Fifteen

The evening air is cool against my skin as I step out onto Archer's front porch. A cute little chalk drawing of what might be a cat is scribbled on the step below me. I smile. Little Indy had to head to bed early and miss out on the party, but that didn't stop her from sneaking down once or twice to steal one of the cupcakes I brought.

The sound of the front door opening and closing behind me puts the frown right back on my face. Flippin' Jude. I shouldn't have cared that he showed up here tonight, once again pretending to be Joel. But after responding to another annoying text from Lex, I snapped. I'm over dealing with jerky men and their haughty, do whatever they want attitudes.

I spin toward Jude and resist the urge to yank that stupidly hot mask right off his stupidly hot face. His dark blond hair is the effortless kind of messy that somehow appears meticulously combed but also mussed, as if he just ran his hands through it. And the navy-blue mask over his eyes only accentuates the sharpness of his jaw, which is layered with just the right amount of scruff, I might add.

I mean. I might add that thought if I was checking him out.

Which I'm not.

"You summoned me?" He slips his hands into his pants pockets as his infuriatingly plump yet masculine mouth quirks up at one side.

"That's right," I say, stiffening faster than the crack of a whip. "I did." I march forward until we're toe-to-toe and jab him in the chest. "You have no right to bring up my ex. Especially in front of other people."

"Why? It's not like what went down last night was a secret. Anyone could've seen the two of you."

"But they didn't," I seethe. "Only Ronnie was standing there when I approached him. Then you butted in and—"

"Butted in?" He leans down to try and get eye level with me, his blue eyes turning to judgy slits. "Is that what I was doing?" A derisive scoff turned laugh drips from his mouth as he shakes his head. "Gee, and here I thought I was saving your way too tempting butt from being harassed!"

I mimic his narrowed glare. "You think my butt is tempting?"

He blinks rapidly as if shaken from a stupor and steps back. "What? No! I said annoying. Annoying." He repeats himself slow and loud, as if I'm hard of hearing, then waves his hand over me. "Everything about you is so annoying and frustrating, I can't even stand to be around you."

A wicked smile curves my lips. "Then that makes two of us. Because I can't stand to be around you, either. And for the record, I don't need you to save me from anyone or anything."

"Yeah? Well, good for me, then. Take your smart, sassy comments somewhere else. You want to get harassed by your jerk of an ex? By all means, be my guest. Wanna lie to your parents and hide your steamy stories? Go for it. I'm out."

He starts to walk away, but I grab his wrist and yank it as hard as I can. He barely stumbles, which makes me even more mad. "Who do you think you are telling me what to do? And why are you even here to begin with? You're off duty, Joel, or have you forgotten who you really are?"

His eyes darken as his shoulders rise and fall with his rapid breaths, but I don't stop. I'm too fired up.

"In case you have, let me remind you…" I lower my voice and get in his face until all he can see is my sassy, smart mouth. "You're Jude, Joel's annoying, know-it-all, pious brother who thinks he's some patron saint for parading around as his twin."

His teeth sink into his lower lip like he's trying to keep himself from spewing his own vitriol at me. I have no such self-control. "Well, I've got news for you," I continue. "You're no better than me. In fact, you're worse. Because my secret won't ruin someone's career when it's found out."

We're caught in a silent stare down where I'm glaring at him with the strength of a million daggers and his eyes are wild, along with a sheen of sweat pebbling across his brow. He's breathing so heavily I think he might combust, when all of a sudden, he crowds me into the darkest corner of the porch. I stumble back until my back bumps the siding.

"You make me want to rip my hair out, do you know that?" he rage-whispers. "You're infuriating, maddening. Why couldn't you just leave me alone and let me be? All you had to do was mind your own business and keep that pretty mouth shut, but you refuse to even do that."

He's fuming, dark blue eyes burning into me until he licks his lips and his gaze drops to my mouth. And heaven help me, I don't know what comes over me. But I give voice to the dare that springs to the tip of my tongue.

"Why don't you make me, Jude?"

His eyelids lower, eyes hazy, as he sways toward me, and our breaths mingle. The tension between us rises to skyscraper-level heights before he eases back like he's reining himself in.

But I hate it. I want him closer. Close enough that I can taste the bitter insults on his tongue.

I wrap my hand around Jude's neck and pull him against me until that mouth that speaks the harshest words is moving against mine with a tenderness it shouldn't be capable of. My whole body relaxes as I sigh into him, soaking up his warmth.

This is so wrong, so bad. Yet it's literally the best kiss I've ever had in my entire life.

Jude's hands find my waist and squeeze, holding me in place. His stubble scrapes against my face, my palms, as I hold his jaw captive with my fingertips.

No one knows he's Jude. You have to stop, a voice in my head warns. But the sweetness of Jude's lips silences my every doubt. His touch ignites my confidence like nothing else ever could. I'm afraid if we stop now and go back to arguing, I'll never again know what a perfect kiss tastes like, what Jude's attention makes me feel.

Then the front door opens, and we break apart, me shoving Jude away hard.

"Chantelle?" Ronnie calls, voice rife with shock.

Jude doesn't turn around to face her, and I don't blame him. He's probably internally freaking out. I step past him and hold out my hands. "Ronnie, this isn't what it looks like."

"Um, ya sure? Because I'm almost certain I saw you kissing a married man."

My stomach rolls as I shut the front door behind her and drag her forward. "This isn't Joel, Ronnie."

My friend's gaze bounces like a ping pong ball between us. "Huh?"

"Ronnie, this is Jude, Joel's brother."

"What?!" She rears back, clearly more confused than ever.

"I need to go," Jude says before he darts off the porch toward his car while I take Ronnie's face in my hands. As much as I want to stop the guy I just made out with from leaving and force him to acknowledge what just happened between us, I can't allow my best friend to think I'm a homewrecker. Or that Joel is. Ugh.

"Listen to me," I tell her. "There's a secret I haven't told you. And I will explain everything, but I need you to promise you won't tell another soul, okay? I did not just kiss Joel. That's the first thing you need to understand."

"Okay…" Her eyes are wide and searching.

"Jude came to the party as his brother. He—"

The front door opens again, and Archer pokes his head out. "Everything okay out here?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ronnie squeaks. "Just chatting. With my bestie." She hooks an arm around my neck and I wince.

"Yeah, just girl talk. You know." I hike one shoulder up in the most false, nonchalant way ever, and Archer eyes me like I've grown a second head.

"Uh, okay. I'll just…" He doesn't even finish his sentence before he slips back inside and shuts the door.

Ronnie and I breathe sighs of relief, then face each other. "Look," I begin again, "there's a lot to unpack here—"

"Sorry to interrupt." Jude's voice gets our attention, and I turn, wondering why the heck he didn't escape when he had the chance. "But my truck—well, my brother's truck—has a flat." He glances between us with the world's worst puppy dog eyes. He's like a golden retriever that got kicked out of the house for bad behavior.

"So you're not…" Ronnie starts, then gestures between us.

"He's not Joel, I promise." Her eyes narrow on me, then I say, "Listen, let me get Jude out of here before something worse happens. I'll explain everything to you tonight on the phone. Just please please don't say anything to anyone about this. Not even Archer."

"Okay, I won't," she concedes with a sigh.

"As far as you know, Joel came to the party, but left early. They'll probably just assume it had to do with Gwen being sick, or because he had to leave and deal with the flat." I glance from Jude to Ronnie. "Will Archer be okay with Joel's truck sitting here until he can get it towed?"

She nods and waves me on. "Yes, it's no biggie. Just go. And don't forget to call me."

I give her one last grateful look before she heads inside, then turn and brush past Jude, jostling his shoulder as I do. "Come on, let's go."