RUBY'S POVI’d forgotten about the thong. Before I could take care of it, he moved down to kiss my belly. I tensed, waiting to see where he’d kiss next as he pulled down the red silk. His moist breath bathed the skin at the top of my thighs. Next came his lips, his teeth, the tip of his tongue...until I interrupted to help him draw the thong to my ankles. I used my toes and heel to speed the process. It wasn’t fair that I couldn’t touch him. I wanted to very badly.“Come here,” I said, then added, “Please,” when his slow smile told me he had no intention of hurrying.“What’s the rush?” He dragged the backs of his fingers up the inside of my thigh, and smirked when I clamped my legs together.I didn’t care if he found out I was wet; I simply didn’t want it all to end in two minutes. “The reason I don’t have condoms,” I said, lifting my shoulders off the mattress and curling up until I could almost reach him, “is because I’ve been too busy for...this...” “Sex?" He asked with a raised
DOMINIC’S POV I stood on the balcony with the cigarette balanced between my fingers. The faint glow of the city lights stretched out beneath me, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were elsewhere. The cool night air bit at my skin, but I welcomed it. It was better than being inside, facing the woman I’d just left behind.The door to the bedroom was slightly ajar, and through it, I could see Ruby lying in bed. She wasn’t asleep yet—I could tell by the way she shifted under the covers, as if trying to get comfortable. I’d left her abruptly, and she hadn’t said a word. But I could feel her confusion from where I stood.I inhaled deeply, the smoke burning my lungs before I exhaled slowly, watching the thin wisps disappear into the night. What was I supposed to say to her? "Sorry, Ruby, I can’t handle this because it reminds me of a life I’ll never get back"?Pathetic.The truth was, I had felt something back there. Something I hadn’t felt in five years.The last time I’d held someone so cl
RUBY'S POVThe sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, waking me slowly. I turned over in bed, stretching my arms lazily before realizing that I was alone. Dominic was gone.A part of me wasn’t surprised. He didn’t strike me as the kind of man who hung around after sex. But another part of me… well, I couldn’t lie. I felt a twinge of disappointment.My phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling me from my thoughts. I grabbed it and gasped at the sight of 23 missed calls. Thirteen from Ariana, ten from Lilac. Groaning, I unlocked my phone and opened our group chat.Ariana: Where are you, Ruby?!Lilac: If you don’t answer, we’re calling the cops.Ariana: Seriously, you better be okay.Lilac: Or we’re breaking down the door to your suite.I scrolled through 76 unread messages, all ranging from concerned to borderline threatening.“Great,” I muttered, rubbing my temples.I hit the FaceTime button and waited for the call to connect. Within seconds, both Ariana and Lilac appeared on the s
RUBY'S POV“Yes, Ambrose, I can hear you,” I yelled, juggling the phone between my shoulder and ear as I waved one of the workers over. “Be careful with that table—it’s antique!” I mouthed at the two men struggling with my new dining table. One of them nodded, while the other just grunted under the weight.Ambrose sighed dramatically on the other end of the line. “Ruby, I was only trying to help. You’re in my care. I thought you’d appreciate it if someone tried to mediate between you and Gabriel.”I rolled my eyes so hard I was sure they could have fallen out of my head. “Mediation? Is that what we’re calling betrayal these days?”“You’re being unfair,” he insisted. “Gabriel was devastated when you left. I thought—”“You thought what? That I’d forget everything he’s done and just go running back to him like some obedient little wife?” I snapped, turning my back on the workers to focus on the call. “Ambrose, I left him for good reasons. Don’t make this harder for me.”There was a pause
RUBY'S POVDominic turned and immediately locked eyes with me, and I gasped. I couldn’t look away, even though every part of me screamed to retreat into my condo and pretend I hadn’t seen him. Horror, fear, and, to my dismay, a flicker of delight rooted me to the spot. Why the fuck was I delighted to see him again?!He looked different—dressed casually, which was so unlike the silent businessman I had come to know. A white country club tee hugged his broad chest, paired with khaki pants and spotless white sneakers. His hair, usually framing his face like a curtain of dark mystery, was pulled back into a sleek bun, and a faint stubble graced his jawline like he hadn't shaved in days. And then there was that gold mask on the left side of his face.He looked so dark and handsome.I swallowed hard. He was so good looking, mesmerizing even, in a way that made my knees weak. It wasn’t fair how this man could look so devastatingly good even when he was doing absolutely nothing.Dominic was
RUBY'S POVI woke up feeling unusually content and well-rested. Stretching under the covers, I smiled to myself, remembering what I had done to my own body last night. It wasn't the first time I'd be masturbating—I used to do it a lot, after Gabriel would leave me unsatisfied in bed—but this time felt different and better. Was it because it was Dominic I was thinking about this time?No wonder I felt this way. For once, it seemed like the world had aligned perfectly.Throwing the covers aside, I padded barefoot into the living room, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. But as soon as I glanced around, my smile faded, replaced by a groan.“What on earth?” I muttered, surveying the chaos.The room was a complete mess. A large shelf was awkwardly blocking most of the sunlight from the window, making the room feel dark and cramped. A stack of books was precariously leaning against the coffee table, and the throw pillows I’d proudly arranged yesterday now looked lazily put together.“Is this th
Dominic's POVDamien and I sat in the backseat of my car as it cruised smoothly away from the estate. My driver focused on the road ahead, while Damien scrolled through his tablet, pulling up figures and architectural designs.“I have to hand it to you, Dominic,” Damien noted, gesturing to the screen. “That estate is a goldmine waiting to happen. Prime location, high-end appeal—it’s perfect for luxury buyers. You’re sitting on a jackpot.”I nodded, barely glancing at him. My mind was elsewhere. “It’s promising, but it’ll need significant renovations before it’s ready for the market. Some people have started to move in already.”“True,” Damien agreed, tapping at his screen. “But nothing too drastic. Aesthetic upgrades, smart home integrations, maybe a few more amenities to justify the high price point. I’m tempted to invest in this project myself.”I arched an eyebrow, turning my gaze to him. “You’ve got enough on your plate, Damien. Stick to your portfolio.”“Oh, come on.” He grinned.
DOMINIC'S POV“Sir?” Clyvedon’s voice was hesitant. “Is there a problem?”I didn’t answer him. My eyes stayed fixed on the note. Was Ruby okay? I had to find out. I had to make sure.I closed the file that he'd give me with a loud snap. Without another glance at Clyvedon, I stood and strode to the door. His stammering protests reached my ears; mostly excuses about hard work, promises to improve, but I didn’t bother acknowledging them.Weak men like him disgust me.The office felt stifling as I stepped out, and the forced smiles and hesitant greetings from the staff in the lobby did nothing to improve my mood. I walked past them without a word. The glass doors opened automatically, and I stepped into the waiting car.My driver glanced back from the front seat. “Where to, sir?”“One moment,” I raised a finger, then pulled out my phone from my pocket.I scrolled through my contacts and pressed the call button for my secretary. It rang twice before she picked up.“Good morning, Mr. Ruther
RUBY'S POV I sank into the bed after Dominic left, sighing as the mattress hugged me like a warm cloud. I ran my hand across the sheets—they were impossibly soft, almost as soft as the ones in my condo. For someone as cold and brooding as Dominic, he sure knew how to pick his fabrics.I stared up at the ceiling, feeling the quiet press against me. It was too much. Too still. The entire room was beautiful, yes, but there wasn’t a speck of colour anywhere. Gray, black, white—if someone ever painted Dominic’s soul, it would probably look just like this room.Three days. That’s all I had to endure here. But even so, I might actually lose my mind if I didn’t add something—anything—that made it feel a little like me.I sat up, grabbing my phone from the bedside table. It buzzed to life immediately, lighting up with notification after notification. Dozens of messages poured in from Ariana and Lilac on our group chat. I opened the chat briefly:ARIANA: Wait, wait, wait. You’re MOVING IN with
RUBY'S POVHe pulled the car smoothly into a driveway and turned off the ignition.I turned to look out the window, and my jaw dropped. Through the rain, I could make out a sleek, modern house with a large, sweeping lawn.“Wait. This is your 'small' house?” I asked incredulously.Dominic smirked faintly as he put the car in park. “It’s cozy.”I gawked at him, but he was already stepping out of the car, leaving me there, stunned.The rain had finally let up, but the air was still damp and heavy. I stepped out of the car, glancing around in disbelief at the sprawling house before me. It was sleek, all sharp angles and dark stone, perched like some brooding fortress on the green lawn. I had to admit—Dominic’s definition of small was grossly inaccurate. This house was as big as a high school, if not bigger.I jogged to catch up with him as he walked ahead, his long strides eating up the distance to the front door. He didn’t wait for me, simply stepped inside and left the door open for me
RUBY'S POVThe car was quiet except for the soft hum of the engine and the rhythmic slapping of rain against the windshield. Dominic’s eyes were locked on the road ahead, his jaw set tight and his hands gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing holding him together. From the corner of my eye, I watched him, studying the stiff way his fingers curled around the leather, white-knuckled, as if he was fighting himself.I pursed my lips as the memory of the traffic light intersection crept back into my mind. My cheeks flushed involuntarily, remembering how hard he'd felt under my fingers. Was that what this was about? Was he overthinking it, afraid he’d been too forward with me?Hell, fuck forward. This man had seen every naked bit of me. Why was he acting like this because I groped him in his car?But then, it wouldn’t surprise me. Dominic Rutherford was all sharp edges and commanding stares, but with me, he seemed different. Gentle, careful. Like he was tiptoeing around me, a
RUBY'S POVRain pelted down on my umbrella as I walked briskly along the sidewalk, keeping my head low and my eyes sharp. Every sound felt amplified—the squelch of my boots on wet pavement, the hum of cars, the occasional splatter of rain hitting puddles. I couldn't stop glancing over my shoulder, paranoid that Gabriel was lurking somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again. It had been days since he stalked me all around the city, but the fear hadn't lessened. If anything, it had only grown stronger.Dominic had warned me to stop taking my car out, claiming it was too flashy and too recognizable. "You want to hand him a road map to find you?" he'd said to me, when he called yesterday. So now, here I was, taking public buses like a regular person and feeling more exposed than ever.When I spotted the dark green Audi parked by the curb, just as Dominic had described, I took a breath of relief. It wasn’t one of his more ostentatious cars, but I could tell he was inside.
AMBROSE'S POVGabriel was about to destroy everything I worked for.I paced the length of my study, fists balled at my sides, barely able to contain my rage. Ruby’s house had been booby-trapped, and I knew exactly who was behind it. Gabriel. That imbecile was trying to pull a power move, as if he wasn’t already skating on thin ice. After everything I’d done for him—elevating his position, introducing him to Ruby in the first place—this was how he repaid me? By acting impulsively and threatening everything I’d built over the last eleven years?It wasn’t Ruby I was worried about, not really. She was just a tool for me, a means to an end. Gabriel’s reckless stunt could jeopardize our plans, could shine an unwanted spotlight on everything I’d worked so hard to bury under layers of manipulation. The girl had been useful, blissfully unaware of her own role in all this, but now things were getting messy.Too messy.Gabriel was supposed to be a partner. But lately, he’d been more trouble tha
DOMINIC'S POVI gripped the wheel tighter, trying to keep my focus on the road instead of the woman sitting beside me. I'd been on the way to meet Damien for brunch when I had the thought to call Ruby. And thank God that I did. The thought of that bastard ex husband touching her was enough to heat me up with anger.Ruby had been uncharacteristically silent since we left the gym. Usually, she’d be throwing sarcastic remarks my way or filling the space with questions I didn’t want to answer. Was she put off by what I did? Perhaps I was too forward by asking her to grope me in my car. After all, she was still scarred by her ex. Hell, she was just chased all around Seattle by the man. She was most definitely still processing all that had happened that morning.I snorted to myself as I maneuvered my car past a white van. Since when did I start to care about the feelings of my flings? But this quiet version of her was just as dangerous as her loud side. Her presence alone was enough to unr
RUBY'S POVI stared at him, dumbfounded, as the words sank in.“You what?”He didn’t respond. Instead, he grabbed my hand again, his grip firm but not uncomfortable, and started leading me down the street.“Where are we going, anyway?"“You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied.As much as I hated to admit it, the fact that he could make things happen with just a phone call was… impressive. Annoying, but impressive.The man was a walking enigma—one minute, he was a cold, unapproachable masked figure covered in mystery. The next, he was casually arranging for someone to relocate my car, as if that was just something people did every day.I sighed, letting him pull me along. Whatever this was, I had a feeling arguing wasn’t going to get me anywhere.Dominic led me to his car, parked a few meters away, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw it. A sleek Italian car—Lamborghini, of course—gleamed under the morning sunlight. Its design was so sharp and aggressive that it looked like it could
RUBY'S POV“I…I’m sorry,” I choked out, wiping at my cheeks, but the tears kept coming.Dominic leaned closer, his voice lower now, almost gentle. “Stop apologizing.”I shook my head, trying to explain. “I just…I’ve been holding it all in, and I don’t know how to…”“Ruby.” His voice cut through my panic. “You don’t have to explain anything.”And somehow, with just those words, I felt safer than I had in weeks.Dominic’s arms wrapped tighter around me as I continued to cry, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself feel safe. Safe in a way I hadn’t been since my father was alive. The world had forced me to grow up too fast after he was gone. Eleven years of being strong, being tough, being everything except vulnerable. But now, in Dominic’s arms, I felt like a little girl again. Protected.The pendant around my neck, the one my father had given me, pressed between us, almost like he was here with me. Like he was telling me that I wasn’t alone anymore. Like he appr
RUBY'S POVI whistled a tune to myself as I stepped out of my room, my gym bag slung over my shoulder. Four days had passed since Dominic’s unexpected visit, and though I hadn’t heard from him since, his words still echoed in my head. I wasn’t sure if he’d done anything to Gabriel yet, but things had been surprisingly calm. No threatening letters, no booby traps—just the quiet presence of Ambrose’s men, stationed at my house.I glanced back at the two men in camouflage standing in the living room. “I left some apple pie on the kitchen counter,” I told them with a smile. “Help yourselves whenever you’re hungry.”One of them nodded. “Thank you, Miss DanCliffe. Be safe out there.”I gave a small wave as I headed out the door. Sliding into the driver’s seat of my car, I tossed my phone, Airpods and water bottle into the passenger seat and adjusted the rearview mirror. As I backed out of the driveway, I noticed a white car parked a few yards away. I didn’t think much of it—probably a neigh