Her features held honesty and an aching tenderness that mirrored how he felt about her. “I'm amazed that I've been promoted from fake girlfriend to real one.”
“I like to do everything well, but I was mediocre at the role of fake boyfriend.”
“Only because you viewed the role like a test you had to ace instead of like an acting gig that was mainly about pretending to be obsessed with me.”
“And look what happened. I’m obsessed with you.”
She laughed, relaxed and heartfelt.
“Just you wait, Gemma. I plan to dedicate myself to excellence at the role of real boyfriend.”
Electricity built between them, rising and rising. Their mouths met, and it was so unbelievably good to kiss her now that this thing that existed between them had been spoken about and recognized.
Minutes later, he was deep in sensory bliss when the sound of the door opening and closing reached him. Gemma leapt away from him as if they were about to be caught robbing a bank.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Gemma watched Max amble into view. “I heard you mention getting some things for your grandfather, Jude. Since you've been gone a while, I thought I’d come see if I could help.” He spoke the obvious lie with a sly glint in his eye. Max was quite the plotter. And completely cool and shameless about it. Jude had told her he was waiting for the right woman to prove to Max that he still had a heart. But Gemma had to wonder if that was possible. There might not be a heart in there.
“I made up the thing,” Jude said, “about getting stuff for my grandfather. To get Gemma alone.”
“Oh?” Max looked between them smugly. “How did that ploy go?”
“Very well, thanks,” Jude answered, brisk.
“God cursed me,” Max said to Gemma, “when He put me in competition with Jeremiah and Jude. Women always prefer them to me.”
“Somehow I think your ego will survive,” Gemma said. “But, if you like, I’ll place a hold on you in case this thing with Jude doesn’t pan out.”
“Gemma,” Jude growled.
Max grinned.
“Let’s go eat clams,” she said.
So they did.
Beneath a star-studded night sky, Gemma feasted on seafood and veggies and sipped her second icy bottle of Coke. The wind picked up. Voices rose and fell like musical notes. And the whole time she buzzed with the newfound understanding between herself and Jude. Their magnetism was so tangible, it gave her goosebumps.
This was happening. Jude had said that he was crazy about her. More than any man she'd known, he could be trusted. He wouldn’t have said all those extraordinary things to her if he hadn't meant them.
They left the party as soon as politely possible. They talked and teased and snuck heavy glances at each other while he drove them back to Bangor.
They went to his house instead of hers because he had Mabel. However, they quickly outlasted Mabel, who snoozed while the two of them stayed up until two in the morning. Gemma didn't want to leave and Jude definitely didn't want her to leave, but she finally insisted she had to go home so they could both get a few hours of sleep.
When her head finally hit her pillow, she realized she wasn't going to be able to achieve the sleep she'd advocated for. Wide awake and goofy, she smiled into the darkness remembering once, twice, thirty-five times how he'd looked when he'd said,“I desperately want you to be with me.”
* * *
When Jude told his FBI superiors that he was going to pursue a dating relationship with Gemma, they responded with grave silence.
He was closed into Dixon's office with both Dixon and Shannon. The older man half-sat against the front edge of his desk. Shannon stood next to Dixon, arms crossed. Jude kept his posture tall, his back near the door, which he hoped to leave through as soon as possible.
“You know I have your best interests at heart, yes?” Dixon asked Jude.
“Yes, sir.”
“Then hear me when I say that I advise you to end things immediately with Ms. Clare. Find yourself a different girlfriend. Any girlfriend will do so long as she's unconnected with our casework. There are a lot of wonderful women in the world.”
