by R. C. Martin
“We’ll see,” he said, dipping his head to run his lips along my neck.
My eyes fell closed of their own accord as he licked and kissed his way to my bare shoulder. My mouth fell open in a silent cry of longing when I felt his teeth graze my skin.
“God—Judah!”
I pushed him away again, unable to think with him kissing me. Only this time, when his gray eyes found mine, I didn’t see amusement so much as I saw impatience.
“Dates. Lots of dates. Sex not guaranteed,” he muttered. “You got it. I hear everything coming out of your mouth—only, right now, I don’t want there to be any words coming out of your mouth. At least, not ones meant to be understood.”
I was confused. I couldn’t understand how he thought he heard me. Judah—the man who had done a fine job of making it clear his main objective was to take me to bed. While I had, admittedly, gotten lost in what felt like pure intimacy with him, I wasn’t so lost that I forgot whose arms were wrapped around me. No matter how good he felt, it didn’t make sense that he didn’t have a problem with my boundaries.
He was arrogant, I knew; but I thought, surely, there must have been a small part of him that believed what I said. I told him no far more than I told him yes. I couldn’t make sense of his confidence. Then it clicked.
“When was the last time you had sex?” I asked brazenly.
He chuckled, shaking his head at me. “Something tells me you don’t really want to know the answer to that.”
I opened my mouth to argue otherwise, certain the answer would prove the point I was on the verge of making—but then realized he was right. I snapped my mouth closed. So long as I was in his arms, I didn’t want to know about any other woman who had occupied them. I could still feel the excitement he stirred within me—excitement I was convinced he only bestowed upon me. I knew it wasn’t exactly true, but I wanted it to be. If I was going to do whatever it was we were doing, I didn’t want to be one of many. I didn’t want to play by his rules.
“So—you want to spend more time with me? Without sex?”
“I want to spend more time with you—with sex. But I’m a man who can respect your boundaries.”
“So, you want to date me?”
“Teddy,” he groaned, pressing his forehead to mine. “Right now, I just want to kiss you. I was enjoying that a great deal.”
I fought a smile, thrilled he liked kissing me as much as I liked kissing him. The thought of kissing him more made my whole body warm and tingly with want. Except, I had found my clarity. What I was willing to offer him, it wasn’t meaningless. Not to me. The version of myself who told him no over and over again—she was still inside of me. I couldn’t ignore her. Yet, I couldn’t ignore the way Judah made me feel, either.
Live a little, Teddy, I heard Geoffrey in my head. You might like it, he said.
Turned out, he was right.
“Go one week without sex,” I stated. Judah furrowed his brow at me. I nodded once, certain that was what I wanted. “I know it might seem stupid to you, but go one week without having sex with anyone, and I’ll go out with you.”
“I’m not an animal,” he deadpanned. “I can keep it in my pants.”
“Then it should be no problem, right?” I asked, toying with the collar of his sweater.
He studied me for a moment and then asked, “Why? Why should I do this for you?”
“Because I like kissing you, too,” I whispered. Then, still cocooned in the safety of the transparency we managed to create, I confessed, “I don’t—date. At least, I haven’t in a long time. If I’m going to do this with you, I have to be able to trust you.”
His eyes danced around my face contemplatively, and I wondered if the moment had finally arrived—the moment when he would tell me no, and the wonder of our evening would be shattered in a single syllable. But then he nodded and leaned into me. He brought his lips so close to mine, I could practically taste him.
“Can I kiss you now?”
He didn’t give me a chance to answer. His mouth was pressed against mine before I could even think of a reply. Then his tongue was in my mouth, and my entire body relented.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Judah drew in a deep breath upon waking. When he opened his eyes, he turned his head to look out of the large windows to his left. He rarely closed the curtains, appreciative of the sun’s wake-up call on those mornings when there was no place in particular for him to be. He could tell, by the light pouring into his bedroom, he’d barely missed the tail end of dawn. Picking up his phone from his nightstand, he saw it was only a few minutes after seven. With a sigh, he discarded the device and raked his fingers through his hair. As he stretched and glanced to his right, he remembered he was not in bed alone.
Teddy was still sleeping. Her face was turned away from him, but he didn’t need to see her in order to recall her details. He didn’t need to taste her in order for his body to grow excited at the thought of her. The residual effects of sleep still clinging to him, his body relaxed and at the mercy of his dream state, his penis grew stiff as his mind replayed the most intimate parts of their previous evening.
She was a phenomenal kisser. Experience had proven her full, sweetheart lips were as delectable as Judah imagined they would be. Though, it was the woman herself which captivated him most of all. He kissed her until their lips were chapped and swollen; until his crotch grew painfully uncomfortable with desire.
For half the night, he tasted and felt; he took, and she gave; he teased, and she resisted. To his great surprise, when he could take no more, Judah felt lightheaded—intoxicated by Teddy’s essence, rather than frustrated by her refusal to succumb to his prowess. He was taken aback by the reality of the truth. He had been bested by her, and yet he did not feel defeated. Judah felt enticed to the greatest degree. It was the only way he could explain her, in his bed, fully clothed. It was the only way he could justify why it was he agreed to her terms.
No sex for seven days.
He meant what he told her. He wasn’t an animal. Judah was capable of self-control. Furthermore, his standards were as notable as his sexual appetite. While a week without sex wasn’t preferable, he had survived longer. Also, there was something about the nature of her challenge which made her that much more prize worthy. He was without a doubt she would be worth the wait.
Still very much aware of his hard-on, he reached over and carefully tugged at the sheets covering her body. An incredulous expression played at the corner of his mouth when he saw all his clothes were still doing a fine job of covering just about every inch of her. He longed for a peek; yet even in slumber, she denied him. Chuckling softly to himself, he thought of his brother. He was sure if he told Benjamin a woman had slept in his bed—fully clothed—he would have laughed and accused him of lying.
Hell, if I wasn’t here to see it with my own eyes, I’d probably respond the same way.
He thought back to how he placed her into the spot which she still occupied. After kissing her until he could take no more, he poured her another glass of wine and insisted she finish it while he cleaned up their dinner mess. She protested, arguing it was she who should have been responsible for the dishes, but he would hear nothing of the sort. What he needed, more than her manners, was a distraction—an activity that would allow his erection to deflate. By the time he was finished cleaning up, she was asleep on the couch. She hadn’t stirred a bit when he scooped her up and tucked her in.
Well aware Teddy would not help rid him of his current erection any more than she did the previous evening, Judah got out of bed in search of another distraction. Without bothering to don any additional clothing, he exited his bedroom and headed for the kitchen. He brewed himself a single mug of coffee and then made his way back down the stairs. He had every intention of entering his office, but then paused at the entrance of his bedroom.
Teddy’s long, vibrant red hair was everywhere—fanned across his pillow. As he admired her, he realized he had been right. She was an
exceptionally welcome beauty in his bed. Yet, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, it pleased him to leave her just as she was. He did not wish to wake her. He was in no rush to escort her out his front door. Rather, he relished in what felt like an odd form of victory.
He hadn’t, nor would he ever have planned the circumstances which brought the both of them into the scenario in which they were found. Yet, in her hour of need, she called him. Twelve hours later, she in his bed—fully clothed or not—tasted like a win.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I woke with a start, immediately aware I was not in my own room. Pushing myself upright, I took in my surroundings. Gray walls, much like the gray eyes of the man who designed the space; a wall of windows, which allowed morning’s sun to pour into the room; and an unbelievably comfortable bed beneath me.
A bed I didn’t remember climbing into.
Burying my fingers into my hair, I stared at the empty space next to me. The covers were askew, as if someone had recently vacated the spot. I blinked, but the sheets appeared just as wrinkled when I opened my eyes.
Holy shit. Did I share a bed with Judah last night?
Even though I was obviously alone, I gathered the sheets in my lap and pulled them up over my chest as I tried to piece together the end of the previous evening. I only consumed a couple glasses of wine. I was sure I didn’t have enough to get drunk. Though, I remember feeling far from sober. It wasn’t a drink that made me feel high, either—but a man.
I lifted the sheet in my hands higher, until the smile I wore was hidden. The giggle that tickled my throat wasn’t as easily concealed. Neither could I deny the giddiness that flitted about in my belly as I remembered Judah’s kisses. He made-out with me until I forgot everything other than my own name.
I replayed the night in reverse, wishing to remember every moment—and then it hit me. My smile fell, and I dropped my hands into my lap as I looked out the window again. Only this time, it wasn’t the beauty of the sun shining into his room I noticed, but the amount of sun. I had no idea what time it was, but I felt certain I had overstayed my welcome.
Abandoning all thoughts of how I managed to find my way into Judah’s bed, I was quick to scurry out of it as I headed for his bathroom. One look in the mirror was all I required to convince me I needed to do something about the crazy mess on my head. It took me a few minutes, but I managed to finger-comb my thick, tangled waves onto one shoulder before I weaved them into a loose side braid. After I secured it with my hair tie, I turned to grab my clothes. I stopped short when I saw they were gone. A pathetic whine squeaked out of me as I stared at the empty hook. Suddenly, I felt pathetically in need of coffee and my underwear.
It only took me a second to conclude that if I found Judah, there was a chance he might offer me the former and have an explanation as to why I couldn’t locate the latter. As I made my way out of his bedroom, I tried not to freak out about the fact that he’d seen my extremely unsexy bra and panty set. When I reached the hallway, I paused to listen for a moment, unsure where he might have been. I heard nothing but decided to check his office first.
My breath caught in my throat when I found him, sitting behind his desk with no shirt on. For a second, I was distracted once more, curious how I managed to miss all of that before I fell asleep. The wall of muscle I felt beneath his shirt when I was in his arms was exactly that—abs for days, pecs covered in the thinnest bit of dark hair—all of it sexy and distracting. Incredibly, breathtakingly distracting. Then, of course, there were his arms to consider. And his legs. His long, lean, bare legs on display underneath his desk.
God, Geoffrey’s going to kill me when I tell him I shared a bed with this man and don’t remember a single moment of it, I thought to myself forlornly.
When Judah looked away from his computer screen and over at me, all I could manage was a nervous smile. I wished I could think of something clever or witty, but I had nothing. He was too good looking. Too naked.
“Good morning,” he murmured, breaking the silence.
“Hi.”
I noted the amusement in his gaze as he told me, “You are welcome to come in, Teddy.”
“Um, actually,” I started to say, taking a single step into the room. “I was wondering if you knew where my clothes went?”
“Ah. I put them in with my dry cleaning. I’ll have them returned to you within the week.”
“Oh.”
I spoke the word, and my mouth froze in its shape. I had lost my words. Again.
“You—I—I wasn’t, I mean, you didn’t—”
“It’s no trouble,” he said before I could figure out what I was trying to say.
“Uh…thank you?”
I sighed and covered my eyes with my hands. It was appalling, given the evening we shared, how I was still so incapable of sounding more intelligent than a stuttering fool when I spoke to him before coffee.
I dropped my hands and pointed at his mug. “By any chance, could I get one of those?” No sooner had the words passed through my lips, than I gathered my fingers into a fist and brought it to my chest as I muttered, “Unless you need me to leave. Shit. I’m sorry. Should I get my things?”
Judah chuckled softly as he stood. The combination of that sound and the sight of his body—covered only by a pair of black boxer briefs—was more than I could handle all at once. I averted my eyes from him and attempted to distract myself with the finer details of his office. For obvious reasons, I failed miserably in my efforts. I felt his approach from the crown of my head all the way down to the tips of my toes.
“There’s time for coffee.”
He stopped when he was standing directly beside me. As I stared at his feet, I had to fight the amusement derived from the irony of our position. It was quite incredible how far we had come since the first time I laid eyes on him. I was too afraid to look into his eyes that afternoon in the gallery, and yet I found myself standing beside the man whilst he was only in his underwear.
When I finally peeked up at him, he offered me a lopsided smile before he leaned down and planted a solid kiss on my lips. Then, still close enough for me to feel his breath, he whispered, “There’s always time for coffee.”
I followed after him as he exited the room, not even bothering to hide my grin. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t chance a glance at his ass on our way to the kitchen, but I did my best not to stare. While he made me a cup of coffee, he asked if I was hungry, but I declined even the thought of breakfast. His genteel hospitality had far exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t ask him for another thing. Well, other than a ride.
As I enjoyed my morning brew, which was delicious and reviving in every way, Judah excused himself to get dressed. When he returned, in a pair of fitted tan khakis, a snug black polo, and a crisp, white set of casual shoes, I gaped at him. Not even my coffee could help me explain how he managed to look just as sexy dressed as he did when was practically naked.
I forced down the last sip of my coffee when I noticed he brought with him my yellow heels and my purse. I was quick to take both. After I slipped into my shoes and looked down at myself, all I could do was hope and pray nobody other than Geoffrey caught a glimpse of me in such a state.
“I’m practically a PSA announcement, showcasing how real the walk of shame is,” I mumbled.
Judah laughed, and the sound made me look at him. His smile, coupled with the scruff which had accumulated on his face overnight, only made me feel more disheveled.
“I’m sure you don’t know the meaning of shame. I look forward to teaching you,” he teased with a wink. He then jingled his keys in his pocket and nodded toward the stairs. “Ready?”
I ignored his implication, and the way it made me feel, before I murmured my reply. We were in his Porsche and easing out of his driveaway not five minutes later. As I gave him directions to Geoffrey’s place, we didn’t talk much, but I didn’t mind. Traffic was light, and we arrived at our destination at ten a.m. on the dot.
“Thank
you. For everything,” I said, my hand poised on the door handle. “You don’t have to wait. I’m sure Geoff is home, and he’ll take me to my car.”
“Very well,” he replied with a dip of his chin. I offered him a smile in farewell and opened the door to step out. Before both feet were on the pavement, he added, “I haven’t forgotten our agreement.” I studied him from over my shoulder, and he went on to clarify, “I’ve already got one day under my belt, as you know I didn’t have sex with anyone last night. Six more days, and then you’re mine for another evening.”
My smile grew. There was something about hearing him speak his promise that reminded me the night before had been more than a dream.
“It’s a date,” I said.
After I stepped out of his vehicle, I was quick to hurry inside. I hadn’t forgotten just how ridiculous I looked. Thankfully, I didn’t run into anyone as I ascended to the fourth floor of Geoffrey’s building. However, that didn’t stop me from anxiously looking both ways down the hall as I rapped my knuckles against Geoffrey’s door. When I heard a string of expletives coming from the other side, I frowned in confusion. I waited only seconds before the deadbolt was released and the door swung open.
“Jesus, Theodora! Where the hell have you been?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but as my Viking pulled me into his arms, he squeezed all the air out of me.
“I swear to god, I was ten minutes away from filing a fucking missing person’s report. Andy and I have been trying to reach you since last night. You scared the shit out of me. What the fuck happened? Are you okay?”
Wrapping my arms around him, I relaxed in his hold. I breathed him in, comforted by his worry. It was during such moments I was reminded how my circle of friends might have been small, but it was made up of the best people imaginable. They looked out for me and loved me in all the ways I needed.