Page 160 of UNAwere

‘Fuck,’ Jude mutters against my mouth.

I snort.

He kisses me once. ‘After, then.’

I grin and take his hand. ‘C’mon.’

The kids cheer when they see us come out of the darkness. Jude picks up Aspen when she clings to his leg and puts his other hand on the small of my back as we go inside.

‘We found them!’ the kids sing-song when we come in.

‘Oh, good!’ Hannah gives us a mischievous look. ‘I thought they’d frozen solid out there.’

Jude grunts, watching as his sister draws me into a hug. ‘So kind of you to be worried, Hans.’

I hang onto her for a moment, closing my eyes.

‘How are you?’ she murmurs to me.

‘Good.’ I pull from her chest and smile at her. ‘Everything okay?’

She nods, eyes soft.

We settle on the lounge, and I curl into Jude’s side as Bernie serves us tea and cake. And I smile, watching as Maeve plays dolls with Lila in front of the fire. Jude presses his mouth against my head, tucking me close, and I listen to the beat of his heart as he chats with the others.

This normalcy. It feels right.

Being against him, surrounded by the ones we love. I didn’t think I was ever capable of getting this. And it warms my heart that I have.

Iopen my eyes to the feeling of Jude kissing my forehead and realise I’ve dozed off. The lounge room is quiet, and the fire is dying. I sit up, and he smiles at me.

‘Where are the others?’ I murmur.

‘Went to bed.’

‘Why didn’t you wake me?’ I snuggle against him.

‘It was nice,’ he says. ‘Just sitting here with you sleeping beside me. I wanted to enjoy it for a bit.’

I lean up and kiss him softly. ‘C’mon.’

He grasps my hand and follows me upstairs. When we’re halfway up, he pulls me to him, and I let out a soft squeak when he presses me against the wall with his body, kissing and nuzzling my neck. I grin, savouring it.

‘Jude…’ I warn, biting back laughter.

He grumbles something against my skin, hiking me up the wall until he’s wedged his thigh between my legs. I shiver, closing my eyes as he nibbles my jaw.

‘I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve wanted to see you,’ he says, breathless. ‘Every waking minute, you’ve been on my mind, Sybbie. I’m fucking obsessed with you.’

I let him kiss me, a soft moan slipping from my mouth and into his. He groans, hearing it, and presses his thigh further into where I’m beginning to grow wet.

‘You don’t have to tell me,’ I breathe when we part. ‘I’ve felt the same.’

He grunts, lifting me into his arms and carrying me up the rest of the stairs. I cling to him, smiling, and tell him where my room is. He shoulders through the door, kicking it closed, and then pins me against it.

I sigh as his tongue starts laving my throat. He burrows his face against my breasts and finds a nipple, sucking on it through the material of my shirt.

‘Jude,’ I gasp out, gripping the back of his thick neck.