She pointed in Jude’s direction. “This one was working late, and I was catching up on a ton of paperwork, so we kept each other company.”
I looked at Jude and smiled. “Four times in two days. It’s got to be a record, even for a small town.”
He lifted a shoulder and gave me a bored look. “It all happened within the same four-block radius…so.”
“Oh, snap.”
Thank you, Priscilla.
For some reason his grumpiness made my pants tighten a little around the crotch area. I felt an urge to get up and smack his ass, just to see what he would say. He looked even sexier than this afternoon. His clothes were a little rumpled, his hair messy like he’d been grabbing at it, and his lips were red like he’d been biting them.
I was staring.
Again.
After a moment Carmen’s husband, whose name was apparently Ted, walked up and she proceeded to make introductions. She immediately started telling him about her work troubles and asking Pri what she was drinking. Pretty soon the three of them were engaged in conversation, which left Jude and I staring at each other. For a second I was unsure of what to do, because he was standing there silently, as if waiting for me to come out of my mouth with another asinine comment.
I was not one to push myself on a guy if my attention was unwanted. So I was about to turn around and try to wedge into the conversation with the other three, when I noticed Jude making himself look away from my general direction.He’d let his gaze land on my face and then run his eyes up and down my body. After a few seconds he’d catch himself and looksomewhere else. He actually jumped a little, like he was telling his eyes to stop it with the staring. It was fucking adorable, and it gave me the push I needed to put a lid on the last ounce of common sense I had left for the evening. Before I knew it, I was standing up and moving toward him.
As I reached him, I took a moment to relive the speech from a few minutes ago when I told Priscilla about my priorities, and all the reasons why getting involved with someone was not in the master plan.
I took a deep breath and told the me from before to go fuck himself, because I was going to talk to this guy, hopefully buy him a drink, and let the evening take its course.
I stepped up to Jude, so close I needed to look down to see his face.
I smiled at him, held up my glass then asked, “Can I buy you a drink?”
chapter five
jude
He caught me.
Nesto saw me running my eyes all over him and was now standing right in front of me flashing a smile which was having an unnerving effect on my knee joints.
I glanced at him, feeling more than a little mortified, and lifted my hand in greeting, “Hi.”
“Hey.”
Oh god. His voice was actual sex. I was so out of my league right now.
He smelled so good it was addling my senses, like cedar, lemon, and man sweat. He had on a long-sleeved gray t-shirt that looked super soft to the touch, and the jeans he was wearing were molded to his strong thighs and ass like they were painted on. I wouldnotwhimper.
I had more self-control than this.
I tried to focus on other things which were not his body, but looking at his face didn’t help at all. His closeness was doing things to my insides, and his skin was perfect. Light brown with a rosiness on his cheeks, like he would flush in the heat…or when he was turned on.
At this hour he was showing a bit of scruff, too, and it made his lips stand out even more. His mouth was…big. His lips broad and fleshy. I could probably suck on them for hours.
I closed my eyes for a second to try to tamp down everything that was happening inside me. When I opened them again he was looking down at me with a wicked expression, as if he knew exactly what was going through my head.
His was such an arresting beauty.
Not just pretty or handsome, but striking. Like every single part of him was made with the utmost intent. The more I looked at him, the more I got the feeling starting up something with Nesto was not going to allow for my usual surgical extraction. This man could make my simple, fastidiously structured life, very messy.
I kept staring up at him, at that perfect mouth, and I let myself drift in a fantasy where I could freely walk up to Nesto and kiss his lips. Touch his chest, run my hands up his neck and face. I imagined he was mine, and the warmth the image brought almost sent me running. I came back to reality when I felt a hand on my forearm and heard Nesto’s raspy voice close to my ear, asking,
“So, can I buy you a drink?”
