Iwake up with my cock in my fist, images of Ruby’s lips wrapped around it, and the realization that I’m in deep trouble.
Even a cold shower doesn’t shake the niggling feeling in the back of my brain, so I get dressed, make myself a coffee, and wait.
When Ruby appears, padding quietly into the kitchen, all my suspicions are confirmed.
I didn’t imagine the sexual tension between us in the moments before she shut her bedroom door. It’s been slowly simmering since before the wedding, and there’s no other explanation as to why she's dressed in sweatpants, a thick, heavy sweater, and a scarf. It’s April and notthatcold outside.
In contrast, I’m sitting in a T-shirt and pajama bottoms.
Rather than getting out of bed, she looks like she’s returned from an Arctic expedition.
I'm tempted to tell her not to flatter herself, but that would be a lie. She’s not flattering herself enough.
My brain and my dick are in agreement—Ruby is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. But that doesn’t mean I’ll jumpher bones at the first available opportunity. I'm a gentleman, and not untoward. In fact, I'm very muchtoward.
“Good morning.”
She startles, rubbing sleep from her eyes, and peers at me warily. “Good morning.”
“I didn't expect to see you up quite so early after yesterday.”
“Couldn't sleep. Jet lag. Still alive, though?—”
“I see that.” I lift my coffee cup and salute her achievement, and she eyes it greedily. I stand and pull one of the kitchen chairs out, gesturing for her to sit. “I’ll make you one.”
She shakes her head so hard, I get dizzy. “No, I can do it.”
I shrug and sit back down. “Suit yourself. There’s a fresh pot.”
“The bath helped,” she says, pouring out a mug. I watch as she tops it up with Jersey milk and adds two spoonfuls of sugar. “Thank you?—”
“My pleasure.”
“Sorry, I didn’t come down for dinner. I crashed,” she offers, unraveling herself from her scarf. But she doesn’t meet my eyes, which only reinforces my belief that she’s avoiding me for a more compelling reason.
“No problem. I figured. The jet lag will pass. It usually takes a couple of days.”
Taking the seat I pulled out for her, we sit in silence, drinking our coffee. And weirdly, even though it probably should be awkward, given this is our first morning together, it’s not. I don’t know what Ruby’s living situation has been up until now, but since Max was born and Hendricks moved back to Burlington, I’ve lived alone. I’m content alone. I’ve never liked girls staying over, but this is . . .nice.
“I probably should apologize. I think I was quite hard on you?—”
“You weren’t.”
“Well, I pushed you. I need to see what you’re capable of. We don’t have long.”
She puts down her coffee mug. Leaning into the table, she glowers. “You need to push me. Don’t give me special treatment because of this.” Her hand flicks between us. “I want to make it, and I won’t if you go easy on me.”
She probably won’t believe me if I tell her I never had any intention of going easy on her. “Okay. I won’t go easy.”
“Thank you,” she replies, though not unbegrudgingly. “I know I grumbled, but yesterday was incredible. I’ve never had a lesson like that.” She purses her lips to blow the steam still rising off her coffee.
The images I woke up to loop around in my brain, and I have to shift my pajama pants.
“Good . . .” I cough, pushing away thoughts that don’t belong anywhere before breakfast, and absorb the warmth in my chest her words bring me. “That still doesn’t mean we need to go over to the yard quite so early. I thought you might like a tour of Valentine Nook.”
Her eyes widen as she considers it. “Yes, that sounds good. Maverick’s always in a bad mood if he’s woken up too early, anyway.”
I’m tempted to quip that it sounds like he takes after his mistress, but I decide she might not find my sense of humor quite as amusing as I do, especially as it’s still only eight o’clock.
