Jude (Beautiful Mine #2) by Gia DeLuca

merged onto the freeway and nudged his way into bumper-to-bumper traffic. There were cars, cars, and more cars as far as the eye could see.
    “This is insane,” I said as I found myself gripping the armrest. “How do you get used to this traffic?”
    “You just do,” he said with a shrug, completely unfazed. “We should be at my place in about thirty minutes.”
    I sat quietly in his car as he maneuvered us through the stop-and-go traffic, turning on the radio to fill the silence. I just wanted to take in my new surroundings, and for a split second, I was starting to miss the comforts of sleepy Halverford.
    “So, where do you live out here?” I asked.
    “West Hollywood,” he said. “I have a condo. And a roommate.”
    “Oh. Didn’t know you had a roommate,” I said, hoping to God it wasn’t his business partner, Veronica.
    “His name is Jax,” he said. “He’s a bit of a wild card. You’ve been warned.”
    “I’ve got one of those,” I replied with a grin. “Her name is Carys. She’s kind of crazy, but I love her anyway.”
    “You have anything you want to do while you’re in town?” he asked as he checked his mirror and aggressively switched lanes, squeezing into a tight opening.
    “Not really,” I said. “I just wanted to get out of Halverford. I’m up for whatever.”
    He stuck his jaw out as he nodded. “I’ll see what I can come up with.”
    We veered off the freeway and down a few busy streets before pulling into an underground parking garage.
    “Here we are,” Jude said, pulling into a reserved spot. He climbed out, grabbed my bag, and wheeled it to an elevator with me in tow. We rode up to the fourth floor and then headed down the hall to the last unit on the right. “Home sweet home.”
    Jude swiped a keycard and swung open a heavy steel door. His condo was massive. Living in L.A. wasn’t cheap—I knew that—but this place defied all expectations. The ceilings were as high as the place was wide. The walls were splashed with hints of grays and beiges and the shiny wood floors were dark and Jacobean. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the far living room wall and sliding doors led out to a balcony. His place was immaculate. There was not a speck of dust or a crumb to be seen.
    “Did you decorate this place by yourself?” I asked, taking in the abstract oil paintings. A chicken wire basket of fresh fruit rested in the center of his marble kitchen island. “This feels like a movie set, or something.”
    “Oh, God, no,” Jude laughed, kicking off his shoes. “Jax used to date a set designer. We basically let her have free reign of decorating this place. Not bad, eh?”
    “Not bad at all.”
    “So, down that hall over there is Jax’s area,” Jude said, pointing to his right, just beyond the living room. “Over to the left is my side of the place. We each have our own suites.”
    “Nice,” I said. “Where am I sleeping?”
    “My room,” he said, wheeling my suitcase down toward his suite. “I’ll take the couch.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” I insisted.
    Jude shrugged. “You’re my guest. Besides, it’d be inhumane of me to subject you to seeing Jax walking around in the morning in his underwear, smacking on his bowl of Fruity Pebbles. You’ll thank me later.”
    “Who’s this?” another man’s voice said from across the way.
    “Evie,” Jude said as we turned. “Meet Jax.”
    “What’s up?” Jax said as he walked toward me, his sandy blond hair tousled and messy, reminding me of a stereotypical surfer dude. His charming looks coupled with his tight t-shirt and low-rise straight-leg jeans reminded of someone Carys would date, and I stifled a half smile as I immediately thought of introducing them. Knowing Carys, she’d probably make fun of him and then jump his bones later when no one was watching.
    “Evie’s staying here this weekend,” Jude told him.
    “You’re not from around here?” Jax asked, scratching his messy hair.
    “No, remember?