Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

“But…” I start to say.

He leans in close, his cheek against mine, his lips next to my ear. “Because… when I make you come,” he breathes, and I inhale sharply at his words, closing my eyes for a moment, “I want to take my time.” He kisses my neck, his voice a low rasp. “I want to watch you. I want to see the look on your face when you go over the edge.”

My cheeks blaze with heat. I can’t look at him. I bite my lip as he brushes his mouth against my neck and a pulse of soft pleasure courses through my body.

“And I want you to spend the night so we can do it all over again in the morning.”

My eyes shutter as I exhale. Holy fuck. I move my hips against him in response, almost involuntarily.

His hands stop me gently, and he continues with his infuriating, sexy logic. “I want to enjoy every minute of it. Of you. I don’t want to be worrying about waking up for work the next day.”

Right. It’s Monday night. We have work in the morning. I let out a groan of frustration and he chuckles softly against my cheek, kissing me there. I reluctantly shift my hips back from him in an effort to help me concentrate. I pull back and meet his eyes.

“How do you have this much self-control?” I ask with a teasing prod to his chest. “It’s very unfair of you to show off like that.”

He laughs. “Well, someone responsible had to step in.” His gaze drops to my mouth and he looks away, taking a steadying breath. He meets my eyes again as he runs his hands down my back, leaning back on the couch. “Friday night.”

“Friday?” I groan again, throwing my head back. “I have to work with you all week. I’m going to lose my mind.” Leaning in again, I kiss him softly.

“The suffering will be mutual, I promise you.” He smirks.

“Okay,” I say regretfully, “but only so long as you promise to suffer.”

He puts his hand to his heart. “Promise.”

19

JUDE

Seeing Olena Tuesday morning is almost painful.

After she left my house last night, I stood with my forehead pressed to the door for several minutes, trying to fight the urge to run after her and pull her back into my arms. I only let myself move after I heard her car leaving the driveway. I cleaned up dinner, smiling to myself the entire time, then took a cold shower. Still, I barely slept.

This morning, she texted me.

let the suffering begin

way ahead of you.

As she steps out of her car in the Faulkners’ driveway, I blow out a breath. She’s done nothing to ease my pain. Her hair is in two French braids… aaaaaaannnd the grown man in me is suddenly nowhere to be found. It takes all my willpower not to reach out and tug on them like a boy in a schoolyard. Except, unlike a schoolboy, I wouldn’t run away.

My eyes lock on her. She meets my gaze.

“Morning, Jude,” says Mitch as he walks past us.

My eyes barely leave Olena’s. “Hey, Mitch, good to have you back.”

She smiles as she adjusts the strap of her shoulder bag. I want to tear off her clothes.

“Morning, Olena,” Mitch says to her.

“Good morning,” she says, glancing at him, then back at me with a hint of heat in her eyes. The look on her face tells me she’s drowning in this just as much as I am.

The memory of her on my lap last night flashes into my mind and I stare at her lips. I’m desperate to finish what we started; I don’t know how I’m going to get through this week at work. But we promised to act like professionals. I can’t let my inner Tarzan take her right here on the ground—however much I may want to. I take a deep breath to make sure I don’t embarrass myself.

We are going to have our work cut out for us here. Work. I’m at work.

I tear my eyes away and find my gloves in the truck, then head across the property to get started on the stone firepit in the center of the sunken garden. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Olena shaking hands with the electrician who just arrived. I breathe a sigh of relief that she’ll be busy and, hopefully, far enough away from me that I can think straight.