I grin at his admission. “What’s with you and countertops?”
“They’re a means to an end.” He meets my lips again, still making up for lost time. “Shorty.”
“So … are we going to walk back to the car in the rain, or did you want to stay here?” I ask when we come up for air.
I don’t mind staying. We’ve shared a bed before. But things are different now. I think he understands which part isnotgoing to be different.
He knows me.
Jude holds my face between his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“Lucy, I’ll do whatever makes you comfortable. If we walk back to the car, fine. We’ll just get wet again.” He drops a quick kiss to my lips. “But if we stay, I have the same expectations as the last time you forced your way into my bed. Don’t take advantage of me.”
There it is.
I laugh and smack his chest, his eyes glowing with mischief.
“What about kissing?” I ask. “Can we add that amendment?”
“Oh,little girl. Get me a Sharpie.”
Jude snaps of a couple of selfies that clearly define the shift in our relationship for the group chat. We endure several minutes offinallysand GIFs of fireworks, but they eventually leave us alone.
Sam sends a selfie with Liza holding up my phone, Mom and Layla waving in the background. Liza’s expression is pinched, like she wasn’t ready for the picture, but it’s late. She might be disappointed I didn’t come back tonight, but Jude and I are both exhausted. I don’t want him to drive any more today.
Ever the mature adult, he finds the extra charger in my backpack and plugs in his phone. He sets an alarm, and this ratty old sofa bed might as well be a cloud for how fast we crash.
I wake during the night curled against his back, much like the last time we shared a bed. This time,merry Christmas to me,he’s shirtless, with my arm tucked under his.
And he’s holding my hand against his chest.
His chest is a work of art, but I was woefully unprepared for how strongly I’d feel about the smooth, solid planes of his back. I’m still coming to terms with the hot businessman in a suit.
I’ve got to pace myself.
My cheek against his warm skin is everything I never thought I could have. A contented exhale escapes my lips against his back, causing him to stir with a low groan and roll over to face me.
He draws me close, kissing my head before his breaths return to the slow, steady rhythm of sleep. Settling back into my favorite dream, I feel his mouth move against my temple in a whisper so soft I’m not sure it’s real. “Lucy.”
He’s talking in his sleep, adding to my new list of favorite things. I free a hand from between us, reaching around his neck to weave my fingers through his hair, but I don’t speak. I don’t want to wake him. Another hoarse murmur sounds an awful lot like “I love you.”
I doubt he’ll remember this moment, but I’ll never forget it.
“I love you, Jude.”
Jude can’t let the sun rise without him, but he knows I prefer to wake up gradually.
In silence.
He makes himself coffee and partially opens the blinds, letting some light spill in, stirring around just enough to remind me he’s here.
As if I could forget.
A squeaky creak sounds when he climbs back onto the bed, making it dip when he stretches his legs out next to me, reclining against the back cushions. He attempts to move unruly waves from my face as I burrow into his side to hide my sleep creasesand morning breath. His scent’s faintly different, since the tiny shower stall only had generic toiletry samples, but we’ve found everything we need, so I have no complaints.
“Hungry?” he asks softly, lifting his arm to snuggle me closer. I shake my headagainst him as he combs his fingers through my hair. “Do you want caffeine yet?” Again, I wordlessly decline.
He can’t be real.
