Page 114 of Ruthless Protector

“Hey,” he said.

This was the first time we’d been alone together for weeks, and I felt self-conscious all of a sudden. I’d never done anything like this before. The only thing I’d ever truly fought for in my life was Tilly. I was so used to being shit on and abandoned. When someone walked, I let them. Nothing had been worth the pain of more rejection.

Until I met Jude.

Yeah, I’d been a bit slow to figure it out, but I realized I’d do whatever it took to make him happy, to make sure he knew how much I loved him. I’d fight for him until my last breath.

His hands went to his hips, his chest still pumping from excursion. Big and sexy and beautiful. “Is everything okay? Tilly?”

“Everything’s fine. I, ah…I wanted to talk to you, actually.”

He drew in a breath, like he was preparing for a blow, and I hated that I’d made him feel that way. That I’d given him any reason to doubt my feelings for him. I wasn’t the greatest with words. I could only be my flawed self and hope that was enough.

So I stopped chewing my lips and took the plunge. “I, ah, I talked to Tils this morning, about going, about us moving away.”

His nostrils flared, and he sucked in another of those sharp breaths.

“She thinks it’s a terrible idea,” I said.

Jude didn’t move a muscle, those brown eyes still locked on me. “That’s because it is.”

I started trembling, all over now, with the force of my emotions. “I also talked to Fay. She, ah… she had a few things to say.”

“Yeah?” he said, voice rougher.

“She actually made some very good points…on why I should stay.”

His breathing seemed to get harsher. “She did, huh?”

I nodded. “I won’t bore you with the long version right now, but the short version was along the lines of, my sister would want me to be happy, that she would have loved you almost as much as I do, and I’d be a fool not to keep you around.”

He took a step toward me, just one. “And what do you think?”

I was trembling so hard now, there was no way he couldn’t see it. “I think she’s right.”

“Come here, Willa,” he said, feet planted apart, hands still on his hips.

I didn’t even have to think about it. I ran at him, jumping into his arms. He caught me like I knew he would, holding me up against him with one powerful arm, the fingers of the other hand thrusting into my hair, gently fisting it, tilting my head back.

“Beautiful,” he rasped out, a second before he kissed me.

He claimed my mouth, his tongue thrusting roughly against mine, deep and honest and perfect.

Finally, he lifted his head, looking down at me. “I could never get bored of you, or feel smothered. I’ll never walk out on you, you know that, right? I need to know you know that, believe it.”

“I do.” I cupped his face. “I know it.”

“I promise you, baby, I will never risk your heart, or Tilly’s. Not ever. I’ll protect them with everything I have. Fucking everything.”

I pressed my forehead to his, and when I lifted my head again, and he saw the happy tears rolling down my face, his hold on me tightened.

I brushed my thumb over his beard covered jaw. “I never thought a man like you existed. I thought you couldn’t be real, that no one was that good and kind and sweet. I know it now, Jude.” I leaned up and kissed him, like he had me, with everything in me.

Jude stumbled back several steps, and dropped to one of the benches, so my thighs were straddling his.

“Missed you so damn much. These last few weeks have been fucking torture,” he muttered against my lips. “Are you all right like this…your stitches are okay?”

All I could do was nod as he shoved my dress up and I yanked down the front of his shorts. Jude shoved my panties aside and then he was there. I bit my lip and sank down on him, taking him all the way, until he was fully seated, stretching me in a way that made me feel complete and perfect and home.