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Chapter5
Ruth
Tate leads me into the house that he owns on the edge of town. Two streets off of Main Street and a large, beautiful Victorian with a huge porch. A white-painted swing hangs from chains with a gorgeous gray plaid cushion and pillows.
My head swings to study him and he ignores me. This home doesn’t fit the man I know. He’s a bachelor. He lives alone. This house is a large family home with a comfortable vibe that he doesn’t give off to me.
He lets me walk ahead of him through the door and the house has a light, airy feel with an open room that’s broken up into little vignettes for different seating. It’s decorated in neutral tones of gray with the accent colors of white and a deep green. Big, fluffy cushions and soft chairs. It’s just lovely and I can’t reconcile it with the hard man in front of me.
“This is…very nice.”
His lip curls and he shoots me a glare. “I bought it furnished. I just haven’t had time to change it.”
“Do you want to change it?” He ignores me and a big smile flashes across my face.
“You like it, don’t you?” I sing-song to him.
“Oh for heaven’s sake! Let me show you your room for the night. I have to get up early in the morning and it’s already pretty late.”
I nod but I can’t stop the smirk. He ignores me, leading me upstairs and down a long hall that runs along an open wall overlooking the downstairs. I feel at home in this space and my tense body slowly relaxes.
He opens a door and waves me through. I enter and immediately feel at home. This room is a light, airy aqua color with a quilt with blocks of different flower patterns on it. The pillows are covered with soft white shams with lacy edges.
“It was already decorated too. I hope you’ll be comfortable here. I’ll let you get some rest.” He nods at me and shuts the door behind himself. I explore the tranquil space, including the attached bathroom that’s decorated with beige and green checks. The sheer shower curtain is covered with a green vine pattern.
I can feel my whole spirit relaxing. I’m tempted by the big soaker tub in the corner but I’m so tired that I just wash my face and brush my teeth with a plastic-wrapped toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. When I open the bathroom door, I find that he’s also left a t-shirt outside the bathroom door for me to sleep in.
I lift it to my face and breathe deep, luxuriating in that pine and spice masculine scent that’s him.
Hours later I wake to a crash and jerk upright, gasping for breath.He’s found me!
Then a bright white light flashes across the room and another deep rumble shakes the walls. I sit up and run my hands through my hair, unable to lie there and listen to the crashing discord of the storm raging outside the house.
Shivers dance over my overheated skin and I can’t lie down and go back to sleep.
I hear a bang outside the house and jump, screaming. The door flies open and I close my eyes, screaming even louder.
“Ruth! Ruth, it’s me! You’re alright, baby girl. It’s okay.” Strong hands grab my flailing arms and I slowly settle, sucking in great gulps of air.
I open my eyes and see his concerned, handsome face. He smiles slightly. “You alright?”
I nod my head jerkily, still half-asleep but rapidly coming back to myself. I feel his warm, strong hands on my arms and shiver. He backs away, leaving me sorry that he did. I want to feel his hands on me, rough and calloused. Want to feel him move over me. In me.
I just want him. But that can’t be right. I’m still pissed at him. I reach inside me, looking for that burning anger but I don’t find it. Not since he’s being doing his best to protect me. But even that’s not enough for me. I can’t stop craving him.
Oh shit! This is not good. I don’t want to get involved with another bossy, stubborn man. That’s how things started with Adam. Then it became a nightmare of angry questions repeated over and over again, looking for any small change in my story. Which all culminated in a black eye and bloody lip.
That’s where I finally drew the line. I’m nobody’s punching bag. I’m worth more than that.
“Ruth? Did you have a nightmare, baby?” His green eyes are dark in the dim light. Locked on me like a heat-seeking missile and I feel the burn of need all the way down to my pussy.
“Ummm.” My mind is scrambled. I can’t think. But finally I gasp out, “there was a loud crash on the back porch. By the patio doors. I-I guess I thought it was Adam. Silly huh?” I twist my fingers in the quilt, digging my nails in, struggling to bring myself under control.
I glance up and gasp. He’s only wearing a pair of boxers slung low on his lean, muscular hips. Wide, smooth, tanned shoulders. A light dusting of dark hair on his defined chest and abs that trails down into the boxers. My fingers itch to follow that happy trail down to see just how well-endowed he is.
Considering the push to the front of his boxer briefs, I’d say he’s pretty damn well-endowed. My tongue sticks to the roof of my suddenly dry mouth.
He follows my gaze and smirks. “I’m gonna go and check, see what that noise was. It was probably just the wind knocking something down on the back porch. But I’ll make sure.”
