“Sure. I’ll wait by the gate.”
He gives me a soft smile and kisses my forehead again before letting me go.
I turn and head for the gate, giving Max as much space as possible. But I still turn to watch him. He looks even more beautiful in the light of the setting sun. I feel like I could watch him forever and still never be bored.
I’m too far away to hear what he’s saying, but I watch his lips move quickly. The bond they had when Patrick was alive is so obvious on Max’s face in that moment. And I wish I could’ve been there for him when all of that happened. But I love the man he is today, and I want to spend the foreseeable future showing him that.
Epilogue
One Month Later
Max
They arrest Grant about three weeks after Jude gave a statement. I don’t leave his side all day because he has this look in his eye like he wants to call the whole thing off. I don’t know how retracting statements works, and I don’t want to find out.
His brothers must think the same thing because they blow his phone up with texts throughout the day, checking up on him.
He doesn’t sleep much that night, and we spend a lot of time in the bed. We don’t have sex, even though we’re both restless enough to do it. Instead, I hold onto him, his back pressed to my chest while he stares at the clock on the nightstand.
His body is rigid against mine in a way it hasn’t been since that night before the wedding. But this time, it’s not because of anything we’re doing. I can feel the fear pouring out of him even though he’s trying to hide it.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, kissing the back of his neck. “I’m right here.”
He nods silently.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No. Just hold me.”
It’s the same answer he gives me three nights in a row. But on the fourth night, he’s a little more relaxed as he folds into me when we’re in bed. And this time, he gives a different answer.
“Just talk to me. Tell me a story. I want to hear your voice.” He says it almost shyly, and the innocent request makes me smile.
“Okay. Once upon a time, there was a handsome bar owner named Bax. He was gorgeous and funny and everywhere he went, people loved him.”
Jude snorts, and the sound makes me smile.
“Hey, I’m telling it. Be quiet and listen.” I flick his ear gently before continuing. “Bax was working innocently one day when a mouthy customer walked in. Named…Jim.”
“That doesn’t even sound close to my name.”
“It’s your fault for not having a name that rhymes easily.” I press my lips to his shoulder. “This mouthy customer was the hottest guy Bax had ever seen. He didn’t realize it, but Jim was the guy Bax had been waiting for. And he gave him the best fucking hand job of his life in the alley behind the bar.”
Jude turns his head to look at me. “That’s not a very good initial meeting.”
“Maybe. But Jim made a hell of an impression.”
Jude smiles and turns fully over to face me. His shoulders are relaxed in a way they haven’t been over the last few days, and it makes relief fill my stomach.
“What did Bax do after the hand job in the alley?”
“He had to go home and jerk one off in the shower too because Jim was still on his mind.”
Jude’s smile widens, and I feel like I could look at it forever. “Jim didn’t have to do that.”
“I’m writing the story,” I interrupt. “And in my head, Jim had to go to his hotel and get himself off in his hand, imagining it was Bax’s mouth.”
Jude’s skin warms, heating my arm where it’s slung over his waist. “And then what happened?”
