air.
Cassie noticed my furrowed brow, and said, “Don’t worry, sweetie. We’ll figure it out.”
Kyle ignored Cassie’s comment, and prodded. “So, best man. Who’s it gonna be, eh? Romeo over here, or me?”
“I can’t deal with you two clowns, I’ll just flip a coin.”
“We can’t wait to plan your bachelor party. Luca and I will handle everything.”
My entire body tensed as I shot my friends a worried look. Vanessa, of course, rescued me. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I dated a stripper and he still does private parties. We’ll have a great time.”
“There will be no bachelor or bachelorette parties with strippers in attendance.” Jude looked at me, determination in his eyes. “Agreed?”
I nodded. “Agreed.”
“The only woman I want to see naked is you.” He speared his fingers into my hair, which seemed to be one of his favorite things to do, and pulled me toward him in a heated kiss. “I’m taking you home.”
“Thank God.”
Grabbing my hand, J
ude offered a, “Bye,” as explanation for our quick exit. The more the gripes and complaints came from the peanut gallery, the faster Jude dragged me through the bar and out the door.
The cab ride was torture, and by the time we stumbled into our apartment, we were already half naked, since my fiancé decided to use the elevator as our personal changing room. He was damn lucky it was late and it didn’t stop on any of the other floors.
We tossed the clothes from our hands to the floor and Jude made quick work of removing my jeans. In one swift motion, he grabbed my ass and hoisted me up. My legs wrapped around his torso, high enough for me to still reach between our bodies and unfasten the buttons on his button-fly jeans. Of course, I paused to touch the tattoos I loved so much.
His pants dropped to his ankles and he unshackled his feet out of the denim one by one without missing a step. My man was commando. God, I loved him. The tip of his hard dick settled under me.
“Fuck, you’re wet. I need to taste some of that.” Lowering me to the bed, he stripped me out of my white lace bra and panties. “Fucking beautiful.” Jude placed his hand between my breasts and dragged his palm down my body to cup my sex. “All mine. This is all mine.”
“Just yours.” The more he spoke, the less patience I had.
He dragged me to the edge of the bed until my ass hung off the mattress. When I saw him lower to his knees, watching the stars on his torso vanish one at a time, my body squirmed with need.
“I’ve got you, Sparky.” He lifted my legs until they were on his shoulders and spread me wide with his thumbs. “So gorgeous.” That’s when I felt his tongue. Oh, how I loved his tongue. “You’re going to come in my mouth.”
“God, yes!” I exclaimed as I fisted the sheets. My head craned back so far, I could see our cream fabric covered headboard.
Soft, gentle licks tortured me. Of course, it was the best form of torture, but I needed more. He was so low, I couldn’t reach his head. The highlights in his hair would appear and disappear as he moved.
He stopped, and I groaned in frustration. “Patience,” he said as I groaned louder. Now using his fingers, he circled my opening, starting at my clit and then back around, but not inside. I bucked my hips, needing more. Once again, his mouth was on me as he moaned, licked, and nipped, all while teasing me with his fingers. When he plunged two of them inside me, my entire body started to tighten. Anticipation grew and I was ready to detonate all over him. That’s when he stopped.
“Please, Jude. I can’t take it.”
“Shhh.” His one hand held my hips down while his other flirted with my clit, his tongue still deep in my sex.
In and out, teasing and licking, his hands now gripped my ass. My fingers ready to pull the sheets off the bed, I arched my back and came. Bright lights appeared beneath my eyelids as the most intense orgasm rang through my body.
Jude’s face finally appeared, his lips glistening with evidence of my orgasm. When his tongue licked them clean, he smiled, and I almost came again.
“I want you inside me.” I leaned forward, grabbed his arms, and pulled him on top of me. “Now, Jude.”
Holding my face between his palms, he looked deep into my eyes, the gray rim of his irises practically pulsing with desire. “I love you, Sparky.”
“I love you too, Mr. Wrong.”
Jude’s eyebrows rose. “Mr. Wrong?” He thrust inside me, never breaking our eye contact. “I thought I was Mr. Right.”
“Trust me, you are.”
Chapter 31
Brae
I was scheduled to start my new job in one week, so Jude cleared his schedule and we decided to go stay with my parents for a few days. I felt guilty because we weren’t going to see his, but Jude said we could Facetime them and we’d go as soon as I could get away.
When I called my parents to tell them I was bringing my boyfriend to meet them, they were both surprised. Jude was insistent on asking my parents for permission to marry me.
“Are you nervous?” I asked as we turned down the road to my parents’ farm.
He glanced over with that sly, sexy grin I’d grown accustomed to. “Me? Nervous? Who can resist this charm?”
“I’m being serious. We need to tell them about the loan.”
“Leave that to me.”
“Jude, my father’s a very proud man. You can’t just say you paid off their debt because you’re fucking his daughter.” I meant it as a joke, but when he turned, the anger on his face was obvious.
“Brae, quit saying that. I mean it.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just nervous. I wanted to prepare you, so you’d know what to expect.”
“I don’t need to be coached. Okay? Trust me.” His face remained tense as he gripped the steering wheel while staring straight ahead.
“I love you.”
At my words, his face immediately softened. “I love you, too.” Our eyes met and he gave me my favorite smile. “You do realize I can’t stay mad at you, Sparky.”
“On that note, would now be a good time to let you know my parents are extremely religious and old-fashioned, so don’t be surprised when we sleep in separate rooms. Also, we need to get up by five so we can tend to the cattle. You’ll need to learn to milk the cows, and then we’ll need to clean the barn. We use the manure for fertilizer, so that will also need to be collected and stored.”
Beads of sweat formed at his temples. “We can’t sleep together?”
“Did you hear me? You, Mr. Money, will be shoveling cow dung.” I poked his rock hard abs to emphasize my point.
His jaw ticked. “Yes, I heard you. Did you say we can’t sleep together?”
A loud laugh escaped me as we turned onto my parents’ driveway. “Seriously, Jude. You kill me.”
“It’s not funny,” he grumbled miserably. “Sparky, we’re supposed to be here for four days. If I would have known we weren’t going to be sleeping together, I would have rented a huge ass SUV.” He got out of his BMW and circled it while mumbling in Swedish.
“What?”
“Look at the fucking mud covering my baby!”
“I thought I was your baby.”
“This is no time for jokes, Sparky. No sex, my car’s a mess—I’m not in the mood for your sass.” He got our bags out of the trunk and pulled me in for a kiss I felt down to my toes, using its open position to shield us from peeping eyes in the house.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked against his persistent lips. Pushing my hips against his, I could already feel the effects of our kiss on him as well. “Getting all riled up for nothing could be a huge mistake.”
He must have agreed when he took a half a step away to adjust himself. “That’s it! I refuse to agree to four days of no sexual activity.”
Again, I laughed at his tantrum. “The four days will be over before you know it. And just think how hot our reunion will be. Stop pouting.”
“Pouting? You can’t just spring such devastating news on me like that.” Forgetting his current predicament, he pulled me hard against his body again and nuzzled my ear. “I’m sure there are plenty of places in the barn where I can fuck you. Actually, let’s go there now before they know we’re here.” When I gawked, he added, “What?”
I slapped his stomach, which was like hitting a wall of muscle. He slammed the trunk closed while still sporting a scowl. Just as I was about to tell him we’d find a way, the door swung open.
“Oh, you’re here!” My mother flew down the path toward us and immediately threw her arms around me, rocking me back and forth.
“Hi, Mom.”
Her eyes focused on Jude. “Well, you must be Jude. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Jude shook her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you too, Mrs. Daniels.”
“Please, call me Ellen.” Was my mother blushing? I tilted my head like a puppy. She was. Her cheeks were actually turning pink. “You have an accent, where are you from?”
She walked toward the house and held the door open
, giving us access to the foyer. “Sweden,” Jude answered as he took a step in.
“Oh, Brae’s favorite candy is from there.” I closed my eyes and shook my head as Jude chuckled under his breath.
Before I could correct her and tell her Swedish Fish weren’t from Sweden, my father walked in from the kitchen. Not much had changed since I last left. He still sported a flannel shirt and his Wrangler jeans.
“Walter, our baby is home.” My father eyed Jude up and down before giving me a hug.
“Sweetheart, we’re so glad you’re here.” He released me, then sized Jude up again. I knew that look. It was his don’t hurt my daughter or I’ll string you up by your balls and hang you in my barn from the rafters look. Of course, he wouldn’t do that, but more than one boyfriend had been scared off by that look alone. Dating sucked. “I assume you’re the boyfriend?”
“Daddy, this is Jude Soren.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Daniels.” Jude extended his hand, which my father took in kind.
“Let’s sit down.” My mother led us all into the family room. The blue and white checkered sofa had a bit more wear and tear to it, but I knew my parents were more concerned with keeping the farm from foreclosing than the decor. “I’m going to get some lemonade. Is that okay with you kids?”
We both nodded and sat down on the center cushion of the sofa, even though there were two empty ones on either side of us. My father sat across from us in what was known as “his chair.”
A very long minute passed as my dad continued to measure Jude up while Jude pretended to act cool. I knew better, though. In the way his thigh stiffened beside mine, the sheen of sweat on his forehead, and how he refused to touch me, all meant my man was nervous. He doesn’t get nervous, my ass. I wasn’t fooled.
Finally, my dad spoke, and asked, “Where are you from?”
“Sweden, sir.”
“What the heck are you doing here?”
“Daddy!”
