Jude sat behind the soundboard in studio one, with her legs crossed, comfortably positioned in one of the two new massage office chairs Tommy had ordered and which had been delivered just this morning. Her producer sat in the other one, next to her. "So this is her, huh?" Jude peeked through the large glass door towards the reception, where a tall brunette woman in her mid-twenties was waiting. "Your date for tonight? Nice..."
Tommy sighed as he leaned back, not watching the brunette but Jude. "Darius asked me to go with her. I have absolutely no personal interest in her." He reached for her hand. Jude turned towards him, eying him skeptically. "She's got money. Darius loves money. He wants me to win her over as a new investor. That's all there is to it. Let's change the topic. You still haven't told me what you want for your 18th birthday. Only two more weeks. Any wishes at all?"
Jude thought about it. Actually, she didn't have to think about it. She already knew what she wanted. It was one tall, handsome, occasionally broody dark haired former boybander with an uncanny ability to make her swoon and giggle. She doubted, however, that Tommy was willing to wrap himself into a nice red bow. Her attention was pulled towards her hand. Tommy was still holding on to it, absentmindedly playing with her fingers. The sensations that caused were almost indiscribable. He must have noticed by now how damp her palm had gotten. Or how her cheeks must have flamed up. Maybe he could even hear the loud thumping of her heart or the merciless drum of her pulse. She certainly noticed all of that. Her mouth always went dry when he touched her, which was really unfortunate because he awaited an answer and she had a tough time speaking up. Clearing her throat, simultaneously pulling her hand from him, she shrugged. "Surprise me."
He flashed her one of his signature, self-confident grins that always left her a little dizzy. "I will. You will be at the party tonight, won't you?"
His tone sounded hopeful. Jude turned back towards the reception, once more inspecting his date for the night. "I doubt you'll miss me if I don't show up. I really wouldn't know what to do there anyway."
"You could entertain me," he suggested. And once again he reached for her hand. This time Jude moved fast, crossing her arms to rob him of any chance to distract her with his touches. She would love to know why he always did that. Touch her. It were innocent touches. Her hand. Her arm. Her hip. Never more than a minute. But always long enough to leave a firm imprint of it in her memory. Did he feel that too? That tingling response? Did he do it to tease her? To humor her? Or was he just as drawn to her as she felt drawn to him? If only she knew.
"I always miss you when you're not there."
"Really?" She met his gaze. His eyes looked so wide and open. If he was joking, or just saying the things he thought she'd like to hear, he was doing a damn good job. She certainly wanted to believe him. "Even when on a date with Miss Universe?"
A chuckle vibrated from his throat, the sound husky and sexy. "She's just a woman with money. Seriously, Jude. I have no interest in her."
Do you have an interest in me? Jude wanted to ask, but held her tongue.
"You know how boring those parties are. When you're there, I have at least someone I can joke around with." Another cocky grin. "You always make me laugh."
And there it went. Her naïve hope that he might just feel something more than friendship for her. He had confirmed, once again, that she was just one of his friends. A bud. A dude to joke around with. Only once she wanted him to see her as something else than the girl with sneakers and ripped jeans who was in love with her guitar and nothing else. Jude sat up straight and stared at him. "Okay, Quincy. I'll be there. But-"
"But what?" He stood up as well, standing impossibly close to her. She felt his breath crash against lips, like a stormy wave, almost knocking her over.
She held her ground. "I get five minutes with you tonight. You and me, alone. When I ask for them, you will need to follow me and grant me that time."
He chuckled again. "What are you up to?" Then his face sobered. "You're not trying to force antother band on me, are you? The last one nearly ruined my studio and the one before that certainly messed with my nerves."
"No band. Just five minutes. I want to test a theory and well, I kinda need five minutes for that."
Clearly curious, he nodded. "Fine. 'Til tonight then." Before she could retreat, he bent down, tilted his head and pecked her cheek. Jude almost gasped. He'd never done that before. When he leaned back she all but gaped.
"What was that?"
"Why does everything need to have an explanation with you?" He left the studio but not without a wink. Sometimes, Jude fretted as she touched the spot on her face he'd just kissed, she really wanted to hit him. Actually, she'd really like to pull his head down and kiss him senseless, but hitting him would work just as well to release some of the tension he caused her. With a huff she left as well.
###
"So this theory..." Portia asked, "what exactly does it say?"
"Nothing really," Jude admitted as she admired herself in the mirror. "This dress is amazing. I feel like a real princess."
"It's great, isn't it? I can't believe Danielle didn't want it."
"Danielle?" Jude spun around to face Portia. "Danielle, the chick Tommy's going with, tonight? You offered it to her first?"
"No, she walked by while I steamed the dress. She mentioned she knew the designer and that the dress had been offered to her but she felt it not sexy enough. I think it looks pretty sexy on you!"
"I can't wear it."
Portia frowned. "What? Why? Because of Danielle?"
"Something like that," Jude muttered. "You know, I think I need to go shopping. I don't think you've got what I'm looking for."
"Excuse me," Portia snarled, "but my dress selection is the envy of most stores!"
"No offense, Portia," Jude apologized, "but I don't need a dress. I need a statement..."
###
"Well," Portia had to admit, "that's one hell of a statement you're wearing. Question is, what's the statement supposed to say? Hookers are the new chic?
Glancing around, unable to find Tommy anywhere, Jude tugged the hem of her dress down. She was wearing a backless, extremely short black silk dress with embellished long sleeves and strappy heels. Her hair was straightened and for once, her eye-lashes weren't sticking together thanks to a new, very expensive volume mascara. "I feel great, thank you very much. Have you seen Tommy?" She hoped he wasn't there yet. She still needed a minute or two to actually feel as fine as she was saying.
"Nope, haven't seen him yet. Which gives us the opportunity to talk about that theory of yours. You bolted before you had a chance to explain it to me! And seeing how you look, I am pretty interested in what you've planned tonight!"
"I don't have anything planned for tonight. But..."
"But..." Portia pressed on.
Jude sighed. "Tommy is sending me all these weird signals and I just want to know what they mean. I tried asking him but he's totally evading me. So instead of words, I go for action."
Portia rolled her eyes. "You want to seduce him."
"No! God, Portia!" Jude leaned forward, whispering furiously, "I'm still a virgin! I certainly won't have sex during a party! I just...well...he said I always make him laugh but I want to know if I can make him do other things as well."
"Like...?"
"Flirt! Duh! I asked him for five minutes of alone-time with him tonight. I want to see if I can make him really flirt with me. Maybe I can make him do more than just laugh. I just have to show him that I'm layered, and not one-dimensional. Plus, he always flirts with short skirts. That's what you told me. So this is me, wearing something short."
"Jude, sweety," Portia said, placing an arm around her shoulders, "take it from someone who has the divorce papers to prove it. Tom Quincy flirts with everyone. Especially if that someone wears what you're wearing tonight. But that doesn't mean he actually likes you."
"I know that!" Jude snapped, than adding in a much nicer manner, "I don't want him to like me." It was a lie. But she wouldn't admit that to Portia. "I just want to know if he'll ever see me as anything other than a dorky teenager. And I have a theory that this outfit might be able to help me with that."
"Well. Good luck! You'll need it. He and Danielle have arrived and she's certainly...not wearing a lot."
Jude snuck a glance towards them. "Wow. I think I have a bathing suit that covers more!"
"That's one small dress!" Portia commented.
###
"You look absolutely dashing in a suit," Danielle remarked as she walked into the lavishly decorated ball room, her arm linked with Tommy's.
"Yup, I do," Tommy agreed shamelessly. Ever since picking her up from her hotel, she'd not stopped for a second flirting with him and while, a few years ago, he would have welcomed it, tonight he was utterly annoyed by it. Danielle interested him not in the least. He wanted to find Jude. Earlier today, after their intense moment in the studio, he felt desperate to talk with her. He shouldn't have kissed her cheek. But when she had stood there, big eyes fixed on him, he'd felt incapable of pulling away. She was the only one who could do that to him. She was like a magnet, drawing him towards her with unprecedented force. Not that he put up much of a fight, to be honest. Two weeks and she was eighteen. And with every passing days the many arguments he'd come up with not to date her vanished one by one.
Danielle had manoeuvered herself in front of him. "Let me adjust your tie."
He placed a hand on top of his tie and gently nudged Danielle aside. "I'd rather you do not. I like it dishevelled."
"How very rakish of you."
"Rake, yup, that's me. Another woman, every night of the week. I'm a real Casanova!" Maybe that would turn her off.
"I like Casanovas."
Or not, he was forced to see. "Look, I need to talk to someone and I'm sure Darius would like to speak with you and introduce you to some of his friends."
"I can come with you and meet D's friends later."
He willed himself not to roll his eyes. "Whatever."
"Whom are you looking for?"
"One of my artists. Skinny, blond hair, messy probably..."
Danielle glanced around. "The only blonde I see is the one in the backless dress."
Tommy followed her gaze. "That's not-" The words died on his lips. It actually was Jude. And as his eyes roamed her body from top to buttom and then all over again, he was shocked to see just how long her legs were. Or how perfectly the curves of her hips ran. Not to mention that back. Creamy white skin, flawless and undiscovered, suddenly bared to everyone. His mouth hung slightly open, dry and at a loss for any word.
"Is that her?"
Danielle's words snapped him out of his daze. "Yes...she just looks so..."
"Uncomfortable? Obviously," Danielle quipped. "Look how she's tugging at her dress!"
They walked up to her. Tommy saw Portia, then Kwest and Sadie standing next to her. "Jude."
She turned around and greeted him with one of her beaming smiles. "Quincy. Told'ya I'd come."
"She looks great, doesn't she," Portia volunteered, earning a sharp glare from Jude and odd looks from Kwest and Sadie.
"Stunning, actually," he agreed wholeheartedly. "So these five minutes-"
"Not yet," Jude cut him off.
"I'd still like to talk to you. Please, just a second." He stepped away from his date. "Danielle, that's my ex-wife. I'm sure she has some stories to tell about me. And that's Sadie, my ex-girlfriend. Go ask her about the many times we broke up!"
"Tommy," Jude nudged his arm. "What the hell!"
He tugged on her hand and led her away from their little group. "Anything to make her leave my side," Tommy professed. "She's horrible! And so clingly!"
"She likes you," Jude grinned.
"I don't like her," he snarled. Then he stopped and faced her fully. And he couldn't help but let his eyes take her in all over again. The straightened hair reminded him of their early days, when she was still a redhead and definitively harder to work with. Not that he didn't enjoy those days. Her dress, the front of it, didn't offer glimpses of skin. But the thin material clung to her front like a veil of fine silk. It hid not a single curve. She wasn't wearing a bra. It was painfully obvious because he could see the perfectly pointed nipples standing at rapt attention. He ripped his attention away from her body, even though he was all of sudden overcome by a deliciously sensual daydream of them, intimately joined, while his lips and tongue explored the taste and texture of said erect nipples.
Tommy abruptly shook his head, making Jude giggle, which again made her breasts jiggle ever so slightly. He couldn't believe what was happening to him. It was ridiculous. He wasn't a teenager anymore!
"Are you okay, Quincy?" Jude stepped closer, to hear him over the loud music. "You look pale."
"Annoyance over Danielle," he lied. "I'm fine. Just...I wanted to clear the air between us. Earlier, in the studio..."
Jude narrowed her eyes. "You're apologizing again."
"What?"
She rolled her eyes. "Nothing. Just...look, I don't break apart if you flirt with me, okay? You don't need to apologize everytime you do it!"
"I don't think I was," he said, genuinely confused however. "I merely wanted to make sure you and I were fine."
"We are," she reassured.
He didn't believe her, though. There was a slight edge in her tone and over the years he'd become quite good in reading those edges. But before he could press the matter, they were interrupted by Danielle, who pushed herself up against his arm. "You mind," he objected, wiggling to free himself, "I'm in the middle of a conversation."
"One that I'm sure can wait," Darius said, interrupting the entire moment. "Tom, I believe you and Danielle were on your way towards me? Were you not?" There was a distinctive warning in his words.
Tommy resigned. "Sure, D."
"Jude," Darius addressed her, "you look...not all that seventeen tonight."
"I consider that a compliment." She smiled at Darius, then at Danielle and Tommy. "Enjoy your night."
Not likely, Tommy fretted inwardly. Danielle and Darius made their way towards one of the tables while Tommy couldn't help letting his gaze linger on Jude's retreating backside. Images of his tongue trailing a languid path up her spine flashed his mind. He rubbed his face firmly, trying to get a hold of himself.
###
"I think I need more courage," Jude said as she drowned a shot of Tequila.
Sadie leaned against the bar, and smiled understandingly. "Courage. You're out to seduce Tommy, are you not? I mean he's my ex and I think a little warning would have been nice, but hey...he stays in the family, right?"
"Are you mad at me for- wait, I'm not trying to seduce Tommy! Why does everyone think that?!"
"Have you looked into a mirror tonight? You look like sex on a silver platter!"
Jude self-consciously tugged her dress down. "I do not. Some women here wear stuff way more slutty than I am. You, for example! And besides, just because I wear a short dress, it doesn't mean I," she leaned closer to Sadie, "that I want to screw Quincy. I don't! I just want him to flirt with me. I want him to see me as a woman for once. I want to know if I can make him see me as a woman. It has nothing to do with sex!"
"Sure," Sadie answered amusedly. "At any rate, you shouldn't drink Tequila. "Drunk people don't have good sex! And really drunk people don't even remember it."
Jude tossed a crumbled napkin at her. "Sadie!"
Her laughing sister went away, but her spot was soon filled with Tommy. "Drinking? Miss me so much?"
"Quincy," Jude said as she sat the glass down on the bar, "you have to decide."
"Decide what?"
"What you want."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he admitted, smirking at Jude, who grimaced at the aftermath of her Tequila shot.
"Bah, it tastes awful!"
"That's why you always have at least a handful. After the fifth, you won't taste a thing anymore. But," he quickly put forth when Jude waved over the waiter, "we won't learn that lesson tonight. Come on, dance with me." He tugged on her hand, gently dragging her towards the dance floor.
"Where's Danielle?"
"Making business deals with Darius. The moment they started talking about money, I became superfluous." He gave her arm another gentle tug, making her spin around. Her back aligned snugly against his front. "Let's show them how this is done, Harrison!"
"This?" She laughed, momentarily forgetting about Danielle, her plan, the five minutes and everything else. Tommy always did that to her. "I don't know how to dance, remember? I didn't earn millions shaking my ass."
He spun her around again, settling his hands low on her waist. "Lucky for you, I did." A devastatingly sexy smile lit up his face. Jude licked her lips unconsciously. Almost in a daze, her arms snaked around his neck while he pulled her body flush against his. The music's pace slowed and so did their dancing. "Stop doing this," he whispered hoarsely against her ear, suddenly all too close to her. A shiver raced up Jude's spine, followed directly by his fingertips, which settled on her bare flesh. Instinctively she arched against him.
"Doing what?" she breathed back, her eyes fluttering close.
"Everything," he croaked, leaving her without any real answer. Not that she would have grasped his words or their meaning anyway if he had uttered them. His lips were dangerously close to her ear, barely an inch away from the very sensitive skin behind her earlobe. She had no idea how she knew that the skin there was sensitive at all, but she did. And if his lips touched her there, her legs would give away. Her knees would buckle, and she'd drop forward, right into his strong, warm and so very welcoming arms. "Tommy..." she sighed.
And then it happened. Just as she had forseen. His hot, startingly soft lips kissed her right beneath her earlobe, without any forewarning. Her head rolled to the other side, giving him more room, if he wanted to use it. Her legs wobbled. But she didn't collapse. He held her tight. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly parted and her fingertips dug into his shoulders for support and something else – something she had no words to describe or explain, not even to herself. He did it again, longer this time. The exact spot. Only now, something else stirred as well. Something she felt rising against her lower belly. It should make her pause. It should startle her. It should make her do anything, but Jude couldn't stop him or his tiny, succulent kisses. Instead a moan of apreciation slipped from her throat, followed by a low growl that slipped from his. Low on her back, she felt his fingertips inching forward, exploring more and more of her bare skin, and with each increment they traveled, she felt her body's temperature rise by another degree.
"Tom." Danielle's disapproving tone interrupted the moment, bringing it to a sudden end. An end neither she nor Tommy were prepared for. As they slowly detangled, their eyes lingered on one another for a long moment. What was to say; what way were they to react, where were they to go from here? So many questions. Jude had never hidden her inexperience when it came to intimacy. Tommy had never hidden his experience, either. But none of them were able to speak even a word.
"Maybe," Danielle suggested, "you, Tom, will dance with me? Jude probably needs a moment to freshen up. Your make-up is doing a terrible job hiding those red cheeks of yours."
"Actually," Jude said, completely ignoring Danielle, "I need Tommy for five minutes."
"Now?" He asked softy, still not knowing what these ominous five minutes meant.
Nodding, Jude pulled Tommy with her. "This way," she said as she led the way. Danielle followed them. When they passed Darius, he stopped them all.
"Where to?" he asked.
Jude didn't answer, knowing nothing she could say would make Darius back off. She only looked at Tommy, who now took the lead. "Fresh air. Jude isn't feeling well. Danielle," he turned towards her, "wait here." It wasn't a question but a demand. He didn't care if she went elsewhere as long as she wouldn't follow him and Jude.
"Sadie might be better suited to go with Jude," Darius suggested, but Tommy shook his head.
"Five minutes. Entertain Danielle until I'm back." With no further word spoken, he took Jude's hand and led them towards the exit. "Are we even going for some fresh air?"
Jude nodded, but motioned for a backdoor and not the front door. "I've been here before. They have a small patio that's never used this time of the year."
"And you're taking me there because...?"
Jude pushed the backdoor open and Tommy followed her out. When she didn't answer, he tried again. "This five minutes...seriously, not that I'm not thankful you saved me from Danielle but-"
"Kiss me." Jude watched his face, but couldn't discover a single movement. No sign of any reaction. No shock. No surprise. A moment ago, spurred on by their moment on the dance floor, she had felt so sure that he'd kiss her. But now? She grew nervous. "I thought...earlier today...and just now...I thought that, like, if you saw me wearing a sexy dress you'd forget my age and my inexperience and maybe, just for five minutes, and after that we'll forget it ever happened and-"
His lips crashed against hers. Jude stumbled backwards, meeting the door with her back, while he pressed himself against her like never before. This might as well have been her first kiss, because there was absolutely no precedent to what she was experiencing right now. His tongue was deep inside her mouth, stroking against hers in a way that made her whole skin light up. One of his hands held her head in place, not that she had any intention of pulling it away, while the other one firmly stroked up her leg, even bringing it up and curling it around his middle. But his hand went even higher, pushing up the already short dress. She no longer remembered time or space or that this wasn't a private room but a public patio – no matter how small the number of people who even knew about it. When his hand reached the curve of her buttcheek, squeezing it deftly, she moaned loudly. Her own arms wrapped around his shoulders, finding support there when suddenly he lifted her up and fully flattened her against the door. The kiss still raged on, never letting up. They might as well have been kissing for an hour. She wouldn't know. Neither did she care, as long as he wouldn't stop. But he did. And just when she was forming protest, his lips settled back on her. Not her mouth, however. His lips ventured lower. Her throat. He kissed it gently. Then her neck, where his tongue dared to lick. Her earlobe followed. He bit down. Jude nearly came right then and there. Between her legs a wetness had built that she had not thought a mere kiss could produce. But was this really only a kiss? A laugh escaped her throat, mixed with a sigh of deep pleasure. This was sex, without the actual sex. Between her legs, nestled against her searing core, she felt his rock-hard erection introducing itself to her deepest needs. She twisted her hips, changing her position ever so slightly to give him better access. Even though his pants and her panties were in the way, there was no mistaking what Tommy wanted and if he made any effort to go there, she would not stop him. She shifted again. He growled deeply. The vibrations of it sent a tidalwave of shivers all across her body. And when his mouth traveled even lower, she called out his name into the darkness of their surroundings. "Tommy...mmmmhhh..."
His teeth took hold of the neckline of her dress, as he inwardly chuckled at that. But he couldn't possibly let go of her rear, not even with one hand. Her ass was the most perfect thing he'd ever had in his hold and he'd be damned if he let go any sooner than he absolutely had to. And so he needed his mouth to help out. He managed to lay bare a bit of skin right across her collar bone. It was so incredibly flawless, he found. Like white chocolate. Impossible to resist. The tip of his tongue darted out, outlining the delicate contures of her bone, then he looked up, for the first time since starting this kiss meeting her eyes. The usually azure blue orbs no longer shone brightly. They were now a mirror image of a dark stormy night at sea, with waves of arousal crashing against one another, while the heavy winds roughened up. He had, in his entire life, never seen anything more erotic than Jude's eyes in that second. They were pure sex, and he was sure she'd not deny him if he took this any further. But he couldn't. He was overcome with ideas of candlelight-filled bedrooms and beds covered with rose petals. He wanted to take his time with her, kissing, tasting, adoring every single dip and curve and hollow spot that made her body. He wanted to bury himself so deeply inside her that he could no longer tell where he ended and where she began. It were ideas, thoughts, dreams he'd never had before in his life. And it scared him to the core of his body that one kiss, one moment with Jude could make him feel so entirely desperate for another being. But that scare, overwhelming as it was, also couldn't stop him from kissing her swollen lips once again, much slower this time, but with no less intensity.
Only this time, they got interrupted...
Behind Jude, someone was furiously knocking on the closed door. Breathing heavily, with her dress in disarray and her lipstick smeared, she was carefully sat down by Tommy, still holding on to him for support. He legs needed another moment or two to work properly again. And so did their minds, it appeared.
Tommy was the first to take a step back. "That was..."
Still dazed by what had just happened, Jude barely nodded. "It...wow..."
"What you said before...the five minutes...the dress..." He couldn't speak fluently. Just stutter. "That's not..."
"Tom, open the damn door!" It was Darius who was knocking from the inside.
She stepped aside and turned the handle. "Tomorrow," she mouthed. Tommy nodded once. Then she quickly adjusted her dress and he took off his jacket to hold in front of him to hide his state of distress. It caused a furious blush on Jude's face, which, considering what had just occurred, was ridiculous. When Tommy noticed, he couldn't help but smirk.
"You've been gone for twenty minutes," Darius fumed when he stepped outside. "Danielle is looking for you. And Sadie is looking for you, Jude! This is my party. I expect attendence. Now, back inside."
Jude nodded demurely, feeling not up for a discussion with Darius.
Tommy followed her, but Darius blocked his way. "I saw you and Jude dancing earlier and don't think me stupid. I know what just happened here. Keep your attention on Danielle and stay away from Jude. She's my artist!"
"But she's my girl," Tommy snapped back. "Stay out of my private life!"
###
Inside the ladie's room, Jude was suddenly cornered by Portia and Sadie, who both grinned knowingly.
"Smeared lipstick," Sadie mused.
"And that," Portia pointed at Jude's neck, "will be one hell of hickey tomorrow. Maybe I should borrow that dress some day!"
"Get in line," Sadie joked. "But seriously, Jude: What happened?"
Jude, not caring that she was speaking with two of Tommy's exes, leaned back against the sink and sighed. Her head rolled back, her eyes closed and a dreamy smile crept up her face. "He kissed me..."
Sadie and Portia shared an eye-roll. "Obviously," they said in unison.
"No, you don't understand." Jude touched her lips, still in awe over what had occurred between her and Tommy. "It wasn't just any kiss. It was a real kiss. One that...kocks you out."
Portia smiled. "He is good at those."
But Jude shook her head. "I don't think he ever kissed you like that."
"We were married," Portia reminded her.
"I doesn't matter. This was...incredible."
###
Tommy sat at the bar, drink in his hand, while his eyes were fixated on Jude's, who was looking back at him from across the room. Kwest sat next to him, laughing.
"Proven right, once again."
Not letting Jude out of his sight, Tommy barely reacted. "Meaning?"
"I always knew Jude is the sister you really wanted. So you kissed, huh? Sadie told me."
"And let me guess, you disapprove."
"What does it matter."
"You're right, it doesn't." Jude smiled. Immediately he smiled back.
Kwest sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said. I was pissed off that day." Tommy knew he was referring to that day last summer, when Kwest had claimed that he'd be the worst thing that could ever happen to Jude. "We're friends for far too long to let this ruin it."
Tommy turned towards Kwest. "I'm sorry, too. For punching you."
"Let's call it even. So if you need a friend, I'm here. Even if it's about discussing kissing Jude."
"How about discussing not kissing Jude," Danielle said as she stepped demonstratively between Tommy's legs, "I don't like my dates kissing random women."
"Seriously," Tommy replied, all but politely, "I'm not interested in you." He turned to Kwest. "It's past midnight. Tell Darius I attended his party as long as I could endure it but I just had to go home."
###
Tommy opened the door of the limousine Darius had firmly suggested he and Danielle should arrive in and closed it, immediately relaxing against the cushioned seat with eyes closed. "Jim," he called towards the driver, "let's go."
"Yes, Sir," was called back.
"Tough night?"
Tommy's eyes flew open, finding her at the other side of the car. "Jude? I looked everywhere for you. I thought you had left. You were gone all of sudden."
"Party got boring," she shrugged.
Her feet were bare; she'd kicked off those painfully high sandals and legs legs were pulled up underneath her. Her lipstick was gone, and her earlier, perfectly straight her had begun disarraying itself. Except for the dress, she looked much more like herself and he smiled at that. Another image flashed his mind. Jude, curled up against him on the couch, after a long day at work. "We need to talk," he said softly, trying not to send the wrong signals. "Earlier...those five minutes...you said we could forget it ever happened. I don't want that."
She looked up at him from deep below her eye-lashes. Almost shyly, she asked, "you don't?"
He grimaced, slightly ashamed. "I don't think that whole 'forget it ever happened'-thing ever worked out, to be honest."
"No," she admitted sheepishly. "I never let you forget, did I?"
"I couldn't, not even if I had wanted to. Kissing you, it...I can't stop thinking about it. Can't stop thinking about you. And it has nothing to do with the dress you wear or your age. I don't care about any of that. Not anymore."
"No?"
"No. When I see you smile, I smile. When you're close, I need to touch you. Like fire that draws all those moths to itself, I can't keep my distance from you." With every word he spoke he inched closer towards her. And Jude inched towards him. "When you look at me, my head fills with images of you and me, doing things I didn't even knew I wanted. When you're in my arms, I lose all control. When you kiss me, I drown in you. And it's the most amazing feeling ever."
As he uttered his last syllable, Jude leaned in and tentatively brushed her lips against his. A jolt of electricty bolted through her entire body. He replied to her kiss, but unlike their earlier encounter, this one was slow and languid. He let her dictate the pace. The tip of her tongue darted out, timidly exploring the texture of his. He growled into their kiss when her fingertips threaded into his hair. Pulled towards her, he placed his right hand on her hip, ever so slowly stroking upwards, mapping her body along the way. Feeling bolder, Jude shifted, tried getting closer. He welcomed her in his arms, adjusted when she swung her leg across his lap, then moaned when she sat down, meeting his engorged cock with her fabric-covered mound for the second time that night. She intensified their liplock, kissing him as deep as she could. Tommy was too enraptured by her touches, those wonderfully soft caresses she feathered him with, to take control. He liked being in control of his sexual encounters, dictating speed and the level of intimacy involved. Letting go, letting Jude take control and just giving in was a new experience that he enjoyed more and more with each passing second.
Then the car stopped. Jim, the driver, unaware of what was taking place in the back of his car, had pulled up in front of Tommy's apartment complex. "Sir, we have arrived."
Dazed, but with silly smiles on their faces, they separated from each other. Tommy didn't let her go completely. "We don't have to stop just yet. A few more minutes. Let me take you home."
Jude dismounted him and slipped on her sandals. "Who said I was going home tonight?" She opened the door and emerged the car, momentarily confused by their location. "Are you sure we're at the right place?" She took in the dark, shabby old building, wedged in between some other run down buildings, they had stopped in front of.
Tommy walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her body. To know he could do that brought a smile to his lips, especially when Jude nestled into his hold. "It looks better from the inside." He turned towards the driver. "Thanks, Jim. That's it for the night."
The driver nodded and drove off.
Taking a hold of Jude's hand, he led her towards the entry. "I don't like those fancy apartments that come with a concierge. The press always looks there first." When he pushed the old, rusty door open, Jude was amazed to find fancy lights dangling from the ceiling. A large, modern elevator opened and when the door closed, his lips settled on her neck, then on her cheek. "I must warn you," he whispered, "if you plan on staying the night, I have not a single Pop-Tart."
"Don't worry," she smiled back at him. "I'm very easy to please. With breakfast," she added quickly, actually blushing.
He kissed her startled lips and when the elevator doors opened, he walked them into his apartment without letting go of her mouth. Inside his apartment, she turned her face to take in his home, while he kept kissing the tickling spot behind her earlobe. Just as she had earlier, she all but dropped forward into his arms, sighing blissfully. "We can just watch TV," he hushed, his fingertips nonetheless dancing entincingly across her bared back. Her big eyes met his. Instead of answering, she just shook her head once. It was all the response he needed. She kicked off her sandals and jumped up, surprising him, but he caught her anyway. Her lips meshed with his. He carried her towards the bedroom, then gently laid her down. By now he was so hard that it physically hurt. Their kiss grew more urgent with every passing second. Jude met his eyes when he paused for a some much needed air, and reached up to push his jacket off his shoulders. He could see the insecurity, but he could also see the passion and the desire raging in her cloudy eyes.
"I've never..." she whispered shyly, not needing to finish for him to understand.
"Tell me to stop and I will," he promised.
But she shook her head. "I just...don't want you to expect too much."
Her admission startled him. Immediately he caught her lips with his, deeply kissing her for a long moment. "This isn't about expectations," he rasped against her ear. She shuddered. "This is us, making love. And if you let me, I will make it unforgettable for you. In a good way," he added with a sly grin.
Jude was so lost up in his ministrations she forget her own nervosity and began to act on instict. Her hands ran up and down his chest, then fumbled with the buttons of his. His lips were still busy leaving little marks all across her neck. When the tip her index finger ran across the defined lines of his abdomen, he moaned her name. It emboldened her to go further. With surprisingly steady hands she undid his belt, then the button of his slacks. Then his fly. Her knuckles felt his erection pulsing behind the material of his briefs. He growled again. She licked her lips as she flattened her palm against his manhood, for the first time becoming an idea of the size of him. He was much bigger than she had imagined, not that she ever would admit to him the private fantasies she had entertained herself with. His hands traveled up her spin, then he rolled them over, bringing her on top of him. "May I," he hoarsely pleaded, slowly plucking the silk dress from her shoulders, until it pooled between them. His eyes feasted on her nude body, and she revelled in the way he looked at her, full of hunger and yearning. When he dipped his head forward, taking one peaked nipple into his mouth, she grasped for air. She ached for him, in the depth of her body. Holding on to his shoulders for support, Jude pined for more. His hands ran up and down her tights, higher each time, then his thumbs grazed the edges of her panties. She pushed herself wantonly against his erection, madly longing for a more thorough, more ardent touch. But Tommy was taking his time, increment by increment, working towards her craving core. "More," she pleaded with no self-restraint, "don't stop."
His thump traced tiny circles on top of her panties, damp though they were. Then, finally, to Jude's desperate urgings, he slipped it beneath, through the soft curls, between the satin folds, while at the same time gently dragging his teeth across one pebbled nipple. She cried out his name, coming for the first time that night. The sound was a low, grumbling howl and he pushed himself ardently against her mound, craving for the same release. Shaken by her ecstasy, Jude grabbed his head and thorougly ravished his mouth with a searing kiss, not even noticing how he slipped her panties and dress off as he rolled them over once again.
He needed her now more than he needed air to breathe. With both hands he pushed off his pants, then stripped off his briefs, finding unknown delight in the way Jude observed or rather ate him up with her eyes. His cock sprung up, and when Jude licked her lips full of hunger, he couldn't deny himself a stroke or two, but the excruciating pleasure was almost too much to bear. She spread her legs for him, wide and inviting, and he hesitated not to follow her call. His mouth kissed its way up between her legs, almost shocking her when he wickedly licked along her wet opening, once, twice, then again. She writhed beneath him, digging her fingertips painfully deep into his shoulders. Then he couldn't wait any longer, reaching clumsily into his nightstand drawer for a condom.
"Let me," Jude said as she took the foil package from him, expertly opening it, then sheathing him. When her hand engulfed him, rolling the rubber down to his base, his eyes shut down, the sensation almost overpowering.
"It will hurt," he apologized in advance.
"I don't care." She leaned up to kiss him, then fell backwards, taking him with her. One hand on her leg, the other on himself, he guided his erection into her tight passage, then pushed through the barrier. The pain was visible in her stormy eyes, but he tried his best to kiss it away. Then he went still, giving her time to adjust. A minute, maybe an hour, maybe a day passed, he didn't know. The feeling of being deeply buried inside his Jude was more than enough to satisfy him for now. Then slowly, he pulled out, then pushed back in again. Never had sex been better, he found.
His movements quickened, soon finding a rhythm that matched them perfectly. With his eyes fixed on hers, unable to look away, they spiraled higher and higher. Their release came closer and closer. Jude now clung to him, spurning him on, encouraging him to go faster and deeper. He obliged gladly. Her voice became raspy, the tone higher, while his pleasure allowed for barely more than a few groans of delight. Tommy pulled her off the mattress, then Jude became bold enough to push him on his back, stradling him, riding him with an energy she didn't know she possessed. Her orgasm hit her out of nowhere, and she cried his name into the dark bedroom, kissing him so hard that she almost forgot to breathe. He came right then, with a loud cry of ultimate delight.
"I can't stop kissing you," she said against his lips, doing just that, again and again. "This was so much better than I ever dreamed of." Another kiss.
He flipped them over again, wrapping them up into a sheet. Her words were just as true for him. Having experienced this with the girl he'd been wanting ever since having laid eyes on her was a feeling he had no words for to describe. Instead he just kept kissing her until he couldn't move his mouth anymore.
###
Jude was grinning as she licked the tiny spot right behind Tommy's earlobe, taking pure, unadultered pride in the fact the she felt his cock spring to action immediately. "See," she whispered, her breath fanning his ear, "I told you it's a very sensitive spot."
His hand made that familiar way towards the nightstand, only to rummage and not finding anything. He flung her to her back, rolled on top of her, and Jude laughed at his eagerness, but frowned when he got up to fully inspect the drawer's insides. "What's wrong?"
"No more condoms."
"What?"
"Last night," he silently counted, "we used three, then one after breakfast, and the one after we came back from the studio, which means...damn! All gone."
"All of them?" She sat up as well, also looking into the now empty drawer. "For a man with your reputations, five condoms isn't a lot of have...," she pointed out, slightly disappointed their planned activity would have to be rescheduled.
"Well," he defended himself, "I'm not sure if you noticed, but I've been living very celibate lately. Until you got it into your head last night to seduce me! A little warning would have been nice. I could have prepared then."
"I didn't plan on seducing you," she smirked, wrapping her naked body around his and kissing him deeply. "I planned on flirting with you, trying to make you see me as a woman and not some young little teenager. You were the one getting all excited."
"Me?" He pulled her further into his arms. "Funny, I remember you getting out of the car and announcing you wanted to stay the night."
"You're the one who practically professed his love for me in the car." Only now she stopped kissing him when his hands froze in place. She gulped and looked down. "Not that you did profess anything. This is just sex...I mean, not like we discussed this or anything...um..."
"Girl, stop!" Tommy placed one finger underneath her chin, tilting it upwards. "I didn't profess my love for you last night-"
"I know," she hurriedly agreed.
"No, listen. When I profess my love for you, I will make sure you understand it. I will be irrevobably clear then. And I will use words that won't let you doubt for one second that I meant what I said. You get it?"
"Yes," she nodded, still not quite meeting his eyes. "No love-profession last night."
"Exactly." Tommy cupped her face, finally meeting her gaze. "I love you."
"What?"
"I, Tom Quincy, am utterly, completely, undeniably in love with you, Jude Harrison, and if you don't believe me then I will keep saying it until you do. This has nothing to do with what we did last night, or this morning or an hour ago." At that, a grin crept up his face. "I don't love you because you look sexy in a short dress, but because you're the most beautiful woman when you're wearing ripped jeans, when your hair is messed up and when you're not wearing any make-up at all. Though...well, recently I've come to like you even more when you're naked."
She pinched his shoulder playfully, then kissed him passiately. "You really love me?"
"Yes. I love how you make me feel better no matter what. I love that you can make me laugh like nobody else can. I love your intense passion for music. Your big heart. Your crazy addiction to all things sugar. I even love that you'd rather take my Viper out on a date than me. And I love that, even though I've hurt you so many times, you still like me."
"I do more than like you," she professed. "I love you, too." Another deep kiss. "But I would love you a little more if you had stocked up on condoms..."
"You know," Tommy smiled broadly, and reached for his phone, "I might have a solution for our problem!"
"Really? Does it involve getting dressed?"
"Nope." He dialed Kwest's number. He picked up immediately. "Yo, man. Remember last night, when you said you'd be there for me if ever needed a friend?" Jude giggled against Tommy's neck. "I really need a favor..."
###THE END###
