Page 116 of Jude

Seeing him in Rome brought back memories I’d rather suppress, so when Jude suggested gelato, I took up the offer with delight, needing a major distraction.

We stopped at Gelateria del Teatro near the edge of the piazza.

I chose a scoop of their dark chocolate flavor, the texture unbelievably light and velvety, while Jude opted for a simple fior di latte.

When we snagged a tiny metal table outside, before I could even grab my spoon to dive into the my dessert, Jude hooked his hands under my arms.

He hoisted me onto his lap, eyes intense, hot, and on me.

‘Jude, what’re you doing?’ I whispered, my face heating up as one of the young servers walked past. ‘People are staring.’

‘Let ‘em,’ he grunted into my neck.

His thumb brushed over the inside of my wrist, pressing my pulse point.

He was aware of exactly how he was lighting me up, I thought, trying to keep my breathing even while my heart thudded.

He cupped my jaw with his palm and leaned forward until his forehead rested on mine.

Then he tilted his head, placing a soft, quick kiss on the bridge of my nose.

As Jude caught a stray drop of chocolate from my lower lip with his thumb, my stomach did a frantic, dizzying flip.

The flaming intensity of his gaze made my throat tighten.

Yet, gazing at the fierce devotion in his eyes, I decided with reckless abandon that caution could take a hike, for now at least.

By the time we reached the door of our hotel suite, our playful banter evaporated, replaced by a wild, arcing desire that turned my breath shallow.

Jude unlocked the door, but the moment the deadbolt clicked into place behind us, he dropped the room keys onto the marble table.

He caught my waist in his hands, lifting me off my feet and pressing me to the door.

I threaded my fingers into his hair, pulling his head down.

The kiss began with a deep, passionate hunger that we could no longer contain.

His mouth glided over mine, soft and firm at the same time, undoing me.

I moaned as his hot exhale trailed down to my nape as he cupped my breasts.

Moments later, he bent and scooped me into his arms.

He carried me into my bedroom, our clothes scattering across the parquet floor in a frantic, desperate blur.

We knelt on the bed facing each other.

My hand trailed down his stomach toward his groin. His muscles were taut beneath my touch, and his throat flexed when I grazed his hard cock.

I was hit with a rush of wet and the need to taste him.

A flutter of desire surged in me as I reached for him, starting with a stroke, then a pump.

Jude’s head fell back with a groan as his chest rippled from trying to maintain control.

‘Babe, you don’t -.’

‘I want this.’