I peeked out the window, looking toward Fay’s house. It was seven; Raul had been there for close to four hours. The lights were on in the living room and when I’d taken out the trash earlier, I’d heard music coming through the open window.

I was still grinning to myself when someone knocked on the door.

Tilly came rushing down the hallway. “I’ll get it!”

“No. Hang on, Tils.” I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be Trent. I’d just given him money that afternoon. There was no reason for him to show up here.

Still, I wasn’t taking any chances and hustled past her, opening the door.

Jude stood there, looking down at me.

My heart gave an aggressive thump against the back of my ribs. “What are you doing here?”

“I told you I’d see you later.”

He had, but I didn’t think he meant it literally; that he’d show up here later, holding a pizza and a six-pack. I just assumed they were throwaway words, something you say when you part ways after a…well, an insanely hot night.

“Pizza!” Tilly cried.

“Does that mean you like pizza?” Jude asked, his lips twitching.

She grabbed his arm and tugged him inside. “It depends, are there olives on it?”

Jude screwed up his face comically. “What kind of monster do you think I am? Who would ruin perfectly good pizza like that?”

Tilly shook her head and looked pointedly at me. “Willa likes them. But she doesn’t get them anymore, not since I moved in with her.”

Jude glanced over at me. “Next time, I’ll get one with olives just for you, even if it goes against everything I believe in.”

Next time? A small smile curved my lips despite myself. I should tell him to leave. Spending time with him, letting Tilly spend time with him, was a terrible idea, but how could I ask him to leave now? He’d already bought the pizza. And Tilly was so excited to see him.

I didn’t have the heart to do it.

And maybe, though I hated to admit it, Tilly wasn’t the only Hartley girl happy to have him knock on her door.

My niece led him to the living room, and I grabbed drinks and napkins from the kitchen. When I walked in, they were trying to decide which movie to watch.

Jude sat, reached out and took my hand, tugging me down beside him, and I let him. I don’t know why, except, right then, I wanted to be there. It felt nice, normal, especially when Tilly climbed up beside me and snuggled in. After we ate, Jude dropped his arm along the back of the couch, his hand resting on my shoulder, his thumb gently sliding back and forth every now and again.

I loved it, every moment of it. I didn’t fight it, or give him attitude, or try to distance myself. It was a movie and pizza, that’s all. One night. Nothing to get all worked up about. Yeah, I’d told myself the same thing when I’d climbed into bed with him the night before.

But maybe, I could have more than one night?

Trent had his money, he wasn’t a threat—not right at this moment, anyway—and once I had enough cash saved to move away, somewhere he’d never find us, he’d never be a threat ever again. So why couldn’t I take this for myself? Have this little bit of fun. Enjoy the time I had left.

Two hours later, after the movie had finished, followed by Tilly grilling Jude about his job, and how he found the bad guys—she was in bed, and was I standing at the living room door.

What happened now?

Jude’s eyes slid from the TV to me, and he was looking at me in a way that had me feeling suddenly…shy. The look in his eyes, it was hungry, like he wanted to devour me. It was, God, so intense.

I was finding it hard to summon my courage, and the attitude I’d used to keep him at a distance, it was nowhere to be found.

I scooped the empty pizza box from the coffee table. “I’ll just go put this in the trash.” I rushed to the kitchen, needing a moment to gather myself. Being pressed up to him for the last two hours; the heat of his body, the hardness of it, I was more than a little turned on.

And if that was all it was, that intense heat between us, I’d be fine—I dumped the box on the counter and stared out the window—but it wasn’t. While I’d been tucked up beside him, I’d felt…content.

Like that was where I was meant to be. It had shaken me. Rocked me to my core.

“Willa?” Jude was suddenly behind me, his hands going to my waist, his hold firm, possessive.

A shiver moved through me, so strong my breath shuddered out between my lips. His mouth went to the side of my neck, his beard tickling, his warm lips working their way up to my ear. “I want you,” he said, voice full of grit.

I wanted him too, there was no point denying it, but I couldn’t be the one to take us there. It had to be him. He had to take the lead. The fear I felt right then, I’d run; I’d run scared if he left it up to me.

“Then take me,” I said, unable to hide the need in my voice, not caring.

He made a low sound as one of his hands slid around to my belly, fingers working, bunching up my skirt until it was up around my hips, then he slid his hand down the front of my panties.

We both groaned when he pressed a thick finger between the folds of my pussy and found how wet I was.

I covered his hand with mine and rolled my hips, holding him where I wanted him. He started working me then, while his other hand came up, covering one of my breasts, massaging, teasing, pinching my aching nipple.

Liquid heat curled in my lower belly, zaps of electricity shooting through me. Just this, his hands on me, and I was already close to coming.

“Christ, Willa. I love feeling how wet you get when I touch you. Shit, so slick and hot, all over my fingers, you’re so damn ready for my cock I can barely think straight.”

I bent at the waist and rubbed my ass against the impossibly hard ridge behind the zipper of his jeans. “I don’t want you to think,” I said. “I just want you to fuck me.”

Suddenly, I was lifted off my feet, my back still to his front, and turned toward the kitchen table.

“You want me to fuck you like this, from behind?” he said against my ear.

My inner muscles pulsed, gripping at his fingers still inside me. “Yes.”

His hand slid up my spine, and he held the back of my neck, bending me forward over the table. “Hard and fast, beautiful, is that what you want?”

“Yes, yes, please.” In that moment, I was nothing but need and hunger, desperate for what only Jude could give me.

My skirt was shoved higher and my panties torn down my legs. I watched him over my shoulder as he pressed his jeans-covered cock against my ass, holding me where I was, pinning me, as he pulled his wallet from his pocket. He took out a condom, threw the wallet on the table beside me, and with jerky movements, freed his cock and rolled on the latex.

His hand dropped to my lower back, the other fisting his big cock, and he slid through my wetness, positioning that fat head right where I wanted him.

“Hold on,” he gritted out.

My hands went to either side of the small table and I did as he asked. As soon as my fingers curled around the edge, he stared pushing inside me. He was being cautious again, starting off slow, worried he might hurt me.

I shuddered at the intrusion, the way he stretched me. There was no pain, though, only intense pleasure when he started moving.

I wanted more. “Please, Jude, harder. Fuck me harder.”

“You sure about that?” he gritted out.

“Yes,” I gasped.

Both of his hands dropped to my waist and he pulled out, then slammed in deep. I cried out again, repeating the word over and over again like a mantra.

He gave me what I wanted, deep and hard and fast, ramming that impressive cock inside me over and over again, until I couldn’t think straight. The base of his thick cock worked my swollen clit, my nipples dragging against the table with each brutal thrust. Every part of me felt alive. I was a live wire, sparking off him, lighting from the inside out.

I felt lost.

Found.

Owned.

Owned by Jude.

As soon as the thought went through my head, my orgasm rocketed though me. His body pressed into mine and he covered my mouth with his hand, like he had the first time he made me come, so my screams didn’t wake the neighborhood, and continued to slam into me from behind. It was so intensely sexy, I came even harder.

His hips pistoned, working me through it, body slapping against mine, filling me over and over again, until the last shudder, the last squeeze of my inner muscles.

Then he dropped his face to my shoulder and groaned, jerking and shaking against me with every pulse of his cock.

I was still catching my breath, when he straightened and spun me to my back, his cock still buried deep inside me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, arms around his shoulders as he lifted me off the table and carried me to my room.

His mouth found mine in the darkness, as he walked toward my bed. “Once more,” he muttered against my lips. “Need you once more before I go.”

I need you, too.

The words flew through my mind as he lay me down, pressing me into the mattress.

But not just for this, and not just for tonight.

I squeezed my eyes shut against those thoughts, shoved them from my mind. I couldn’t think like that. I needed to stop thinking like that.

Then Jude was moving inside me again, and not thinking became easy.

I planned on not thinking the rest of the night.

* * *

“Let’s go, Tilly, you’ll miss the bus.”

“Just a second!”

I stood in the open door, waiting for my niece to finish doing her hair, because she was old enough to do it herself, apparently. I was out of a job already. I’d encouraged her, of course, but secretly, my heart hurt a little. I loved brushing her hair every morning, tying it up, or braiding it.

I glanced up as she walked out, and grinned. Her ponytail was a little lopsided, but her cheeks were rosy with pride.

“What do you think?” she said.

“I think it looks beautiful…hang on, no, it looks amaaaazing,” I said, teasing her, imitating her and her new friend Amber. Everything was amaaaaazing.

Tilly rolled her eyes and I followed her out the door, listening while she chatted. I loved how happy she was. That she’d finally found a good friend and the bullying problem was over with.

That was partly thanks to Jude.

Just thinking about him sent a thrill through me. After he’d carried me to bed last night, and he had me once more like he promised, we’d both fallen asleep in a heap, sweaty and sated.

I’d woken to him talking on his phone at four in the morning. Something had come up with his job and he had to leave. He’d kissed me and told me he’d see me later. And I knew this time, he meant it. I’d see him later tonight.

I wasn’t unhappy about that. I wanted to spend more time with him.

In bed.

Just in bed.

Anything else was asking for trouble. I needed to set some ground rules. If we were going to be sleeping together, it needed to stay only that. No more dinners, or movie hangouts. No more spending time with Tilly and me, like we were something we weren’t. I didn’t want her to get her hopes up, only for them to be dashed when we moved.

The bus pulled up and I waved as she climbed on and took her seat.

Could I do that to her? Could I tear her away from the place, the people, she’d come to love? She had a best friend, she had Fay. She had a great place to live in a great neighborhood. Guilt pummeled me as I walked back to my house. But what else could I do? Leaving seemed to be my only option right now. Hiding was the only way to guarantee that Trent wouldn’t find us, wouldn’t try and take Tilly from me.

I’d just walked by Fay’s house and was at the bottom of my stairs when the door opened. I turned back to greet her, only she wasn’t looking at me; she was standing in the doorway, hair down and mussed, feet bare, wearing nothing but a faded Beatles t-shirt.

My mouth dropped open when Raul walked out. He was in the same suit as yesterday, his jacket draped over his arm. He turned to her and Fay blushed, a beautiful smile curving her lips. Even from where I was standing, I could see the way Raul sucked in a breath when he saw it. He reached for her, curling an arm around her waist, and tugged her closer, kissing her deeply goodbye.

Her hands fluttered at her sides for a moment, then she wrapped them around his neck.

That little hesitation from Fay told me this was new; she wasn’t sure how to proceed, but she wanted to, and I was so damn happy for her that tears sprung to my eyes.

While they were occupied, I quickly dashed up the stairs as quietly as I could. I wanted her to tell me when she was ready, not railroad her into it because I caught them. Not when I knew she’d need time to process it on her own first.

I’d just quietly shut the door behind me, when my phone rang.

I didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, beautiful,” Jude said, rough and sexy and gruff.

“Hey.”

“Listen, change of plans, I won’t be able to see you tonight. Van and I have to leave town for a couple of days.”

There was an extra growl to his voice. “You’re not happy about this?” I asked, trying to disguise my disappointment.

“No, I’m not fucking happy. I had plans, baby, plans I’d made for us, that I was seriously looking forward to.”

I smiled despite myself, despite my misgivings about this whole thing. “I’m sure they were excellent plans.”

“Woman, you have no idea.”

My belly heated, zaps of pleasure making me suck in a sharp breath.

“I heard that,” he said. “That little hitch. Christ, that’s hot, beautiful.”

My breathing was erratic now. “When will I see you again?” As soon as the words passed my lips, I winced. How many times had I heard Rebecca say that to Trent. My mother to my father, right after he left, and he was still taking her calls.

Evan, when we were first seeing each other, and I thought he was the only escape from my shitty life. That having a man, a good man, was my way to freedom. Only he hadn’t been a good man. He’d been a coward and a liar.

“Two…maybe three days, tops.”

My mind instantly threw up a warning. Don’t trust him. Don’t let him get too close. He’s only using you.

But I knew that wasn’t true. Jude was nothing like the men I’d known. There was no resemblance between them. So, I ignored the scared, hurt, and angry part of me that was always there, the part telling me to push him away hard and fast, and said, “Will you share the plans you had for us with me then?”

“Repeatedly,” he said, then released a long breath that was far from steady. “Fuck, this sucks.”

I chuckled at how disgruntled he sounded.

“Are you laughing at me?” he said.

“No,” I said, laughter clear in my voice.

“You are so gonna pay for that.”

A sexy shiver moved through me. “Oh?”

“Maybe that fine ass of yours needs a little spanking. Let’s see how wet that gets you before I fuck you next time.”

Christ. I squeezed my legs together. “Only one way to find out.”

Jude cursed again. “You home tonight?”

I grinned. “Yes.”

“Good, I’ll call you later to discuss this more.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

He was quiet a beat. “Promise me you’ll stay safe,” he said.

“Will do.”

I was doing the dishes a little while later, and still smiling to myself, when my phone started ringing. Maybe Jude had a moment and wanted to get started on our discussion early?

I quickly dried off my hands and answered. “Couldn’t wait, huh?”

Silence. “Is this Willa Hartley?”

It was a woman’s voice, one I didn’t recognize. “Who’s asking?”

“Sorry, this is Karen Langley from Child Protective Services. Is this a good time to talk?”

I stood as still as a statue, several long seconds ticking by, while my mind raced with a million different reasons why this woman would be calling, coming back to and rejecting the same one over and over, the one that involved Trent.

“Are you there, Ms. Hartley?”

I jolted. “Yes, ah, sorry, yes I’m here.”

“Is now a good time to talk?”

I sat at the kitchen table. “Yes, I can talk.” I wanted to hang up, to go straight to Tilly’s school, pick her up, and run. Run far away, because I knew. I just knew what she was going to say.

“As you’re probably aware, Tilly’s father was recently released from prison. He contacted us, wanting to visit with his daughter, and I hoped we could meet to discuss visitation. In situations like this, the best outcome is always getting the children back with parents if possible, and if not, at least maintaining regular contact.”

I sat there, numbly answering her questions. I wanted to tell her it wasn’t going to happen, but Trent still had rights. The fact that I had custody right now didn’t change that. She made an appointment for me to meet with her the day after tomorrow.

I tried to call Trent as soon as I disconnected, but he didn’t answer.

I hadn’t given him what he wanted, and he was using Tilly, to make sure the next time I did.