Page 36 of Hidden Vows (Love in Ashford Falls #3)

twenty-seven

JUDE

“What are you up to today?” I lean back in my seat next to Abbey at the table, my eyes focused on her.

I haven’t been able to take my eyes off her since I walked out of her room this morning.

There was a moment of pure panic when I woke up and she wasn’t in the bed next to me.

I thought I imagined everything that happened last night—the intimacy we shared, the trust I thought we’d been rebuilding—but then the smell of something amazing wafted through the door, and I knew it wasn’t a dream.

I slipped from the bed and pulled on my boxers before opening her bedroom door. The sight of her in the kitchen made me pause. She was in profile, her hair thrown up in a knot on top of her head and her bare legs peeked out from the hem of my black T-shirt where it fell to her mid-thigh.

There was something about Abbey in my clothes that made me feral for her, and I hoped that feeling was something I never got used to.

Abbey’s always been a fan of cooking and baking, so seeing her in the kitchen at any point during the day wasn’t out of the norm when we were together, but it was a sight I thought I’d never see again.

I leaned against the doorjamb, simply watching her as she moved about the space. There was a grace to her movements, almost like a choreographed dance designed to draw the audience in, and I didn’t want to disrupt her, but the need I had to touch her was something I couldn’t ignore.

The way she immediately melted into me when my arms wrapped around her had that last remaining bit of panic disappear entirely. I know we still had more to work through, but I truly believed we could do it.

“I need to stop by the store. I haven’t been all week, and I know George will be there today.

And I need to go to the grocery store. I was barely able to pull this together with everything I had in the fridge.

” She chuckles as she places her napkin on the table next to her plate and brings her eyes to mine.

“I was thinking about going to visit your dad too. I haven’t been to see him in a while. ”

I contemplate keeping the next words to myself, not wanting to come off as needy, but I quickly decide that I don’t care if she thinks I’m needy. When it comes to Abbey, I’m absolutely desperate to spend time with her. “Mind if I tag along?”

Her eyes fall to the table but the smile that splits her lips is still visible, and I can’t help but smile in return. “You want to come along on my errands day?” She lifts her eyes back to mine and leans her elbow on the table, bringing herself closer to me.

“Abbey, I want to spend all my time with you,” I tell her honestly.

I don’t want to smother her, but I’ve gone way too long without her in my life, and now that there’s a chance we might be able to find our way back to each other? I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to be with her.

“Okay,” she says softly .

Her eyes bounce around my face, studying me for a few moments before she lifts her hand to cup my cheek, her thumb stroking back and forth across my beard before she leans in to press a kiss to my lips.

I know it’s supposed to be a quick peck before we start our day, but the moment her lips touch mine I need her.

Wrapping an arm around her waist I lift her into my lap, her legs straddling mine.

She releases a gasp of shock at the sudden move and I take full advantage, slipping my tongue between her lips.

The moan she releases has me shifting my hips, my hardening cock pressing into her core, desperate to feel her again.

My reaction to her closeness is instant. There’s nothing but tenderness in her look and touch, and yet my body is ready for so much more with her. Not just my body, my mind and heart too.

“Jude.” She breathes against my lips, her arms snaking around my shoulders and holding me tight against her.

Thank God I’m not alone in this.

“What is it, love?” I ghost my lips across her cheek, searching for the spot below her ear that I know makes her melt.

“I need you,” she gasps as I suck on her neck, her body sinking into mine.

“You have me. You always have,” I whisper against her.

Her hand slips from my shoulders and reaches between us, pushing my boxers down to release my aching cock. Our eyes meet as she takes me in hand and rubs my leaking tip against her already soaked pussy.

“Where are your panties?” I hiss at the feel of her bare against me.

“Wherever you left them last night.” Her head rolls back as her hips continue to grind against me.

I force her eyes back to mine and lift my hips to meet hers. “ You’re telling me you’ve been prancing around here all morning without any panties on? Been sitting next to me all morning without any panties on?”

“Yesss,” she moans, drawing out the word. She releases me from her grip, bringing herself closer to me with my cock sandwiched between us. Every shift of her hips has her clit sliding along the length of me.

“Abbey,” I plead. I want nothing more than for her to sink onto me, but I know it’s not smart, especially after last night. I’ve made so many bad decisions when it comes to Abbey, and I don’t want her to regret anything that happens between us moving forward.

This is the last chance we have, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it lasts.

I can’t lose Abbey.

I won’t survive it—not again.

“Do you have a condom?” Her voice is breathy and I know she’s close.

I shake my head. “Something we’ll have to pick up on your errands,” I say, palming her ass in my hands.

Her head falls against my shoulder and I know she’s disappointed, but that won’t stop me from making her feel good, and it doesn’t stop her hips from moving against me.

“That’s it, love. Use me to make yourself come,” I grit from between my teeth. I’m so close to losing it, but I refuse to go before she does.

“Jude,” she pants, her head buried in my shoulder and her grip around me tightening.

She lifts her head and meets my eyes for only a second before her head falls back.

Her movements become more frantic, and I know the moment she flies over the edge when her entire body goes taut.

I’m not far behind. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close for a demanding kiss, my cock pulsing between us, making a mess against my stomach and my shirt.

The kiss turns leisurely, but neither of us release each other, needing the closeness we both feel.

“Condoms are a definite must on our errands today.” Abbey pulls away, a smile tugging at her lips. “At least until I can get in to see a doctor.” She shifts against me, and I grunt as my still half-hard cock twitches.

“Mo ghrá,” I warn.

She laughs, pressing one more quick kiss to my lips before she lifts herself from my lap and saunters away toward her bedroom.

She pauses halfway there and glances over her shoulder.

“You gonna stay there or join me in the shower?” Abbey doesn’t wait for my response before she’s pulling my shirt over her head and tossing it away as she continues to her room.

I’m not even upset when I find myself following her like a lost little puppy.

The truth is, I am lost without her.

“Hey, Walt,” Abbey whispers as she leans down to press a kiss to his cheek. She brushes a lock of hair from his forehead before looking at the nurse on the other side of his bed. “How’s he doing today?”

“He’s doing good.” Sarah, one of Dad’s nurses smiles at Abbey before her eyes shift to me in the doorway, shock filling her features. I know it’s not a surprise that I’m here to visit Dad—I’m here almost every day. It’s shock that Abbey and I arrived together.

Things between Abbey and I may be improving since I returned to Ashford Falls, but this is the one space I haven’t invaded with Abbey—I never wanted her to feel like she couldn’t visit Dad—and anyone who saw us interact the few times our visits overlapped could feel the tension between us.

Sarah visibly shakes herself from her shock and looks back down at my dad. “It’s going to feel so strange when he transfers. Do you have a date for that yet?”

“Not yet, but it should be soon. Dr. Winters said after eight weeks if there’s no change, he’d be better served in a long-term facility.”

Sarah’s gaze shifts back to me and offers a small smile. “Speaking of, Dr. Winters rounds just started. She should be in soon to give you an update.

“Thanks, Sarah.” Abbey smiles as she takes a seat in one of the vacant chairs next to my father’s bed.

“Of course. Someone will be at the desk if you need anything.”

I step further into the room, giving Sarah space to step past me. She smiles once more before sliding the door closed behind her.

“You gonna stand over there the whole time, or are you gonna come sit down?” Abbey glances over her shoulder, a teasing glint in her eye. She’s been in a good mood all morning, and I can’t help but smile knowing I’m partly the cause.

After our steamy shower—for more than one reason—I rushed over to my apartment to change and grab my computer before meeting Abbey back in the hallway.

Maybe one day I won’t be stunned every time she walks into a room, but today isn’t that day.

With her hair still damp from our shower hanging over one shoulder and her focus entirely on making sure she had everything she needed in her purse, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

She stepped out of her apartment in what’s probably one of the simplest summer dresses I’ve seen.

It’s long with short, flowy sleeves, a neckline that dips just enough to tease at her cleavage, and a slit that goes all the way up her leg but was only noticeable as she stepped toward me.

Even though I’d been with her four times in the last twelve hours, I couldn’t stop myself from pulling her into me.

And the fact she moved into me the second my hand touched her hip made me the happiest man around.

“I have to run my errands. If you’re going to continue to distract me I’m going to take back my permission for you to join me,” she whispered against my lips, a smile forming with the words.

“I’ll be good, I promise.” I pressed one more kiss to her lips before taking her hand in mine and leading her down the stairs.

While she stepped into the bookstore to check on things with George, I went into the bar to make sure everything was closed up properly.

I’d been surprised to find Jane behind the bar, but it was evidence I made the right decision in hiring her to manage the bar in my absence.

Hopefully Dad will agree once he’s recovered and working behind the bar again.

“You’re in early.”

“Not really.” Her brows pinched when she glanced at me but quickly focused back on the open drawer in front of her. “You gave me the night off and I know you weren’t here last night, so I wanted to make sure we were in good shape before we open in a bit.”

I glanced down at my watch and saw she wasn’t wrong—just after ten thirty. “Well, clearly I’ve left the bar in good hands.” I chuckled, realizing I’d been coming in to do the same thing.

Jane didn’t acknowledge me before she closed the drawer and moved on to her next task.

It didn’t bother me; her straightforwardness is one of the reasons I hired her.

Without waiting for a response I knew wouldn’t be coming, I tapped the bar twice before turning to leave the way I came.

“Call me if you need me,” I called over my shoulder and returned to Abbey.

I stood near the door to the bookstore and watched Abbey move around the space talking with George about the remaining items on her list. They’d made a lot of progress in the two weeks they’ve been working at the bookstore and were estimating they’d be done in another two weeks max.

It was officially time for Abbey to start planning for her grand re-opening and I knew how excited she was the second she turned her beaming smile to me when she heard the news.

“Babe.” Abbey’s voice brings me back to the present, and I don’t waste another second standing on the other side of the room.

“Yeah, love. I’m with you.” I cup her cheek and lean down to press a kiss to her forehead, lingering there before I finally take my seat next to her.

There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.