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He would have turned on a light, but she stopped him. “No. I like it like this.”
She fumbled in the back pockets of her jeans and pulled out her cell phone. He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip and swayed a bit, her fingers scrolling through the device until she found what she wanted. She set the phone down on the small table next to sofa, and a bluesy song about Tennessee whiskey filled the room.
She slid up against him, and his arms automatically went around her. Ruby fit against Travis as if she were made for his body. Hips just where they were supposed to be. Soft breasts swelling against his chest. Head on his shoulder. Heart beating next to his.
Travis held on, and the two of them swayed to the song, which repeated at least three times before her phone died. And still they moved, Ruby melted into Travis, his chest so damn tight, it was a miracle he could breathe.
He wasn’t sure how long they were like that. How long her body breathed into his. How long his arms wrapped themselves around her possessively. It could have been ten minutes or twenty. An hour or two. All that Travis knew was that he didn’t want it to end. He would have stayed that way forever, except Ruby sniffled and her body shuddered slightly.
Travis’s eyes flew open, and he realized she’d stopped moving. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
“Hey,” he whispered, moving slightly so he could see her face. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and as he slid his hand along her jawline, a big fat one rolled down and slid across his thumb. “Babe, what’s wrong?” Had he done something inappropriate?
“I loved you, Travis. So much.” She sniffled again. “Too much.”
His heart tumbled over, and his stomach dropped. Travis felt sick and ashamed that he was responsible for her pain.
“Remember how we danced at our wedding?” She blinked, and another tear fell. “In the parking lot of the courthouse. Remember that?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He nodded. She’d worn a simple white dress, and it had rained. Her long hair was plastered to her skin, and mud splattered along the hemline, but she didn’t care. She smiled at him, and his world was complete.
Until it wasn’t. Until he screwed it up.
“There was this young couple at the bar tonight.” She smiled and looked away, but it was a small, sad smile, and it made his heart ache. “They reminded me of us. They looked so in love and sure of themselves. So confident that nothing will tear them apart and they’ll get their forever. We looked like that once.” Her eyes met his again. “We thought we were forever, but it only lasted two years.” Her bottom lip trembled. “This won’t work. Whatever this is between us. You know that, right?”
Travis finally managed to find his voice. “Ruby, you’ve had a lot to drink.”
She nodded. “I have.”
“So maybe we shouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
“I think right now is the perfect time.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but she pressed her fingers over his mouth and shook her head.
“We won’t work, Travis, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have options.”
“Ruby—”
“No. I want you to listen to me.” She swayed against him, clutching at his chest. “I’ve thought a lot about this. When are you leaving Crystal Lake?”
He stared down at her, not really sure where she was headed. “Beginning of September, I guess.”
She hiccupped. “Okay. So we’ve got a month or so to enjoy ourselves. But on my terms.”
“When you say enjoy…” Travis wasn’t so sure he liked what he was hearing. This sounded calculated. He didn’t do calculated. He was more of an organic kind of guy.
“You’re going to take me inside, and we’re going to have sex.” She paused. “And then we’re going to have it again, and if you’re real lucky, maybe one more time.” She thumped him in the chest. “And that’s just tonight.”
He studied her carefully. “This is about sex.”
“Pretty much.”
“You want to use me for sex.”
“I think we’re using each other, don’t you?”
Nope. No way. He started to shake his head because this was all wrong. What the hell was she saying?
