Page 34 of New Blood

He felt her soft skin around him, the tenderness and passion with which she took care of him. He felt sparks ignite between them, a kindling for the passion and desire between them. He couldn’t stop the fire even if he’d wanted to. His body felt as if it were floating when his cock suddenly spasmed and his seed exploded from the tip. For a few more moments, he continued thrusting into Danielle’s welcoming hand, enjoying the moment of utter bliss. In her arms, he was whole, and the world made sense.

He wasn’t sure how long they lay there in each other’s arms. It could have been a second, a minute, or an hour. He had no concept of time; the only sensation was that of being skin-to-skin with Danielle, like fate had destined for them. But fate was cruel.

“We have to go back,” Danielle said, her voice distant.

“Yes.”

“This can never happen again.”

He didn’t reply. He knew she was right. But acknowledging it meant setting it in stone. And he couldn’t do that. He wasn’t ready for that. And he wasn’t sure if he would ever be ready for it.

21

Jude walked into the dining room, where a breakfast buffet was set up. Judging by the half-empty serving dishes and the dirty plates on the table, most of the house’s inhabitants had already eaten their breakfast. He’d overslept. Not a surprise. After all, he’d slept better than he had in a long time. Making love to Danielle out there in the woods had satisfied his inner wolf, allowing him to truly rest and relax for a few hours.

“There you are,” Ransom said, looking up from his plate.

“Morning,” Jude replied while loading up his plate with eggs and bacon.

He took his full plate and placed it opposite Ransom, then took a seat. He poured himself a cup of strong black coffee.

“I forgot to ask you: how was your day with the horses yesterday?”

Jude shoved a forkful of food into his mouth and chewed. Damn, he was hungry.

“The horses were fine. The company?” Ransom grimaced. “Not so much.”

“Can’t have been that bad. At least you don’t have to mate with her.”

The words were out before he could stop himself. What the fuck was wrong with him? He normally kept his feelings to himself.

Ransom stared at him in disbelief. “So you don’t like her either, huh?”

“Forget what I said. It’s immaterial.”

Ransom huffed, sarcasm dripping off him. “Yeah, right. I mean, nothing against her body, but her attitude? Yeah, she can shove that where the sun doesn’t shine.”

“Ransom! Shut it! When I said forget it, I meant it.”

He shrugged. “As you wish. But just a word of advice from one man to another: you don’t always have to go with the obvious choice.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Eve’s not the only Gallagher female of childbearing age.”

“So you’re saying I should take Violet instead?” Jude shook his head. “She’s practically a child.”

“She’s twenty-seven, according to the file.”

“You’re proving my point: she’s way too young. I prefer women with more experience.”

In general, that statement was correct; however, when it came to Danielle, he didn’t care how old she was or how experienced or inexperienced. Last night, she’d shown him that all he truly needed from a woman was her love. And while Danielle had never said the words—nor had he—, he had felt them in her actions.

“Excuse me, please.”

Jude spun his head toward the door, from where Danielle entered with a tray of more bacon and eggs. He stared at her as she walked to the buffet.

“Good morning,” Ransom said cheerfully. “Yay, more bacon. Thanks, Danielle.”