Page 103 of What are the Risks
“You’re covered in my load.”
Her gaze lowered, but the mess was hidden by the chaotic tangle of blankets. Even though we hadn’t progressed beyond foreplay, my bed looked well and truly fucked.
Ruby’s playful expression fell. “Should we talk about it?”
“Probably. But how about we get cleaned up first? You take a shower and I’ll sort the bed out.”
*
An hour later, we were both showered, there was fresh linen on my bed, and we were sitting across from each other at the local diner.
Ruby eyed the menu. I’ll bet she was deciding between waffles, or eggs and bacon with hashbrowns.
“What are you getting?” she asked me.
“Probably the all-American big breakfast.”
“Of course you are. Do I want the waffles, or eggs and bacon with hashbrowns?”
Called it.
“Go the waffles. You can steal some of my hashbrowns and bacon.”
With a satisfied smile, she set her menu down.
I’d been bending over backwards my entire life to make Ruby happy. If sexual favours stayed on the table,she could have me giving up much more than my breakfast if she played her cards right.
After the waitress took our orders, Ruby started fidgeting with her napkin, twisting it between her palms. She’d done the same with her seat belt on the drive here.
It was clear she was nervous, and while there was something undeniably cute about it, I didn’t want her feeling that way. Ruby had never had a reason to be nervous around me before.
Back in high school, when girls started stumbling over their words and trying to impress me, Ruby never did. Our relationship had never changed – not even when my voice dropped, or when she started wearing a bra, or when I found out she and Noah had gone to third base beneath the football bleachers.
“So,” she began.
“So,” I smiled back, taking a sip of my coffee.
“Are you really going to make me do all the heavy lifting here? My arm’s already sore from the hand job I gave your big dick.”
A laugh burst from me, causing me to choke on my drink. “Jesus, Rubz,” I muttered once I had my breathing back under control.
She groaned. “Fine. I’ll go first.” Leaning across the table, she lowered her voice, as if anyone around us gave a flying fuck about this conversation. “I had fun this morning. I liked doingthatwith you.”
“I liked doing that with you too, Rubz.”
She smiled shyly, like she liked that I also liked it. And I liked that she liked that I liked it... like, a lot.
“But it’s not just about you being my best friend, Wheels,” she added, her tone becoming serious. “This is the first time I’ve been single since I was sixteen. As much as everyone keeps telling me to explore and make the most of it, that’s not who I am. I’ve always been a one-person-at-a-time kind of girl. And while Noah didn’t make it seem that way, I’ll always want the person I’m with – whether it’s just sex or more – toonlybe with me.”
The simple mention of that asshole’s name sparked the raging fire inside me – one that hadn’t been extinguished since hearing what he’d done. I still planned on making him pay somehow –though maybe I already had.
He’d be furious if he knew Ruby and I had hooked up – not that I intended to brag about that to him, or anyone for that matter. Ruby and me knowing was enough.
“I’d never ask that of you,” Ruby went on. “I know you and I view relationships differently. So perhaps it’s best if we stop this now, before emotions get involved, before feelings get hurt, and before we’re in deep enough that I have a reason to get jealous of the next girl when this ends.”
Thank fuck I hadn’t eaten yet, because the thought of either a next girl or this ending caused my stomach to knot. Neither option was on the table for me.
Ruby was right that if we left things here, after just a few kisses and a bit of foreplay, slipping back into friendship would be easy. Everything still felt the same between us. Familiar. Simple. Innocent.
