by A. m Madden
“Don’t tease me, Sparky.”
“Uh huh,” I said, bending to kiss his firm lips with one hand still buried in his hair. In turn, he dug his fingers into my hair, holding the back of my head to manipulate my movements. Jude liked being in charge in bed, and I liked him being in charge.
He pulled my head away. “You brushed your teeth already?”
“Of course,” I said with a shrug. “Don’t you know me by now?” Since moving in with him a few weeks ago, I’ve been getting up earlier to get bathroom time. He thought it was to run through my crazy OCD routine, when in fact, I didn’t want to miss him waking up. That moment his eyes slid open often set forth the fantastic sex we started our day with.
I resumed our kiss, and his hands gripped my hips with each swipe of my tongue along his. He then lifted me until he was able to enter me in one continuous motion, not stopping until his pelvis pressed against mine.
“Feel me, Sparky?”
I nodded slowly, words failing me at that moment. Making love to Jude always caused my brain to malfunction. I often said the stupidest things and then blushed profusely when he’d chuckle and ask me to repeat it. Having his cock deep inside me was as effective as a truth serum administered through my pussy. Once Jude became aware of my eagerness to spill my guts during the throws of passion, he used it to his advantage.
A slow smile spread over his lips when he recognized the phase I had entered. “Love me?”
“No.”
He lifted my hips until he fell free from my body, his penis landing on his tattooed abs with a thump. I tried to push down, but he shook his head. “Love me?”
“I like you a whole lot.”
“That’s not good enough, Sparky.” Why was he so adamant today? Usually he’d ask and move on when I said no. The look on his face and ironclad hold on my hips indicated he wasn’t continuing. “Last chance, Sparky. Love me?”
I paused to stare into his gorgeous eyes. He was everything I wanted. Deep down, he knew it, and so did I. Even I had become frustrated with my stubbornness. We both knew I’d cave into him just like I did when we were on the island. Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, I finally spoke the words he longed to hear and I needed to say. “Jude Soren, I love you more than anything on this earth.”
The most magnificent smile lit up his face as he moved my body back onto his. “Was that so hard to admit, Sparky?” he asked, pulling me over his chest as he began pumping his hips in slow, deliberate thrusts.
I shook my head, but failed to remember the simple two-letter word I needed to say as a response. He flipped us, stealing my control. With one hand buried in my hair, the other held my thigh against his hip. His lips latched around my nipple, and he started my day in the same way he had for the last two months—with a mind-blowing orgasm.
More times than not, I was able to come a second time by the time he got to his first. His stamina marveled me as he tirelessly pumped into me longer than a porn star.
“You know I’m going to marry you one day, right?” He swirled his tongue around my right nipple. “I need you to be mine permanently.” His attention was now on my left breast. “Knowing you belong to me and me to you, makes me hard as steel.” In a swift move, he thrust into me harder than he had been, accentuating his words with his dick. I let out a squeal as my entire body started to throb, pulse, and shiver with each word he spoke. His words coupled with his movements were beyond compare to anything I’d ever experienced. The fact that he loved me and wanted me to have his name created such a sense of purpose. Yes, we belonged together—he knew it and so did I.
A wrinkle formed between his brows and he grunted my name as he came deep inside me. Smoothing it away with my fingertip, I leaned up to place a tender kiss on his lips. “I love you, Jude.”
“I know you do, Sparky. I love you too. Ask me again.”
“Ask you what?”
“Ask me again how I’d propose.”
My heart stopped when I realized what he was referring to. On a nervous swallow, I asked, “Spark number three, how would you propose?”
Releasing my thigh, he slipped his hand under the pillow and pulled out a small black velvet box.
My open-mouthed gape caused him to chuckle. “Every night, I slip this under my pillow, just in case.”
“Seriously? You’re asking me to marry you while you’re still buried deep inside me? We’ll never be able to share the story of our proposal.”
“What better time? I have you right where I want you, and you finally admitted you loved me. Fuck everyone else, it’s none of their business.”
“I guess I should have guessed based on your response to my question the night we met.”
He frowned, trying to remember. “What did I say?”
“We’d fly to Vegas and I’d get your name tattooed on my ring finger, because you didn’t do jewelry. Then Elvis would marry us.”
“I like the real version better. Me buried in you after you finally admitted you loved me. Although, I would love for you to get my name tattooed somewhere on your body.” He kissed me and opened the box with one hand. Pulling the ring from its velvet bed, he held it at the tip of my finger, and asked, “Brae Daniels, will you marry me?”
The brilliant smile on his face and the way his eyes gleamed with joy made my heart overflow with love. “Yes. Jude, I would have married you in St. John.”
“If I hadn’t fucked up, I would have married you too, Sparky.” He skimmed the back of his hand over my cheek. “You know how sorry I am. I most definitely fucked up, and I’ll never fuck up with you again.”
Those words almost meant more to me than his proposal. I nodded, gripped his face in between my hands, and kissed him to the point where he hardened within me. Our connection, both physical and emotional, may have started with a tiny spark, but has since transformed into a raging inferno.
Lifting my hand, I cupped his face. The single, brilliant cut solitaire set in platinum caused tears to instantly swell. It was simple, just like me. “I love this, Jude,” I said, twisting my hand to catch the sunlight filtering in through the window.
He caught my hand and kissed the ring. “I love you.”
Jude
There was something to be said about waking up with the person you were destined to be with. Not wanting to sound like a pussy, but each day was better than the last. The only thing that would make it perfect was if she agreed to come work with me. Not even for me, but with me. God knew she was one hell of a saleswoman and could drum up business, but she emphatically declined each time I made an offer. It didn’t matter what salary I offered her, I’d still get a resounding no. Even Luca tried, but he just said she had a harder head than I did.
Ruth called telling me I had a visitor. She adored Brae and I could tell by the singsong in my assistant’s voice she was the one who wanted to see me. I shuffled some papers around in an attempt to tidy my desk, since that drove her insane, and stacked them in the corner. I’d even offered her a job as my organizer, but she said there wasn’t enough money in the world to pay that salary. The thought made me smile.
“Hey there, handsome.” She looked fabulous in a sleek, navy, long-sleeve dress that looked like it was made for her. Brae’s curves made my blood pump right down to my cock. Fuck. Having her in my office was the biggest turn on. Stocks and watching the ticker used to excite me, but not like the vision standing in front of me.
I raked my eyes up and down her body. From her brown hair, which was pulled into a knot on top of her head, to her come-fuck-me heels. “Don’t you look particularly gorgeous today?”
Her beautiful smile caused my breath to hitch in my throat. “You like?” Brae pivoted slowly, giving me enough time to appreciate her ass before facing me again.
“I like a lot. Not that I didn’t like the way I left you this morning in nothing but my T-shirt.”
A blush crept up her face. I loved that I could do that to her. “Well, thank you. Actually, this might be my lucky dress. Mr
. Graham liked it too. Well, I don’t know if he liked the dress, but he sure liked me.”
Who the fuck was this Graham character? I’ll beat the fuck out of him. Walking toward my desk, she dragged her fingernail along the teak wood before settling herself in front of me, resting her ass on the edge. My hands instinctively went to her hips.
“So, this Mr. Graham, do I have something to be worried about?”
Brae giggled. I’m glad she found my need to want to pummel someone comical. “I don’t think it would be a fair fight considering he’s old enough to be my grandfather.” She lifted herself onto my desk and crossed her legs, making her dress rise, along with my dick. Leaning forward, she said, “I got a job today.”
“What? I didn’t even know you had an interview.” I stood and wrapped my arms around her. “This is so great, Sparky. I knew you could do it. Why didn’t you tell me?”
We released each other and I sat back down so we were closer to being at eye level. “I was tired of getting my hopes up.” She shrugged. “So, I went in thinking I’d be leaving the same way I entered—jobless. But he loved everything I had to offer.”
I raised my brows and she smacked my arms. “Soren, you have a one-track mind. I’ll be selling airtime at a radio station. It’s not far from what I was doing before, but the benefits are so much better, as is the salary.”
“Congratulations. I’m proud of you. I love that you never gave up.”
“You should know better than anyone that I never give up.”
“That’s one of the things I love most about you.” I rolled my chair closer to her, but she stopped my movement when she hopped off the desk and headed for the door. My brows furrowed, wondering where she was going. That’s when I heard her tell Ruth to hold my calls.
Her body was now pressed up against the door she was locking. “Do you have any meetings to get to?”
I shook my head. “Nope, not until after lunch.”
“Mmmm . . . lunch.” She took purposeful strides toward me until she reached where I was sitting. Placing her hands on the arms of my chair, she turned it toward her.
“Are you hungry?”
“Famished.” Brae went down to her knees, causing my dick to jump beneath the fabric of my suit pants. She quickly made work of my belt and the button before I heard the teeth of my zipper lower.
“Sparky, what are you doing?”
She looked up at me with her beautiful chocolate eyes. “If you have to ask, I must be doing it wrong.” Brae grinned before pulling my dick free from my boxers. Holy fuck.
First, her tongue teased my tip swirling around it as if she were eating an ice cream cone in ninety-degree heat. She moved her fist lower on my shaft and took me into her mouth. Her diamond—our diamond—sparkled on her hand as she pumped me.
A hiss escaped me and I pulled the clip from her hair, then watched her sable tresses cascade down her shoulders. My fingers gripped into her soft waves again as she moved her warm mouth up and down my rock hard shaft. Goddamn, this woman was going to make me explode with just a few sucks.
The vibration from her moan sent a bolt of lightning through me. With her hands now resting on my thighs and my fingers threaded through her hair, I scooted forward on my desk chair and began to thrust my hips.
“Sparky, you’re going to make me come.” Her eyes rolled up to meet mine as she smiled around my cock. Rather than slow down, her pace increased. Watching her cheeks hollow with each movement made my balls tighten. That was the moment she grazed her teeth against my skin. “Fuuuuckkkk,” I said as I came in her mouth. I bit down on my lip, not wanting Ruth to unlock the door or anyone else to think they needed to come to my rescue. Brae was my rescuer in more ways than one.
She stood, a proud look on her face as she dragged the pad of her thumb along her bottom lip. With as much confidence as she started with, she tucked me back into my pants after giving the tip of my cock a chaste kiss.
“May I use your bathroom?” I nodded, and she vanished through the door in the corner. When she came back out, her hair was back the way it was, her rosy lipstick was fixed, and she looked even more beautiful than when she entered my office.
Brae picked up her bag from where she set down by the door and flung the strap over her shoulder. “Where are you going?”
“Home. I have laundry to do. Celebrate tonight?”
“But I didn’t get to have my lunch and it looks delicious. Are you going to leave a starving man?” My hand went to my chest. “I’m crushed.”
She snickered. “How about I let you have a midnight snack later?”
“Fuck the snack, I’m having a feast.”
Chapter 30
Jude
Thankfully, Brae agreed to forego José Ponchos and we headed to Dispatch, which was a low-key bar in Midtown. Our friends were meeting us there and we had a lot to celebrate. Brae had been chomping at the bit, and on her fingernails, anxiously waiting to tell her friends about our engagement.
Her excitement coupled with her sexy smile made me want to devour her in the back of the cab. “So, what do you think your friends will say?” I squeezed her hand, which was in mine. “Will they approve? What do you think their reaction will be?”
“Of you?” She grinned, then thought for a brief moment. “Yes, of course they will. Their reactions will be a bit different, though.”
“How so?”
“Well, Cassie, the romantic of the bunch, will want to be our wedding planner. Desiree, the level-headed one—”
“She’s the attorney, right?”
“Yes, the attorney who thought I’d lost my mind the day I signed the Spark contract without reading the fine print—or worse, without consulting her. She will be happy, but will have a ton of questions about the prenup.”
“There isn’t going to be a prenup.” Brae had mentioned this a couple times before—sometimes casually, other times when we were discussing finances.
“Jude.”
“No way, Sparky. What’s mine is yours. A prenup may as well be a declaration that we’re planning to break up. I’m never letting you go, so no.” Every time she brought up that damn legal document, I wanted to scream. “What about Vanessa who keeps calling me Mr. Wrong?”
Brae let out the sweetest laugh. “She’s is your biggest fan and an enabler. I believe her mantra goes something like, ‘fuck ’em before you date ’em.’”
“I like her more already.”
“Of course you do. Vanessa is the last one I’d see tied down. She likes to go out and have fun. Oh, and she loves to embarrass me, so be prepared.”
“Just like Kyle.”
“Well, from what I know about him, they are very much alike. Tell me more about Kyle and Luca.”
“They’re both assholes.”
She laughed, and I smiled, even though it was the truth. The sedan slowed to a stop and I paid the fare before helping her out of the car. “Sparky, before we go in, there are a couple of rules I need to put in place.”
Her eyes went wide and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Oh no.”
Shrugging, I said, “First rule, don’t listen to a thing Kyle or Luca tell you—unless it’s that I’m pussy whipped over you. Second rule, if you’re doubting something either of them says, refer to rule number one.” I gave her a chaste kiss, and before she could question what they could say to cause her doubt, I grabbed her hand and led her inside.
Dispatch was a great bar. A place where people of all ages gathered to watch a game or just unwind with their friends. This bar started out as a hangout for the police and firefighters who protected our city, hence the name. It has evolved into a yuppie hangout. Low murmurs, laughter, and sounds from the TVs mounted on the walls filtered through the dimly lit bar. High-top tables filled the small center space flanked by a long bar on each side.
Spotting my friends, I laced my fingers with Brae’s and walked toward them. Of course, Kyle was hitting on Brae’s friend Vanessa. Maybe if he was trying to impress her, he
’d lay off embarrassing me.
“There’s the man.” Luca stood and gave me a high handshake before pulling me close to bump shoulders.
Vanessa’s face lit up like the fourth of July. “Hi, sweetie!” She pushed me out of the way and hugged Brae.
“Hi, V.”
Her eyes met mine, and she nodded. “Hello, Mr. Wrong.”
“It’s Jude, thanks.” Once the friends broke apart, I asked Brae, “Sparky, what do you want to drink?”
“Sparky, that sounds interesting.” Vanessa interrupted. “Wax play?”
Brae rolled her eyes and ignored her, although that sounded like something we needed to do. “Champagne please.”
Ever since St. John, my girl loved the stuff. Exchanging a private moment, I leaned closer and moaned in her ear, remembering how I drank from her body. Her returning grin almost caused me to drag her back out of the bar and say fuck it to celebrating in public.
As I handed her a filled flute and took my Belvedere, Vanessa told Brae they had a table reserved. After a few steps, Vanessa stopped and turned to look at Kyle. “Aren’t you guys coming?”
Kyle met my eye and grinned. “Yes, we’re coming.” He sniffed after the dark-haired beauty, looking like a dog in heat as his eyes focused on Vanessa’s ass sashaying toward the table. Luca was the last to move, walking behind them while shaking his head.
Once we all sat around the table, Brae reintroduced her friends and I did the same. “Brae, you remember Luca and my ex-friend, Kyle. These two clowns are the ones you’ve heard so much about.” Both said hi. Kyle had that gleam in his eye that meant trouble. And if he were sitting closer to Brae, I’d bet he would’ve leaned over to kiss her.
“Your accents are so worldly. A swede, an Italian,” Vanessa said, pointing to first me, then to Luca. Turning to Kyle with a smirk, she added, “And a . . . ?”
“Canadian.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” The disappointment on her face caused Luca and me to laugh while Kyle frowned. Undeterred by his scowl, she lifted her martini, and asked Brae, “So, how’s the upper east side? Better than pulling on tits, I bet.” Kyle, Luca, and I all choked on our drinks. This girl was a riot.