“I have an idea,” I said quietly

“Since I first met you, I’ve memorized every inch of you, the slope of your neck, the curve of your breasts, the sultry pout of your bottom lip, and all I could think was that I wanted to put it all on canvas.”

I lifted my face and peered up at him. He drew his fingers down the side of my face.

He laughed quietly. “I thought I could handle it, and I was doing pretty well until I sat across from you and looked up at you from my canvas. It all fell to pieces then, and I knew I’d been fooling myself. To have you sit a few feet away and only touch you with my eyes was too much to bear.”

He pushed my face up with the tip of his thumb. His hungry gaze floated down to my lips. “And now that I’m holding you,” his voice was low and jagged, “it is once again, too much to bear. I want every inch of you Eden.” He lowered his mouth to mine, and it hovered so near, I could feel his warm breath on my skin. “Starting with these incredible lips.” The space between us vanished and his mouth found mine. His kiss started gently, but as each second passed, a sense of urgency consumed both of us. His tongue traced my lips and then his kiss deepened and I pressed my body hard against his. A deep groan came from his throat as his hands trailed down my back and slipped beneath my shirt. He caressed the skin on my back and my hands encircled his neck to pull his mouth even closer to mine. I could not get near enough to him, and he held me so tightly that his grasp along with the intoxicating kiss left me breathless and lightheaded.

He lifted his face and stared down at me with a flood of passion that would have scared me if it had not been Jude.

His hands came up between us, and he deftly unbuttoned my shirt. Then his long, rough fingers slid between the open sides of my blouse and parted it. “There’s that damn bra again.” He leaned down and tugged down the top of my bra, exposing my naked breast to his mouth. His tongue traced circles around it and I pushed harder against his mouth. “Shit, Valley, do you know what you do to me?” he mumbled against my bare skin.

My thigh pressed between his legs and I laughed softly. “I have an idea, yeah.”

He lifted his face and grinned wickedly before continuing his trail of kisses down my neck. Heat swirled through my body and tugged at me with a need that I knew only he could satisfy. I’d been with other guys before, but none of them had ever elicited such a profound physical reaction as this. I felt completely out of control, and I loved every second of it.

We were lost in each other’s touch and scent when an urgent knock rattled the door of the pool house.

“Jude!” Cole called through the door.

Jude sighed loudly and pressed his forehead against mine. “If you want to live, Cole, go away.” His fingers traced the tops of my breasts.

“It’s Finley,” Cole said through the crack in the door.

We separated as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on us. Jude raced to the door, and I followed closely at his heels. He opened the door.

Even in the dim light it was easy to see that Cole looked upset.

“Where is she?” Jude asked.

“She went back to the house. Max mentioned going to—” Jude and I were out the door before Cole could finish.

My heart was pounding by the time we reached the back door. Jude slid it open so hard it nearly came off its slider. “Finley!” he yelled.

“Finley,” I echoed his call.

“I’m right here,” a small voice came from the couch. Aside from the lights coming from the clocks on the kitchen appliances, the room was dark.

Jude switched on the lamp, and Finley lifted up her hand to block the harsh light.  Mascara rimmed her eyes as if she’d been crying. She hugged her knees to her chest.

I sat down next to her. “What happened?”

“Nothing. I’m never going to be normal, that’s all.”

I was relieved to see that she was not completely freaked out or in a panic attack. She was just upset, and I couldn’t blame her. “That’s not true, Finley. You’re more normal than any girl I have ever met. I’ve never bonded so quickly with anyone in my life.”

She wiped clumsily at her nose and looked at me. “Maybe you’re not normal either.”

“You’ve got a point. Maybe we’re both normal in a strange way.” I threw my arms around her, and she hugged me back. “We’re going to get you out of this world you’ve built yourself, Finley. Don’t give up.”

We sat back and Jude plunked down on the other side of her. She peered over at him. “I knew you liked her, you big boob. The moment you saw her in the gym that first day, I saw that hungry gleam in your eye.” Then her tone turned serious. “Jude don’t do anything to fuck this up. I know you thought this was a bad idea—”

“I was wrong,” he said abruptly. “I was totally and completely wrong. And besides, Valley claims she’s never lost her head over any guy. So it’s all good.”

I leaned forward, and his grin was as wide as the coffee table.

“Cocky bastard,” I mumbled as I leaned back against the couch cushion.

Cole appeared in the doorway. “I sent everyone home. Told them I was still feeling shitty from too much partying last night. Max said he’d call you later.”

“Finley, why don’t you tell him what you’re dealing with,” I suggested. “Max seems like a decent guy. I think he’ll understand.”

She leaned her head on Jude’s shoulder. “Maybe some time. But not yet.”

Cole plopped down next to me, and we all sat in silence staring at the dark television set. “Is anyone else thinking Silence of the Lambs down in the theater?” Cole suggested.

“I’ve only seen that movie on a small, blurry television set and it freaked me out so badly I crawled into bed with my parents,” I confessed.

“Can’t really blame you. It is a damn creepy movie. It could really freak out a kid. I’m surprised your parents let you watch it,” Finley said.

I looked over at her. “I was sixteen.”

We erupted into a major bout of laughter and then headed down to the theater. Jude stood behind me in the elevator, his fingers hooked in the waist of my jeans. He tugged the material down an inch, and he tickled my back. I gasped and a shiver raced through me.

Finley glanced over at me. “Are you all right?”

“Uh huh,” the sound cracked out of my throat, “just a little chill in the air.”

As I’d expected, the movie was even more disturbing on a large screen with surround sound, and I spent the first half of the movie with my face buried against Jude’s shoulder.

“I have a newfound appreciation of this movie,” Jude commented, as I scooted closer to him with each horrendous scene.

“Yep,” Cole said from the seat he’d taken two rows back. “I make a point of showing it when I’m with a girl who I’m sure will climb into my lap before the end of the movie.”

“I’m feeling nauseous,” Finley called back from the front row where she’d situated herself with a giant bucket of popcorn. Jude and I had chosen seats between their two rows and we’d lifted the arm rest to make it one large seat.

“I’m just saying, if you’re going to watch a horror flick make sure the girl is easy—”

An entire shower of popcorn flew at Cole from the front seat.

He picked a piece off his shoulder and ate it. “Needs butter. And you didn’t let me finish. I was going to say easy to scare.” More popcorn flew his way.

Jude threw his arm around my shoulder. “The boy never knows when to shut up.”

Finley stood and stretched. “I’m tired. I think I’ll turn in. I already know how it ends.”

“I’ll walk you upstairs just in case there are any cannibals lurking in the hallway,” Cole said. “Hey, Jude, I’m going down to Corky’s Bar and Grille to meet some people. You want to come?”

“Nope.”

“Kind of thought you’d say no. See you later.”

Finley and Cole left the room and Jude grabbed me. “I thought they’d never leave. Now where were we?” He laid me down on the seat and his mouth devoured mine instantly. But after a few moments, I pulled my lips away. The look of disappointment in his eyes nearly made me laugh. “I understand your newfound respect for this movie and all, but do you really want me to think about Hannibal and his fava beans every time we kiss?”