Page 43 of Dare to Dance
Hot air brushed over my ear as Dillon spoke. “Close your mouth, dude. It’s rude to drool like a starved man.”
Iwasa starved man. Starved for her touch, her kiss, or whatever she would give me, especially the truth of what had happened to her in the last four years. I waved her over. Norma stopped her and whispered something to her. Ruby shied away from Norma, biting her lip.
Motherfucker. Blood rushed to my dick.
“Don’t forget to ask her about my place,” Dillon said. “You should also talk her out of the fight. That shit is dangerous.”
“Bro.” Kade blocked my view of Ruby. “Are you listening to Dillon?”
“I got it. Place. Fight. Dangerous.” I scrubbed a palm over my mouth. “I’ll do my best, but I can guarantee you she won’t listen to me.”She has no reason to trust me. She thinks I boss her around as it is.
Dillon slapped me on the back. “I’m sure you will.” Then he leaned into Kade and whispered, “Your brother has it bad for her. He recited some Star Light shit to her the first night he found her. He could’ve gotten me to drop my pants after that romantic spiel. Maybe I should get in the ring with her, Kross. You’re not in any shape to train her.”
“Get out of here.” My tone sounded a little lethal. “No one is touching her except me.”
Kade grinned. “I believe Dillon is right. You’re smitten.”
“Call the love police,” I bit out. “Now, do you want to meet her before I kick everyone out of here?” The gym was thinning out, and I would be locking the doors soon. I’d planned our meeting time so that Ruby and I could be alone.
“Remember what we talked about,” Kade said. “Make her feel comfortable. Let her open up to you. Don’t go all commando on her, or you’ll never get answers.”
The girls slowly sashayed over. Norma’s mouth moved the entire time, and my stomach knotted the entire time.
“Did you decide if you’re going to invite her to Thanksgiving dinner at our house?” Kade asked.
I’d thought long and hard about it. Mom and Dad would have questions: How did we meet? What did Ruby do? Was she in college? Where did she live? All those questions that parents usually asked. I wasn’t sure they were ready to learn that Ruby had been homeless. I also wasn’t ready to put Ruby or myself in an awkward situation. “I don’t think she’s ready. Nor are Mom and Dad.”
Kade opened his mouth but quickly shut it when Ruby and Norma joined us. Norma waved at Dillon as if she was trying to get him to notice her. I wanted to check on Dillon’s expression, but as Kade had said, I was smitten with the beauty next to me. Her light-blue sports bra brought out more of the blue in her blue-green eyes. Kelton had said Lizzie’s eyes changed with the color of her clothes, and it drove him wild. I was learning from Kelton that we had several matching tastes when it came to women.
“Ruby and Norma, this is my older brother, Kade,” I said.
Ruby flashed one of her ball-tightening smiles. My dick jerked inside my cup.
“Nice to finally meet you,” Kade said. “Treat him with kid gloves in the ring, or else I’ll have to live with his bruised ego.”
Ruby kept her smile, and my dick kept growing. I was glad my cup was in place, although the fucker was beginning to pinch the side of my groin as I held back a groan.
“Hi, I’m Norma.” She tucked a short strand of her blond hair behind her ear.
Kade smiled at her.
“All right, let’s get to work.” I grabbed the ropes as I eyed Ruby.
We either work or make out.One of the first times we’d made out had been in the academy’s gym. I almost laughed out loud at the parallelism from the setting to the uneasiness between us. I wasn’t an amateur when it came to a woman’s body, but Ruby wasn’t any woman. She was one who was breaking down my walls, igniting emotions that I’d kept dormant and hidden.
She blew out a breath then said good-bye to Norma. I did the same with Dillon and Kade.
After they left, Ruby and I didn’t move until the sound of someone dropping a weight shattered the trance we were both in. My gaze darted to the weight area. Detective Rayburn was lifting. He’d returned from his assignment two days ago, but I didn’t need his help anymore now that I’d found Ruby.
I pulled apart the ropes. “After you.”
She hopped in the ring like an expert boxer. I followed, my limbs a tad unsteady.
“Why don’t you get your muscles loose?”I’ll just stand here and drool.
She gnawed her bottom lip.
“Okay, ground rules.” She couldn’t keep acting all shy or else I really would have her splayed out on the floor of the ring.
