Page 96 of Never Again (Never Blue)

Tali

I woke in a white,sunlit room, tangled in soft sheets. The bed was empty, but the sound of Jude’s guitar carried through his apartment. For a while, I lay there with my eyes closed, listening to him play.

He made me smile, more than he ever had. Things felt lighter this time around. Just as intense, but not like we were constantly racing the clock, trying to beat time.

We might not have had all the time in the world anymore, but maybe with age, it was easier to savor small moments.

This was one of those moments. Waking up in Jude’s bed, hearing him play, knowing with absolute certainty coming here yesterday had been the right choice. That certainty was a soothing balm. It pulled and loosened the binds to my anger and pain. I saw pieces of it floating away when each chain fell. It wasn’t instant, but I was willing to wait for it alongside Jude.

I threw on his T-shirt and padded out to the sunny living room. My heart squeezed when I found Jude kicked back on his couch, shirtless, with his guitar on his stomach. His hazel eyes were half-mast, and he sang lyrics too soft for me to hear.

I leaned against the wall off to his side, watching him. As loudly as I protested getting involved with rock stars, I’d never seen anything sexier than Jude with his guitar. On stage, in his living room, it didn’t matter. I could grow old and gray listening to him play.

“Morning, Stripes.” He looked up, finding my hiding spot immediately. “Did you think I wouldn’t know you were standing there?”

I came the rest of the way into the room, stopping in front of him. “I just wanted to look at my beautiful man for a minute.”

He set his guitar aside and slid his palms up my hips, pushing my T-shirt up. I hadn’t put underwear on, leaving me bare.

“You have no idea how it feels to hear you say that, baby. Say it again.”

I knew what he wanted without prompting. Being here, in his home, he felt more like my man than he had on tour. He felt like the real deal.

“My beautiful man.”

His eyes closed, and his forehead pressed against my stomach. “Jesus, Tali.”

“Say it to me. Tell me I’m yours.”

“Baby, baby, baby...you’re so fucking mine. My exquisite woman.”

With a ragged sigh, Jude kissed my stomach, circling his tongue around my belly button.

“I’ve never seen a more perfect belly button,” he said, pressing his thumb inside. “I used to jack off thinking about coming on it.”

I arched my back, pressing my stomach forward, and dug my fingers into his messy hair. “You can. I’d like that a lot.”

He tipped his head to look up at me. “I don’t know, baby. I’m pretty sure you were made for me in a past life.” He smoothed his palm down my thigh, gripping the back of it and lifting my foot onto the couch. Running his nose back and forth in my pubic hair, he inhaled my scent and groaned before parting my folds with his tongue and licking me everywhere.

Jude cupped my ass and brought me closer to his mouth. Up and down, his tongue explored, patient and skilled. He knew what I liked, but showed me new ways to get off. My boundaries collapsed in his hands.

I rode his face, grinding my pussy against his tongue. Together, we made wild loving. Wantonness sensual. Exploration erotic. And there was no such thing as dirty, not when it was between us.

“Jude,” I panted at the ceiling.

The room filled with my breathing, his wet, sucking sounds, and his groans of appreciation. Like he was getting off on this as much as I was, which only made me wetter. My fingers curled into his hair as he brought me higher and higher. His tongue painted patterns on my clit, flicking and pressing until I began to go blind from the pleasure of it. Then he dragged his tongue from my opening to my clit, once, then once more.

My legs shook. My stomach muscles pulled tight. Jude’s lips wrapped around my clit, sucking, then giving it a few gentle nibbles, and I exploded, crying his name, grunting like I was in pain—and I was. Pleasure like this hurt, it was so damn good. I could’ve cried from how hard I came against his mouth, but Jude swept me off my feet so fast, I never had the chance. I was pinned beneath him, and he pushed his boxers down in one swift motion.

He braced one arm next to my head, his hand curled around the top, stroking my hair, even as he pushed forward, filling me until I ached and shuddered. Though we didn’t speak, we were connected. Mouths, tongues, eyes, hands, all caught up and wrapped around.

I held onto his shoulders, digging my fingers into the thick, rippling muscles.

He moved into me slow, but deep, rolling his hips in sensual circles. I loved that we could take our time, warm skin on warm skin, sliding and rocking. We made lazy, indulgent love. We kissed like teenagers and fucked like adults who understood what it was like to lose everything.

Jude’s hand came down to my face, rubbing the pad of his thumb across my cheekbone. I’d always loved the way he looked at me, but it had never been better than that moment. Hazel eyes to chocolate, completely open and willing. All at once, I knew I’d always be safe with him.

And like the first time, the words slipped out because I felt them and couldn’t help myself.

---