Page 118 of Heart & Hope

The thought of her having to go back to the city by herself rips me apart. Life is utter garbage some days. Some people sail through it, some have the weight of a thousand boulders to carry all by themselves. And I feel like the former used to be me. The latter, Ruby. What I wouldn’t give to haul her burden for her. But knowing Ruby Robbins, the most she is going to let me haul around is less than half.

I push back and tilt her head up with my hands cupping her face.

“Now, you listen to me, darlin’,” I say in my best Harry voice, “you work your magic and get that fancy party done. Leave the rest to me, you hear?”

She bursts out with a sobby laugh, picking up on the Harry talk. Her mouth wanders over my own a second later. God above, I love this girl.

I sink into the kiss and don’t let her go until she wriggles free, her hands sliding up my shirt and over my neck to my jaw. “What would I do without you, Reed James Rawlins?” Her finger brushes over my bottom lip, and she watches as I entwine my fingers through hers and plant a kiss to her palm. To her wrist.

“Reed,” she whispers.

“Yeah?” I rasp, all the blood from my clear-thinkin’ head already disappeared south.

“We should go,” she utters. But her eyes are hooded, her breaths short.

“We have a room at the inn?”

“Yes, same one as last time.”

“Hold tight.” I move back into my seat and tug the seatbelt over, clicking it in. She does the same, and we’re flying down Main Street a moment later, heading for the inn.

When the valet leaves with my truck and I haul the bags through the door, Ruby’s arm is linked through mine. It takes everything I have to focus on checking in.

Mary-Sue is at the desk, chatting to Ruby as the girl in front of the computer taps away, double-checking details. Every word she says is hazy, and when she pushes the cards over the counter at me, I all but snatch them up and tug Ruby away from Mary-Sue awkwardly.

But she only chuckles and waves to Mary-Sue. “I’ll be down an hour before the event to do final prep.”

“Y’all enjoy your last stay here.” The older woman beams Ruby’s way.

So, I am guessing by that expression, the waitress hasn’t let on about our fake marriage yet. Maybe we will make it out of this unscathed, after all.

A long, excruciating minute later, the elevator door bings, and we are on our floor. Ruby walks beside me, all quiet. She taps the card on the door, and when she pushes it open, she doesn’t move, staring at the space, the bed, looking around the room. As if remembering the way things were when we were here last.

I slide my hand into hers. “We can just go home if you wanna, baby.”

Slowly, she turns to me, and a sweet smile blooms over her face. “No, anywhere with you is my favorite place to be.”

I scrunch up my face to tamper back the emotion threatening to send my nostrils flaring and my airways thick. “In that case, Mrs. Robbins, we should definitely do it on every surface.”

She walks inside, stopping at the counter with the small fridge at the opposite end of the sofa. “Well, how about right here on the counter for starters?” Her hand sweeps over the shiny surface. I toss the bags onto the bed from where I stand, slamming the door behind me.

One hand plucking my jean button open, the other tugging my polo off, I stride toward her like a man on a fucking mission. She laughs and rests her hands on my bare shoulders when I stop, our bodies almost touching. “Gonna keep me up all night, baby?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely, Reedsy.”

I groan and drop my forehead to her chest. Her smell is intoxicating, and my cock is rock-hard a heartbeat later. Gripping her hips, I kiss my way up her skin, over her collarbones, her neck, her jaw. She releases a breathy moan as my mouth works her over, and finally I cover hers with mine.

I slide my hands around her waist, pushing her shirt up.

“Off. Take it all off, Reed.”

I pull the soft, light blue t-shirt over her head. Perfect fucking breasts are pushed up and spilling from her lacy red bra. Her fingers tug at her jeans, and she steps out of them a few seconds later. I step back and fist my cock, wanting to take her in for a moment.

So beautiful.

So mine.

In her underwear, she moves a little closer, playing with herself, running a thumb over one nipple. Her other hand slips past the waistband of her panties, and I can’t fuckin breathe.

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