Chapter 10

His mouth had gone dry and gaped open, unbeknownst to him as his mind whirled. He only breathed when he confirmed to himself he really had had no ulterior motives when he had offered her the use of his bathroom, that this had not been what he had wanted to happen, but that thought was lost as he stared at her. Her eyes were wide and she shifted slightly, holding the towel tighter to her body. Tommy had come back unexpectedly this morning to grab the documents he had forgotten and Jude had been slipping out of his bath when he walked into his bedroom. He had always had a visceral reaction to her body and compounded with the fact they had not touched intimately in too long, made his palms sweat like a teenage boy facing his first date with a girl. She could literally feel the tension between them as she stared at him. She swallowed hard as they stood there in his bedroom, neither making a move to walk away.

He was reminding himself, but only computing it dimly, that he had promised her he wouldn't pressure her into anything, that he wanted her to feel comfortable in his apartment. His knuckles turned white as he fought to keep his clenched hands down by his sides. She was wet and sleek, her damp hair curling, hanging past her delicate shoulders. Her long shapely legs were bare to almost the tops of her thighs and he found himself wishing that the towel would slip just a little. If she had any inkling of how tempting she looked to him in that moment, she would have run back into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

Jude saw the familiar look in his eyes and her body reacted immediately. She could feel her already more sensitive nipples tightening and an ache spreading through her lower body. How could he do that to her with only a single glance? Before him she had never missed sex, but now after knowing him, knowing what he could do to her, she found it hard to stay in her room at night and not simply give in to her urges to slip in beside him in his oversized bed, to lick and bite and….

Jude shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts invading her mind, droplets of water falling from her hair, sliding down her bare shoulder and he gulped visibly at the enticing sight. He had always had a thing for that water slicked look.

"I…My back…" She broke the silence first and it sounded husky in the still room. He nodded his understanding at her half coherent explanation, although he had not asked the question.

"I left some papers." He backed up hurriedly, almost tripping himself as he walked over to his desk and picked up the documents he had come back for. He raised them up to show her.

"Yeah…I should…" She aimed her head at the doorway and he nodded.

"Me too." Jude had to walk by him to get out of the room and the scent of her shower gel wafted across the space, hitting him with a force that drove him temporarily mad. He found his hand reaching out involuntarily to snag her arm before she could get away. Her body was pulled into his and his mouth was on her surprise parted ones between one breath and the next. Her response was instant as her tongue met his, stroking and sliding. Sensation raced through Jude's body blocking her mind from the niggling unease that should have been in the forefront of her thoughts. When Tommy finally pulled back for much needed air, the moment was lost. Their eyes met, and their breathing was ragged as they stared at each other, need plain on both their faces. Tommy let her go reluctantly and she backed up couple of steps towards the doorway.

"I didn't mean to…." He said it unconvincingly as he struggled to regain his usual coolness. She shook her head.

"It's okay." She said softly. "Um I'll see you later." He nodded and watched her walk out, the terry cloth gripped tight against her chest.

The calm that came with making music deserted him today of all days when he needed the distraction most. The narrow-minded focus that made him an exceptional producer was decidedly absent; because of her and that mind melting kiss. She had kissed him back, he knew that much. But she also had made no hint that she had wanted more. Tommy growled low in his throat as he stared unseeing through the glass to the other room, barely acknowledged that Kwest had come into the room and noticed his distress. Kwest plopped himself down on his chair and swiveled to face his friend.

"What's up?" Tommy looked over at him and pushed away the image of Jude in his bedroom, standing there dripping water with only that blue towel covering her lithe body. Tommy squeezed his eyes shut and thumped his forehead with his palm. Kwest stared at him with a cocked eyebrow, when he opened his eyes again.

"You wanna get a drink after work?" Kwest hid his surprise; Tommy had been staying close to home lately, even before Jude had moved in. That was a whole other can of worms Kwest wasn't sure how he felt about. Them living together seemed a little fast to him and he knew Tommy hardly ever went into any type of long term relationship, preferring few demands on his time except when he chose to have company of the female persuasion.

"Yeah sure. What about Jude?"

"What about her?" Tommy feigned indifference. "We're trying to be friends." Kwest rolled his eyes and his hands went to the controls, ready to get to work even if his friend was obviously not good for anything today. He kept his thoughts to himself, knowing Tommy too well to buy the whole 'friends' bit. Tommy still wanted Jude; that had been obvious immediately the other day, but bringing it up would only put his usually defensive friend's back up even more and prove no purpose.

"Whatever." He muttered as he played back the track Tommy had supposedly been 'working on' all day. It was not astonishing that the powerful voice that rang through the speakers belonged to none other than, one Jude Harrison.

Tommy and Kwest stood by the bar picking up the drinks they had just been served, Tommy with whiskey and Kwest with beer. Kwest eyed his friend warily, knowing he only drank hard liquor when he was disturbed about something. He kept his opinions to himself as he watched the mask slip over his friend's face, the mask of Little Tommy Q. that he had not brought out as much in recent history but apparently had not been completely lost. His striking eyes roved the crowded room, seeking his intended victim. Of course victim was too strong a word because women usually willingly fell into his arms and tonight seemed to be no exception as Tommy suddenly caught the eye of a blond across the room that had a surface resemblance to the one who shall not be named.

Jude sat curled against the couch with her legs tucked underneath her, watching TV and frowning at the clock against the wall. It had been five days since the incident in his room and she had only seen a few glimpses of him since. He had come in late enough that she had been in bed every night and left before she got up. The guilt she had been feeling, sensing that he was staying out of his own apartment because of her, had started to turn to irritation. Especially now since she had seen the tabloid with him at a dinner benefit with some semi-famous actress, Cassandra something or other. She wouldn't admit that that was something that bothered her, but the rest she felt she had a right to be mad about. He was older than her and yet he was playing the avoidance game. Like that would solve anything?! She had started to doze off when the sound of the door lifted her head. He came in looking strangely weary and she found herself examining him for the instant before he realized she was there staring back at him.

"It's late. What are you still doing up?" He asked it, like it was out of politeness and not any real interest, which had her bristling more. He dropped his keys into the side table and shrugged out of his leather jacket, the scent of perfume wafted from him as he stepped closer to her. He dropped into the chair across from her and stared expectantly.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way. But I'm really curious. Do you see a woman more than once? I mean or is it a different woman every night?" He could only stare into her brilliantly shining eyes.