A loud knock woke us up the next morning.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes as Jude groaned, rolling to his side. We were in his bed, completely naked beneath the sheets.

The knocking happened again and Jude pushed out of the bed, going for his pants that were on the floor, and sliding into them.

“Open the goddamn door, Jude!” the voice yelled from the other side and my eyes stretched wide.

Shit! Michaela!

“How did she find you?” I asked hurriedly. I hopped out of bed and picked up one of Jude’s dress shirts, sliding my arms into it and buttoning it quickly.

“My mother knows what hotel I stay at when I come here,” he grumbled as he peered through the peephole. He sighed and looked over his shoulder at me just as I was about to dip off and slink into my room to hide.

“No, Jenna.” He shook his head. “Stay.”

“But she’ll—”

“I don’t give a damn what she does,” he said, voice still thick and deep with sleep. “I’m not hiding you anymore.”

It was a bad idea and I knew it, but I swallowed hard and nodded anyway. I sat in the recliner and when Jude opened the door, I practically held my breath.

Michaela came waltzing in like she owned the place, wearing a pink sweater, jeans, and red-bottomed heels. “Please tell me your mother is lying,” she hissed at him. “Please tell me this is some kind of sick, twisted—”

She was about to go on a rampage with him, but then her eyes went over his shoulder and she spotted me. I sat up a little higher, pressing my lips together.

Michaela scoffed, taking a step to the left to get a better look at me. She must have realized I was in his shirt because her head shook, and she shut her eyes for a brief moment and throwing her hands in front her before focusing on him again.

“I want her gone.” She faced him. “I want her fired immediately.”

“You can’t tell me who to fire, Michaela.”

“If we are to be married then yes, I can.”

“But we aren’t.” Jude quirked a brow. I noticed he was still holding the door open. “Let’s make something clear, Michaela. I don’t love you—hell, I hardly even like you. Whatever my parents arranged with your parents is between them, but I’m sure it will be over soon.”

“How?” she barked. “You need me—”

Jude’s chuckle stopped her from talking. “Wrong. I don’t need you at all. I never have. My parents may rely on your family’s bullshit, but I don’t. I don’t need it and I don’t need you. I’m a businessman, which means it is my job to find other ways to keep myself afloat, other than having to rely on marrying a woman I literally despise.”

Michaela was shocked. Tongue-tied.

“You won’t show up at my office anymore. You won’t call, or text me, or tell me what to do because you think you own me. Your family thinks I’m their pet—their dog—but they’re wrong in that aspect. See, my parents may go and fetch their little bones and wag their tails when they call, but I won’t. I’m the fucking owner and no one will have a claim over me.”

Wow. I had never heard Jude talk this way to her. And better yet, I had never seen Michaela at such a loss for words.

“You can leave now,” Jude told her, looking out the door.

She let out a short, dry laugh, staring at him as if she had more to say, but couldn’t find the right words. Then she looked back at me, shaking her head.

“Slut,” she spat, and then she stormed out of the door. The door that Jude had no problem slamming behind her.

Jude sighed, coming toward me. He pulled me to a stand and then cupped my face in his large hands. “She’s the slut,” he chuckled, and I laughed, dropping my gaze.

“Did I ruin things?” I asked softly.

“No.” He kissed me on the lips. A full, warm, slightly damp kiss that made heat swim to my core. “You made things better, baby.” He picked me up in his arms, taking long strides to get back to the bed. “Today is Sunday.” He smirked, looking at me with mellow eyes.

I laughed and he kissed my lips first, then kissed his way down. “My favorite day of the week.”

* * *

I flew back home with Jude the next morning. His mom wanted him to meet her for breakfast but he told her he had things to catch up on. He knew all she was going to do was talk him back into being with Michaela and he wasn’t in the mood for it.

Christmas was coming, which meant that our hours were going to be shorter in the office. I had to catch up on some work by that upcoming Wednesday and then the rest of the week would be mine.

Jude drove me to my apartment when we landed. I wanted to talk to him a little more about Saturday night, but I also didn’t want to ruin the moment. One of our hands were clasped together as he drove with his left hand on the steering wheel, and I couldn’t help the smile that swept over me every few seconds.

He was holding my hand.

He was driving me home.

Maybe he did love me.

Jude had to meet with someone for dinner, so I spent that night alone, but of course I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I told Carrie all about my misadventure when she got home and she devoured every single word. She couldn’t believe he’d stood up for me—that he’d actually kissed me and wanted more.

I couldn’t believe it either.

The next morning, I was on my way to work early.

I needed to see him. He’d sent me a text last night and told me he’d be in the office in the morning, which meant I had to be patient. I could only be patient for so long. I got to the Clement building around 7:00 a.m. and took the elevator up with a smile, eager to see him.

But as soon as I walked through the doors, my smile immediately collapsed.

Mrs. Clement and Janelle were standing in Jude’s office, and as soon as they heard the elevator chime, they looked back at me.

It was clear they were not happy to see me.