Jude
I stood at my console,doing a couple last minute adjustments, wondering where the hell Tali had hidden herself all day.
That’s what it was. She was hiding. She’d been hiding since that morning in Paris. She’d probably convinced herself she was thinking, but I knew her—the old her and who she was now.
I let her have her space, but I was beginning to get pissed. Frustrated. Needy as hell. I didn’t like this feeling. Everyone else had scattered, grabbing a bite to eat or a minute to relax, while I hung around, waiting to see if she’d appear.
She told me she wouldn’t make me beg—and I wouldn’t. That wasn’t in me. But I sure as shit wasn’t happy with the current situation.
Hands braced on the edge of the console, I let my chin drop to my chest in frustration.
“Hey, Jude.”
Warm hands pressed to my back, then slid around to circle my middle. Hands I knew so well, that I’d held hundreds of times, clasped at my waist.
“Hey, Stripes.” Relief loosened the ball of worry in my chest. “I was just thinking about you.”
She laid her head between my shoulder blades. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around.”
“Where’d you go today?”
“Shopping.”
I spun around to see if she was messing with me, but when I caught sight of her, up close and biting her bottom lip, I forgot what she’d said. Her raven hair waved around her flushed face, and her eyes glinted like deep, dark pools in the moonlight. This was the face I fell in love with, the only face I’d ever love. Hers was the only mouth I ever wanted to taste again.
“I want to ask one of my questions.”
“Ask. Ask me anything.”
“What did you write in the liner notes?”
I stepped closer to her, dipping my head so I could speak quietly for only her ears. “‘To Tali Stripes, the north on my compass and my final destination, no matter how long it takes.’ That’s what the liner notes said on our second CD, when the label actually let me write what I wanted. The first one was utter bullshit.”
A ragged sigh escaped her, and her cheek grazed mine.
Out of patience, but still needier than I’d ever been, I grasped her waist with both hands.
“I’m about to kiss the hell out of you, unless you have some seriously strong objections. I may or may not listen to them, though.”
Instead of giving me permission, Tali raised up on her toes and crashed her lips into mine. Her fingers dug into the back of my hair, fisting it furiously as she pulled herself closer. Gripping her ass through skin tight leather pants, I poured all the pent-up, frustrated desire I’d been feeling for the last few days into our kiss.
A moan spilled from her mouth to mine, and I returned it with one of my own. This was where I was supposed to be. Right here, with this woman. She was the direction I’d always been traveling toward. She was my true north, and I’d only just found her again.
“Jude,” she murmured against my lips. “Not here.”
I nodded, dropping my forehead to hers. “I know. I get it.”
“No, you don’t.” She took one of my hands from her ass and threaded her fingers with mine. “Come with me.”
She pulled me with her, through the maze of the backstage, stopping at a black door. She opened it, leading me inside, and kicked it closed. One flick of the lights told me we were in an empty dressing room, one that wasn’t being used tonight.
Tali dropped my hand and took her shirt off faster than I could process the action. Her plain black bra came next, dropping to the floor next to her discarded shirt.
“Here,” she said.
She stood in front of me, her gorgeous tits out, in little leather pants—and holy hell, white, platform Docs. This girl was a dream. My dream.
“What the fuck, baby? I don’t think I’ve ever been this hard in my life. Look at you.” I circled her, taking in the swell of her ass and long line of her back. Brushing her hair aside, I pressed firm, wet kisses to her shoulders and neck while holding her heavy tits and thumbing her taut nipples.