Chapter 7

The limo nosed into the curb and braked to a stop. The door swung open, and Chad got out. He held out his hand and escorted Ruby up the sidewalk to her apartment house. She smoothed down her gown to cover her legs. Besides her slightly rumpled hair, no one could notice anything different from the way she looked when she first walked into the party.

Chad walked her up the steps to the door. The building stood in darkness. Only a few windows in the upper floors showed any signs of life. Ruby turned around on the steps and gave his hand a squeeze. “Thank you for the ride home….and everything.”

He stayed on the sidewalk and gazed up at her. “Are you going to be okay? How will you get into the building?”

“I’ll buzz the manager to let me in. I’ll be fine.”

He put his head on one side. “Are you sure you’re okay with what we just did? I wouldn’t feel right if you regretted it or anything.”

She smiled down at him. Peaceful tranquility glowed from her pores. “I’m fine with it. I had a really nice time. I don’t regret it at all. I’m happy.”

He drew a step closer, but he didn’t step up to her level. “You’re an amazing woman, Ruby Dunroy. It was an honor to be your first time.”

She let him draw close. His face came near the level of her breast. She could almost put her arms around him again right now. “Thank you. It was a beautiful experience. I’ll never forget it.”

He looked right and left. “Is Tom home?”

“He’s at work. He won’t be home until morning.”

“What will you tell him.”

Ruby shrugged. “I don’t know what I’ll tell him. I guess I’ll start by telling him we don’t have to hold off having sex anymore.”

“Will he be upset?”

“I don’t know. He might want to break up. I really don’t know.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“I guess I’ll have to be. I’m okay with what we did. I know I didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing that good could be wrong. Whatever he decides to do will just have to take care of itself.”

“Will you split up with him?”

“I don’t know. I can’t think about that right now. I’m too full of what just happened.”

He crossed the last little space between them. He twisted her arm around behind her with their fingers still entwined. He pulled her stomach against his chest and threw his head back to bring his face near hers. “You really are happy about it, aren’t you? You’re really okay with it.”

She laughed out loud. How long had it been since she laughed like that? “Of course, I am. Why do you keep asking that? Do you think you did anything wrong by giving me my first time? That was the best first time any girl could ever ask for. Why do you keep acting like you hurt me or something?”

“I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to walk away from this feeling I did you wrong or coerced you into doing something you didn’t want to do.”

She shook her head. “It was beautiful and magical and wonderful. I didn’t want to do it, but now that it’s over, I’m glad I did. I can never go back to being a virgin. I don’t want to. I’ve got the rest of my life to experience that beauty and passion all over again. I can’t wait.”

He leaned in to kiss her. She hugged her breasts against his chest, and her hair fell around his face. She tasted his sweet kiss, maybe for the last time.

That kiss went on and on. Their lips danced in eternal union. His tongue slithered around hers. She savored the delicious bliss of being with him. He gave her the most priceless treasure she could imagine. She clung to him as long as she could. She wouldn’t release him until he tore himself out of her grasp.

She refused to be jealous of all the women he would do it with for the rest of her life. He was a rambling man. She couldn’t expect him to hang around with her. Besides, she had her whole life left with Tom. If Tom accepted what happened, she would stay with him. They would figure out their relationship one way or the other—or not, as the future played out. If he left, so be it. If he wanted her to move out, she could live with that, too.

She would never look back on this night with regret or shame. Nothing as delightful as this ever happened to her before. She never experienced so much beauty and pleasure and intoxicating passion. She loved it. She loved it even now after it was all over.

Chad’s other arm slipped around her waist. He eased himself up on the step to clutch her tighter. His fingers untangled themselves from her hand to slide up behind her neck. She relaxed into his arms. Nothing bad could happen to her there, not ever.

Both his hands glided down her sides. The slippery satin excited her to new dreams of sex and bliss. His hands slipped down her sides to her rounded hips, and he pressed his throbbing crotch into her damp mound. “Come with me, Ruby.”

Her eyes popped open. “What?”

“Come out with me. Don’t go home yet.”

“Come out with you where? Do you have another hot tub waiting somewhere?”

He blushed. “I don’t know where. Just come out with me. Don’t go home. I don’t want it to be over yet.”

She pulled away from his kiss. “Are you serious? What do you want to take me out for?”

“Tom’s not home. He won’t find out if you stay out a little longer.” He jabbed his hard-on between her legs, but the gown stopped her from opening to him. “I’m not finished with you yet, and you’re not finished, either.”

She studied him. “Are you serious?”

“Of course. If you want to come, let’s go.” He disengaged from her arms. He backed toward the limo and tugged her by the hand. “Come on. It’s cold out here.”

She only thought about it for an instant. She wanted to, didn’t she? What could be wrong with that? The moment she decided, her heart skipped a beat in delirious excitement. Her spirit soared to enjoy a few more minutes, a few more hours with him. She embraced with joy whatever this night held for her.

He stood back while she slipped into the seat, and he slid in by her side. He pulled the door closed, and the limo sailed away into the night. The moment the door closed, Chad closed her in his arms. They kissed and cuddled all the way downtown until the lights along the main streets distracted them.

Ruby peered through the tinted windows at the city scenes tumbling by. The nightlife thrilled her with endless possibilities. Could this really be happening? She was riding into the city in the dead of night. Anything could happen, and she met it with a glad heart.

Chad squeezed her hand, and she turned around to find him staring at her at close range. Her cheeks flushed, and she caught her breath. “What is it?”

He shook his head. “I’m just looking at you.”

She gave him a quick kiss. “Are you okay with this? Where do you want to go?”

Before he could answer, the limo stopped again. Chad pushed the door out and handed her onto the sidewalk. Once outside, he took her hand.

Dozens of people crowded the sidewalk, all of them dressed in evening wear. The men wore tuxedos and the women wore costly gowns cut down their backs. Everybody turned to stare at Ruby walking at Chad’s side. At least she had her party gown on, or she would have hidden her face in shame.

Chad escorted her down the sidewalk where the crowd clustered thick around a revolving glass door. Conversation bubbled in every direction, and people murmured to each other when Chad and Ruby passed by. She fought the urge to touch her hair. She was good enough for him, so she was good enough for anybody. She released all expectation about anything that happened tonight. Tonight was her dream come true. She wouldn’t let anyone or anything spoil it for her.

He shoved the revolving door, and it brushed the thick scarlet carpet to sweep them into the building. Lights flickered along the overhead mezzanine. Chad shouldered his way through the crowd and guided Ruby to the lobby elevators. He pushed the button, and the bell rang. The doors hissed aside, and they stepped into the car. No one entered with them. The door closed and blocked out the hubbub.