Page 42 of Dirty Like Jude
“Sitting at the bar,” he said. “Saw you walkin.”
And with that, his wicked, hellfire eyes moved slowly, deliberately over every inch of my body that he could see above thetable.
“So, how are you?” I asked, when his gaze finally met mine again. It was the way I might start a conversation with any professional associate, whether or not they’d just eye-fondled my breasts. And whether or not they had a fresh, raw bruise and a scrape on their face from a collision with a “door”—like he did, rightnow.
Though I really wasn’t sure how I’d handle his answer; how I’d handle any information about Jude or his life—a life that didn’t include me init.
“Hungry,” he said, picking up the menu and, predictably, avoiding answering me in any meaningful way. He looked me over again, completely ignoring the menu in hishand.
Also predictable. I didn’t exactly wear business suits to businessmeetings.
I dressed according to how I wanted tofeel.
And sitting down with Jude, I wanted to feelwanted.
My halter-style top was bronze-colored silk, with a plunging neckline, worn without a bra, and from certain angles a little braless cleavage might be glimpsed. When I moved, there would definitely be some suggestive jiggle. The shirt tucked into the high-waisted black lace pencil skirt that hugged my hips and butt, and the strappy nude suede shoes had bronze spiked high heels. I wore clothes that I felt good in, powerful in, always. I dressed for myself. Tonight, I’d also dressed for a meeting with a man I was deeply attractedto.
To see what I’d see in Jude’s eyes when he looked atme.
Appreciation. That’s what Isaw.
And, yes;hunger.
“How’re you?” heasked.
“Fine.” I figured a non-meaningful answer deserved a non-meaningfulanswer.
“How’sTaze?”
I felt my eyebrows go up, because really, I was surprised as shit he would ask. “Also fine,” I said, which was unfortunately the truth. Taze was nothing if notfine.
He definitely wasn’t drool-inducing, mind-melting, or totally fucking heart-shattering.
He wasn’tJude.
“Yeah?” He put the menu, which he still hadn’t looked at, down. “Why’re you withhim?”
I laughed a bit, but it came out as an incredulous scoff. Maybe because a mere week ago, Jude had warned me off my boyfriend. Told me he was “a bad dude.” If he was intent on more of the same, I’d call Taze down here right now and fuck him on thetable.
Nobody told me who to date, or fuck, much less a man who wouldn’t lower himself to doeither.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Because I feel safe with him,” I said, in allhonesty.
Jude seemed to find that funny, though not ha-ha funny. A dark, disbelieving smile pulled at his lips. “You’re fuckin’ kiddingme.”
I sipped my wine, unmoved. “Don’t ask the question if you don’t want theanswer.”
“I want theanswer.”
I waited a moment, maybe giving him a chance to take that back, to change hismind.
Hedidn’t.
So Ianswered.
