She wrapped one arm around her waist, trying to settle the nausea roiling in her gut.The phone only rang once before it was answered.
“This is Ash Nelson speaking.Is this Jude Hayes?”
“Oh, thank goodness.Ash, it’s Ivy.Are you still at Jess’s condo?”
“Yes, are you safe?Are you still with Jude Hayes?”Before she could answer, she heard footsteps over the line.
“Hi, Ivy!”Jess’s enthusiastic voice sounded in the background.
“Can you put me on speaker so I can talk to both of you?”she asked her brother.Ash muttered something and his girlfriend quickly shushed him.She could picture Jess jumping down off the couch, reaching over Ash, and hitting the icon so they could both hear the conversation.“Hey, Jess.Thanks for letting Ash crash.Listen, guys.I have some bad news.”She took a deep breath.“The apartment was broken into.The police are there now, and everything is going to be fine, but right now, we should all stay away from there.”She glanced up at Jude for reassurance, and he nodded.
“You can stay here too,” Jess immediately suggested.
“But Jude Hayes should go to his own house.”Although Ash’s voice remained monotone, his comment made her recognize how worried he must be about her being with a stranger.At the mention of Jude’s name, she glanced up at him.There was a spark of amusement in his eyes, as though he’d heard the comment about staying at his own place.
“He will.He was only helping me.”
“Ash, be nice,” Jess whispered.
“Ivy, tell your boyfriend that he can stay.”
“Thanks, Jess, but he’s not my…” She paused and glanced around at the four men staring at her.She cleared her throat and continued.“Anyways his friends just picked us up.”
“I’ll drop you off after you give your statement,” Jude said.“It might be a few hours yet.”
She swallowed and licked her dry lips.Jude seemed to be studying her hard, as if the last thing he wanted to do was cart her around San Diego.She could always take a cab or an Uber.Then Jude could get back to his weekend solitude, which she had undoubtedly destroyed.She didn’t expect the statement to take too long, as she’d only been in the men’s presence for a few minutes.Plus, she’d gotten everything on voice recording.
“I’ll be over at some point tonight, but please don’t worry.I’m safe.”Ivy didn’t need to ask to know Jess’s doors would be locked.Her parents had been very particular about safety when she moved out on her own.Jess may have Down syndrome, but she’d never let anyone’s expectations of what she could accomplish hold her back.Like Ash, she lived mostly independently and, with the help of her mom, managed a bustling online business selling her resin artwork and giving online tutorials.
“Us too,” her brother promised and they disconnected the call.
Jude’s team immediately began voicing their apologies about the apartment as she passed the phone back to him, promising to do whatever they could to help make her and Ash feel secure.She appreciated their concern but already knew she wasn’t going to reach out for help.She and Ash had been living alone for a long time now.Neither of them would be okay with letting fear rule their lives, even for a short time.
Jude took a step toward her and lifted his arm, as though he was going to reach out and touch her shoulder.He seemed to change his mind and dropped it back to his side.
“I’ll drive the truck back.”He held out his hand to the others, waiting for the keys.
“Sure thing,” Ross said reaching in his pocket, and tossing the fob to Jude before glancing at her.“If you want to come with us, we’re headed right back to the office.Once we’re there, we can get you some clothes, and there’s a locker room where you can take a shower if you want.”
She glanced at Jude, not wanting to separate from him.His agents had known Jude far longer than she had.Maybe they knew he’d rather be alone.
Jude held her gaze for a moment.“Your choice,” he said, then turned to walk toward the truck.
She gave the three men a genuine smile, hoping to show her appreciation for coming to the rescue.“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll catch a ride back with Jude.”She gave a small wave and moved quickly after him.Jude suddenly paused and glanced over his shoulder.His brows raised in a momentary expression of surprise, but it was gone so quickly.She couldn’t tell if her presence was appreciated or unwanted.
Chapter Eight
Jude was disgustedwith his own behavior.Both toward Ivy and his team.When his men approached, he’d been relieved to see them, but all it had taken was Ross’s appreciative gaze toward Ivy, and Jude was wishing they were alone again—even if they did have to spend another night in the wilderness.His stomach had hardened when Ross suggested driving Ivy back to the cars on his ATV, and he hated the burning sensation in his chest that hadn’t subsided since.
Jude wasn’t a jealous man.He never wanted women to get the wrong idea about where they stood, but with Ivy, he found himself acting slightly ridiculous.He’d wanted to knock the smile off of Ross’s face and tell him to keep his hands to himself.That there was no way Ivy would be clinging to him on the back of a four-wheeler.Pressing her body, the one he’d had the pleasure of holding in his arms all night, up against Ross.A man who had a different girlfriend every couple of weeks.What made Jude’s behavior even more rash was that he had no intention of claiming Ivy for himself, but he’d be damned if anyone else on his team did either.She was out of their leagues.All of them.
When Ivy got onto the ATV with him though, he realized the deep error in his judgment.Her body felt too damn good against his.The way she clenched her thighs, doing everything she could to hang on for the ride, made his body respond as it had the night before.Every nerve ending he possessed was like a live wire as he navigated the steep and rocky terrain.It was unsettling to realize he was more preoccupied with the beat of her heart against his back and her soft breasts molded to his body, than keeping up with his agents.Then she’d buried her cheek against him, trusting him to safely get them out of the forest, and his chest had swelled with emotion.The urge to pull off the trail, yank her onto his lap, and kiss the hell out of her nearly overwhelmed him.This petite woman was a total assault on his senses.A threat to everything he kept buried deep.Despite their life-or-death situation the night before, he couldn’t recall a time when he’d felt more at peace than curled around her on the floor of that cave.He was fucked up.Had no business imagining a woman like Ivy over him.Under him.It wasn’t the all-consuming desire that terrified him though, it was the warmth that hit his chest when she beamed up at him.The tenderness that swamped him when he heard her laugh.
Ross had been lucky Jude’s phone had started to ring when they made it to the parking lot.He’d been stupid not to realize that Ivy’s muscles would be sore after holding on to him so tightly, but Ross, being the observant bastard that he was, swooped in to steady her.Something Jude should have done himself.When Red told him Ivy’s apartment had been broken into and trashed, all of the what-ifs flooded his psyche.What the men would have done to her had they found her in the apartment.What they would have done to her brother.It was like reliving that terrible night in his childhood.What if he had crawled out from behind the couch and leapt on the men’s backs?Maybe he could have distracted them long enough for his little brother to get away or for his mother to call the police.His father had already been murdered at that point, blood pouring from a knife wound to the neck.The gurgling sound was something that would forever haunt him.
So, while he was pissed as fuck that Ross suggested Ivy drive in the SUV back to the office, he knew it was for the best.He didn’t think for a second that she’d opt to go with him instead.He hadn’t been friendly to her in the least.Quite the opposite, he’d been an asshole because he was jealous.She hadn’t deserved any of his anger.Still, the pleasure of seeing her walking toward him made his chest swell.He craved to have her next to him in the small cab of the truck, which was exactly why he should have insisted that she go with his team.Nothing was going to happen between them, but he would keep her safe at all costs.Her and her family.When she told him how she’d dislocated her arm previously he didn’t know what to say.He knew accidents happened, but the force it took to pull a joint out of the socket was immense.The fact that she was able to keep her cool and simply google what to do to put her shoulder back into place floored him.
He rounded the driver’s side door and helped Ivy climb up into the cab of the truck.He buckled her in, trying not to catch the sweet scent of her shampoo.He jogged around the hood of the truck, jumped in, and started the ignition.
