Page 14 of His Jewel

The words left his mouth before he could stop them. He didn’t want to take some random woman. He wanted to take Ruby. He wanted Ruby...

It’s what he’d been fighting against for the past few weeks. Fuck, it’s what he’d being fighting against since he first saw her photo in this very club.

Alana and Drew had stopped their conversation to listen in, like this was some drama show, and they couldn’t miss a second.

She opened her perfect mouth and then closed it before nodding.

“If you think that’s best,” she said.

If you think that’s best?Fuck, not really the answer he was hoping for. He took a sip of his whiskey, not breaking her gaze. “I do.”

Drew snorted. “Jeez, you know the club can sort that for you. Alana found you Ruby, who I’ve heard great things about, by the way,” he said, looking at her. “But she can also find you dates, you know.”

“I want Ruby.”

Fuck. He didn’t mean for it to come out like that.

Drew’s eyebrows traveled so far up his hairline he thought they might be lost. He cleared his throat. “Well, that settles that.”

“It’s a good experience for you,” he said, looking at Ruby. “You’ll get to network and see how the company gives back.”

He was trying to drag this conversation back into the realm of the professional and failing. Ruby’s chest was rising and falling, her cheeks flushed.

Alana was sitting back, looking like a smug cat. Like this was her chessboard, and she was just moving around the pieces.

“Mmm,” she murmured. “I don’t remember my da—my previous company doing that,” she said hurriedly.

This earned her an odd look from Alana.

Well, this had gotten out of hand. How had he made everything so God-damned awkward? He drained the last of his whiskey, his dinner was already long finished.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, heading out the door. He didn’t want to know what kind of conversation would occur in his wake.

****

The day dragged on, especially as Ruby had called in sick, but not before instructing Cathy to tell him that she would see him at the event tonight. Sick. Right. It had nothing to do with the copious amounts of alcohol she was consuming last night. He’d texted Drew to escort her home, or at the very least, to pay for her taxi. He didn’t like the thought of her out on her own. Vulnerable. He’d struggled to get the image of her tears out of his mind. Mercifully, the hands of time moved faster into the afternoon, and then that bled into the evening. He’d offered to pick her up, but she’d declined, telling him she’d meet him at the event.

He sat in his limo, looking at the world, the red carpet. It always seemed ludicrous to him. It wasn’t a movie premiere, it was an event to celebrate the non-profit Fight Homelessness charity he was on the board of. But the pomp and circumstance, the press,the vultures, were all a part of that, raising awareness, getting the articles out there, spreading the word.

He had to play the part.

He exited the limo, straightening his suit, and squinting against the flashbulbs going off all around him. Then there was something else in his sight line. The one all light shone around. Her.

She was wearing a floor-length gown, tight to her body, with a long skirt flowing out behind her. It was silver, like starlight, like lightning in the night. Her hair was loose in tumbling waves, begging him to run his fingers through it. Of course, her lips were ruby red, and just about the most tempting thing he’d ever seen.

Get a grip.

She caught his gaze and held it in the palm of her hand. Her lips parted as she traced his suit, his face, landing back on his eyes.

He walked toward her, his feet begging him to move faster.

“Hello, boss.”

“Hello, beautiful.”

She made a little sound in the back of her throat. “I could say the same about you.”

His lip twitched. “Beautiful?”

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