Chapter Nine

 

 

His kiss felt warm and toasty in the fall breeze, turning her weak legs and core into hot liquid magma. In the distance, a whistle blew out on the stadium field. Reluctantly, Alec pulled away and tipped her chin up to look at him. Ruby tried not to feel like another half of her had been ripped from her chest.

“Come over later? I’ll make you dinner. We can talk about all this some more when we’re not under so much pressure. But don’t worry. It’s all going to be fine, Red. Promise.”

Ruby nodded. It was hard accepting that promise, because there were no guarantees. It was also hard hearing him say that maybe she was afraid of them two being together, but maybe she had been?

Maybe he was right, and she’d been using her career and her father’s iron fist over her as an excuse not to get close to Alec, because even a reformed bad boy was still a bad boy. As Alec ran off in that perfect athletic gait of a seasoned football player, Ruby slipped into her car and let the captive air of her lungs escape.

“Holy shit,” she spoke into the quietude of her car.

Excitement, worry, and pure lust all whirled together throughout her soul.

What was she getting into? Would he hurt her?

If she did this…if she agreed to date Alec…her world would change dramatically. Soon, she’d be in the public eye, not behind it. She’d appear in photos with Alec, accompany him to charity events, and people would come to know her as Alec LeBrun’s girlfriend. They might even be known as “Al-Uby” or worse—“Ru-Bec.”

Ruby cringed and started her car.

But would it last? She hated the possibility that she might just be Alec’s rebound girl after Colleen. People might accuse her of having come between them. So many ulterior motives nagged at her, but her gut feeling told her Alec LeBrun was exactly who he appeared to be—a good guy who’d made a few wrong turns and was trying to find his way back to center.

Ruby just wanted to make sure that center was her.

There was no point in resisting him anymore. She’d always wanted him, and now that he wanted her, too, it all felt a bit overwhelming. It’d been one thing to fantasize that her handsome, charming client would one day look at her, but it was another knowing that he actually wanted to take it to the next level, wanted to please her, and not just sexually either. He seemed to genuinely care for her and loved the idea of the whole world knowing about it.

Now Ruby just had to chill out and enjoy it.

 

 

In the evening, she rang the gate to the swanky home in Thomas Square Streetcar. She brandished a bottle of wine, wore jeans and a flirty green top, nothing too sexy. Comfy, a little romantic, and chill, she thought.

I am chill. I am chillastic. I am the embodiment of chillitude.

By the time Alec answered the door thirty seconds later, however, she was a ball of nerves again. The door to the gorgeous mansion unlocked. A dangerously handsome man answered wearing jeans and a fitted T-shirt that highlighted his body. “There she is. My favorite redhead.”

Alec.

There was that smile. It rendered Ruby boneless every time.

He looked even more amazing surrounded by the opulence of the home he’d earned with his own bare hands. A football had earned him all this. His hard work had earned it.

“Heyyy. If we’re going to be dating,” she said, stepping into the foyer with a grin, “I should probably be your favorite person, shouldn’t I?” She laughed and handed him the bottle of wine, which he accepted before pulling her into a big hug.

“You’re so right. Come here.”

She melted against his chest. Damn, he smelled delicious, like rosemary and spice but also something unnamed. She knew she was in trouble. Good trouble. The kind of trouble that made you wish you’d be bad more often if the punishment looked anything like Alec LeBrun.

“Something smells yummy.”

“Besides you?” He closed the door and led her inside. “Damn, girl. You’re looking fine, finer than usual, that is. How do you keep getting more beautiful every time I see you?”

“Stop, crazy man.” She blushed. Sure, he was flirting with her, and he could’ve just been saying pretty words, but she felt his words, too. She felt prettier every time she saw him, and maybe he was responsible for that. For pulling the natural magic out of her.

“You’re right on time. The butternut squash is done roasting. I’ll put the steaks on the grill now, unless you want to wait?”

He was saying something about food. She wasn’t sure, because she couldn’t focus. His house was incredible. She’d been to celebrity homes that were all gray or white, monochromatic, boring as hell, and devoid of feeling. But Alec’s house was warm and inviting with wood floors, gorgeous modern paintings, and even a little kitty lurked in the shadows.

“We can eat now, if you want. I’m starving. Who’s this?” She crouched to pet the all-gray feline with the green eyes sashaying up to her.

“That’s Henna. She likes you. She never comes up to anyone.”

“You’re just saying that.” Ruby scratched Henna between her ears.

“I’m dead serious. She’s a feral cat I found in my yard last year before the last hurricane that blew through here. I brought her inside to keep her safe. She’s been with me ever since. She hates ninety-nine percent of the people she meets.”

Ruby’s heart warmed instantly, and the best part was, she felt it was true. She knew by the way he said it, not looking for attention or praise, just heading into the kitchen, that this little creature had been afforded a good life thanks to one said cocky football player. Briefly, she wondered if Henna ever liked Colleen, but as soon as the thought entered her mind, she pushed it away.

Colleen would not ruin another dinner of hers.

“Now, why didn’t that story ever make it into the public?” she asked. “People would’ve loved that.”

Alec shrugged. Ruby and Henna both followed him. “I don’t know, but let’s not share it. Henna’s shy and wouldn’t want the attention.” He chuckled, then opened the oven and pulled out the roasted veggies.

“Fine, fine. That looks amazing,” Ruby said. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

Alec flashed her a look. “There are lots of things you don’t know about me, Miss O’Brien.” The way he said it made her stomach crunch. Indeed. She was only getting to know this man, but so far, she wasn’t sure what she’d been so afraid of. After heating a pan to cook the steaks and pouring Ruby and himself glasses of the cabernet she’d brought, he asked, “Do you have any pets?”

“Me?” She balked. “I wish.” Henna jumped onto the counter and arched her back into Ruby’s hand. Her bright eyes blinked happily. “My dad never let us have any. He always felt that pets would ruin the house.”

“Wow. Was he strict when you were growing up? Your dad? Seems like it.”

Ruby took a seat at the center island and watched Alec set the marinated steaks on the pan. “He could be, yes. I think he was harder on me than on my brothers, maybe because he figured it’d be harder for a girl.”

“Well, it worked, didn’t it? Because you’re tough, you don’t take shit from anyone, and you’re the best in your field. In many ways, I admire the man. He raised you.”

“I don’t know if I’m the best, but I have a pretty good work ethic.”

“A pretty good work ethic is a rare thing, Ruby.”

She nodded. She didn’t think it was, but then again, she didn’t know where Alec was coming from. Maybe he was thinking about the women he’d known in his life. Maybe he was thinking about his mother. “What makes you say that?” She risked. He’d never talked much about his family and she’d always wanted to know.

Alec side-glanced her. “Let’s just say one woman I know has worked her ass off all her life. You would like her.”

“Your mom?” Ruby guessed.

“You got it.”

“You don’t talk much about her. I’ve been afraid to ask.”

“She’s private, and I strive to keep it that way. She’s awesome. Raised me all without any help. She was, and still is, two parents rolled into one, since my dad abandoned her when I was a baby.”

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry about that.” A few pieces of Alec’s puzzle locked into place. Hearing that he would be a father must’ve been scary for him. He must’ve wanted to right twenty-eight years of paternal wrong.

“Thanks. She taught me so much. About sports, about teamwork. She even taught me how to cook.”

“Ah, so that’s where it comes from?”

“I guess. Most of my friends were warming Hot Pockets after school, but my mom was showing me how to make pot roast, chicken parmigiana, homemade pizzas…” He poured some wine into the pan and scraped it down. “Reduction sauce, anyone?”

“Okay, now you’re just showing off.” She smiled, inhaling the delicious scents melding in the kitchen. “Seriously, I really can’t wait for those steaks to be done.” Her stomach was now growling, and she couldn’t believe her luck. Gorgeous, athletic, and a talented cook. Even Henna meowed for a bite.

He smiled, leaned over the kitchen island, and petted Henna’s head and back. Then, he kissed Ruby’s forehead. “Almost done. I know hungry faces when I see them.”

Oh, he had no idea. She was hungry in oh, so many ways. Driving here, she wasn’t sure how far she wanted to take things tonight with Alec, but she did know she wanted to click with him first. Connect again like they had been doing the last several weeks. Whereas their first time had been impulsive, this time she wanted to go a little slower. Find out more about him.

“So, how come you didn’t become a cook?” she asked. “What made you go into football?”

“Because football was always my escape. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking, but as a kid, it was a chore, a survival thing. Football was the one thing that made me feel free, like I could act my age. When you’re raised by a single mom, you have to grow up kind of fast.”

Ruby nodded. She was lucky enough to have both parents and a normal childhood. They weren’t rich by any means, but they had good times, good Christmas presents, and good vacations. She knew she was blessed.

“Your mom must be proud of you,” Ruby said and meant it. If she had a son like Alec, she’d be incredibly proud of his accomplishments. She’d be worried as hell about his private life lately, but she’d still be proud. She didn’t want to think too hard about Alec as a child, though, because that would make him more real in her eyes, and the realer he seemed, the more she’d want to help him, heal him and his heart. The more she’d want to become a part of his future memories.

I’m scared of falling too hard for him, she thought suddenly, sipping the wine mid-glass.

What was that smile on his face for? His eyes gleamed.

“What?” She smiled.

“Nothing. You just have this really content look on your face right now. I like it. You look relaxed.”

“I am relaxed.” And feeling even more relaxed by the second after the wine.

She set about getting the salads ready, placed the roasted squash in a bowl on the table, and prepared the rest while Alec finished the steaks and plated them. My own, personal chef, she thought with a grin. It was so nice to talk, sit down with a fantastic meal—and it so was, the best she’d had in a long time—and just be with Alec. No worries, no talk about their kiss earlier or her father or any of the events that had transpired.

“To a new beginning,” Alec said, raising his glass for toast. “We so needed this.”

“We did.” She clinked her glass against his. The wine was the perfect accompaniment to the even more amazing steak dinner. And the roasted butternut squash! Everything was superb.

“And I so need you, Ruby.” He made sure to throw that one in there before digging into the meal. The idea wasn’t lost on her. She knew his full intentions. It was she who had to decide how serious to get with Alec. Was she ready for him to go from crush to serious BAE?

Maybe it was the delicious meal, the sweet soundtrack playing from a speaker somewhere in the house, or the wine that shaved the edge off her nerves, but she settled in. Alec was funny and sweet and soon, she had no idea why she’d judged him so harshly. He was nothing like a child—something she’d accused him of several times—and now she felt bad about it. If anything, he hadn’t had the chance to fully be a child. Instead, he’d been a boy caring for his mom, being a man way too soon.

“I’m sorry for giving you a hard time,” she said after dinner when Alec pulled her to his back patio to look at the city lights as the sun went down.

“Me? For what?” He waited as she polished off her wine then took the glass from her hand and set it down on a patio table.

“For calling you a child a few weeks ago. I thought it’d be a good way to light a fire under your butt, but now I see how unfair that was. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and that doesn’t come by being immature. Forgive me?”

Alec looked at her a moment, scooped her off her feet, and placed her on a long chair where he curled himself around her. Here, under the stars, surrounded by the twinkling city lights of Savannah and the sound of crickets all around, she could easily fall asleep in his arms. Except the scent of his skin flooded her with warmth and sleep was the last thing on her mind.

His fingers caressed her hair, twisted it into a rope, and let it go again. “Listen, you were just doing your job. And a damn fine one, too. Don’t apologize. I had to hear that shit.”

“I can still be sorry.” Ruby closed her eyes. It felt good to be so close to him. So safe, protected, and cared for. But his body also warmed her from the inside out.

“The only thing you should be sorry for is not wearing your hair in a bun today.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I know your secret. I know when it’s up, you’re in business mode, and when it’s down like this…” Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled her scent, as his fingers traced a line down her jawline, tipping her chin up to him. “You’re more yourself. You’re ready to have a good time.”

“Why should I be sorry about that?”

“Because I can’t control myself when you’re like this, Ruby. You don’t understand. I want you all the damn time. So when you finally let me touch you…” With one arm holding her around the shoulders, and the other slipping around her waist, she felt captured and that was just fine with her. “It makes me a little crazy.”

“I can handle crazy right now.” Crazy was her life at the moment, and as the old saying went, If you can’t beat them, join them. She felt bold, brave. Maybe it was the wine. Or maybe she was ready. “I can handle you, Alec.”

It was as close to a declaration as she would ever get. And to make it even clearer, she slipped her hand around his neck and pulled him close. They met in a kiss that lasted longer than she’d ever kissed anyone before. No rush, no time limit, just the whole night ahead of them, heat—fast and furious—spreading through her body like wildfire.

His mouth and tongue explored hers, hungrily, blindly seeking her main source, sliding over her neck and down the curve of her breast. She arched into him, wishing she could get closer. The buzz of the wine heightened the sensations, and the stars seemed to shine just for them. With every kiss, every undulation, she felt him pressing closer, felt the size of him massive and impending. She felt drunk with lust and power over this highly wanted man, as he undressed her, removed her top, and slid his hand over her breasts.

He was hers, all hers.

“I want you to know,” he said as he caught his breath. He looked up at her with that penetrating gaze. “That these are…without a doubt…the most luscious tits I’ve ever sucked on.” He didn’t wait for a response, only slid down the long chair and nestled by her side to suckle on one, taut nipple then another, squeezing and playing with each, giving them equal attention.

She reeled, gripping the chair, his hair. To say her panties flooded with her juices was an understatement. All he had to do was keep suckling her tits this way and touch her when the moment was right, and she’d go off like a bottle rocket. And from the way she fought for breath, chest heaving, pushing into his mouth, and fighting for more and more of him, he knew it, too.

His hand slid between her thighs, two fingers pressing against her core through the denim. “So fucking sweet, Ruby. You don’t understand, you don’t understand…” he kept saying, as if Ruby wouldn’t know how much he’d been wanting her. Of course she knew. She’d been the same way, only more repressed about it.

As his mouth created a trail of fire down her body, past her navel to the edge of her jeans, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I’ve thought about you every night for months now,” she confessed. “Sometimes, I would touch myself thinking about it.” It was a bold assertion, and she’d never talked to any guy that way before, but she felt the need to start out right, start sharing her deepest confessions right away, so they might have a true and honest start.

He needed that after what had happened with Colleen, and she needed it, too.

“Did you now?” He sat up, slid down her jeans so they were around her ass, then pulled them off completely. Seeing his big, manly fingers pull off her panties as well nearly pushed her over the edge. He was all man, all Alec, and she was completely bare beneath him. Bare and vulnerable. “Well, we’re just going to have to do something about that, Red. Unless you want to go home and keep fantasizing.”

“No. I want the real thing. I want you.” Ruby braced for impact. She knew the moment Alec’s fingers and tongue touched her, she’d be in trouble. The best kind of trouble there was. She sucked in a sharp breath and moaned softly. For Ruby, surrendering wasn’t just hard—it was significant.

She trusted Alec. Now more than ever. She could do this.

She could do this every damn day.

He lowered himself so he was even with her aching pussy. God, she wanted him so badly. Risking a glance at him, knowing it would make her even wetter to see him between her legs, she opened her eyes to see the hazy, sexy gaze of a man who knew how to wield his power. His deep brown eyes devoured her, and slowly, his flat tongue pressed against her clit.

“Holy shit,” she moaned, gripping his hair.

He began to lick. Slowly. Testing, gauging how soft or hard she wanted it, watching her reactions closely, sliding his fingers down her cleft and dipping it into her pussy. “You taste so good, Ruby.”

She loved how he said her name. It sounded so lovely coming from his mouth. The mouth currently between her legs. So intimate. So happening at this moment. She tried not to focus on the obvious—it was Alec, Alec LeBrun, tight end of the Bootleggers—lapping up her folds. Her client, her crush, eating her pussy.

“I thought you might want dessert.” She bit her smile. Yes, she was being cheeky now, and it felt nice for a change.

“You thought right, babe. My favorite, too.”

She moaned in reply, as he softly flicked his tongue against her clit. Her fingers raked through his thick hair, pulling him closer, wanting to feel those shoulders, wishing she could rip his shirt off his back. Like he could hear her thoughts, he pulled it off in one swift movement without stopping his tongue for more than a second. Damn, he was good. His hand splayed across her belly, his thumb pulling up on her mound to give him better access, bury his face deep into her cunt.

Fiery breath against her skin sent prickles of heat up her legs, as he fingered her deeper, picking up rhythm as he went. She was close now. She’d been close to begin with. Without another thought, she ground her pussy against his face, holding his head in place, and giving him all of her. This was what he wanted—now he’d earned it.

“I’m going to come,” she told him, feeling too damn good. She didn’t care anymore about appearances, getting caught, getting found in the locker room, or anything. It was just her and Alec, Alec’s tongue and fingers giving her what she wanted and didn’t even know she needed.

“Give it to me,” he mumbled against her skin, pulling that fire out from deep inside of her.

Yes.

It felt so…fucking…good.

The patio, the lights of the city, the stars, the cool air, the wine, and Alec’s whole aura combined to create one vibrant painting to rival Starry Night. It swirled and swirled all around her, as she came, one wave after another, onto his tongue and his face. So intimate, so crazy, so right. Yes, it felt right to be with this man. She didn’t care about anything else at that moment, because they were all that existed. This blinding, peaking moment.

Seeing his expression when she finally opened her eyes and felt him resting against her inner thigh, she knew she could do anything and Alec LeBrun would adore her. Where had this attention come from? What had she done to deserve it? She didn’t know. All she knew was that he was at her mercy, and there was nothing sexier.

Once she came down from her high, she blinked up at the stars.

“Hi,” he said after a minute, sliding up to kiss her deeply. From the passion in his kiss and the hardness in his jeans, she knew he wanted to go on.

“Hi,” she said.

“Look at me.”

She looked at him. But it wasn’t easy. Just a few weeks ago, he’d been a fantasy to her, and now here he was. Here they were. And it was real. He was a real man with real feelings, sometimes with conflicting ideas, and that scared her half to death. But it was what it was—sensual, beautiful, and frightening as hell.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

The million-dollar question. Ruby didn’t know how to answer. All she knew was that Alec made her want to take risks. He brought out the spontaneous in her, brought out the real and maybe even slightly reckless Ruby, the Ruby she’d never given herself the chance to know. “That I want to go on. I want this to continue,” she said.

“What we’re doing now, or…”

“Everything, Alec.” She breathed. “I want full in.”

“Full in. I like that.” He smiled.

And in that smile, she found a deeply devoted man. A rascal, too—one who knew he’d won for the moment. One who’d do anything to please her but now wanted his own pleasure in return. He brought out a sense of freedom in her, too. Yes, freedom. To be herself, finally, once and for all. “And right now, I want you to fuck me,” she said, ready—so ready—for round two.

His hands dug into her thighs, reached underneath her ass, and squeezed. “Go big or go home. Right, Ruby?”

“Yes, sir,” she felt compelled to say.

“Sir. I like that, too. Turn around for me, babe. And hold on to that chair.”