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Forever.In her recent history, that was a word that had become meaningless. Then she’d met Heath and things started to change. “I love having your hands all over me.”
He reached past her for a bar of soap and rolled it in his hands, his arms threaded under hers. He spread the creamy lather up her stomach, then over her breasts, his hands slowly working in circles, rubbing her nipples with the palms of his hands. Ruby reached above her head and clasped her hands back behind his neck, giving him complete access to every inch of her torso. She pressed her bottom harder against his steely length, wagging her hips back and forth. Heath groaned his approval into her neck, then rinsed off one of his hands. He caressed her belly, then slid his fingers lower, spreading her delicate folds until he found her center. He rubbed in languid circles while he cupped one of her breasts with his other hand. The pressure was building so fast in her body it was hard to think straight, especially as the hot water streamed down her thighs. Heath started to move faster. Harder. And that made the tension tighter, winding and winding, completing a circuit between her clit and her nipple, until finally it all peaked. She knocked her head back against Heath’s shoulder and cried out.
He slowed his hand between her legs, then turned her in his arms. She kissed him deeply as the waves of pleasure were still rolling over her. “That was amazing.”
“Think of it as the first course.”
“I don’t care how good the food is at Sheen, it’s definitely notthatgood.”
Heath chuckled. “Let me get cleaned up and we can see exactly how good it can get around here.”
Ruby grabbed the bar of soap and spread silky bubbles across his firm chest while he worked shampoo through his hair. Even after that dizzying orgasm, she still hadn’t had enough of him. She needed everything. He rinsed off the soap, then turned off the water. As they stepped out of the shower, the bathroom felt just as warm, so they didn’t bother with towels and instead wrapped up in each other’s arms. Their slick wet skin rubbed together as he walked her backward to the vanity.
Ruby reached back for the counter, but Heath went one better, cupped her butt in his hands and lifted her. The cool stone counter made her arch her back, which only left her closer to him. She coiled her legs around his waist, dug her hands into his wet hair, kissing him as their tongues wound together and water went everywhere. “Condom?” she had the presence of mind to ask.
“Yes. Right here.” He opened a cabinet and pulled out a small box, then rolled the condom onto himself. He wasted no time, grabbing her hips and pulling her to the edge of the counter, then guiding himself inside. Their gazes connected while he did it, and the intensity of that moment overwhelmed her. There was nothing else in the world other than Heath at that moment. His first strokes were slow and deep, and she dug her heels into his ass, wanting him even closer. She could tell from his breaths and facial expressions that he was already close. His eyes kept drifting shut and his lips were slack. She pushed against him harder with the motion of her hips. She didn’t want him to be gentle, caring Heath. She wanted him to unleash whatever it was that drove him to do some of the things he did. The things people hated him for. He read her intent and drove into her faster, sending her barreling toward her second peak. She leaned back and flattened her hands on the vanity, if only to counter the force of his thrusts. She smiled when she noticed how he was momentarily hypnotized by the bounce of her breasts.
Ruby was so close to the brink that she could taste it. She couldseeit. And then, finally, with one more stroke, her torso jerked forward and Heath followed, his breaths choppy and torn as he pulled her chest to his and they rode out the waves together. All that was left was quiet, warmth, and thethump thump thumpas his heartbeat matched hers. They were in sync. Blissfully so. And she knew then that she had fallen right off the cliff and into the waiting arms of Heath.
Nine
With every passing day, Ruby was growing closer to Heath. She was getting in a little deeper. At her strongest moments, when she was in his arms and the sun was shining and she saw the promise of a new day, it felt wonderful. It felt right. He was not only a surprise in her life, he was a gift. He made her remember how amazing it was to laugh with someone, so hard that your legs went weak and your stomach hurt. He reminded her how incredible it was to glance at another person, lock eyes and have an entire conversation without a single word exchanged. Those moments almost always ignited the passion between them. Time and place ceased to mean a thing. All that existed for Ruby was Heath and she wanted to think he felt the same way.
But there were times, usually in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep, that her feelings scared the hell out of her. It had hurt so much to lose Lucas. It changed her forever. Was she really ready to be all in with Heath? She truly wanted to be, but she shuddered to think how badly it would destroy her if things didn’t work out. That would feel like it had before. Like she was having her heart ripped out. She couldn’t live through that again. It almost killed her the first time.
Her biggest concern when she’d first met Heath had been his crusade against the Grandins and the Lattimores. She could not be with a man who was living a life that kept him looking backward, or at the very least always looking over his shoulder. Her only path was forward. It had taken her three years to figure that out. It was only after months and months of desperately longing for what had been that she’d learned that some things were gone forever. And there was nothing anyone could do about it. Some things simply had to be let go, with a reluctant uncurling of fingers as you allowed that person or vexing situation to simply slip away. It didn’t mean that you didn’t care. It didn’t mean that your love for someone wasn’t strong. It meant that your strength and energy needed to go into living.
Thankfully, Heath hadn’t brought up his dispute with the families since their night at the TCC, or if he did, it was only to crack a joke or make a dismissive comment under his breath, something that could be quickly cast aside. Ever since the day they’d run into each other in downtown Royal at the Rancher’s Daughter and they had lunch at the diner, her approach had been to keep him focused on Ashley’s foundation and the riding center. It genuinely excited him. It made him optimistic and enthusiastic. That was the Heath Thurston she adored. That was the man she had fallen for.
Tonight, they were going to dinner at Chelsea and Nolan’s apartment. In Ruby’s mind, this was going to be a big test. She really wanted to see how he interacted with Chelsea in a more intimate setting. The only other time she’d been with them both had been New Year’s Eve at the Texas Cattleman’s Club. They’d been congenial toward each other, but that was easy in a crowded celebratory setting with champagne flowing.
“I didn’t realize Nolan and Chelsea lived downtown,” Ruby said as she and Heath walked hand in hand from the spot where Heath had parked the car.
“Yep. They have a pretty cool loft, but it’s just a rental. They’re planning on breaking ground on a house in the spring. Chelsea was gifted twenty acres of the Grandin property on her twenty-first birthday.”
Ruby had to wonder if that was a hard pill for Heath to swallow. He’d spent so much time raging against the Grandin family, particularly about their property, and now his brother was going to go live on it? Plus, inheritance was at the core of what Heath had been pursuing all along. If Ashley was still alive and the Grandins had acknowledged her place in their family, she should have been given a similar birthday present. That couldn’t be an easy fact for Heath to accept. “Building a house from the ground up sounds exciting.”
“It is. They’ve got their whole lives ahead of them.” Heath pointed ahead to a door near the corner. “This is it.” He pressed a button for the intercom and moments later they were buzzed into the building.
“Building a house also sounds like a lot of work,” Ruby added as they entered a stairwell and headed upstairs. “I can’t imagine having to pick everything out. Tile, flooring, paint colors, appliances. It would be exhausting.”
“So says the woman who redid her entire home. On her own. Most people would say that was impossible. I still can’t believe you did that.”
“It helped me move ahead. Just like you have the riding center and Ashley’s foundation. It’s basically the same thing.”
“I suppose you’re right. It’s good to focus on something positive.”
It warmed Ruby from head to toe to know that Heath was focusing on the good. It helped her believe that they could have a future together. A few weeks ago, that would have been a scary thought, but so much had happened since then. Every day was another step toward something more lasting.
When they arrived at Nolan’s door, Heath gave it a knock, but never let go of Ruby’s hand. Nolan was quick to answer with Chelsea at his side. They both erupted in an eager welcome, ushering Ruby and Heath inside.
“Oh, wow,” Ruby said as she got her first glimpse of their apartment. As Heath had mentioned, it was a true loft, with an open space containing a living room area at its heart, an open kitchen on the far wall, and a bedroom area in one corner, complete with a king bed. It had a casual sophistication to it that Ruby really liked—a blending of comfort, color and style. “What a cool space. I love it.”
“Thank you,” Chelsea said. “We won’t be here too much longer, but it works.”
“Heath mentioned that you’re about to break ground on the house you’re building on your family’s property. How exciting.”
Chelsea and Nolan looked into each other’s eyes with nothing less than pure adoration. “I can’t wait,” Nolan said. “We can’t start a family living here. And we’re really eager to get pregnant.”
