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  Even when he sat with the edge of his butt on his desk as we glared at each other, I still had to dip my head back slightly. “You have no right to treat me that way, Jude. If you have a problem with me, tell me what it is. We’ll work it out. But don’t just treat me like some annoying thing that’s attached itself to you.”

  My chest was heaving now. He glanced down at it, and I could’ve sworn I saw a flash of heat in his eyes before he pointed at the door. “The last thing I need is yet another person giving me shit. If you don’t like my mentoring style, get the fuck out. It’s that simple.”

  “I’m not giving you shit. I’m asking you to treat me professionally when we’re at work.”

  That same something I’d seen a few times now sparked in his eyes as he straightened up. The movement put him right in front of me, so close that our crossed arms now brushed against the other’s with each angry breath we took.

  “What about when we’re not at work?” he asked, but it sounded like he was issuing a challenge. “How do you want me to treat you then?”

  Oh. My. God. Could he be implying what I think he is?

  Things certainly felt like they were heating up between us as we continued yet another stare-down. I’d thought the chemistry I’d felt before was just coming from me, but it sure as hell didn’t feel that way right now.

  Especially not when he glanced down at my lips and tugged his bottom one between his teeth. My nipples hardened and my breathing sped up even more. “How do you want to treat me when we’re not at work?”

  Jude’s eyes came back to mine, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he shook his head. “I believe you’re the one bickering with me about how you’d like to be treated.”

  He took half a step forward, bringing us chest to chest. I had to tip my head even farther back to see his face, but I could also smell him again. Another wave of desire crashed into me. What is that smell? Spicy but aquatic. Fresh but nuanced.

  “So tell me, Rose, if you don’t like the way I’ve treated you, how would you like to be treated?” His voice was low, his breath ghosting across my skin as his gaze held mine captive.

  “I, uh—” My throat was suddenly dry. I licked my lips out of habit, and he let out the softest groan when he saw it. “Saturday was nice.”

  “It was,” he agreed as I found my feet inching forward.

  The air between us suddenly seemed to contain no oxygen. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think when I saw him glancing at my lips again.

  Unless I was very much mistaken, he was giving me the look, the one a guy gave a girl when he was about to kiss her. Seeing it on his face made my heart flutter and my lips tremble.

  Jude seemed to try to look back up, but it was like he couldn’t stop himself from looking at my mouth. And that was the look.

  The eyes to mouth, mouth to eyes, and back again dance that betrayed exactly what he was thinking about doing. I should have put a stop to it. I should have taken a step back or taken a breath or gone to make coffee or something.

  But I didn’t.

  I couldn’t.

  As Jude’s head lowered, I pushed up on my toes as if there was some invisible force pulling us together. His one hand landed on my hip while the other came up to cup my jaw, his long fingers resting at the nape of my neck.

  A whimper came out of me, but I didn’t even care if it sounded pathetically needy. He sucked in a sharp breath in response. Both of us stopped when our lips were only a fraction of an inch apart.

  For the quickest beat, I thought he was going to pull away. But then we surged forward at the same time, and those delicious lips of his fused with mine.

  Jude didn’t kiss like any other guy I’d kissed before. He kissed with such passion, such fervent purpose, that it knocked the breath out of my lungs.

  Because holy shit. How am I ever going to be satisfied with any other kiss ever again?

  Chapter 18

  JUDE

  What the hell was that?

  My mind reeled as our lips parted. What a fucking kiss.

  There was no way I was done with it, so I moved toward Rose again. I was so consumed with the thought of kissing her, maybe even taking it further right here, right now, that I didn’t notice her backing up at first.

  But she did.

  Confusion smacked me in the gut as I reached for her again, but she shook her head. Her eyes were dark and filled with as many questions as were swirling around in my own head.

  “That can’t happen,” she whispered.

  I frowned, not quite getting how we’d gone from so hot for each other that we couldn’t keep our hands—or lips—to ourselves anymore, to this. “Then why did it?”

  I searched her eyes, wondering if she had the answer to my question floating around between the questions of her own. As if we had no say in the matter, we gravitated toward one another again.

  Our lips hovered so close together that I could practically taste her, but then she spun around and rushed out of my office.

  What the fuck?

  I stared after her, blinking like a confused drunk guy who’d suddenly found himself in a police cell.

  My head swam.

  How could one kiss have had this effect on me? It felt like it had actual power over me while I had absolutely no power to stop it. I’d kissed a hell of a lot of women, and not one of them had left me feeling like this before.

  She had to have felt it, too. In fact, I knew she had. It had been right there in the way she’d kissed me, the way she’d looped her arms around my neck and held on to me like she didn’t plan on ever letting me go.

  That had been more than a quick kiss. It had felt like the release of pent-up desperation that had been building for months instead of days.

  Whatever reason she had for stopping it, I was going to find out, and once I did, I would change her mind. There was no way it wasn’t happening again, regardless of the fact that she thought it couldn’t.

  Maybe if she’d read the company policies like I suggested, she’d know we have no rules against fraternization. Only rules about how it’s handled.

  On the other hand, I wouldn’t have read the policies either if someone had ordered me to do it like I’d done to her. I sighed and scrubbed my hands over my face. Yeah, I fucked up.

  It wasn’t her fault I was frustrated by my ex and devastated for my son. If I had any hope of sorting this out with her, it had to happen fast, before she convinced herself of the truth of whatever it was she was thinking about me and about that kiss.

  I was already halfway to the door to chase after her when my phone started ringing. There was no one in the world it was more important for me to speak to right now than Roselyn, though. Everyone else could wait.

  At least, that was what I thought until I saw the caller ID on my screen. Luke’s school never called me.

  My heart slammed into overdrive as I slid my finger across the bar and jammed the device against my ear. “This is Jude.”

  “Mr. Hudson,” a polite female voice greeted me. “I’m sorry to bother you at work. This is Alicia Sharp calling from Spring Academy. Your son is fine, but there has been an incident on the playground. We need you to come in.”

  “Immediately?” I asked, patting my pocket to feel for my car key as I bolted toward the door.

  “Yes, sir. If it’s at all possible.”

  “I’ll be right there.” As soon as I hung up, I fired off a text to Shane, telling him he was in charge. I didn’t explain why. There would be time for that later.

  A fleeting thought to my situation with Rose ran through my mind, but I’d have to deal with her later, too. It wasn’t ideal, but it was what it was.

  If she couldn’t understand why I hadn’t come after her immediately once I explained, she wasn’t who I thought she was anyway. Besides, it wasn’t like I would put a conversation with someone I’d known all of four days ahead of my son.

  Spring Academy was only about a ten-minute drive from my office, but I did it
in half that time. My tires screeched as I sped into the elementary school parking lot, but I slowed down once I was on their grounds.

  A well-dressed lady stood outside the front doors waiting for me. She smiled when she saw me practically running up to me. “Mr. Hudson, thank you so much for coming.”

  “Where is my son?” I demanded, heart hammering and trying to do its best to climb out of my throat. “Is he okay? What kind of incident?”

  “He’s fine,” she said reassuringly, motioning for me to follow her. “He’s with the principal. I’m Alicia, his assistant. We spoke on the phone.”

  “Yep. Okay.” I knew I was being rude, but I couldn’t think straight. This day had already been way too fucking long, and it wasn’t even nine in the goddamn morning.

  I sprinted down the hallway to the principal’s office, my shoes slapping against the polished floors as I went. Alicia got left behind, but I was pretty sure she knew her way to her own office.

  When I reached the hardwood door at the end of the hall, I knocked and entered at the same time. My gaze flew wildly around the enormous office until it landed on Luke’s. I cataloged every inch of his face, checking him for any sign of injury as I closed the distance between us in three long strides.

  “Luke, what happened?” I asked, sinking to my knees in front of him. He was seated in a chair opposite the principal’s desk, but I ignored the other man for now. “Are you okay, buddy?”

  Watery green eyes met mine, but his lips didn’t quiver, and his voice was steady. “I’m okay, Dad. They shouldn’t have called you.”

  Mr. Martin cleared his throat. “Actually, had we been made aware of the situation earlier, we would have called you in earlier. We have a strict, zero-tolerance policy toward bullying in this school.”

  My blood ran cold. “Bullying?”

  I rose slowly out of my crouch, turning to face the principal but positioning my body so it blocked Luke. “What exactly are you suggesting, Martin?”

  The older man pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not suggesting anything, Mr. Hudson. I’m simply telling it like it is. It seems Luke has been having a problem with one of the older boys.”

  Everything in me froze. I had to intentionally give the command to my throat to swallow the last spit that had been in my mouth before it dried up.

  “Luke’s being bullied?” My voice came out hoarse. “How the fuck did I not know about this?”

  The principal sighed, shaking his head at me. “We didn’t know either. I can assure you—”

  “I don’t want any assurances. Tell me what’s going on.” I drew myself up to my full height and glowered down at the man, arching an eyebrow expectantly. “What happened on the playground this morning?”

  “There was an incident involving your son and another boy. We’re still waiting for his parents, but we will speak to them today.”

  “What incident?” I gritted out, my fingers curling into my fists. “Did he hurt you?”

  I twisted at the waist to aim my question at Luke. He shook his head, but I remained on edge at the resigned pinch of his features.

  “There was no physical altercation, Mr. Hudson,” the principal replied as I turned back to him. “My understanding is that there was shoving and words were exchanged, but a staff member intervened before things got ugly.”

  “Before things got ugly?” My eyebrows drew together as I folded my arms, dragging in a deep breath before I knocked him the fuck out. “Just because things didn’t get physical doesn’t mean they didn’t get ugly. My son and I are leaving now. Talk to me once you’ve seen the boy’s parents and have decided on an appropriate disciplinary course of action.”

  Without waiting for the man to reply, I held my hand out to Luke and motioned for him to come with me. Once he was up and next to me, I marched out of the office before I did something I would regret. My self-control was one light tug away from snapping, and that couldn’t happen.

  While I was fuming about this, I’d read enough articles on child rearing and bullying to know turning into the Hulk wasn’t the right way to handle it. I had to be the mature one. As in all situations, Audrey sure as fuck wasn’t going to be.

  I suppressed a groan when I realized I would have to call her now. Just what the day needed to be fucking perfect. A conversation with my ex.

  Fuck my life.

  “Are you going to tell Mommy about this?” Luke asked when we reached the parking lot, his voice quiet and hesitant.

  I sighed, unlocking the car and nodding as I walked around it. “I have to, bud. She’ll want to know what’s going on.”

  He paused at his door, opening it but not getting in. “Do you really have to?”

  I frowned, tilting my head when I saw the blatant worry darkening his eyes. Pulling myself out of the crouch I’d already been in to drop into the driver’s seat, I rounded the car and placed my hand on his shoulder.

  “Do you not want me to?” I asked, keeping my tone as gentle as the firestorm of rage burning up my insides would allow. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice in one day by taking it out on the wrong person, especially not when this person was my son.

  He bit his lip, his gaze hitting the pavement as he shook his head.

  My frown deepened. “Why not? She loves you. I’m sure she’ll want to know you’re okay.”

  It was utter bullshit. Chances were, she wouldn’t ask a question about him and would spend the call ripping me a new one for disturbing whatever nothing she was doing today. But I’d handle her.

  Luke shrugged, but when he looked up at me again, his gaze was so imploring that I caved. Caved like a fucking sinkhole.

  “How about you and I keep this between us for now?” I suggested, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. If he wasn’t ready to tell Audrey what had happened, I wouldn’t force him to do it. Not today.

  There weren’t many people who knew it, but I was a complete pushover when it came to my son. Plus, he’d already been bullied once today. I wouldn’t be responsible for it happening again.

  His expression brightened like he’d had a ten-ton weight lifted off his chest, and he gave me a small smile. “Could we really do that?”

  “Yeah, buddy.” I ruffled his hair before nodding toward the car. “We’ll keep it between the two of us, but just for now, okay?”

  “Okay.” His smile widened before he finally got into the car, but I saw it dropping when I glanced at him through the windscreen when I walked around to my side. He was relieved I wasn’t going to tell Audrey, but he obviously wasn’t okay.

  My heart cracked. Fuck, how I wish that bully would have come at me instead.

  If I could protect him from every stab of pain he’d ever feel by taking it into myself, I’d have done it in a second.

  But I couldn’t.

  All I could do was try guiding him through it and hope it was enough. Okay, and maybe I’ll also pull some strings at the school, but he doesn’t need to know that.

  I didn’t need my mother berating me to know interfering behind the scenes was wrong. But fuck. Could I really just leave it alone?

  It was a debate I would have to continue having with myself another time, though. Right now, Luke needed my attention.

  “Is this the first time this has happened, buddy?” I asked as I backed out of the parking spot.

  He’d turned his back on me as soon as he’d gotten in and was staring out the window. He kept doing it, not making a move to so much as glance at me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Fuck. What now? If I pushed him, I’d feel like I was bullying him too. If I didn’t, I’d feel like I hadn’t done a thing to help him.

  “Are you sure? Maybe I can help.”

  He sighed softly. “You can’t. I’ll be fine, Dad. Let’s just go home.”

  Double fuck. I would have to get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. I refused to let someone else’s kid ruin my son’s school experience.

  But for right this minute, Luke didn
’t need me to rage or scream or threaten the school. He needed me to be silent but present. I could do that. For him, I could be that person.

  Chapter 19

  ROSE

  Fresh air and ocean breezes seemed to be the norm around downtown Sydney. Even as cars and cabs rushed past me in the morning rush-hour traffic and commuters filled the streets, I still didn’t feel like I couldn’t breathe for all the pollution.

  “I’ve been looking at pictures of Australia online, honey,” my mother gushed into the phone. “Is it as beautiful there as it looks? I’d bet it is. Are the people nice? Have you made any friends?”

  I laughed, feeling some of the tension I’d been carrying around since the kiss melting away at the sound of my mom’s voice. “It’s more beautiful than it looks, but I’ve told you that already. I wish you could see it.”

  It was still early, but it was shaping up to be another bright, sunshine-y day. I was starting to wonder if they ever had it any other way here. I’d been told the weather would be changing and it would start feeling like autumn any day now, but so far, there was nothing but blue skies and sunshine.

  I loved it.

  “I would’ve given my left pinkie toe to experience it with you,” she said wistfully but quickly cheered up again. “How about the people? You haven’t told me much about them.”

  I chuckled. “Why your left pinkie toe? The people are nice. Most of them, anyway.”

  I was yet to see what awaited me at the office today. Would it be Saturday Jude or Monday Jude? I would be okay with it not being Saturday Jude, but I sure as heck hoped Tuesday Jude was better than Monday Jude.

  Even if I hadn’t seen him around the office again at all for the rest of the day, I wasn’t looking forward to another encounter with him after the way he’d been for the short amount of time we’d spent together in his office. Not with him being either the jerk-face or the smoldering, irresistible medal-winning kisser.

  “What does that mean?” my father’s voice chimed in. I’d conferenced them both into the call when I’d left my hotel. The walk to the office wasn’t long enough to allow for two separate calls. Besides, I felt closer to them this way. “Most people? Why not all of them? Is someone being mean to my baby?”