Page 106 of The Dom with a Safeword

“What are you doing here?” she heard Q demand from the living room.

Sabrina dropped to the floor to clean up the mess.

“I need to talk to both of you,” Jude answered.

After scooping the onions into the towel and tossing them in the garbage, she placed the pan into the sink then rushed back to Q and Jude. She came to a decision. No matter what Jude had said, she couldn’t put her hands back in his – couldn’t trust him that easily.

World War Three was about to break loose. She stood between them, but closer to Q – she knew her allegiance.

“Jude.” Q sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You can’t just pop in like this. You don’t know what it does to…” She paused. “Sabrina.”

Sabrina tossed her an irritated look.

“I’m not just popping in,” he said. He inhaled deeply then exhaled. “I want to take you two home.”

“Home?” Sabrina snorted.

Q tilted her head, looking skeptical. “Home? What do you mean?”

He shrugged then stared at the floor. “Well. When I have one. Which I’m working on. And some contracting jobs.” Lifting his head, he gave both of them a long look, his eyes pools of hope. “But none of that matters right now.” His brow furrowed as he zeroed in on Q’s neck.

Sabrina followed his gaze and saw it. A bruise, leftover from jerk face Dom, right next to her collarbone. Q’s face turned pink as she placed her hand over it.

“Is there someone else?” he asked, his voice husky.

Q shook her head. “No. There’s no one else, but…” She swallowed hard.

Sabrina jumped in to help. “I agree with Q,” she said, stepping toward Jude, placing herself between him and Q. “I just got her put back together. It’s been…difficult.” She felt her voice start to choke up too. Oh god, and here she was trying to be strong for Q!

“I messed up,” he blurted, frowning. “I’ve been miserable without my girls.” He took a step toward them. “I missed you so much. I didn’t realize how much you meant to me until…” His voice trailed off with a funny sound. And were his eyes watering?

Sabrina looked at Q. “If he starts singing Big Yellow Taxi, I’m gonna faint.”

But Q only had eyes for Jude. Not googly ones – guarded but hopeful. Maybe…maybe, could she hope too?

“I quit school,” he said. “I made Fredrick an offer on the house.”

Kerthunk. That statement hit home. He meant this then? He quit school. Can’t go back after that, right? She felt her body lean a little, toward Jude.

Q said nothing. She wished she was telepathic and could know what she was thinking. Taking her lead, she just stared.

Jude shifted. He lunged and captured Q’s hand, ignoring her gasp. Then he grabbed Sabrina’s. Oh fuck. She closed her eyes, enjoying the rough feel of his skin against hers. She felt the sting of rising tears.

His grip tightened, like he didn’t want to give them a chance to get away. Like he was desperate.

Like I am.

“I know I’ve been an ass, but I just couldn’t respond to your emails. I knew if I did, I wouldn’t be able to let go like I needed to. Or thought I needed to. It was supposed to be just for the summer, but I can’t get the two of you out of my head. Could we try again? See if we can make things long-term?”

Sabrina couldn’t hold back big sobbing tears. “I missed you so much.” Her lip trembled.

He beamed at her, then turned, bent his head as if to meet Q’s downcast gaze. “Q? Will you give us a chance?”

“You quit med school because of us? Are you an idiot?” When Q’s eyes came back up, an angry storm brewed. “And you might have won Sabrina back fast, but I’m a harder sell.”

“I never wanted to go to med school, Q. Quitting was about me, not about you two. If anything, you made me realize that being happy and being successful don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The fact that I’ve been miserable without you both – that I realized I made a huge mistake by leaving like I did – well, I guess that’s about me too. Would you even think of taking me back? How can I prove to you that I’m a mess without you two? I think about you day and night. I can’t eat. I feel like there’s a hole where my heart was.”

Q’s jaw clenched and she wiped tears away with a gesture of annoyance. Sabrina waited. Jude sucked in a breath. Finally, she nodded. “If you break Sabrina’s heart again, I’ll do worse than knee you in the balls.”