Run to Love (Triple R Book 1) (17 page)

Jude:
Move your hand lower, raise your legs. Can you see me lying between them? God, the vision is beautiful, it’s making me hard imagining being there with you

I moaned low and heavy, reading what I was already thinking. My breathing was increasing in speed with every text.

Jude:
My fingers touch you softly, and my lips kiss your thighs working my way toward your heaven

Jude:
I tease you with my tongue. Slide your fingers where you want my tongue to be

My heart started pounding and the familiar rush of blood scorched my lower stomach.

Jude:
Turn the bullet up a notch. Tease yourself, lightly, keep it moving

I turned the small egg to the second setting. At this pace I wasn’t going to need the third gear. I was screaming for release right now.

Jude:
Place BOB right on your clit, hold it there, feel how my lips surround you and my teeth tug lightly on you

I pecked out two words as my body began to shake.

Prez:
I’m close

Jude:
Baby, come with me. Now, Beautiful!

I read his words and they took me over the edge into a body and mind rollercoaster ride that rose and dropped steeply, screaming through the corners and causing a weightless feeling in my stomach. I did my best to be quiet, but I couldn’t.

After I’d regained consciousness of my surroundings, I grabbed the phone.

Prez:
That was incredible. Thank you.

It took a couple of minutes to hear back.

Jude:
Was cleaning up. You’re welcome. I promise, the real thing will be twice as incredible. I’m not going to let a battery-operated piece of plastic outshine me ;-) Good night, pick you up @ 6:30pm?

Prez:
6:30 works. Good night, Ponytail

Jude:
Good night, Beautiful

In my relaxed state I wondered if Jude was a snuggler.

Hope he is.

Chapter Fifteen

I sat at the front desk and watched Presley from a distance. We’d played a game of who-could-catch-the-other-person-looking for the last forty-five minutes. I acted like a teenager again and obviously my body had the same reaction. I’d popped two boners since she walked into Triple R.

The sexting last night was damn hot. I’d never done that before, but when she typed, ‘Please,’ I couldn’t help but want her to orgasm, and I needed one, too, not that the release last night was doing anything to help my returning situation.

Kai walked to the desk and picked up her schedule from her mailbox.

“Good morning, Kai.” I adjusted my shorts.

“Hey, Jude. Blake talked to me yesterday about Presley. Of course, I got an earful from my roommate Wednesday. Glad I had the afternoon off to enjoy her two-hour bitchfest.” Kai glared at me and rolled her eyes. “She hates your guts, but I’m totally positive Emerson deserved what she got.”

“She’s not my favorite person either. I’m glad she’s gone.”

“Well, I still have to deal with her but since our lease is up soon, hopefully I can bow out gracefully of living with Satan’s bride.”

“Good luck. Can I introduce you to Presley?” I was acceptable below the belt so I stood.

“Sure, I’d love to meet her.”

As we approached, Presley slowed the treadmill to a walking pace.

“Good morning, Beautiful. How’s your workout going?” I leaned against the control tower and smiled.

Presley’s sweat-painted and glowing face smiled back. “Good. How’d you sleep?”

“Relaxed.” I raised an eyebrow, and Presley blushed. “And how was your night?”

“I slept like a baby. Had some pretty interesting dreams.”

“I look forward to hearing about those dreams at dinner.” Kai cleared her throat and reminded me why I was actually here. “Presley, I’d like you to meet Kai Thomas, your new trainer. Kai, this is Presley Bradenhurst.”

Presley stopped the machine and wiped her hand on a gym towel. She extended her hand over the rail. “Nice to meet you, Kai.”

“Hi. Glad I can be of assistance, Presley. I talked to Mitch yesterday about your previous training. Jude and I will talk today about what he’s been doing routine-wise and any special workout requests you’ve made. I’ll be ready for Monday, five a.m., right?”

“Bright and too early.” Presley’s smile radiated sunshine.

“Good. Well, I’ll let you two get back to flirting. See you Monday.” Kai chuckled while walking away.

“Thanks,” we replied in unison.

Presley rounded the machine and stood next to me. “Walk me to the locker room?”

“Sure. Are you okay with steak tonight?”

“God, yes!” she exclaimed on a happy moan.

Instantly I imagined that was the sound she made last night when she came.
Amazing.

She swung her towel in her hand as we walked. “Willow’s been forcing soup down my throat all week. She’s a classically trained chef and the soup is fantastic, but I miss meat.”

“Good to hear.”

Presley turned her back to the wall next to the locker room door, and I stepped close. One hand grasped her waist and the other wound in her damp ponytail, tipping her head upward. I leaned down to her ear. “God, you smell incredible, Presley. Salt and lavender and you.” 

“You smell really good, too.” She moved her head, her nose brushing the side of my neck. “Don’t you have to work tonight?”

“Rahl’s filling in for me.”

Presley cringed. “I need to talk to him.”

“I took care of it. I wanted to be clear with him what was going on. He gave me the same riot act that Blake and Prius Boy and Kanyon gave me about treating you right. There are too many guys waiting in the wings for you, Presley. It’s a lot of pressure. Oh, and Jace, too.” I winked.

She giggled and rolled her eyes. “Edwyn is definitely not waiting in the wings, he loves his boyfriend, Philippe. And Kanyon likes Willow, right?”

I declined to say either way. He was vague about where he was with Willow, and when he told me he’d decided not to invite her along on the bike ride, that led me to believe things weren’t so great. Plus, he had a shit-pile of issues with someone from his past, and his life had become complicated. Maybe it was better for Willow if they weren’t a couple and she didn’t have to deal with his baggage.

“And Blake,” she lowered her voice. “I think he’d hate to hear this but I kind of think of him as a brother. Rahl is a super nice guy but on my side there is not one ion of chemistry. And Jace, well, even though she’s probably one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever known, she’s just not my type. I prefer a lot more penis on my lovers.”

I laughed. “That’s good to know.”

Presley looked up at me. “So, Ponytail, even if they’re waiting for you to mess up and I really hope you don’t, I will go back to looking elsewhere.”

“Don’t expect me to be perfect, Presley, ‘cause I’m not.” My words were more ominous than I meant them to sound.

“Oh, I don’t, and the same goes for you.” She reached up and tugged the ponytail at the base of my neck.

“Deal.” I dipped my head and brushed her lips under mine, soft and warm. “Okay, you’d bettered get showered for work.”

I started to release her and step away, but she pulled me back to her. She came up to her tiptoes and her eyes sparkled. “One more kiss. A good one. Please.”

I tugged on her hand and guided her out of the sight lines of the desk and gym mirrors into a cove used for housing yoga mats.

Before she could say anything my lips were on hers, the pressure unforgiving until her luscious lips swelled beneath mine. Her hands teased to my back and plastered our bodies together. She whimpered as my cock responded quickly inside of the compression shorts I wore under my gym shorts. I deepened and slowed the kiss to trap every moment in our memories. I dropped my knees and slid my solid erection against her softness, again and again, until she was writhing under me, meeting my grinding with enthusiasm.

“Presley,” I said, and her eyes met mine. “Do you want me to touch you?”

She nodded frantically. “Yes.” Her words were breathy. “Please.”

I slid my hand into the waistband of her shorts and inside of her underwear. Holding her in a firm embrace and making sure no one was watching, I slipped a finger inside of her swollen slickness. I groaned at how snug and warm she was. Her body coated my hand with her juices. Her forehead hit my chest as she rubbed herself against my hand.

“Shit, you’re fucking hot and drenched for me.” I groaned into her ear and she moaned against the side of my neck, biting lightly when I rubbed her clit with my thumb. “Presley, I want you to come for me.”

My attention was soon rewarded as she moaned softly. A raspy “I’m close, Jude. I’m so close.”

“Presley, come now, baby.”

She shuddered against my body with a long gasp of release. Her soft velvet rhythmically pulsed around my finger, squeezing me while I massaged her spongy G-spot. I kept her orgasm going with a light pinch of her clit and the waves of pleasure continued to pulse through her body. Her legs wobbled so I tugged her closer to me.

“Presley, you’re so responsive, it’s amazing.” My body took over. “I’m going to come, too,” I groaned in her ear while she was coming down. My balls rose in the sack preparing for the discharge. Her hand moved to massage me through my knit shorts, rubbing the head of my erection with her palm. “Shit!” I came with enough force to roll my eyes back in my head. I removed my hand from her shorts and pressed our bodies together as I pulsed under her perfect touch.

When we had both calmed down, I gazed into those sparkling emeralds. “How was that?”

“That was incredible, Jude,” she said, her lips swollen and her eyes glassy half-moons from her orgasm.

“I told you I’d blow the vibrating competition away.”

She smiled timidly up at me, and I kissed her perky lips.

“Okay, that yoga class gets out in about two minutes, so we need to move on. Can you walk to the locker room?”

“Yeah, you may have made me speechless and weak in the knees, but I’m good to make it to the shower before I collapse.”

              “Sorry I couldn’t wait to do that, but the mix of sweat and soft scent had me hard before I even touched you.”

“And I was wet when I walked in the gym’s front door thinking of you.”

I stopped and stared down at her. “That’s the best compliment a guy can get, Prez.”

“But now I smell like sex.”

“Even better.” I placed a quick kiss on her forehead, then guided her around the corner, and she disappeared behind the locker room door.

Cleaning up in the men’s locker room, I wondered if I pushed her too fast. She wasn’t some bar brat to catch and release. Fucking amazing how we affected each other, but tonight I would make our time all about the non-sex foreplay—the sensuality, the mysterious tension, the flirty part of dating.

I trained my next client when Presley walked out of the locker room, glowing and wide-eyed. After I was done with the session, I got a text from her that told me what I needed to know.

Prez:
Best workout at the gym … EVER! Thanks. Maybe a repeat performance later?

I can’t fucking wait.

Chapter Sixteen

I whined at Willow. “Then stop messing with my hair!”

“It’s doing that weird thing again. Just a second.” Willow cursed under her breath while she ran her fingers through my curls. “That’s better. Think you’re ready for the god of ponytails?”

“I think so. How’s my outfit?”

She stepped back and eyed me up. “Killer. He’s gonna come in his pants.”

I almost told her that he did that already today, but decided to keep that tidbit of info to myself. That and the fact that he diddled me into a didn’t-know-my-own-name-catatonic-state right before grunting out the sexiest sound I’d ever heard. The look in his melting gold-flecked hazel eyes was of complete satisfaction.

As for my outfit, I was in the same jeans as last week, this time with a black fitted jacket over a silver silk camisole with a little sparkle around the neck. I wore black strap Stuart Weitzman braided jute wedges on my feet and simple long silver earrings. My hair was down, styled in soft waves, and apparently one unruly wave.

Swear I was pitting out from nervousness, but with the amount of antiperspirant I applied, every gland from my neck down should be as dry as the Sahara.

“Do you have a date tonight?” I reapplied lip gloss.

Willow completed a last viewing of my outfit. “Kanyon’s coming over later.” Her shoulders tensed.

“Is there something wrong?”

“I don’t know. We were all hot for a few days and I thought we had a great connection outside of the bedroom last weekend, but now it seems he thinks I have a communicable disease. He didn’t come over last night after his bike ride like he said he would, and he acted like he had something more important to do tonight but wouldn’t freely give up what it was, so I didn’t pry. I should trust my gut, and it tells me there’s something weird going on. Maybe he’s got another girl and I was just a distraction.”

“I’m gonna give you advice that a wonderful friend recently gave me. Don’t worry. Whatever is meant to be, will be. Live in the moment, less thinking, more listening. Remember, you deserve someone as great as you.”

Willow’s eyes popped open. “That person sounds brilliant!”

I brought her in for a hug. “She is. Thanks for helping me get ready. I was close to hyperventilating until you came home.”

“I got your back, Prez. Always. Have fun tonight and remember,
to avoid a frown, wrap your clown
.”

On that public service announcement, the doorbell rang.

Thank God.

I rolled my eyes at Willow, said nothing to encourage her PSAs from continuing, and grabbed my purse off my dresser while exiting my bedroom. I raised my shoulders really high, then dropped them quickly to shrug off any tension in my body. I’d think the two huge and spirit-altering orgasms in less than twenty-four hours would have me as relaxed as a sloth at the zoo. Not the case.

I opened the door wearing a big smile. “Hi … Kanyon?” My voice deteriorated to disappointment. His gorgeous toothy smile became a half-frown. “Sorry, I thought you were Jude.” I raised my spirits. “Hi! Kanyon! Please, come in!”

He chuckled. “Hi, Presley. Ponytail is on his way.”

Kanyon strolled to Willow, placed a peck on her cheek, and said something in her ear. She nodded her head.

“Hello, Presley.”

I jumped at the sound of a deep voice behind me. I spun to view what was probably a dream, but a damn good one. “Hi, Jude.”

In a comfortable black muscle-revealing V-neck t-shirt, dark washed jeans, black casual leather shoes, and a smile from ear-to-ear was the male who made my heart beat out of control … and the pumping muscle started immediately. I stepped forward to him and he placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

“You are beautiful.” He produced a bouquet of stargazer lilies from behind his back. “For you.”

I gasped. “Thank you. My favorite. How did you know?”

“Good guess?” he offered with a smirk.

“Thanks, Willow,” I said over my shoulder. “Okay, let me get these in water and we can go.”

Willow trekked to the bathroom, I assumed to get ready to go out with Kanyon. The guys conversed in the living room about some new motorcycle Kanyon was thinking of purchasing.

I overheard Jude quietly ask Kanyon, “How is Grace?” I stopped moving.

Is Kanyon dating someone else?

“She had a concert this week, sings like an angel. Miss her already. Every time is the same, I wish she never had to leave.”

“Have you made a decision about what you’re going to do?”

“Not yet. It’s too hard to think of her not being in my life, but like I said last night, Willow doesn’t deserve half a man and Grace needs all of me right now.”

From the kitchen, I could hear the affection in Kanyon’s voice. I focused on getting the flowers in the vase and on the kitchen table.

“Jude?” I announced my presence and Kanyon shifted uncomfortably in his black biker boots. “Everything okay?”

Jude took the two steps to me. “Great. Ready?”

He grazed my hair over my shoulder and rubbed his hands up and down my arms. For a moment, I wished we were staying here … alone. But the thought of steak filled my brain.

Red meat. Presley needs red meat.

We both gave good-byes to Kanyon on our walk to the door.

“Bye, Willow,” I called out.

She yelled from the bathroom, “Bye, Prez. Bye, Ponytail. Have fun, but remember—”

“I remember!” I screamed, not needing to hear another one of her condom usage one-liners. Jude winced at my outburst.

When we were out the door Jude wrapped his arm around my waist. “What was the ‘I remember’ scream about?”

A resigned sighing noise escaped me. “Willow knows what seems like a million goofy ways to say, ‘Use a condom.’ I just didn’t need to hear another one today.”

Opening the passenger door, Jude sounded like an immature teenage boy, “Tell me some. Please. Tell me!”

“Fine. Granted, some of them are pretty amusing. Let’s see. Sex will be sweeter, if you wrap your peter. If you go into heat, wrap your meat. Avoid a frown, wrap your clown.” I blushed.              

He gave me a quick peck on my cheek and I blushed again.

“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s great she cares about you. I can’t wait to hear more of them but from Willow.”

He settled in the cab of the truck, but before he started the engine he turned to me. “Presley, I have no expectation that this night will end up with us in bed together. Not that I wouldn’t be thrilled if it did, but I’m good at waiting for the right time. Tonight, let’s get to know each other better and go from there. Okay?” He started his truck.

“Great idea. Can I ask you one thing before we go?”

“Sure.”

“Who is Grace?”

Jude stilled. “You heard us?”

“It’s a townhome, not a mansion, Jude.” Sarcasm dripped from my words. “Is he seeing someone else? If he is, do you know, does Willow know?”

“I know you want to protect Willow, but I promise Grace is not a threat to whatever is happening between them.”

“Okay.” I stared out the passenger window.

“You sound irritated.”

“A little. I don’t like vague answers. Plus, Kanyon sounded like he’s in love with Grace.”

His warm hand on the back of my neck had me turning my head to him. “Noted on the vague answers, I’ll try not to do that when possible. I’m sorry but the answers you want aren’t mine to tell. It’s up to Kanyon to tell Willow the truth and he will when he’s ready. After he does, then I can tell you.”

“All right, I think I understand. Let’s go. Don’t want to miss our reservations. Where are we eating?”

Jude backed out of the driveway. “Omaha Prime downtown. I’ve never been there. You?”

“Once with my dad.” I fidgeted with my purse, wrapping the long strap around my finger and then unwinding it.

“What’s his name?”

“Preston. He’s a science teacher at Omaha West High School. My mom is Alicia. She’s remarried to Rich Rosen. So she’s Alicia Greenfield-Bradenhurst-Rosen, which makes her certifiably crazy for expecting people to remember three last names. I don’t know what she thinks she is for a profession this week. Cat whisperer? Cirque du Solei aerialist? Third-husband test-driver? Who knows.” My bitterness at her never stopped boiling up from the inside.

“When did your parents divorce?”

“When I was twelve. I lived with my dad. My mom followed her first post-divorce boyfriend to New York City. She came back after she caught him cheating, which is ironic since that’s why my dad divorced her.”

“Wow, rough. I remember you talking about an uncle. Sounds like you are close with him?”

“Yeah, the highly embarrassing story I told you that included my period.”

“That’s right! You looked like you wanted to find a time machine so you could go back about thirty seconds.”

“I wish. Anyway, that’s Uncle Thad, my dad’s brother. I would spend hours at his garage. I’d be glad to change your oil the next time you need it done.” I giggled when I reviewed the sentence I’d just said in my head. “That was weird to hear, wasn’t it?”

“Sounded a little suggestive, but I didn’t mind it.” He reached over and entwined his fingers with mine on my lap. “I think it’s great you know how to do those things. If I ever have kids, I’d want them to know those basics of car maintenance, it makes good sense.” He squeezed my hand and tingles rode the skin up my arms to my neck.

“So tell me something about you, Jude.”

Other than you wouldn’t mind having kids, ‘cause that information gives me heart palpitations.

“I come from Clive, a suburb of Des Moines. I went to Iowa State University for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in kinesiology. My mom is Wendy and my dad is Brian. They’ve been married for thirty years this coming July. Not that there weren’t times I thought they’d be better off divorced, but they’ve taught me that relationships are difficult and it’s harder to stick it out than call it quits, but hard things are usually worth it.”

I giggled again.

Jude shook his head. “I think someone has a little gutter mind tonight.”

I raised my shoulders in a shrug.

“Anyway, my brother Zane went to UNL, works for Union Pacific Railroad as a night dispatcher. He told me yesterday that he’s moving in with his girlfriends.”

“
Girlfriends?
”

“Yep, an exclusive polyamorous relationship. Him and two girls, Yori and Britney.”

“I know Yori! We graduated from high school together, took a lot of the same classes.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Simi’s sister, Yori Song, right? Stunning girl with full red lips that are every man’s dream?”

“Yeah, that’s Yori. Small world.”

“Omaha is the smallest big city you’ll ever live in. I find it comforting when I see someone in the crowd who I know, makes my existence seem real, connected to something bigger than me. Anyway, good for Zane, hope to meet him and Britney sometime and catch up with Yori.”

“Maybe you can come over on Sunday for a cookout? Supposed to be really nice in the evening.”

“Um…” A familiar anxiety rode through me like a dark wave of moonlight in Van Gogh’s
Starry Night
.

He squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry, Presley, I’m getting ahead of myself. Tonight is all that matters.”

              It was reassuring that he understood my need to take whatever was happening between us semi-slow.

I know. I’d let him—
and encouraged him to
—fondle me into a euphoria that had my knees collapsing earlier, but that was different. It was … I didn’t know what it was that made me do that! Totally unlike me. But it was an incredibly mind-blowing experience I’d never had and I was fine with that.

In an attempt to be honest with myself, I wrestled with the fact that I wanted to let down every protective wall I’d ever put up when I was around Jude. Completely West/East Berlin those bitches to the ground and send a piece of brick to every asshole jock and bitchy girl I’d let into my head with their judgment and vile words. Then guide Jude in regardless of passport or citizenship. Unfortunately, the wall had become a shelter for my head and heart. My chest kicked as I stared at his handsome profile, wondering if what was built inside of me couldn’t be permanently removed.

We made it to our reservation. The steak was exactly what I needed after a week of liquid diet.

I took a sip of my wine. “I saw that dog is still on the Humane Society website today. I’ve looked at her picture almost every day since Sunday.”

“I think that means something, Presley. What keeps you from adopting her?”

“I don’t know. I think I’m afraid I won’t be good—” I closed my eyes as my heart started to pound.

Be open.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m afraid I won’t be good enough for her. That I’ll fail her somehow.”

His hand cupped my face. “Hey. You’re good enough. I’m sure you’d make a great pet owner.”