“I’m so sorry. I soaked your shirt with my nonsense.”
“It’s okay.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I thought maybe I’d picked the wrong flowers.”
“No, they’re perfect. Thank you so much. I just don’t know why I’m like this…”
“Why don’t you take Jude into the back and get yourself together,” Kristina whispered. “The back rooms are nice for conversation and…”
I popped my head up when she trailed off.
“Other stuff,” she noted, lifting a shoulder.
“I could run to my office again,” I told Jude as I grabbed his hand. “That seems to be my crying room of choice lately. But that—” I pointed at Kristina. “Let’s put a pin in ‘other stuff’ until I get back.”
I led Jude to my new tiny office and shut the door behind us.
“I think I’m losing my mind,” I whined and dropped my head back against Jude’s chest.
“You’re fine,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “It’s a big day. You can be a little emotional if you want,” Jude said as he cupped my chin.
“That looked like alittleemotional to you?”
He smiled down at me, kissing the tip of my nose.
“How embarrassing would it be if all of Kelly Lakes stopped coming to the only bar in town because of the new basket-case owner?”
“Not going to happen,” he said with a slow shake of his head. “You’ll have a big crowd tonight, and they’ll all love you. My father is even coming.”
I stopped wiping under my eyes to gasp. “No way.”
“He said he wouldn’t miss it, before he reminded me to get the hell out of work to make it to the florist on time.”
“I love that man so much,” I sighed, a grin stretching my damp cheeks when Jude laughed.
I lovedthisman too, so much already and more every day. Maybe someday I could say something about it, but I had to deal with one emotional crutch at a time and I had my hands full today.
“You know, maybe you could come here one day, pretend you found some business violation, and force me into my office to make me pay,” I fluttered my eyelashes as I peered up at him, loving the dark lust in Jude’s eyes at my suggestion. “I’ve been abadgirl, Sergeant Davis.”
“Oh, I know you have,” he rasped, swatting my ass with a loud smack. “I promise you, when the time is right, I’ll make sure you pay for all those sins.” I caught a full-body shiver when he traced his finger along my jaw and down my neck. “But today, you’re going to be the badass bar owner I know you are and relax because you’re impossible not to love.”
This man was sweet, dirty, and wonderful.
“Who sent those?” Jude motioned to the small bunch of carnations on my empty desk.
“Larry did,” I said, swiveling my head to the small vase. “To congratulate me. It was nice.”
“Yeah, really fucking nice,” Jude grumbled as his body went rigid with the most adorable rage.
The laugh escaping me finally allowed me to relax for the first time today.
“He had the florist send me a small bouquet of flowers from where he’s vacationing in the Bahamas. It was a nice,friendlygesture to thank me for taking the bar off his hands so he can live it up outside of Kelly Lakes. And whatever his intentions were, he’s not my type, and I amveryspoken for.”
“What is your type, then?” Jude’s gaze was still dark and intense. I wasn’t sure if it was lust or jealousy, but it soaked my panties all the same.
I roped my arms around his neck and pushed my body against his, making sure to press my breasts flush to his chest.
“Gorgeous, broody cops with great hands, magic tongues, and…” I flicked my eyes down to the growing bulge in his pants. “Other stuff.”
He grabbed the back of my head and crushed his lips against mine, slanting his head to go deeper as he backed me against the desk, lifting me up and setting me down on the edge.
