Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Charles and Carol want the place to be like a bed-and-breakfast type of retreat, right? A romantic getaway,” I explain.

“Right,” he says. “I guess… mission accomplished?” He chuckles and squeezes my arm.

I kiss his cheek, smiling as I remember our time staying in the house. “I think they need something better than The Faulkner Property, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Any ideas?” He takes my hand and twines his fingers between mine.

I look again at the twinkling lights across the river, considering. “Something stars or golden… Starlight? I don’t know; I’ll have to think about it. And talk to Carol and Charles, of course.”

Jude turns to me and smiles softly. He brushes a thumb across my cheek, then lowers his hand, carefully removing my camera from around my neck and placing it beside us on the dock.

The moonlight casts a dim glow on his square jaw and I can’t tear my eyes away. God, he’s sexy.

“I was just wondering”—he places his hand on my knee, sliding it up a little—“what it would take for me to earn some gold stars.” He leans in to brush his lips over my cheek.

“Oh, I think we can come up with something,” I say with a coy smile.

“Fuck, this dress is…” he says, moving his hand farther up my thigh, fingering the hem, “… distracting me.” His voice drops to a low rasp. He kisses the spot right beside my lips.

“Oh?” I lean in, my lips finding his, my tongue flicking once into his mouth.

“Mm-hmm.” He slips his hand up under the hem of my dress and runs a fingertip under the lace edging of my panties, slowly tracing an arc around the top of my thigh.

I shiver at the sensation, kissing him more deeply. I eagerly sweep my tongue into his mouth, my breathing getting shallower. He pulls away. I look up at him.

“Stand up.”

“What? Why?” I ask softly, confused.

His expression is dark. “Just stand up. Trust me.”

Puzzled, I slowly push up until I’m standing next to him.

He looks up at me. Holding my gaze, he reaches up under my dress, pinching the fabric of my panties and sliding them down my legs.

My breath hitches.

He presses soft kisses to my thighs as he helps me step out of them, carefully pulling the fabric off over my ankle boots.

I bite my lip, feeling nervous, and look around us to make sure we’re alone. “Jude, I don’t know… what if someone sees us?” I whisper.

“There’s no one here,” he replies in a deep rumble.

“But what if—”

“Then I guess they’d have a story to tell,” he says simply. He reaches up and holds my waist, bringing us face-to-face, as I lower onto my knees over his lap.

Feeling the cool air against my bare skin as I straddle his outstretched legs, arousal washes over me. I know he can sense it. I can’t deny I want this too.

Now. Here.

I suddenly feel desperate for his touch. Taking one of his hands in mine, I kiss his fingertips, then pull it down between us, guiding his fingers, placing them exactly where I want them. Hearing his low sound of need, I sharply inhale as he slides his fingertips up and down the length of my center, then slips a finger inside me. I stifle a moan, trying to keep my voice down.

“Don’t…” he says, kissing me softly. “Don’t hold back.” He works his finger slowly as my eyelids flutter shut. “I want to hear every sound you make.” His lips claim mine in a scorching kiss as he slips two fingers inside me and pumps them harder.

Soft sounds of pleasure escape my throat. I rock my hips, riding his hand and nipping at his lips with my teeth.