“Claudia, I didn’t realize you were still in town.” Mary came up to us, her thickly filled-in red brow raised as she looked between Jude and me. “Are you moving here like your friend?”
“I wish,” Jude said, draping his arm across my shoulders. “I’m working on convincing her while we get some shopping done for my father.”
“Ah yes,” she said, so softly it was almost a whisper, as she fixated on us. “Is Mr. Davis okay?”
“He’s fine at home,” Jude said, the jolt from where his thumb drifted back and forth over my shoulder ricocheting across my body. “We’re just picking up a few things.” He flicked his eyes to mine for a second with a hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, and I couldn’t resist cuddling into his side.
“I was just telling Jude how George probably appreciates having the house to himself, so I’m helping him enjoy his time away.” I draped my arm around his waist and shot him a wide smile. I worried for a moment that I’d gone too far until a grin stretched his mouth as he leaned into me.
My sad teenage heart jumped in my thirty-five-year-old chest at being both so close to him and enjoying this game we were playing in front of Mary. By sunrise tomorrow, word would be out that Jude and I were a twice-confirmed thing. It was wrong—and confusing—to get such a kick out of that, but I couldn’t help enjoying the moment, as fake as it was.
“Well, um, tell your father hello for me,” Mary said, still eyeing us as she backed away.
“I will,” Jude replied with a nod, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he was stifling a laugh.
He leaned over as if he was about to kiss my cheek. I was all in for this game of pretend, but I stiffened as he came closer. Whenever I got back to Brooklyn, I needed to go out with someone, anyone. My heart and my lady parts shouldn’t have been this overexcited by a potential kiss on the cheek.
“You’re good at this,” he whispered into my ear, his breath hot on my neck and sending a wave of goose bumps down my back.
I cleared my throat and met his gaze with a quick nod.
“So are you,” I replied in a breathy whisper.
If we did date, my almost-ticket would make for a good meet-cute story, but we couldn’t. Jude deserved more than a good time from a confused woman who was just passing through.
No matter how tempting it was to make the offer.
After we each paid our bills and I ran to the liquor store for some tequila and rosé, Jude pressed his hand to my lower back and led me toward his truck. Was he still in pretend mode in case anyone was looking, or was he being polite? Or, did he have the same urge to touch me as I’d been fighting to touch him all afternoon?
Jesus.My crush on the grumpy cop who’d pulled me over only worsened when I realized he wasn’t grumpy at all. He was just a guy with a lot going on who seemed like he could use some help. I was quick to offer myself as his fake dating partner to give him a break, but maybe I could really help him while I was here.
Maybe I could just kiss all the tension out of him.
I needed a straw for the tequila bottle I’d just bought and a cold pack for my vagina.
“From what I know of Mary, everyone is going to think we’re actually dating. What happens if you find someone you really want to go out with, and she thinks you’re off-limits?” I cleared my throat when I heard the breathy dip in my voice.
“Like I said, I’m not…up for that yet. Wasn’t then and not now. So if it stops people from asking if I’m single or who I’m dating for a little while, even better.”
I nodded, confused again, but this time by the disappointment stinging my gut at his admission.
“And having the town thinking I’m dating someone like you isn’t a hardship.” He went over to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door.
“Someone like me? I’m honestly not sure how to take that.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Beautiful. Bold. Not afraid to say what she’s thinking or what she wants.” He darted his eyes around the parking lot before bringing them back to mine. “I meant it as a compliment.”
A sheepish smile played on my lips, my cheeks heating as I stepped into the cab. I watched him go around the truck and head to the driver’s side, this time not bothering to pretend not to look.
If he only knew what was in my head right now. But for both of our sakes, I had to keep it all to myself.
7
JUDE
I satat my desk and sifted through the paperwork from last week. The most action I’d seen was a call to break up a party after the neighbors complained about the stench of weed drifting into their yard.
Weed was legal now, but the neighbor lived a good half a block from the party, and the same skunky smell hit us hard the minute we got out of the car to check things out. The best we could do was ask the party host for a little consideration and to slow down the smoking, and explain to the neighbor who’d called in the complaint that there wasn’t much we could do, as we couldn’t control the law or the wind.
