Jude (Beautiful Mine #2) (13 page)

EVIE

“Is that her?” I asked, standing on my tip toes and peering over throngs of travelers at the LAX baggage claim Friday afternoon. “No. Wait. I think that’s her. Nope. Never mind.”

“Relax,” Jude said, softly rubbing my shoulders. “She’ll be here. Just wait.”

“I wish you knew what she looked like,” I lamented. “I need an extra set of eyes right now. Believe me when I say she’ll blend right in here.”

“Is that her?” Jude said, pointing across the way. “She’s staring at you pretty hard.”

Before I had time to say anything, I found myself running toward her like a crazy person and throwing my arms around her. We bounced like a couple of excited schoolgirls, as if we hadn’t seen each other in years.

“Carys, meet Jude,” I said, proudly introducing them.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, extending her hand. I was right. She blended right in with her mint skinny jeans and her spray tan and her mile-long legs. Her sleek, platinum blonde bob laid perfectly smooth and shiny against her pretty oval face. Her full lips were slicked with glassy red gloss. Carys loved to make a stunning impression anywhere she went. “So, you were the guy hanging out in Evie’s driveway the other night.”

Jude flashed an unapologetic grin, owning it.

“Thanks for flying me out here,” she said, hoisting her leather satchel over her shoulder.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Jude said as he loaded her bags in the car a bit later. “I’m going to drop you girls off at home while I take care of a few things. I’ll pick you up for dinner at seven. Sound okay?”

“Perfect,” I said, studying Carys as she took in her surroundings. It was as if I were reliving my first L.A. venture through her.

“Where are we going for dinner?” Carys asked.

I filled her in, attempting to be as casual as possible. “You, me, Jude, and Jax are going out to some seaside bar tonight for dinner and drinks.”

“Wait,” Carys said. “This isn’t some double date thing, right? You know I hate being set up.”

“No, no, no,” I lied. “Not at all. Just didn’t want you to feel like the third wheel, so we’re dragging Jax along to make it an even number. Don’t read it to it, Carys.”

“Better not be,” she huffed, brushing her flaxen hair from her eyes and glancing out the window again. “I came here to hang out with you—no offense, Jude. Not to be some surfer dude’s flavor of the weekend.”

“You’re going to love their place,” I said, changing the subject. “It’s amazing.”

Jude dropped us off, and Carys and I traveled up the elevator to Jude’s floor a half hour later. I watched Carys’ reaction as she saw the guys’ place for the first time. She, too, was from a modest, working class family. This blew her away just as much as it had for me.

“Is this real life?” Carys said, slowly spinning around the room. “This place is beautiful. Are you sure two guys live here? I went to my brothers’ place once, and I couldn’t get the smell out of my hair for days. This is incredible.”

“That’s Jax’s side, and that’s Jude’s side,” I said, pointing. “Living room. Dining room. Kitchen. That’s pretty much it. Oh, and the balcony.”

“That view,” Carys said, floating toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that covered the living room wall. She rested her hand on the balcony door handle and slid it open. The breeze blew her sleek locks back as she stepped out to look at the busy street view below.

“I could get very used to this,” she said, her red lips curling into a smile.

“I knew you’d love it here,” I said smugly. “Just wait until you see Jude’s bathroom. It’s like a freaking palace.”

After giving her the tour of Jude’s suite, we collapsed on his bed, side by side.

“So, thoughts?” I asked. “I know you’ve been taking in every little thing since you stepped off that plane.”

Carys popped up, always loving a good opportunity to share her opinion when she could.

“Okay, for starters,” she said, getting right down to business. “Jude seems nice. Almost too nice, but that’s all I’m going to say because I really don’t know him that well yet. The fact that he flew me out here to make you happy, Evie, speaks volumes. Not a lot of guys would do that.”

“Okay.”

“Second, this city,” she continued. “I’ve only been here an hour, and already I’m in love. It weirdly feels like home, but it could just be that I’m in vacation mode and everything is new and exciting.”

“This place makes Halverford seem pretty lame,” I agreed. “Like a boring little one horse town.”

“Halverford
is
a boring little one horse town,” Carys said. “That’s why we love it so much.”

“I don’t understand this loyalty you have to Halverford,” I told her.

“It’s not that,” Carys mused. “I’ve just never had a reason to leave. It’s my home. But who knows? If you’re out here, I might finally have a reason.”

I smiled. I could see it on her face. She was opening up to the idea of moving out here.

“I have a job interview on Monday,” I said. “At a hospital. If I get the job, Jude’s going to take me apartment hunting. I kind of need to know if I should be looking for one bedrooms or two…”

Carys grinned. “Shit, Evie.”

“You can give me your answer by Sunday,” I teased. “I’ll give you the weekend to think about it.”

She rolled her eyes, though we both knew the answer was already practically written in stone. She was moving out here. I wasn’t giving her a choice.

“Okay, so back to Jude,” I said, shifting the conversation.

“Just be careful, Evie,” Carys said, her expression growing concerned. “I know you’re happy right now, and he seems so wonderful. But on what planet does a drop-dead gorgeous guy from West Hollywood sweep some naïve Midwestern filly off her feet like some knight in shining armor, moving her from his friends and family so he can take care of her?”

“It sounds ridiculous when you put it that way,” I said.

“All I’m saying is, don’t let your guard down too much,” she said. “Don’t become too dependent on him. Just take things slow. Promise me that.”

Carys loved to lecture me. It was what she’d always done. I both loved and hated her for it.

“Promise,” I said. “That’s why I need you to move out here. I need you to keep me grounded. I don’t want to cling onto him like some trembling leaf in the wind. And we both know I’ll do that.”

“Yes, yes, you will,” Carys laughed. “Have you guys, um…”

“No!” I said, my eyes growing wide. “I told you, we’re taking things slow. I don’t even know if we’re dating.”

“What? You moved out here to be with him. You’re dating.” Carys seemed annoyed as she pursed her lips.

“We haven’t had the whole boyfriend-girlfriend talk,” I said.

“Is there a boyfriend-girlfriend talk?” Carys asked. “Do people still have those?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed. “We’re just trying to figure things out. One day at a time, right?”

JUDE

“You girls about ready?” I called from the other side of the bathroom door.

The lock popped and the door flung open, revealing Carys and Evie all done up in a cloud of hairspray and perfume, giggling like a couple of high-schoolers.

“Let’s go,” I said, leading them to the kitchen where Jax was waiting by the island, desperately trying to hide the fact that he was checking out Carys. I laughed as she completely snubbed him.

“Carys,” I said. “Meet Jax. Jax, Carys.”

I could see it in his eyes when he looked at her. Carys was a stunner, and stunners were Jax’s type. The long legs. The blonde hair. The hair and makeup to the nines. It was as if she were designed and manufactured specifically for Jax Meredith.

A short black dress hugged Carys’ curves, and nude pumps gave her a little bit of height that she clearly didn’t need. The girl was Hollywood, whether or not she knew it.

The clicking of the girls’ heels followed us out to the hall, and within minutes we were loaded into my car, heading down the Pacific Coast Highway to a little beachside place in Malibu my buddy owned.

Carys found herself sandwiched between Jax and Evie as we were seated at the restaurant, and I caught her rolling her eyes  every time Jax snuck a peek at her.

“I’ve never seen Jax so quiet before,” I whispered into Evie’s ear.

She shrugged, a winning smile parting her lips.

“Hey,” Carys said. “Stop that. No whispering. We’re not five.”

“No kidding,” Jax huffed, speaking for nearly the first time all night.

The breeze fluttered through the palm trees that surrounded us on the rooftop of Blue Wave Malibu, and outdoor lights casted the most perfect illumination on all of our faces. I silently chuckled at the romantic set up as I watched Jax and Carys make conscious efforts not to interact.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” our server said to Carys when he came by to take our drink orders. “I’m supposed to ask if you’re on a date this evening.”

Carys flashed a blindingly white smile that lit up her entire face. “Why, no. I’m not on a date this evening.”

He sat down a pink, fruity-looking drink in front of her. “Compliments of that gentleman by the bar.” He nodded toward the bar on the other side of the rooftop where a balding, middle-aged guy dressed in tight rock star jeans and a logoed t-shirt waved and winked at her.

She raised the glass to her lips and mouthed “thank you” to him, when all of a sudden Jax reached out and grabbed it from her.

“Hey,” she said, annoyed. “Those are fifteen bucks. What are you doing?”

“You don’t know that guy,” Jax said, drawing the class out of her reach. “Ever heard of roofies?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of roofies,” Carys snorted. She leaned across him, grabbing the drink. As she brought it to her lips, Jax grabbed it once more. “I also know that waiters don’t roofie drinks, genius.”

“You don’t know that,” Jax said. “People will do a lot of things, if you pay them enough.”

“I’ll take my chances. Thanks.” Carys reached for the drink, only to have Jax scoot it further away.

“I feel like we’re watching two middle-schoolers try to flirt,” Evie whispered to me.

“Trust me,” Jax said. “If you want another drink, I’ll buy it for you. What do you want?”

“You don’t need to buy me a drink,” Carys huffed.

We watched in awe at what was happening before us. If anything, it was cheap entertainment.

Jax said nothing as he left the table and headed toward the bar like a man on a mission. He made a comment to the balding, middle-aged man who raised his hands up as if to apologize. Then Jax returned with a fresh, new, fruity pink drink for Carys.

“Freaking dumbass girls,” Jax said to Jude, rolling his eyes. He turned to Carys, “You’ll thank me someday.”

“Thanks,” Carys said, sipping her drink with her eyes glued to him as if she was seeing him in a whole new light. Her demeanor shifted after that, and she seemed to lighten up a bit. “So, Jax, how long you been living with Jude?”

“I don’t keep track,” he said with a shrug, scratching his long surfer hair. “Long time?”

“Eight years,” I replied.

Carys nonchalantly scooted her chair a little closer to Jax and leaned into him. “What do you do for a living? Are you a businessman like your buddy over there?”

“Not really,” he replied, trying to play it cool.

“He works in film production,” I interjected.

Evie nudged me. “Let him speak. How will they ever get to know each other with Chatty Cathy over here?”

“Okay, okay.” I stifled a chuckle.

“What about you? What do you do?” Jax said, leaning into her to listen. The restaurant was beginning to fill, and it was getting harder to hear.

“I manage a call center,” Carys said modestly. “It’s not glamorous, but I like it. I enjoy being in charge.”

“I can tell,” Jax said, not missing a beat.

Their eyes locked. Something magical was happening before us.

“You want to go get some air out front?” Jax asked her. “It’s hard to hear you out here. And our little audience is starting to get on my nerves over there.”

They both turned toward us, and Evie and I glanced away in tandem.

“Sounds good to me,” Carys said, grabbing her clutch and scooting out from the table. Jax followed her with his hand on her lower back as they headed downstairs and out to the front of the restaurant.

“Hm,” I said, reaching over and resting my arm on the back of Evie’s chair.

“What?” Evie asked with a smirk.

“You just might be right about those two.”

“Told you.” She nudged her elbow into my ribcage. “So, what do you think of Carys so far?”

“She’s exactly how you described her,” I said. “Opinionated. Independent. Stubborn.”

“Yeah, but do you like her?” Evie asked.

“I do,” I said, not quite sure why it mattered.

“That’s good,” Evie said. “She’s going to move out here with me, so you’re probably going to be seeing a lot of her.”

“Evie, Evie, Evie,” I said, rubbing her back.

She leaned away and nervously adjusted her hair. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to embark on this new journey with a familiar face around.”

I threw my hands in the air. “Okay. Fair enough. But you think it’s a good idea fixing those two up, then? What if it doesn’t work out? Is it going to be weird for them?”

Evie shrugged. “Didn’t think that far ahead.”

Carys and Jax came back, exhilaration written all over their rosy faces.

“What did you do?” Evie mumbled to Carys.

I shot Jax a knowing look.

“Nothing,” Carys said to Evie. “They going to take our food order or what?”

***

“Can I go out to the balcony?” Carys asked at the condo later that evening.

We’d all been sitting around the living room laughing, drinking, telling stories, and getting to know each other.

“Of course you can,” I said.

“Jax, you coming?” She stood up, locked eyes with him, and he followed her out like a lost little puppy. In all my years of knowing Jax, I’d never seen him this way around a girl before.

“This is highly entertaining,” I mused when they left the room. “I have to admit.”

Evie sighed, her full lips twisting into an admiring smile. “No man can resist her. It’s been this way our whole lives. I’m pretty sure she’s been proposed to at least three times, and she’s never dated anyone longer than six months. It’s going to take the right guy to pin her down, and I kind of think she may have met her match tonight.”

“Why’s that?”

“He’s so different from everyone back home. She’s never met anyone like him,” Evie said as we stared out toward the balcony where they sat together on the loveseat. Jax slipped his arm behind her, and she pretended not to notice.

“We’ve been focusing on them all night,” I said, reaching up to cup her face and turn it toward me. “Let’s focus on you and me.”

I leaned in and kissed her lips with a tender fervor, slipping one arm around her waist and pulling her close. The taste of sweet wine lingered on her tongue and the faint scent of her gardenia perfume radiated off her warm skin.

I hadn’t been close to a woman in years, and even with Veronica, I kept myself at a distance, never giving her a hundred percent of me. But Evie felt safe, like I could trust her with my heart. I could feel a bit of the ice inside me melting away every time I looked at her.

You don’t deserve her, man. Don’t do this. She’s too good for you. You’re just going to screw her over like you do every other girl.

I kissed her harder, trying to quiet the voice in my head that told me I had no business trying to forge a relationship with this beautiful soul.

“Whoa, slow down,” Evie said, feeling the passion in my kiss. Breathless she said, “What’s the rush?”

“Sorry,” I said. “It was hard being away from you all afternoon.”

“Really?” Evie asked in disbelief. “It was just a few hours.”

“You’re addictive.” I leaned in to kiss her again, attempting to silence the intrusive thoughts beginning to form again in my mind. “I can’t get enough.”

She kissed me back, allowing me to claim her mouth as if I’d said some sort of magic words.

“You look so beautiful tonight,” I said, stopping for a moment to take her in. “I’d been thinking it all night, but I forgot to tell you.”

“Thank you,” she said with a gracious smile, burying her head in my neck. She ran her fingers over my left arm, outlining my tattoos with her fingertips.

I stood up, scooping her up in my arms and carrying her back to my room, caveman-style.

“Where are we going?” she asked with a giggle. “What are you doing? Is this really happening?”

I tossed her on the bed and locked the door. A burning urge inside me told me I had to have her. Fuck it. Fuck logic and reason and everything else that told me I couldn’t have her, that I shouldn’t have her.

I crawled onto the bed, sliding my body over hers and slipping a hand around her back as my position forced her legs to part. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded, powerless as she bit her lip. “I do…”

I leaned in, pressing my lips into the soft flesh between her jaw and earlobe and breathed her in.

“…but I think we’re moving too fast,” she said, her voice nearly apologetic.

I collapsed on top of her and slid to the side. “Fuck. You’re right, Evie.”

She inched closer to me, likely sensing the sting of her rejection, and curled herself up into my arm.

“I just can’t control myself around you,” I said. And knowing I shouldn’t have her made me want her even more.

No, not want—had. I
had
to have her.