CHAPTER SIX

Jude

 

 

 

“ARE YOU WORKIN’ TODAY or what, Raleigh?” That was Jay Turner, my old coach, busting my ass on the sidelines at the Patriot’s Point fields just like the good ol’ days.

He still worked at Wando High School, but he volunteered for the intramural thing too, just for the fuck of it. Coach was the most dedicated man I’d ever met. So when I’d come home to Chucktown after a career-ending injury—my confidence blown along with my ACL—he wouldn’t let me quit on life either.

He was pretty much the man who fought for me to make it as a pro athlete. Got me seen by all the right schools, and after a stellar run with the Clemson Tigers, I’d been drafted by Jacksonville in the first round—Carolina Crush losing out during draft pick.

“Yeah. I’m working. Working for Cady Dalton, like you asked.”

“Oh yeah.” He gave me a sidelong glance. “How’s that going?”

“You didn’t tell me it was Cady Dalton.”

Coach lifted the bill of his baseball cap and scratched his forehead. “I sure as hell did.”

Well, he was right. Except Cady turned out to be Catherine. My Catherine. Now Cady. I reckoned she wouldn’t want anyone knowing anything about her moonlighting as a sexpot in a hotel room with me once a week.

“You’re right. Never mind.” I folded my arms over my chest. “It’s going great.”

“Good distraction?” Coach Jay was such a close friend he was one of the only folks who knew about my dad and what we were going through.

“You could say that.”

Jay—the big bear of a man at six foot five—squinted at me with his I’m intrigued look, but he said nothing else.

As Luke’s game got underway, I found myself surrounded by soccer moms, or, I guessed, football moms. But I was used to the flirting by now. Women recognized me, and maybe they just wanted a little playtime. I kept it light and casual because the only MILF I was interested in was Cady.

Man oh man, was I ever interested in her.

And I was really liking all the new shit I’d found out about her. That Dane sure was a talker. One might even say an over-sharer. Luke was also pretty damn loose-lipped. According to those two, Mom didn’t date. Little did they know about the Thursday night trysts. Their folks had split a year and a half ago and been officially divorced for a year. Cady liked flowers, she only wore one brand of perfume—the scent I still hadn’t figured out yet—and she spent most weekends at home, playing board games and swimming in the pool with the kids. Aiden alone, after he got over being starstruck by my former NFL status, had clammed up. Maybe because everyone but his mother knew about the fapping.

Oh yeah. Working for Cady Dalton was gonna be all kinds of fascinating, and I couldn’t believe my good luck turning up on her doorstep the way I had.

Divorce lawyer made sense. I’d already known she was smart as shit. And her house in the heart of Charleston’s historic peninsula was swank. Not as big as the one I’d had in Florida, and she probably didn’t have the kind of financial portfolio I did. My dad had taught me to make good investments and save for any eventuality because anything could happen in the blink of an eye . . . or during a really violent pro-ball tackle.

I’d found that out the hard way.

Cady’s crew all attended Porter-Gaud, which made me feel like I’d been slumming it at Wando in Mount Pleasant. No wonder Luke had a bad habit of getting detentions, the wily kid should never be seen in the requisite private school tie and khaki slacks uniform combo. Just wrong.

Tonight was Luke’s game. I’d safely deposited Dane and Aiden at their practices—after learning Dane was also on his school’s chess team while Aiden played bass guitar in the jazz band. And now I was here to cheer on the Firestarter.

From the very start, Luke impressed me on the field. The kid had grit-and-no-quit as a fledgling defensive linesman, despite his rangy build.

And the Cougar Brigade roamed closer to me as I cheered Luke on:

“Is he yours?” one of the women asked me.

I didn’t have to answer because a blonde cut in. “He can’t be. Don’t you know who Jude Rally Raleigh is?”

Then came the woman in super-tight lycra all over. “Wow. Jude Raleigh. I think you went to Wando with my little sister, Julie Giles?”

I sort of shrugged and stepped away, but the trio was tenacious. One of them even had the balls to accidentally bump into me, brushing her hand across the seat of my jeans.

They were so forward, their advances left a bad taste in my mouth, and I hadn’t even done anything to encourage them. Just my luck Cady showed at the exact moment Tight Lycra pretended to be celebrating something on the field by grabbing my arm and squeezing it against her spandex-bound breasts.

Cady had put in a full day at the office. Had to be tired after such an early start to the day. Yet she still wore the sleek stilettoes and strutted like she owned it, and her hair was once again perfectly in place.

My God.

She was beautiful. Just one look at her, and my body heated up. I couldn’t help remembering just last night when she’d slinked down to her knees and begged for my cock in her mouth. Or how she’d ridden me with sexy teasing rolls of her hips.

I wanted to open my arms to her, kiss her hello, tangle my fingers in her hair and pull the auburn tresses free so I could bury my face in it.

As she approached, she flashed me a brilliant smile, which I found immediately suspicious. But hell, I’d take it.

I grinned right back at her. “Hey, darlin’.”

And alllll the cougars fled, leaving Cady humming in satisfaction.

Huh. Was my delicious woman jealous?

She gave no more indication that she wanted to scratch the MILFs’ eyes out, but as soon as they departed, so did her bright smile.

“Any incidents today?” she interrogated me.

“No fires. No fapping. No new freaky facts from Dane.”

“Stop with the fapping!” she hissed.

“I don’t do it myself. Save it all for you.”

A pink blush swept across her cheeks, and she pressed a finger against my mouth to silence me.

I kissed her fingertip then circled her wrist in my hand. “What about you? Any jilling?”

She yanked her hand away. “What?”

“What it’s called for girls.”

“I’m not a girl.”

“I’m well aware.”

“I . . . no.”

“No? Never? I guess we still have a lot to explore.” My voice dropped and became huskier. “I’d like to see you, so nice and juicy, slipping a single finger into your hot pink cunt.”

Cady’s eyelids fluttered down, and her breath hitched.

Just then I spotted Coach Jay approaching. I gave Cady a reprieve, moving just a bit farther away from her. Jay was no fool though, and even as he greeted her familiarly, he managed to shoot a look at me that I understood to mean interesting and interesting-er.

“How’s this kid workin’ out for ya?”

Great. Just what I needed. Coach reminding Cady of our age difference.

“Well, I’d expected you to send a cheerleader or an older sister or something. Not . . . this.” She flapped her hand in my direction.

I grunted, staring at the game in progress in front of us while those two annihilated my character.

Coach chuckled. “Aw. Jude ain’t all that bad.”

And thanks for the vote of confidence.

Suddenly Luke made a winning sack that ended the friendly game, and I pumped my fist into the air, bellowing, “Yeah. Pancake him, son!”

Cady smiled, shaking her head.

“Love the game, babe. Love the game.”

Coach ambled away after a back slap, and Luke loped over as Dane and Aiden joined us fresh from their practices.

All three started chanting, “Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!”

“Um, we usually grab a pizza after a game,” Cady mentioned.

“Are you inviting me to tag along?”

No answer forthcoming, which I took as a solid yes. “Who wants to ride with me?”

All the boys clamored to ride along with me. Hey, at least somebody liked me, right?

****

At the pizza place, I’d already commandeered a table by the time Cady arrived. The boys started begging her for money to play the arcade games in one corner of the restaurant, but all she said to them was, “Where’s your allowance?”

“Aww, Mooooom.”

She stared them down.

Aiden stepped up. “Fine. We’ll pay you back when we get home?”

Apparently Cady decided that was a fair trade, because she handed them five bucks each. And they whooped away to the games.

“Damn, you’re a hard ass.” She impressed me more and more.

“I have to be with three of them.”

“What about their dad?”

“Oh him? He’s a lying, cheating scoundrel.”

“Fucking idiot,” I muttered.

“He’s a pretty decent father though,” she added.

“Still. He’s gotta be a dumbass to screw around on you.” I reached across to snag her hand in mine, but she quickly recoiled.

I didn’t miss another blush painting her cheeks though.

A waiter interrupted us to take our orders, which Cady placed before I could get a word in edgewise. She included a bottle of my usual brand of beer though.

After the drinks arrived, she glanced at me, then away, then fiddled with her hair. “Did, um, the boys finish their homework and everything?”

I couldn’t believe it. Cady Dalton was nervous?

“Yes, ma’am.” I took a sip from my nice cold beer to hide my grin.

Then the Supreme Queen of Cool kicked me in the shin under the table with her sharp-tipped gold-heeled stiletto.

I stifled a grunt.

She looked immediately apologetic, lips pursed together.

I texted her:

Keep that up darlin & I’ll lay you out flat on the floor in your house

Her phone chimed.

She looked at it.

Her face flushed.

I texted her again:

Or I’m thinking about that kitchen island of yours with your legs spread wide so I can taste you the way I wanna

Her hand fluttered to her breast before she turned a murderous glare on me. “I’m deleting that.”

“Well, as long as you remember it.”

As soon as the pizza and wings arrived, the boys descended like a pack of hungry wolves. The food was demolished down to the last crumb in record-breaking time. Cady alone still nibbled on her single slice and drank from her single glass of wine.

I got up to take care of the check when the boys started getting rowdy, and Cady quickly whipped out her wallet. “I’ve got it.”

“I don’t think so.” I pressed her money back at her.

In the parking lot, she hung by my old Toyota Land Cruiser while Dane and Aiden argued about who got shotgun in her car. “Jude, do you have time to stop back at the house? I think there are some things we need to discuss if you’re serious about this.”

“I’m all yours, whenever you need me.” I sailed her a wink that was bound to set her blood boiling.

****

She met me on her porch, the boys safely inside, front door shut, leaving us in total privacy.

Oh yeah. I liked where this was going.

Until she said, “It’s time to lay down some ground rules.”

“You and your rules.” Taking a seat on the wooden swing, I patted the spot next to me. “Lay ’em on me.”

She perched beside me, refusing to meet my eyes. “Absolutely no more Thursdays.”

I ran my arm across the back of the swing, fingers resting on her shoulder.

She pushed me away. “I mean it. No. More. Sex. Understood?”

“Whatever you say, darlin’.”

“That has to stop too. The drawl, the darlin’ thing.”

“Uh huh.”

Sure. Catherine—I meant Cady—and her famous ground rules. BTDT and I was getting back in her bed any way I could. But I’d just agree for now.

She finally looked at me, her big hazel eyes highlighted by the gas lamps on her porch. “Why are you doing this? Agreeing to look after my kids when you don’t even know me. Especially given your background.”

“So you know about the injury now?” Just mentioning my fucked-up knee caused a pang.

She nodded.

“My time in the NFL is definitely done.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Her voice softer, she placed her hand on my leg, and I covered it with my own.

“Me too. But that’s life, right? And believe it or not, I like kids. I’m good with them. If you looked me up, you know my degree’s in secondary education. Something to fall back on that I enjoy.” I twined my fingers through hers, compelling her gaze to mine. “I like your kids, and I wanna get to know you. I couldn’t believe it was you this morning. I mean—holy shit—what are the chances?”

“Pretty slim.” She slowly disentangled her fingers from mine. “Did you know I was lying all these months?”

“You weren’t lying exactly. Except for your name. By the way, I like Cady better.” I ran a fingertip along the side of her jaw, letting my thumb brush her lips lightly. Just once before she could pull away. “I could tell you’d been, or were, married, but your boys or any of that stuff . . . I had no idea.”

“We should talk about money.”

When she moved onto business, I recognized her defense mechanism. “Yeah. No. I’m not really doing it for the money.”

“I can’t let you take care of my obnoxious children without compensating you.”

“Sure you can. I volunteer.”

“You’re exasperating.”

“You still like me though.” I watched her closely.

And when she didn’t deny it, I very slowly, very carefully, drew her into my arms.

Her head whipped up. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Shut up. I’m cashing in on my raincheck.”

My lips touched hers, muffling any other words. As soon as our mouths met, her moan escaped. My tongue teased across her lips, dancing lightly. I waited for her arms to circle me, and when they did, her hands tangled in my hair. Then I drove in deep, the kiss beyond all belief.

Hot, deep.

Long and slow.

When I drifted back, her eyes opened. Gold flecks sparkled in her irises, and her lips looked wet and luscious.

Standing up, I caressed the side of her face. “G’night, Cady Dalton.”