Finding Mr. Wrong

by A. m Madden

  My face millimeters from his, I said, “Get the fuck out of here. If I see you even looking in our direction, I’ll finish what I started. Do I make myself clear?” I shoved him back, knocking him into the waitress who was bringing us our lunch, which was now on the sidewalk. Well, this turned into a complete cluster-fuck.

  Brae shot out of her chair at the sound of the plates crashing to the ground. Her hands held my face until my gaze focused on her. “Jude, ignore him.” She looked at me with glistening eyes and pressed her lips against mine.

  Once we separated, I helped our waitress pick up the evidence of my fury. “I’m so sorry. Let me clean this up. Can you please just bring us our check?”

  Another waiter came out and started to help. I felt like an asshole, but what the fuck was with that guy? All I could think about was what if he pressed charges. I’d be in jail in a foreign country. However, no one seemed to be upset, as if this were a daily occurrence—either that or islanders were naturally calm people.

  A portly man came outside. “Sir, we’d be happy to bring you a new order.” When I looked around, the other patrons were going about their business, totally ignoring what just went down.

  I took Brae’s hand in mine before pulling her close to me. “I’m so sorry for ruining our lunch. What do you want to do?”

  She craned her head back to look at me before kissing me, but this time, without abandon. Her fingers fisted my hair, pulling me as close to her as possible. My hands were firm on her back. Finally breaking the kiss, I looked down at her, only to see her smiling.

  “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever witnessed.” She picked up my right hand in hers and kissed my red knuckles. “And I’m still hungry.”

  I asked the waiter to bring us a new order. Annoyance still coursed through me. Brae placed her hand over my clenched fist resting on the table. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of our day.” She looked up at the sky. “I love it here. The sun is always shining.”

  I knew what she was doing, and it worked. My entire body felt relaxed by the time our meals were set in front of us.

  We finished our lunch without further incident and although they comped our check, I left the waitress a hundred-dollar tip.

  Brae and I continued our excursion, tasting frozen mango ice at a local stand before heading into a souvenir shop. I bought us both T-shirts that said, “Keep Calm and Enjoy the Island.” Naturally, Brae picked them out, finding it to be appropriate attire—especially for me.

  I had a feeling Brae wasn’t going to part with her spending money. The woman was as frugal as they came. We walked in and out of galleries and shops until my feet started to ache.

  It was almost time for us to head back when we turned down a street off the beaten path. It was much different than the colorful one we’d been on. Brae spotted a building that looked out of place, the sign in front claiming it was an orphanage. Kids were playing in a broken-down playground on the side of the building. The swing set looked rusted and as old as I was—definitely not safe.

  She walked toward the fence surrounding the play yard and just watched the kids. “This is so sad. They don’t have parents.”

  An older woman walked up to where we were. “Do you kids need directions?”

  Brae shook her head. “No. Do all of these children live here?”

  The woman smiled. “Yes. But these are only half of them.” We both looked at the building, which didn’t look much bigger than the house we were staying in.

  “How many kids live here?” Brae asked without taking her eyes off the little girls playing with old dolls in a sandbox.

  “Right now, there are twenty-seven. They range from four years old to sixteen. Once they become adults, they can leave. Unless, of course, they’re adopted, but that’s very rare with older children.”

  I watched Brae as she worked down a swallow while fighting back tears. “Do you take donations?”

  The woman smiled. “We rely on them. As you can see, we don’t spend what we have on entertainment items. Since our funds are limited, we use it for food and medical supplies.”

  Brae reached into her small handbag, took out the envelope containing the spending money we were given, and slid it between the bars of the fence. “Here, this is for you.”

  The woman looked at me before taking the envelope from Brae. When she looked inside, her eyes went as wide as the sun. “Sweetie, this is too generous.”

  Reaching through the fence, Brae placed her hand on the woman’s. “No, it’s not. I wish I could do more. Thank you for taking care of these children. Family is very important to me, and it breaks my heart that they don’t have any.”

  I put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. My girl was the best. Before we left, I reached into my wallet and pulled out a wad of bills. Without bothering to count it, I handed them, along with my business card, to the lady. Both women gasped. “Please use this to buy new playground equipment. If it isn’t enough, call that number on the card. I’ll be back in the office in a few weeks. My name is Jude, and this is my girlfriend, Brae.”

  “I’m Virginia, and thank you both from the bottom of my heart. May God bless you.” A bell sounded from inside. “I need to get the kids inside. The little ones need naps.”

  We headed back to where our ride was going to pick us up. “You’re an amazing woman, do you know that?”

  “You’re pretty amazing yourself.” She rolled up on her toes and kissed me. “How much money did you give her?”

  “I’m not exactly sure, but it doesn’t matter.”

  Brae’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “Wow, what’s that like?”

  “What’s what like?”

  The Jeep pulled up. “Not having to worry about money? That’s all I seem to worry about. It’s been my sole focus for years.”

  Just hearing her admit that after she made the donation proved she was someone special and different from the rest.

  “Money isn’t everything.” I now knew that for a fact. Opening the door to the Jeep, I added, “Hop in, Sparky. I have a date with your ponytail.”

  Chapter 22

  Brae

  Barreling into our island home, I couldn’t keep my hands off Jude or the burning need to rip his clothes off. His alpha male display at lunch coupled with his large, carefree donation made him sexier than he already was—something I didn’t think was possible.

  Our lips were fused together, forcing our bodies to angle away from each other in order to take off our clothes. We broke our connection for all of five seconds for Jude to lift my dress. Braless, my boobs sprang free and Jude pounced. We ravished each other, practically panting out our desires.

  “I need you so bad, Sparky.” He toed off his shoes while palming my breasts.

  “Jude, you have no idea what you did to me today. My panties are soaked.”

  “Holy fuck,” he growled before placing his hand between my legs to confirm my statement. “Jesus Christ.” He pushed aside the cotton and slid a finger inside me. “All mine. You understand. This is all for me.”

  “Just you.” Without much grace, I unbuttoned his shorts and shoved them down his legs. He kicked them off to the side, and in a swift move, I wrapped my hand around his considerable length over the cotton of his boxers, which were the next item of clothing to hit the floor.

  I heard fabric ripping and felt a tug on my hips as I watched what was one of my favorite thongs fall to the floor.

  “Hey, I liked those.” I pouted.

  “I’ll buy you a dozen more—and more after that. I intend to rip your clothes off you on a daily basis.”

  His finger continued to move in and out of me as my hand stroked him up and down. My thumb rolled over his engorged tip, finding a delightful bead of wetness there. Remembering how good he tasted, I almost went to my knees, but Jude lifted me up until I felt my back hit the mattress. All the while, his fingers never stopped teasing me.

  Those damn stars on his body were like beacons. Every ridge of hi
s torso combined with the most delectable happy trail was too much for me. I needed to touch him. Reluctantly, I released his stiff shaft from my grip and ran my fingers over his abs, memorizing every dip and valley before resuming my place on his dick.

  Jude hissed. “I need to be inside you.”

  “I’m on the pill. I have no idea why I blurted that out. Not that it isn’t true, I just didn’t want anything between us. Technically, we’ll be married soon and foregoing protection would be inevitable . . . oh my God.” His eyes widened as I babbled. “I just meant I’m clean, I promise. I was tested.”

  “I’ve never gone without one. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  Mortified at my forwardness, but not enough to stop, I dropped my knees to each side in invitation, and simply said, “Yes.”

  “Sparky, you surprise me at every turn . . . and I love that you do.” Jude held himself, dragging his tip up and down my wetness with one hand while wrapping my ponytail around his other to keep my head still. “I need to see you when I’m inside you. Keep your eyes on me.”

  Just as he started to slip in, there was a knock on the door. Both of our eyes cut to where the annoying sound originated, but when it stopped, we resumed where we left off. Again, the knock sounded, and then again, louder.

  “Go away!” Jude yelled from the bed, making his dick bob and me laugh.

  Clearly, the person was on a mission because the knocking never ceased—it just got louder and more determined.

  Jude got up and grabbed the sheet to wrap it around his waist, leaving me completely bare. Scrambling toward the quilt, I wrapped it around me in a makeshift dress and huffed. It wasn’t as though we lived in a house with many doors.

  He flung the door open. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  Upon hearing Jude’s angry words, I rushed beside him to see the man from lunch . . . although, now he had a swollen lip and bruised jaw. I hoped he wasn’t here to press charges. The man looked at Jude, then me.

  Jude pushed me behind him. “Are you that stupid? Did you come back for more? Do you have some sort of death wish?” Even wrapped in a sheet, Jude was ready to fight. When he took a step forward, the sheet dipped in the back, exposing the top of his ass. I probably should have been focused on the fact that Jude was ready to beat the shit out of this stranger rather than his ass, but he had a great ass.

  The man put his hands up in surrender. In one hand, he had an envelope with the Ignite Your Spark logo on it. “I’m Toby, and I work with Chip and Barbi. My job is to gauge couples’ reactions when their union is tested. I’m pleased to announced you both passed.” His words came out rapid fire, most likely to thwart any move Jude was ready to make.

  “Both?” I stepped out from behind Jude, clutching the quilt to my chest. “What do you mean, both? Wait, that’s how you knew my name?”

  “Yes. When I sat down with you, never once did you give me any indication that I stood a chance. All you said was you were with your boyfriend and I was in his chair.” He looked at Jude. “And we don’t need to discuss your reaction.”

  Jude ran his free hand through his hair. “You mean to tell me you go around hitting on other guy’s women for a living?”

  “The point is, you both passed with flying colors. This is for you.” He handed Jude the envelope. “Have a good rest of your day, and I’m sorry if I interrupted.”

  Toby closed the door and I started laughing. “If he interrupted?”

  “Can you believe that guy?” Jude was clearly frustrated. Once again, he ran his hand through his sexy as fuck hair.

  “Jude?” I dropped the quilt just as he turned to look at me. “Where were we?”

  “Fuck,” he said, releasing the envelope and letting it float to the floor.

  In a flash, he dropped his sheet, scooped me up, and sat me on the kitchen table. This wasn’t exactly where we were, but I liked where this was going.

  He pushed my bent knees apart, sat in a chair, and lowered his head. A mewl escaped me as his tongue met the hardened bud between my legs. The rough scruff on his face scratched the insides of my thighs in the most delicious way.

  “You are the best meal I’ve had on this table.” Jude licked, nipped, and sucked until my entire body began to quiver.

  “God . . . yes!”

  “That’s right, babe, let it go.” Jude thrust two fingers inside me, curling them just enough to hit my hot button . . . and I came. Before I could come down from my climax, he carried me to the bed and positioned us just as we had been before the interruption. “You’re sure about this, right?”

  “Get inside me. Please, for the love of everything holy, I need to feel you—all of you.”

  Jude

  Resuming my position, her head nestled between my hands, my body between her legs, I looked into her eyes as I slid inside her. It wasn’t a hard, quick thrust. No, this I needed to savor. Skin on skin, heat on steel, the way she molded around my cock sent a surge of electricity down my spine and into my balls.

  Buried deep inside Brae without anything between us was heaven on earth. Her breath hitched as I started to move. She wrapped her legs around my waist, giving me even deeper access.

  “Fuck, you feel fantastic.” Her eyes glistened at my words. She tilted her head back as I thrust forward. My hand moved down to cup her ass, squeezing as we both moved simultaneously. I kissed her without abandon. Our tongues mimicked the movements of our hips.

  Not wanting this to end, I flipped us around so she was straddling me. Looking up at this woman, I felt as though I’d known her all my life. In reality, I hadn’t even known her for a month.

  “Mmmm . . . Jude . . .” She arched her back as she slid up and down my cock. My hands instinctively grabbed her tits while she teased my balls with the tips of her fingernails.

  I began to massage her clit with my thumb, applying just a bit more pressure each time she moved forward. Every time I did that, she rubbed my balls. I wasn’t going to last. I needed to come inside her. The exquisite feel of her tightening around me and the way she said my name, over and over again like a chant, caused spots that looked like fireflies to flutter under my closed eyelids.

  Before I came, I looked up at her. Noticing her eyes were closed as well, I instructed her to open them. When she did, they locked with mine.

  “Brae, don’t stop looking at me.” She nodded. My hands gripped her hips. Doing my best to keep my eyes pinned to hers, I felt her tremble and came harder and deeper than I ever had in my life.

  I made us a simple dinner, then we moved outside to relax in the hammock, her head nestled in the crook of my shoulder. “Remember how we fought over this when we first got here?” Brae’s sweet voice made me smile.

  “Yeah, when you fell on your ass?” Chuckling at her pout, I placed a quick kiss on her lips. “That seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it?” I stroked her arm with the tips of my fingers, relishing in the softness of her skin.

  “Yes, it does. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve known you forever, and other times, I don’t feel like I know you at all.”

  I smiled. She felt the same way I did. “What do you want to know, Sparky?”

  She turned to look at me. “How old are you?”

  “How old do you think I am?” I smirked at her, but she just cocked a brow. “I just turned thirty on December nineteenth. How old are you?”

  “I’ll be twenty-seven on June ninth.”

  “Ahhh, you’re a baby.” I beamed at her. “Okay, what else?”

  “You’ve told me a little about your family, tell me about your business.”

  Just thinking about my business stressed me out. Not having been there for so long and being without contact was driving me insane. “I own a financial company. When I was at Yale, I’d watch the market and invest money for myself and friends. It became a game. Some of the fraternity guys would play poker and I’d play the market. When they realized I wasn’t losing money like they were, they would give me their money to invest. I�
��d take a small commission and it became quite lucrative. Luca and Kyle, who you met the night I met you, acted like my salesmen. They’d spread the word and drum up business.” I let out a laugh.

  Brae’s eyebrows lowered. “Why is that funny?”

  “Because Kyle being Kyle would concentrate on the sororities and female population who had zero interest in investing. And he had more interest in sleeping with them, so he basically sucked at his job. Luca, on the other hand, focused on the technical and business majors. They saw the long-term potential, and some are still my best clients.”

  “Kyle sounds like he’d get along with my friend Vanessa. I’m sure that’s what she would do too. Well, not the sororities, but she’d hit up the football team.”

  “I’m sure they’d get along famously, for a night or two.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Fucking Kyle.

  “Isn’t he dating Shelly?”

  “The chick who got you involved in all of this? I highly doubt they’re still together. Kyle doesn’t do girlfriends.”

  The sun started to set and we walked to the beach, not wanting to miss it. Naturally, I had a large towel in my hand for Brae to sit on. God forbid she got sand on her ass.

  “From what I remember, you don’t do girlfriends either.” Brae nudged me with her shoulder.

  “Correction, I didn’t do girlfriends.” Not wanting to dredge up my past, I continued with my story. “Anyway, Luca still works for me. He’s holding down the fort while I’m gone.”

  “Luca works with you?” she asked, surprised.

  “Yes. He’s one of my right-hand men. I trust him implicitly.”

  Brae nodded, but otherwise didn’t respond. When she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them into her chest, I wondered what went through her mind. Her eyes studied the pink and orange sky as the sun lowered out of sight. “I love it here,” she said, changing the subject.

  “What about you? I know you’re unemployed, but what is it you want to do?”