by Abby Brooks
Jude stopped and faced me, shaking his head as he gripped my shoulders. “You’re right to call me on my bullshit, Snow. I may not like it, but I probably need it, especially because I do want to do this right.” He cupped my cheek then took my hand, leading me deeper into the sparkling woods.
The promotional material for the event had been right. From start to finish, the experience was enchanting. We talked and laughed as we walked and sure enough, I burrowed into him as the temperature dropped. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he placed a hand on my stomach as if he could keep our little one warm, too. He smelled like friendship and felt like safety and somehow, my devious little plan backfired. As the night came to a close and Jude walked me up to my porch to say goodbye, all I wanted was to drag him into my house, strip him naked, and forget anything I said about keeping things professional.
I resisted.
Barely.
“I really like hanging out with you, Snow.” Jude leaned on the siding while I dug in my purse for my key. “It’s a surprising little perk to this whole deal.”
“Same.” I smiled up at him, doing my best to make my eyes smolder, then drew a finger down his cheek, pausing just beside his mouth.
His lips parted and he leaned in…closer…his eyes sizzling with want and desire.
It took everything I had to step away.
“Good night, Jude,” I said with a sweet smile, then went into my house and shut the door, leaning against it with a sigh as I imagined his lips meeting mine.
Oh, the game was on, all right. But why did it feel like I was losing?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jude
I stood on Izzy’s porch for several long moments before walking to my truck and climbing in. My dick demanded I throw open her door and push inside, drag her upstairs and fuck her until she begged for mercy. But I knew better. For some stupid reason I couldn’t remember at the moment, we’d agreed to keep this relationship as platonic as possible.
I spent the drive home reciting business terms to get my mind off the way Izzy had looked tonight. But that had me remembering our conversation in the car, which led to me thinking about the way she’d licked her lips as we talked, which brought me to images of my cock covered in red lipstick.
So I switched to rattling off drink names. Gin and tonic. Whiskey sour. Moscow Mule. Alabama Slammer…which made me think about how badly I wanted to slam her against the bar and…
“Fuck, man!” I slapped the steering wheel as my brain helpfully replied, I’d like to fuck her.
By the time I got home, I was more turned on then I was when I left Izzy’s house, if that was even possible. I poured myself a drink and imagined her getting ready for bed, slipping out of her clothes in a seductive striptease, slowly baring all that alabaster skin for me and me alone. In my mind, she trailed a finger down her body, pausing to swirl around a pink nipple before she gave it a pinch and gasped, looking shocked and surprised by how good it felt.
I threw back my drink and put the glass in the sink, then took the stairs two at a time, promising myself I’d put all Izzy related thoughts out of mind. After brushing my teeth and tossing my clothes into the hamper, I climbed into bed and closed my eyes.
Only she was there.
Waiting for me.
On her knees, those red lips taunting and teasing as she purred my name.
I took my dick in hand and pumped, imagining her mouth doing the work.
I wanted to pound into her. To make her gasp and scream. To make her cry out because she wanted me too. I’d slam and stroke and bite and nip and she’d be mine, mine, mine. Her tits would bounce and her breath would catch and she’d scream my name.
Mine.
My name.
I stroked my cock, faster, harder, faster, more and as imaginary me slapped imaginary her on the ass, burying myself deeper, deeper, deeper, I came with a grunt and collapsed with a sigh.
Izzy and I met at Brewhaha for coffee on Monday. Red Brick Pizza for dinner on Tuesday. We strolled down Main Street on Wednesday, holding hands for all of Wildrose to see. Greta Macmillan did her thing, spreading the gossip far and wide and sure enough, not one person was surprised to finally see us together. Apparently, we’d been one of those relationships everyone saw coming.
Well, everyone except me.
Being with her felt so easy, so natural. I woke up counting the hours until we could be together, smiling when I sent her a good morning text, then grinning like an idiot as I cradled my phone, waiting for her response. Each day Izzy looked more beautiful than the last. Each day, she’d laugh and flirt and drive me fucking crazy because as soon as our time together ended, she’d say, “Goodnight, Charming.” and walk away like there was nothing going on between us.
Which was bullshit.
Complete and utter bullshit.
Something was going on.
It had to be. I’d never felt like this about anyone else…but her. The only time I could remember wanting to be around someone this much was when we were younger. I’d had such a crush on little Isabelle Prescott. I’d started catching myself staring at her at the weirdest possible times. Lost in the adorable shape of her nose, or the tiny lines that formed around her eyes when she smiled. It got so bad, I asked Alex what he would think if I asked her out. He had made his thoughts spectacularly clear when he told me that if I so much as touched his sister, our friendship would be over. So I did everything I could to ignore her, right up until that night.
The night I almost ruined everything.
Izzy was sixteen to my nineteen. After a long night of talking, we kissed and it was like I’d touched an exposed wire. This charge coursed through me, and I couldn’t stop myself from pulling her in for more. More of her lips. More of her taste. More of her touch. One thing led to another and we ended up in her bed. But she was still a kid. A sophomore in high school while I was a freshman in college. Not only had I promised my best friend I wouldn’t take advantage of her, but I’d be leaving again a few days later. So I’d done the right thing and walked away. It nearly killed me but I did it…for her.
And here we were again. Ten years later and I’d never wanted someone the way I wanted her.
After our date on Thursday, I knew something was up. Izzy poured on the charm the entire night, petting and purring and fawning and flirting her way through dinner. She twirled her hair around her finger and laughed at my jokes like everything I said was comedy gold. When we stepped outside, she pushed me against the wall of the building, her body pressed against mine as she peered into my eyes.
“Kiss me, Jude,” she said, her voice like silk. Like sex. Like molten gold.
Only as I moved in, she put her hand to my chest and pushed me away, peering over my shoulder. “Okay. They’re gone. No need for a goodnight kiss,” she said with a smirk, and that was when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was up to something.
Those were the exact words I’d said to her the other night at Overton’s when I thought I’d be cute and tease her into wanting to make out.
“Right.” I bobbed my head as I stared with renewed appreciation. “Who would want something like that?”
That was it. Challenge accepted. If that was how she wanted to play, then I was so in. The future Mrs. Malone would never know what hit her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jude
“You are so gonna get it, Izzy Prescott,” I murmured as I stapled strings of lights to the ceiling of Cheers ‘n Beers. According to the top internet search results on ‘How to Make Your Proposal Pop,’ the way they swooped and twinkled through the space would set a romantic atmosphere sure to warm my beloved’s heart. I’d added a single red lily on each table as well as a sprinkling of rose petals and put together a playlist of romantic classics to play throughout the night.
“Why lilies and not roses?” asked Jess as she tidied one of the tables.
“I read somewhere on the internet that they meant ‘forever in love’ in Chinese,” I replied a
s I climbed down from the stepstool.
And that was what happened when Jude Malone accepted a challenge. If this was war, I was playing to win.
We’d decided to announce our engagement to our parents at their respective Thanksgiving dinners, which meant we needed an engagement to announce. I’d never thought much about proposing before, but Izzy had said she wanted something so passionate, so romantic, so memorable the entire town would be talking about it for years. So, just like the dutiful husband I intended to be, I set about planning the proposal to end all proposals.
Step one, advertise that all drinks were half off on Saturday—my busiest night of the week.
Step two, talk it up to everyone so word would spread through Wildrose.
Step three, make sure Jess was managing that night so I could invite all our friends.
Step four, find a ring.
That one had proved a little more difficult than I thought. Part of me had agreed with Izzy’s plan to go to a pawn shop and get something super cheap. But now that our baby was involved, this marriage was a lot more important than I’d originally intended and I didn’t even make it through the front door before discarding the idea. Besides, Izzy wasn’t the kind of woman who deserved a pawn shop ring and the last thing I wanted was to jinx us with juju from someone else’s bad luck.
So, I detoured to a jeweler—just to look—and scanned the cheap section, but nothing really stuck out to me as something deserving of Izzy’s finger. I looked at ring after ring before I finally found one that spoke to me. It was a little more expensive than I expected…okay, a lot more expensive. But, it was beautiful and the look on her face when she finally saw it would be worth the hit to my checking account.
Hours had gone into writing my proposal speech.
Days had disappeared while I planned the event.
I’d told the rest of our friends to arrive half an hour earlier than Izzy. Jess and the waitresses handed out champagne while we waited for the guest of honor to show. As more and more customers stepped through the doors and gasped at the atmosphere, I knew I’d leave this battle as the victor.
I was more prepared for this night than I’d been for anything.
Only, nothing could have prepared me for the look on Izzy’s face when she came inside. Her jaw dropped. Her features softened. One hand covered her mouth and the other went to her stomach while her eyes misted up, then she swallowed hard and turned to me.
I had a single red lily in one hand and strode her way, handing it to her with a smile I’d practiced in the mirror for hours the night before. She stared at the flower, a blush pinking her cheeks. When her eyes finally met mine, they swam with emotion that she blinked away. I’d never seen her look so vulnerable. So beautiful.
“Isabelle Prescott,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear. “We’ve been friends for years and I’ve never met a better person. You’re kind and you’re smart and you’re funny. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, inside and out, and every day the world exists with you in it means this place is better for all of us. I never thought I’d want to settle down with anyone, but the more I know you, the more I know you’re the only one who could make me happy for the rest of my life.”
“Jude…” Tears shimmered in her eyes, followed by a flash of anger that let me know I was winning this battle…
…only…
As I spoke, I realized that each and every thing I said was true. I wasn’t lying or embellishing. I’d fallen in love with Izzy years ago, but it wasn’t until this moment that it hit me…I’d never fallen out of it.
I’ll take “Things I Didn’t Know About Myself” for a hundred, Alex.
I abandoned my prepared speech. “I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember and these past few weeks have been amazing, finally getting to let those feelings out. I don’t want to wait another lifetime to make you mine.” I dug in my pocket, pulled out the velvet box, and got down on one knee as I opened it. “Will you marry me?”
When Izzy saw the ring waiting inside, genuine surprise lit her face. She covered her mouth with both hands, her brows furrowed. “Are you sure?” she whispered.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
And fuck me. It was true. I’d bought the perfect diamond and planned the perfect proposal for the perfect woman…who was under the very distinct impression it was all fake.
Izzy nodded and the people in the bar cheered. My heart raced as I slipped the ring on her finger and stood, drawing her into my arms. I cupped her cheek and threaded my fingers into her hair to grip the back of her neck. Her skin was still cool from being outside, but when her lips met mine, heat surged through me. Everyone in the bar disappeared from my mind.
All that mattered was her.
Us.
The future I hadn’t planned but was smacking me in the face.
In an instant, everything became so clear. Some part of every woman I’d dated reminded me of Izzy, but none of them had kept my interest because they just weren’t her.
I’d thought marrying her would be simple because our feelings wouldn’t get involved, but as my tongue caressed hers, I realized I’d been a fool. My feelings had been involved for as long as I could remember…
…and she didn’t know because I’d been lying to myself about it for all this time.
When I pulled away, Izzy’s gaze met mine, hot and hooded and filled with need. She swallowed hard, her chest heaving. Jess arrived, handing us both a glass of champagne and the bar toasted to our future while I wondered what the hell I was going to do now.
“What the fuck was that?” Izzy’s eyes flashed with anger as she crossed her arms over her chest. After being congratulated by everyone in Cheers ‘n Beers, she’d pulled me into my office and set her untouched champagne on my desk.
She was pissed, just like I knew she would be. It had, in fact, been part of the battleplan from the beginning. I fought back a smile as I leaned on the wall near the door. “What do you mean, my sweet, sweet fiancée?”
“Don’t act all innocent with me.” She shook her head. “The lights. The music. The flowers. The champagne. This.” She held out her left hand and pointed to the diamond sparkling on her finger.
“I think they call it a proposal. You know, something so passionate, so romantic, so memorable the entire town will be talking about it for years.” I arched an eyebrow as I recited her list of requirements back to her.
“You could have warned me. I mean, how much did you spend on this thing?” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Everything you said was so beautiful…”
“And that makes you sad?”
“It just…it confuses things. We said from the beginning that we didn’t want feelings involved and if you’re going to do things like that without warning me, I can’t…and that kiss…” Izzy fluttered her hands and closed her eyes. She looked so genuinely distressed that I felt a little guilty.
“Are you saying you have feelings for me?” I didn’t know if I wanted her to say yes or no. If she did have feelings for me, then we were racing into marriage way too fast. Though there was a baby to think about so maybe not. But if she didn’t have feelings for me, then how the fuck was I going to keep mine under control? Who signed up to fake a marriage with someone they were in love with…who didn’t love them back?
“What? Feelings?” Izzy blinked and turned away. “No…I just…if you’re gonna be that sweet, you should at least warn me. I’m dealing with all these hormones, and you can apparently be very convincing when you want to be.”
Damn it. Part of me thought she was lying while the rest of me swore that was wishful thinking.
This whole thing was getting more complicated by the day.
Izzy
Jude’s proposal had wrapped itself around my heart and that kiss hadn’t been fake…at least not on my part. Every time I looked down at the diamond ring on my finger, goose bumps shivered across my spine. My heart still pounded from what he�
�d said.
It felt so ridiculously real and I was falling more in love with him by the second.
“I can’t believe you’re actually mad at me for proposing.” Jude pushed off the wall and shook his head.
“I’m not mad at you for proposing,” I said, rolling my hand through the air as I tried to find a way to explain that didn’t spill the beans on my feelings. “I’m mad because of how you proposed.”
“You mean, the part where I did it very publicly so that all of Wildrose would believe it, the way you wanted? Or the part where I said nice things about you in front of a lot of people so you wouldn’t think I was joking, also the way you wanted?”
“I just wish you’d warned me, that’s all.” I held out my hand and stared at the ring on my finger. It was exactly what I would have picked for myself, if I’d ever so much as thought about engagement rings. It also looked expensive. “Did you get this at a pawn shop in town? Because word might get out and that would kill the effect you spent so much time trying to create.”
Jude frowned and stared at the floor for several moments before shrugging. “Don’t worry about that,” he finally said.
“Don’t worry…?” I loosed an exaggerated sigh. “I think at least one of us should, don’t you?”
He rolled his eyes and let out a disgusted laugh. “Is this really happening? Did I really do everything the way you wanted and you’re still mad at me?”
“I didn’t ask for you to say things that would actually make me think you love me! I didn’t ask for a ring like this.” I covered my face with my hands. How was I going to go out there and pretend to everyone that I was madly in love with my fiancé, while pretending to him that I wasn’t? “You are infuriating, you know that?”