Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“It doesn’t seem like the new arrangement is working for Katherine.”
He looks out the corner of his eye at me. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t be a stupid man, Jude. She doesn’t like you seeing me. I’ve taken away her shiny toy.”
He leans over and hauls me to him, positioning me on his lap so I’m straddling him. “I don’t want to spend the fraction of time you’re allowing me talking about Katherine.”
“You thought we’d fall back into whatever this is without it being mentioned?”
“What is this?” he asks, his eyes scanning mine.
“I don’t know.”
“Which is why you want to take it slowly?” he breathes, his words hot on my skin.
“Yes.” My reply is a husky whisper, my body responding to his closeness. He must feel me throbbing on his thigh through the thin material of my leggings. “We have all the time in the world.”
“Until we don’t.” He reaches for the button and raises the screen between us and Humphrey, before manipulating me down to my back on the seat, coming with me. I take in air deep in my lungs as he settles between my spread legs, raising a cheeky brow as he subtly flexes his hips. “Are you going to argue with me?”
“Let me think about it,” I whisper, and he smiles. The sight blows not only my mind, but my ovaries too. “Tell me it’ll be okay,” I demand.
“We’ll be okay.” He pushes my hair back. “We have to be.”
“Or else?”
“There is no or else.” He grinds his hips, making me arch my back. “You’re not going to argue with me, are you?”
I shake my head, and he swoops in and takes my mouth softly but with conviction, doing what Jude does best. Overwhelming me. “I’m sorry for hurting you,” he murmurs around our kiss, not faltering with his pace, pecking his way across my lips. And then he says something like that and every shred of doubt vanishes.
Taking things slowly isn’t going very well at all. Shit. “Wait.” I use my good hand to push into his chest.
“Wait? For what?” He’s dazed, confused.
“I said slowly.”
Poor man. His eyes bug before a filthy look lands on his gorgeous face. “You’re on my time.”
“Does that mean we fall straight into bed again?”
“We’re not in bed, and need I remind you that it was you who jumped me last night?”
“Don’t you think we should, you know, do normal-style dating?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Jude,” I breathe, forcing him back and sitting up. “You’re the one who said you didn’t want me to think you’re nothing but a fuckboy.”
“Right.” His cheeks blow out. “And you’ll get your reassurance by abstaining from me?”
“Don’t devalue my concerns.”
“I’m not. I’m just trying to figure out how to show you I’m mad for you without showing you.”
“I want to get to know you.”
“You know me.”
I snap my mouth closed. That’s not true. I know scraps of things, and what he’s reluctantly shared. Or been forced to share. “I didn’t know you were capable of doing something as low as sleeping with a woman for a bet and making her . . .” I drift off before I can finish. Making her fall in love with you.
“Making her what?”
“Nothing.” I pull my handbag open when my phone rings, cringing when I see it’s Abbie. I don’t answer. I can’t explain where I am; she’ll yell at me.
“Okay,” Jude says on a tired exhale. “We’ll do things at your pace.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re not welcome.”
I roll my eyes and spin my phone, wondering what the hell I’m going to tell the girls. I’ll reassure them I know what I’m doing. That I’m in control. I glance across the car to Jude. He’s looking out the window, thoughtful, turning over the new approach to this thing between us. Am I in control? Truly? My body aches for him. And my heart wants nothing to do with the protective shield I’m trying to put in place around it.
Chapter 5
I step out of the car and look up at Arlington Hall as Jude takes my hand. “Is this allowed?” he asks. I give him a tired look, and he shrugs. “I’ve never done this, Amelia, so you’ve got to help me out.”
He’s never dated? Is that what we’re even doing? I sigh, exasperated by my own questions. If I don’t know, how the hell do I expect Jude Fuckboy Harrison to? I’d tell him we should just go with the flow, but I know the flow would take us straight to his bed and have us naked faster than Katherine can whip out her claws. Speaking of which, is she still gracing the rooms of Arlington Hall with her toxicity? I frown and pull my hand from Jude’s. I don’t know how to play this, which begs the question of why I let him bring me here. All I know is that I feel vulnerable while feeling incredibly settled, and it’s fucking with my head.