Iswiped the screen to answer the call, then put it on speaker phone. Jude might as well hear it all right from Harv because I’d tell him about it anyway.
A few minutes later I hung up. Jude put his arm around me and walked me out to the front porch where there were chairs. I sank into one, grateful when he pulled his own chair close, facing me, and took hold of my hands.
“So,” he said, dipping his head to catch my gaze. “There won’t be any videos of you taking a bath hitting the internet after all.”
I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the chair. “Thank God. I’m not sure how I would’ve handled that.”
“I’m glad that’s not a worry.”
“Me too. Now I just have to figure out who wanted to spy on me while I worked.”
We didn’t have much to go on. According to Harv, the only cameras were the three in the office ceiling. They’d been hard-wired into an electrical outlet for power and also connected to a DVR device hidden behind a panel at the bottom of the closet in the guest bedroom, directly above the office. The cable to that had been stuffed between the baseboard and carpet, making it virtually invisible unless you were looking for it.
One of Harv’s guys had done a quick inspection of the DVR. It could save a hundred hours of video before overwriting content. It could also be accessed remotely by simply tapping into the IP address. That meant the watcher could view the video live, play back saved files later, splice clips together and save them in one file, and even export selected files.
Harv also reported that there was an external hard drive attached to a USB port in the recorder, indicating that the user had indeed exported files. Reasons for doing that could be to either convert the files into a format that didn’t require a special viewer, or to simply to save them from being overwritten.
It sounded like a pretty sophisticated setup, and I was all too aware that high resolution video could be played back in super slow motion, frame by frame, which meant it was conceivable the watcher had been able to follow my work keystroke by keystroke on my monitors.
The thought made me sick, but Jude kept me focused.
“How would someone have gotten access to your house for long enough to install those cameras? Harv said they were in between the floor joists of the bedroom above the office, which means someone had to cut holes in the carpet and the subfloor. Then they had to drill those little sight holes and mount the cameras. And they had to take apart the outlet and hide the power source behind the cover, and then do the wiring to hook up the cameras to the power. Plus, they had to run the cable to the DVR, and put in that false panel in the closet. Not to mention cleaning up the sawdust and sticking the carpet patches back down so carefully you never noticed when you vacuumed.” He squeezed my hands. “It would have taken a while, I’d say four or five hours at least, and probably more than one person. Does anyone have a key to your condo?”
I shook my head. “No, both the front and back doors have keypads instead of keys. I changed the code every week, and I didn’t give it to anyone. The only exception was if I needed someone to water my plants while I went out of town. Which didn’t happen all that often.”
“Who did it for you?”
“My mom usually. Ella once or twice.”
“No one else?”
I gave it some thought. I’d been in the condo for three years, and it was hard to remember every time I’d been gone. “No. I don’t remember giving anyone access except for Mom and Ella. I had a security system, too, so anyone who got in had to know two codes.”
“Would any of your acquaintances have known about a time when your mom was taking care of the plants and come up with a reason for getting her to let them in?”
I shook my head. “Not that I know of. But even if someone got into the condo, there’s no way they could’ve breached my office. It was like a panic room, and the door had a retina scanner in addition to a code.”
“They didn’t need to get in there, though. All they needed was to get upstairs for a few hours when you were gone.”
“Oh. Yeah.” I sighed, hating the implications. “I can ask my mom if she ever gave the codes to anyone, but that means I’ll have to tell her about the cameras.”
“That might be unavoidable if we can’t think of any other way someone could’ve gotten in.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “None of your hacker friends could have patched into your keypad or security system, could they?”
“The security system maybe, but not the keypads on the doors. I had old fashioned, completely manual ones for that very reason.”
His eyes were kind and apologetic, and I knew he hated asking me all these questions. He kept going, though, because it was for my own good.
“I know it’s hard to think about this, but is there anyone you associate with who you don’t completely trust? Anyone at all?”
As soon as he asked, my mind went straight to Ian. I hated that, because we’d been friends and colleagues for so long. True, things had changed after we tried dating, but still, he would have never spied on me—I mean, why would he? If he wanted to know what I was working on, all he had to do was ask. We all regularly shared our breakthroughs and progress with each other, in the interests of doing the best job we could possibly do for our clients. That collaboration was key to helping us win more contracts.
I didn’t answer, and Jude told me to keep thinking about that. Then he raised another good point. “I wonder why whoever it was didn’t remove the cameras and other stuff when they found out you were moving. Maybe they simply couldn’t figure out a way to get back inside.”
“Or they didn’t know I was moving,” I replied. “My family and a couple of friends were the only ones I told. And those friends would have had absolutely no reason to spy on my work.”
“Your team of super-secret geek hackers didn’t know?” Jude asked, trying to make me smile with his description.
His teasing felt good. Made things feel a little less crazy.
I gave him the smile he wanted. “No. I didn’t tell any of them until a few days before I drove here. Before that they knew I was going to be taking a week off work, but not why. We’re mostly all business, you know?” I frowned, thinking of Ian again. “At least, that’s how I’ve tried to keep it. It’s way better not to get personally involved.”
He raised a brow. “Are you speaking from experience?”
I chewed my bottom lip for a moment. “I guess I am,” I said reluctantly. “There’s this one guy, Ian. He’s the one who put the team together, and he’s still ultimately the one in charge. I’ve known him since I was in high school, although we never actually met face-to-face until he hired me three years ago.”
“So….you met online or something?”
I nodded. “In hacker forums.”
Jude grinned, and I could tell he was thinking about my geekiness again.
“Anyway,” I continued, “he and his girlfriend, Abigail, live about an hour from my condo. The rest of the team is scattered around. Two are in Kansas, they’re cousins, one is in New York, and one in Maine.”
“Abigail is part of the team?”
“Yeah. That’s how she and Ian met.”
“Tell me more about Ian.”
I cleared my throat self-consciously. “About two years ago, before he and Abigail got involved, Ian started asking me out. I guess somewhere along the line he developed a personal interest and he was determined to pursue it.”
“You didn’t want it?” Jude asked.
“No, but he was really persuasive. I eventually gave in and we had some dates and hung out for a few weeks, but it just wasn’t there for me. Aside from the hacking hive mind, we’re not at all compatible.”
“Could he be the one behind the cameras?”
I thought about it again, and Jude waited patiently, his fingers warm around mine. Finally, I shook my head.
“If the cameras had been all through the house, then yeah, I might suspect Ian. His pride was really hurt when I told him I didn’t see him as more than a colleague, and he kept after me for a long time. Apparently, most girls in our circles find him irresistible, and he wasn’t happy that I didn’t.”
“He sounds like a prime suspect to me,” Jude said, his voice hard.
“I’d agree, if there were a lot more cameras. I can see him getting some kind of perverse satisfaction out of watching me in my home when I was completely clueless. But surveilling my office?” I shook my head again. “I can’t think of any reason why he’d do that. He always knows what I’m working on, and I’ve never given him any reason to think I was going rogue or anything. And he’s better at what we do than I am. He doesn’t need to spy on my work to get some kind of professional edge.”
Jude gave my hands a final squeeze, then let go and sat back in his chair. “Okay, so how urgent is the situation, Ava? What’s next? Do we need to bring in some kind of law enforcement?”
My head was throbbing by now, but I knew I had to give that careful consideration. Was it an urgent situation requiring a call to the cops? I didn’t think so. Installing hidden cameras in someone’s house is no doubt a crime, but the damage had already been done. Would it do any good to involve the police now, or would it only cause a lot of hassle I didn’t want to deal with?
“Experienced forensic guys might be able to tap into the DVR device and track down who did it,” Jude said.
I pressed my fingertips against my temples, the ache building. “They couldn’t do anything I can’t. If the person can be traced through that equipment, I can do it myself.”
“Okay, but if Harv removes everything and you start working on it independently, it’ll be harder to bring the cops in later, if you decide you want to. They won’t like not being able to see the original setup for themselves.”
“I know. I honestly don’t think this needs to be a law enforcement situation, though. I don’t want that.”
“I understand, but whoever was spying on you should have to pay. It’s a crime.”
I knew that too, but I still didn’t want to bring anyone else in. “I’d rather wait until I can get my hands on that DVR,” I said firmly. “Once I see what’s on it, if anything, I’ll decide the next step.”
His eyes bored into mine. “What if this person looks for another way to get at you now that you’ve moved?”
“I’ll be okay,” I said, trying to sound confident because I didn’t want to even think about that. “I’m safe in Hidden Creek. Let me get a look at the DVR tomorrow, then we’ll decide what’s next. Okay?”
I think he realized I was done talking about it. I had to be, or I was going to lose the battle for control of my emotions.
His gaze softened as he nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll help you however I can. You know that, right?”
I could tell he meant it, but it felt like too much to ask of a brand-new friend. “Maybe you should rethink that,” I said, hoping he didn’t listen. “This is a pretty crappy situation to get caught up in on our first date.” I gave him a sad smile. “There’s still time to escape.”
His grin was slow and easy. “Now that wouldn’t be very neighborly, would it?”
I looked down because he was just too potent—he made me feel too much. I smoothed my dress over my thighs and cleared my throat. “You’re not actually my neighbor. You’re just staying with my neighbors.”
“Well, sure, if you want to get technical about it. Doesn’t matter, though. I’m not going to bail on you.”
I was all kinds of relieved to hear that, but I felt the need to warn him one more time. “If they stole my work, I could end up unemployed. An outcast in the hacking world. A geek without a community.”
Jude’s chuckle brought a little bit of warmth back to my insides. “I can’t imagine your team will abandon you,” he said. “And they shouldn’t blame you, either. I mean, who checks for hidden spy cams in their house, anyway?”
“I’m sure some people do. I know I will from now on.”
He grunted. “I think it’s safe to say we’ll both be a little paranoid about that from now on.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and his hands clasped between them. “You’re sure there’s nothing we can do now? Before your stuff gets here?”
“Nothing but fret about it,” I said on a sigh.
“Hmm. Fretting’s not good.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then stood and held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll find something to take your mind off things.”
“You don’t have to,” I told him hastily, regretting all over again that such a perfect afternoon had been interrupted by my issues. “Really. You can just take me home.”
He wiggled his fingers. “Come, Ava. I already know where we’re going.”
I hesitated for a second longer, then took his hand. He locked the front door of the house and helped me up into his truck. As we drove back down the mountain, I was quiet. Jude probably thought I was dwelling on the camera stuff, but I wasn’t. I was thinking about him.
Now that I’d seen how strong and supportive he could be in a stressful situation, I knew it would be all too easy to grow to depend on him too much. To get used to him being around every day. Once he moved back here, though, to his beautiful house, it wouldn’t be nearly as easy to get together. Would he even want to make the effort?
He’d already told me he worked a lot of hours and that he liked staying home in the evenings. What were the chances he’d want to add frequent drives to Hidden Creek to his routine? Or even have me make the drive here to invade his quiet evenings?
I had to prepare myself. When I was no longer the girl next door, Jude might no longer be interested.
That thought gave me a sinking feeling. Everything in me wanted to keep spending time with this man. He was completely different from the guys I’d dated in the past. Way more interesting and confident. Way sweeter and funnier. Way more handsome. Bigger and stronger—the list was never ending. I’d never experienced an attraction like this, not even close, and I desperately wanted to see where it led.
It might be selfish, but I didn’t want Jude to move home and get back to his regular life. I wanted him to stay in mine.
***
As it turned out, the town of Mountain View had a thing called Summer Sunday Music in the Park, and that’s where Jude took me. We walked hand in hand from his truck to the park grounds, where a crowd of what looked like a few hundred people were being treated to the music of a talented bluegrass band.
Most of the people had taken up residence in the large expanse of grass in front of the open-air stage, comfortably lounging on blankets or perched in lawn chairs, heads bobbing and feet tapping to the tunes. Others were wandering through the park, enjoying the beautiful late afternoon weather, many with dogs and kids. Quite a number were standing in line at a variety of food trucks which were selling everything from barbecue and tacos to elephant ear pastries.
Jude couldn’t have chosen a more perfect activity to distract me from my problems. The music was lively and fun, the people-watching was entertaining, and the elephant ear he bought me, topped with lots of cinnamon and sugar, was divine.
While I ate, savoring each bite, we sat on a bench on the edge of a large man-made pond, complete with fountains and ducks. Jude kept me entertained with stories about things he and Chase had gotten into as kids, and when I realized my cheeks were getting sore from smiling, I was overwhelmed by a sense of intense gratitude.
I swallowed the last bite of my pastry and stood up. When he joined me, I slid an arm around his waist and pressed my face into his shoulder.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
He knew I wasn’t thanking him for the elephant ear. His arm came around my shoulders and pulled me closer, until his chin was resting on the top of my head. “It’s gonna be okay,” he murmured. “We’ll figure it out.”
It should have sounded strange to hear the “we” in his statement, considering I’d known him for such a short time. It didn’t, though. It sounded right and welcome. It also made me hopeful that he was feeling at least a little bit of what I was.
We stayed at the park until the band started packing up. For the last hour we relaxed on a blanket Jude had retrieved from the back seat of his truck. We’d alternated between talking and listening to the music. Part of the conversation was about our college years, and he seemed genuinely impressed that I’d played volleyball at the collegiate level, even though my school was Division III.
Then he had the idea of me running a volleyball clinic at the youth center where he volunteered. They had regular basketball and indoor soccer games already, and he thought volleyball would be a good addition. He promised to round up a net and balls if I agreed to give it a shot.
That sounded like a ton of fun, so I told him of course I would. He promised to talk to the woman who ran the center and have her set it up. I hoped he’d be volunteering at the same time as my clinic. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in action on the basketball court.
As the crowd started moving toward the parking lot, we got up and he folded the blanket.
“I think I like small-town life,” I said as we ambled back toward where he’d parked the truck.
“I’m sure you had parks in DC.”
“Lots of them, and there were concerts and things all the time. But parking was always awful, and the vibe wasn’t the same. Here there’s a sense of community—people actually know each other.” I smiled up at him. “At least a dozen people stopped you to say hello. I like that.”
He chuckled. “I can guarantee that this community is wondering about you right now. I don’t come to Music in the Park very often, and I’ve never brought a girl.”
He’d introduced me to everyone as “his friend Ava”, but they’d probably assumed I was his girlfriend. I wished it was true. I was crazy about him—more so with each minute that passed. It was wonderful and scary.
I shrugged off the ongoing fear that his interest would wane when he moved back here.
“I’m glad you brought me. It was exactly what I needed.”
“I thought it might be.”
We stopped at his truck and he grabbed the handle of my door, but before he could open it, I put my hand over his.
“I’m also glad I was with you when I got that call. If I would’ve been home alone, I’d probably still be huddled in a corner crying. You kept me from overreacting and made me see that even though it really, really sucks, it’s not the end of the world. Thank you for that. And if you think about it, say a prayer or two. That’s probably what I need most right now.”
His eyes moved over my face before holding steady on mine. “I’ve been praying for you every day since we met, Ava,” he said softly.
My heart turned over. There was so much I wanted to say to him, but I held back. It was too soon.
“Thanks,” I whispered, leaving it at that. Then I stepped back so he could open the door.
We talked some on the way back to Hidden Creek, but for the most part we just watched the passing scenery in comfortable silence. It was a beautiful evening, and I didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want reality to intrude in the form of a Monday morning with a truck full of expensive computer equipment that would beckon me back to work—not to mention a confiscated DVR that needed to be investigated.
When he pulled into my drive I looked at him hopefully. “Do you want to come in? There’s a lot of ice cream left from yesterday. We could eat it out on the deck and enjoy this beautiful weather a little while longer.”
He gave me a sideways glance, his eyes glinting. “Are you sure you want to share it with me? Because you sure didn’t part with much of that elephant ear.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey, I told you you should probably get your own. You’re lucky I gave you those three bites.”
He chuckled and got out of the truck, and I was pretty sure I had my answer about whether he wanted to come in. Sure enough, he walked me up to the door and followed me inside. A few minutes later we each had a bowl of ice cream and were settled at the table outside. It was a little rusty and rickety, but I’d given it a good washing and it would do until I had time to find a whole new patio set.
Jude insisted we look at the security doors he’d picked out so he could get one ordered. I didn’t argue. With everything else that was going on, it seemed the prudent thing to do.
We put our heads together once again, bent over the table as he pointed out the pros and cons of the three doors he’d picked out. We agreed on one pretty quickly, and he promised to get a rush put on it. He also said he’d already talked to Chase about helping with the installation and that was a go.
“I didn’t tell him anything more than I had to. Just that you do some government work and have to take precautions.”
“Thanks, but I’m actually okay with him and Hannah knowing as much as I’ve told you. I don’t want them to wonder what I’m up to over here.”
“You can trust them,” he assured me. “They’re two of the best people I’ve ever met.” He smiled fondly. “I’m really pumped about them having a kid. I wish they’d tell me already so we could celebrate.”
I winced. “Are you going to confess that you’ve already known for a while?”
“Eventually, but not right away. I want them to think I was surprised.”
We finished our ice cream and went back inside, putting our dishes in the sink.
He leaned back against the counter, his hands gripping the edge on either side of him. “I should go,” he said, sounding regretful. “I have a couple hours of paperwork I need to get done before I can call it a day. Some stuff I didn’t get finished on Friday.”
“Okay.” I looked down at the floor and slid the toe of my sandal along a grout line. “Thanks again for taking so much time for me today. You really were a life saver.”
“I don’t want you to start dwelling on those cameras the minute I walk out the door, Ava,” he said softly. “Worrying won’t solve anything. I know it’s hard, but you need to try to let it go until tomorrow when Harv gets here.” He reached out and wound a strand of my hair around his finger. “If you’re over here worrying, I’m going to be over there worrying, and then neither of us will get any sleep.”
I swallowed hard then managed a smile, very aware of him and very much wishing he’d hold me the way he had at his house. “I’ll do my best to put it out of my head,” I promised him. “I want us both to be able to sleep.”
I looked up at him just in time to see a muscle jerk in his jaw. My pulse rate immediately rocketed up and I suddenly knew he wanted to kiss me—maybe as bad as I wanted him to. I held my breath and waited, hoping he wouldn’t talk himself out of it again.
He let go of my hair and slid his hand down my arm. “Maybe having something else to think about would help,” he suggested, his eyes burning into mine.
I took a half-step toward him. I didn’t give it conscious thought before I did it, I just wanted to be closer to him. And oh yes, I desperately wanted something else to think about.
He brought his hands up to curve around my neck, running his thumbs along my jaw. I timidly hooked my hands around his biceps, wondering if it was okay for a good, Christian girl to want a kiss this badly. I hoped so, because I couldn’t help it.
“You’re shaking,” he whispered.
I nodded. Because I want this. I need this. And I’m afraid you’ll change your mind.
His thumbs stilled and my heart pounded in my ears as he slowly lowered his head until his lips were on mine, light and not moving, just pressed there for the moment, as if he was savoring this first touch as much as I was.
“So sweet,” he said, lifting his head only slightly. He kissed me again, another light touch. This time when he raised his head, his eyes were a deep, smoldering blue. “This might backfire on us, Ava,” he muttered, his gaze roaming my face as one hand slid through my hair to cradle the back of my head. “This is gonna cause just as much lost sleep as worrying about you.”
And then his mouth was on mine again. Harder this time. Exploring. Tasting. Testing how much I wanted to give.
Oh, I wanted to give….I wanted to give a lot. I was filled all the way up with emotion and sensation, every nerve ending alive and wanting. I felt like I’d never been kissed before. I’d gone through the motions, but I’d never known what it could be like. That it could be like this.
I pushed up onto my toes and held tighter to his arms, increasing the pressure of our lips, catching my breath when he changed the angle to go deeper.
Oh. Wow. Jude. He kissed me slow and deep and sweet.
It was a revelation to me—this all-consuming desire. I would never go back on my vow to stay pure for my husband, not even for Jude. But for the first time, I knew what it was like to be truly tempted.
When he finally eased away, I had to work to get my eyes to open. I knew I looked as dazed as I felt, but there was no help for it. The man had conquered me.
He drew in a long breath through his nose and let it out slowly. “You okay?” he asked quietly, his hands settling on my shoulders, thumbs in the hollows of my collarbone.
I nodded mutely and shivered.
“You sure?”
I worked my swollen lips into a smile then slid my arms around his waist and dropped my forehead against his chest. His arms came around to hold me securely against him.
“You’re a little overwhelming, Jude,” I said against his shirt. “You make me feel like I’ve never been kissed before.”
“Same,” he said, bringing one hand up to the back of my head, his fingers moving lazily back and forth across my scalp.
I gave a little huff of laughter. “I doubt you even remember your first kiss.”
“Of course I do,” he said, tugging my hair gently until my face was turned up to his. His blue gaze was intense. “It wasn’t near as good as my last one, though.”
I blinked up at him and used his word. “Same.”
That intense gaze moved to my mouth and my heart started pounding again, but then he closed his eyes briefly and loosened his arms. A slight smile curved the lips whose feel I now knew—and wanted to know again. A thousand more times. Ten thousand.
“I have to go, Ava.”
I nodded. “I know. Paperwork.”
“Yeah, but I also need to spend some serious time on my knees,” he said, his smile turning wry. “I need to beg the good Lord for the strength to resist my beautiful neighbor.”
He stepped away from me and I clasped my hands tightly. “You want to resist me?” I asked worriedly.
He shook his head slowly. “Not entirely. But I need to resist the temptation to take things further than I should. I don’t want any regrets to get in the way of what we’re building here.”
I let the sweetness of his words sink in for a moment. Jude Keller wanted to build something. With me.
I bit my lip so I didn’t smile too big. “I’m down with that,” I said, knowing my eyes were sparkling, giving away just how much I was down with it.
For a second I thought he was going to kiss me again, and there was little doubt I would let him. He took a step back instead, and I tried to be grateful for his self-control. I did notice he shoved his hands firmly in his pockets, and I hoped that meant it wasn’t easy for him.
“Let’s talk about tomorrow,” he said abruptly, taking me aback with his swift change of subject. “I have a walk-through of the office complex we’re building at four-thirty. It’s with one of the owners, and I need it to happen because he has to make some decisions before we start the next phase. Unfortunately, that means I won’t get back here until close to seven, which I hate. If it wasn’t for that meeting, I’d take off after lunch and be here when your truck comes.”
I smiled because he was as sweet as he was handsome. “I’ll be fine, Jude. Really. Besides, the truck will be here early, like ten o’clock-ish.”
“And the movers will carry everything upstairs for you?”
“Yep. They’ll carry it up and assemble whatever I want them to. I’ll have them put my vertical racks together and load the servers and switches on them, but I’ll do all the cabling and configuring myself.” I smiled teasingly. “Too bad you can’t be here for that. You’d no doubt find it fascinating.”
He wasn’t fazed by my sarcastic tone. “Actually, I probably would. But I was mostly hoping to be with you when you take a look at the cameras and DVR.”
“Moral support?” I asked softly, moved by his thoughtfulness.
“Mm-hmm. You gonna be okay checking things out alone?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll take a look as soon as Harv gets here. If there’s anything there, I’ll find it. But to tell you the truth, I’m not optimistic. If someone was smart enough to install all that stuff right under my nose, they were smart enough to wipe the drives clean once they tuned in and saw my office was being taken apart.”
He dipped his head, his eyes searching mine. He was obviously still uncertain about leaving me alone.
“I’m fine,” I insisted before he could question me further. “The shock is wearing off and I just want to get past it. I’ll go through the DVR and the external drive, and if I find any signs of classified information being compromised, I’ll contact my team right away.” Please, God, let that not be the case.
“And if you don’t find anything?” he asked.
I shrugged uneasily. “I’m not sure. A blank drive doesn’t mean I wasn’t compromised. I might still have to talk to the team about it. See what they want to do. I’ll see what I find tomorrow, then figure it out.”
He looked at me for a few more seconds, then gave a resigned nod. “Okay. I’ll get going then. Please promise to call me if you need anything.”
“I will. I promise.”
I walked him to the front door. He stepped out onto the porch, then turned back to where I waited in the doorway.
“I enjoyed today, Ava,” he said quietly. “I hate that you got such rotten news, but other than that, it was a good day.”
“I enjoyed it, too. And I love your beautiful house.” I folded my arms and gave him a sly smile. “I’m not in any hurry for you to move back there, but I do love it.”
His eyes caught the glow from the porch light. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”
I nodded, hoping his interest wouldn’t have waned by then. “Whatever you say.”
He chuckled. “I say it’s time for me to go, or we’re in trouble. I’ll come over as soon as I get back tomorrow.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Upstairs in your lair?” he teased.
I couldn’t hold back an eager smile. “Wait till you see my lair full of stuff. I’ll be in total nerd mode, which might be a huge turnoff to you, but oh well. You’ll have to see that side of me sometime.”
His eyes moved over my face once again and I held my breath. Go for it. Please, go for it.
He stayed put. “I look forward to nerd mode,” he said with the smile that drove me crazy. “See you tomorrow.”
I covered my disappointment. “Good night.”
I watched him get in his truck and drive 150 feet over to the Owens’ drive. When he was inside the house, I shut the door softly….then closed my eyes and relived his kiss.
The feel of his smooth, firm lips on mine. The warmth of his hands on my neck and his big, powerful body so close to mine. How incredible he smelled. How incredible he kissed.
After a few minutes of that, my legs were almost too weak to get me upstairs.
I changed into an oversized T-shirt that I frequently slept in, then washed my face and brushed my teeth before falling into bed.
What a day. Even though finding out about the cameras was one of the most traumatic things to ever happen to me, that wasn’t what I was thinking about as my eyes grew heavy. Which was exactly what Jude had intended.
He’d done well. I just hoped his mission to distract me wasn’t the only reason for the kissing.
I yawned and wiggled deeper into my pillow, wondering if he was really on his knees praying about us. It was a comforting thought, and pretty soon I rolled over and did some praying of my own. I went through my usual prayer list, along with asking for wisdom and courage to face the next day….and the DVR that would be delivered.
But most of all, I thanked God yet again for bringing me to Hidden Creek and putting me right next door to Jude Keller.