Part 16 (1/2)

”Just relax. Let me work.” He didn't speak again for several minutes, his magic fingers roving down her arms and back up. He rubbed her neck and then made his way down her spine.

Lori thought she might fall asleep and slip under the water if she wasn't careful. It felt that good and relaxing.

When Jude reached her thighs and ma.s.saged the muscles between her legs, she came alive. He switched places with her and sat her in the corner. He settled on his knees between her legs and resumed his ma.s.sage from her feet up, pulling on each toe and rubbing the sole of her foot before working his way to her s.h.i.+n.

Lori watched the intense expression on his face as he ma.s.saged her beneath the water. She grabbed the edges of the hot tub on both sides to keep herself from floating away. Her arms were out of the water this way, but she was warm enough now that it no longer mattered. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s bobbed at the top, her nipples sometimes popping above the water level. They puckered as they hit the air and ducked back under.

Jude worked up her legs until he reached her s.e.x. He pressed her thighs wide and set her feet on the bench seat.

And then he lifted his gaze to hers and held it. ”Eyes on me, baby. Don't move.” He took both outer lips between his fingers and squeezed, pinched a row up and down her v.u.l.v.a as though it was simply part of the necessary, thorough ma.s.sage.

Lori held as still as she could, but her breath caught in her throat. The laziness of the last half hour evaporated in an instant as Jude pressed and rubbed everywhere intimate. Suddenly he flipped his hand over and plunged two fingers into her p.u.s.s.y.

Lori yelped. ”Oh G.o.d...”

He did it again, settling his thumb on her c.l.i.t and pressing hard.

Lori's toes curled under and she had trouble keeping her ankles in place.

”Your face is flushed, baby.” He gave an innocent half smile. ”Are you too hot?”

”No, Sir.” It was hard to keep her eyes focused on his face.

When Jude added his second hand and circled her forbidden hole, she moaned.

”Keep looking at me, baby. I want to watch you.”

Her eyes had fluttered. She struggled to open them as he pushed a finger into her tight hole.

”That's it, baby. Accept my finger... Yes, your a.s.s is so tight, baby.” He stroked his finger in and out, matching the pace of his other hand inside her p.u.s.s.y. ”I know you like to have both holes filled.” He thrust both fingers in opposition.

Lori held her breath. She'd come so hard before and now the build was slower. But just as intense. It seemed he stroked her everywhere at once. Even her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were engaged as they bobbed up and down, in and out of the water, making her aware of her nipples.

Jude added a third finger to her p.u.s.s.y and held them deep while he stroked her c.l.i.t and her G-spot at the same time. His other hand continued to pump in and out of her a.s.s. She stiffened. ”I'm going to come, Sir.”

”Go ahead, baby.”

Lori fell over the edge, a slow crash that had her p.u.s.s.y pulsing in tandem with her a.s.s, every muscle inside her working on Jude's fingers, gripping them as though she never wanted to let them go. And she didn't.

When she finally came down, Jude released her and tugged her feet to set them on the bottom of the hot tub.

Lori was exhausted, more so than before. But she never wanted to leave this warm water or break from the gaze meeting hers from inches away.

Whatever happened to Jude for the last two years, she knew one thing for certain: he loved her. His feelings were written on his face. h.e.l.l, he'd proven himself over and over to her in the past days, bringing her to climax more times than she could count. She could count only three times he'd gotten his own satisfaction from her body. He adored her and never intended to harm her. She was softening to this new reality. But should she? What if he left her again? Her heart couldn't take that kind of torture.

Something in the backyard caught her eye. She glanced over Jude's shoulder. Nothing.

”What is it?” he asked.

She shook her head. ”Nothing. Must be seeing things.”

Jude turned around and stared at the expanse of trees behind the house, his gaze s.h.i.+fting from left to right slowly. She thought he stiffened.

”I'm sure it was an animal or something,” she said, reaching for him. ”Come back here.” She pulled him close, but he stayed rigid as though she'd scared him. Weird.

Chapter Thirteen.

On Tuesday morning, Jude stood in the doorway to the bedroom, sipping his coffee and watching Lori sleep like the dead. Granted, he'd kept her on her toes most of the evening yesterday, pus.h.i.+ng her to her mental limit.

Was he forcing her to acquiesce too fast? He wanted her the way she was before he left her. It would take some time to regain her trust, but if he could get her body to respond to his every command in the same fas.h.i.+on as before, everything else would fall into place.

Monday evening she'd spent a lot of time cooking dinner and cleaning afterward. Jude hadn't asked her to perform that service, but she'd insisted.

Jude stepped into the room, set his coffee on the bedside table and stroked Lori's a.s.s beneath the sheet.

She squirmed under his touch and turned her head to the side, opening one eye. ”Is it late?”

”Yep. You have a cla.s.s to teach at eleven.” He swatted her b.u.t.t. ”It's time to get in the shower.”

She smiled and stretched her arms over her head. The sheet inched down her body, leaving her b.r.e.a.s.t.s exposed. ”I slept hard.”

”I can see that.” He tugged the sheet away. ”Come on, baby. Shower.”

He hadn't showered yet himself. He'd saved the luxury to share with Lori.

Leaving her on the bed to pull herself awake, he padded to the bathroom and flipped on the water. He loved bathing her. The feel of her curves under his slippery hands made his body hum.

He heard her creep up behind him, so he didn't flinch when she wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned her face against his back. She kissed a line up his spine and reached on tiptoes to nibble his shoulder. ”I'm dirty.”

The sentence was loaded and he grinned. He reached behind and nudged her toward his front. ”Get in.”

While she stepped into the warm cascade of water, he removed his jeans and underwear. His d.a.m.n phone beeped in his jeans pocket as he set them on the floor. He tugged the device from the pocket, only to find the same blank number. He tossed it on top of the pile, shaking away his aggravation.

In moments he was beside her, kissing the top of her head and reaching for the shampoo.

”You don't have to work at all this week?” she asked.

Jude paused a moment and stared at her. ”I have a few weeks of vacation, baby. I'm eligible to retire soon.”

”From the army?”

”Yes. I've been a.s.signed as an advisor for the National Guard unit here for the remainder of the year.”

”I see.” She lowered her gaze and didn't say anything else.

He held her glorious red locks as he spread the lather into her scalp. She tipped her head back to give him better access. Water sluiced over her nipples, making them pebble. Jude reached around her front and spread the soap across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, molding them to his hands.