Chapter 48 Olena
OLENA
“Jude! Come on, I can’t wait! Carol said she’d turn the lights on for us at eight thirty!
” I pull him by the hand down the dark forest trail, using my phone as a flashlight so we don’t trip.
My camera thumps into my chest as it swings around my neck.
I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, getting to see the property from across the river for the first time.
The night is warm for early April and I’m so ready to be outside.
After spending hours stuck indoors this afternoon while we waited for my lawyer to call, Jude and I had finally heard: unable to afford bail, Sean will be held in jail until his court date.
Facing felony stalking and misdemeanor harassment charges, he’s looking at jail time, hefty fines, and court-mandated rehab, plus a court order is being drawn up to prevent him from contacting me for at least five years.
The feeling of relief is immense. All I want to do right now is let this sense of freedom wash over me.
A light breeze ruffles my floral print dress against my bare legs. I shiver, pulling the collar of my jean jacket tighter around me with one hand. I’ll probably regret the mosquito bites coming my way, but there’s a lightness in my step and, right now, I don’t care.
“I’m going as fast as I can, Olena!” Jude laughs behind me, gripping my hand. “You’ve got the light in front of you. I can’t see a damned thing.”
“Sorry! I’m just excited,” I say quickly. “Oh, I think I can almost see it!” I catch a glimpse of golden light between the dark mass of trees.
After winding our way around another sharp bend in the trail, the trees clear and the river—and the Faulkners’ property across it—comes into view. I stop short and inhale, bringing my hands to my mouth as Jude comes to a stop beside me.
“Look!” I breathe.
Taking off again, I clamber down the small set of stairs that takes us to the floating dock. Completely out of the forest now, I have an uninterrupted view.
I’m speechless. My vision for this place has finally come to life and it’s more beautiful than I could have hoped for. It’s glowing. The lights, woven through the trees and strung between posts, twinkle a soft yellow, like a beacon of calm perched up on the cliff across from where we stand.
Jude slips his arms around my waist. “Gold stars, MacMillan,” he whispers in my ear. “You did good.” He presses a kiss to the side of my head.
I break into a huge grin. “Actual gold stars.” I laugh, sliding my hands over his. I pause, almost mesmerized by the view. “I did, didn’t I?” I say quietly.
I still feel uncomfortable giving myself credit. When I catch myself wondering if we should have put more lights closer to the house, I push down the familiar whisper of self-doubt, and embrace my new mantra: good enough is good enough. My new therapist will be proud.
I pull up my camera and snap a few photos of the property.
“It’s perfect,” Jude says, kissing my cheek as I reach back to touch his face. “I told you, you’re excellent at your job.”
I finally tear my eyes away from the sparkling lights and turn to him. “So are you.”
He scoffs. “I was just the muscle, remember?” He leans in and kisses me, his lips smiling against mine. “This was all your vision.”
“Hey, well, thank you.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “For your muscle.” I arch an eyebrow as I run my hands down his strong arms.
He smiles. “Here,” he says in a low voice, taking my hand and sitting down on the wooden dock.
He sits with his legs bent in front of him, forearms around his knees.
I sit down beside him, sloping my knees toward him, my ankles crossed.
I tug down the hem of my dress. We look out again at the sparkling gold light in the distance as he slips an arm around my shoulders.
“I think the property is gonna need a new name,” I say, turning to Jude.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Charles and Carol want the place to be like a bed-and-breakfast type of retreat, right? A romantic getaway,” I explain.
“Right,” he says. “I guess… mission accomplished?” He chuckles and squeezes my arm.
I kiss his cheek, smiling as I remember our time staying in the house. “I think they need something better than The Faulkner Property, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Any ideas?” He takes my hand and twines his fingers between mine.
I look again at the twinkling lights across the river, considering. “Something stars or golden… Starlight? I don’t know; I’ll have to think about it. And talk to Carol and Charles, of course.”
Jude turns to me and smiles softly. He brushes a thumb across my cheek, then lowers his hand, carefully removing my camera from around my neck and placing it beside us on the dock.
The moonlight casts a dim glow on his square jaw and I can’t tear my eyes away. God, he’s sexy.
“I was just wondering”—he places his hand on my knee, sliding it up a little—“what it would take for me to earn some gold stars.” He leans in to brush his lips over my cheek.
“Oh, I think we can come up with something,” I say with a coy smile.
“Fuck, this dress is…” he says, moving his hand farther up my thigh, fingering the hem, “... distracting me.” His voice drops to a low rasp. He kisses the spot right beside my lips.
“Oh?” I lean in, my lips finding his, my tongue flicking once into his mouth.
“Mm-hmm.” He slips his hand up under the hem of my dress and runs a fingertip under the lace edging of my panties, slowly tracing an arc around the top of my thigh.
I shiver at the sensation, kissing him more deeply. I eagerly sweep my tongue into his mouth, my breathing getting shallower. He pulls away. I look up at him.
“Stand up.”
“What? Why?” I ask softly, confused.
His expression is dark. “Just stand up. Trust me.”
Puzzled, I slowly push up until I’m standing next to him.
He looks up at me. Holding my gaze, he reaches up under my dress, pinching the fabric of my panties and sliding them down my legs.
My breath hitches.
He presses soft kisses to my thighs as he helps me step out of them, carefully pulling the fabric off over my ankle boots.
I bite my lip, feeling nervous, and look around us to make sure we’re alone. “Jude, I don’t know… what if someone sees us?” I whisper.
“There’s no one here,” he replies in a deep rumble.
“But what if—”
“Then I guess they’d have a story to tell,” he says simply. He reaches up and holds my waist, bringing us face-to-face, as I lower onto my knees over his lap.
Feeling the cool air against my bare skin as I straddle his outstretched legs, arousal washes over me. I know he can sense it. I can’t deny I want this too.
Now. Here.
I suddenly feel desperate for his touch.
Taking one of his hands in mine, I kiss his fingertips, then pull it down between us, guiding his fingers, placing them exactly where I want them.
Hearing his low sound of need, I sharply inhale as he slides his fingertips up and down the length of my center, then slips a finger inside me.
I stifle a moan, trying to keep my voice down.
“Don’t…” he says, kissing me softly. “Don’t hold back.” He works his finger slowly as my eyelids flutter shut. “I want to hear every sound you make.” His lips claim mine in a scorching kiss as he slips two fingers inside me and pumps them harder.
Soft sounds of pleasure escape my throat. I rock my hips, riding his hand and nipping at his lips with my teeth.
Jude’s free hand works the top buttons of my dress, then tugs my bra down, my nipples instantly hard in the night air. Lifting and squeezing one breast, he sucks my nipple hard, flicking it with his tongue, then scraping lightly with his teeth.
I arch up into him as an aching pleasure rolls down through my core, whimpering as Jude’s fingers speed up.
He moves to the other nipple and slips his fingers out, finding my clit and rubbing quick circles over it, covering me in my own wetness.
Suddenly overcome by need, I grab his face and pull him into a crushing kiss, my tongue desperately sweeping against his. His free hand reaches up to my breast and strokes my nipple with his thumb. I tear my mouth away from him, breathing fast, and press my forehead to his.
Placing a hand on Jude’s chest, I pull back to meet his eyes. With a dark smile, I shove him back firmly and he catches himself on both elbows behind him.
He looks at me with raised eyebrows, surprised and amused.
My mouth is slightly open as I look back at him, quickly releasing him from his jeans. He is hard as steel in my hands. A groan escapes from his lips as I stroke him with one hand, twisting my fist at the top just to hear his breath hitch.
I shift myself down his body, leaning close as he watches me.
Teasing, I run the side of his shaft over my cheek, kissing and licking his hip bones, first on one side, then the other.
His skin is soft and smooth, the heat of his arousal radiating against my face and hand.
I tighten my fingers around him and stroke faster.
Sliding my tongue up one side of him from base to tip, I let out a soft moan at the feeling of his cock.
I relish the taste of him as I reach the top and slide my tongue along the small slit at the tip, licking up the bead of moisture there.
Jude’s responding groan urges me on, and I do it again on the other side, coating him.
His thick heat pulses in my hand, his need intensifying.
I feel my own desire pooling between my legs.
I flick my tongue over the sensitive head, then wrap my lips around him and plunge down, filling my mouth with his slick, smooth shaft.
His hips buck up from the dock, thrusting up hard into my mouth and throat, and I take him with a moan. I love it when he does that. I push my free hand up under his shirt, raking my fingernails across his stomach.
With a growl, he thrusts again, fucking my mouth as I squeeze tight.
My core pulses with need. I slowly pull back and sit up, eyes locked on his, then crawl forward on my knees, lining his cock up with my wet, aching entrance.
He sits up to kiss me desperately, his tongue plunging into my mouth. His hands grip my head, twining and tensing in my hair.
I reach my hand between us to guide the head of his cock, rubbing it through my slick center before pushing down onto him slightly. Then I pause.
He breaks the kiss and meets my eyes. He groans loudly as I lower down all the way, so slowly, and I moan against his lips at the delicious sensation of him filling me.
Holding onto the back of his neck, I grind my hips, feeling his length hitting that spot of pleasure deep within me. My tongue sweeps into his mouth, sliding against his teeth, and he bites my lower lip with a growl.
He moves his hands to my hips, encouraging me, pushing and pulling along with my movements as I grind against him, my clit rubbing against his skin.
“Fuck, yes, Olena,” he grits out, his breath hot against my burning lips.
Aching for more, I rise on my knees, only just keeping him inside me, then I crash back down with a gasp of pleasure.
Clinging to his shoulders, I do it again, relishing his low groan in response.
Working my hips up and down in a steady rhythm, the scraping of my knees and the burning of my thigh muscles is a small price to pay for every delicious stroke.
The up is torture. The down is worth it.
Not able to hold off any longer, Jude’s grip tenses on my hips and he slams me down onto him, his cock plunging deep into me in a primal stroke that has me crying out, and loudly this time.
A feral smile spreads over his face at the sound of my pleasure.
He lifts me up, then pulls me down eagerly again, watching me, listening, devouring my reaction with his eyes.
Again and again, he lifts me up and pulls me down, my cries of pleasure piercing the quiet night.
Oh, fuck, yes.
I gasp as Jude suddenly rolls me under him with a growl, my back crashing into the planks of the dock, my dress pulled up to my stomach.
He doesn’t miss a beat fucking me. Now under his own power, his strong muscles drive his rock-hard cock down into me deeply, the slight pain feeling incredible mixed with the intense pleasure.
I grasp and scratch at his back as he braces his arms on either side of me, pounding into my aching center.
He reaches between us to swirl his fingers over my slick clit. I feel my release building, just out of reach.
I tighten around him, hearing his growl of approval as he fucks me harder and faster still, his breaths heaving, matching my own.
His fingers speed up and I clench my muscles tighter.
My eyes squeeze shut as my release gets closer.
Thrusting into me with renewed vigor, Jude groans and his slamming strokes push me over the edge.
I cry out into the night as I come, Jude’s body tensing along with mine.
I hear his breath catch before his shuddering release is unleashed, spurting hot and hard inside me.
He fills me, spilling out over us both, as his last few powerful strokes give way to slower ones.
His chest sagging slightly over me, he lowers his head to press his damp cheek against mine.
“Fuck, you’re incredible,” Jude whispers into my ear, breathing heavily.
“The feeling is… very mutual,” I reply, trying to catch my breath.
“I love you.” He presses a quick kiss to my lips and brushes the hair out of my face as he smiles down at me.
I tighten my muscles around him and grin at the surprised sound that escapes his lips. Biting my lip, I lift my head to kiss him softly.
“I love you too.”