Chapter 32

Ruby

“Mr. Fentress?” I call out again. “What are you doing here?”

I can’t believe my eyes. Literally, I’m so fucking shocked I’m doing that wide eyed, rubbing your eyes thing they do in cartoons.

He looks pissed. Like really pissed. As if I just walked out on a shit ton of paperwork. Like I shredded all the notes on his highest priority case. Fuck.

For a couple of seconds, it’s like I’m in a dream. The night has been so perfect, of course, the nightmare shows up next.

He leans on the open door.

“Ruby. We need to talk.”

“Damn fucking right, we do! What the fuck are you doing here?” I demand. Ah, my loud mouth and my temper. Can’t thank them enough for stepping up when my conscious brain is dying of shock.

Fentress shakes his head. “I’m not here to be spoken to in that way! Honestly Ruby, how can you treat me like this?”

Okay. At that, my loud mouth actually just falls open and doesn’t even try flapping. Is there an answer for this in the English language?

“Mr. Fentress. How did you find me?”

“Days now. Days I’ve been sending you messages. You haven’t even bothered to reply. I demand to know why.”

“You didn’t answer my ques—”

“I mean, to start with…it was just casual banter. Fair enough. I get that you’re a woman who needs to be stimulated. The best ones always are a challenge. So, I upped my game—and still, nothing.”

He looks deeply into my eyes and I almost laugh out loud. He’s completely serious. Wow.

“Then the concern set in. It’s electronic messaging etiquette to at least acknowledge my messages, Ruby.”

“Are you fucking serous?” I say, interested. “Etiquette? Where do you get these ‘etiquette’ rules?”

“Google it, for fucks sake! Do I have time to explain it to you? All I want is a bit of consideration. Just a tit pic here and there. I’m spending a lot of energy on you, Ruby,” he actually pouts. “I need to know I’m being heard. That you understand the depth of my appreciation.”

“Mr. Fentress—”

“Call me Carl, darling. Please. I’ve told you a million times.”

“And I have said no a million times because I want our relationship to be strictly professional.”

He’s staring at my chest with his tongue flicking at the edge of his mouth. Ugh.

“It’s professional to help out your boss. Especially when you’re an entry level legal secretary and I’m a top fucking lawyer. You could go places, Ruby. I’ll do favors for you if you do some for me,” he suggests, leaning in closer.

“Come on, baby. I know you want it. I can feel it. All those times you sat at your desk listening to me and Candi or whoever the fuck it was, you got hotter than an ember in a bonfire. Admit it.”

Jesus Fuck. I did too. I was so fucking horny all the time I got quite worked up over that.

Now that I’ve been in Wyatt’s arms, all of that seems utterly ridiculous. I didn’t get worked up because I had a thing for Fentress. I got worked up because I needed satisfaction.

Not a cheap fuck like he’s been having. He can keep those. I know what making love feels like. I’m happy I waited for it. I’ll never accept anything less.

“Why would you think that? I admit to no such thing.” I know my cheeks are burning, but I don’t care.

“I saw you watching me when I came out of my office. I know you were thinking you wanted a bit of the good, hard stuff,” he says confidently. His face goes from hard and angry to soft and puzzled. “That’s why I couldn’t understand why you didn’t respond to me.”

Still shocked with disbelief on many levels, I decide to play it his way as best I can. I might actually be heard that way.

“Mr. Fentress,” I say breathily, leaning forward so our faces almost touch.

“Yes, Ruby,” he replies looking up, eager, excited.

“How did you find me here?”

He seems puzzled for a second. Then his face clears, and he nods enthusiastically.

“Oh, that was a simple matter. Don’t worry,” he waves a hand dismissively. “I bugged your phone when you first started working for me.”

“You did what?” I yell. I’m so angry it comes out hushed even though I put a lot of force into it.

Fentress goes on, conversationally, quite unaware he’s committed any offense.

“I have to, you know. It’s important to track your workers, know where they go. Had a suit pop up a few years ago over a secretary that worked in the red light district off hours. Bad for the firm, but fuck me, that bitch could suck a cock,” he admits. He shakes his head thoughtfully, looking off over my head somewhere.

“Good times, good times indeed. Anyway, the point is, I just bug everyone now. It’s a lot simpler. You’re an extremely good girl, Ruby. You don’t go anywhere.”

He takes a step closer, eyes devouring me. I step forward to grab the edge of the door.

“Dude, enough. I don’t know what you’re expecting here, but—”

“Expecting? I’m not expecting a goddamn thing, darling. The only thing I’m expecting is a little appreciation.”

“Excuse me?”

“I expect you care about your job.” He glares at me fiercely. “Do you still want it?”

“Of course I do. I need this job. The experience is so necessary to my career,” I start. “Mr. Fentress, let’s talk about this on Tuesday. This is my vacation. It’s not fair.”

He keeps glaring at me, pretty much unmoved. “You know what? Secretaries like you are a dime a dozen. But I expect you to make it up to me.”

I can’t help a snort of laughter. “Make what up to you, exactly?”

“I’ve spent the last few months wasting my time on you. I’ve sent messages to you and agonized over your reply. I’ve passed over some very interesting opportunities for you.”

He leans forward, gripping the edge of the door. “So, I deserve compensation. Strictly from a legal sense.”

I reach out and grab the door.

“Compensation? Mr. Fentress, seriously. Now is not the time.” I try to be dramatic and bad ass and swing the door back to slam it, but he fights me.

“All I wanted was to love you!” he yells. “Why wouldn’t you just let me love you? Honestly, I’m not looking for a lifelong commitment. Just let me get my obsession out of the way and I’ll leave you alone for good.”

“I can’t believe this,” I mutter, yanking the door.

“You can’t believe this? What about me? Oh yeah, I can smell it on you, even if I couldn’t see it in your eyes and rosy cheeks. You act so innocent and virginal, but you’ve been out here getting plowed, haven’t you? Where is the lucky scumbag? I should buy him a beer. Or did he run out on you sweetheart? Didn’t you show him your appreciation?”

“You creep! You fucking jerk!” I snarl as I yank the door out of his hand and he stumbles back.

In triumph, I swing it hard, expecting it to click shut and then I can pounce on it to lock it. No sweat.

I don’t expect him to leap at the closing door and batter it out of the way. I step back quickly as his momentum carries him right into the door.

“Ruby, we need to discuss your job,” he says, pointedly. “We’re going to do it here, and we’re going to do it now.”

Where the fuck is Wyatt?

I don’t know about what’s going to happen when I go back to work, but right now, I just want Mr. Fentress gone.

I don’t want to hear from him, I don’t want to see him. I just want to finish my vacation in peace!

I take in a deep breath, and do what I know I can to get Wyatt in here now.

I never thought I could scream like the first dead girl in a cheap ass horror film.

But here I am, absolutely killing it.