Fool for Him (Foolish at Heart Book 1)

by R. C. Martin

  More than anything, I wanted him to set me free.

  “Don’t stop,” I repeated, my voice so soft even I could barely hear me.

  He pushed until his arms were fully extended, then he bent down and helped me step out of the scrap of fabric. On his way back up, he skimmed his hands along the back of my thighs. I gasped when he took hold of my backside and set me on the table. I tried to relax as he brought his lips to mine.

  He kissed me once and then asked aloud, “Do you trust me?”

  I nodded, and he brushed his lips against mine again.

  “Lay down, sweetheart.”

  I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, my chest filled with a sensation I couldn’t name at his term of endearment. Whatever it was, it gave me the courage to obey. As I reclined, Judah sat and then lowered his face between my legs. I couldn’t look at him, my mind buzzing with my insecurities and nerves. I wondered what I smelled like to him. I questioned if I had too much hair down there, or maybe not enough. Then his tongue was on me, and all my questions evaporated.

  He was gentle at first—going slow as he tasted from my entrance to my clit. He swirled his tongue around my bundle of nerves, then journeyed back to my entrance. It felt nice; and just as I had told him, I didn’t want him to stop. I spread my legs wider for him, and that’s when his tempo changed. Soon, he was devouring me in the best possible way. I could hardly catch my breath as a warmth within me began to burn in a way I’d never felt in my whole life.

  “Jude,” I moaned, reaching down to sink my fingers into his hair.

  I needed to touch him. I needed to hold onto him. He made me feel like I was floating, and I’d drift away entirely if I didn’t have him to keep me in place. He groaned in response, sucking on my clit, and my orgasm overtook me. I cried out, squirming beneath him until my pleasure subsided.

  My hands fell away from Judah’s hair as he stood to his feet and leaned over me. He grazed his nose along mine, then licked my lips before kissing me hard. I could feel his erection pressed against my center, and I wanted to give him something in return. I was falling for him. There was no doubt—and with that feeling came a yearning to offer him what I felt ready to give.

  I wasn’t naïve enough to believe I knew how to please him. Not really. But something told me if I tried, he’d help me. I reached down and gripped him through his shorts. He grunted, kissing me harder, and I knew I couldn’t stop. When I let him go only to slip my fingers beneath his shorts and into his underwear, he pulled his lips from mine abruptly.

  Speaking direct into my ear, his voice rumbly and low, he muttered, “Fuck.”

  I wrapped my hand around his length and grazed my thumb across the head of his dick, and his whole body jerked.

  “That feels good, Teddy,” he murmured encouragingly.

  He rocked his hips, and his desire excited me. To know I was the one responsible for the sizable erection in my hand made me feel adored. Reaching down with my other hand, I created a sort of glove for him, and he gently tugged my earlobe between his teeth as he sought the friction of my hands.

  “Tighter, sweetheart,” he instructed as his hips rocked faster.

  I did as I was told, and then Judah buried his face in my neck. He reached around me and palmed one cheek of my naked backside as he chased his release. I could feel each short exhalation of breath against my skin, and I grew more aroused at the feel of his penis as it grew even harder the closer he got to his climax.

  His entire body locked up when he came, spilling his seed onto his t-shirt below my belly. A little spilled out onto my top hand, and I wondered what he tasted like. I wasn’t nearly bold enough to find out. Instead, I laid frozen beneath him—my hands still holding his dick as it began to soften. It took him a second, but he lifted his head the same time he reached down and signaled for me to let him go.

  I didn’t see him cover up, but I knew when he was finished. He kissed me once, pulled away, and then repeated the act. When he pulled away the second time, he looked down at me, and we stared at each over for a moment. I wondered what he was thinking, but I didn’t want to ask. I didn’t want to ruin whatever it was we had created in that space of time—wrapped in the silent aftermath of passion shared.

  Finally, he asked, “Do you want coffee?”

  This made me smile. It wasn’t at all what I expected him to say, but it was perfect, nonetheless.

  Nodding, I murmured, “Please. Will you make me a cappuccino?”

  “Yes,” he answered without pause.

  He lifted himself upright, and offered me a hand, in order to assist me off the table. I gave him my clean one, discreetly wiping the other on the side of his t-shirt. As I slid over the edge of the table and landed on my feet, I heard the rustling of paper. I peeked over my shoulder, only mildly curious, and then froze at what I saw.

  “What—what is this?”

  “A blueprint.”

  I frowned at him, silently pleading for more. I wasn’t blind.

  Picking up on my cues, he told me, “Sometimes it’s easier for me to start my design here, with the skeleton of the room.”

  A sigh of defeat passed through my lips as I glanced at the ruined print out. Near the edge, where he’d placed me, was evidence of my arousal. While I could honestly admit I wasn’t embarrassed at the way my body responded to his—seeing it in such an inappropriate place made me feel a little guilty.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he chuckled. I fixed my gaze on him just as he leaned down to press a kiss to my temple. Then, before he pulled away, he reached down and palmed my ass as he muttered, “I’m not sorry, and you shouldn’t be either.”

  He kissed me again, then gently squeezed my naked butt cheek. As if he thought it required no more discussion, he left me where I stood and headed for the kitchen. I watched him go, transfixed by how much confidence he exuded in the most casual manner. I could tell, with every move he made, he meant what he said—down to the center of his being.

  He wasn’t sorry.

  He wanted me, so he had me, and it was simple as that.

  Biting my lip, I fought a burgeoning expression of bliss as I picked up my panties from the floor. When I was standing at full height again, I glanced down at his t-shirt draped over my body. The giggle that bubbled out of me at the sight of his release stain on the fabric wouldn’t be squelched.

  “What’s funny?” Judah asked, his tone laced in genuine curiosity.

  My head jerked in his direction, and I suppressed my smile and shook my head at him. “Nothing. I’m going to go change. I’ll be right back.”

  I hurried for the stairs, my panties still clutched in my hand, and my heart as light as a feather. The truth was, I wasn’t sorry either. I wasn’t sorry, at all.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Sunday morning, Judah woke up in bed alone with a longing he hadn’t known the previous dawn. Upon opening his eyes, he thought of the reason why. He pictured the woman in his mind. He remembered her kiss; the way it felt to have her hands touch him; how easy it was for him to climax, and the sound of her giggle when it was all said and done.

  He sighed, but it wasn’t relief he felt. He wanted more. He wanted Teddy—and he wanted all of her.

  Judah had gone farther with the woman than he intended to go. She started as a dalliance and morphed into a conquest. Yet, before he got her in bed, he found himself offering her exclusivity. That had not been his plan. That had never been his plan, and yet another weekend was in the books with only one woman having occupied his bed—and she had done so practically fully clothed.

  Unique as Theodora Fitzpatrick was, Judah still maintained he was no fool. What they had came with an expiration date—such romantic entanglements always did. Yet, knowing that didn’t stop him from appreciating what existed between them. While he wasn’t foolish, he was far from cold. When he considered the woman he was chasing, he accepted the caliber of her person. Furthermore, he respected it and the responsibility that came along with their arrangement
.

  Judah got out of bed and headed for the shower. As he bathed, an idea started to develop in the back of his mind. Ten minutes later, wrapped in only a towel, he went to grab his phone from his nightstand. He didn’t bother to take note of the time before he dialed his brother.

  “Hello?” he answered on the third ring.

  “Hey, are you busy?”

  “Yeah, but I can give you a minute. What’s up?”

  Casually strolling toward his office, Judah asked, “What can you tell me about Theodora Day?”

  “Wait a minute,” Benjamin started on a laugh. “Are you not the boyfriend of the woman for whom the day was dubbed?”

  “She’s not my girlfriend,” muttered Judah, not the slightest bit amused.

  “When’s the last time you bought another woman a drink, Jude?”

  Judah combatted the fact that he’d had the very same thought not even a half an hour prior. It wasn’t a reality he wished to address with Benjamin. He called with very specific intentions, and he didn’t appreciate being derailed.

  “That’s beside the point. Are you going to answer my question or not?”

  “All right, all right. Look, I don’t know much, outside of the fact that I’m working my ass off this weekend so I can be ahead for the week in order to make it in time for Thursday night’s festivities.”

  Surprised by the news, Judah furrowed his brow and sat behind his desk. “You’re going?”

  “You’re not?”

  He tried not to sound defensive as he replied, “That has yet to be determined.”

  “She’s your girlfriend, how could you not go?”

  “She’s not my girlfriend, and I wasn’t exactly invited.”

  Judah thought back a few nights, when he met Teddy and her friends at The Tap Room. He remembered their reaction upon learning he was ignorant of her birthday, along with Teddy’s timid invite. He was sure she was uncertain whether or not he would come.

  “You’ve got to be there,” urged Benjamin. “Harper insists it’s a big deal.”

  “Yes, I know. Why do you think I’m calling? Except, you aren’t being very helpful.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. Here’s what I know—Harper’s going to be in Fort Collins that morning. They’re going to do whatever women do for occasions such as these, and then they’re meeting up with all Teddy’s friends for dinner. After dinner, they’re going to go to some club up there to go dancing.”

  Mulling over this information, Judah scratched at his stubble covered chin. While Teddy was not his girlfriend, she remained the only woman who held his desire. It was confounding, but it was indisputable; just as indisputable as the reality that it was obvious he needed to be in attendance Thursday night. However, the idea of merely showing up seemed not quite enough.

  “I need Harper’s number,” he muttered.

  “Okay,” said Benjamin, dragging out the word. His smile was evident in his tone. “I’ll text it to you. What exactly are you thinking?”

  “That remains to be seen.”

  “Right. What I’m getting is you need my girlfriend’s number to make sure your girlfriend has a birthday with the St. Michael’s stamp of approval.”

  “I’m hanging up now. Text me that number.”

  Benjamin’s laughter was the last thing Judah heard before he disconnected the call.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  I was yanked from slumber by a loud banging at my front door. Still drowsy from my unconscious state, I sat up feeling deliriously discombobulated. Looking at my clock, I noted it was later than I usually woke up. Slowly, it occurred to me that I hadn’t set my alarm the night before. When the banging against my door sounded again, a growing smirk pulled at my lips. There was a rhythm to the knock, which made me certain of two things.

  First, there was only one person who could have been on the other side of my door.

  Second, her incessant knocking was uncoincidentally similar to the cadence of Happy Birthday.

  With these things in mind, I hurried out of bed and raced to my front door.

  “You’re still in bed?” cried Harper in greeting. “Your birthday started eight hours ago!”

  Laughing, I replied, “And my gift to myself was an extra hour of sleep.”

  “Fair enough.” She grinned and then barreled toward me, wrapping me in a tight embrace. “Happy birthday, Teddy Bear! Teacher planning days are a bitch. I’ve been looking forward to Theodora Day all fucking week.”

  “Me, too,” I giggled.

  “Well, we’ve got a full day ahead of us.” Harper pulled away from me but took hold of my shoulders, as if to keep me in place. “You’re going to hop in the shower, I’m going to make you some coffee, and then we’re going to drop by Little Bird for more coffee and muffins.”

  “Yeah? And then what?”

  “Shopping, lunch, and some pampering before our big night out.”

  “Really?” I raised my eyebrows, surprised by the contents of her list. “Pampered how?”

  “Oh, you know.” She removed her hands from my shoulders, shut the door behind her, and walked around me. “Manicures, pedicures, and a trip to the salon so you can get your hair done for tonight.”

  Frowning, I turned to face her as I replied, “Harp, we don’t have to do all of that.”

  She rolled her eyes and then took hold of my wrist. Dragging me toward the bathroom, she said, “Don’t give me that I’m-a-recent-grad-and-you’re-a-teacher-so-we’re-both-poor face. Mom and dad pitched in. Plus, Ben might have insisted he should be in on it, too.”

  “Wait, Ben?”

  Harper offered me a sly smile from over her shoulder as she said, “I told you he was a keeper.” She then tugged me past her and into my bathroom. “Now, get your tatted ass in the tub so we can go.”

  She pulled the door closed, and I stood staring at it for a moment. While I had only met Ben on one occasion, I knew him by way of my sister’s happiness. It didn’t come as much of a shock that he felt so inclined to contribute to my birthday shenanigans. It was far too generous, but not surprising. What made me pause were thoughts of Judah. It seemed incongruent that the brother of the man I was dating cared more about my birthday than the man I was dating.

  Judah hadn’t mentioned my birthday at all. The last I heard him speak of it was the night Geoffrey insisted he join us for the evening, but Judah never said whether or not he was free. Then again, I hadn’t asked. I didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up, not after Geoffrey made such a big deal about it. Of course, my birthday was a big deal. All birthdays were a big deal to me—but I didn’t want Judah to feel obligated. I wanted him to come because he wanted to. Given his silence on the matter, I was under the impression he didn’t. Though, I hadn’t had my coffee yet, so I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it.

  “Why am I not hearing any water in there?” asked Harper, slapping her palm against the door. “Chop, chop!”

  This time, it was me who rolled my eyes, even though she couldn’t see me do it. I then went to the tub and started the water for my shower before I called out, “There. Happy?”

  “You know I love it when you do what I say,” she sang.

  I made quick work of a shower, and Harper had me out the door less than an hour later. We took our time as we traversed through the morning, lingering at Little Bird Café for a while before we went shopping. By the time we each found a new outfit to wear out that night, we were ready for lunch. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant, where we split a plate of tacos and ate an obnoxious amount of bottomless chips and salsa.

  As I munched on a chip, I checked my phone for the millionth time. There were no new notifications, and I sighed as I placed the device on the table face down.

  “How are things going with Judah?”

  As she spoke, Harper’s gaze dropped down to my phone and then back up to my face.

  “Subtle,” I mumbled.

  “You’ve been checking the damn thing every thirty seconds,” she spoke through a so
ft chuckle. “It’s like you’re afraid the ringer is broken and you’re expecting a call from Chris Pratt.”

  I wrinkled my nose at her choice of Chris. “You mean Chris Hemsworth. He has an accent.”

  “Fuck the accent. Chris Pratt fights dinosaurs. Plus, he’s just sexy as shit.”

  Narrowing my eyes at her ridiculous statement, I mumbled, “Yeah, okay.”

  “Okay, for real. What’s going on with you and the guy.”

  “We’re still seeing one another.” I shrugged. It felt stupid, after the time we spent together over the weekend, for me to feel unimportant. He’d been so tender and patient and wonderful. Yet, I couldn’t shake my disappointment. Explaining that to Harper felt too hard, so I simply added, “We’re good, I guess.”

  “That was so convincing,” she deadpanned.

  I picked up a chip and snapped it in half. Rather than eat either piece, I tossed them down onto my plate and sighed. “He knows it’s my birthday. He hasn’t said a word. No call. No text. Nothing. And I haven’t spoken to him since Tuesday.”

  “Well, what happened Tuesday?” she asked, picking up half of my discarded chip. She popped it into her mouth as she waited for my answer.

  “I asked if he wanted to meet up for dinner, but he said he couldn’t.”

  It was her turn to squint at me. I could tell, by the way she stared, she wanted me to say more, but I didn’t have more to say. We told each other most things, but the intimacy that was evolving between Judah and myself felt like ours. I didn’t want that to change; but it became apparent my lack of detail made my statement as lame as her face implied.

  “Teddy Bear, come on, that’s not weird. Right? Does he usually take you out during the week?”

  “Occasionally. Not normally.”