Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
As Jude crossed the living room, he took in the Christmas wonderland they’d created for Cody.
Strings of lights twinkled, bright red stockings rimmed with bands of white fur hung off the mantel, and embers still glowed from their evening in front of the fireplace.
It smelled of cinnamon, pine, and the sugar cookies Cody and Fee had baked.
They were all getting so close. It was good. Great, even. But he couldn’t get Fee’s question out of his mind: What if Carlo took Cody back?
The boy had become an integral part of their lives. Earlier in the day, when Jude had taken a break from carving out the interior of the snow house, he’d glanced into the white tent to find his dad and Cody having a hot cocoa together.
What would happen if he was pulled from the McKenna family?
Bringing him into the family was the right thing to do, no question. But how many times could a person open his heart and trust when people kept leaving him?
He had to talk to Carlo. He set the water bottles down on a table and pulled his phone out of his gym shorts.
Jude: Hope rehab’s going well. I know Christmas Eve is tomorrow, but I wanted to talk to you about Cody.
Before he could pick up the bottles, his phone rang. “Hey.”
“Is everything all right?” Carlo cleared the roughness out of his voice.
“Yeah, all good. Sorry, I should’ve started with that. He’s fine.”
“Oh.” Carlo chuckled. “Scared me.”
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. I’m a night owl. So what’s up?”
“You never really spelled it out, so if I got it wrong, tell me, and we’ll forget about it.” He held his breath. Because there was no taking a statement like this back. “But I’d like to adopt Cody.”
“Hoo-ey.” Carlo let out a shaky breath. “Yes. That’s exactly what I want. It’ll give me a lot of peace of mind. Good kid, yeah?”
“The best. I’ll wait till after the holidays, but by the first week of January, I’m going to talk to an attorney and get the process started. You think you’ll be back in town by then?”
“That might be a little too soon, but I’ll be available for anything you need to make it happen. Now, listen, you’ll need a house and money for clothes and food. School supplies. I’ll make you the executor of the trust so you can use the money I set aside for him.”
“That’s Cody’s money. It’ll put him through college, get him a car, whatever he needs.” But he knew what this man needed to hear. “I’ve got him, Carlo. I’ll take care of him.” A fist squeezed his lungs, bringing a sting of tears to his eyes. He blinked them away.
He didn’t know how badly he wanted this until he got Carlo’s encouragement.
“Best Christmas present ever.” The older man sounded lighter than Jude had ever heard.
“Yeah.” His gaze landed on the wooden puzzle Cody was working, the pile of books on the coffee table, and his superhero tumbler. “For all of us.”
“All right, then. Talk later.”
Snatching up the water bottles, Jude climbed the stairs. Judge Adams might not be inclined to grant him custody, but he’d figure out what he needed to do to change his mind.
When he checked on Cody, he found him fast asleep and clutching the red blanket. The rush of emotion came hard and fast, and he had to blink back tears. This boy… It was more than wanting to protect him and give him a home.
I love him.
I do.
Man, he was a mess of feelings these days. The past few weeks had shaken him up, and now, the cork had popped off. There was no holding anything back.
Tomorrow, they’d talk about what the boy should call him. He was done with Mister.
He hurried down the hallway, eager to tell Fee about the phone call. As he entered the bedroom, the yellow lamplight turned her hair to a fiery bronze. She rubbed lotion into her hands, her gaze softening when she saw him. “Is he still knocked out?”
“Yeah.” She’s so pretty. He tossed the water bottles onto the floor and stalked toward the bed.
“He couldn’t stop talking about working with the ‘guys’ today.
I heard all about carving out the interior of the house while Wyatt worked on a sled, and I guess Boone’s decided to make actual reindeer.
He said the only thing missing was Santa, but that you guys wouldn’t have time to put that much detail in. ”
“There’s only one more day left, so we’ll just have his feet sticking out of the chimney. But yeah, he had a blast.” He landed on top of her, bracing his weight with a hand at either side of her head. “You smell good.”
Since she wasn’t plucking her T-shirt away from her chest, he got a good view of her beaded nipples and the slight jiggle as she talked. He was about to slide his hand under the soft cotton when he noticed the logo.
University of Washington? “You went to UCLA.”
“I know. So?”
He sat back on his heels. “Then whose shirt are you wearing?”
She had to look down. “Oh, it’s Matt’s. I sleep in it sometimes because it’s so big and soft.”
He got out of bed and pulled her up by her arms. “Not anymore.”
“What? No, it’s just a shirt. It doesn’t mean anything. If you think I have an emotional attachment to—Jude!”
He yanked the fabric up and over her head. Tossing it aside, he said, “You need a big shirt, I’ll get you one. But you’re not wearing another man’s shirt around me.”
“Well, gosh, tiger, whatever will I wear?” Her eyes gleamed with excitement, and she did a little shimmy. Those luscious, plump breasts bounced. “I’ll have to sleep naked.”
He unbuckled his belt and whipped it out of his jeans. It landed with a clink on the floor. At the sound, her eyes went hot and sultry. “Give me that ass.”
Was there anything sexier than the way she pulled down her white lace panties and kicked them off with a pink-painted toe and then crawled onto the mattress, hiking her plump, peach-shaped ass in the air? Hell, no, there wasn’t.
He untied his boots, stripped off his socks, briefs, and T-shirt, and then caressed a cheek with his hand. “Come here.” Gripping her hips, he hauled her up against him, sliding his cock along her soft, wet core.
My God, I want this woman.
He leaned over her body, running his hands up her sides and then cupping her tits.
He knew just how she liked to be touched, so he slowly nudged into her opening while gently massaging her breasts.
When she was rocking back against him and moaning, and he couldn’t take it anymore, he slid deep inside his woman.
Just before straightening, he pinched her nipples and felt the rush of pleasure soak him. Yeah, he knew what she liked. Clamping his hands on her hips, he rammed into her, giving them both the friction and pace they needed.
She lowered her forehead to the mattress, her hips rocking, meeting his thrusts, and the sound of the skin slapping mixed with the slick heat and tight clutch of her pussy turned him wild.
He lost control, fucking her so hard her fingers fisted in the blanket. Just before he reached that point of no return, he knew he had to get her there first. But just as he reached between her legs to get her off, she tipped her head back with a cry, and her hips ground hard against him.
Hearing her come undone snapped his last tether. He couldn’t hold back. His release exploded out of him in hot spurts, each one so intense his body shook with tremors. He held her tight to his body, his fingers digging into her skin, until he let out a harsh exhalation.
Easing out, he smacked her ass, leaving a trail of kisses up her spine and cupping her tits. “You’re perfect. Fucking perfect.”
When he collapsed beside her, he pulled her close. Her hand settled on his forearm, and lamplight glinted off the diamond engagement ring.
Oh hell no. We’re done with that.
He tugged it off her finger.
“Jude, we need it, remember? We have to look engaged.”
“I’ll get you something tomorrow.”
“You’re not spending a dime on a ring I’ll wear for four more weeks.”
We’ll see about that.
Finlay had gone to high school with the Cavanaugh sisters, so it seemed the smartest choice to launch her side hustle with a friendly face. Still, she entered Harley Lu Emporium with a knot in her stomach.
She went right to the checkout counter. “Excuse me. Is Lulu here? She’s an old friend of mine, and I’d like to pitch a product to her.”
“No, but Harley is.”
She didn’t know the former pro surfer, but she was Lu’s partner, so Finlay had to go for it. “Do you think I could speak with her for a moment?”
You should’ve made appointments. Been professional about it.
In this context, you’re not a friend. You’re a businesswoman.
“Sure. She’s in the office. You can just knock on the door.” The young woman pointed, and Finlay set off.
As she moved down the aisles of the gourmet grocery store, she noticed all the yummy treats.
Fancy crackers and packets of crumpets, cookies she knew Cody would gobble up, and then, at the end of the aisle, a whole shelf of hot cocoa mixes.
She smiled. Did Gunnar know about this store?
He must. He was, after all, an aficionado.
When she reached the door labeled Office, she knocked. The unique and luscious scents from her soaps floated out of her tote bag. Yes, she was nervous, but she knew she had a great product.
“Come on in,” a muffled voice called.
Finlay hitched the strap higher on her shoulder and turned the knob.
You got this.
A beautiful, very fit woman sat behind a desk. “Hi. What can I do for you?”
“I’m Finlay O’Neill. I went to high school with Lulu, and I was hoping I could show her a fun product I’ve developed.”
“Oh, sorry. She’s not here. She’s off doing Christmas stuff with her family, but you can lay it on me.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” She pulled her tote off her shoulder. “I know my timing’s terrible. I shouldn’t be bothering you around the holidays.”
“No worries. I’m single, and my family’s not around, so it’s no big deal.”