Chapter 34 #3
I wiped my eyes with the back of my sleeve, letting out a watery laugh as a wave of joy washed through me.
‘Thank you,’ I breathed, my voice thick with feeling. ‘You don’t know what this means to me.’
It meant the world: recognition, affirmation, and, most of all, a path of my own to chart in my new world.
I drove home on a high I had not experienced in years.
When I stepped through the front door that evening, Jude was in the kitchen, making a coffee.
He took one look at my face, tossed his phone onto the island, and hauled me flush to his chest.
‘Tell me,’ he rasped, stroking my back.
‘I got the promotion,’ I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. ‘I’m The Sanctuary’s new Community Manager.’
A slow grin spread across his face.
He lifted me clear off my feet, pinning me to the counter before setting me down and claiming his mouth over mine in a fierce, possessive kiss.
‘That’s my girl,’ he murmured to my lips, his thumb digging into my jawline. ‘Get dressed. I’m taking you out to fuckin’ celebrate.’
He drove us downtown to a hidden Japanese joint tucked into a brick alleyway.
We sat in a secluded timber booth, his hand in mine while the scent of seared wagyu and toasted sesame filled the air.
We ate charred edamame, fresh kingfish sashimi, and robata-grilled skewers, washing it down with cold sake.
Every time I looked up, Jude’s smoldering eyes were locked on me.
‘You earned every damn bit of this, Sofia,’ he growled, reaching across the table to cup my jaw, pulling me into a kiss that tasted of sweet sake and fire.
By the time he pulled the truck into our driveway, we were both shuddering with need.
As soon as he opened my door, Jude scooped me up in his arms, carrying me straight inside and upstairs to our bedroom.
He ripped my clothes away with an urgency that left me breathless, his hands calloused and dominant as they owned every inch of my skin.
When he drove into me, every slow, hard thrust was a takeover and a promise.
Afterward, as I lay tangled in the sheets with my head resting on the steady beat of his heart, Jude pulled the blanket over us, pressing his mouth to the crown of my head.
‘I’m so damn happy for you, Sofia,’ he murmured. ‘Proud to have you as my wife.’
Life was heavenly.
However, the daily commute to and from Nashville began to get under my skin.
The nonstop sirens, the blinding neon signs, and the endless bumper-to-bumper traffic made my jaw lock up.
By the time I turned into our driveway every night, my head was pounding from the sensory overload.
I found myself staring out the windscreen, dreaming of wide-open spaces, quiet mornings, and a true escape from the unending light and noise of the city.
One evening after work, I sighed as I browsed a home and interiors magazine.
I was reading a feature about a stunning ranch house, which reminded me of the fields, farms, and vineyards in Calabria.
Jude glanced away from his guitar, which he was re-stringing, while music played in the background.
‘Why the wistfulness, babe?’ he rasped.
I took an inhale, choosing my words with care.
‘I’m not throwing shade on this house, tesoro; it’s beautiful. However, I’m eyeing a few gorgeous farmhouses. I’d love a more peaceful, personal haven with a smallholding vibe, more nature and even wildlife. A true getaway from the busyness of the metropolis.’
I murmured the words as I traced the glossy photo of a sprawling ranch estate.
‘Somewhere with unrestricted land where the air is filled with the scent of flowers and grass instead of exhaust fumes. With views that remind me of the acreages back home.’
Jude set his wire cutters on the coffee table, his eyes locked on mine with sudden intensity.
‘You want a farmhouse, Sofia?’
‘It’s just a wish, honey. City traffic and concrete highways every day give me angst.’
He leaned back, crossing his hands over his chest. ‘Get whatever you want, babe. Well, I need to like it too, but find it, and if I’m down with it, I’ll sign the papers.’
I let out a soft, skeptical laugh. ‘Are you serious?’
‘As a heart attack,’ he rumbled, but a wicked gleam entered his eyes. ‘You think I’m joking?’
Before I could answer, he lunged forward, catching me by the waist and hoisting me out of the chair.
I laughed as he tumbled us both onto the sofa.
He pinned my wrists over my head, his solid chest pressing me down as he fake-wrestled me into submission.
‘Jude, stop, are you even for real?’ I gasped, twisting beneath him.
‘I’m very real, and serious, about you, and giving you whatever you need babe, including good loving,’ he insisted, raining a dozen fast kisses across my jawline and neck until I was breathless and shrieking with laughter.
He stopped, hovering inches above my face, his expression melting into a savage and genuine adoration.
‘Sofia, if acreage, nature and fields gives you peace and happiness, we’re buying a place with it all. Believe me now?’
Gazing into his eyes, I saw the certainty in them that broke through my doubt.
‘Sarebbe fantastico,’ I murmured with a beaming smile. ‘It’ll be pure heaven.’