Page 18 of His Jewel

****

After, when they wereboth entwined in the sheets, Ruby willed her racing heart to calm, calm, calm. But something about Josh made her feel anything but calm.

God, when had this happened? More importantly, how had she allowed this to happen? The thing is, she hadn’t allowed it. It had simply, well, happened. Because of Josh. Because he wasn’t who her parents said he was, he was anything but that.

Her heart lurched at the phone call she would have to make, the conversation that would have to be had. She groaned internally. She could only imagine how that would go. And then there was the small matter of betrayal ... she’d have to tell him, wouldn’t she? How would she even begin to tell him?Oh, hey, yeah, so I only took this job so I could write a hit piece on you for my family. Plus, I falsified evidence and took a picture of it in your desk drawer to possibly use as part of said article.The article that would destroy his business, his reputation,him. She was the worst. She didn’t deserve him.

His fingers stroked across her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open at the contact.

“Hey, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about you.” She swallowed. “But I am also thinking how thirsty I am.”

He grinned. “Come on, I’ll get you a drink.” He held his hand out and helped her out of bed. He pulled on his boxers and passed her his shirt. It was a dress on her.

“I could get used to this,” he said, his gaze tracing her up and down.

“Me, too.”

They padded to the gleaming white kitchen, and he filled two glasses of water and added ice.

She sat down on a bar stool. “It’s so quiet here. I can almost hear myself think.”

He joined her, passing her the drink, which she drained greedily, the ice waking her up like a shot of caffeine.

“It is,” he agreed after a while. “It can get a little ... lonely.”

Her gaze flew to him, and it was like she was seeing him. Really seeing him. She put her glass down and stood in front of him, so they were eye level.

“I know what you mean. The loneliness can feel crushing sometimes, no matter how often I call my family or hang out with Alana. I’m still coming home to an empty apartment at the end of the day. The thing is, you told me about Clara, I had a Clara. His name was Gary. And it’s all well and good having someone to come home to, but not if they are wrong for you.” She took a deep breath. She didn’t want to scare him off, but she was speaking the truth, and it was as if it wanted to fall from her tongue, just not the whole truth, not yet. “And I’d like to do it with the right person.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips over her own, his fingers twirling in her hair.

“And what makes you think I’m the right person?”

She tilted her head. “Because you’re good and kind, and not at all how I thought you’d be. Because of how you make me feel. And have you seen yourself? You could be a model if your business doesn’t work out.”

Two pink spots appeared on his cheeks. She kissed them.

He took her hand. “You know, from the second Alana showed me your photo, I think a part of me knew—knew it was going to be you.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and her stomach dipped like she was on a roller-coaster ride. It was like too many emotions were warring at once, and she didn’t know which way the ride was taking her. She shut her eyes against it, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Then his lips were on it, brushing it away.

“Please don’t do that. I hate it when you do that.”

Her lips twitched into a smile. “They are from happiness, Josh.”

“Hmm, well, that I can live with.” He stood, scooping her up. “Come on, let’s get you to bed. You have a very demanding boss, and I’d hate for you to be late for work.”

“I’m not tired yet,” she whispered in his ear, stroking his arms and raising gooseflesh.

When he slid inside her for the third time that night, she felt as if she could do this all her life.

---