Page 94 of Still Bruised
The corners of Foster’s mouth curled up a little. There sat his adorable golden retriever, wagging his tail again. “What’cha in the mood for?”
“Whatever,” Jude said, tearing his gaze from Foster’s. “I need to go. I’m going to be late.”
“I’ll text a few ideas this afternoon, and you can tell me which one sounds good,” Foster said. He closed the gap between them, captured Jude in his arms, and planted a kiss.
Jude could only stare at him, unable to speak, when they broke apart.
“Have a good day at work,” Foster whispered.
He kissed Jude’s forehead before he left the apartment.
Jude stood frozen for a few seconds, struggling with the sensation that Foster had brainwashed him. He didn’t do relationships. They weren’t a couple.
It was still just sex.
Just sex.
That big dick had done the brainwashing.
That voice in his head spoke up again.Liar! You like him. And not just because of his dick.
Jude sighed. He thought better when Foster wasn’t beside him. Maybe they needed some distance. Time for him to get his shit together.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder,the voice whispered.
And familiarity bred contempt.
A lightbulb went off in his head. Maybe having Foster around more oftenwasthe answer to his problem. The more they were together, the faster he’d grow bored. It was just a matter of time before he’d end up annoyed—and then he couldfinallyend things with ease.
His golden retriever would need to be rehomed.
The plan seemed logical enough, though if truth be told, he feared he was grasping at anything but the truth. The alternative answer to why he’d buckled under and allowed Foster a little closer wasn’t one he could stomach acknowledging.
That alternative being…
He’d already fallen for Foster Price.
18
Jude walked downstairs and found his early morning team standing outside waiting for him.Again.He weaved through them to the front and reached for the lock on the gate, unable to meet anyone’s eye. He feared he had an ‘I’ve just been fucked’ face and didn’t need them to see it.
“Sorry, guys,” he said, gazing around without allowing his eye to rest on anyone. He hoped his face wasn’t red considering how warm it felt.
“Another morning jog?” his apprentice cutter, Mario, asked with a wide grin on his face.
“Hedoeshave a rosy glow like he’s been exercising,” Margot, his cashier, said to Mario.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jude muttered.
He unlocked the security gates over the windows and doors and rolled them up before he shoved another key into the lock on the heavy silver door. A cool breeze of air rushed out to greet him when he opened the door. Jude cursed that he’d forgot to lowerthe temperature a couple of degrees before he left, but he’d been in such a fucking rush to slip into Foster’s bed that he’d forgot. After he ushered everyone inside, he heard complaints of the cold.
He was batting a thousand that morning.
Paulie was the last in line. He paused a moment, waiting for the others to be out of earshot.
“I’ve you gave me some keys, I could’ve let them in,” Paulie said. “And let you sleep in.”
Or climb back into bed with Foster.Jude’s face warmed again, and he turned his gaze from Paulie. “I haven’t forgotten your suggestion.”
