Page 73 of Taming the Boss

“Yes,” she said reluctantly. “My dad and Honey and Jacob and I are all going. Let me guess. You’re going to be there with your brand new family?”

Those words gave me a pleasant buzz in my belly, which I had had a feeling was not her intention. “Yeah, we’re going. Owen’s never seen fireworks before.” Probably neither had Jude, if my recent experiences with him held.

“Okay, I’ll connect with you tomorrow. I want to meet this orgasm-dispensing man.”

“It’s not like it’s a public service he offers.”

She surprised me by laughing. “As if I’d let some strange dude get me off, even if he wasn’t already yours.”

I bit my lip. He did already feel like mine in some odd way. I couldn’t explain any of this. But I had this weird feeling that Jude was dealing with something similar toward me, as well.

Sometimes it was just fate you met someone in a certain time and place. You couldn’t explain it, and it was just a waste of time to even try.

“Rea, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Everything will be fine, I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that, Maddie.” She clicked off and I leaned back against the sofa cushions with a loud sigh. I still couldn’t find my damn sleep shorts set. So I’d just have to wear the backup sleep shirt I’d tossed in there just in case.

Now I had to go upstairs and see if we could get some sleep so we could do our shopping tomorrow and go see the fireworks if Owen felt any better. Or finish what we started earlier and then get some sleep.

Assuming Owen was still sleeping, which was anyone’s guess.

After shedding the clothes I was wearing, I slipped on the sleep shirt over my panties and slung the duffel over my shoulder before I padded back upstairs. I stopped by Owen’s room first, glad to see him curled up on his side with his arms around his giraffe. So very sweet.

Feeling daring, I slipped in and kissed his cool forehead.

He mumbled, “Baddie,” and went right back to sleep.

Then I went to Jude’s bedroom and found him in pretty much the same state, curled on his side, sound asleep. As quietly as possible, I set down my duffel on a padded chair in the seating area I hadn’t even taken notice of earlier.

I’d seen hardly any of the house yet. Maybe one of these days, Jude would give me a tour.

Keep dreaming, Masterson.

I turned off the lights, glad there was a small nightlight on in the en suite bathroom so when I woke up in the middle of the night and had to pee, I wouldn’t break my toe on some piece of furniture. I crawled in bed with him, not sure what to do next.

Did I just stay on the opposite side? Did I curl into him? What was the protocol here?

In the end, he turned over and stretched his arm out toward me, answering my unspoken question by pulling me into him as if we’d cuddled in bed a million times. He murmured my name and fell back asleep, almost exactly as his son had, though Jude could actually say my name.

I drifted off with a smile on my lips and his arm securely banded around me.

When I finally opened my eyes again, sunshine was slanting across the bed. I started to stretch, then I realized I wasn’t alone and smiled and turned over. “Hey, sleepyhead,” Jude said quietly.

“Aw, dammit, I forgot my toothbrush.”

He chuckled. “Good morning to you too. No worries, I’ve got an extra one still in the packaging in the cabinet. Had extras since I just moved in.”

“Yeah, new in town and all. Did Owen wake up yet? Is he feeling good enough to go sneaker shopping? And maybe book shopping too, since one book is just not enough?”

“I’d say so. He’s already downstairs dressed in plaid shorts and a Christmas shirt watching Bubble Guppies. I made sure he was set and came back to bed for another hour. Wonder who got him started on that show?”

“Gee, no idea.” I giggled. “What time is it? He probably wants breakfast.” I started to roll out of bed and then stopped when Jude slipped his hand between my legs.

“I want breakfast too, of a different variety.” He kissed his way up my back, making a shiver dance up my spine. “We have some unfinished business from last night.”

“We sure do.” I took a deep breath. “We don’t want to take chances we aren’t ready for.”

“And if something has already happened, then what?”

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