RUBY'S POVThe cafe smelled like roasted coffee beans and baked pastries, a comforting aroma that might have soothed me on another day. I sipped my cappuccino, but its warmth didn't do much to settle my nerves. Sitting in this booth—the very booth where I’d called Gabriel and heard another woman’s voice in the background—was funny to me. Only a week and a half had passed since then, but it felt like a lifetime ago.“Dominic Rutherford. CEO of Rutherford Conglomerate. Family business. Billionaire, obviously,” Ariana’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She was glued to my laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she muttered under her breath.“Very cliché,” I said, setting my cup down. “A mysterious billionaire with a family business. Shocking.”Ariana snorted, not looking up. “Well, excuse me for stating the obvious. This man is like a ghost, Ruby. He’s done a stellar job at keeping his private life private. You sure you want to go chasing after him?”I didn’t answer, instead
DOMINIC'S POVThe glossy picture felt heavier in my hand than it should have. Ruby DanCliffe. Her name played in my mind like an endless loop, and her image burned into my brain. The way her red hair caught the light in the photo, flowing down in waves that begged to be touched. Her green eyes sparkled with a mischief I was sure she carried in spades.I sighed, dragging my fingers through my hair as I leaned back in my chair. My laptop sat open on my desk, a Skype meeting droning on. The voices of my board of directors filled the office, but I wasn’t listening.“…As you can see, the projections for the third quarter…”Blah, blah, blah. Numbers, graphs, plans—I couldn’t care less. The only thing that mattered was the picture in my hand. I didn’t even know why I printed it out, but it felt more tangible this way. Like she was closer to me.Ruby wasn’t just haunting my waking hours; she’d taken over my nights too. Every time I closed my eyes, there she was. That fiery hair, those mesmeri
RUBY'S POVThe mirror in my hotel room reflected a woman I barely recognized. All I had on for make up was a bold red lipstick and red eyeshadow. My red hair had been replaced with glossy black that I dyed earlier that day. My dress matched my hair in the colour, and it was armless with a sweetheart neckline, the length stopping just above my knee. I would pair It with a black silk scarf thrown around my shoulders.Tonight, I was determined to make an impression—and to find Dominic Rutherford.As I fastened my earrings, my phone pinged. I picked it up, smiling as I saw the message in our group chat.Lilac: I’m bringing my car. I’ll pick @Ruby up at the hotel first.Ariana: Don’t forget me! Unless you plan to leave me behind.Lilac: Tempting, but no. I’ll pick you up after I get Ruby. Don’t forget to wear something that doesn’t scream “college hobo.”Ariana: Don’t forget to mind your business, Lilac.I laughed softly, shaking my head. Their banter was always so ridiculous, but I loved
RUBY'S POVThe beauty of the hotel simply took my breath away the moment I stepped out of Lilac’s car. The towering structure seemed to touch the skies. I stood there, not even realising that my black dress was catching the soft evening breeze, as I tilted my head back to take it all in.“Wow,” Ariana whispered beside me, holding her bejeweled clutch to her chest. “I’ve only seen this place in magazines. It's so beautiful!"“Same,” Lilac added, linking her arm with mine. “You sure you’ve never been here before, Ruby? I mean, your family has a reserved suite and all.”I shook my head. “Never. My father used to come here for business when I was younger, but I guess I never had a reason to visit.”Even though my father had enough money to put a small country's economy to shame, he never exposed me much to this life. I attended private boarding schools in the suburbs. And even after my father died and I finished high school, I was shipped off to Yale University, miles away from home. The
DOMINIC'S POV The moment Damien spotted me, his face broke into a wide grin, and before I could stop him, he pulled me into a bear hug. I froze immediately. I wasn’t a fan of physical affection—especially in public—but this was Damien, my best friend. The one person in this world who could get away with something like this.So, for once, I allowed it.“Dominic!” he boomed, “you look as sharp as ever! Man, it’s been too long.”I sighed, patting his back awkwardly. “Damien, we saw each other less than a year ago. Not exactly a lifetime.”“Still too long. And we only saw each other for one day,” he replied, grinning and pulling back to look at me. “I missed you, bro.”“Keep your voice down,” I muttered, stepping out of his grip and brushing imaginary lint off my jacket. “We’re not at a family reunion. You’re embarrassing me.”Damien laughed, loud enough to turn a few heads at the party. “Embarrassing you? Oh, come on, Dom. You need to lighten up. Let people see you’re human for once.”
RUBY'S POV“I need to go rest,” I hastily told Ariana and Lilac, not even waiting for their response. I bolted before they could stop me, making a beeline for the first thing my eyes saw.The staircase."Excuse me," I murmured to some of the guests as I passed them by. I rushed past the dozens of people packed in the room, my heels clicking against the marble floor as I made my way to the spiraling staircase. My heart was roaring in my ears, my breathing was rapid and erratic, and my hands shook with the pressure of the presence of the man I had just seen. I had spotted Dominic Rutherford across the room, those blue eyes locking onto mine like a heat-seeking missile. Suddenly, all the confidence I’d built up for this night evaporated. Suddenly, everything I had told myself about him disappeared into thin air.Suddenly, all I wanted to do was to escape him.When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I chanced a glance behind me. I gasped in alarm when I saw him striding towards me with
DOMINIC'S POVAs if she'd been waiting for that moment, Ruby took over the kiss in two seconds.I wrapped my hands around her neck and pulled her closer as she held me in place. Despite my gold mask, kissing her wasn't hard at all. It was all I could do to let her stay in control when I wanted to grab her arms, pin her against the elevator wall and fuck her from the back.We started off just brushing our lips together, and when that was almost driving me crazy, I broached her with my tongue. She tasted like champagne and something minty—toothpaste probably. The combination did things to my groin that no expensive perfumes or flowery creams could do to me.The sound of the rumbling elevator faded behind the sound of my own blood roaring, behind the increase in my heartbeat. Ruby's skin had grown oddly warm, as though the same thing was happening to her. She and I were completely in sync. The rubbing against my dick, the quick stolen breaths, the way she moved in the same moment I pull
Ruby's POVAt any moment now, I would collapse. I tried to put one shaky foot after another as I led the way out of the elevator. My legs felt like cooked spaghetti straight out of the pot. Dominic Rutherford was chuckling behind me, apparently proud of what he'd done to my body. The sneaky bastard!I got to the door of my family's suite and fished out the key card from my bag. The doors parted with a ding, and I led the way inside.The last time I'd been in this suite was a few months before my father had died, for some event I could no longer remember. It was obvious that nobody had used the suite since then, even though it looked very well taken care of."Shouldn't we get back to the cocktail party?" I asked Dominic as I set my bag down on a nearby shelf.“No.” He stopped me from the back and kissed my bare shoulder, then slid a hand down my chest to the corset that surrounded my waist.“Right.” I briefly closed my eyes to catch my bearings before I fell apart again. “We won’t tal
DOMINIC'S POVEarly the next morning, I slipped out of my bed, leaving Ruby in it. I took a quick shower and headed downstairs. Today was the day I'd finally meet with Damien ever since my travel to Italy with Ruby.I texted the address to Damien and slipped my phone into my pocket. The cool morning air brushed over my face as I stepped outside. My driver was already waiting by the car, and he straightened his posture when he saw me.“Would you like me to take you, sir?” he asked.I shook my head, pulling open the door. “Not today. I’ll drive myself.”He nodded, stepping aside without question.Sliding into the driver’s seat, I started the engine and pulled out of the compound. Damien was expecting answers. I’d told him that his sister now resided in Illinois, which wasn't a lie in itself, but which didn't feel like the complete truth either. I'd told myself, promised myself even, that I would end this whole web of secrets. Ruby deserved the truth, and so did Damien.But the timing co
DOMINIC'S POV Something in my frigid heart melted at her words.Ruby stared at me, bright green eyes blazing with emotions I could not name. Her hands caressed my face, sliding down my jaw, and in that moment, I felt safer than ever.I'd asked for a label, and she'd given me much more than that."Sex over the kitchen island," I murmured in a tease. "That's a first."She laughed, the sound like music to my ears. "Not even with your other women? Don't think I don't remember what Ariel said about that."I scoffed, thinking about my daughter. "Ariel doesn't know what she's talking about."Without giving her time to answer, I slung my arm around Ruby's waist, pulling her into my arms."Dominic!" She yelped, and I shot her a wide grin."What do you think Ariel would say if she found us half naked in the kitchen?" I asked. "Come on, time for bed."Ruby giggled as I carted her all the way to the door of her room before setting her down gently. Ruby threw her arms around my neck, and the warm
RUBY'S POVDominic's strong arms came around me immediately and he kissed me back, and oh, I loved kissing him. We fit together so well, we always did. No loose lips or space where it wasn’t wanted. He kissed me with perfect control, and I was pretty sure I could go on kissing him for the rest of my life and be thrilled every time.My hands reached up and tangled between the hair on the nape of his neck. Dominic growled, deepening the kiss. He pressed me against the wall of the kitchen, his hands clawing at my ass.Eventually, though, my breath became short and my involuntary moans more frequent, and kissing was no longer enough. The hot bulge in his pants lay right above the tiny cotton strip of my thong and the warm pressure was driving me completely insane.I broke away from Dominic, his hair a mess all over his head and face from my fingers. It almost felt like I was running from him, but Dominic closed the distance between us again. He yanked at the buttons on my nightdress, so
RUBY'S POVThe morning passed quietly. I made breakfast for Dominic and Ariel, but we ate in silence. Ariel practically cleared off her plate and even stole some food from her father's plate while giggling to herself. Dominic only spoke when necessary, his attention half on his phone, half on his thoughts. I didn’t know if I should try to start a conversation or just let it be. Ariel disappeared into her room after breakfast, slamming the door behind her. Coincidentally, It was the same room with the "keep out" sign. I should have known.I wasn’t sure what to expect from Ariel, but it seemed like she needed space. Maybe she was still processing everything, or maybe she just didn’t want to deal with me.Dominic, on the other hand, brought his laptop to my room. We didn’t talk much. He worked while I lay next to him, watching the way his fingers flew over the keyboard. I’d never been good at pretending not to notice him, but I didn’t want to distract him either. So, we stayed there, in
RUBY'S POVThe car rolled smoothly into the driveway, coming to a stop in front of Dominic’s sprawling mansion. I stared at the grand building, and my nerves crept in again. My experience the last time I met his daughter was still fresh in my mind; It has just been yesterday. That encounter hadn’t exactly gone well. She’d been cold and distant and clearly not impressed by me.I took a deep breath. Ariel was protective of her father, which I could understand. But that didn’t make the idea of seeing her again any less intimidating. Would she even want me here?Was I really terrified of a seventeen-year old teenage girl?Dominic’s voice broke into my thoughts. “You’re quiet. What’s on your mind?”I turned to him and forced a smile. “I'm just thinking about Ariel. I’m not even sure she likes me.”He tilted his head, his lips twitching into a smirk. “Ariel doesn’t like most people. Don’t take it personally.”“Great, that makes me feel so much better,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.Dominic c
RUBY'S POV“Wake up, Kitten. It’s morning.”A light tap on my shoulder and Dominic’s voice pulled me out of sleep. My eyes blinked open, adjusting to the bright light in the room. Dominic was towering over me. His hair was down, flowing over his shoulders, and for a second, I just stared. From this angle, he almost looked angelic.Like an Italian Jesus.“Did you sleep well?” His voice was gentle."Yeah." I yawned, stretching my arms over my head. “What time is it?”“7:12.”“WHAT?” My eyes widened and I blinked at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding. Did I really sleep for almost twelve hours?”He smirked. “You were exhausted. Not surprising.”I glanced around the office, trying to piece together how I had managed to crash for so long. My gaze landed on Rosalie, the blonde secretary from last night. She was cleaning up the remnants of our Italian dinner, moving quickly and with sharp, deliberate movements.She didn’t say a word, but her silence was loud enough. The way she scrubbed the t
RUBY'S POVDominic let go of me and turned to sit behind his desk, focusing on the screen of his laptop. The light from it illuminated his sharp features as his fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard. Every now and then, he’d pause to scribble something on one of the files scattered in front of him.I couldn’t stop watching him. There was something captivating about the way his brow knitted together in concentration, how his muscles flexed whenever he shifted in his chair, or the way he ran his tongue over his lips absentmindedly. It was ridiculous how someone could look so good while working.A knock on the door startled me, and I snapped my gaze away.“That should be Rosalie with the food,” Dominic said without looking up. “Can you get it for me?”“Sure,” I replied and stood up. I was too eager to shake off my wandering thoughts.I opened the door and came face-to-face with a tall woman holding a few plastic bags. She had a sharp blonde pixie cut and was dressed in a fitted shirt
RUBY'S POVThe lobby of Dominic's office building was simple but striking. The walls were painted gray, and the floors were smooth, dark tiles that looked like they’d been freshly cleaned. A sleek black reception desk stood in the center, with a woman behind it typing quietly on her computer.To one side, there was a row of black chairs and a low glass coffee table with magazines spread across it. On the opposite wall, a large digital screen displayed the Rutherford logo and what looked like stock updates.There wasn’t much color anywhere. It was just black, gray, and white but it felt purposeful, not cold. Everything about the space was calm and precise.I glanced at Lilac, who gave a low whistle. “This place is something else,” she murmured.“Yeah,” I replied. It was clear this wasn’t just an office; it was the heart of the Rutherford empire.Dominic turned to me briefly. “Stay here. I need to check something with the front desk.”I nodded, watching as he strode away with that air o
RUBY'S POVIn a matter of five minutes, Lilac turned the wheel, easing the car into the parking lot of the office building that Dominic had described to us. I kept my eyes glued to the side mirror, watching as the white car came to a slow stop just outside the office building. My heart was still beating rapidly in my chest.“Do you see that?” I whispered to Lilac.She nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Damn right, I see it. He’s either too dumb or too bold to back off now.”The white car idled around for a moment. It was obvious that the driver was confused on what to do. Should he come for us or drive away? I reached for the door handle, ready to bolt inside the building.“Wait,” Lilac said sharply, grabbing my wrist. “Don’t get out yet.”I froze and looked at her in confusion. “Why not? I'm sure Dominic is in there. And if he's not, then that stalker won't be stupid enough to follow us inside. We’re safe now.”Lilac glanced at the car again. “That guy could have a gun. If y