Chapter 17
Em
A sliver of sunlight shining through my blinds wakes me up, but I do it with a smile, feeling more refreshed and relaxed than I have been for months now. Maybe ever.
Jude and I must’ve moved during the night. Now I’m lying on my side, half of my body plastered over his, and my head is burrowed into the crook of his neck while his arm is wrapped tight around me, holding me close.
The best thing of all is the first thing I see is of a still-sleeping Jude looking as handsome than ever.
Last night was… bliss. Absolutely perfect. There was no overthinking or worrying if we were on the same page or rushing into something one or both of us wasn’t ready for. It was like we were in sync with where we were at with each other and our relationship.
When I saw Jude standing in my open front door, something clicked into place, a big thing I didn’t think I was ready to acknowledge.
Little did I know, seeing him smiling standing there waiting for me to come home, smiling like I was the highlight of his day, then catching me as I launched myself at him, was all it would take to realize I’d slipped from falling for Jude Cooper to being absolutely head over heels for the man.
It doesn’t matter that the mountain spirit chose him for me and me for him. I honestly believe we would’ve found our way to one another regardless.
Leaning in, I press my lips to the hinge of his jaw, loving the way his soft stubble tickles my skin. Just as I go to move back, his arm flexes, holding me in place as my eyes meet his warm chocolate ones gazing down at me.
“Hi, wifey.”
“Hey, hubby,” I whisper.
“Feels good to wake up with you in my arms.” His sleepy rough voice sends a tremble running through me, something he doesn’t miss if the flash of heat in his eyes is anything to go by.
The next thing I know, I’m flat on my back with every inch of Jude’s body pressing into mine.
“Thought I was dreamin’. I even kept wakin’ up to check it was real… that you were real.”
Looping my arms around his neck, I glide my fingers through his thick sleep-mussed hair. “Feels pretty real to me.”
His eyes drift to my lips as my tongue darts out to lick them. “Think I might have to check,” he murmurs, lowering his mouth to mine and giving me what might just be my favorite kind of Jude kiss. It’s gentle…. searching…savoring, and more about the act than the destination.
In short, it’s divine! It’s also not enough because suddenly I’m consumed with an urgent need for more.
Jude must sense the change–or maybe he feels it too–because soft and slow morphs into hungry and desperate.
One moment we’re exploring, the next we’ve locked our bodies together, rubbing, feeling, moaning, groaning…
“More,” I whimper into his mouth. He lifts his head with a growl, just long enough for me to catch the raging inferno of lust in his gaze before we devour each other all over again.
Our bodies sliding together, my ankles linked behind his back, my hands holding him tight like he’s the very air I need to breathe–if breathing involved full body contact over our clothes, that is.
His hard length presses insistently against my aching core, every thrust of his hips driving me higher and higher, our heavy breathing, racing hearts, and out of control libidos willing us toward the point of no return.
All I can do is take and give and feel, whimpering into his mouth as he groans into mine.
“Come for me, Em,” he rasps, his voice so sexy I swear I could finish on the sound alone. “Want to hear you moan my name.”
The moment he sucks the sensitive skin of my throat between his lips, I lose all semblance of control and catapult headfirst into pleasure the likes I’ve never known before.
It spreads out from my core, invading and exploding through every cell, every nerve ending, all of it sparking to life and making me see white. “Jude!”
Lifting his head, his eyes fall to my neck where there’s undoubtedly a mark now, not that I mind, I already know I’ll be tracing it with my fingers to remember this moment when he leaves again.
Jude’s hooded gaze locks with mine as I lift my head and touch my lips to his, holding his face in my hands and watching as his own release hits him.
He shatters, holding his hips against mine as he throws his head back and moans through his own climax.
I watch my husband let go and revel in the pleasure washing over him in waves, still kissing me the entire time.
Now that we’ve had a taste, nothing short of everything will be enough again.
I know I want to see him like this every single day for the rest of our lives together.
I can’t keep missing him from the moment he’s gone until the time he’s back in my arms. I don’t want to.
Life’s too short to waste any more time, not when I know he’s my soulmate. My One. My only One.
All we’ve got to do is work out the how and the where. That should be easy… right?
It’s after we’ve lazed on the couch for a while and enjoyed the afterglow.
After we’ve dragged ourselves away from our comfy cocoon in the living room and had a shower together–to save water, of course.
It’s after I leave him in there so I can get dressed and make a start on breakfast, and definitely after Jude comes looking for me in the kitchen looking delicious in a towel and nothing but a towel.
He crowds me against the counter, tangles his fingers in my still-damp hair, before laying a slow, deep, claiming kiss on my lips.
That’s when it happens.
“Get away from my sister,” Ash growls, his angry footsteps stalking toward us, the only thing alerting us to the fact we not only have surprise visitors, but they have also let themselves into my house. Guests we were too lost in each other to hear!
I pull back and peer past my husband’s shoulder, blushing hot when I see all of my brothers and Wyatt walking into my house like they own the place.
Asher heads straight for us, his whole demeanor wound tight and reading like I’m a damsel in distress in need of rescuing.
Before he can do anything he’ll come to regret, I step around Jude and put myself between them, lifting my hand to stop Ash in his tracks.
“Good morning to you too, Ash. How nice of you to let yourself into my home uninvited and unexpectedly.”
My brother’s glare softens, his eyes melting in front of me. “Suprise, Little Em,” he says, pulling me in for a hug and holding me tight as he mutters something that sounds a lot like threatening words being aimed Jude’s way.
I push him back and rest my hands on my hips, giving him a glare of my own. “Stop threatenin’ my husband, Ash. I’m a grown woman who no longer needs her brothers defendin’ her virtue.”
“What virtue,” EJ snorts.
“That got lost under the bleachers in your junior year,” BJ adds, unhelpfully.
Wyatt snickers at that while I snarl in the twins’ direction.
When I feel Jude’s big hand rest firm and warm on the small of my back, I relax into him.
“I’m impressed, wifey. I lost mine on a riverbank when I was eighteen,” he murmurs in my ear. “Got attacked by mosquitos and had to get Will to take me to the doctor to get a shot.”
I giggle at the visual and just like that, my irritation disappears.
“I was just lookin’ out for you, Little Em,” Ash continues before smirking at Jude. “You did marry a Cooper, after all.”
“Here I was thinkin’ you liked me, Ash,” Jude replies wryly.
“I do,” he chuckles. “But good guy or not, I’ll still kick your ass if I have to. She’s my only sister. She’s always goin’ to win out over you, no matter how much I like you.”
Wyatt snickers, clapping Ash on the shoulder. “Far as I see, they were gettin’ on just fine.”
I look from Jude’s amused best friend and back to my brothers. “Not that I’m not happy to see y’all, but why are you here?”
It’s Dare that speaks up this time. “It felt too weird not seein’ you for Thanksgivin’. Last night we talked it over and decided we’d surprise you. Didn’t like the idea of you spendin’ the holiday alone. Seems Jude had the same thought.”
How can I even stay mad at them now?
“We also wanted to check on you. Jude hasn’t exactly been sharin’ how things are goin’ with you two, how were we supposed to know you two were gettin’ along so well,” Ash adds.
Jude’s body goes rock solid behind me. “This is real. As real as it gets,” he grinds out.
Turning my head, I meet my husband’s gaze just as a jolt courses through me at the intensity I find blazing in his eyes. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Oh yeah, not only is my husband handsome, when he’s defending me–us–he’s damn right scorching. I can feel his frustration, his passion, and especially the strength of the conviction behind his words.
I lose myself looking at him, so much so that everything and everyone around us fades away.
Cradling his jaw, I wait for him to meet my gaze. “Feels real to me too, hubby,” I whisper.
Then he meets me halfway, eyes never leaving mine as our lips touch far too briefly for my liking. Even so, the contact makes me feel like I’ve been struck by lightning and turned inside out at the same time.
BJ snickers. “It’s so real, they’re gettin’ down to it. I’m proud, sis. Get it.”
“Oh yeah,” Wy says. “There’s no fakin’ that.”
Jude sighs, brushing his lips against mine one last time before he makes sure I’m steady and steps back like he didn’t just rock my world in front of my brothers without a care in the world.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant—” Ash starts.
“What Ash is tryin’ to say is we all know this didn’t start out as real,” Dare continues.
“Exactly!” Ash adds. “We were raised thinkin’ Wilsons and Coopers weren’t allowed to even like each other, let alone get married.”
“I’m OK, Ash. I promise. It’s all good.”
“Because you’re his One,” EJ states, backing it up with a curious look as he takes me in.
“There is that,” I say with a dry laugh, “But Jude’s been visitin’ me every weekend and we’ve been datin’ and gettin’ to know each other better.” Then there’s the fact Jude Cooper is impossible not to fall head over heels for. I never stood a chance.
“We know you’re OK, Em. Also know you’ll always say you’re OK even if you’re not. That’s also why we’re here, we wanted to see you for ourselves.”
“Y’all make it impossible to stay mad. Do you know how frustratin’ that is?” I say with a grin.
Ash bats his lashes. “It’s because I’m cute, right?”
“It’s because you’re an idiot,” I tell him.
Dare steps forward and opens his arms in front of me, wrapping me up tight before touching his lips to my temple. “Missed you, Little Em,” he murmurs.
As soon as he steps away, the twins move in, the two of them squeezing me so tight it brings tears to my eyes. And not just because I struggle to breathe.
They pull back and stare at me, both of them scanning my face as if looking for any sign I’m not being honest. “Nah. She’s all good.”
Still feeling a little sassy, I arch a brow Ash’s way. “I’m good, guys. I promise. Dad made sure I’d be OK.” I lean back, knowing my husband is right behind me. Always watching out for me. Looking back over my shoulder, I smile up at him. “He gave me the man I love.”
I freeze as soon as the words register, my eyes going wide as Jude’s fingers flex around my waist, his expression morphing from shock to complete, unquestionable certainty–followed by a flash of possessive heat that has my blood turning molten.
He spins me around so I’m facing him and suddenly it’s like we’re the only two in the room. Brothers? Wyatt? Who are they?
“You love me, wifey?” he murmurs softly.
My heart is racing so fast I swear I’m woozy, but with Jude’s safe arms wrapped tightly around me, I know he’ll never let me fall.
I flash back to the ranch when I said “I do.” I remember the unwavering confidence and certainty in Jude’s gaze. There was no doubt or worries. Just calm. Peace. Home.
Closing my eyes, Dad’s words from that same day come back to me.
“The day you came into my life, I knew I’d never be whole again cause you’d stolen a piece of my heart.”
Standing here right now, I’m feeling the exact same way.
I know that there will never be a day in my life where I won’t feel whole, not when I have Jude in my heart and by my side.
Gazing into his eyes, I nod. I’m not the same woman I was three months ago. Back then I was feeling too much, too soon, and had to run away from it and from him.
“I’d choose you with or without the Call. It’s only ever goin’ to be you.”
If I thought my husband’s gaze was hot before, that’s nothing compared to the blazing intensity in his eyes shining down on me now.
As for me, I’m filled with so much need and want and a lot of very urgent, uncontrollable urges which aren’t exactly convenient when we’re standing in a room filled with Wyatt and my brothers.
“Wy?” Jude says, low and deep.
“Yeah, brother?” Wyatt’s voice is full of amusement.
“Need you to take the Wilsons out and come back for lunch.”
A snicker fills the air from one of the twins, followed by a snort from the other one. Then there’s a grossed out “Eww. That’s my sister” from Ash, and a commanding ‘let’s go,’ from Dare.
Moments later, the front door slams shut behind them, letting us know we’re alone again.
“I–”
“Love you too, Em,” Jude says, pulling me flush against his body so I can feel every single part of him. “So much. I’ve realized I can’t keep goin’ back and forth anymore. I can’t stay away from you. Leavin’ every Sunday is too hard and I know you dread it too.”
“So much. It’s like you take a part of me with you,” I reply. “I just want to be wherever you are. Whatever that means, wherever that takes us. The wheres and hows can be figured out. The who is non-negotiable.”
He sweeps a loose tendril of hair back behind my ear before resting his hand around the side of my neck, his thumb pressing my chin up so he can drop his forehead to mine. “Never leavin’ you, Em. Can’t. Don’t want to. Won’t do it again.”
“Jude, I can’t ask that of you,” I whisper.
He slides his forehead back and forth once. “You ain’t askin’. I’m tellin’ you. This is us now, Em.”
“OK,” I say, pressing a barely there kiss against his lips.
But it’s not enough for me. I need more, and I can’t help but shift my weight back and forth, squirming, aching, needing to feel him… touch him… do everything with him.
Jude’s dark eyes flash before he steps back and sweeps my legs out from under me before carrying me to the bedroom. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll always take care of you.”