“Where is she?” Jude asked.
“She went back to the house. Max mentioned going to—” Jude and I were out the door before Cole could finish.
My heart was pounding by the time we reached the back door. Jude slid it open so hard it nearly came off its slider. “Finley!” he yelled.
“Finley,” I echoed his call.
“I’m right here,” a small voice came from the couch. Aside from the lights coming from the clocks on the kitchen appliances, the room was dark.
Jude switched on the lamp, and Finley lifted up her hand to block the harsh light. Mascara rimmed her eyes as if she’d been crying. She hugged her knees to her chest.
I sat down next to her. “What happened?”
“Nothing. I’m never going to be normal, that’s all.”
I was relieved to see that she was not completely freaked out or in a panic attack. She was just upset, and I couldn’t blame her. “That’s not true, Finley. You’re more normal than any girl I have ever met. I’ve never bonded so quickly with anyone in my life.”
She wiped clumsily at her nose and looked at me. “Maybe you’re not normal either.”
“You’ve got a point. Maybe we’re both normal in a strange way.” I threw my arms around her, and she hugged me back. “We’re going to get you out of this world you’ve built yourself, Finley. Don’t give up.”
We sat back and Jude plunked down on the other side of her. She peered over at him. “I knew you liked her, you big boob. The moment you saw her in the gym that first day, I saw that hungry gleam in your eye.” Then her tone turned serious. “Jude don’t do anything to fuck this up. I know you thought this was a bad idea—”
“I was wrong,” he said abruptly. “I was totally and completely wrong. And besides, Valley claims she’s never lost her head over any guy. So it’s all good.”
I leaned forward, and his grin was as wide as the coffee table.
“Cocky bastard,” I mumbled as I leaned back against the couch cushion.
Cole appeared in the doorway. “I sent everyone home. Told them I was still feeling shitty from too much partying last night. Max said he’d call you later.”
“Finley, why don’t you tell him what you’re dealing with,” I suggested. “Max seems like a decent guy. I think he’ll understand.”
She leaned her head on Jude’s shoulder. “Maybe some time. But not yet.”
Cole plopped down next to me, and we all sat in silence staring at the dark television set. “Is anyone else thinking Silence of the Lambs down in the theater?” Cole suggested.
“I’ve only seen that movie on a small, blurry television set and it freaked me out so badly I crawled into bed with my parents,” I confessed.
“Can’t really blame you. It is a damn creepy movie. It could really freak out a kid. I’m surprised your parents let you watch it,” Finley said.
I looked over at her. “I was sixteen.”
We erupted into a major bout of laughter and then headed down to the theater. Jude stood behind me in the elevator, his fingers hooked in the waist of my jeans. He tugged the material down an inch, and he tickled my back. I gasped and a shiver raced through me.
Finley glanced over at me. “Are you all right?”
“Uh huh,” the sound cracked out of my throat, “just a little chill in the air.”
As I’d expected, the movie was even more disturbing on a large screen with surround sound, and I spent the first half of the movie with my face buried against Jude’s shoulder.
“I have a newfound appreciation of this movie,” Jude commented, as I scooted closer to him with each horrendous scene.
“Yep,” Cole said from the seat he’d taken two rows back. “I make a point of showing it when I’m with a girl who I’m sure will climb into my lap before the end of the movie.”
“I’m feeling nauseous,” Finley called back from the front row where she’d situated herself with a giant bucket of popcorn. Jude and I had chosen seats between their two rows and we’d lifted the arm rest to make it one large seat.
“I’m just saying, if you’re going to watch a horror flick make sure the girl is easy—”
An entire shower of popcorn flew at Cole from the front seat.
He picked a piece off his shoulder and ate it. “Needs butter. And you didn’t let me finish. I was going to say easy to scare.” More popcorn flew his way.
Jude threw his arm around my shoulder. “The boy never knows when to shut up.”
Finley stood and stretched. “I’m tired. I think I’ll turn in. I already know how it ends.”
“I’ll walk you upstairs just in case there are any cannibals lurking in the hallway,” Cole said. “Hey, Jude, I’m going down to Corky’s Bar and Grille to meet some people. You want to come?”
“Nope.”
“Kind of thought you’d say no. See you later.”
Finley and Cole left the room and Jude grabbed me. “I thought they’d never leave. Now where were we?” He laid me down on the seat and his mouth devoured mine instantly. But after a few moments, I pulled my lips away. The look of disappointment in his eyes nearly made me laugh. “I understand your newfound respect for this movie and all, but do you really want me to think about Hannibal and his fava beans every time we kiss?”
“Good point.” He hopped up, muted the movie, and turned on music instead.
This time he lowered himself over me slowly, his gaze never leaving my face as he pressed his body along the length of me. His mouth lowered over mine, and the kiss built with urgency again, the same unequaled urgency I’d felt in the pool house. His hands explored every inch of skin on my arms, stomach and breasts. My fingers grasped for the hem of his shirt and I pushed it up, exposing his skin. I lifted my head and ran my lips and tongue along the hard, muscular ridges of his chest.
Physically, I felt completely vulnerable as if I had no intention of stopping what we’d started, but my mind kept tugging at my self-control, pulling me from the dizzying swirl of pleasure and back into reality. I wasn’t prepared for this yet. I knew once I’d given into it all, I was risking everything, including my heart. Jude seemed to sense my hesitancy. His hands moved up to my face, and he pressed his palm against my cheek and kissed my lips.
“I’m sorry, Jude. I’m not ready yet.”
“I understand,” he said. “It’s killing me but I understand.” He stretched out next to me on the seat.
“Now that you’re free again, I suppose you’ll be taking off soon. At least that’s the rumor I keep hearing.” I wasn’t completely sure what’d prompted the topic at this particular moment, but suddenly, I wanted to know.
“Rumors, huh? This town is famous for gossip.” He leaned down and kissed me lightly. “Look, Eden, I know this complicates things some—”
I peered up into his incredibly perfect face. “You think?”
“All right, it complicates things a lot, but contrary to what my sister may have told you, I’m not a complete jerk.”
“Actually, she uses the word ass more than jerk.”
“I’m not a complete ass,” he continued. “Maybe a partial ass but not a complete one.” He fell silent and then reached up and pushed the hair off my face. “I’m here right now because I badly want to be with you. And as my sister can tell you, there aren’t many people I want to be with.”
Everything would have been much easier if my initial dislike of the guy had stuck, but it had been obliterated almost from the start. In fact, it had disintegrated so completely I questioned whether I’d ever truly disliked him at all. Now there seemed to be no turning back. I just needed to remember to keep my head.
Jude leaned down and kissed me again, and a tingling sensation warmed my skin.
Keeping my head was not going to be easy.
“Hey, tomorrow, I’ll take you on a ride on the bike. If you want to go-that is? And we’ll have to clear it with the Empress. But we could just take a short ride. What do you say?”