hadn’t checked for them earlier. Never gave it a thought. Who wanted to see every little thing the employees did on their own time? His thoughts wandered to Jude. Would she give him the time of day? He prayed she’d listen to him, if for nothing more than how to destroy the cameras.
Emotions he wasn’t used to and fears he didn’t need collided in his brain. If there was something going down, he didn’t want Jude in the middle of it. He wanted to protect and cherish her. Hell, he wanted to lo—
No, better not go there. Whenever he loved, he got heartbreak in the deal for free—in spades.
Jude answered on the second knock. Puffy red ringed her eyes and her hair fell around her face in tangled curls, like she’d been crying before she’d fallen asleep. The enormous stock car racing fan shirt hung on her small frame. He fought the urge to yank her into his arms and kiss away her tears.
“Hi, sweet girl.” He peeked over her shoulder. Sure enough, the same art decorated her wall with the same faux-gilt frames. The dome light on the ceiling bore the exact same bulbous knob as the one in his apartment. “Can we talk? I forced myself on you and I wanted to apologise.”
“Trust you to be noble. Bastard,” she mumbled and tugged him close. “He knows.” She turned her head to the side and shouted. “I can’t be with a man who doesn’t respect me.”
Ramon cupped her jaw and pressed kisses to her cheeks. “Then be with the man whose heart is in your hands. I respect everything about you.” Twin sensations of delight and desire washed over him. He respected everything about her. And, in the short period of time since he’d met her, she meant more to him than any other woman. He nibbled her earlobe. “How?”
She whimpered and nuzzled his neck. “A phone call. He told me where we went. With details.” She raised her head and spoke in a strong voice. “Get the hell out of my apartment.”
He shook his head and crushed her in his grasp. “You’re mine.” Her lips parted and he kissed away her protestations. “Pack an overnight bag. We’ll go somewhere and talk.” Ramon wound his fingers in her hair and winked. “You’re going to my apartment—like it or lump it.” Unless a better option presented itself.
Jude turned on her heel and stormed into the bedroom. Ramon followed hot on her heels and punched the frame, right in the camera’s tiny lens. She dressed, but, to add to the farce, he hefted the bag over his shoulder.
“Let’s go. I’m not waiting.” He wrapped his fingers around her arm and led her out of the apartment. “This way.” Ramon scrambled down the back staircase to the parking lot and motioned for Jude to get into his car.
“Are you sure he won’t see us? I’m scared.” She frowned. “What happened to the Nissan? What’s going on?”
Ramon engaged the engine. “The distributor cap on the Nissan blew sky high, so I borrowed my buddy Phil’s car. Pain in the ass, but it happens.”
“Do you think he bought it?” Jude dropped her head to his shoulder. “I trust you. I don’t know why, but I do.”
Ramon drove four blocks and stopped in a fast food parking lot. Things were happening too fast for his comfort and yet a part of him didn’t care. Rescuing her, being her white knight, appealed to him all the way to his core. “I want to take you away from here for a while so you can unwind. I promise to be a gentleman. Do you trust me enough to take a chance?”
Jude nodded.
Ramon peeled out of the parking lot and drove another eleven blocks to Drew’s apartment. He stopped in front of his storage garage. “We’ll ride in style.” He grinned and backed his Harley out onto the gravel. “I’ll tie your bag down on the back.”
She stood silently as her belongings became one with the machine. He removed his worn black leather jacket, draped it over her shoulders, and gave her a squeeze. “I think you need this more than I do.” You look better too…
She
Emotions he wasn’t used to and fears he didn’t need collided in his brain. If there was something going down, he didn’t want Jude in the middle of it. He wanted to protect and cherish her. Hell, he wanted to lo—
No, better not go there. Whenever he loved, he got heartbreak in the deal for free—in spades.
Jude answered on the second knock. Puffy red ringed her eyes and her hair fell around her face in tangled curls, like she’d been crying before she’d fallen asleep. The enormous stock car racing fan shirt hung on her small frame. He fought the urge to yank her into his arms and kiss away her tears.
“Hi, sweet girl.” He peeked over her shoulder. Sure enough, the same art decorated her wall with the same faux-gilt frames. The dome light on the ceiling bore the exact same bulbous knob as the one in his apartment. “Can we talk? I forced myself on you and I wanted to apologise.”
“Trust you to be noble. Bastard,” she mumbled and tugged him close. “He knows.” She turned her head to the side and shouted. “I can’t be with a man who doesn’t respect me.”
Ramon cupped her jaw and pressed kisses to her cheeks. “Then be with the man whose heart is in your hands. I respect everything about you.” Twin sensations of delight and desire washed over him. He respected everything about her. And, in the short period of time since he’d met her, she meant more to him than any other woman. He nibbled her earlobe. “How?”
She whimpered and nuzzled his neck. “A phone call. He told me where we went. With details.” She raised her head and spoke in a strong voice. “Get the hell out of my apartment.”
He shook his head and crushed her in his grasp. “You’re mine.” Her lips parted and he kissed away her protestations. “Pack an overnight bag. We’ll go somewhere and talk.” Ramon wound his fingers in her hair and winked. “You’re going to my apartment—like it or lump it.” Unless a better option presented itself.
Jude turned on her heel and stormed into the bedroom. Ramon followed hot on her heels and punched the frame, right in the camera’s tiny lens. She dressed, but, to add to the farce, he hefted the bag over his shoulder.
“Let’s go. I’m not waiting.” He wrapped his fingers around her arm and led her out of the apartment. “This way.” Ramon scrambled down the back staircase to the parking lot and motioned for Jude to get into his car.
“Are you sure he won’t see us? I’m scared.” She frowned. “What happened to the Nissan? What’s going on?”
Ramon engaged the engine. “The distributor cap on the Nissan blew sky high, so I borrowed my buddy Phil’s car. Pain in the ass, but it happens.”
“Do you think he bought it?” Jude dropped her head to his shoulder. “I trust you. I don’t know why, but I do.”
Ramon drove four blocks and stopped in a fast food parking lot. Things were happening too fast for his comfort and yet a part of him didn’t care. Rescuing her, being her white knight, appealed to him all the way to his core. “I want to take you away from here for a while so you can unwind. I promise to be a gentleman. Do you trust me enough to take a chance?”
Jude nodded.
Ramon peeled out of the parking lot and drove another eleven blocks to Drew’s apartment. He stopped in front of his storage garage. “We’ll ride in style.” He grinned and backed his Harley out onto the gravel. “I’ll tie your bag down on the back.”
She stood silently as her belongings became one with the machine. He removed his worn black leather jacket, draped it over her shoulders, and gave her a squeeze. “I think you need this more than I do.” You look better too…
She
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