I handed the flowers to Annie who was grinning from ear to ear. I was suddenly in a hurry to get out of my apartment.
Jude, always a perfect gentleman, held my hand and opened the door for me.
* * *
“Can I kiss you?”he asked, surprising me. “I don’t think I can wait until the end of the night.”
I smiled shyly at him and nodded. He leaned in, and when his lips touched mine, I swore that my world spun off axis. As he pulled me closer and deepened the kiss, something awoke inside of me. We stood outside the restaurant, and I was tempted to skip dinner. He pulled away and placed a feather-light kiss on my forehead.
"You're even more perfect than I remember, Tara. You're a star, the brightest in the night sky," he said sincerely, and it warmed me up inside. We walked inside the restaurant slowly. The waiter led us to a table on the outside deck which was lit with lamps and angel lights. The starry night sky above us and the gentle breeze made the night feel magical. This was a quaint bistro not too far from my apartment. As thoughtful as he was, he didn't want me to sit in the car for too long. The place was impressively decorated, and there was a live band playing jazz music. It was a chill ambiance, and I felt myself relaxing. To top it all, the food was heavenly. I made the mistake of looking around and realized that there were only two other couples on the deck, making me a little self-conscious. Yes we were flirting, and he'd kissed me, but we weren’t actually a couple? Were we?
By our second glass of wine, we'd covered most of the significant milestones in our lives. Jude was as easy to talk to as he'd been all those years ago, and because I'd let my guard down, I was able to appreciate that he'd grown into a kind and sensitive man. He'd played the field after he discovered I was married but got tired of it. He said the hookups lost their appeal and the women's constant requests for massages got on his nerves. I nearly spat my drink out at that. One thing was clear, the destruction of his relationship had hit him hard and the fact that his father was at the center of it, really stung. He'd committed his life to her, and she'd hurt him in a way I understood completely.
“And then you go and kiss a patient, classic,” I laughed.
"Well, I want to massage you, therein is the difference."
Thinking of the many areas that required attention from his hands made me blush.
"Thinking dirty, are you?"
"No, of course not."
"Tara, I know you very, very well." He grinned, and I couldn't stop the butterflies from making a scene in my stomach.
"You remember the first time we went swimming in the river behind your house?" Of course I did, how could I forget. It was before our first kiss. I'd stared at him for a full minute, my face on fire. He'd walked over to me, tipped my chin and told me that if I continued to stare, he'd have to do things I wasn't ready for.
"How can I forget. It was the first time a guy ever made me feel that…" I scratched my head for the word, "naked."
His eyes lit up at that, and he smirked at me.
“Do you know how hard it was, sneaking into your room and lying with you when you were sad yet not acting on my raging teenage hormones?”
I cleared my throat then took a deep gulp of my wine. It was starting to go to my head, and I was feeling things I shouldn't. I wanted Jude, I wanted every part of him. I wanted to explore the contours of his body. I shook my head.
“We should get going,” he announced, and I felt disappointed. Was I that boring? “I’d like to take this party back to your place, you need to lie down. Sitting for this long isn’t good for you.”
I smiled despite my insecurities. I couldn't deny that my back was killing me. He paid the bill, and we made the short drive home. He opened my door, and when I stepped out, he picked me up bridal style, carrying me from the car into my house. The gesture was sweet but utterly nerve-wracking. It did feel good to be off my feet, though. Once inside, he laid me on my bed and helped me out of my shoes.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. He dragged a few cushions in and laid them on the floor. “I’d like to stay in here and talk if you’re okay with that but I didn't want to be so presumptuous to think you’d allow me up there,” he said, motioning to the bed.
“I’d like that very much,” I said, settling into my comfortable bed.
We spent the next few hours talking and laughing until my eyelids grew heavy and dreams called to me. He kissed my forehead, pulling a blanket over me, and for the first time in a long time, I was content.
That was a night for the books. If I said I wasn't falling for Jude Finn's charm once again, I would be lying.
Chapter 22
Jude
Present Day
Being that close to her and not being able to touch her was torture. My erection pressed painfully against my pants, but I held my restraint. She was fragile in more ways than just the physical. If I wanted her in my life, I would have to be patient. She was going through hell with the reopening of the custody case. I swore to myself that I would stand by her and support her in any way I could. She needed friends around her, and I would be that. She was so carefree last night, and I wished that I could bottle up those feelings of contentment she felt and give them to her to use whenever she felt life was getting too heavy for her.
Tara did not deserve the way that bastard ex had treated her. He was a piece of shit, and he would meet my fists if he so much as looked in her direction. He had the opportunity to love and cherish her, yet he abused her instead, killing her spirit. I rose and kissed her cheek. She stirred but kept sleeping. I freshened up and made my way to the kitchen when the smell of bacon and eggs hit my nostrils. I rubbed my hand down my face. There would be some explaining to do.
"Morning, Jude." She said, looking over her shoulder.
