Chapter 37 – Mabel
Chapter Thirty-Seven
MABEL
After dinner and clean-up, Henry is properly exhausted. His tiny voice begging Paul and Anika to take him to bed is one of the cutest things I’ve ever experienced. Patrick excuses himself momentarily, heading up to the loft, and returns with a stack of unopened playing card packs.
“Patrick wants to teach us a game,” Elle explains as her man joins us back at the table.
He gives Elle a quick kiss on the cheek before he hands each of us our own pack of cards.
Two packs remain, obviously meant for Paul and Anika, and he sets those to the side.
He opens his pack, advising us to do the same and asks that we all shuffle our decks.
“I’ve already confirmed with Elle that none of you have played this game before.
Jude, she wasn’t so sure about your knowledge or lack thereof.
Ever played Dutch Blitz?” I watch as he shakes his head in the negative.
“Some people also call it Nerts.” He offers, wiggling his eyebrows as if that will jog Jude’s memory.
“Never heard of it.”
Patrick then goes on to explain the rules which, like all card game rules, go right over my head.
It seems like that’s true for the rest of us at the table.
He and Elle offer a live demonstration and it seems pretty simple.
Everyone has to make piles going from ace to king, whoever gets the most cards out to the communal area at the end of the game wins and the game ends when someone yells “Blitz” indicating they have used all the cards in their hand.
We start playing once it’s clear Paul and Anika aren’t coming back upstairs.
Soon enough, Mama has to remind us that there is a sleeping little boy a floor below us and if we can’t keep our voices down she’s going to send us all to bed. It should come as no surprise but the Warrens are a competitive bunch, and Mama does have to send us all to bed.
Lola demands a rematch tomorrow, she’s convinced I cheated somehow. I didn’t. I just had a sexy giant next to me who somehow figured out how to make sure I was aware of all my possible opportunities. Sometimes even before I did.
Elle wants to teach Anika to see if she’s ‘freakishly adapt’ at this like she is at cornhole.
Jude chuckles quietly next to me, the sound like a warm blanket around my heart.
Tonight, playing games with my family, having Jude next to me felt so right.
I’m hesitant to admit how much I want more nights with him like this.
I only wish Paul was here, too. Also that he was actually getting along with the first person to make me feel like this. I can’t remember any previous partners who fell in so seamlessly with my family and gave me all the between-the-thigh tingles that I crave.
It’s usually one or the other. Never both.
“I’ll clean up.” I offer, looking for an excuse to separate from everyone else as we get ready for bed. I don’t want to waste any time going to Jude’s room and the quickest way to ensure that is to make sure everyone else is already tucked away for the night.
So, I linger but not for too long. We played cards later than I suspected. When I see the time shining on the stove’s clock I agree with Mama’s decision to send us to bed. We have one more full day here at the cabin and I foresee a lot of cards in our future.
My body ignites with excitement as I start the descent to the basement. I have to make a stop at my room to brush my teeth and change into my pajamas but I try to make quick work of those tasks.
I do my best to tiptoe the short distance between our rooms. I should probably wait a little longer before heading to his room. I highly doubt any of my family is actually asleep yet, but my body’s craving the closeness of being in Jude’s arms after an evening of subtle touches.
I don’t bother to knock, quickly twisting the knob and pushing in. Jude is sitting atop his bed, not even underneath the covers. He looks so awkward waiting for me to join him, shifting slightly as he tries to look non-chalant. My smile comes unbidden.
“Hey Muscles. Waiting for something?” I waggle my eyebrows as I raise a knee to the bed, crawling towards him with an exaggerated sway of my hips.
His heated gaze hits me right between the legs. “Just you, Trouble.” His tongue darts out and I can’t stop myself, once I’m close enough I press a hard kiss against his newly wetted lips.
I press kisses against the side of his mouth, moving to his jaw line and back to his cheek to kiss the same spot under his eye as earlier today. I do my best to ignore the guilt that my brother was the one to cause Jude’s injury. I want my only focus during our time together to be Jude.
We maneuver our bodies under the covers and quickly cuddle together.
I’m not having the same anxiety as last night.
I consider sweet talking Jude into kicking his bottoms off so I can have him inside me again but, right now, I’m content to just be in his arms. It takes a moment for us to adjust enough to where we are both comfortable but once we’re relaxed, my head is on his chest and the steady beat of his heart is the perfect soundtrack to end this rollercoaster of a day.