The Bet by Max Monroe
Sophie
“No?” Jude repeats, and it’s then I realize that everything that’s running through my mind hasn’t come past my lips.
Besides that one word—no.
Oh my God, Sophie!
His face is shocked, and his blue eyes look so sad that it feels as if my heart is trying to pound its way out of my chest so it can be the one to tell Jude how I really feel.
“So, no?” he repeats again, shakes his head, and starts to move to get off his knee. “You don’t want—”
“Wait! That didn’t come out right!” I blurt and dive toward him so aggressively that I knock him backward onto the roof deck and my body lands on top of his.
“Holy hell, Soph,” Jude mutters, but I don’t give him time to say anything else.
“I love you, Jude!” I shout far too loudly, considering my face is just inches from his. “I’m in love with you!”
“You are?”
“I am.” I nod, and big, fat, elated tears start to stream down my cheeks.
This man just put everything on the line for me because he loves me. I’m certain I’ve never felt this kind of happiness inside my heart in my entire life.
His face pinches in confusion. “Then why the hell did you just say no to my proposal?”
“Not because I don’t want to marry you, because I do, Jude. I really, really do,” I answer with blunt honesty and a small, I know I’m a little crazy smile. “But just like you’re the guy who needed to propose to show his commitment, I’m the girl who needs to take it slow because of my messed-up view of marriage being this insane thing I need to achieve.”
“So…you want to marry me, but right now, you’re saying no?”
“Yes.”
An amused smile begins to lift his lips. “Yes, you’re saying no.”
“Correct.” God, my heart feels like it’s going to pump right out of my chest.
“So, let me get this straight. You love me and you want to be with me, and you even want forever with me, but you’re saying no to marrying me right now?”
I nod again, and my nose brushes against his. “Yes to all of those things.”
“But you love me?”
“I do, Jude. More than anything. I just want to be with you. No one else. Just you.”
“That’s all I want too, babe.”
“Because you love me?” I ask, even though I’m certain of his answer. I just want to hear him say it again.
“You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, Sophie. And you’re the only one I ever will.”
“Funnily enough, Jude, you’re my first love, too. Even with how badly I’ve always wanted it, I never actually let it happen until you came along.”
He wraps his arms around my back and holds me close. “Damn, it feels good hearing you say that.”
“Do you think that maybe now we seal this all with a kiss?”
He smirks. “Yes, among many other things that need to happen tonight because I’ve been missing you so bad.”
“I’ve missed you too.” I brush my lips against his. “I kept telling myself I would get through this, I would move on from you, but every day without you has felt harder than the one before it.”
“Well, my sweet Sophie, since you weren’t answering any of my calls or texts, I resorted to getting Winnie to help me stalk you because I missed you so much it was causing me physical pain.”
“Sounds like we were both a bit of a mess, huh?”
He nods and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “But it’s okay, because now, we have each other.”
“That’s right.” I stare deep into his eyes. “Now we have each other.”
He kisses me then, and our lips are persistent against each other. A mess of passion and relief and love. Oh-so-much love.
As our kisses grow more heated and uncontrolled, Jude rises to his feet, holding me tightly in his arms, and starts to walk toward the elevator. “I need you to know three things right now.”
“And what are those?”
“You don’t have a client to call. That was my sister playing investigator to find out where you were for me.”
I laugh. “Seriously?”
“What can I say?” He shrugs one shoulder. “I’m a man willing to do anything to be with the woman he loves.”
“And the other two things?”
“There’s not going to be much sleeping tonight.”
“Got it.” I giggle. “And what else?”
“One day soon, I’m going to get you to say yes.”
“Is that right?”
“So right that I’d bet everything on it.”
And I wouldn’t take that bet because I also know he’s right.
Jude and I, we’re not just wild sex and fun. No way.
We’re all the things. And we’re forever.