When You're With Me by Wendi Zwaduk

with his hand and peeked through his fingers. “You’ll hold me during the scary parts. I’m a wuss in badass clothing.”
    She bit her bottom lip, but giggles spilled forth. “I doubt that, but I could probably offer you some assistance.”
    Ramon joined in her laughter and touched his forehead to hers. “My sweet girl.”

    * * * *

    Two hours and one bag of ranch chips later, Ramon flicked the television off. Jude sighed and snuggled closer to him. His gaze roamed along her prone body. She had every right to be asleep—she worked a crazy schedule in order to pay her bills and, with Tiny’s intrusions, worried herself into a frazzle.
    He, on the other hand, was wide awake, although it was nearly two in the morning. He brushed the crumbs off his shirt and yanked the blanket from the end of the bed over their bodies.
    Jude snuggled closer to him as though they did so every night and rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed and went still. His heart did flip-flops—could she love him? He stared at the stark white ceiling trying to digest the events of the past three days.
    She trusts me.
    His heart screamed love and his head vehemently ignored it. This encounter was only supposed to befor her to recuperate after a long week. Then why did he want her to stick around in his life? Why take her to the farm and introduce her to his family?
    Ramon stared at the ceiling. If Tiny kept tabs on her, then what did she have to hide? A niggling feeling in his gut wouldn’t calm. Was he putting Jude in danger by choosing her? Was she in on the drug trade at the club? He doubted she sold the packets, but there was that inside chance she could be lying.
    Her hair tickled his jaw. Deep down in his gut, he knew she wasn’t in on the trade. Her involvement shouldn’t matter, but it did. Damn it. He cared about her. He cared too damn much. She made him laugh, think and burn with a white-hot passion he’d never known he possessed. And they hadn’t even made love yet.
    Ramon wrestled with his feelings and thought about his former lovers and ex-wife. With Nat it had been love, hadn’t it? No, he’d wanted to be with her because she’d had the qualities of a stable mother. Theirs had been more of a tepid friendship than a sizzling love affair. Nat had felt sorry for him. She hadn’t wanted him to be alone so she’d given in for that miserable year.
    What about Carlie? He’d thought he’d loved her…but had he really? Not in the least. They couldn’t stand to be in the same room together unless they were naked.
    But Christ, this thing with Jude… It wasn’t even supposed to happen. Getting involved with someone while undercover…
    He was so fucked.
    Ramon tucked his free arm behind his head then kissed the top of Jude’s head. Her silky hair tickled his cheek once again and her light scent danced in his brain. She draped her jean-clad leg across his. Her breath was light and warm against his skin. His heart leapt. Even in sleep, she had the ability to turn him inside out. And they had yet to make love… Damn, thinking about sex with Jude gave him a boner.
    What made her ‘the one’?
    He wanted to adore and protect Jude. He craved her love in return. How could he show her how desperately he needed her to need him? Jude was the type of woman he could be with forever. She was his ideal vision of the mother of his children.
    Would she agree?
    Because of the early hour and his lack of sleep, irrational thoughts entered his head and wreaked havoc with his common sense. What if she only wanted him as a means to escape the wrath of Tiny? What if she figured out he wasn’t just a bouncer? She wouldn’t use him to escape punishment, would she? What if…?
    He looked at the clock.
    Two-nineteen in the morning.
    Ramon closed his sleepy eyes involuntarily and pushed the silly, irrational thoughts from his mind. He’d deal with those things in the morning. For now, he’d revel in his precious time with his Jude.

    * * * *

    Jude