Once the fire marshal was convinced there were no smoldering embers hiding in the hotel, we were ushered back to our rooms for the night. I’d told Ryan about the conversation with my father while we were outside, and when we got back to the hotel room, he handed me a book.

“Is this yours?”

Mary Wollstonecraft. Interesting. “No, but actually, I’ve always wanted to read it. Where did you get it?”

“At your apartment.”

I pulled at my hair. “What?”

“I went there tonight looking for you. I turned the place inside out looking for clues to where you might be. I was scared shitless, Ruby. You left your gun and your phone. I thought someone had taken you.”

“Someone sort of had. I’m really sorry you were worried.”

“That doesn’t matter now that you’re okay. But someone planted this in your apartment under the sofa. Maybe that text you got warning you not to go home wasn’t a warning as much as a way to keep you away so this could be planted.”

“Maybe. But why would someone plant an old feminism book at my place?”

“Because of what was inside.” He handed me a piece of pink paper.

“There is no worse evil than a bad woman. Great. A misogynist was in my house.”

“I’m not sure that’s true. Turn it over.”

I did…and gasped. “The symbol.”

“Yeah. And it starts out as the traditional female symbol, just like Bryce’s uncle predicted.”

“So the symbol must have both meanings then. The female, and evil. Hence the quote. A bad woman.”

“And who’s the worst woman you know?” Ryan’s eyes were sad.

I clasped my hand to my mouth. I didn’t want to say it.

He said it for me. “My mother.”

“Then we were right, and your mother wasn’t lying. She is the mastermind of this whole thing.”

“That’s what this clue seems to indicate. She is truly evil.”

“My father and Bryce’s aren’t any better, so don’t feel alone in this, Ryan.”

“I hate to say this to you, but I always assumed your father was the worst of the bunch.”

“To be honest, so did I.”

“And now, to know it’s my mother. The woman I grew inside of…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “How can I live with this?”

“First of all, remember that we’re still just speculating here. This so-called clue could have been planted to throw us off.”

“It’s not speculation. I feel it in my bones,” he said.

Truthfully, so did I. I cleared my throat. “As to living with it, do it the same way I have. Be the best person you can be, and don’t let the fact that you’re related to a psycho taint you. It’s not easy, but you can do it. Besides, there isn’t time to dwell on it anyhow. We need to figure out who planted this in my apartment and why.”

“I know,” he said.

“I’ll take the book and paper into work tomorrow and have fingerprints extracted. Hopefully that will yield some useful information. At least maybe we can find out who planted it.” But I knew we wouldn’t. Whoever planted it had most likely used gloves, and the only fingerprints we’d find would be mine and Ryan’s.

But I had to try.

“Then what?”

“We find your father. I guess we start by sending out some PIs to look at small islands around Jamaica.”

“What if your father was lying?”

“He’s hard to read,” I said, “but I didn’t get the feeling he was lying. In fact, I got a strong feeling that he was telling the truth, for once.”

“Why would he want to give my father up?”

“I’m not sure he does. I think he wants to lure you and your brothers out to this compound, wherever it is, and take care of all of you once and for all. That’s what makes sense to me. Look at it from his perspective. His two partners are out of the picture. Wendy is in psych lockup. His sister is completely nuts, and now my uncle Rodney is starting to talk. Added to that, I think he’s running out of funds. Why else would he have tried to have Jade’s mother killed for insurance money? He’s getting scared, and he’s starting to make mistakes. He’s called me several times, and he actually came to this hotel tonight, when usually he sticks to the shadows. He knows his time is running out.” I sighed. “He’s setting a trap. What we have to do is make him think we’re falling into it.”

Ryan nodded. “Shit. I’ll talk to Joe and Tal, see if they can get their foremen to take over for a few weeks. We’ll need to be on this full time.”

“Perfect. I have a ton of vacation time. Jamaica was the first vacation I took since I’ve been on the force.”

“Hell, no. You’re not coming along. I can’t have you in danger.”

I dropped my mouth open. “Are you kidding me? This is my father we’re talking about as well as yours. I am sure as hell going along. Besides, I’m a trained police detective. Don’t say I won’t be an asset, especially since Mills and Johnson have disappeared.”

“Ruby, please. You have no idea what I went through tonight. I thought you had disappeared.”

“I’m fine. And I’m going.”

“Please. Don’t do this. I need to know you’re safe.”

“That’s great. You get to know I’m safe, but I’ll be worried sick over you while you’re out doing God knows what around people who are potentially more dangerous than my father. That’s not fair, Ryan.”

“Damn it!” He raked his fingers through his disheveled hair and then grabbed me. “You’re going to fucking do what I say!”

“You can’t—”

His lips came down on mine. He was playing me, dominating me, and though I rebelled against him mentally, physically, my body took over. My lips parted, and my tongue darted out to meet his.

I was powerless in this man’s presence. Powerless to resist the passion between us. I melted into the kiss and let him take me away.

No more Theodore Mathias. No more Wendy Madigan.

Just Ryan. Just me. Just the Ryan-Ruby combination we became when we succumbed to our desires and our lovemaking caused the earth to move.

How had I lived without this for so long?

None of that mattered. I could have been with a hundred past lovers and none would have compared to what I had with Ryan Steel. I knew that in the depth of my bones, the core of my soul.

Our kiss was crazed, hot and wet, and just when I thought I might pass out from the beauty of it, he broke it with a loud smack.

“Bed,” he said. “Now.”

The thought of disobeying him never entered my mind. I walked to the bed, my legs shaking and barely able to hold my weight. Then I turned to meet his blazing eyes.

His gaze seared my flesh.

Normally this was the time he ordered me to strip off my clothes. I thought I might beat him to the punch, so I began unbuttoning my blouse.

He shook his head at me. “This time, you undress me.”

This was something new. For once maybe he would be naked before I was. I wasn’t sure that had ever happened between us. I turned the corners of my lips up into a sly smile. I would be happy to undress him, to bare, inch by inch, every piece of his magnificent physique. Not a hardship at all.

I trailed my fingers over his shoulders, the soft cotton of his shirt teasing my flesh, down his arms to his hands. Then I pushed him over to the bed, and he sat.

I knelt at his feet and began working on his boots.

“I like you there,” he said. “You look beautiful kneeling before me.”

I hadn’t thought about the submissiveness of my position until he mentioned it. I had only wanted to please him. Restless legs syndrome suddenly struck my knees and legs, screaming at me to rise. I ignored them, staying in the kneeling position, as I pulled Ryan’s boots off. Afterward, I peeled his socks off, baring his feet, which were oddly beautiful for a man. Then, I was able to follow my instincts and stand. I took his hand and pulled him off the bed. Now I stood before him, facing him, his brown eyes staring down at me with electric heat. I began unbuttoning his shirt, and as I did, I let my fingers trail over the warm beauty of his bronze skin. I fingered the chest hairs, the hardness of his muscles, his abs. I trailed over each nipple. They were already hard, yet they hardened even further at my touch. When all the buttons were undone, I parted the two layers of fabric, baring him to my view, and pushed the shirt off his shoulders.

I skimmed my fingers around his soft leather belt, the hard metal of his belt buckle. And beneath it, the bulge that awaited me. Slowly I unbuckled the belt and pulled it off of his jeans with a flourish. I unsnapped them, unzipped them, brushed them over his hips until he was standing in a blue denim puddle. He stepped out of them. Only his boxer briefs covered him now, and his cock was bulging out of them, a small dab of fluid visible on the light-green cotton.

I gaped at him. I had seen him naked many times before—he wasn’t even totally naked this time—but every time, he was even more beautiful, more magnificent.

But his patience was wearing thin. After a few minutes of my gawking, he said, “Do I need to repeat myself? Undress me.”

His words made me shiver. I had been on my own for so long, never answering to anyone other than bosses. I’d always had great bosses—until Mark, apparently—so I never had to follow orders from anyone I didn’t respect.

There was no doubt that I respected Ryan Steel. Hell, I was hopelessly in love with him.

But never before had anyone been so blatantly commanding to me. Other than my father, who I’d fought off.

Why had I never thought about disobeying Ryan Steel? Why did it never enter my mind to deny him when he demanded something?

I wasn’t about to deny him now. I swept my hand behind him, caressing the globes of his well-formed buttocks. Then I slid my thumb under the waistband of his briefs. Slowly I moved them to his hips and slid them over his thighs, his cock pointing out.

Ryan Steel was large. Not that I had anything to compare him to, really, but he was large. Today he seemed even larger than normal, and another bead of pre-cum pearled on the tip of his cock.

“Lick it off, baby. Lick my cock for me.”

I slid my tongue over the glistening drop, licking and playing. I had grown accustomed to the salty male flavor. So accustomed that I savored it, enjoyed it, relished it. I swirled my tongue over his cock head again, and then again, before pushing my lips forward and taking his shaft into my mouth. I had never been able to go down entirely to his base, but I was getting better. He didn’t seem to mind. His groans told me that.

I was still amazed at how much I could please him, how much he enjoyed what I did. Me. Ruby Lee. Former virgin with no experience.

It was so powerful.

I moved my lips on his shaft while I fingered his balls, touching them, massaging them, squeezing them lightly. I itched to explore him further, so I let his balls go and slid my hands up his firm thighs to his hips and around to his gorgeous ass. He was flexed, the globe so hard under my caress. I ran my fingers through the crease, and he jolted slightly when I touched his asshole.

I gasped and let his cock drop from my mouth. I wasn’t ready to go there yet. Before he could ask for something I wasn’t ready to give, I moved my hands back to his hips and plunged my lips upon his cock once more.

I continued to suck him, kissing him at the base and moving my hand along with my mouth so he would feel like I was taking more than I was. I increased my speed, thrusting back and forth along his erection.

“God, baby. So fucking good.”

I wanted him to come in my mouth again. I wanted to do that for him, give him everything I had.

I was expecting him to stop me, turn me over, and thrust into me as he’d done so many times before. But it dawned on me that I was still fully clothed. As much as I had wanted to experience him naked, now I wished I had shed every garment of my own. Because right now, what I wanted more than anything in the world was for him to plunge that big hard dick right inside my pussy.

He didn’t hold my head this time, which surprised me, as commanding as he usually was.

Instead, he pulled away. “Baby, I don’t want this to end yet.”

He had never had a problem coming twice in one night. But it was late, and we were both tired.

“Whatever you want, my love. I’m here.”

“I want to fuck you. I want to fuck your tits.”

I widened my eyes. “What?” I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Take off your shirt, baby. Do it the way you did it that time when I came to your apartment, so angry and upset about finding about my mother. It was so hot the way you tore your buttons open.”

My fingers shook as I grabbed my shirt collar. I yanked it opened, but only one button gave.

“Baby, please. Like you did last time.”

I summoned all my love for Ryan, all the passion, all the desire, the lust, the soul-wrenching devotion, this time grabbing the bottom of my shirt and yanking.

The fabric split this time, white buttons flying and clattering against the wall and floor.

Ryan took over then. He yanked my bra right off of me, tearing it in two. He gazed down at my breasts.

“Such beautiful tits, baby. I love pinching them, sucking on them, twisting them, playing with them. But tonight I want to come between them.”

Still I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Lie down on your back,” he commanded.

I complied, still wearing my pants and shoes and socks. He didn’t seem concerned with them at the moment.

He straddled me, right below my breasts, and stuck his cock in between them.

“Push them together, baby, so they make a tight sheath for me.”

My nipples were hard as rocks, straining, aching for his teeth and tongue. He clearly had something else in mind. I pushed my boobs together, over his cock, so that it was squeezed between them. He began moving forward and backward, lubricated nicely from the blowjob I’d given him.

“God, that feels so good, Ruby. You have the greatest tits.”

They weren’t as big as Jade’s, but they were okay. Right now, he seemed to be enjoying them immensely.

“Have you ever had a pearl necklace?”

I shook my head. “No. The only nice piece of jewelry I have is the bracelet you gave me.”

He chuckled, and then groaned. “I don’t want to laugh. Feels so good.”

Why didn’t he want to laugh? I totally didn’t understand.

“I’m going to come, baby. Come from this titty fuck.”

My breasts were so sensitive, my nipples so hard. Even though I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, I was up for anything.

He continued thrusting between my breasts while I squeezed them together. Faster, faster, faster. He closed his eyes and groaned, and then he climaxed, squirting my chest and my neck.

He leaned back and let out a low moan. “Baby. Oh my God.” He lay down next to me. “You like your pearl necklace?” he asked, grinning.

“Ryan, I don’t—”

Then I laughed out loud. The drops of cum on my neck and chest. Those were the pearls. How naïve I still was. But he didn’t seem to mind.

I smiled at him. “I think the more pressing question is, did you enjoy giving me the pearl necklace?”

“Baby,” he said. “I enjoy giving you everything. And right now, I’m going to give you one hell of a giant orgasm.”