I woke to dusky light coming through the curtains and a hot warm body wrapped around me. I glanced at the clock by the bed. 5:30 a.m. I’d have to leave soon, I needed to be home before Tilly came over from Fay’s to get ready for school.

I still had about an hour, though.

Jude and I had had sex twice more after that first time, both times just as mind-blowing. My muscles ached in the best way, and there was a steady pulse between my thighs. I wanted him again one more time before I left.

With everything going on, I couldn’t afford to risk another night with Jude, couldn’t risk letting him get too close. I had no idea how Trent would react. The last thing I wanted was to antagonize him when he was already so unpredictable.

I wasn’t stupid, I knew Jude was more than capable of dealing with my lowlife brother-in-law, but I couldn’t predict what Trent would do if that happened. I wouldn’t put Tilly at risk like that.

He was at his most dangerous when he was backed into a corner, and as it was, I had no proof of anything. It was his word against mine. All that telling Jude would achieve would be making Trent angrier. The creep wasn’t above using his own daughter to make me pay, to get his way. And not even Jude’s outrage could stop Trent if he decided to force his way back into Tilly’s life.

If I went after him without proof, or some concrete way to get him out of our lives for good, that’s exactly what he’d do, and he’d make our lives a living hell. His hate for me outweighed his love for his own daughter, and that made Tilly an obvious pawn. I needed a way to get him to back off. So we could disappear—for good this time. Somewhere he would never find us.

I looked back at Jude. I had the next hour to take what I wanted for myself, then I had to go back to my life, to Trent, to Stilettos, to protecting my niece.

Turning in his arms, I gave his broad shoulder a gentle push and he grumbled in his sleep and rolled to his back. I grinned. He looked like a giant hibernating beer. I pulled the sheet back and took in all that was Jude Wayland, locking it away in my memories.

I knew without doubt I would never meet another man like him. The kind of man, that in another life, if I was another woman, I would never have walked away from.

But I’d made a promise to Rebecca and I needed to get away from Trent. I couldn’t stay, even if I wanted to.

One of Jude’s arms lifted over his head, the other resting on the hard, corrugated planes of his abs. For the first time, I got a good look at the ink on his forearm. “Serve and protect” was in block lettering and below it was a stylized K and L, looped together with curls and swirls. The serve and protect was so Jude.

I wondered what the other letters stood for as I dropped my gaze to his solid thighs. They were dusted in dark hair, and his cock was resting against one of them, semi-hard.

I didn’t hesitate. I climbed onto that big, hot-skinned body, and dragged my nose over his abs, drawing in his scent, letting my hair trail after me as I kissed my way down.

He stirred, and I nudged his cock with my lips, tongue darting out to taste him. One of his legs moved and I glanced up. His eyes were still closed. I licked the head of his cock again, and it hardened further. I watched him as I did this, grinning to myself when his eyelids popped open and he looked down.

As soon as I had his sleepy brown eyes on me, I took him into my mouth, sucking him to the back of my throat.

His eyes widened, and he made a hoarse kind of gasping sound. “Willa…Christ.”

I was straddling one of those monster thighs, and I could feel the muscles quiver beneath me, watching as his chest expanded sharply. His reaction was such a turn-on. I ground my pussy against him as I worked him, sucking his cock, gripping the base, stroking him. As turned on as I was, I realized I wanted to do this for him, I wanted to give him this. He’d been there for me and Tilly; God, he’d been there for us, even when he wasn’t in the same city.

I had nothing to give him but myself, and I was so damn happy that I had. His hand went to the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair.

“Willa, beautiful, gonna come.” His hips thrust up, forcing his cock deeper. “You don’t want it down your throat, climb on.”

Swallowing wasn’t something I’d done much of in the past. I hadn’t liked blowing my asshole ex; he made me feel like shit when I did it, like he had some kind of power over me. Like I was just the place he stuck his dick when he wanted to get off, and I hated that I’d been so desperate for love that I’d let him treat me like that. With Jude, it felt different. Again, it was me who felt powerful. His moans were because of me. The way his impressive body shook as he got closer was all me. The way he was gipping my hair, and helplessly thrusting his hips, was because of me.

It was me, Willa Hartley, he wanted. I wasn’t just some faceless warm body.

I couldn’t think of anything in my shitty life that had felt this good.

He made a low, throaty sound that had my hips rolling, had me reaching down and circling my clit frantically with my fingers. Jude must have felt it, because he lifted to his elbows, his gaze moving down his body, down to where my fingers were. His jaw tightened, muscle jumping.

I started coming instantly, moaning around his cock and he hissed, then he was coming as well, pulsing hotly down my throat. I swallowed the best I could while I jerked and groaned, riding out my own orgasm.

I sucked him dry, giving him a few final teasing licks, then rested my forehead on his stomach. His fingers that had been fisting my hair loosened, and started toying with the strands gently. It felt nice, too nice. I needed to go.

I nuzzled, kissing the dark trail of hair below his belly button, and lifted my head, ignoring the weird melancholy feeling that was steeling over me, and smiled. “Morning.”

He gave me that wide, sexy smile, one that I’d only just become acquainted with. “Morning.”

“I have to go,” I said, and reluctantly climbed off the bed, before he could stop me.

“It’s still pretty early,” he said, watching me closely.

“Tils will be coming over to get ready soon, and I’d like to take a shower and get ready before she gets there. I’m going to have a word with her teacher this morning.”

He dipped his chin, but his eyes were pretty sharp for someone who’d just come the way he had. “About this bully?”

“Ah…just checking in, making sure there hasn’t been any more incidents.” I had a feeling Tilly wouldn’t be having any more trouble from Blake after Jude’s performance, but my main reason for going was to double check at the office that they knew Trent wasn’t to go anywhere near her.

He watched me dress and put on my shoes.

“Right, I better…” I motioned to the door.

“Come here,” he said, the kind of command in his voice that would usually raise my hackles.

But again, coming from Jude, that wasn’t the effect his tone had on me at all. It was the complete opposite. I shouldn’t, but I went to him, wanting to get close to him one more time.

As soon as I was in reach, he slid his finger through the loop on my jeans and tugged me closer, lifting a hand to the back of my neck and pulling me down for a deep kiss.

When he finally let me up for air, he said, “See you later.”

It took me a minute to find my voice. “Sure.”

A kiss goodbye.

He hadn’t tried to make plans, or make this into something it wasn’t, and I was grateful, I was. This was what I wanted. It saved me from some awkward conversation. I stood, pulling away. His hand dropped, and I turned and walked out.

* * *

Steph rushed past me, face flushed.

“Steph?”

She ignored me, which was so not like her, and rushed into the staff bathroom, slamming the door.

I tapped on it. “Steph, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I just…I need a minute.”

I stood there for a few seconds, wanting to push, but knowing Steph, like me, didn’t talk about her situation, preferring to keep it to herself. I understood that. I wouldn’t push, but I wanted her to know I was here for her. “If you…need to talk, you know where I am.”

Silence.

I grabbed my bag and headed back to the floor to find Raul, since I was finished for the day. Dread slithered through me. Well, after my meeting with Trent.

Raul was at the bar, talking to Tomas. Or more, Raul was talking and Tomas was staring toward the back of the club, where Steph was currently hiding in one of the bathrooms. I needed more evening shifts. Fay said she could look after Tils if I needed to, and as much as I hated abusing her kindness, I needed the money too badly to turn down her offer. Starting over somewhere else wasn’t going to be cheap.

But I decided now wasn’t a great time to interrupt. I’d call Raul when I got home. I didn’t want to go over there and give Tomas a reason to mention the card game he’d seen me at. I didn’t want him bringing up that whole humiliating nightmare to Raul.

Ducking my head, I headed for the exit…

Someone grabbed my arm before I could reach it, and I swung around. Trent stood there, a smirk on his face that made my skin crawl. I yanked my arm out of his hold so hard and fast, I almost fell on my ass.

“You’re getting better,” he said, giving me a onceover. “Shame about your face, you never were as pretty as Rebecca. You must’ve hated that, being the ugly sister.”

One of the bouncers started toward us, and I lifted a hand, smiling, and waved him away. “What are you doing here?”

He got in my face. “You know why I’m here, I want my damn money. Time’s up.”

Fuck. I never thought he’d come to the club.

“I don’t have it all.”

His eyes started to twitch. “How much do you have?”

“Fourteen hundred.”

He paced away and back, getting in my face again. “It’s not enough.”

I stepped back, putting space between us, before the bouncer came back. “Well, it’s all I have.”

His eyes twitched again. “Give it to me.”

I took it from my purse and quickly handed it over. He shoved it in his pocket.

“Everything okay?” Raul asked, walking toward us.

“Yep,” I said.

Trent dipped his chin at Raul and quickly left without a backward glance.

I noticed Tomas was still there, by the bar, his dark gaze now on me.

I forced a smile. “Everything’s fine.”

Raul glanced toward the door where Trent had just rushed through, and back to me. “You sure about that?”

“Positive.” He didn’t look convinced, but didn’t push, for now. I nervously glanced back at Tomas, but his eyes were back on Steph, who was on the floor again.

“You want a ride home?” Raul asked.

My brows lifted; he’d never offered to drive me home before.

“I need to talk to Fay,” he said, answering my unspoken question. He was also frowning. “Woman’s been ignoring my damn calls,” he muttered. “I sure that Jen’s been in her damned ear.”

“Oh?”

Raul grumbled. “The woman’s found God again. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against religion, to each their own and all that crap, and Jennifer’s family, always will be. But for an ex-dancer, you’d think she’d be a little more open-minded.” He grumbled again. “These days, she looks at me like I’m the Antichrist.”

I accepted the offer of a ride, and followed Raul out to his sapphire blue Lincoln Continental parked behind the club, and climbed in.

Raul was still frowning when he got in beside me. “I don’t think you have to worry about Fay.”

He glanced at me. “No?”

“If Fay’s not talking to you, it’s because you pissed her off, not because of something someone said. No one tells her what to think.”

Raul chuckled. “Isn’t that the damned truth. Now I just have to work out what the hell I did.”

I had to bite back my laugh.

We’d been driving a few minutes when Raul said, “You wanna tell me what that guy wanted back there? You know him?”

Jesus, the man didn’t seem to miss a thing. “I have everything under control,” I said, hoping he’d drop it there.

Raul glanced at me and shrugged. “Maybe I could help you out? If he’s bothering you, I’d be more than happy to have a word.”

“Honestly, there’s no problem. He’s just an old family friend. I doubt I’ll ever see him again.” Maybe if I said it enough times, put it out into the universe enough, it would eventually come true.