He chuckled, and it brought a smile to my face. I brushed my lips across his cheek and then righted myself as I added, “Besides, Generation Ink is closed on Sundays. There’s no way in hell I’d let anyone but Trevor touch you. So, enough of that.” I reached around him and smacked his backside. “Get your ass up. I’ll go make us some coffee.”
Chapter Four
Judah wiped the sweat from his brow as he climbed off his Peloton stationary bike. Still short of breath, he made his way toward the large television screen, mounted on the wall above his free weights, and powered off the electronic. High from the endorphins that came by way of an hour in his at-home gym, he ascended from his basement and into the still early hour of his Monday morning.
His weekend had fled from him, but he welcomed the start of a new week. After the hours of work he dedicated to the Dixon project on Sunday afternoon, he was ready to meet with his team, connect with his client, and set things in motion. When thoughts of Logan flitted across his mind, it was all business as he recalled the email correspondence they exchanged while away from the office. More than anything, they were in agreement on the challenge Mr. Dixon was proving himself to be.
He’s both picky and cheap—a combination of things I could live with if his personality wasn’t so horrendous.
Knowing such festering thoughts would eradicate his clear, post-workout mindset, he discarded his opinions of his client and headed for the shower. As he bathed, he mentally sorted through his to-do list for the morning and remembered a call he forgot to make the day before. When he finished washing, he dried himself, wrapped a towel about his waist, and headed for his phone.
The device was still plugged in, resting on his nightstand. As he reached for it, his gaze shifted to his unmade bed. Temporarily distracted by the memory of the women who shared his bed Friday and Saturday night, he paused. Diane had been precisely what he planned for as his work week drew to a close. Cierra was a welcomed surprise. While he’d changed his sheets between overnight guests, he slept an extra night in the scent of Cierra. Out of respect for the next woman who would enter his room, he took the time to strip the sheets before he grabbed his phone and crossed the hall to his office.
It was barely half past six a.m., but Judah didn’t hesitate to push a call through to Benjamin. He and his brother operated on very similar schedules. Judah guessed if the lawyer wasn’t yet awake, he was doing him a favor.
“Hey,” he answered softly on the fourth ring. “Hold on a minute, will you?”
“Yeah,” Judah muttered, his brow furrowed in suspicion.
Benjamin never answered the phone in a whisper. If he was in with a client or in the middle of court, he simply didn’t pick up. Seeing as it was too early in the morning for either of those possibilities, Judah waited for his brother’s return—his impatience fueled by curiosity.
“Sorry about that,” said Benjamin, his voice loud and clear. “What’s up?”
“Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No. No, I’m not alone. She’s still sleeping and—”
“Benjamin,” Judah interrupted with a grin. “Do you mean to tell me you have a woman in your bed?”
“Don’t be an ass,” his brother responded on a laugh. “Yes. There’s a woman in my bed. And before you get crass—no, I did not have sex with her.”
Judah’s grin transformed into a smirk. He wasn’t at all surprised by Benjamin’s admission. His brother was the kind of guy who took things slow. He saved sex for when he felt as though it was right. In short, Judah considered him to be a fool who fell in love. In spite of the multiple relationships which had fallen apart since Benjamin was an adolescent, he still maintained there was a woman out there whose heart belonged to him. He was a romantic—a fool, but a fool Judah loved, regardless.
“So, what? You stayed up all night talking?”
Even through the phone, Judah could hear the smile in Benjamin’s voice as he explained, “We went out for dinner, she came over for a few drinks, it got late, and I invited her to stay. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but sometimes it’s fun to stay up all night laughing and getting to know a woman without complicating things by getting naked.”
Judah arched a single eyebrow as he muttered, “Trust me—my sexual encounters are not complicated.”
“Right. You’re a pig,” he teased. “And I know you didn’t call me to talk about this. So, what’s up?”
Chuckling, Judah recounted the details of his Saturday morning spent on the golf course. As always, he enjoyed the game he played with his aunt—but it was a pastime they preferred to enjoy as a group of three. “It’s been a few weeks since we’ve gotten together. Aunt Eddalyn wanted to try to arrange a game. We thought you could come up for a day.”
“Yeah, sure. That sounds great. I’ll have to double check my schedule, but I think I might be free this weekend.”
“Take a look. Let me know. Maybe after golf, you can take me to dinner—tell me about this woman you spent all night talking to.”
“All right, asshole. I’ll get back to you this afternoon,” he replied, amusement coloring his tone.
“Sounds good.”
“She’s up. I’ve got to go.”
“Say no more.”
They disconnected, and Judah stared down at the blank screen in his hand.
For his sake, I hope his never ending quest to find the woman of his dreams works out, he thought.
He wasn’t one for fairy tales. In his experience, love only bred pain; pain caused by lies and betrayal; pain in which he had no interest. He’d felt it all before—traveled down the road of least resistance. It wasn’t worth it the first time, and there was no convincing him it would be worth it a second time.
Judah discarded his phone in exchange for his tablet. He pulled up his newspaper subscription as he left his office, maneuvering his way toward the stairs, which would take him to his kitchen. He set aside his tablet, only long enough to prepare his French press, and then re-immersed himself in the periodical. He was halfway through his cup of coffee when he heard her as she used her key to grant herself entrance into his home. He noted the time—seven o’clock, on the dot—and a small smile curled his lips.
“Good morning, Mr. Jude,” she greeted as she spotted him halfway up the stairs.
“Good morning, Marta,” he replied fondly.
Upon reaching the landing, she scoffed and rolled her eyes at him as she said, “You know I coming, Mr. Jude, and no pants?”
He chuckled and watched as she averted her eyes and continued toward his dining room table with her cleaning supplies. Marta was a short, round, heavy-set Latina with long, dark hair she usually contained in a single braid. Her accent was thick. Upon hearing it, Judah constantly regretted his inability to speak Spanish. He would have enjoyed speaking to Marta in her first language. Her reliability coupled with her countenance made her one of the only women in his life with whom he liked having around for reasons not at all related to sex.
Abandoning his tablet, Judah took up the remainder of his coffee and started for his bedroom. “I’ll be out of your hair in no time.” He was halfway to the stairs when he paused and remembered his manners. Turning toward her, he inquired, “Marta, how was your weekend?”