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She exhaled and made her way down the hall, looking for Roman. He stayed away when Ruby was taking care of Olivia — getting her dressed in the morning, giving her a bath at night — but Ruby had a feeling it was more Roman trying to be considerate than not wanting to participate.
She saw the way he looked at Olivia — at both of them — when he thought no one was looking. There was a kind of longing in his eyes.
And love. That was there too, not just for Ruby but for Olivia.
The space was a typically thoughtful gesture, letting Ruby set the pace, letting Ruby decide if and when to involve Roman, especially since Ruby was still trying to figure out their future, or lack thereof.
He’s obviously brainwashed you.
Her dad’s words echoed in her mind, the flash of disappointment on his face.
That had hurt the worst. She’d always been the good girl, the one who religiously followed the rules while Brooke ran wild.
Looking back, she realized it had never felt quite right. Her good-girl persona had been a kind of armor, a way to shield herself from the pain of loss, something that seemed way more likely when you were playing fast and loose with the rules, as if she might be struck by a karmic bolt of thunder at any minute just for stepping out of line.
Except her mom hadn’t stepped out of line. She’d been a good wife, a wonderful mother, a stellar human being.
And it hadn’t offered her an ounce of protection when the bullets started flying.
Roman wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room so Ruby made her way down the other hall, the one that housed the guest bedrooms, Roman’s office, the playroom.
Light leaked from the open door of his office.
She found him at his desk, laptop open in front of him, long fingers flying over the keyboard.
“Hey,” she said, poking her head in from the hall. “Busy?”
“Not for you,” he said, straightening and pushing back from the desk.
She crossed the sleek, masculine room, walls painted a broody dark gray, furniture clean-lined and modern. It was like a swanky hotel, and Ruby had to admit that his decorator was good. The loft was a little sterile for Ruby’s taste, but it was luxurious and well appointed.
And safe, like a five-star bunker.
“Come here,” he said when she approached the desk.
She walked around it and he pulled her onto his lap. Her pulse immediately sped up, her breath hitching in her chest. He had that effect on her and even more now that Olivia was living in the loft.
They hadn’t had much time alone, and when they had, it had been to talk about Olivia and how she was adjusting, about the latest losses in Roman’s business, the newest tally of injuries and property damage that ate into Roman’s cash reserves on an almost-hourly basis.
She wasn’t alone in her desire. She could already feel Roman’s cock, hard under her ass, as he closed his arms around her waist.
“Good,” she said. “Sleeping.”
“You don’t say,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
She smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck.
“You smell good,” he murmured, kissing his way along her throat.
“Hmmm, I bet. Like baby shampoo and bubble bath I bet.”
His laughter was deep and throaty, another match to the already-lit fuse of her desire.
“I’ve fucking missed you, Ruby.” He slid a hand between her thighs and her pussy throbbed as he stroked leisurely over her jeans while his other hand slid under her pale blue sweater. He spoke softly, like he was afraid Olivia might hear even though she was all the way down the other hall and sound asleep according to the baby monitor. “I’ve missed your mouth. Missed your sweet little pussy.”
Ruby squirmed in his lap, trying to satisfy the sexual itch that was growing by the minute at her center.
He groaned and rubbed one of her nipples over her bra. “Be a good girl or I might have to bend you over this desk and give you a spanking.”
