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As the men enter the shelter by a back door, Tank looks back over the parking lot. He has the strangest sensation like something big is just around the corner. He’s had similar intuition in the past while on missions over seas. He has learned to pay special attention when he feels this way. Little things he might not normally notice could be the very thing to save his life or one of his teammates’ lives. Once inside the shelter, the men enter the cafeteria, surprising the women waiting on their coffee.
“Where’s Abigail?” Straw asks as Tank and the other men reach the women sitting at tables near the front of the room.
“Oh, you just missed her. Elise, Daisy, Abigail, and Emma went with Ruby to get coffee and doughnuts at a bakery just down the street,” Charlotte answers. “And don’t worry, I told them to get plain black coffee and plenty of doughnuts for you guys. They just left, so it will be a few minutes before they get back. Jolene and I are going over some of ideas for the fundraiser.”
“Who’s Ruby?” Deadeye asks suspiciously. Never one to take his wife’s safety lightly, Deadeye doesn’t seem to be pleased to learn she has left with someone they don’t know.
“Ruby is helping with the fundraiser,” Jolene answers. “I’ve known her a couple of years. She’s a good person, Deadeye. No need for you to be worried about Ruby harming the women.” Deadeye nods at Jolene, seeming to accept her answer. The men have known Jolene for several years. She’s proven to be an astute, capable woman in her own right. The men sit down around the table waiting for the rest of the group to return. Charlotte and Jolene fill them in on their preliminary plans. As they happily chat away about inconsequential things Tank begins to feel restless. He decides he will go see if he can help the women carry their purchases. An intense feeling is driving him to get up and do something.
Tank tells Straw of his intention to go help the women and then gets up, heading across the cafeteria toward the front of the shelter where the women should be entering the shelter upon their return. He is startled when the door flings open, and the most beautiful little slip of a woman with ruby red hair collides into his chest. His hands fly out to catch her before she falls on her ass. As soon as his hands touch her, an electric shock shoots through him, traveling up both arms and settling in his chest. Tank’s heard the other men talk about meeting their women for the first time. The immediate connection they felt. Instinctively he knows this is his moment. The woman raises her head to look up at him. Their eyes meet. Shock invades him. He knows instantaneously she’s his. He’s found her at last, and he has no intention of letting her go.
3
RUBY
The walk to and from the coffee shop is uneventful. Ruby and the women chat easily about the upcoming charity event. When they arrive back at the shelter, they are laughing at something Emma has said as they enter the cafeteria. Looking back over her shoulder at the other women, Ruby isn’t watching where she’s going. She pushes the cafeteria door open. Turning to enter the room, Ruby hits a brick wall. A sharp cry of surprise escapes her lips as strong hands grip her biceps, steadying her on her feet. A jolt of electricity runs through her from the stranger’s touch. Her body suddenly electrified as if she’s put her finger in a light socket. Her face is plastered into a hard wall of muscle.
“Whoa there! You all right?” The deepest, most sensuous male voice Ruby has ever heard is vibrating in her ear. She raises her head to see with whom she has collided, but she has to keep looking up and up to finally meet chocolate brown eyes sparkling with humor. Ruby’s whole body is promptly attuned to the alpha male holding her to his body. It’s like an electrical current is running between them, setting her body ablaze. The man is seriously tall, well over six feet by at least five inches, maybe more. His dark brown hair is short on the sides, a little longer on top. Enough to be combed over to one side. His nose is a little crooked, and she wonders how it'd been broken. Despite multiple little scars scattered across his face, his sharp chiseled features make her think of a Greek sculpture she’d seen in a museum with her mother, years ago.
“I asked if you are all right?” he inquires again as Ruby stares up at the handsome man. Her voice seems to have left her. His question startles her out of her musings. She attempts to take a step back but is caught tight in his embrace. He quirks an eyebrow up at her, smiling, and she realizes she still hasn’t answered his question. She swallows. Her mouth suddenly as dry as the Mohave desert. She tries licking her lips before responding. His eyes dart to her lips and dilate with desire at her simple gesture. Her breath hitches. Her nipples peak, moisture flooding from her lower lady parts.What the hell?
She really needs to get a hold of herself. She’s never had such an acute reaction to a member of the opposite sex. Clearing her throat, Ruby finally finds her voice. “I-I’m fine…Ex-excuse me. I wasn’t watching where I was going,” she finally manages to stammer. His intense gaze holding her captive.
“No harm done, beautiful. It would take more than a tiny, little thing like you to take me down.” The man is smiling at her with such warmth, she is again at a loss for words. Damn he’s devastatingly handsome. How can a man look so good? It really should be illegal. He looks good enough to eat. Ruby suddenly realizes she is crushing the bag of muffins between her and the handsome man. She pulls back, and after what seems to take longer than it should, he releases her, allowing her to back away.
The other women are oblivious to Ruby’s plight as they hurry across the room to a group of equally handsome men. Ruby has never had the pleasure of being around so many super sexy, hot men before. She feels out of place. Her companions have zeroed in on the men sitting around the tables on the other side of the room. She watches as each one heads toward one of the men. Said men, promptly wrap their arms around their woman and kiss her. Ruby’s faces flushes with embarrassment witnessing such an intimate moment among practical strangers. While she has spent a couple of hours with the women and enjoyed their company, she doesn’t know them all that well.
A large, warm, masculine arm wraps around her shoulders, startling her. She looks up to see the man, who has set her body on fire, smiling down at her.
“What’s your name, beautiful?” the man asks. His voice causing her body to respond once more with a visceral reaction. Closing her eyes briefly and taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Ruby manages to calm herself. Although deep breathing is the last thing she needs to be doing. His masculine scent causes her body to tingle in a very pleasant fashion.
“Ruby…my name is Ruby,” she replies somewhat shakily, hating herself for the lie, even though she knows it’s necessary. It’s never bothered her before to give her fake name, but for some unknown reason, she doesn’t want to lie to this man. Her reactions to him are unsettling to say the least. Never in her twenty-six years has she experienced such a reaction. Her mother had been over protective, never allowing Ruby to date as a teenager. She’d only gone out on a few dates during her time in college before her mother’s death. Being on the run the last six years hasn’t been conducive to developing relationships. Certainly not one she would allow herself to be so vulnerable that she could trust her body and her heart to another.
“Very nice to meet you Ruby,” the man says giving her another panty melting smile. “My name is Tucker, but everyone calls me Tank. You can use whichever you like, beautiful.” Ruby is so taken aback that he is again calling her beautiful she can only nod in response. “How about we go over and join everyone else?” he asks, glancing over at the other couples across the room.
“Yeah, we should do that,” she answers, “go join them.” She wants to smack her forehead and melt into the floor. She sounds like a babbling idiot. She can’t seem to speak coherently around him for some reason. Smiling at her as if he knows her thoughts, he begins to lead her across the room to the table where everyone else is gathered.
“Oh Ruby, I see you’ve met Tank!” Charlotte says to her with a wink as they reach the other couples. Ruby, feeling overwhelmed from all the strangers and testosterone in the room, manages to find her voice and reply to Charlotte’s comment.
“Yeah, I ran into him, literally,” Ruby blurts out, once again feeling foolish. Everyone has a good laugh. Even Ruby, despite her nerves still being frazzled and her body on fire, responding to Tank’s closeness. He doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to release her shoulders from his embrace. Ruby shifts uncomfortably until Abigail asks her to bring the muffins over to them. She gracefully ducks out from under his arm and takes the bags to the other side of the table.
Everyone takes a seat as Ruby is getting the muffins out of the bags, placing them on the table where they can take their pick. Emma is opening the large box of donuts they’d got for the men. When Ruby is finished setting out the tasty treats, she turns around to find the only seat left is next to Tank. She retrieves her coffee from Daisy and looks around nervously. Would it look really awkward if she pulls another chair over from across the room? Where will she put the chair if she does? Her eyes darting around, she realizes she’ll be making a scene if she does that. It would be way too obvious. For Heaven’s sake. she is a grown woman. She needs to stop acting like a teenager with her first crush and sit by the man.
Determined to not let him affect her anymore, Ruby starts back around the table. Her eyes meet his as she rounds the end of the table. He stands to pull out the seat next to him. He waggles his eyebrows at her suggestively with a smirk on his face. Unable to suppress the eye roll, she continues on and takes the seat he has indicated. The room is filled with chatter as the women and men are catching up on the events of the morning, so no one but Ruby hears what Tank whispers in her ear as he takes his seat, scooting his chair closer to hers.
“You surely didn’t think you could get away that easily did you, beautiful?” His deep voice causes a shudder of desire to run down her back and land in her lady parts. Ruby starts to protest when he continues. “I’m attracted to you, Ruby. I want you, little one, and I always get what I want. Make no mistake about it, Ruby. You’ll be mine, soon…very soon.” Shock runs through her. Her eyes widen in surprise as she turns to look at him. He doesn’t even know her, but he looks sincere. He settles back into his chair and sips his coffee. A confident look on his face. Seemingly certain that what he’s said will come to fruition.
Ruby sits in stunned silence as she gawks at him.What does that mean? Is he actually meaning he’s going to take her to bed?She should be pissed that he is so presumptuous to think that she’ll just fall into bed with him, but she isn’t. Ruby finds his words thrilling, and his dominance has gotten her motor running. She doesn’t want to admit it, but his self-assurance turns her on all the more. She feels likes she’s landed a starring role in one of the romance novels she loves to read. You know the ones where the dominant male takes command of his fated female getting her to submit to his base desires all the while doling out pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. Yeah, that’s exactly where Tank’s blunt statement has led Ruby’s thoughts. Images of him standing over her, while she’s on her knees at his feet, ready and willing to give him anything he wants. A quiver runs through her body.
Ruby takes a deep breath to settle herself. She must maintain control of her thoughts and her body. She is definitely attracted to Tank, but she can’t allow anything to transpire between them. It would be too dangerous for both of them. She’ll enjoy a few moments of his attention, but that’s all that can happen. Taking a sip of her coffee, she picks at the large chocolate chip muffin she has chosen. Her appetite is gone as she forces herself to remember why she can’t allow anyone to get too close…
* * *
Sittingin her father’s office, Mary’s stomach begins to churn. Her father’s words about the family business are evasive but hold a frightening undertone. She squirms in her seat as she waits for him to continue. Tony’s gaze remains focused on something behind her father’s head. No matter how many times she’s glanced at him, he’s not looked her way.
“Your mother felt you were too delicate to handle the full reality of our lives…” Antonio pauses. His eyes boring into her. “However, the time has come for you to become acquainted with the business…the family and take your place among us. That’s not to say you can’t continue to entertain us with your talents, but there’s a more urgent need I have of you, at the moment.” Her father looks away from her for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. Mary studies his face. He’s normally very closed off, but she catches a brief moment where he allows her to see some of the emotions running through him: grief, regret, but also determination. It is as this emotion flares in his eyes that he looks back to her. The look in his eyes terrifying her. For the first time in her life, she’s afraid of her father and what he’s about to say to her.
* * *
