Diamonds (All that Glitters #1)(15)

“Harder,” she moaned. She wanted it to be so deep, so rough, so hard that she wouldn’t have to feel anything anymore, except for this.

Jude let go of her hair and smirked down at her. The look he gave her said that he accepted the challenge. A second later, he hoisted her off the counter and threw her down onto the plush carpet. He was back inside her immediately, lifting both of her legs onto his shoulders, tipping her hips off the ground, and then pounding into her as hard as he could.

She cried out as she crossed the line between pleasure and pain. But she didn’t stop him. She liked this. She wanted this.

Fuck, she was about to come.

The orgasm rocked her body like an explosion bursting in the night sky. Her eyes fluttered, and her toes curled. She was seeing stars as her chest heaved, and she lay on the floor, panting.

Jude came after her release, falling on top of her.

“Oh my God,” she murmured.

“What you said,” he said.

“I’m glad I’m flexible.” She slowly removed her legs from his shoulders and dropped them on either side of his body. They felt like Jell-O and shook of their own accord. She was a little worried about having to walk anywhere.

He swept her blonde hair out of her face, kissed her swollen lips, and then just smiled down at her with so much affection on his face.

“What?” she murmured.

“You’re so beautiful.”

She sighed contentedly. “Not the reaction I thought I’d get from a comment about flexibility, but I approve.”

He laughed and kissed her on the nose. “We have all night to investigate this flexibility.”

“Uh, I don’t think so.”

Bryna rolled out from under him, stood on her wobbly legs, and adjusted her dress. She was sure her hair looked completely unruly from the carpet, her makeup was all messed up, and her underwear were tattered and discarded. She couldn’t even see where Jude had thrown them. Not to mention, the state of her neck. She was doubtful that she was going to be able to conceal his handiwork. That’s probably what he wanted in the first place.

Jude rose to his feet as well and tugged on his boxer briefs. “You want to leave?” he asked in disbelief.

“You ran out on me last time,” she reminded him. Aha! There were her underwear. She grabbed them off the ground and slid them back on. “It’s only fitting that I get the five-week break this time.”

He looked down at this feet and then back up at her. He seemed hesitant, almost uncertain, and apologetic. “I really was out of town this whole time.”

“That’s not an explanation. That’s an excuse. So, I’m going to go now.”

It was the last thing she wanted to do after having the most amazing sex with him, but she couldn’t let him think that she was nothing better than a one-night stand or a booty call. That wasn’t what she wanted. She enjoyed the sex, and while it might be some of the best sex she’d ever had, she could still get sex elsewhere. That was what she had told Gates too.

She had enjoyed her time with Jude because she thought there was a connection. Without that connection, it was…just meaningless sex.

Amazing meaningless sex.

She turned on her heel, retrieved her discarded clutch, and walked to the door.

Jude grabbed her arm before she could reach it. “Bri, this isn’t why I called you over.”

“You didn’t want to have sex with me? I beg to differ.”

“I did. Of course I did. How could I not? But I called because I wanted to see you. I’ve been thinking about you a lot. In fact, I can’t get you out of my head,” he told her. He ran a hand down her arm and drew her closer. “Ever since that night, I thought it would be easier to forget you. I’m separated from my wife, but I’m married to my work. I won’t bore you with the details. Despite all that, I still called you tonight and not for sex, but for this.”

He walked over to his suit jacket hanging on a stand next to the door and retrieved a red box from the pocket. Bryna froze. She would recognize that box anywhere. Even before the gold lettering came into focus, she knew what it said on the top.

Cartier.

Words failed her as he opened the box to reveal the most gorgeous chandelier diamond earrings she had ever seen. She had a small collection of jewelry that she had acquired over the years, but most of the good stuff had belonged to her mother. Anything else she coveted her father usually rented for her for special occasions. She owned absolutely nothing like this.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I knew that I needed to make this right, and I wanted to start by getting you something almost as beautiful as you are.”

She reached out and brushed the gorgeous earrings. “You got these for me?”

“Yes.”

She took them out of the box, placed the new earrings in her ears, and examined them in the mirror. “They look stunning,” she whispered.

“As do you.”

“Thank you.” She truly was at a loss for words. What else could she say as she stared at her reflection in the mirror?

Her heart pounded in her chest. It wasn’t often that she was wrong about people. If Jude had planned this all along, then she hadn’t just been wrong. She had been out of the park, blinded.

“I want to keep seeing you, Bri. My job keeps me busy, but when I’m in town, I want to spend my time with you.”