Fool For You (Made for Love Book 4) (14 page)

The hallway that houses both the men and women’s restrooms is long and narrow. I prop myself against the wall just beyond the mouth of the corridor and wait patiently for the object of my desire to make her exit. I don’t have to wait long. She’s fidgeting with her long necklace as she enters the hallway, and stops with a jolt of surprise when she notices me.

“Judah,” she sighs, bringing her hand up to her chest. “You scared me.”

“My apologies. It was not my intent.”

She nods, letting her hands fall to her sides. For a second, neither of us speaks. “Um, is everything okay? I mean—why aren’t you at the table?”

“I don’t play the third wheel very well,” I inform her, standing upright before taking a step toward her.

“Hmm,” she hums with a knowing smile. “Neither do I. But they seem to like each other a lot, which is nice.”

I shrug, sliding my hands into my pockets. “If you’re into that sort of thing, I suppose.”

A slight frown pulls at her features before she asks, “What is that supposed to mean?”

I shake my head, looking down at my feet as I remind myself of the bond that I saw between sisters. Of course she would be rooting for them. I suppose, in my own way, I am, too—for Ben’s sake. The fool. I meet her eyes once more and find that she is still waiting for a response. “Nothing. It means nothing.”

I watch as she studies me for a moment, curious to know what thoughts are whirling around behind those big eyes. “So…” She starts and then she stops, tilting her head to the side as she peers up at me. “So what you said the other day—what was it?” she asks herself. “You like to dine before you fuck? Those were your words, right?”

For reasons completely unknown, the foul word formed by those sweetheart lips makes my cock stir. All at once, I’m overwhelmed with the desire to back her up against the wall and
devour
her.

“Am I wrong?” she asks, lifting her eyebrows in question.

I draw in a deep breath, willing myself to gain control of my thoughts as I take another step toward her. “No.”

“So—um—so…”

I can feel the beginning of a smile at the corner of my mouth as her body begins to respond to mine. Her breathing has grown shallow. I take another step toward her, eradicating almost every inch between us, and I no longer remember what we were talking about.

“Wait,” she insists, pressing a hand against my chest. Her touch lights me on fire, and I can tell she feels it, too. She yanks her hand away as if I’ve
burned
her. “So—you’re saying, that while Ben and Harper are looking for love—you’re looking for—for—for what?”

I pull a hand from my pocket, eager to touch her, to feel her touch. I take her hand, trapping it against my chest before I reply. “Pleasure, Teddy. I seek
pleasure.
”

She coughs out a sigh and pulls away from me, taking two steps back so that she is no longer in reach. “Well then. I don’t think you’re a gentleman at all, Judah. More like—more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

I snicker softly, returning my hand to my pocket. “I do like to bite.”

Her eyes grow wide and her cheeks fill with color as she gasps—her mouth falling open
,
practically
begging
for my tongue to dive inside.

“It’s time for me to go,” she mutters, sweeping by me before I can stop her. “Oh, and Judah?” She stops at the mouth of the hallway, and I turn to look at her. “Consider this our date. No need to return that call.” Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she’s gone.

I shake my hand out, trying to rid my mind of the memory of his palm against my skin. Even just
thinking
about what I’m trying to forget makes me hot from head to toe—but to admit that I feel even the
slightest
bit turned on is way beyond what I can endure in this moment.

I do like to bite.

His words replay in my head, along with the vision of his devilishly handsome half smile. He had been so close—I could feel his body heat radiating off of him. That, coupled with the smell of his cologne, made it hard for me to breathe. What I wanted more than air was to stand dwarfed in all that is
Jude
, pinned in that one spot, with those gorgeous grey eyes looking at me like no man has ever looked at me before.
Ever.

Shit! I think I might actually be breaking out into a sweat as I approach the table. I barely register the fact that my sister’s lips are sucking on Ben’s as I reach for my purse and tap her arm. When she pulls away from him with a start, looking up at me from over her shoulder, the tug of her eyebrows informs me that she’s instantly aware that something is wrong.

“It’s time to go. I’ll meet you outside. Better yet—I’ll meet you at the car. Ben,” I chance a pause, needing to take a breath. “It was lovely meeting you. I’m sure this won’t be the last time.”

“Is everything okay?” he asks, concern tugging at his brow.

I peek over my shoulder and blush when my gaze clashes with Judah’s. “Yup. Everything is fine,” I say, backing my way toward the exit. “Harp—five minutes, okay?” I don’t even wait for her response before I hurry out of the restaurant.

The night is a balmy one, which I would usually appreciate. Right now, though, I’d kill for a cool breeze. I’m about halfway to the car, ready to cross the street, when I hear Harper calling for me.

“Who the fuck is Speed Racer now? Slow down! These heels were sure as shit
not
meant for running,” she yells, gesturing wildly to her feet.

I look behind her, making sure she isn’t being followed, before I offer her a nod and wait.

“Okay. Lay it on me,” she says, spreading her arms wide once she’s reached my side. “Do I need to dump Ben?”

“What? No!” I insist.

“Good,” she says with a grin, linking her arm with mine. “I love you, and I’m all for solidarity and whatever-the-hell, but he just might be a keeper.”

I smile at her, her smitten-joy somewhat contagious. “He’s great—every bit as wonderful as you described him.”

“So, what happened with Jude?” she asks as we continue toward the car.

I open my mouth to explain, and then he’s in my head again—in that hallway, taking my hand with his. My stomach tingles as I recall the wall of muscle that is his chest.

“Teddy?”

“What? Oh,” I sigh, shaking my head, suddenly unsure of what I should say. How do I explain the way he made me feel? How do I tell her that I ran, not because he repels me, but because he does the exact opposite? How do I justify my actions to someone who can read through any and every lie I’ve ever told? “Good cop, bad cop,” I finally spit out. “You got the good one, that’s all.”

“Hey,” she says, stopping just in front of her car as she grips both of my arms. “Did he do something awful? Do you want me to say something to Ben? I will—you know I will.”

“No,” I assure her with a small smile. “It’s okay. I’m a big girl. I handled it.”

“You’re sure?” she asks, giving me a squeeze.

I nod before leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Let’s just go home, okay?”

“You got it.”

We both climb in the car without another word. I try my damnedest not to think of Judah; of the way he seems to awaken my body just by being in the room; of the way his deep voice sounds when he’s talking only loud enough for me to hear; of the way he looks at me like he’d never tire of doing so. I try to push him from my mind. I try and I fail, fisting and flexing the hand that he took against his chest.

Halfway to our destination, Harper reaches over and grabs my other hand, giving my fingers a squeeze. “Thanks for tonight,” she says softly. “It really meant a lot to me.”

I lean my head back against the seat and sigh, admitting to myself that I’ll never be sorry for tagging along, even if she didn’t give me much of a choice.

“Anything for you, Harp.”

S
he unlocks her front door and grabs my tie, tugging me inside. I slam the door behind us, brushing away her hand as I circle an arm around her waist, pulling her back against me.

“Where are we doing this?” I mutter, pressing my erection against her ass.

“Anywhere you want, baby. We’re alone, now.”

She spins around in my arms and presses both hands against my chest before reaching up to kiss my lips. I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. There is no fire. There is no desperation. There is only my need for a release.

I pull my mouth from hers and look down at her face. She’s pretty. She certainly has enough working in her favor to get my dick up, but she’s not who I want. She’s not who I crave. And after two days, I still can’t shake the feeling of Teddy’s touch.

Fuck!

It’s been a hell of a long Monday. The little bar I went to in order to find a quick lay served its purpose. Now here I am, about to sink myself into Rochelle’s wet cunt—only, I’m still thinking about Teddy.

Theodora Fitzpatrick
.

I grunt in frustration, reaching for the hem of Rochelle’s skirt. I bring it up around her waist and she smiles at me as I back her further into the room. “I can’t stay for long,” I warn her. “I only have time for a fuck.”

“Aww. Does someone have a curfew?” she teases, pulling at my tie again.

Swear to god—if this bitch doesn’t stop grabbing that piece of silk like it’s a fucking leash—I’ll turn around and walk right out of here.

The threat is an unspoken, idle one. I know good and well that I need this fuck—right now. She was an easy catch.
Too easy.
Nevertheless, I cannot scoff at the convenience.

“One round with my dick, and you’ll be just fine,” I mutter, pushing her against the wall. I take both of her wrists and hold them pinned above her head. I’ve had enough of her lukewarm touch.

“Well, aren’t you confident.”

I slip my hand into her panties, circling her clit before I jam two fingers into her pussy. She gasps, turning me on just a little bit more. I then bring my mouth a hair’s breath away from hers before I say, “No more talking.”

She nods and then forces her lips against mine. I kiss her back, needing the distraction.

Tonight, this small victory will have to do.

I’m in the storage closet, silently singing the alphabet over and over as I file a stack of paperwork that has been piling up on my desk all week. Just as I tuck away the last form, Andrew appears in the doorway.