“Jude. Can I talk to you for a minute?” It took every ounce of my self-restraint to keep my voice calm and measured. I was trying to be a responsible adult and set a good example for my son. Bad enough he’d witnessed his father and uncle beating the crap out of each other, he didn’t need to see his mother screaming like a banshee. “Privately.”
“I’d love to talk to you. Privately.” His voice was low and intimate, making it sound like I’d asked for something else.
My hands clenched into fists and he chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying this exchange.
“Hey Noah. Come tell me what you’ve been up to,” Christy said, and I threw her a grateful smile. “Actually, let’s grab some forks and dig into that pie.”
“Pie! Yes!”
I sighed. Noah was so easily swayed. Bribe him with pie and a bear hunt and he’d follow you to the ends of the earth.
I left them in the studio and walked outside with Jude. The air was heavy, the clouds skittering across the gray sky carrying the promise of rain.
Stopping on the driver’s side of his truck where we couldn’t be seen from the studio, I planted my hands on my hips and squared off with him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Spending the day with Noah. My mom went to the hospital to visit my dad. Said she has a lot of errands to run after that. So I’m just helping her out.” He grinned, the picture of innocence. “It’s the least I can do.”
Even Kate was conspiring against me. “The least you can do? Seriously? You didn’t even ask me if it’s okay.”
“I texted you. You never answered.” He shrugged and leaned against the side of his truck, cool as you like, ankles and arms crossed. I wanted to punch him. Or kiss him. No, I wanted no such thing.
“You texted me?” I slid my phone out of my pocket and sure enough, there was a text from an unknown number. I didn’t even have his new cell phone number. How pathetic was that?
“I used to dream about you in these shorts.” His gaze lowered to my denim cut-offs. This morning when I showed up at work Christy had threatened to burn them, claiming we weren’t in college anymore.
I snapped my fingers in his face. “Jude. Stay focused.”
Ever so slowly, his gaze roamed up my legs and over the fitted long-sleeve T-shirt I was wearing until his eyes finally met mine. Which was almost worse than the trail of fire he’d left in the wake of his heated gaze. Our eyes locked and for a few seconds, I just stood there and stared at him, the reason for our confrontation completely forgotten.
His arm shot out and he grabbed my hand, tugging me toward him. “Lila.” His voice was low and husky and reached into the deepest hidden parts of me. I unfurled like a flower, reaching for the sun as he wrapped his arm around me, a steel band holding me in place while his other hand wrapped around the back of my head and he pulled me against him, crushing his mouth to mine. His tongue parted my lips and I whimpered, my eyes drifting shut as I let him in, his tongue stroking mine and my hands fisting his T-shirt.
I needed more. Of his velvet-coated kisses and his heady scent and the feel of his hard chest pressed against mine.
My body melted into his, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, forgetting everything except for this kiss.
Oh God. This felt so right and yet so wrong. Kissing Jude felt like coming home to a place I used to know but had forgotten. A place I’d visited in my dreams and had longed to return to for so many years. And now he was here and my body responded in ways it hadn’t in longer than I could remember.
But then I did remember. I pulled away, my chest heaving, and took a few deep breaths. He wasn’t the oxygen I needed to breathe. Not anymore.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
He pushed his hand through his hair. “How can I not? Do you know how hard it is to be this close to you... to inhale the sweet, delicious scent of you... and not touch you?”
I did know because it was the same for me but I didn’t want it to be. I stuffed my hands in my back pockets and took a step back, reminding myself the reason we were standing out here hidden from view. Noah.
I shook my head to clear it. “Jude... you can’t use my son...”
“I’m not using Noah. I want to get to know him. I want to be a part of his life.”
“A part of his life?” I let out an incredulous laugh. Jude was unbelievable. Maybe Brody was right. Jude was used to getting whatever he wanted and now he’d decided that he wanted to be a part of Noah’s life, so of course we should all go along with it. “And how exactly do you think that’s going to work?”
“I have no idea what part I’ll play in his life but I’m still his uncle.” He winced at the word. “I’m still family. And I…” He looked over my shoulder. “I love kids and he’s a great kid. I’d never do anything to hurt him. I won’t take my eyes off him.” As if Noah’s physical safety was the only thing in danger. “I promise you that I won’t let anything happen to him.”
I let out a breath. “Your promises used to mean a lot to me. You always kept your promises. Until you didn’t.”
Even though I knew my words hurt him, he couldn’t deny it. He didn’t even try. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again as a car pulled in next to his truck. Tori, our part-time employee, stepped out of it, her eyes wide as she stared at the man standing across
