Chapter 31 Olena
OLENA
“It was just a vase,” Jude says, returning from the downstairs hallway to where I’m waiting in the foyer. “Looks like someone left a window open in the bathroom down here.” He shrugs. “Guess the wind knocked it over. The floor tiles showed no mercy.” He gives me a lazy half-smile.
I exhale with relief and make a mental note to tell Charles and Carol about the vase tomorrow.
Jude smiles and reaches for me, pulling me into his chest. “I cleaned it up. And the window’s shut now.” He rests his chin on my head and rubs my back gently.
“Thank you,” I murmur against his damp shirt. “I feel silly for getting so freaked out. It’s just… that sound.” I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to shake off the memory once more.
He pulls back and lifts my face to his, looking into my eyes. “Hey. You’re not silly. It makes sense that sounds like that would be scary.” He kisses my cheek softly. “What do you need?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, searching his expression.
“To feel safe right now. What can I do to help you?” His gaze drops to my lips for a moment, lingering there before he kisses me.
“I feel safe with you here.” Seeking the warmth of his body, I slide my chilled hands under the back of his soaked shirt and smile apologetically when he sucks in a breath. “But I think I need to warm up,” I add, standing on tiptoes and brushing my lips against his cheek. “Come on.”
We climb the staircase in silence, Jude trailing behind me with his hand in mine.
At the top, I pause to look around the sitting room in front of us.
I’m shivering in my soaked clothes. Jude wraps his strong arms around my waist from behind, warming me.
Over my shoulder, I see him lift his chin toward the fireplace.
“Do you think we should make a fire or…?”
I turn in his arms and lift my eyes to his. “No.” I bite my lip and slide my hands over his muscled chest.
“No?” he asks, giving me a crooked smile.
“I had something else in mind,” I say quietly.
His dark gaze simmers with heat as his strong hands pull my body against his. His forehead grazes mine, his eyes lingering on my mouth, and an electric current surges from my core through my body in anticipation.
I lift my chin, my lips slightly parted.
Reaching between us, he slowly, achingly, traces the outline of my lips with his thumb, sending shivers of pleasure through me as he watches the soft flesh of my lips yield under his touch.
My breath catches. I’m waiting for more, not daring to move a muscle.
He doesn’t kiss me.
“Show me your room.” His lips are nearly touching mine. I’m dizzy with the desire already coursing through me.
I take a breath and reach a hand to his chest, grabbing a handful of his shirt and pulling him in the direction of my room.
Before we get to the bedroom door, Jude stops me from behind, slipping his hands around my waist and up under my sweater. He presses his hips into my back, his delicious hardness pushing against me. I lean into him, inviting more.
I grin with pleasure at the low rumbling sound from his throat.
His hands travel higher, palms cupping my breasts over my bra as he exhales against my neck. I tilt my head back against his shoulder as he traces his fingers down my stomach. He presses a soft kiss to my neck. I let out a breath, my eyelids fluttering.
“I thought you wanted to see my room,” I manage to say, still not turning as his hands rove over my skin, his fingertips dipping under the waistband of my leggings.
“Watching you from behind was too much,” he replies, pushing his hands lower still, his grazing touch stopping just short of where I know I’m already wet—and not from the rain. As he pulls his hands back up, I spin around to face him.
Dragging my hands down his chest, I smile. His eyes close as I run a palm slowly and firmly down his length. I love watching him react to my touch.
“Come on.” I pull on his belt loops and drag him the last few feet into my room. “Let’s warm up.” I arch an eyebrow as I lead him into the bathroom. The hunger in his eyes follows my every move.
I lean into the shower stall and turn the handle, the water hissing to life.
When I turn around to face Jude, I can’t help but stare.
He pulls off his soaked sweater, then his t-shirt, dropping them both on the floor at his feet as he steps into my arms. I let out a sigh at the sight of his impressive bare chest, the smooth planes of defined muscle I find my hands sliding over, exploring greedily.
God, he’s incredible.
He pulls me against him and I sweep my arms around his strong shoulders, softly moaning at the heat from his bare skin. With heavy-lidded eyes, he gives me a hungry smile before he claims my mouth in a kiss.
Jude’s hands slip under my sweater. I lift my arms when he pulls the damp fabric over my head, tossing it aside. As his eyes drink in the sight of me in my bra and leggings, desire blazes in his gaze and his self-control slips.
With a growl, he pushes us inside the shower stall, still half-dressed.
The hot water hits us as he shoves me up against the cold tile wall, and I gasp at the chill on my back.
His lips crush against mine, his tongue sweeping deeply into my mouth.
He rips my bra straps down to hang slack at my elbows, shoving the rest down to my waist. I hear him let out a harsh breath as he looks down at my breasts.
Palming them in both hands, he groans with pleasure and takes my mouth in another burning kiss as he gently squeezes me, teasing my nipples into tight peaks under his thumbs.
Water runs down us in rivulets, collecting in the places we are pressed together, spilling over our flesh.
Jude bends to kiss his way down my body, kneeling on the floor of the shower in his soaking wet jeans.
Looking up at me with dark, ravenous eyes, he slides his hands up the backs of my legs and over my ass, then peels my drenched leggings and panties down slowly, exhaling hard.
He rests his forehead on my stomach as I step out of my soaked clothes.
I reach behind me, quickly unfastening my bra and letting it drop to the shower floor, bare before him now.
With his arms wrapped around my thighs and my hands tangling in his dripping hair, he presses reverent kisses to my legs and hips, looking up at me with water running down his face. He slowly climbs back up to standing, his huge frame towering above me.
I gasp when he trails a single, teasing finger up between my legs, sending shivers through my entire body.
I can’t wait any longer to feel him in my hands. Watching his eyes, I roughly work the fly of his jeans open and slip a hand under his waistband.
“Oh my God…” I moan softly at the feeling of him, at how incredible the heat of his shaft feels in my hand as I stroke gently down his length.
Breathing raggedly, his mouth ravages mine. His tongue desperately sweeps against my own, his fingers rubbing my nipples and pinching hard.
Freeing him fully from his jeans and underwear, I work both hands up and down, gently squeezing the sensitive head of his glorious cock and marveling at the size of him.
Jude growls against me, pressing into my hands. I release him, letting his hard length rub against the slick skin of my stomach as he thrusts up, our bodies and lips crushing together like we can’t get close enough.
My hands claw at his lower back, pulling him against me, and he groans. I run my hands down over his muscled ass, then pull back from his intense kiss to turn us around in the shower. A flicker of understanding shines in his eyes and he gives me a searing look.
Working his wet jeans the rest of the way down, I slowly kneel at his feet, sliding my hands down his strong thighs, then calves, as he steps out of the last of his clothes.
Looking up and seeing his smooth, hard shaft before my eyes, I’m suddenly desperate to taste him.
Locking eyes with him, I smile suggestively and hold his gaze as I slowly drag my tongue all the way up his entire length, flicking it teasingly when I get to the top.
His groan is guttural and his hands tense in my wet hair, his eyes rolling.
“Fuck,” he breathes out slowly, wiping a hand over his face.
Rivers of water trace winding paths down his chiseled chest. He’s exquisite.
I feel him shudder as I take the head of his cock into my mouth, swirling my tongue in a tight circle over the sensitive tip, my teeth lightly scraping over him.
“Olena…”
The sound of my name on his lips has me craving more, and I take more of him into my mouth.
As I pull him deeper, he lets out a resounding groan, as if he’s struggling for self-control.
I tighten my hand and lips around him, sliding back up.
His hands grip at my hair. Letting him guide my movement, he pushes me down again, filling my mouth with his thickness as I moan against his skin.
He pulls me back up, then down again, pumping inside my mouth slowly. Too slowly.
I reach my free hand around to grab him from behind, pulling him into my mouth, encouraging him.
Jude’s hands tense in my hair, as if he’s trying to hold himself back to avoid hurting me.
Releasing my grip, I grab his ass hard with both hands.
I dig my fingers into his flesh, driving him deeper still, showing him what I want: all of him.
My lips are tight, my tongue sweeping against him, drawing him in.
A pulse of need thrums between my legs as he thrusts harder, deeper, faster into my mouth.
He slides hot and wet against the roof of my mouth, the back of my throat opening to take all of him.
He lets out a deep groan of satisfaction. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his hand slam into the glass of the shower wall, bracing himself, as he barely holds onto control.
With obvious effort, he stops and lets out a rough breath, his hands leaving my hair to graze my cheeks. I pause.
“You…” he says, his voice a low rumble.