Alluring Turmoil (16 page)

Sleep claims me quickly with Lexi snuggled up against me, where she belongs.

Lexi

I
awaken to the sun streaming through the blinds, a warm arm draped over my hip with a hand cradling my breast, and soft breath tickling my hair as Jude breathes in and out with sleep.

Rolling slowly, so as not to wake him, I prop my head on my palm and just look at his face. I’ve missed him. It’s so unreal to have the face that haunts my dreams lying on the pillow beside me. In
my
bed… again.

Almost without conscious thought, my other hand reaches out and traces the line of his jaw slowly before moving to the cleft of his top lip. His mouth is slightly open and the urge to press a kiss to it is at the forefront of my mind.

My gaze follows the line of his neck and the rise and fall of his chest before zeroing in on the tattoo that covers his heart. I’m reaching out to touch it when a husky, drawl sounds out.

“You know I could get used to this. It’s very hard to remember that I’m not supposed to make love to you when I open my eyes to see you looking at me like that, Lex.”

Jerking my hand back and dropping it to the bed, I gasp, then giggle. “God, Jude! You startled me. Did I wake you?”

He groans as he lets out a cat like stretch and reaches for my head, pulling it down to his and nuzzling my nose with his own. “You did, but I don’t mind. You can wake me every morning.”

He’s rumpled and sexy, and I just want to climb all over him. The hell with taking it slow, I want this man… on me… under me… in me…
now
.

I pounce on top of him and kiss his mouth while running my hands up his naked chest, tracing over the contour of his abs. The sheet drapes around our waists as my legs are splayed alongside his hips, and my center is lined up directly with his very hard cock.

Groaning, he starts to rub against me, but keeps his hands in my hair, holding my face to his as our mouths devour each other.

A knock at the door breaks us out of our haze; but before I can call out a warning, it opens and Erik pops his head through. “Lexi, coffee is ready, love. I brought you a cup. Are you awake?”

His eyes take in the scene on the bed, focusing on our obvious nudity and the fact that a very naked me, is straddling an obviously, very naked Jude.

He snaps his eyes closed and drops the cup. Coffee spills all over the hardwood. “Oh fuck! Sweet Jesus! What the hell? Did you
spend the night,
Jude? Lexi. God, Lexi.
What the fuck?”

My surprise wears off and I look at Jude. He raises his eyebrows in question and we both smile.

“Hello, Erik. Good morning. No, no actual fucking has occurred, but I did in fact spend the night.” He smirks at Erik, who is holding his hands over his eyes and groaning, as he looks at him around my back. As Jude’s voice reaches him, he peeks through his fingers and grits his teeth.

I can’t help it. I bust out laughing and fall on top of Jude. He laughs with me as he wraps his arms around me. And I call out from his chest, “Hi, E. We got back late last night and I asked Jude to stay. Thanks for my coffee. I’ll clean that up. I’m going to drive myself this morning, but can you close the door? Love you.”

Jude and I are now staring into each other’s eyes as we hear Erik mutter, “Yeah, ok. No problem. I so did not need to see that this morning. Fucking crazy people…” before the door firmly shuts behind us.

We laugh again and I try to pick up where we left off before Erik walked in. Jude presses a hard kiss to my mouth and sits up, turning me, so I’m no longer straddling him and he’s simply holding me on his lap.

He kisses the top of my head, as I press into his chest.

“What time is it, Lex?”

I glance at the clock on my nightstand and see it’s already 7:00AM. “Shit! Oh shit! I have to go! I have to bake 300 cookies today, and I need to get the Mason cakes iced and into the fridge to set.”

Jumping out of Jude’s arms and scrambling to get out of the bed, I get tangled in the sheet and hit the floor with my bare ass.

Jude’s muffled laughter raises my gaze. He’s covering his mouth, but his shoulders are shaking, and he’s completely exposed since the sheet is a tangled mess around my legs, where I’ve pulled it off the bed.

“What the fuck is so funny?” How dare he laugh at me. My tone clearly states my ire with his finding me landing on my naked ass so funny.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you.” I shoot him another glare and he snickers harder. “Ok, I am. But that shit was funny. Are you ok? You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

He climbs over the bed and reaches over to try to help me stand up.

Asshole!

I slap his hand away and untangle myself, before wrapping the sheet around my body and striding to the bathroom with my head held high.

I hear Jude get up and call out after me.

“Come on, baby. Don’t be like that. Are you seriously mad right now? Baby, I’m sorry. I’ll never laugh at you again. I swear!”

I slam the door.

Jude

Is she serious? Like she’s mad at me? For real? I wasn’t laughing at her. Ok, yes I was, but it was hilarious the way she went flying.

Shit! I need to make it right. I can’t handle her mad at me. Especially over something so stupid. Game face, Jude. Find a peace offering.

Coffee…. She just needs coffee. And I can clean up the mess that Erik made.

See, I can be all considerate and shit.

Walking out of the bedroom, I go into the kitchen. Opening and closing cabinets, I find the mugs and pour Lex a new cup of coffee.

Looking out of the bay window into the backyard, I spot them.

Perfect!

Epic peace offering. I’m so good!

I find a knife and head into the backyard, and then I walk back to the bedroom with Lexi’s coffee and my surprise!

By the time Lexi comes out of the bathroom with her face done up and her hair in a simple ponytail, I’ve cleaned up the coffee from the floor, rinsed out the mug, gotten dressed in my clothes from yesterday, and set the stage.

She freezes when she spots me. Her eyes notice the now made bed, her cup of coffee in one hand, and a pink Gerber daisy in the other. They lift to see the sheepish smile on my face. I shrug.

She smiles and walks across the room. Leaning over the bed, she takes the coffee and the daisy, bringing the daisy to her face. She lets the petals caress her cheek before she places the cup and flower on the night stand, and kisses me lightly on the mouth.

“So, am I forgiven?”

She smirks. “Yes, you gorgeous man, you are forgiven. Thank you.”

Score. Yes dammit! I am the fucking man!

Lexi

I can’t believe he laughed at me. I wasn’t really mad. Embarrassed, but not mad. But he made my bed… and got me coffee… and gave me a flower… a daisy… a pink Gerber daisy…

Could this man be any more perfect? It’s no wonder I love him.

Jude kisses me before getting on his bike. He’s heading to the hotel to shower and change and then he has sound check and band stuff before the concert tonight. He’s leaving backstage passes at the backdoor for Bradi, Micah, Erik, and me.

He’s asked me to please try to get Erik to come; I’ve told him I’ll do my best but I can’t make any promises. The concert is at eight, but he wants us there at about six, if possible.

That’s going to be cutting it close with everything I have to do today, and leaves me little time to redo my hair and makeup and change, but I promise him I’ll see what I can do.

He has an interview before the concert with Rock Hard Magazine, for their cover story in next month’s magazine, and he’d like me to be there for it.

He’s still holding my hands as I gently pull back, away from him, and turn to get into my car.

He pulls me back and gives me one last deep kiss, full of want and promises.

I moan and wrap my arms around his neck with my fingers tangled in his hair, as I suck on his tongue and press my body against his.

If I’m going to be away from him all day, he’s damn sure going to keep me on his mind.

As our mouths break apart, Jude trails wet kisses down my jaw. “Damn, woman. Are you trying to kill me? How am I supposed to drive with my dick rock hard… and be away from you all day?”

I chuckle and lick up his neck before biting his jaw and whispering in his ear, “Be careful. Don’t wreck. And maybe this will keep me on your mind.”

Squeezing my ass cheeks he looks at me honestly and mutters, “You’re on my mind anyway. Always. No persuasion needed. Now get your sexy ass in the car and drive away, because I don’t have the willpower to leave if you don’t get in the car.”

I nod. “I’ll see you tonight. Miss me today.” One more kiss and he pushes me into the car and shuts the door before walking backwards to his bike.

I watch him in the rearview mirror, unable to look away, as he straddles the bike, puts on his helmet, cranks the engine, and roars away.

I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and back out of the drive.

Erik is behind the counter and there are at least twenty people in line when I walk into the shop. I give him a wave, stow my purse in my office, throw on a Java and Sweeties apron, and then race back out front to help him take care of the customers.

Things are steady for about an hour, and then they settle down and I’m able to head into the kitchen to get started mixing my cookies and icing my cakes. I’m in my own little world in the kitchen, humming and dancing around as I work and before I know it, it’s noon.

Erik walks into the kitchen with a coffee and a muffin for me and hops up on the island counter, while I finish icing the last cake and put it into the refrigerator.

He doesn’t speak, just watches me with a contemplative look on his face.

Finally, I finish and wash my hands before hopping onto the counter beside him and laying my head on his chest.

“So, you and Jude? What’s the deal, love? Are you like… back together?” he asks as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his body.

I smile and look at him from under my lashes. “Yes, I think so.”

He frowns as he looks down at me and shakes his head before speaking. “You think so? Well shit… Either you are or you aren’t together, and if you aren’t… What– what I saw this morning and what I walked in on yesterday… Well if you aren’t… I’m kicking his ass, Lex!”

Laughing, I hug him tighter. “We are. We’re together. He bought a house, E. And he owns the beach where we used to hang out. He wants me. He wants to be with me. And… and I want to be with him.”

“Are you sure, Lex? What about before. What about…?”

I cut him off. “Before doesn’t matter. It’s in the past. It was a long time ago and all that matters is now. I don’t want before to tarnish
now.
I have to just be with him now. I love him, E. I’ve always loved him.”

Erik grabs my hands and kisses my head. “I know. I’m happy for you. I’m happy for both of you. Truly. But I’m also worried, Lex. The past doesn’t just go away. Have you talked about it?”

Shaking my head so hard my hair comes loose from the ponytail, I say, “No. No we haven’t. He brought it up last night, but I can’t… I just can’t. I… can’t…”