Page 113 of Ruthless Protector

Fay laughed. “Go, girl, you go find him,” she called after me as I headed out the door.

* * *

When I walked into The King Agency, my heart was sitting in my throat. I don’t know why I was so anxious, I knew Jude would never hurt me. I also knew that he wanted this, me…us. But I couldn’t contain the nerves fluttering their wings in my stomach.

Lulu was at the reception desk. “Hey,” she said, and shot to her feet. “I’m so glad to see you.”

I believed her, the expression on her face was one of serious relief. “Good to see you, too.”

“How’s Tilly doing?” She squeezed my arm. “How are you doing?”

God, these people, how were they so damn nice? So genuine. “She’s getting there. We’re both getting there.”

Lulu smiled. “That’s good. We need to get together soon, yeah? Have some girl time. Let the kids hang out, ’cause seriously, Josh doesn’t stop talking about your girl.”

I swallowed, hard. I wanted that. I did, more than she could ever know. “I’d really like that.”

She gave my arm another squeeze. “Awesome. I’ll give you a call later, and we’ll work out a time.” Then she turned me, directing me toward a set of stairs. “Man, I’m glad you’re here. Jude’s been a surly, snappy pain in the ass all day. The guys don’t know what to do with him.”

My stomach twisted. “Oh, well, I…”

She gave me another little shove toward the stairs. “He’s down in the gym. Go. Go kiss the frown off his grumpy face, would you. I can’t take much more.”

Lulu hustled back to her desk and I headed down the stairs. The sounds of muffled grunts and growls came through the door, and I hovered there for a moment, trying to sort out what I’d say. I wanted to do this right.

He’d said he wouldn’t give up on me. And after all the drama and uncertainty, I hoped like hell he still felt that way.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open—and froze at the threshold.

In the middle of the floor, Jude and Zeke were locked in some kind of hold. Both were hissing through clenched teeth, muscles straining, as they both tried to take the other down.

Zeke finally broke away and Jude came back at him again like a bulldozer. Both were shirtless and sweaty. Jude’s massive body glistened, every bulging muscle displayed to perfection, rippling and rolling with every brutal move.

His head suddenly twisted toward me, like he’d sensed I was there. His intense, wild stare locked onto me, and my breath stuck in my throat. He looked…savage.

And sexy as hell.

I’d missed him. Missed him touching me. Missed his arms around me at night.

Missed the feel of his big body covering mine, moving inside me.

Jude’s nostrils flared and his eyes darkened, like he’d read my thoughts.

Zeke took advantage of Jude’s lapse of concentration, and took him down. I was sure the floor shook beneath us when the pair of them hit the mat with force.

That’s when Zeke spotted me.

He jumped to his feet, and offered Jude a hand. Jude took it, standing as well, then after a hello chin lift to me, and a back slap for Jude, Zeke headed out the door, grabbing a bag from one of the benches in his way out—leaving us alone.

The door closed with a click and the room was engulfed in silence.

We stared at each other. Oh yeah, I’d definitely missed him. And I couldn’t get enough of the sight of him like this.

“Hey,” I said, and curled my fingers into a tight fist, so he wouldn’t see how much they were shaking, how overcome I suddenly felt.

Jude’s gaze moved over me. He’d missed me just as much. I saw hope in his eyes. I also saw a wariness I’d never seen when he’d looked at me before. I hated it.

Did he actually think I was still leaving? That I could ever leave him now?