Touchdowns and Tiaras: The Complete Boxed Set

by Frost, Sosie

  Jude was disciplined, but I hadn’t realized quite how structured he lived. I shouldn’t have pried, but I checked the other scheduled events. Most of them related to Phillip, but the dog didn’t need any help. Lamps were broken when he was hungry, toilet paper stolen when we slept an extra ten minutes, and he now stood on the tables to demand his afternoon walk. He was hard to ignore, even for a disturbingly forgetful running back.

  I retuned the phone and ice to Jude. He frowned as he scrolled through the reminders.

  “You have a lot of alerts,” I said.

  “It’s the easiest way to stay on top of things.”

  Was it?

  “I’m a procrastinator,” he said. “This way, something pops up, I do it right away. I don’t give myself the option to delay it…except this laundry. Not sure I want to move.”

  “I’ll do the laundry.”

  “You don’t have to. I can take care of myself.”

  Said the man practically salivating for the ice pack in my hand. I jingled it over him.

  “Regular season doesn’t count,” he said.

  “Right. Where do you want the ice?”

  “Everywhere.”

  I couldn’t help myself. “Don’t give me any ideas.”

  “Why?” He met my gaze, the grey in his eyes heating to silver. “I might like the way you think.”

  “Let’s hope you’re not injured there.”

  “No…that’s fully operational, Doc.”

  I knew better than to tease. I did it anyway. “Even when the rest of you is one big bruise?”

  “That wouldn’t stop a man.” His voice traced with the hint of a growl. “Wouldn’t stop me.”

  “But your knees, arms, back, shoulders, legs…everything hurts.”

  “You learn to live with it. Besides, these injuries give me reason to be…creative.”

  “Creative.”

  “Don’t believe me?”

  “Oh, I believe you. Just wondering what a man who can’t move could do for a lady.”

  I wondered a little too hard.

  “You’d be surprised,” he said. “And impressed.”

  “You must be a man of many talents, Jude Owens.”

  “There’s so much you don’t know about me, Rory Merriweather.”

  That I believed. I hesitated, but Jude patted the couch.

  “You gonna stay?” he asked. “I could use the company.”

  Awkward conversations like these needed to come with an instruction manual.

  So You’ve Been Felt Up By Your Best Guy Friend: A Guide To Handle Life’s Sticky Situations. Or 101 Home Ingredient Recipes To Get The Stains Out Of Your Sofa.

  It killed me that the thousands of dollars I’d spent on those anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and biology books never included instructions on how to deal with a surge of hormones.

  Whoremones.

  Hopefully Jude would understand. The pregnancy made me a little crazy, and I could pin all of my feelings on the baby. Of course, that meant I’d be birthing a scapegoat and not a child, but I’d have many years and lots of candy to make-up for that.

  “Um…” So far, so awkward. “I think we should talk.”

  Jude rested the other icepack on his shoulder and gave a pleased murmur. “I agree.”

  I launched right into it, speaking a little too fast. “Pregnancy is one weird thought, feeling, behavior, and…fluid after another. I know I’ve been acting a crazier than usual lately. A little more forward.”

  “Flirty.”

  “Yeah, that.” I sighed. “Well, it’s just…the other day at the charity event? Sometimes, when I’m with you, it’s like there’s an itch I can’t scratch.”

  “Can’t reach it?”

  I cleared my throat. “No, it’s embarrassing.”

  “I share a locker room with fifty bare-ass men. It’s nothing I’ve never seen before.”

  “No, Jude,” I sighed. He was impossible. “It’s more intimate than that.”

  “Want me to leave the room?”

  “It’s not a literal itch, Jude!”

  He grinned. I smacked his shoulder, and he gasped as I accidentally struck a bruise. Served him right. I wasn’t apologizing.

  “You ass.” I poked the bruise again. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  He grimaced, reaching under the couch cushion to reveal his very own copy of my pregnancy book, dog-eared and marked with a pen.

  “Let’s just say…I’ve been doing my homework.” He pointed the book at me. “And for someone with my attention span, that’s quite the accomplishment.”

  “So…you know what I’ve been feeling?”

  He didn’t need to gloat. He snapped the book shut and crossed his arms behind his head. Proud “Yep. It’s perfectly natural, Doc.”

  “And you’re the expert now?”

  “Your baby is about the size of a turnip. You’re beginning to show. You might have another increase in cup size. Your energy is boosted. You have significant blood flow…” He pointed with a smirk. “Down there. And your baby the size of a turnip.”

  “You already said that.”

  He played it off. “I thought it was funny.”

  I took the book from him and smacked his leg. “Well, stop laughing.”

  “Look, if you’re in the mood—”

  “I am not in the mood.” I stood. “No more baby books for you.”

  “We’re grown adults, Rory.”

  “And that is exactly why I’m not discussing this with you.”

  Jude shrugged. “What happened in the locker room—”

  “Was hormones. That’s all.” Even I didn’t believe the lie. “I shouldn’t have acted like that. It’s just…been a while since I’ve…given an exam like that.”

  “For me too.”

  “You? Really?”

  “When would I have dated?” He shrugged. “I wasn’t picking anyone up at physical therapy, literally and figuratively. Then I started training for the season again. There’s not time for romance when you’re working out all morning and afternoon and studying films in the evening.”

  “I guess not.”

  “To be honest…it’s hard to concentrate on any one thing for an extended period anyway. If I had seen a pretty girl, my career would have been over before another hit.”

  I settled back on the couch. “So…that’s all it was then. We both got carried away.”

  “Not that it wasn’t good.”

  “It was…very good. You’re very…skilled.”

  “I told you.”

  “No, I mean.” Oh, why was I even saying it? “I bet you’d be better than my previous experiences.”

  Jude didn’t suffer any excesses of pride, but this made him smile. “I’ll take that wager.”

  “Not that there are many to compare to. They’re hardly worth remembering.”

  “Someone had to put the D in the MD.”

  “Right.” I rolled my eyes. “I had one boyfriend in college who had two speeds—off and jackhammer. That wasn’t a good first time. And then in med school, my boyfriend fumbled his way through a couple experiences that obviously meant more to him than me.”

  “How so?”

  “He changed his specialty to gynecology.”

  Jude laughed. “You should be flattered. You’re a muse!”

  Not the distinction I wanted. “At least he finally got a road map of the area.”

  Jude grinned. “Without bragging too much…”

  “What man is ever humble about his sex life?”

  “My women are always left satisfied.” His eyebrow cocked. “If I can get them to leave.”

  “Oh, the life of a chronic bachelor.”

  “You had bad dates. I’ve have crazy stalkers.”

  I settled into the couch, curling my legs under me. “Like what? What’s your worst experience?”

  Jude puffed a deep breath. “My worst? Probably a blonde from three years ago. We had finished fooling around, and she sai
d she wanted my autograph.”

  “A little star-struck?”

  “She asked to get it tattooed on her.”

  “Oh.”

  “On her right breast.”

  I was afraid to ask. “Why the right?”

  “Because she was saving the left for Jack Carson.” Jude laughed. “Poor thing has bare tits to this day.” He winked. “What about you? Worst experience ever?”

  I edged a little closer. “If we’re being completely honest—”

  “You can always be honest with me.”

  My heart fluttered. “Then my worst experience was probably…” I pointed to my belly. “Genie is about the only good thing that came from it.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, I didn’t come from it.”

  Jude groaned. “That’s terrible.”

  “Coincidentally, that’s what I thought the whole time.”

  He tossed aside his ice packs. “You’re still not going to tell me who the father is?”

  “It really doesn’t matter.”

  “I think it does.”

  He was right, but I wouldn’t admit it. “Suffice to say, he was a mistake. I’d hoped he had a good grasp of anatomy. Kinda ironic, actually. And I thought I’d be able to tell which guys were just in it to score, but after all those years at college and med school…” I looked away. “Well, I was naïve. He fed me a couple lines about me being beautiful and smart and talented and…I liked the compliments, I guess.”

  “You are beautiful, smart, and…” Jude grinned. “What was the last one?”

  “Talented? You really couldn’t remember—”

  He interrupted me. “I was too busy thinking of other qualities I admire in you.”

  “Oh.”

  “Like how brave you are for doing this, for keeping the baby, for facing the world.”

  This was better than a back rub. “Keep ‘em coming.”

  “How amazing you are for becoming a doctor. I remember you as a kid, slapping band-aids on me and Eric when we got cuts and scrapes.”

  “You’re very sweet.”

  “And so are you,” he said. “You’ve always been sweet. And kind. I only wish we hadn’t lost those years while I was playing ball and you were in school.”

  I shrugged. “I watched you play any chance I could get.”

  “Really?”

  “Even DVR’ed your playoff game while taking my MCATs.” I bit my lip. “I wore your jersey for luck.”

  “Yours or mine?”

  “Both?”

  “Cute,” he said. “Anyone ever tell you how cute you are?”

  “Just the words every woman wants to hear.”

  His gaze wove over me, casting shivers I hadn’t expected and a warmth I tried to suppress. “What if I called you sexy instead?”

  “In a tank and sweats?” I tugged at the white top and my super cool purple yoga pants. Genie was a bit more noticeable now than she had been before. I didn’t know if I was supposed to flaunt it or hide her. “Maybe I should get you on the table again, make sure your head didn’t get walloped during the game.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “But I’m pregnant.”

  He hesitated. “I told you. That makes you more beautiful. It’s forbidden fruit.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Something about you just makes me want to take a big, juicy bite.”

  Juicy was right.

  And wrong.

  “You shouldn’t talk like that,” I said.

  “Sorry. Too forward?”

  The nerves bundled inside me. “No…I might like it.”

  “Is that so bad?”

  I bit my lip. “I might want you to take that bite. And then where would we be?”

  “Probably a lot more relaxed around each other.”

  “And confused,” I said.

  “And satisfied.”

  “And never able to look each other in the eyes again.”

  “Very, very satisfied.”

  “You already said that.”

  “It bears repeating. That’s the important one.”

  “This isn’t fair,” I murmured. Jude brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “You know the kind of mood I’m in.”

  “What if I said I wanted to help?”

  “I’d say you’re very generous.”

  “You have no idea how generous I can be.”

  “Jude, we can’t do this. Things are already so complicated—”

  “Who said anything about complicated?” His fingers grazed my chin, bumping my head back. I stilled as he pressed his lips to my neck. “You need a little relief.” He kissed. “I told you I’d help you in any way.”

  “I can’t ask you to do this.”

  “I’m the one asking. All you have to do is say yes.”

  And what if I never stopped saying yes? “Are you sure?”

  “You don’t have to convince me. I’m offering. As a friend. As a man who knows how to please a woman. As someone who thinks it’s a damn crime that your life changed so much with this baby, and you didn’t even get to enjoy yourself when it happened.”

  “That’s the least of my worries now.”

  He kissed me, quiet and sweet. “You shouldn’t worry at all, Rory. I told you I’d take care of you. And that’s just what I plan to do.”

  I trembled, head to toe and everything inside of me. It twisted, turned, burned, and ached.

  “I didn’t get to please you the last time we touched,” Jude said. “That makes me as bad as your other dates.”

  “You’re much better than those men.”

  “I don’t want to be better. I want to be the best.” His fingers wove over me. “I want you to remember this moment for the rest of your life.”

  I nearly came then.

  Jude cupped my cheek, drawing me into a sensual kiss. He didn’t have to ask or tease—I parted my lips and sunk against him.

  His earthy scent still smelled of soap and the outdoors—the field, the grass, masculine and sweaty and delicious that made him everything I’d ever wanted.

  His hands teased over my shirt. I stiffened as his warm fingers traced under the material.

  He would see the bump. I tensed for it.

  But the instant his hand warmed my skin, the guilt…faded.

  Maybe this was just what I needed. A night I’d secretly love, even if the instant it was over we’d both admit it had been a mistake.

  His hand trailed up, teasing beneath the cami. The first time he’d touched me, I’d been without panties. Now I wasn’t wearing a bra—the material too sensitive for my swelling chest. He’d think I was some sort of naughty trouble-maker.

  And maybe that wasn’t so bad?

  I nearly leapt off the couch as his fingers grazed my nipple. The bud hardened into a fierce pebble. Jude jerked his hand away as I gasped.

  “Good?” he asked.

  “Good.” Did the word have to tremble off my tongue? “Very good.”

  His calloused hand was gentle as he cupped me. No one had ever been so delicate before, and my skin tingled from the brush of his fingers. His thumb rolled over my nipple, and I bit my lip to silence myself before everything I’d ever felt for Jude tumbled out.

  I’ve dreamt of this moment.

  Take me now.

  I’ll be yours forever.

  I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember.

  I opted for a whimper instead. It worked just as well, fueling Jude’s smile. He grew bolder, gripping me tighter.

  Now or never. I was having a lot of now or never moments lately. I’d revealed too many secrets because I had to, not because I wanted to. That ended now. Right here.

  I rose to my knees and gripped the shirt. I tugged it free of my body and tossed it aside.

  Jude softly swore. “Beautiful.”

  “Touch me?”

  “You don’t even have to ask.”

  Jude surged towards me, but even that motion must have ached his injur
ies. It didn’t slow him. His lips captured mine once more before slowly drifting lower and lower. His heated breath warmed the hollow of my throat, and I gripped his shoulders as his daring tongue lapped a playful tease over my collarbone.

  I sucked in a breath as he dipped low. His kiss warmed over my breast.

  For once, I was glad my chest had swelled during this pregnancy. Jude swore a happy sound and kissed a path over the plump curve.

  Could a running back get to second base? Maybe it was more like second down? I knew one thing. I wasn’t kicking him away at the end of this series.

  His mouth curled over my nipple, and a shock of delight tore through me. I jolted straight, Jude groaned another grateful grunt, and I thrust more of my breast to him.

  Wantonly.

  Unapologetically.

  As if the whoremones needed any more encouragement.

  His tongue flicked over the bud, nibbling the aching tip. The greatest and most sensual experience of my life became a sweet torture, I crashed into Jude, pulling away from his mouth if only so I could taste his lips once more.

  That didn’t ease the need in me. I groaned against him. Frustrated. Worse than a mood swing and more insistent than any craving.

  I needed him. I needed something. Anything. My body practically hummed, but the humiliation of revealing those feelings seared away as every nerve in my body sparked alive.

  And he understood.

  Of course he understood. He was Jude. He was perfect.

  All he wanted to do was help me.

  This time, I’d ask for that help.

  Jude’s hands wove over me, following the softness of my pants to graze the part of me that desired him the most.

  “Just once,” I promised. “One. That’s all I need.”

  “One? You sure?”

  “One. Something overwhelming. Consuming. Something that will just shut my body up and let me think again. I can’t go on like this.”

  “Like what?”

  I groaned. “Like I’m waiting for one little push to send me over the edge. I’m so…desperate. I’ve been. All week. I can’t think. I can’t move. I can’t sleep. I know it’s the worst thing to say and do, but I need—”

  I shuddered as Jude’s fingers rubbed over my own personal mute button. My body flinched in a perfect way, and I sucked in a harsh breath.

  So did Jude.

  He pulled away and massaged his knuckles.

  “Damn it.” He squeezed his fist tight, but the motion obviously pained him. “I bruised my hand pretty bad during the game. Not sure I can…” He shrugged. “Wiggle my fingers.”