Saving Tatum (Trace + Olivia #4) (36 page)

I sincerely hoped that Archer and Jude would grow close. Based on how things had gone so far today, I had nothing to worry about. There was definitely an awkwardness between them, but with each passing minute it lessened.

“You two seem very much in love,” she commented.

Jerry chuckled, and his smile was pleased. I knew Jerry was looking forward to Jude and I progressing in our relationship—like marriage and babies, but he was going to have to wait a few years. At least for the baby part. I wanted Jude to myself for a while.

“Yes, we are,” I smiled. I knew there was a
happy flush to my cheeks. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

And that was the truth. I’d suffered nearly two weeks without him, and I’d been as depressed then as when I lost my brother.

“It’s nice to see people young and in love. So carefree,” she propped her head in her hand. “I miss that.”

“You’re still young—” Before I could continue she snorted. “No, really,” I added. “You could still find someone and have your happily ever after.”

She smiled sweetly, her eyes soft. “Honey, I did get my happily ever after, it just wasn’t the one they write about in romance novels.” She reached across the table and patted my hand in a motherly gesture.

Looking across the table at her I couldn’t believe that we’d found Julia, and subsequently Jude’s brother because of it. If Jerry had never called me Julia, I would’ve never started wondering about the mysterious girl. Life worked in funny ways.

I made a pot of coffee while we waited for the guys to return. When they did it was time for Archer and Julia to leave. Both promised that we’d meet up again next week for dinner—either at the house or a restaurant.

Jude’s smile seemed permanently glued to his face. He hugged Archer and Julia goodbye, and I was surprised when both opened their arms to hug me.

I’d known Jude was worried that they might hate him, or just be horrible people, but everything had worked out perfectly. Jude had a brother who clearly wanted to get to know him, and given enough time I could see the two becoming close. Even Julia seemed genuinely interested in knowing Jude. I hoped she’d become a mother figure in his life since his was absent. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to meet his parents. He barely talked about them and seemed to have nothing to do with them. But I knew all about having shitty parents and let’s face it if I completely blocked them out of my life it would be a whole lot easier than having to deal with them.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I never took the easy route.

My mom was still in a home for the foreseeable future—maybe even forever—but with my dad coming home today, I’d decided to try to have a relationship with him. I hoped our dinner went well and we could move past everything. After all, reading Graham’s letter seemed to have a profound effect on him. I guess I only had to hope that it lasted and that his anger management had helped—even though he was out of the facility, he still had to attend meetings three times a week. I think more than anything, I just wanted to have a dad. I’d lost my brother, and my mom—because let’s face it, she was off her rocker—so my dad was the only family I had left.

I shook my head free of my thoughts and followed Jude and Jerry to the porch, where we watched Archer and Julia get into the SUV and drive away.

“Well,” Jerry smiled, patting Jude’s shoulder as he passed him on his way back into the house, “I don’t think that could’ve gone better.”

Jude nodded his head in agreement, watching until the SUV disappeared from sight.

While Jerry went inside, probably to watch TV, Jude and I stood outside for a while.

He seemed lost in his thoughts, so I let him think.

Eventually, he turned to me with a grin curving his lips. “Thank you.”

I jerked back in surprise. “Thank you? Why are you thanking me?”

He chuckled, reaching for my hand. “Because, you’re the one that said we should find Julia. Without you, I wouldn’t have known about Archer…that I had family.”

“Jude,” my throat constricted with emotion, “you never need to thank me for that.”

“I know,” he pulled me in front of him and I leaned my head against his chest, “but I wanted to.” He trailed his fingers over my stomach and up my t-shirt. Heat filled my body and I let out a small moan. It didn’t matter how many times he touched me I
always
wanted more.

Jude chuckled low against my ear. “Tate?”

“Yeah?” I panted as his hands skimmed higher, coming up to cup my breasts.

“It sounds like you want me.” He bit my earlobe.

“I always want you,” I replied truthfully. Anywhere, anytime. I was like a big ball of want when it came to Jude. What had he done to me?

“Really?” His teeth lightly bit into the skin where my neck met my shoulder.

“Mhmm,” I hummed, my eyes closing.

“I like that, Tate,” he growled low in his throat, “I love that what I do to you turns you on.”

His thumb rubbed circles around my belly button.

My chest rose and fell with each heavy breath and I could barely keep my eyes open. “I need you. Now.” I panted, and he hadn’t even
really
touched me yet. Just teased.

“Your wish is my command,” he growled, his voice low and husky.
He turned me around and captured my lips with his own, before lifting me up and hauling me over his shoulder. The air got knocked out of my lungs and I was pretty sure his shoulder bruised my stomach. But I’d take the pain if it meant I got to have him.

Jude ran inside and started up the steps. “We’ll be in my room, Pap…cleaning.”

I heard Jerry chuckle and call after us. “Cleaning? Sure, that’s what they call it these days.”

My cheeks flared with a blush, but I wanted Jude too bad to care.

He jogged down the hall into his room and slammed the door closed and locked it behind us.

He tossed me onto the bed and I bounced up and down a few times, letting out a small squeal as I tried to keep from falling off his bed.

While his bedroom at the townhouse was that of a man—gray walls, and black furniture—this was the bedroom of a boy. The walls were painted dark blue, the furniture was clearly hand-me-down and the comforter had blue and gray stripes on it. Clearly he’d never bothered to replace it.

I didn’t have long to look around, though.

He stalked towards me, reaching behind to hook his thumbs in the back of his shirt. He yanked it over his head and threw it across the room.

All that tan, muscled, and rippling flesh was a feast for my starved eyes. My tongue flicked out to wet my lips and then he crashed on top of me, pushing my body against the mattress. He pressed his whole body against me and took my face between his hands, staring into my eyes—staring right down to my very soul.

“I love you,” he whispered, and before I could reply he kissed me.

My hands gripped his arms, my nails digging into his flesh.

I needed him closer.

I needed more.

This wasn’t enough.

I pushed at him until he rolled over and I could straddle his hips. I leaned forward and my hair created a shield around us as I lowered my head to kiss him this time, taking control.

His fingers were bruising where he gripped my thighs and I knew he was struggling to hold himself back from taking things too fast.

He didn’t understand yet
that no matter what we did, fast, slow, easy, or hard, I loved it all, because it was with
him
.

I laid my lips against his, not really kissing him, just feeling him.

I then opened my mouth and pulled his bottom lip between my teeth—letting it go with a pop.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

I ignored his comment and trailed my index finger over his nose. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I love these freckles.”

You couldn’t see them from far away, but when
you were face to face like we were now there were small freckles sprinkled across his nose and more over the tops of his shoulders. I thought they were adorable and gave him a boyish quality. But honestly, I loved everything about Jude because I loved
him
. Inside and out.

“You like those do you?” He smoothed his thumb over my cheek.

I nodded, biting my lip. “As much as you love my dimple.”

“That’s a lot then.” He chuckled warmly. His voice lowered and he murmured, “Now, where were we.”

He closed the distance between us, kissing me sweetly.

My body turned to liquid as his hands rubbed my body.

“Jude,” I gasped between our lips, “please.”

“Tell me what you want.” He nibbled my lips with his teeth and massaged the nape of my neck. “Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

“You,” I breathed, my eyes closing, “only you.”

He flipped me onto my back and eased my shirt off of my head. His movements weren’t rushed. “You have me, baby.” He growled low in his throat as he peppered kisses over my stomach.

My body squirmed against him and he pressed a hand against my chest to still my movements. He chuckled as his hot breath blew against the top of my shorts, making my hips buck. “Simmer down, Tate. I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.”

Oh, God.

With his hand on mine he undid the button and zipper on my shorts and started to pull them down. I shimmied my hips a bit to help him.

“You’re fucking gorgeous, you know that, right?” He stared up at me with hooded brown eyes.

“I know you make me feel beautiful.” I gasped as his fingers parted my underwear and slipped inside me.

I fisted the comforter between my hands and hissed between my teeth.

“Don’t ever forget that, baby,” he murmured, and then his mouth was on me.

Sweet mother of all things holy!

My brain short-circuited from all the nerves tingling in my body.

“Jude,” I moaned, squirming against him as his tongue laved at my center. My fingers delved into his hair and I wasn’t sure if I was trying to pull him closer or push him away. “Jude,” I tried to find my voice again,
but it was barely above a pant. “I need you. Naked. Now.”

He chuckled, his body vibrating against me and I almost came right then.

“My sweet Tate is so impatient today, but baby,” his voice lowered further and he looked up at me with darkened eyes, “you’re going to have to find some patience, because this isn’t going to be quick.” His lips quirked up, promising delightful and devilish things.

“Can we do slow and then fast?” I begged, not even caring that my tone sounded whiney.

He bit my thigh and I yelped. With a smirk, he shrugged, “Whatever you want,” and then his mouth was on me once more.

My breaths filled the air as I struggled to hold on, but the way he was working his tongue…well, I was a goner. A small scream escaped me as my body shook and then he was on top of me, his hand over my mouth.

“Shh,” he soothed, “let’s not scare the old man downstairs.”

My cheeks colored with embarrassment. I’d totally forgotten where we were and that his grandpa was downstairs. In actuality the house was large enough that there really was no concern of him hearing us, but that thought didn’t stop me from feeling uncomfortable.

“Sorry,” Jude nuzzled my neck, “I didn’t mean to kill the mood.” His fingers ventured back down and my thoughts from before disappeared. I was pretty sure he could use sex to make me forget anything. “You have the sweetest pussy,” he growled, pushing his fingers further into me. “You feel and taste so fucking good.”

My cheeks colored at his words.

Jude raised his head and smirked when he saw the blush staining my cheeks. “Does my dirty talk embarrass you? ‘Cause baby, that’s not even as dirty as it gets.”

My cheeks grew redder and I could feel the heat spreading to other parts of my body.

“It does,” he chuckled, brushing his lips against my collarbone. “That’s cute, Tate. Come on, say something naughty for me.”

I wanted to bury my face in my hands, but my hands were currently grasping the comforter as his fingers worked me and I was pretty sure if I let go I’d float away.

“I don’t know if I can,” I panted, my hips grinding against him.

He kissed me deeply and released my lips. “Yes, you can. Please. For me?”

I was sure that my skin had to be an unattractive red color at this point. “Jude,” I groaned, wanting to kick him.

His fingers left my body and he used them to trace my lips. My tongue flicked out automatically and I could taste myself on his fingers.

“You can do it, Tate,” he murmured. “It doesn’t have to be naughty. Just…push your limits a bit.”

Fuck. He wasn’t going to leave this alone.

He rolled off me and lay on his back, crossing his arms behind his head. He turned slightly to look at me. A playful smirk turned up his lips. “No sex for you until you say something dirty.”

I eyed the bulge straining against his jeans and stared him down. “Really?”