Boarded by Love (Bellevue Bullies 1)

Biting into her lip, she grazes her lips against mine, our breaths mingling, our hearts in time as my hands come up her thighs to the small of her back, resting under her shirt. She takes in a soft breath as our eyes lock, and everything inside me goes hot.

Then she says, “I think I might like you a little more than that.”

She honestly just made my life with those eleven little words.

Chapter 15

Claire

“And because of that, I don’t care what anyone says. I’m good, Jude, as long as you don’t hurt me,” I say, and I mean every word.

I’ve thought about this all day. Ever since the first girl came at me, I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve decided that I’ve never cared what people thought about me before, and I’m not going to start now. Yes, it’s only day one of dating Jude, and yes, a billion people have told me it’s a bad idea, but I don’t care.

I like him.

“I won’t,” he promises and I believe him.

I smile as he pulls me down from the bike and into his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he smashes his lips to mine. Slowly we kiss, both of our mouths teasing the other’s as his fingers stroke my back. Parting, I smile against his lips before leaning back and asking, “Take your shirt off.”

He waggles his eyebrows, and I laugh as he says, “Why, yes, ma’am.”

“Dork, I want to see your tattoos. I haven’t gotten a good look at them, and they intrigue me.”

He smiles before pulling his Bullies shirt over his head and into his lap. Leaning in close, I run my fingers on his chest where an anatomical heart with hockey sticks crossed through it is inked above where his real heart lies. I look at him questioningly, and he says, “Hockey is in my heart, my soul.”

I nod before trailing my eyes up to his left arm where the measures for “Hey Jude” by the Beatles run along his whole arm, stopping at his wrist, the lyrics to the song under each note. It is beautiful, stunning even, with splashes of watercolor all throughout the tattoo.

“For your mom?” I ask, and he smiles as he nods.

“It’s actually my favorite song. It’s one of those songs that hits you in the heart.”

“Agreed.”

He flashes me a grin as I notice that along his bicep are five names: Mom, Lucy, Jayden, Jace, and Angie in beautiful script.

“Where is your dad’s name?”

He shrugs. “I don’t get along with my dad much.”

I can tell that’s a sensitive subject, so I just nod as I inspect t

he rest of his arm. He hadn’t pushed for my deep dark secrets, and I wouldn’t do that to him. There will be a time when we bare our souls to each other, but today is not that day. I take in the other things he has which are more abstract objects in watercolor. They’re beautiful and everything ties together perfectly. Lacing my fingers with his, I notice that he doesn’t have anything on top of his right arm, so I turn it over and decide that this one is probably my favorite besides the lyrics. It’s a hockey puck coming out of his skin, blood dripping from the wound with little ice shards around it. Above, it has laces that look as if they’re stitched into his skin to close the wound, and on them it reads “No Fear, No Pain, No Gain.” It is completely badass, and nothing less than I would expect Jude to get.

“Totally badass.”

“Thanks, it’s probably my favorite piece.”

“Which one was your first tattoo?”

“My heart one. I got it the day I turned eighteen.”

“Supercool,” I say and then add, “You can put your shirt back on.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, waggling his brow at me.

“Yes,” I laugh.

“Thanks,” he says with a laugh. “It is getting chilly.”