Page 32 of Filthy Rich Brother’s Best Friends (Filthy Rich Harems #5)

Jude

L ola’s off. I’ve seen her stressed, distracted, overloaded—hell, most days she runs on caffeine and sheer willpower—but this is different. Her voice sounded strange on the phone. And it wasn’t just her usual end-of-day exhaustion voice.

So, I head over once she’s home for the night.

The front porch light is still on, but the house is dark. I could knock or ring the bell. Except that runs the risk of calling attention to myself if Gigi and Blaire happen to be home.

So, I unlock the door with the key Lola gave me last week and let myself in quietly. I don’t hear any movement on the first floor. A floorboard creaks above me. Then another. It sounds like it came from Lola’s room, so I head that way.

I walk through the living room, past the ridiculous crystal display Gigi keeps on the coffee table.

I mean…half the crystals don’t even go together.

There’s carnelian sitting next to selenite, a chunk of pyrite jammed between rose quartz and something that might be smoky citrine but also might be a chunk of driveway gravel.

I take the stairs two at a time, desperate to get to my girl. She’s letting me in bit by bit. I don’t want to push when she needs space, and usually I don’t. I just can’t let go of what I heard in her voice when I called to see if she wanted company tonight.

Her door is ajar. I lift my hand and knock quietly. “Lo?”

She turns toward me. Her arms fold across her chest and she looks like she’s been crying.

“I can’t do this.” Her voice cracks.

My stomach drops. Does she mean us? Is she done already? Did I miss something?

I step inside her room and ease the door shut behind me. “What happened?”

She huffs out a sound—something close to a laugh. Then she turns away and presses both hands to her temples.

“I’m so tired of pretending I’m fine.”

She starts shaking her head, like she’s in disbelief. Whatever happened today, it must be pretty bad. I watch as she starts unraveling. She’s not ready to let the words out yet. So, I wait her out.

Eventually, she starts spilling everything she’s been holding inside. She tells me about how shitty things have been with her roommates and the post Gigi put up that morning.

“She knew what she was doing. She wanted me to see it. She wanted everyone to see it.”

“And then this afternoon, I get a message from one of my clients. Just casual. ‘Hey, heard the studio’s being bought out—should I cancel my class pack?’”

She lets out a bitter laugh and drops her hands to her sides.

“I obviously didn’t know what she was talking about. I had to call around. Someone finally told me they heard it from Blaire . Apparently I’m in over my head and one of the guys next door—you know, the handsome neighbors with deep pockets—is stepping in to rescue me.”

She spits the last part out like it physically hurts to say.

“I’ve built this place from nothing,” she says, softer now. “And I’m still building it. I’ve done everything I could to hold it together. But somehow that’s not enough. I’m just some pretty face getting saved by the hot boy next door.”

“You’re not,” I say. “No one who knows you believes that.”

She doesn’t look convinced.

“I don’t think I can stay here much longer,” she murmurs.

I wrap my arms around her. She melts into me without hesitation, burying her face in my chest.

“Then don’t. Move in with us.”

She pulls back just enough to look up at me. “You want me to pack up and just start playing house with the three of you?”

“No. I want you safe. I want you somewhere no one can fuck with you. And maybe—selfishly—I want you where I can fuck you.”

She doesn’t answer. She leans into me again and rests her forehead against my chest.

She didn’t say yes.

But, she didn’t say no either.

I press a kiss to her temple. She exhales against my chest. I know she’s not ready for this conversation right now. So, I don’t push it.

Without a word, I slide one hand to her lower back and gently nudge her toward the bathroom.

She looks at me with heavy eyes, but she doesn’t resist. I grab a towel from the shelf and run the water.

There’s a little bottle of lavender essential oil she keeps tucked behind the skincare clutter.

I add a few drops to the tub.Lavender has a magical way of making everything feel better.

Steam begins to build, fogging up the mirror and warming the room by degrees.

She strips off her clothes and submerges herself in the warm but not too-hot water.

I watch as her eyes close, but not a single inch of her unclenches. So, I undress quietly and slip into the tub behind her. She leans back into me without hesitation.

Her back settles against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her waist. I rest my chin on the top of her head for a moment, breathing her in. She smells like peppermint from the gum she always chews after teaching, and the faint citrus of her shampoo.

My fingers trail slowly up her arm, then down again. I trace over her forearm, then across the ridge of her collarbone and back. Slowly, she starts to soften bit by bit.

Her head tips to the side, exposing the curve of her neck. I press a kiss there, then another to her shoulder. My arm glides across her chest and I pull her in closer.

Then she turns.

She moves onto her knees and straddles my lap. Her hands find my shoulders and slide up to the back of my neck. When she leans in, I meet her halfway. The kiss is soft at first, but it deepens quickly.

My hands find her waist as she moves closer. I squeeze gently, then run my palms up her sides.

Her kiss turns hungrier and she moans softly into my mouth. That sound unravels me. I fucking need her right this minute. I stand, pulling her with me.

She blinks up at me, her brows furrowing slightly. I reach for the towel, hold it open, and wrap her in it the second she steps forward. I dry her off slowly, starting at her shoulders and working my way down. I lift each foot to pat it dry, then rise and slide the towel between her legs.

Once she’s done, I dry myself off quickly and scoop her into my arms. I carry her into the bedroom, then ease her down onto the mattress. I smooth a hand over her damp hair.

She’s always beautiful. But right now she’s breathtaking.

I kiss her knee, then the inside of her thigh. Her towel slips open. I trail my lips higher, skimming the soft skin between her legs without giving her what she wants yet.

I look up at her. “Tell me what you need, baby.”

“You,” she whispers. “All of you.”

I grip her thighs and drag her to the bottom of the bed. I kneel there as her legs fall open and I lower my mouth between them. I don’t tease. I don’t waste a second. I slide my tongue through her center and groan at the taste of her. She gasps and arches against me.

I wrap one arm under her thigh and press my palm flat against her lower belly. Then I devour her, bit by bit. Her fingers find my hair and pull as I suck her clit into my mouth. I circle it slowly, then faster, until she’s panting and writhing beneath me. I have no intention of stopping.

Her legs tremble. Her breath stutters.

Then the wave hits her.

Every muscle is pulled tight as her orgasm rolls through her. I don’t let up until she’s shaking. I don’t stop until her grip loosens and her body goes slack.

I kiss my way back up her body, catching her lips with mine. I grind down into her soaked pussy, coating my cock with her slickness. She’s dripping with need. The urge is so strong to just slide in bare.

I notch my cock at her entrance, playing with fire. The heat of her feels so fucking good. I have to physically force my hand to the nightstand drawer. We haven’t had that conversation yet and now is not the time. I tear the foil and roll on the condom in record time.

I thrust into her with one deep stroke.

She cries out, both hands gripping my arms. Her walls clench around me.

Bracing myself above her, I start to move, slowly at first. I grab one of her thighs and pull it higher, angling deeper.

She gasps and claws at my shoulders. “Oh my god, Jude.”

My hips move faster, sliding in and out of her.

“You’re mine,” I grit out.

I push into her again and again, each thrust claiming her more than the last. She takes it all—moaning, begging, shaking beneath me.

Her second orgasm builds fast.

She makes a strangled sound and goes rigid, her body convulsing around me. I keep going, until I bury myself deep with one last stroke and come with a groan.

For a moment, neither of us moves.

Then I ease out slowly, discard the condom, and pull her into my chest. I kiss the top of her head and rest my chin there.

“You’re not doing this alone anymore,” I murmur.

“It’s all too much, Jude. I don’t know how much longer I can handle all this.”

“We’re here for you, baby. All of us. We’re not going anywhere.”