Page 38 of Reckless

“Those guys paid us more attention because you were glaring at them for looking at me.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Isn’t it?”

If her foot was to tap right now, I wouldn’t be surprised.

“If we’d walked by without paying them any attention, they would have done the same.”

“You can’t know that. I put you in danger. Two of them followed us.”

Krista blinks a few times, then moves to sit beside me. I avoid making eye contact and down the tequila. It burns going down my throat, but I’m used to it.

“And when they saw us getting into an RV, they laughed about it and left. They’re probably still getting shit from their friends for thinking Jude Smallwood is walking down the street in Rapid City, South Dakota, getting into a motorhome. And even if they caught up, see it was you and ask for an autograph or something, you would have dealt with it. I’ve seen you do it before.”

“Yeah, it’s different when I have security around me. They make sure it’s all done safely and can step in if things go haywire.” I twist the empty glass back and forth between my palms.

“Stop beating yourself up. Nothing happened. We’re back here safe and sound. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Krista, you don’t understand. If anything happened to you, I’d lose my shit.”

“Nothing was going to happen, Jude,” she takes the glass from me and sets it down on the side, then grabs my hand in both of hers and gives it a squeeze. “And all the horrible scenarios you’re coming up with in your head are pointless. You don’t need to protect everyone. That isn’t on you.”

“There is no way of knowing how they were going to react. There were six of them.”

Her face grows sad, and that makes me even more angry. But it’s short-lived. I don’t want her to be sad, or mad, or disappointed in me. Especially when she is right.

Those guys weren’t a threat. But my life, for so long, has been about watching out for people wanting to harm me, or those around me.

Sometimes harm isn’t their intent, but I’ve had people send hate mail. I’ve had threats. I’ve even had a women with unhinged behavior, who scared me a hell of a lot more than a threatening look from a guy.

None of that matters. All that matters is I was scared for Krista.

Embarrassment fills me. I hate her seeing me react like this. Those guys were nothing. She’s right.

“Jude.”

My eyes close. Hearing her say my name does something to me. It’s been there since the moment I first laid eyes on her. I take a huge breath, exhaling through my nose.

The warmth of her palm on my forearm anchors me. Her hand moves, sweeping up and down. It’s comforting, but it’s doing more. I open my eyes and turn to look at her. I’m expecting sympathy, concern, or a wary expression about my behavior.

That isn’t what I see. She is angled into me on the couch. Our thighs are touching. Her hand is still moving, sending warmth through me.

Fuck.

Our eyes lock and it triggers a sensation in me, one that has become so familiar when I look at her. I move the arm she has hold of, but not to pull it out of her grasp and move away. I slip it under her arm, around her back, so my hand is resting over her hip.

She takes a breath and I feel her full body shiver. Her eyes switch back and forth on mine. A slight crinkle in the skin around her eyes is the only sign she is unsure.

Krista doesn’t pull away, she doesn’t lose eye contact.

My heart is hammering against my chest. I’ve never felt like this before. Part of me doesn’t know what to do with the need to pull away, fighting with the need to lean in.

I’ve never lacked confidence with women. She’s woven some kind of spell over me, and the weirdest part about it, I don’t think she realizes or even understands it. Just like me.

We move at the same time. My hand grips onto her hip. She reaches out and clutches the side of my shirt at my waist. Then our lips move together. It is gentle for all of five seconds. Then her head tilts back, and she opens her mouth, allowing me in, our tongues coming together.

A soft moan falls from her lips and it surges through me. All I want to do is pull her into my lap, to grind on her, taste her, feel every part of her. Somehow, I manage not to give into those desires.

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