“This is ridiculous,” I said, as Talon punched in Joe’s number.

“Do you trust Ruby?” Marj asked.

What a loaded question. A week ago, the answer would have been yes. Now I wasn’t sure. But I did trust her cop instincts. “Yes.”

“Jesus.” She swallowed. “This is all so…”

“Twisted?” I said.

“Yeah. That’s the word, all right.”

Talon laid his phone down on the table in the kitchen. “You’re never going to believe this.”

“What?” Marjorie and I said in unison.

“Joe didn’t identify Dad’s body. He was going to, but someone else volunteered to do it for him, and he allowed it. He didn’t want to see our father’s dead body.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Wendy Madigan.”

I had to stop myself from doubling over. Swallowing down nausea, I fell into a chair at the table. “My mother.”

“We’ll figure this out, Ry,” Marj said, touching my arm.

But I didn’t want a sisterly touch. Or a brotherly touch. That wasn’t going to cut it right now.

I craved something more. Someone more. And she was still downstairs.

I got up, saying nothing to my brother and sister.

“Ry,” Talon said. “Joe’s on his way over. Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving.”

“No. You can’t.”

“The hell I can’t.” I walked to the basement door and down the stairs.

Ruby and Jade were talking, Jade holding the death certificate of John Cunningham.

“We’re leaving,” I said to Ruby.

“We are?”

“Yeah. It’s important. Come with me.”

She didn’t hesitate. Didn’t ask any questions. She simply got up and followed me.

---

In my bedroom, she undressed for me when I asked her to.

When she was naked, I undid my jeans and pushed them and my boxers to my knees. “Suck my cock, Ruby.”

She knelt before me and timidly touched her lips to my cock head, giving it tiny kisses.

I closed my eyes.

This was Ruby Lee, who had been through so much. Who was a cop, used to taking care of herself. Now she was willing to take care of me. To do whatever I asked of her.

I flashed back to the time in her apartment. I’d just found out about my maternity, and I’d gone to her. She’d submitted to everything I wanted, needed, no questions asked.

She was doing the same now.

It seemed unlike what I knew of her, yet here she was, kneeling before me, taking my cock between her gorgeous red lips.

Her hair was in a ponytail today rather than the tight bun she usually wore. She looked like a goddess—a nude goddess, so beautiful.

My cock was hard as a rock, and I wanted to pick her up, throw her on my bed, and shove it into her.

But first, I’d see how far she was willing to go with obeying my commands.

“That’s it, baby,” I said. “Lick me. Take me.” I resisted the urge—for now—to grab her by that ponytail and fuck her mouth. But God, I wanted to do it. Wanted to make her take all of me down her sweet little throat.

She swirled her tongue around my cock head and then licked my length, stopping to flick her tongue against my tightened balls. I couldn’t take it any longer.

I seized her ponytail and met her sparkling blue gaze. “Suck me. All the way, Ruby. Suck me.” I pushed her mouth onto my cock.

She opened her lips and took all I gave her. I stopped when I felt my tip nudge the back of her throat. She was still very inexperienced, and I didn’t want to choke her. One day, though… One day I’d fuck her gorgeous mouth the way I wanted to at this moment.

She didn’t gag. Or if she did, she did a great job of hiding it. This time I was gentler as I pushed her mouth down upon my cock. For a moment, I imagined her mouth in an O, opened with a spider gag. I’d never been much for toys in the bedroom. From what little I knew, my brothers’ tastes were darker than my own. But the image of Ruby, those scarlet lips being held open and ready for my cock…

Damn! I nearly came right there.

I continued moving her back and forth along my cock. She added her hand, and who was I to complain? This way she got farther down, almost to the base with each thrust.

“Baby, baby,” I said. “God!”

I opened my eyes and met her blue gaze. She was looking directly at me, her mouth full of my cock.

So trusting.

So trusting for someone who’d only lost her virginity weeks ago.

As much as I wanted to come in her mouth, I wanted her pussy more. I pulled her off of my cock and drew her up against my still-clothed body. I took her mouth in a crushing kiss. She opened instantly, our tongues dueling. When I needed a breath, I broke the kiss, panting, and lifted her in my arms and onto my waiting erection.

“Ah, God!” Such sweet suction.

She wrapped around me so completely, hugging me with an intense grip that was almost painful in its pleasure. I worked her on and off my cock, her breasts jiggling and colliding with my cotton shirt. How I wished I’d taken the time to undress so I could feel her soft flesh against my chest. Too late to stop now, though. I was nearly—

“Ahh!” I groaned as I climaxed, filling Ruby’s pussy.

As I came down, I set her gently on the bed. Her skin was pink all over, but I wasn’t sure if she’d climaxed.

“Did you come, baby?”

She shook her head shyly. “Not this time.”

I smiled, unbuttoning my shirt. “Not a problem. I can take care of that.”