I’ve never been kissed like this. Jude’s tongue is claiming; his lips are seeking. My soft curves mold against his taut muscles, every ridge finding a valley until there’s nothing left between us.
I can’t think. Now that Jude’s shown me his vulnerable side, all bets are off. I need to feel him and taste him. Whatever comfort or redemption he’s looking for, I want to be the one he finds it in.
Every nerve in my body responds to the primal hunger he incites in me. When his big hand reaches behind my head to cup my neck, I moan softly and his other hand tightens its hold on my ass.
He lifts me slightly and moves forward, putting his knee between my thighs and resting it on the bed. And damn, do I like it.
I suck in a breath, and he doesn’t miss it. When he pulls his lips from mine, I see the smirk I either love to hate or hate to love, depending on the day. “You like me pushing those legs apart, Reagan?”
“Felt more like a gentle nudge to me, Titan,” I say in challenge, my heart thundering with excitement.
He arches his brows with amusement. “Gentle, huh?”
When he presses his palm between my breasts and pushes me to the mattress, my sigh is half surprise, half arousal. As soon as my back hits the bed, he’s on top of me, his knee back between my thighs. I feel heat everywhere—from his body, my own, between my legs, and even inside my chest.
The scrape of his stubble on my neck makes my skin tingle and my back arch. I feel his groan against my throat. Knowing I excite him is like fuel on an already raging fire. I pull back my knee, trying to work my leg around his so I can wrap both legs around his waist and feel all of him pressed against me.
He digs his knee into the mattress, and another groan vibrates from his chest to mine. I gasp as his tongue traces a light trail along my collarbone.
When I grab his shoulders and pull my knee back again so I can feel his erection pressing against my center rather than his knee, he lifts his face from my neck and meets my eyes.
“No.” His tone is gravelly and strained, but firm.
“Yes,” I say, holding his gaze as I wiggle beneath him in an effort to get what I want.
It’s more than want at this point; I’m aching to feel Jude’s erection against me.
“Reagan,” he says, his voice laced with warning now. “No.”
He’s breathing hard, and arousal is pooled in his dark, narrowed eyes. He wants this, too. But he wants to control me more.
“Don’t tell me no,” I say, my tone matching his.
“You have no idea how hard it is.”
“Exactly. And I want to.”
The corner of his mouth quirks up in a grin. “That’s not what I meant, but I am hard as fuck right now.”
“Mmm.” I smile back at him, my chest rising and falling with the excitement I feel. “All talk, Titan, until you prove it.”
He takes hold of my wrists, moving them from his shoulders and pinning them to the bed above my head before I even know what’s happening.
“Don’t fear me,” he whispers. “Never fear me, Reagan.”
“I’m not scared.” My voice is breathy.
“Your eyes are huge right now.”
“Because I’m overwhelmed,” I admit. “I’m a good girl, Jude. I always do the right thing. I never take any chances. I’m always on point. But I lose control when we’re alone. I lose it to you.”
“You think I’m in control right now?”
I smile. “Seems to me I’m pinned beneath you and begging for it.”
His gaze darkens further, and his smile slips away. “I fucking love the sound of that. But I’m right on the edge too, Reagan. If my cock touches any part of you, I’m done.”
He’s holding his large, powerful frame above me, his hands on my wrists the only part of him touching me until he lowers his nose to my face and brushes it gently next to mine. The gesture is surprisingly sweet, and it sets my body on fire for him again.
I capture his lips with mine and kiss him deeply. I’m otherwise immobilized, so I have to show him how much I want him with just my mouth. I tug his lower lip between my teeth, and he groans again.
“Fuck,” he says softly.
A loud knock sounds at the door. My lips part with shock, and I jump.
Shit. What am I doing in here? I scramble off the bed, smoothing my hair as I run for the door between our rooms.
“Hey,” Jude whispers as I grab the door handle.
“Lemme in, man,” a deep voice says. There’s another knock. It’s Carl, Jude’s campaign manager.
I lock eyes with Jude for just a second before I quietly open the door, slip through, and then lock the deadbolt on the other side. For a few seconds, I stand with my back against it, my heart still pounding anxiously.
“What are you doing in here?” Carl asks. “The TV’s not even on.”
“I was sleeping,” Jude answers. “You need something?”
“I’ve got good news. Get me a drink, will you?”
“Get your own fucking drink. The fridge is full.”
Carl apparently walks over to the fridge because I hear him ask Jude, “You want one?”
“Yeah, I’ll take a beer.”
Through the paper-thin walls, I can hear them almost as clearly as if I were in the room with them.
“So…” Carl says, “The guy I hired to dig into the Prestons returned with a fucking gold mine of information.”
“Yeah?” Jude asks, his tone flat and disinterested.
“We’ve got two very promising leads to work on. You know Reagan’s younger sister, Abby?”
My pulse kicks up at the mention of my sister’s name. That bastard Carl will be sorry if he tries to go after her.
“Yeah, what about her?” Jude asks.
“Apparently, she had an abortion in college.”
I bury my face in my hands. Though it’s true, it’s something that hurt Abby deeply, and it has no place in a political campaign. It’s all I can do not to throw open the door and attack Carl.
“So what?” Jude says. “That’s got nothing to do with Reagan.”
“True,” Carl says, his tone smarmy. “But it does have something to do with Senator Preston. Apparently, he drove Abby to the clinic and wouldn’t let her leave when she said she couldn’t go through with it.”
That’s also true. Abby was inconsolable over the whole thing, and our parents told her an abortion was her only choice. They said it was best for her. She’s never forgiven herself for listening to them.
“Is that it?” Jude asks, his tone still bland.
“Is that it?” Carl repeats, incredulous. “It seems our family-focused senator forced his knocked-up daughter to get an abortion. This came from someone inside the clinic. It happened, Jude. We can hit the senator’s credibility with this, which will also hit Reagan’s.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Jude raises his voice a little. “Do I look like I’m kidding? That’s got nothing to do with Reagan or this campaign. I’m not interested.”
“Don’t worry, your name won’t be anywhere near it,” Carl says.
“I said no, and I meant it. I’m not destroying Abby Preston for a few political points.”
I sigh softly, tears of relief burning my eyes. I couldn’t stand to see my sister hurt by my campaign. She’s a teacher with a serious boyfriend, and she doesn’t deserve to have a painful secret from her past dredged up by my political opponent.
“We’ll see how you feel when the election’s closer,” Carl mutters.
“I’ll feel the same. Better to lose with honor than win with deceit.”
“I think you’ll be interested in the other thing my guy dug up.”
“Why don’t we talk about it tomorrow?” Jude says. “I’m tired.”
Does he know I can hear the conversation? I wonder if he wants to spare the feelings of the woman he was just getting hot and heavy with or keep his campaign details from his opponent.
“It’s too good,” Carl says. “Back in her college days, Reagan apparently had it bad, like really bad, for an older guy. A guy involved in politics.”
“That was a long time ago,” Jude says.
“Maybe. Maybe not. She could be having a long-term affair with a married guy or something.”
A few seconds of silence pass. “You think she’d do that?” Jude asks.
“That crazy bitch ain’t getting laid by no average guy,” Carl says. “She’s a man-eater.”
“Hey, watch your mouth,” Jude says. “Don’t be an asshole.”
“Well, would you fuck her? Shit, she’d probably argue the whole time.”
“Still being an asshole,” Jude says sharply. “And I don’t give a fuck about who she used to have a crush on in college.”
“It was more than a crush. This guy was her first. My guy found out from one of Reagan’s former sorority sisters. She was head over heels for him, and he broke her heart.”
“There you go, then. No long-term affair to chase after.”
“Our source says Reagan was determined to get him back. I think we should keep digging.”
“All right,” Jude says dismissively. “But anything you find comes to me for a final decision.”
“I have a feeling about this,” Carl says. “I think it could be the break we need to bring her down. Did you have someone in here? Why are two glasses on the table?”
I step away from the door, feeling a sick churning in my stomach. Carl’s right. If they find out who my traitorous sorority sister was talking about, it won’t be good for me. Just the thought of what happened with him makes me cringe. I was young and stupid.
It’s been a hell of a day. I’m emotionally exhausted. I can’t see Jude again tonight. I don’t even have enough left in me for a text convo. The door between our rooms is already locked from my side, so I put on my wireless Beats headphones, turn off the lights, and get into bed with some music.
Shit’s getting real. I knew Jude would have people looking into my past, just like I’ll have people looking into his. But hearing Carl talk about my sister’s pain in such a callous way was almost too much. I’d rather Jude and his campaign go after me than my family.
There’s not much to find out about me. I meant it when I told Jude I’m a good girl who always does the right thing. Carl’s investigator must be good, because he found the one thing I’ve done that I’m embarrassed by.
I hear a knocking sound, and I stare through the darkness at the outline of the door between my room and Jude’s. Knowing he’s on the other side of it brings on a barrage of emotions: fear, arousal, even anger. I can’t trust him; he’s my opponent. When I do something wrong, he has people ready to pounce on it, as I just overheard.
But then I remember the side of him I saw earlier. The emotionally wounded man who fought for his country and endured more than anyone should ever have to. The man who just lost a dear friend and holds himself responsible. The man who wanted to lose himself in me.
I wish I could lose myself in him, too. I came so close before Carl’s knock on his door interrupted us. I wish I could just be a woman and feel instead of being a political candidate who always has to think, plan and calculate.
I can’t, though. I’ve worked hard to get here, and I can’t let myself get derailed by a man, no matter how drawn I am to everything about him.
There’s another knock on the door. I feel a physical pull to open it and see his dark, sexy gaze on me again.
I can’t.
I can’t.
I can’t.
I turn up the volume on my headphones and ignore Jude, fighting every instinct I feel.
Being a good girl who does the right thing has never been so difficult.