Stripped (13 page)
Authors: Lauren Dane
The landlord was in and he happily showed her the apartment, a two bedroom located directly across a grassy strip from Jude's place. The master bedroom faced the small lawn, but the living room faced a copse of trees. It was an upstairs end unit so it would be quiet and she had a cop next door and underneath her. A woman living alone couldn't ask for much more safety than that.
“What do you think, Ms. Simon?” The landlord put his keys back in his pocket. “I haven't put an ad in the paper yet. I just replaced the carpet and did some painting. If Jude here is willing to vouch for you, I'd love to have you as a tenant.”
“Well, yeah. I'll take it,” she said to him impulsively, surprising herself. Normally she was meticulous and precise, making lists. She reasoned out each and every point, pro and con. But today she felt like tossing all that caution and reason to the wind and, with a mental shrug, she did.
And just like that, she had a home of her own. They went to the manager's apartment to fill out the necessary paperwork and pay the deposit and the first month's rent. He gave her the keys and a parking space and she told him she'd start moving in that week.
As she and Jude walked back toward his apartment, Rori looked up, smiling. “Thanks. I appreciate the tip and the in with the landlord. I hope you don't mind my being here.”
“Nah, it's nice to have you back in town.” He grew silent for a moment, stopping to stare down into her face. “You know, it
is
Friday night. You wanna hit the town? Get some drinks, dance a bit?”
Oh. My. God.
Jude Callahan just asked her out on a date. In a calm voice that surprised and impressed her she tossed, “Sounds like fun but I need to get changed,” over her shoulder.
“Why? You look great now.”
“For a
baseball
game, sure. I'm wearing jeans and sandals, hardly what you'd wear to dance in.” As if she'd actually go out in public for a date with him without some more sprucing up.
He opened his door and motioned her inside with a tip of his chin. Pretending to look at his shelves, she watched the sensual movement of his body as he walked across the apartment and toward a closet at the other end.
“All right, although I still say you look great.” Opening the closet door he turned back around to her and called out, “How about we take the bike? I have an extra helmet.”
“I'd like that.”
“Ah ha!” He dragged a helmet from the closet, bringing it back her way.
Grabbing a dark brown leather jacket from where it'd been hanging over the back of a chair, he held it out to her. “Wear my jacket until we get you back to Kelly and Max's,” he murmured, his lips against her temple as he helped her slip into the sleeves.
The leather smelled masculine and spicy, like him, and felt good around her body.
Back in the parking lot, he got on the bike first and turned, helping her up behind him. She clutched his body with her thighs and wrapped her arms around his waist as he started the motor and the power roared through the seat, up into her body. Inside the privacy of the helmet, she wore a goofy grin.
What a day.
On one hand, it was a ride through town. She'd done it a thousand times. It was uneventful and yetâ¦here she was, Rori Simon, on the back of Jude Callahan's motorcycle. She didn't have to put her arms around him so tight, but she did anyway. Why not? A girl didn't get ahead in life by being passive.
Sadly, the trip was short and they soon pulled up in Kelly's driveway. Once again, Jude was ever the gentleman and helped her off the bike, even taking the helmet for her.
She walked into the house, tossing her bag on the table in the entry, stopping to drop kisses on the top of her nephews' heads. Straightening, she told Kelly she'd rented the apartment. “I really like the complex. It's small and quiet and I'll get a lot of work done there. I will have to buy furniture, though. I left most of mine in Paris. My books and CDs and most of my clothes won't get here until next week. Can I borrow some linens and things until my stuff gets here?”
“Of course.” Kelly's tone told her it was a stupid question. “You guys want to eat some popcorn and watch a movie with us?”
“Not tonight, Kel. Rori and I are going out to celebrate. She says she needs to change so I brought her back here.” Jude gave Max one of those
women!
looks.
Kelly jumped up and began to shove Rori toward the stairs. “Oh, let me help you find something to wear.”
Once in the guest room, Rori closed the door behind her and looked back at her sister with a huge grin on her face.
“So?” Kelly was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.
“So I just rode on the back of Jude Callahan's motorcycle. I had my thighs wrapped around him.” What a memory that had made. “I tell you, Kel, if I got struck by lightning tonight, I'd die a happy girl.”
Kelly laughed and gestured toward Rori with a wave. “Keep the shirt, it's really sexy. That red is great for your coloring.”
Rori rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a halter made from an Indian sari. The material was alive with rich colorsâsaffron with eggplant and pink. Rori held it up against her body. “I was thinking this would be nice.”
“Oh my goodness. Let's see it on.”
Rori quickly pulled off her shirt and bra and replaced them with the halter. Her natural complexion looked almost luminous next to the shimmery fabric.
“Rori, you look really sexy in that. Oh! You have a tattoo and a belly ring?” Kelly's voice was tinged with curiosity as she looked closer, examining the intricate Celtic knot decorating the small of Rori's back. “Pretty.” She playfully flicked the silver hoop with the lapis bead hanging from Rori's navel. “Got any more that you're not showing? Oh, maybe I don't want to know. Who knew you'd turn out to be such a rebel?”
Rori flipped her head, scrunching her hair back into shape. “You know, I lived a long time as a shadow. I had friends and all, but men never looked at me twice. When I got away from here and began to come out of my shell, I decided that I liked being sexy. I like pretty, sensual clothes. I like sex, a whole lot. And no, no other tats or piercings. I may add more later though.”
“I should hope so. I mean, the sex part and you loving yourself part. You deserve that.”
She pulled on some boots she'd bought at a flea market in London. With a last look into the mirror, she dabbed on a bit of sheer pink gloss.
Kelly stood next to her and put her arm around her waist. “I'm sorry, you know.”
She met her sister's eyes in the mirror. They had different fathers and looked dissimilar in a lot of ways, but they shared their mother's nose and lips. Rori looked at Kelly's pretty blue
eyes and smiled. “Why? You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the person I am today because I was able to work past what Mom drilled into my head. I was able to come to love myself on my own. That's really important to me. I'll never be that Rori again, and a big part of that is because I had a great big sister who always loved me. I'm finally comfortable with the outside and the inside.”
“Well, honey, you sure do look it now. Jude's eyes are going to pop out of his head.”
“I can't believe I'm going on a date with Jude Callahan.”
“Believe it. I can't wait to hear the details. Oh, and Ryan wanted me to tell you he was going to call you and ask you to dinner.”
Cute as he was, she wasn't so much the juggling of pretty men type. Maybe she should be. Hmm. Still, how awesome was it that she had, like, a bevy of men who wanted to romance things up with her? “That so? Well, things are looking up and I may not end up a spinster after all.”
“Yeah, screw Jean.”
“Well, someone is, I'm sure of that,” she said dryly. She and Jean DuLac, her ex-boyfriend, had lived together in Paris for the last two years. He'd been so clever and witty. So handsome and charming. Rori cringed, remembering thinking he was
the one,
the man of her dreams. Problem was, he was also a cheating bastard.
Laughing, they went back downstairs. Rori grabbed her own leather coat and threw Jude's back to him. “Ready?” she asked, trying not to giggle at the men, whose mouths hung open in shock at the transformation.
Max gave her a grin. “You sure clean up nice.”
She knew she blushed, but hello, a compliment like that from a man who looked as good as Max? What girl could withstand that without a blush?
“Yeah,” Jude agreed, his voice a bit hoarse. “You ready?”
“Definitely.” Rori waved goodnight and turned toward Jude. His hand at the small of her back, he guided her out the door and down the walk to where his bike waited.
She put on the helmet and got on after he did, hoping that she wouldn't have helmet hair when they got to the bar.
“Remind me to never question you when you say you want to go home and change,” he murmured before turning the engine over. He didn't see her satisfied smile with his head turned the other way.
Don't miss
SECOND CHANCES
by Lauren Dane,
Available now wherever Carina Press ebooks are sold.
Copyright © 2010 by Lauren Dane
ISBN: 9781459292253
STRIPPED
Copyright © 2008 by Lauren Dane
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