Page 132 of Can't Get Over You
“Your piece? I thought…” So he wasn’t spending Christmas with her? “I don’t understand.”
“Look, it’s your life, and I’ll never tell you what to do,” her dad said. “But I’m looking from the outside in, and it sure looks like you traded your problems for someone else’s.”
“Dad, no.” Finlay let out an exasperated breath. “It’s not like that at all.”
“You’re living in the house you bought with Matt, only you swapped him out for some dude with a kid that’s not even his.”
“He’s not some dude. Dad, I care about him. He’s a great guy.”
“Well, hang on. I’m not saying I have a problem with Jude. He seems like an okay guy. Nice family. But you’ve got to check yourself here, Finny. Make sure you’re not getting carried away with the fantasy of a family. Because that kid is not yours. You’re just the nanny, right?”
“I mean, that’s how it started, yes. But it’s not like that anymore. I have real feelings for Jude, and I know he feels the same way.”
“Okay, but we’re talking about a single guy who just got custody of a kid. And he conveniently has a schoolteacher around to help him out. Hon, you just ran from your wedding. This is a time of crisis for both of you. Emotions are running high. I’m just saying, it doesn’t feel real to me.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this to me. You think I’m not smart enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy? That I’m so lost I’d let myself be manipulated by a guy who’s afraid of being a single dad? Is that really what you think of me?”
“Now, take it easy. I’m here because I love you, and your mom and I are worried. Keep in mind, I’ve got no skin in this game. All I want is for you to be happy, and this looks like a recipe for disaster.” Her dad reached for the back door. “I have to get back to the party, but let’s you and me go out to dinner tomorrow night. We’ll talk more, and I promise to make more of an effort, sweet pea. Hate that you don’t feel loved.”
Before he could open it, Jude stepped into the mud room. “It’s real for me.”
Both of them swung around.Oh God. How much had he heard?
“My feelings for your daughter have nothing to do with raising Cody. I’m not afraid to adopt him by myself, but even if I were, I have three brothers, a dad, and the woman who raised me helping out. I don’t need Finlay for that. I need her because I’m falling in love with her. Make no mistake, whether I get to adopt Cody or not, I want to be with your daughter.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jude couldn’t sleep.
The house was quiet. Fee was asleep and draped over him. Everything was fine.
Except it wasn’t. Something was different. He knew her. Knew the faraway look in her eyes when she was troubled, the pout of her lips when she was lost in thought. She was smart, thoughtful, and plugged in, so when she’d put the milk next to the cereal in the pantry, he’d known she was distracted.
He wasn’t worried about what Fee’s dad said—they’d talked about it, and she’d assured him she wouldn’t take advice from parents who hardly even knew her.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Because the man’s logic was indisputable. From an outsider’s perspective, itdidlook like Fee had latched on to Jude’s problems to avoid facing her own. Shehadjumped right in to help him with Cody.
He knew in his heart they were meant to be together, but maybe she needed time to make peace with her past relationship and clear some space for the new one.
He just didn’t know.
A shaft of moonlight spilled across her naked body, highlighting her sexy thigh, and all that silky dark hair splayed across his chest. Her scent filled him, kicking up visceral memories of hearing her laughter, catching her hand in his while taking a family walk, and sitting quietly on the couch with her feet in his lap as they watched a movie.
Just a few hours ago, she’d ridden him with abandon, her hair brushing his thighs, her full tits bouncing. At the memory, desire ignited into lust, and he rolled onto his side, burying his face in her neck and just breathing her in. She stirred, making a sexy “mmm” sound.
His fingers skimmed her collarbone, landing on the plump rise of her breast. The nipple hardened, and he shifted lower so he could taste the hot little bead.
“Jude,” she whispered, her fingernails scraping across his scalp.
He cupped her jaw, forcing her to look at him. “Are we okay?” He needed to know.
“Yes. Of course.”
He swallowed her breathy voice with a kiss he hoped would banish any doubt she had, any ugly thought her parents put into her head. And it seemed to work.
In the darkest part of the night, the only sounds the rustle of sheets and the gasps and sighs of the woman he loved with all his heart, he knew he’d found bliss. Threading their fingers together, he raised her arms over her head, nudged her legs open, and rocked against her opening. She was wet and hot, and after a few easy thrusts, he slid deep inside.
Every cell in his body burst like champagne bubbles. He lowered his arms, so his chest brushed over hers. He wanted to feel her plush tits and hear her breathy sighs.
