Accepting them with a contrite look, he said, “You know I have to work on my close tonight, right?”
“Of course, I do.”
“I’m not just skipping out—”
“Of course, you’re not.” She stretched on tiptoe and kissed him. Then she said, “We’re both dedicated t
o our careers. Nothing alters that, right?” She stared up at him, perhaps a bit hopeful. Maybe even willing him to affirm her plight—without him even fully knowing what it was.
With a nod, Jude said, “I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening.” His gaze slid to the stack of folios divided out by topic and prioritized by importance on her coffee table.
“Some research I’m in the throes of,” she vaguely stated. And felt the ensuing gnawing of guilt over having no idea how to broach this subject with him.
Really, it might not even be the appropriate time to bring it all up. Jude was dealing with something heavy at the moment…a new demon to traumatize him.
She stepped away and gathered up his shirt. The urge to hold the material to her nose and inhale deeply taunted her so that she did just that. Breathing in his unique scent, his expensive cologne.
“Kate,” he said on a low groan. “You are so goddamn arousing.”
Her gaze lifted to his molten one. “Funny how the brain truly does respond to pheromones.”
Jude took a step closer to her. “You want me again?”
“Yes.” Despite her words, she conceded, “When we’re both on a more even keel.”
He spared a glance at her coffee table once more. “The international project?”
“Yes.”
His tone indicated what Kate had suspected all along—Jude considered this to be some sort of glamorous, and safe, undertaking. She couldn’t bring herself to burst that bubble just yet.
“I’ll get through this close, Kate. Because of you. And then…” He let out a long breath. “Maybe we should go away for the weekend. What do you think?”
Anxiety swelled within her at the same time a thrill ribboned along her spine.
A weekend away with Jude.
Kate didn’t indulge in fantasies such as that—involving any man. This one, however, enticed her. Not only the fantasy…most definitely the man.
But she didn’t exactly have the luxury of leaving behind the reality she lived in; those folios awaiting her were tangible proof she needed to remain rooted in this world.
Still… Kate hedged.
Jude grinned. That devilish one that made her sigh and gravitate closer to him, so that his fingers swept through her hair and his head bent, his lips gliding over hers.
“Say yes,” he quietly cajoled in his sensual tone.
“I want to,” she assured him. Yet she swallowed down the lump of emotion forming in her throat and said, “Kinda busy right now, though.”
Every word was like razors against her tongue. Kate’s eyes misted.
Jude kissed her tenderly, then whispered, “Some other time, then.”
“Jude…” She dragged in a shaky breath. “I’m not blowing you off. I have something to…” She groaned. “Something big to work out. It’s very serious and I have to be very serious about it. When I figure it all out, I’ll—”
“Tell me. I know, Kate.”
Jude sank into a chair to put on his shoes and socks. Kate perched herself on the arm, his shirt in her lap. She skimmed her hand over the highly detailed dragon’s head tattoo covering his shoulder blade.