by A. m Madden
His lips traveled over my face, stopping to kiss each of my eyes and my forehead before moving back down to my mouth. He placed a few more soft kisses against my lips, then he was on the move again, this time kissing my neck, below my ear, and the hollow of my throat. The way his scruff left a delicious bite of pain below my chin caused my thighs to clench.
After a few moments, he lifted his head to stare into my eyes. I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking, yet at the same time, didn’t. If his thoughts weren’t on the same wavelength as mine, I couldn’t pretend it wouldn’t hurt.
But what he said next gave me all the confirmation I needed for now. “Brae, I think I’ve wanted you from the moment I kissed you on that stage.” He positioned himself between my legs, pausing so his tip pressed against my clit. “I also think we’ve waited long enough.”
His eyes fixed to mine, he found my hands and laced our fingers before raising them above my head. Right when my heart swelled from the emotion etched on his face, Jude slid inside me . . . one . . . damn . . . inch . . . at . . . a . . . time. The way he filled me was nothing less than perfection.
“Fuck, Brae. You feel amazing.” I swallowed on a slow nod. Words failed me. In fact, if I didn’t concentrate on my breathing, I’d probably start hyperventilating over the swell of euphoria that engulfed me. Having him deep inside me, staring into my eyes, and holding my hands in his grip was erotic on so many levels. Even the way his thumbs ran circles over my palms as he pushed into me had my muscles deliciously contracting.
It could have easily been a quick fuck, but he was making it so much more. Whether it was his style or me crossed my mind. Jude would be the type of man to make every woman he fucked feel special. Deep down inside, the romantic part of me that was sick of worrying about foreclosures and money, desperately wanted it to be me who brought this out in him.
Unfortunately, young in life, I learned romance was a fairy tale only found in storybooks or movies. My real life forced me to do something as crazy as this social experiment, devaluing the sanctuary behind true love and marriage. That reality kept me grounded most of the time—until now. With him, I literally felt like I was soaring, as insane as that sounded.
My eyes welled as he tightened his grip on my hands and positioned his hips so perfectly against mine. With each slow drag, the emotions within me battled, causing them to spill out in one tiny tear. He watched it roll down my cheek.
“Brae,” he whispered my name with so much emotion, I smiled despite the conflict I felt inside—the divide between wanting this and not wanting to want this. My smile seemed to comfort him into returning one of his own.
“It just feels so good,” I admitted the first thought I could that wasn’t a lie. It did feel good. He didn’t need to know it also felt both right and wrong at the same time.
My impending climax came closer with each thrust. The way he struggled to hold back was etched in every facet of his face. Forcing myself out of my own head, I lifted one of my legs to wrap around his hip. The position caused his eyes to slide shut on a guttural moan. He released one of my hands and gripped the back of my thigh, holding my leg against his body.
This man was the epitome of perfection. The mess of wavy hair on the top of his head from constantly running his hand through it, the seductive curve of his lips, the strong angle of his scruff covered jaw—these were all minor details in his appeal. It was more so the way his greenish-brown eyes drilled right through me, like he wanted to devour me. The way his breath came quick and fast, fanning across my face. The way he said my name as if it was the most important word in his vocabulary.
“Brae, I’m close,” he said, his accent thickening on my name.
“Me, too. Don’t stop, Jude.”
“Never, Brae.”
Without conscious thought, the sound of his voice and the way his body skillfully manipulated mine combined to push me over the edge whether I was ready or not.
Jude
Every muscle in her pussy gripped at my cock as if it was meant for her. I almost forgot my own name. Somewhere along the line, it went from hot sex with this woman to so much more. Unprepared to feel something while fucking, other than what I normally felt in my cock, stole any coherent thought I had floating in my head.
One tear escaped from her eye, they remained glassy with emotion. I wanted to know whether it was sorrow that caused her to well up or if what she admitted was the real reason. Remembering how I acted after our first encounter, and our second, which caused her to withdraw was why I cupped her face tenderly. I wasn’t good with words during sex, and on instinct, my brain wanted to shout out crude comments. It was just the way I was wired. Yet, with Brae, it felt wrong.
She said nothing as she came so perfectly around my cock. I, however, uncharacteristically, said just what I was feeling. “I mean it, Brae. I never want this to end.” I pushed harder and faster through my climax, enjoying every goddamn second of it, memorizing everything I was feeling, until I released every ounce I held deep inside her.
A random thought of doing this one day without a condom, of owning her in a way I’d never owned a woman before, lengthened the duration of my orgasm.
“Fuck, Brae. You feel so fucking perfect,” I huffed while spearing her, over and over again.
Her fingers gripped my back, and she whispered my name as I buried my face in the crook of her neck. The apple scent of her hair and silky texture of her skin beneath my lips overwhelmed me, confused me, and scared me all at once.
God, this woman was exquisite. It wasn’t fair for me to have her shoved down my throat when I wasn’t looking for anything she represented. I wasn’t searching for that one person. Yet, now that I knew her, I couldn’t remember why my sex life prior to now was anything special.
Fucking Kyle. What the fuck did he do to me?
She remained quiet as I practically crushed her body beneath mine. It felt too good to move. But I knew I had to, and I had to say something. The longer I waited, the more I’d inadvertently hurt her.
I lifted my head to stare into her eyes. What stared back was an unsure beauty battling her own onslaught of confusion. I skimmed my knuckles across her cheek with a smile. Her expression mirrored mine.
“That was perfect, Brae. You’re perfect.” Before she could respond, I kissed her soft lips, pressing mine against hers for a few long seconds. Her arms tightened on my back, and while still inside her, I realized how badly I wanted the moment to go on. My normal urge to flee, to distance myself and run, was nowhere to be found. Just the opposite—I wanted to stay just as we were. It felt right.
When I finally pulled out of her warmth, I shifted to her side and laid my head on her chest. Her fingers continued to caress my skin. I wrapped my arms around her waist, clutching her. I may not have spoken much after we were done, but through touch, I let her know I meant what I said, and she let me know she felt the same. Without words, we communicated that we were both feeling exactly the same way.
After a few long minutes passed, she said, “I’ll be right back.” Nodding against her breast, I loosened my hold and watched as she left our bed to walk to the bathroom. Stopping at the door, she asked, “Do you want me to throw that out?”
It took a minute for me to realize she meant the condom, and damn if that wasn’t hot as fucking hell. How stupid was it that her asking and then taking it with her to dispose of turned me on? Damn, I was losing my mind.
It was Brae. She really was making me crazy—in a good way and bad way. The way she walked away, glancing over her shoulder with a shy smile, made me to want to take her again. I was used to that kind of response to a woman. It was besides that, the part where she was also getting under my skin—that was the crazy I didn’t know how to deal with.
Taking it one day at a time was all I could do.
A few minutes later, she emerged, and my breath hitched in surprise at her being back so soon. With a stunning smile, she climbed back onto the bed and settled against my side. “T
hat must be a record for you, Sparky.”
She looked up and smirked. “What is?”
“You were only in there for a minute.” I gripped her ass and pulled her even closer to my body. Just as I did, her stomach rumbled. “Holy shit,” I said on a laugh. “What was that?”
She giggled adorably. “I guess I worked up an appetite.”
“Well, I guess it’s time for breakfast. You need your strength to get through the rest of the day.”
“Really? Did we get another note card?” She looked around for the evidence. “What now, cliff diving?”
I shook my head, tightening my hold on her ass. “Pleasing your husband-to-be.”
“Oh, is that so?” she asked with a wide grin. “And will he be pleasing me?”
“In every way possible.” I placed a tender kiss on her lips before smacking her ass, causing her to yelp. “But food first.”
Giving her the tasks of setting the table and making coffee was no accident. I was too hungry to involve her with the actual cooking of our meal. It baffled me how the woman couldn’t even make toast edible.
Her forte may not have been in the kitchen, but I wasn’t complaining in the least. It could have been the way I leered at her as her hot, naked body moved around the tiny space, causing her to throw on one of my T-shirts.
“You’re no fun,” I grumbled when she came up behind me as I fried the bacon.
Her arms wrapped around my waist as I felt the cotton fabric press up against my back. My cock immediately responded knowing she was naked beneath it. “You’re brave frying bacon while naked.”
“If I burn myself, you’ll just have to kiss it better.” I twisted and stepped us to the side, away from the splattering grease. She did have a point. My hands slipped beneath the fabric so I could grip her hips. Lifting onto her toes, she kissed me before reaching for a piece of bacon off the plate. I watched her take a bite, then another.
She offered me what was left of the piece, and I closed my mouth over it until my lips touched her fingers. “Yum. Only thing better than bacon is being fed bacon by a hot chick.”
“Yes, you keep calling me that,” she said on a sarcastic laugh.
“Did you not hear the compliment behind that?” I grinned unabashedly, and she grinned in response. A loud pop sounded from the pan, forcing my attention back to the stove. “Let me finish this so we can eat. Then, I can eat you.” My eyes shifted from her eyes to the way her teeth bit down on her bottom lip. “How does that sound, Sparky? Can I eat you for dessert?” I reached under her T-shirt and cupped her pussy. “I know for a fact you’re tastier than bacon and eggs.”
“You definitely have a way with words, Mr. Soren.” Her voice sounded winded, and when I curled one finger and slid it inside her, her eyes closed on a breathy sigh.
I pulled my finger from her and she opened her eyes in time to see me slip it into my mouth. “Delicious.” That one word and that one move on my part instigated a heated groping and make-out session that went on for a full ten minutes. The burnt smell of bacon and sudden haze of smoke finally made us step away from each other.
By the time we sat down with our charred pork side dish, burnt toast, and rubbery eggs, she shook her head at my accusation that she ruined our breakfast. “No way. That was all your fault. I refuse to be blamed this time.” She reached over and snatched the only surviving piece of bacon from my dish.
“Hey. You don’t like bacon, remember?”
“I do now,” she said on a wink.
“Oh, Sparky. Watching you eat my bacon is one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.” The force in which I pushed my chair back caused it to topple over behind me. Darting toward her, I pulled Brae from her chair and carried her to the bed.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s time for my dessert.”
Chapter 20
Brae
Every day was better than the last. It had been four days since our relationship turned. Actually, it had been four days since we became a couple in every sense of the word. He wasn’t kidding when he said he preferred to sleep naked, and he preferred I did now as well. The bed wasn’t the only place we had sex, and we managed to christen the shower, couch, hammock, and beach. My favorite part was waking up to warm kisses and falling asleep in his strong arms. Our new connection was something unexpected, yet at the same time, it was perfection.
Today was the day of our mid-point interview. Ignite Your Spark was sending one of their representatives to check on our progress. Jude and I hadn’t talked about what potential questions they’d ask, or even how we’d answer them.
While we were getting ready for our interviewer to arrive, Jude seemed a bit on edge.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” I trailed my fingers down his bare shoulder until it rested on the waistband of his shorts.
“Just thinking about how we’re halfway through this.”
The way his brows furrowed made me believe there was something more to it, but I didn’t pry. Maybe it was the business he’d been away from. It was clear he had a lot of responsibilities back home that I didn’t. I didn’t even have a plant to water.
Smiling up at him as he pulled a white T-shirt over his head, I said, “It should all be downhill from here, right?”
He fixed his perfectly coiffed hair before giving me a swift kiss on the cheek. “Let’s hope.” With another smile, he took my hand and led me out to the deck where we relaxed and cuddled in the chaise lounge before our guest arrived.
His hand settled on my thigh—his favorite resting place, I’d come to realize. “How are you feeling about being questioned today?” Hearing him ask that made my pulse pick up its pace. “Are you nervous?”
“I wasn’t until you just asked me that.” I shifted my body away a tad, just so I could look at him. A glorious smile greeted me. “Are you nervous?”
“Nope.” His hand moved to the ends of my hair, which he started fiddling with. “If this interview was last week, I might have different feelings about it, but now it just seems like a no-brainer.”
Hearing his confidence gave me some of my own. Finally releasing a genuine smile, I said, “I’ll agree with that assessment.”
That was the God’s honest truth. I’d never forget the first time he referred to himself as my future husband. We were going to really do this. So far, everything was working out better than I’d ever dreamed.
We sat in our living room, Jude and I on the small sofa, Penny, the representative from Ignite Your Spark, across from us in one of the dining chairs. She clicked the top of her pen, opened the notebook on her lap, and smiled.
“First, all of us affiliated with Ignite Your Spark are very pleased you’ve made it this far. By the body language you two are exuding, I’m assuming all is well.”
“Your assumption is correct,” Jude said, lacing his fingers with mine. Penny’s eyes saw his gesture and her lips tipped up into another smile.
“Well then, let’s get started. Jude, if you don’t mind stepping outside while I interview Brae, that would be great.”
My fingers gripped his tighter. I had no idea this was how it was going to be.
Penny must have sensed our confusion. “I’m sorry, let me explain how this is going to work. First, I’ll interview Brae, then you, Jude . . .” She batted her eyelashes at him. On a normal day, that little gesture would make me uneasy, especially since Penny was a very attractive woman, but today, it did little to dampen how I was feeling. “If I find it necessary, I’ll bring you both back in to question you together.”
Jude gave me a tender kiss before standing to walk out. Once the door clicked closed, Penny sighed. “Wow, you two have really hit it off, haven’t you?”
I glanced at the door, watching Jude disappear onto the beach. “Yes, it’s been very nice.” Nice? Great, I was going to screw this all up. I needed to be sure my word choices were better.
“I can sense you’re a bit nervous, but believe me, this will be painless.
” She smiled, and I relaxed into the couch cushion.
Her pen poised and ready to start writing, she asked, “How has living with a stranger been?”
After I cleared my throat, I replied, “At first, it took a bit to get used to, but once we began understanding and getting to know each other, it’s been great.”
She smiled and jotted down my response. “That’s wonderful. Did you think you’d feel that way when you signed up for this?”
I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me. “No. When I signed up for this, money was my sole motivator.” Penny’s nose crinkled at that reply. “Having feelings for someone wasn’t in my plan.”
“I see, so you had a plan?” She started scribbling in her book.
“Well, initially, I suppose so,” I scoffed. “Finding your true love in six weeks seemed a bit far-fetched. Plus, I really didn’t know about this until a friend of mine told me. I’ve always felt when two people meet, they first get to know each other before diving in with two feet. Never did I imagine being thrust on an island with a stranger would be the way to go.”
More scribbling. “Has your opinion changed?”
Penny’s eyes met mine, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, it has. Jude is a wonderful man, and although my initial reasons for selecting him that night may have been wrong, I now know I made the right decision.”
“I was there that evening, and to be honest, I didn’t understand why you picked him. I would have picked number one. Granted, Jude is a very attractive man, but you couldn’t see him.”
Attractive? The man was a fucking god. “Like I said, I wasn’t looking for my soulmate, I was looking for a means to an end.” More scribbling. I held in a groan as my heart started to race. I was screwing this up. “Look, Penny, my original reasons for picking him don’t matter. What matters is how I feel about him now. Maybe it was fate? Does your company believe in that?” That last part came out a bit snarkier than I intended, but her demeanor was putting me on the defensive.