CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cady

 

 

 

JUDE STROLLED OVER AND kissed me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

His warm firm mouth on mine felt normal. The swift dart of his tongue between my lips thrilling. The pressure of his fingers cupping my bottom perfect. As though a morning kiss were completely part of the routine, and I held onto Jude, rising up on my toes and melting against his stronger, larger body.

I dropped everything on the floor to ring my arms around his neck.

How I’d missed his taste, his touch, his smell.

And, oh Lord, his lips.

His groin cushioned against my belly, hard and impatient.

My breasts swelled against his chest, soft and pliable.

Our tongues danced and lunged, sleek and hungry.

I only came to my senses when I heard a low whistle, definitely not from Jude as his lips were firmly locked to mine.

Jumping back, I cursed myself for being so damn stupid. The boys stood framed in the kitchen entryway, mouths agape—Dane once again with a half-eaten mouthful of Froot Loops—staring hard.

Until Luke uttered, “Duuuuude.”

“Moooooom!” Dane shouted.

“Jeeeesus.” Aiden shook his head at Jude and me.

Jude rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh. She had something in her eye.”

“Looked like something in her mouth,” Luke mumbled.

“Go finish your breakfast.” My voice held firm and stern, and the boys took one last gawking glance before ambling away.

“Look, Cady—” Jude held his hand toward me.

I hastily gathered my fallen items then backed toward the door. “Never again.”

Managing a less than graceful escape, I sat for several seconds in my car with the engine running before putting it into gear.

Work didn’t provide any relief from that fiasco of a kiss. I couldn’t concentrate. I spilled coffee on my dress. I spent the morning slamming things around, losing my temper with stubborn clients, and all the while remembering the kiss and how exciting yet familiar it felt.

The last straw came when Outlook needed updating in the middle of the day. With a frustrated screech, I stomped from my office into Joelle’s realm.

“Here we go.” Kicking her feet onto her desk and pulling a cut glass bowl of Gummy Bears toward her, Joelle settled in while I exploded.

“He kissed me this morning!”

“Jude?”

“Yes.” I stalked from one side of the room to the other. “Not only that, but I got lost in it.”

“Tsk tsk.”

“Until the boys caught us! I mean they looked at us like we were a couple of teens sneaking around on their parents. It was humiliating.”

“That bad, huh?” She smushed several Gummy Bears together then popped the bunch into her mouth.

“Oh, not the kiss. The kiss wasn’t bad at all . . . it was . . . Jude is . . .” I stuttered to a stop.

“Hot AF.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” Sighing, I slipped into a free chair. “Luke is for sure never going to let this go.”

Joelle snorted. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you’re the parent, Cady. You can basically do whatever you damn well please, and your kids don’t really have a say. Not that I’m condoning any crazy or illegal activities, but screw it. If you want to kiss Jude, go ahead and kiss that divine, divine man.”

“I do not want to kiss him.” I bit the words out then cradled my head in my hands. “What am I going to do?”

Joelle remained silent.

I blew out a deep breath. “I think it’s time I got back on the horse.”

“The Jude horse?”

“No.”

“Pity. But I can roll with that. I’ve already set your profile up on a very highly recommended hashtag gonnagityousome.”

“On what?” I shot upright.

“Dating sites on your spare phone.”

Frowning, I looked at her. “I don’t have a spare phone.”

“Yes, you do.” She opened her desk drawer and presented me with an iPhone I’d never seen in my life. “It’s your usual passcode.”

“How do you know my passcode?”

She merely arched an eyebrow at me.

“I can’t decide if you’re a genius or just evil.”

“That’s easy. I’m an evil genius of course.” She winked then gobbled a few more Gummy Bears.

Although I didn’t accept the top secret cell phone or buy into Joelle’s dating app plan, my afternoon improved.

I could probably get over Jude if I just made an effort to meet someone else—someone closer to my age—right? Preferably an older, stable, successful silver fox. Yes, a silver fox, Joelle at least would approve.

In the middle of my final meeting of the day, my busybody paralegal rapped on the conference room door then stuck her head inside.

She held out my phone, the real one.

“Who is it?”

“Jude.”

My disbelieving look meant seriously?

“You’re going to want to take this,” she insisted.

My heart leaped to my throat in an instant, fear skittering through me.

I’d barely held the phone to my ear, heard Jude say Luke, accident, and ER, before I hurried to my office to gather my purse.

I didn’t know if Joelle had rescheduled with my clients or what, but she met me at the door and pried my keys from my white-knuckled grip.

“I’ll drive. Or else you’ll be in an accident next.”

By the time we reached the emergency room, I was thoroughly shaken up. And when I saw Jude anxiously watching the door, Dane and Aiden beside him, tears welled in my eyes.

I rushed to him, Joelle at my side. My worry only ceased for a moment when she stared up at Jude, almost tittering because she was so starstruck and this was the first time she’d met him.

“Kind of a serious situation here, Joelle,” I reminded her.

“Right. ’Course. Aiden, Dane, why don’t we go raid the vending machines? Let Jude talk to your mom?” Joelle began ushering them away, and I smiled weakly.

Until Aiden muttered, “Talking’s not all he wants to do to her.”

“Aiden Andrew Dalton. I am your mother, and that is enough.” I was one taunt or joke or crisis away from snapping completely.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he said meekly.

Turning to Jude, I was a shaken mess. “How is he? What happened? He’s okay, isn’t he?”

“Hush now, darlin’.” Jude opened his arms, and I went right into them.

I felt his soothing voice vibrate against my ear.

“It’s just a broken arm. Bad tackle at football practice.”

“Just a broken arm? Just a broken arm!” I pulled back, but he locked me in his embrace.

“That’s right. Happens to lots of kids. Do you know how many bones I’ve broken? Not to mention my knee.”

“And that cost you your career.”

He chuckled softly. “Well, we don’t have to worry about that with Luke just yet, do we?”

I shook my head against his chest, gathering strength from him.

Jude was calm.

Capable.

Secure.

He provided everything I needed in that moment.

An anchor.

I relaxed with a huge breath, willing all the tension to leave my body.

“There. That’s better, darlin’.” His large palms stroked up and down my back. “I took the liberty of calling one of the orthos who worked with me after I got back to Charleston. Just to make sure everything’s set right.”

“You did?”

“Of course I did.” Leaning back, he framed my face in his hands. “I’d do anything for you.”

“Cady!” Gregory bore down on us, bellowing.

And I jumped back . . . guiltily?

“Where’s Luke? Is he all right?” Stationing himself in front of me, my ex looked frantic.

“He’s fine. He’s going to be fine.” I laid a hand on his arm.

“How do you know?” He shrugged me off. “Did you talk to the doctor yet?”

“No. But Jude said—”

“Jude said? Jude said? I don’t give a flying fuck what Jude said.” Except for a derisive glance, Gregory refused to acknowledge the other man. “Luke’s got a chance to be a star athlete, and goddammit, Cady, you let him get a broken arm?”

I blanched at his accusation.

Jude’s eyes flashed dangerously as his jaw tightened. “What would you know about professional football?”

Gregory cast a seething look at the younger and much more physically fit man. “I’ll have you know I’m president of the Wando Warriors boosters.”

Suddenly Jude appeared on the verge of snickering, and I wouldn’t blame him one bit.

But then Gregory puffed up even more, pointing at Jude. “And what the hell would you know about parenting?” Then he fired at me. “And you were at work, weren’t you? Just like always. Dammit, Cady!” He paced back and forth. “Working all the damn time, that’s how you ruined our marriage, you know that?”

Jude bristled beside me, anger rolling off him in waves.

I marched up to Greg.

“Me? I ruined it? It wasn’t because you couldn’t keep your cheating cock out of just about every woman who ever worked for you?” I accused in a low hiss.

“What about you? Are you sleeping with this boy?”

Jude stepped between my wasband and me.

He physically pushed Gregory back until he came up against the wall. “You listen up, old man. I’m not gonna lay you out like I want to because your sons are around here. But if you say one more word to disrespect Cady—if you ever talk to her that way again—I will drop you so fast and so hard you’ll forget your own goddamn name.”

I stepped around Jude in time to see Gregory’s stark face in front of Jude’s fierce one.

When Jude backed off, Gregory straightened his tie then his cuffs.

He glared at me. “I don’t want him around the boys anymore.”

“Well, that’s tough shit. Because he’s staying.” I defended Jude just like he’d defended me.