“No.”
“I find that sad.” Indeed, she looked quite forlorn.
Stunned, Tom simply peered at Jude as she dug in her purse for her door key.
She got the door opened and unlocked and stood to one side, her body language relaxed and inviting. “Well? Have you caught your breath yet?”
How could he tell her that the stairs had nothing to do with it, that she was the one who took his breath away?
“Are you ready to come inside where it’s warm or is the allure of winning just too much for you to consider an alternative path?”
“Jude.” Any residual air leaked from his lungs on that solo word.
“Come inside.” She took him by the hand—he didn’t resist—and led him into the foyer, closing the door behind them.
His heart thumped wildly in his chest as the moment unfolded. She moistened her lips. He lowered his head. She made a small helpless noise low in her throat.
Screw the bet.
He was out. O.U.T. He didn’t care about his competition with Dirk anymore. Jude was all that mattered. His only goal was to make her happy.
Tom kissed her gently, drawing her tongue into his mouth but dropping his hands, and he knew to the depths of his soul that this wasn’t just sex.
It was—
Well, he didn’t know what it was. Didn’t know how to label it. But whatever was happening, he wanted it to go on and on forever.
The wildest and best sex he’d ever had was nothing compared to Jude’s mouth on his. He ached to be inside her, but a warm, quiet joy beyond his experience overpowered him. He could hardly breathe; his knees were trembling.
The first time he’d run a four-minute mile, he’d had the flu. He’d been terrified every step, afraid he’d get sick in front of the crowd at the track meet, afraid he’d disgrace himself and fail his team. He’d exerted himself to the max, his feet sprouting wings because he was desperate. That race was nothing compared to the effort it took to pull away from Jude.
“I can’t,” he whispered.
“Forget the bet,” she coaxed, running her tongue along his jaw, encouraging him to throw caution to the wind.
“This isn’t about the bet.”
“You sure about that?”
“This is about you and me.” He paused. “Us.”
“What about us?” She stiffened in his arms.
“It’s too soon. We need time to get to know each other. I want to enjoy every second of this.”
“So let’s start now,” she cooed, her wicked little tongue flicking his earlobe.
It took every ounce of willpower inside him, but he stepped away from her amazing mouth. “No.”
“Why not?”
“You’re too nice for this,” he said.
“For what?”
“Meaningless sex.”
“It would be meaningless to you?”
No, no, it wouldn’t and that was the problem. “You think you want casual sex, but trust me, you don’t. You’re just not built that way, Jude.”
“You don’t get to make that decision.”
“I can’t stop you from having sex, but I can stop you from having sex with me.”
“Be honest. You won’t have sex with me because you care too much about winning.” There was a tremor in her voice and her eyes looked stricken.
She was hurt.
He’d hurt her and it crushed him.
“Dirk is right. Winning is all you care about. You are who you are. You’re a competitive guy. I can’t change you. Honestly, I don’t want to change you.”
Clearing his throat, Tom said the truest thing he knew. “I do care about winning.” He paused to laser his gaze straight through her. “I care about winning…you.”
“I’m not a prize to be won,” she said. “But this is my fault.”
“How’s that?”
She set her chin and held on to his gaze, a desperate light coming into her eyes. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”
His chest tightened and he bit down on his bottom lip, suddenly filled with apprehension. “About what?”
“I was supposed to get you so turned on tonight that we either had sex or you went home and broke your vow of celibacy.”
“Wait.” Tom shook his head and frowned, confused. “What?”
“When Dirk and I went out the other night…” She stopped to inhale a huge breath. “He told me how damaging your competitive spirit had become to both of you.”
“My competitive spirit?”
“He wants to stop the way you two try to outdo each other. He’s over it. He’s ready to grow up and leave the past in the past.”
“And you believe him?”
“I do.” Jude notched her chin upward and met his gaze, but she couldn’t hold it for long. “He says your rivalry, which was fun in the beginning, has become toxic.”
“Me? He’s the one who made the damn bet!”
It took a moment for Tom to register what she said. She and Dirk were in cahoots? They’d been talking about him behind his back. No, not just talking about him, scheming against him.
“Dirk is sincere,” she said. “He proposed the entire bet in order to show you how silly this competitiveness between you had gotten. He truly wants out.”
“And that’s why he recruited you into trying to get me to violate the terms of the wager.”
“We did the same thing to him last night.”
“I can’t believe this. Dirk is manipulating you.”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Yes.” He nodded fiercely. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. Tell me exactly what Dirk told you.”
“Honestly, by getting so agitated, you’re proving his point.” Jude pursed her lips.
“Of course I’m getting agitated. You were conspiring with my enemy.”
She let out a long sigh and lightly scratched her temple. “It wasn’t like that at all. Dirk was worried about you and asked me to help him help you.”
Okay, he couldn’t really get mad at her. She was naïve. Gullible. She didn’t know Dirk the way he did.
“He’s a puppet master. His goal is to win. Always and forever.”
“Dirk said that you would say that.”
“Can’t you see how he’s gotten you wrapped up in the competition?” Tom asked. “It’s insidious. His need to win.”
“And you don’t have that same driving need?”
Tom couldn’t say no to that. Once upon a time, he’d been as ruthless as Dirk. “How can I prove to you that I’m no longer interested in Dirk’s stupid bet?”
She cast a glance at her bedroom door.
His heart was in his throat. “Are you suggesting—”
“Show me the truth of who you are at heart. Stay. Spend the night with me.”
“No.” He raised his hands and backed up toward the door. “This isn’t you, Jude. Dirk has gotten into your head and convinced you to see things his way.”
“Oh, Tom.” She looked so incredibly sad, as if her heart were breaking. “Do you seriously think I would go to bed with you just to help Dirk win the competition?”