17. Romy
17
romy
I piled my hair into a messy bun on top of my head, sweating from packing up my classroom. The final box was everything from my desk. The curriculum materials, supplies, furniture, and posters were all going to the next teacher who inherited the classroom. I had already loaded my car with three boxes and was coming back for the last one. But I needed to leave room in my Civic for everything I was getting from my apartment.
I shot Travis a text.
Me
I’ll be there around 3:30 if you want to NOT be there. I’ll leave my keys on the counter.
Thankfully, Brit had some room in her small apartment garage to store my boxes while I hunted for a new apartment. Now that school was out, I could dedicate some time to that. Especially before I headed back to Willows. Hazel’s lawyer had gotten ahold of me, asking for a character witness at her hearing. I still hadn’t confirmed whether or not I’d be there, but I knew I should.
I taped up the final box, looking around at my classroom. I hadn’t grown an attachment to it knowing how temporary every position had been over the last few years. I didn’t feel any sort of way about leaving—just a sense of exhaustion and relief, ready to move on.
Over the last week, I threw myself into every end-of-school-year volunteer position. Staying busy was exactly what I needed to get my mind off Jude. When Chuck called to check up on me, I had to bite the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood so I wouldn’t ask about Jude.
Part of me thought if I just kissed him, maybe fooled around a bit, I could get this out of my system, but instead, it created this insatiable need that I didn’t know existed. Like all these years, this need was left dormant, just waiting to be stoked.
And stoked it was.
I blew a long exhale, whisking a loose tendril out of my eyes. I hit the lights, heading to the main office to turn in my keys and my checkout paperwork.
“Hope you have a good summer, Sandra,” I told our head secretary, handing her the keys and paperwork.
“You, too! Looks like your summer break is already starting off in the parking lot.” She winked, her glossy lips smirking.
My brows pinched. “What do you mean?” I shifted the box in my arms, swinging my head toward the office windows overlooking the staff parking lot.
A tall guy with bulky, tattooed arms leaned against a car, his baseball-capped head bowed, his hands shoved into his pockets.
Oh, fuck. I heaved a breath.
“I offered to call down to your classroom for him, but he insisted on waiting outside.”
I didn’t know if Jude cornering me in my classroom was any better than at my car.
I gave Sandra a weak smile. “Thanks.”
I was a mess in cutoff shorts, a baggy T-shirt, no makeup, and my hair in an updo. I didn’t even bother to look in a mirror this morning. I was sweaty and tired, about to head to my apartment—now my ex-boyfriend’s apartment.
Jude lifted his head, his eyes shadowed beneath his hat, when I walked out. God, could he quit it with that lopsided smile of his! It did things to a girl. He straightened, turning his ball cap around.
I could ask him what he was doing here, but I already knew. He wasn’t going to let me go as easily as he had before. He blatantly checked me out from head to toe and back again, heat traveling with his eyes. His chiseled, scruffy jaw flexed.
What I wouldn’t do to feel that scruff burn between my legs again.
I shook my head. Nope! Don’t need to go there right now.
“This isn’t a great time,” I told him.
He stepped toward me, his fingers skimming mine as he took the box, sending shivers down my arms. His blue eyes bored into mine.
“I could make this a great time.” He winked. His lips tipped in a cocky grin.
Oh, God. Heat shot straight to my center. My toes curled in my Converse.
I let him take the box, fishing for the car keys in my pocket, trying my best to hide the flush scalding my cheeks.
“No, really, Jude,” I said, avoiding his gaze. I opened the car door and popped the trunk so he could load the box. “This isn’t a great time. I have to get my stuff out of my apartment.”
“Moving?” he asked, closing the trunk.
I looked at him then, his brows raised in question, waiting for my reply.
“Eventually. I’m staying with a friend right now.”
“I can come with you and help.” He looked so eager, his eyes so warm and … loving?
“No, I can’t let you do that.” I shook my head adamantly.
His eyes narrowed, scanning my face. “Why do you have to get your stuff out of your apartment?” It came out in nearly a growl.
I sighed. I suppose I had to let him know now. My eyes shuddered on the nearly painful words I had to say to him. I had this sinking feeling he wasn’t going to like to hear what I had to say.
“It was my place with my boyfriend—ex now. He cheated, so I left him.” I said it so matter-of-factly, even though I was still pissed at Travis.
Jude swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His knuckles cracked when he closed his fists. “I’m fucking going with you.”
I scoffed. “He’s not going to be there, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Fuck that. I’m going with you.” He headed around the hood of my car, opened the passenger-side door, and got in.
Great. I looked up to the heavens. The cloudless, blue California sky made the sun feel ten times hotter—or maybe it was Jude sitting in my passenger seat.
I opened my door and slid in.
“Were you still with him when you came to Willows?” he asked as soon as I buckled.
“Wow, you’re not going to beat around the bush, are you?” I snorted.
“Well, were you?” he asked again, turning in his seat to face me.
“I’m not the cheater.” I was smiling at him, not because this was funny, but because this was ridiculous. “I would think you’d know me better than that.”
“I don’t know, Romy. I think when someone disappears on someone, after twelve years, they might not know each other anymore. So, no, I don’t think I know you well enough not to assume.”
I threw up my hands. “Thanks, Jude. Thanks for throwing that in my face. That’s so nice of you. Can we get past this? And to answer your question very clearly, no—no, I was not with him when I let you go down on me in your truck.”
His teeth ground together. Breaths heaved in his chest. I didn’t know if he was going to yell at me or pounce on me. I’d much prefer the latter.
I squeezed my knees together. Goddammit. Even angry, he made me hot.
“Thank you very much for clarifying that,” he groused. “I’m still going with you.”
I groaned, tipping my head back before putting the keys in the ignition. “You’re being a stubborn asshole.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll happily give you stubborn asshole if it means you don’t have to walk into your ex’s place by yourself.”
Despite his anger irritating me, a knot grew in my throat. No one was ever protective of me. Only him.
“You thought you were going to fit all of this in your Civic?” Jude asked. “You’ll have to take me back to the school to get my rental.”
“It will fit. I mean, you may have to hold a couple in your lap, but it will fit,” I told him. If he wasn’t taking up my passenger seat, there’d be no question.
“Where are you putting it all?”
“At my friend Brit’s place.”
“No,” he threw over his shoulder.
“What do you mean, ‘no’?”
I was following Jude’s perfect ass out to the apartment parking lot, where we were loading up my car.
“I’ll have it shipped to Willows.”
“Jude.”
“Romy.”
“Oh, hey! Romy—” Travis came around the corner right then. A gorgeous, auburn-haired woman in leggings and a bright-pink sports bra holding his hand.
“Shit!” I exclaimed, startled, nearly dropping the box on my toe. As soon as the surprise washed away, it was replaced with frustration. “Travis, I texted you so you’d know when I was here.”
“Yeah, I thought you’d be gone by now,” he said sheepishly.
The air shifted at my side, Jude retracing his steps to stand beside me.
“You could have texted,” I told him.
Why didn’t he text? Did he want to rub this in my face?
Jude grabbed my box to put on top of his. “You could have fucking texted her, man, to see if she was done.” His voice was calm and deep, demanding that Travis look at him, not me.
Travis shot a look at Jude. Then a double take. “Who—wait, holy shit! Jude ‘The Bull’ Larsen?”
Of course Travis would recognize the cage fighter beside me.
“Yes, Travis, yes, he is.” I smirked at him, wrapping a hand around Jude’s bulging bicep, ready to take advantage of this.
Travis’s eyes grew huge, star-struck. “Are you”—he gestured between us—“seeing each other?”
“It’s not …” Jude began.
“Yes, yes we are,” I butted in. I hoped Travis saw the fucking glow Jude gave me. I could feel Jude’s eyes boring into the side of my face, but I ignored him.
“Wow, you didn’t waste any time,” Travis sneered.
Asshole.
“You’re right. There’s no time to waste when the man you just wasted an entire year on never could satisfy you. Now that I know how fulfilled—or should I say ‘filled’—I can feel, I’m desperate to make up for lost time.” I turned to Christina, or whatever her name was. Her eyes flicked over Jude’s physique appreciatively before connecting with mine. “I hope you have better luck with him.”
Travis’s ears grew two shades redder.
Jude cleared his throat, forcing me to look up at him. His brow was pinched, studying me to discern the truth through my snarky remarks. I gave him a brief pleading look to play along.
“You know what?” Jude turned to consider Travis, shifting the boxes in his strong arms. “I’m so glad you fucked up. I’m not about to waste Romy’s time or leave her unsatisfied. That last box in there,” he said, jerking his head toward the apartment, “you can have it shipped to Thornbrush Ranch, Willows, Oregon.”
“I … I don’t know where that is,” Travis stumbled, the red spreading from his ears to his face.
“I know you know how to use your phone, Travis,” I jeered. “Look it up.”
Jude and I turned on our heels, heading to my car, ignoring his new girlfriend whispering how hot “The Bull” was. That’s right, missy. I just got a major upgrade.
Jude stuffed the last two boxes in the back seat, and I reached for my purse.
“There’s one more thing I have to do,” I told him, pulling out my vibrator and hustling back over to where they were heading to the apartment.
Travis looked up, surprise on his face.
“Here, you can have my precious lovebug. She’s going to need it.” I switched my gaze to Christina, her mouth hanging ajar. “Trust me, you’ll thank me.”
Without letting them get a word in edgewise, I jogged back to the car.
Jude had a smug look on his face. “Not going to need that?”
We both slid into the car, closing the doors and shutting out this chapter of my life.
“Nope.” I popped the P. “I think I’m good.” My lips tipped in a knowing look.
“Is this your way of apologizing for taking off without saying goodbye?”
“Maybe.” I tightened my jaw, hoping he’d see it that way.
“Then you’re coming home with me,” Jude declared, his aquamarine eyes penetrating.
I don’t think he saw my attempt to apologize as cute. His face was serious. He wasn’t playing.
Where was home for him now? That call he was on before I left … Chuck saying he would return to Vegas.
“Jude, I can’t go to Vegas with you.”
“No, not Vegas. The ranch.”
Oh. So he didn’t intend to fight again?
He leaned forward, tipping my chin until my mouth was inches from his.
“You’re coming home with me, honey,” he repeated, his breath skittering across my lips.
I gasped.
“We have a flight tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at eight in the morning. We’re going home, Romy.”
“Bossy much?” I chided, but my words came out breathy and needy.
I wanted him to kiss me.
“Romy, honey.” His lips tipped. “I think I know you well enough to know you would debate for hours on whether to get on that plane, and I’m not about to miss our flight. So if I need to be demanding, I will be. If I have to throw you over my shoulder and show you just how in control I can be, just say the word.” The last words came out a raspy whisper, but I’d never heard him more clearly.
My stomach flipped. I liked this version of Jude, confident and assertive.
“Okay,” was all I managed to say.
I shifted in my seat, wanting to close the distance.
He chucked my chin. “That’s my girl.”
I groaned when he leaned back in his seat, buckling the seat belt.
Jerk. He wasn’t going to kiss me?
The tip of his lips turned into a genuine grin, smile lines bracketing his gorgeous smile. His sky-blue eyes twinkled.
I was in trouble, and we both knew it.