Chelsea wanted to jump with glee. “That’s so great!”
“You haven’t even heard the great part yet.” Mara paused for effect, crossing her arms under her generous breasts. “He’s from L.A., some movie producer with lots of rich contacts. He wanted to know when I received some more works from this ‘amazing artist’.”
“Oh, my God.” Chelsea hadn’t thought she could be more excited, but she found that she was wrong.
“I know, right? Anyway, I gave him your card. I hope that’s all right.”
“Mara, of course it is. That’s incredible!” She turned to look at Jud and his grin was nearly as big as hers. “I’m sorry, Mara. This is Jud Tate.”
Mara nodded. “We’ve met.”
Jud smiled at Mara. “Nice to see you again.”
Glancing between the two of them, Chelsea tried to decide exactly how well acquainted Jud and Mara were. Jud must have picked up on her thoughts.
“I met Mara when I bought your painting,” he explained.
That makes sense. Chelsea nodded, letting it go. If she and Jud were going to be together, she had to trust him, take him at his word. And even if Jud had slept with Mara, it was in the past. Let it go.
“He’s got a very good eye,” Mara was saying.
Chelsea smirked at him. “Yes, that he does.” She said goodbye to Mara, telling her she’d be in touch.
Outside, Jud wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Looks like you’re gonna be a star. Congratulations.”
She shrugged, trying to temper her excitement. “One painting sold to a big-time movie producer does not make me a star.”
“Yeah, but c’mon. Lots of people will see that painting. It’s L.A.—a whole new market for you.”
“I know, I know. I just don’t want to get my hopes up too high. It makes it that much worse when it doesn’t happen.”
“Okay, I hear you.” Jud squeezed her to his side. “But, Chels. This is a big break for you. You’re a great artist and you deserve great things. You should be excited. Be proud of yourself.”
His words warmed her heart, broke down her defenses. She stopped short and turned to face him, bouncing on her toes. “Okay, you’re right. I’m gonna be a star!”
* * * * *
“Ya know, for a second there I thought maybe you and Mara had… Uh…” Chelsea hung up her coat and looked at Jud.
“No kidding? Why’d you think that?” He found a bottle of wine and poured two glasses, waiting for her response.
“Well, when you’d said you’d met before…”
Handing her a glass of wine, Jud smiled. “You just assumed that I’d slept with her. How else would I know a woman?” He made his way to the living room and sat on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table. He thought that she had the grace to look at least a little uncomfortable when she joined him.
“Don’t be mad. But c’mon, I’ve watched you operate for quite some time now. I’ve yet to see a woman resist your charms.”
On one level, Jud knew she was right, but it still rankled. “Maybe we should work out some kind of sign—ya know, I could tug on my ear when we run into a woman I’ve had sex with before.”
Chelsea sucked in a breath through her teeth. “But then you’d have some awfully sore ears.”
He sighed and dropped his head back to rest on the couch. He supposed he’d made his bed—pun intended—and he should lie in it. But a guy had a right to change, didn’t he? He’d finally found a woman he could settle down with. Now he just had to find a way to convince her that he was ready. Getting angry wasn’t going to help, so he took a moment and breathed deeply. “Okay, so you know about my past history. But it’s the past, it’s done.” He sat up and looked at her. “I’ve moved on. I have no unresolved feelings, either emotional or physical, about any woman I’ve been with. We can’t just hole up here and avoid seeing other people. You have to let it go.”
She sighed, then nodded. “That’s just what I’ve been telling myself. I don’t know, maybe I was letting Kayla get to me today.”
“Kayla? What the hell did she say?”
Taking a deep breath, she looked away when she spoke. “Oh, that you were out of my league, that you had some wild needs, and that I’d never be able to satisfy you.”
“Jesus.” He grabbed her hands. “Look at me, Chelsea.” When she turned to him, her eyes were moist. His chest tightened at the sight. “Don’t listen to Kayla. She’s mad at me and just being vindictive.”
“She still wants to be with you.”
“I’m sorry, Chels. I’m sorry she upset you.” Jud swallowed, trying to keep his annoyance at bay. Kayla had best make herself scarce for a while—he had some choice words for her that would be better left unsaid.
Chelsea nodded, but she still looked rattled.
Cupping her cheek, Jud bent to kiss her. Her lips trembled beneath his and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. With his thumb on her chin, he pulled her mouth open and licked inside it. Finally, she kissed him back, her tongue dueling with his. Her mouth was warm and tasted of wine, sweet and hypnotic.
He wrapped his arms around her, one hand moving south and the other up to the back of her head, holding her firmly against him as he explored her mouth. She clutched his shoulders before moving her hands up to run her fingers through his hair. His scalp tingled at her touch.
Already, he was hard. The thought that Chelsea couldn’t satisfy him was laughable. He was the one who should be worried. He didn’t want to disappoint her.
Pulling back, Chelsea planted quick kisses on his lips. “Didn’t you want to watch that show on the Discovery Channel?”
He shrugged. “That’s why God invented DVRs.”
* * * * *
“So tell me something.” Chelsea unzipped her jeans and pushed them down, stepping out of them. They’d finished their wine and had forgone the modern technology of DVRs and watched a nature show in real time.
“Keep taking your clothes off and I’ll tell you anything you want.” Jud waggled his eyebrows at her, pulling his sweatshirt off and tossing it on the floor.
Down to her bra and panties, Chelsea crawled onto the bed and struck a seductive pose. “Was it all lies?”
Jud frowned, doffing his jeans. His erection strained impressively against his boxer briefs as he sat on the bed next to her. “What are you talking about? Was what all lies?” His fingers traced a path up her belly to cup her breast and tweak her nipple through the lacy material of her bra.
“The kinky sex thing.” Chelsea stroked a hand over his impressive abs, stroking her fingertip along the length of his cock. “Do you really have some crazy sexual needs that I’m going to have to fulfill?” Her stomach dropped at the look he gave her as he dipped his head to her breast.
He nibbled at her nipple, unclasping her bra and removing it. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” He cupped her breasts as if he was trying to figure out how much they weighed. “Damn, Chels, these are some positively world-class breasts you have.” He thumbed her nipples and they puckered tightly. “Yeah, perky, round and ripe, little pink nipples perfectly centered. A work of art.”
Squirming beneath his gaze, Chelsea said, “I thought you were an ass man.”
He winked at her. “I am, but I’m not averse to appreciating a nice pair of breasts when I see them.”
“Mm-hm. So start appreciating them.”
His laugh was deep and melodious. “I like a woman who knows what she wants.” He dropped his head and licked the underslope of her breast, moving up to delicately run his tongue around her nipple before sucking it into his mouth.
“Mmmmm.” She burned at the sight of his beautiful lips as they devoured her flesh. Hugging his head to her breasts, she squealed with delight as his teeth scraped against her sensitive skin.
“Let’s get these off of you.” Jud peeled her panties off and tossed them on the floor. He stroked his fingers up her calf to her thigh, pressing the heel of his hand again
st her mound as he moved to lie beside her, propping himself up on his elbow.
Chelsea dropped her head back onto the pillows, looking up at Jud just inches away. He pressed his lips to hers, his tongue delving into her mouth as his fingers probed her pussy.
Her thighs dropped open as she moaned into his mouth, her hips jerking when his thumb brushed across her clit. In need of air, she pulled her mouth away from his. She pushed her pelvis against his hand, seeking relief from his clever fingers.
“You’re so beautiful when you’re turned-on.” Jud’s eyes were smoking hot, searing her. “I want to watch you come for me.”
The space around them seemed to shrink, her world reduced to their two heated bodies. With one hand, Chelsea grasped his shoulder, laying the other one flat on the bed to anchor herself. She licked her lips, feeling his warm breaths as a caress. She rolled her hips as his fingers delicately opened her, finding her sensitive spots, pushing her higher.
“You’re so wet, so tight.” His voice was low, strained. He drove his fingers deep inside her, out to tease her clit, back deep inside. He nuzzled her neck, whispering, “I can’t wait to fuck you, bury my cock inside you.”
Chelsea groaned, the tension coiled inside her growing as his words and fingers worked their magic. “Just do it.”
His laugh rumbled through her. “Come for me, Chels. I want your pussy nice and juicy first.”
She shook her head back and forth. “You said I was wet. Come on.” She pushed her pelvis at him, dying for him, aching to be filled.
“Mmmm.” He rubbed her clit with his fingertips, light and slow at first, working up to deeper pressure. “Come for me, baby.”
Chelsea looked into his eyes, found them intense and demanding. She knew that she was going to need to get close to a man to have sex with him, but this was almost unbearably intimate. Mesmerized, she tried to focus on his eyes, but her vision was blurred by ecstasy.
The heat in her middle grew and she whimpered, her breaths coming in quick pants. She tossed her head from side to side, trying to dispel tension, but Jud placed his palm on her forehead to still her.
“I want to see you,” he whispered. “Come for me.”
Her hips thrust uncontrollably as she fell apart under his gaze. Squeezing her eyes tightly closed, she went over the edge. Her breath caught in her throat and she came silently, waves of sensation crashing through her, made all the more intense by the emotion.
Jud kissed her, slowly removing his fingers from her swollen flesh. “That was incredible, Chels.”
“Mm.” She was incapable of forming any other words just then.
“I hope you’re ready for more.” Jud sat up beside her.
Groaning, she rolled onto her side and curled up into a fetal position. She felt him leave the bed and heard some rustling behind her.
Moving into her field of vision, he tore open a condom and covered himself. He sat next to her and stroked her thigh.
She ogled his impressive erection, covered in latex. “Haven’t been tested yet?”
He laughed. “This morning. I should get the results back any time.” He leaned over her and kissed her neck. “Can’t be too soon for me.”
Despite her supersensitive flesh, she shivered. Still, she remained firmly curled up into a ball. No point in making it too easy for him.
His lips were warm as he kissed a trail from her neck down to her back, his hand rubbing up her thigh to cup her ass. “You gonna let me in?”
Chelsea didn’t move. She heard him sigh and huff out a small laugh.
“Okay. I can work with this.” He jumped off the bed and dropped a couple of pillows on the floor.
She squealed as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to the edge of the bed, her body still curled up. He dropped to his knees and moved close to her. Guiding his cock to her pussy, he slowly drove inside her. “Damn, I didn’t think you could feel any tighter, but this is unbelievable.”
Chelsea’s legs shook. “Yeah, I didn’t think you could feel any bigger.” She balanced on her forearm and looked up to see Jud looking fierce and determined. He cradled her, one hand on her back and the other on her bent knees. He started thrusting, gyrating his hips, finding every sensitive spot as his cock spiraled inside her. Her ass bounced off of him with every thrust, her momentum carrying her back deep onto his cock. He was like a machine, relentless, pushing her higher.
“God, Jud,” she gasped. “So this…is what…it feels like…to be screwed.”
He grunted with effort. “Yeah, you feel so good, Chels, so tight. I’m not gonna last.”
“Neither am I. Go faster. Harder.”
Jud complied, the sound of their flesh slapping together driving her wild. She clutched the bedding in her fist, hanging on for dear life as she felt herself explode, flames tearing through her body. Her pussy clenched around him and he came with a sudden jolt, grinding into her long after he was dry.
Used up, Chelsea dropped to the bed, able only to move her lungs to breathe.
Still inside her, Jud bent over her, supporting himself on straight arms. Sweat from his brow dropped onto her breasts. “Wow, that was amazing.”
“You just about killed me.” Her words came out in a rush as she tried to find air.
He pulled out of her and struggled to stand. He left the bedroom, Chelsea presumed, to dispose of the condom. She was asleep before he returned.
Chapter Nine
By the time Chelsea pulled into her driveway, huge snowflakes were falling. It was supposed to be a cold and dreary day, and she was glad she didn’t have to work. Jud wasn’t so fortunate. Chelsea had stayed snuggled up in his bed long after he’d left at 7:30. She’d moved over to his side of the massive bed and slept, cocooned in his scent.
Surprised to see Megan’s car, she made her way past it on legs still a bit wobbly from last night’s adventures. Chelsea considered herself a jock, but she wasn’t used to using her muscles the way she had been over the past few days.
Inside, she dropped her bag on the floor and found Megan in the living room reading the newspaper. “Hey,” she said, flopping down on the couch.
“God morning, Sunshine,” Megan said with a wink. “You look absolutely wrecked. Or should I say absolutely fucked?”
Chelsea giggled. Really? Am I really giggling? Shecouldn’t help herself. “The latter.”
“Oh dear. You are so screwed, pardon the pun.”
“I know.” Chelsea sighed, some perspective forced on her by her friend. “He owns me, Megs. And quite frankly, I don’t really care right now. I’m so happy when I’m with him. It feels right.”
Megan looked at her, a knowing grin on her face. “That’s great, Chels. I think you and Jud are really good together.”
“I think we are too.” Chelsea grinned back, her heart full even though her head had other ideas. It kept telling her things like “once a player, always a player” and “take a look in the mirror”. Kayla’s words echoed back at her. Judson Tate was indeed a prime specimen of a man, both outside and in. Was he out of her league? Well, she thought she deserved a great guy in her life.
“Oh damn,” Megan said. “I’ve got to get to the store.”
Checking the time on her phone, Chelsea frowned. “Yeah, it’s almost eleven. What are you still doing here?”
“I’ve got that reading tonight. Remember?” Megan grabbed her purse and car keys.
Chelsea looked at her blankly.
“C’mon, Chels. I have that travel author doing a reading from her new book. You promised me you’d come.”
Nodding, Chelsea vaguely remembered Megan telling her something about it. But hey, she’d been kind of busy. “Uh, yeah, sure.”
“Don’t even think about bailing on me. It’s at eight o’clock.”
“I’ll be there,” Chelsea called after Megan as she fled the room. She heard the front door open and shut, and then all was quiet. For a few moments she sat, staring out the window. She wasn’t one to sit in stillnes
s and do a lot of reflecting, but she indulged herself for a minute. When insecurities about Jud and their possible future intruded, she decided it was time to get off her ass and do something.
After a shower and a quick lunch of a grilled cheese sandwich and an apple, she was seated in front of her easel, ready to put some finishing touches on her painting for Jud. Before she could start, her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number on caller ID, but she picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Ryan?” The voice was male and she didn’t recognize it.
“Yes?”
“My name is David Morrow and I got your number from Mara Bergen. She told you I would be calling?”
“Uh, yes. She did.” Chelsea’s heart rate kicked up.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“No, not at all. What can I do for you, Mr. Morrow?” Please, please, please tell me you want to buy three or four more of my pieces, or maybe open a gallery for me in L.A.
His laugh was husky. “What you can do is join me for a drink this evening. I’d like to talk to you about your work. My apologies for the short notice, but I’m leaving town in the morning.”
Okay, I’ll take it. She swallowed a squeal of delight. “Yes, that sounds good. It’ll have to be early, though. Does that work for you?”
* * * * *
“Hold still, man. You’re just gonna hurt yourself.” Jud finished applying a leg splint on some moron who’d had a little liquid courage at lunch and had gone gonzo down some steeps. Unfortunately, his skis had decided to take different paths around a tree, his femur taking the brunt of the blow.
When Jud and Roger had come upon the scene, the guy’s leg was bending at an angle that it never had before. And he’d been a pain in the ass from the start.
“Take it easy, bro. That fucking hurts!” The guy pushed up to his elbows.
“Sorry ’bout that, bro.” Jud pushed on his chest. “Lie down.”
Roger took over restraint duty, struggling to hold the guy down while Jud finished. “Quit moving, he’s almost done. You’re gonna be fine. You’re lucky you didn’t flatten your balls, dude. Be a shame if you couldn’t reproduce.” He exchanged looks with Jud, rolling his eyes.
Apres Ski Page 10