Chapter 7
T oday was my first full day back at uni. The last couple of weeks I’d helped my parents get Hope and Ruby settled into their new activities; Hope at daycare and Ruby at TAFE. I was uneasy as Ruby would be going to TAFE without me. My brother had at least seen Jade at school, and Richard worked his hours around spending the maximum time with Bailey. And Divinity…well, she was something special. And Cassie didn’t leave Dustan since…
I shook my head, trying to shake away where my thoughts were drifting to. I’d started doing afternoon classes during the week for a couple of weeks, while Ruby started and settled into TAFE. She was coming home exhausted though, and any energy she had she gave to Hope. So I had tried my best not to ravish her, and I was slowly going insane and starting to worry that soon I would snap.
The hours away from Ruby were driving me crazy though. I wondered what she was doing every moment without me. I worried she’d meet someone else, and I wouldn’t be there to woo her and show her I was the one she was meant to be with, her soulmate. It had helped me realize that since meeting her and moving her into my parents’ house, besides when we slept, Ruby and I didn’t spend much time apart at all.
My knee bounced, and I knew that the gift my family had of going a little he-man crazy when they meet their soulmate, hadn’t kicked in with me because I spent all my time with Ruby. With her history though, she needed to have some freedom and a chance at an education which she’d never received.
I had a feeling tonight I was going to become a crazy Silverman. I didn’t want to deny her friends, but tonight was the first night Ruby would be away from me and out having fun with her new friends.
Today had been my first day where I had gone seven hours without seeing Ruby or Hope. Ruby was who my mind wouldn’t stop conjuring images of; her in PJ’s, the silky fabric clinging to her body as she walked down every morning. I know she had no idea what they did to me. They weren’t the worst though—it was the swimmers she wore in the pool. I know she had a bikini, but she had yet to wear one, instead she wore one-pieces. The one she’d worn yesterday had been a torture device for me. It was just a simple black suit with a low back and spaghetti straps. It wasn’t something that would usually catch my attention, but on Ruby, it took my breath away and had my cock rock-hard for hours. I’d stayed in the pool longer while she’d gotten changed so my boner could deflate, but it became hard again when I saw Ruby strut out in silver sandals and a bright yellow sundress. She had no idea the power she held over me.
Fridays were busy days for me. Ruby only had two classes. She’d had them in the morning and had spent the rest of the day with Hope before she went to her friends Ashley’s house. Hope was now with my parents who had taken her to the Disney on Ice show.
“We’re fucked,” a male voice said.
Startled out of my musing, I was surprised to see my cousin Jaxson. He came to Australia months ago when Dustan was hurt, but when Jaxson’s dad was shot and ended up in the hospital, he had rushed home to New York. He was back it seemed.
“Oh, I know. When did you get back into the country? Want to tell me which fucked, you, we, are? Because right now I’m feeling we’re fucked on a lot of things.”
Jaxson chuckled and plonked down on the sofa next to me. “Women. The curse. The family name.”
Raising my brow, I took a good look at my cousin. He was older than me. The same age as Dustan. Now that I saw him, there were black bags under his eyes, like he hasn’t slept in months, his usual clean-shaven look was gone, and honestly, he looked like a homeless person. His beard was scruffy, his clothes didn’t fit, and he seemed almost like he was in withdrawals.
“Cous’, what the hell happened?” I asked. “You look like shit.”
He ran his fingers through his scruffy hair. “The curse. I thought when I headed back to the States to check on Dad, I would be gone at most a couple of weeks. I got her number. I knew where she lived.”
Nodding, I shrugged. “So go to her.”
“Don’t you think I would if I could, idiot?” he snarled at me. “My phone was stolen at the hospital in the craziness of Dad being shot and then the shooter in the hospital. Then when I got a new one, her number hadn’t been added to my back up files yet. When I did get her number again a day later, she wouldn’t fucking talk to me and wouldn’t tell me why. I sent someone to check on her and try to find out what was going on, and she’s moved. I can’t fucking find her now. It’s like she’s fucking disappeared. So yeah, I’m fucked.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “We’re Silvermans, and we don’t give up. Stop being a fucking pussy. We have all the money in the world and a vast array of people in our employment. Use them and find your woman.” I punched his shoulder and stood. “I’m going to go stalk my own woman while she has a night out with friends. Why don’t we get you set up with who you’ll need to find…” I raised my brow and waited.
“Jasmine,” he said on a sigh. “Jasmine Sorne.”
“Okay, let’s set you up with who you’ll need to find her. Then come and keep me from stealing my woman. I want her to enjoy her night out with friends, but I’m itching to lay my eyes on her.”
He covered his face for a moment before he used his fingers to massage his temples. “Fuck it. You’re right, little cous’, let’s find my woman.” I hold my hand out to him, but he gets up without it. “Let’s go.”
This was the dumbest idea I’d ever had. Ruby’s bodyguards had told me where she was, and as I find her in the throng of people in the nightclub, not only does my dick get hard instantly, but I groan at how much fun she’s having without me. I reason with myself, like the crazy person I was, not to go over and show her what she was missing, but I’m trying not to be an arsehole.
I wanted Ruby to make friends. I wanted her to have a life and live it. She deserved to have fun. The problem was I wanted all her spare time. I wanted her to laugh like she was right now as she danced with a group of women. I wanted her to give me the carefree look she was giving to her new friends. I wanted her to be consumed by thoughts of me like I was of her. I wanted her to miss me and crave to be with me like I did with her. The curse, er, gift was riding me hard. With everything that Ruby had been through I was trying my hardest to stay sane and not give in, but tonight, I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t crack.
Ruby was always beautiful, but tonight she was breathtaking. Her blue hair was curled in loose ringlets to frame her face that had makeup on it that highlighted her best features: her eyes, high cheekbones, and pouty lips. Her breasts weren’t large, but in the fitted, shimmery dress that dipped down and gave glimpses of black lace, I was drooling to see more. She wore gladiator sandals with a small heel that showed her shapely calves and made her legs look longer. She looked like a mythical fairy. All that was missing was wings and pointy ears.
I gazed around and tried giving every man I saw looking at her a stare that told them she was off limits, but I knew in the crowded club no one really saw or cared.
The girls started dancing with guys. I watched as Ruby’s guards moved in, but I caught Brand’s gaze and shook my head and moved in myself. Ruby was avoiding the men, and I could see her shoulders were now stiff and her movements not as carefree. I didn’t like seeing her so tense.
Slowly, I eased up beside her, leaned down, and spun her to face me. Her gasp cut off as her gaze locked on mine. “Mine.” I glared at the men all around.
Ruby beamed at me, and I was surprised when she jumped and wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. As soon as her lips touched mine, I was lost, but I stopped myself from hauling her over my shoulder and taking her back and ravishing her as I tasted the alcohol on her lips.
My hands rested on her arse, and I slowly eased from my mouth away from hers as she started climbing me. She gazed at me with a look I honestly worried I’d never get from her: it was one of pure lust. Her eyes blazed and her chest rose and fell quickly as her body rubbed against mine. Fucccckkk. I knew I couldn’t go any further though, because she was drunk. But damn, right now she looked like a sexy vixen.
She mouthed thank you before she turned back to her friends, who were now giggling and congratulating Ruby, and they were grinning at me like I’d just made their night, giving them something to gossip about. I wanted to leave on a high note, so leaning down, I whispered in my woman’s ear. “Have fun, precious. I’ll be watching.” She shivered, but the smile that spread over her face and her body relaxing again had me moving back to my cousin.
“Holy shit, cousin, good luck with that. She’s stunning, but the way you two just acted… damn. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Derick. Your woman loves you.”
I snapped my gaze from the woman he was talking about and raised my brow. “Why do you think that?”
Could Jaxson be right? Did Ruby love me? Could we take the next step? I fucking hoped so, because I was damn tired of sleeping without her.
Ruby
I was drunk. I’d never been drunk before. I’d been offered alcohol a lot, but never actually had it. I’d never felt safe enough to let myself go like that. I’d seen what drinking did, and I didn’t want to do that with people I didn’t feel safe with or where I didn’t want to be. But I knew I had bodyguards with me, and I was coming to trust my new friends, so tonight I let myself be an adventurous teenager.
When the guys finally joined us, I’d been very uncomfortable. At school I could sit away from them. I mostly avoided them, and when they tried speaking to me, I gave them a lot of yes and no or short answers. I was trying though, because thanks to the Silverman family and my brother and a few others, I knew that not all men were bad. I hated to be touched still and did my best to avoid the guys’ touch. It wasn’t easy in the packed nightclub, but I think being drunk was helping.
Derick surprised me, and any unease I felt disappeared. He came up to my side and spun me. Gazing up at him, I realized that this man had done the unthinkable and made me fall in love with him. At least I thought it was love. It felt like what I did for my brother and daughter, but different, more intense, more all-consuming, like if I didn’t touch him, I would explode. When I was around Derick, I felt safe. I felt cared for. I felt things I never had before. My heart felt full, and my body ached for something I’d been fantasizing about a lot lately.
I wanted Derick to know how I felt. Closing the gap between us, I wrapped myself around him as my lips fused to his and I rubbed against him. The rest of the world always seemed to disappear when my mouth was against Derick’s. He returned my kiss just as eager until I started climbing him, then he slowly eased his head away from me, ending our kiss.
He stared at me, and if I didn’t see the aching, burning need shining in his gaze and radiating off every pore in him, I might have worried that he didn’t take me somewhere and take advantage of me, but he was Derick, my man. The man who looked after me. Who took care of me and put me and my needs first.
I darted my gaze quickly around and then turned from him. I was with my new friends, and I knew when I was ready to leave Derick would gladly take me home. So, I intended to have fun.
A couple of hours later I was very buzzed, but it was early hours, and I had Hope, so I needed to go. Grabbing Ash and Lisa, I guided them to a quieter corner. “As much fun as I’m having, I’m going to head home now. Thanks.”
They both hugged me.
“Stay please,” Lisa moaned.
Shaking my head, I smiled at them. “I have Hope, and she is going to be full of energy tomorrow. If I don’t leave now, I’ll have none to give her.”
They both pouted, and I laughed, loving the feeling of having friends and them not wanting little old me to leave. Unable to help myself, I hugged them. “Thanks. I’ve had the best time. You guys are the best.” They both squeezed me back, and I basked in something I’d never had before. Closing my eyes, I savored it for a moment longer before I eased away.
“We’ll grab our stuff and come with you.” Lisa moved back to the dance floor where, in the middle of our circle, all their stuff was. I didn’t bring anything besides my phone, which I had stashed in my bra.
I reached for Lisa and stopped her. “Nah, you guys stay here and keep having fun. I’m good. I’ve got a lift here and they’re out the front.”
Ash raised her brow before she gazed toward the exit. “I’ll come with you.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want them to see my bodyguards. That would bring up way too many questions that I wasn’t ready to answer. “Stay here. I’m fine, I promise.”
Ash grabbed my hand. “Make sure you message us when you get home.” I nodded and then she smirked. “It’s a pity you have to go home, and you can’t take that hottie you made-out with home.”
Lisa giggled, and I couldn’t help myself, I laughed, because I should really tell them who and what Derick was to me, but right now I was enjoying just being Ruby Decker, their friend. I didn’t want them to know about the Silverman family yet and what I was to him.
They watched as I left out the club exit. Once I was outside, I groaned because seconds later my body melted against a hard chest as strong arms wrapped around me and the scent of sage and lemon surrounded me. “Have fun, precious?”
If the girls had still been watching, there was no way they wouldn’t have noticed Derick follow me outside. But right now, in his embrace, I didn’t care.
“Yeah, let’s go home,” I said.
Turning in his embrace, I hold him tight. I was ready for more with Derick. I even wanted to try some fantasies I’d had, but I had a feeling I would have to start things as Derick always worried about my reactions after what I’d been through. He knew my past and how Hope was conceived, and he still gazed at me with lust. I wanted to make new experiences with him.
Taking a deep breath and using my liquid courage, I asked, “Can I sleep in your bed tonight with you?”
Derick’s body became so hard under me it seemed almost like he’d stopped breathing. Trying to escape his embrace, embarrassment consumed me. Had I taken things too far? Did he not want me? Did he think I was moving too fast? Was I? My head started to ache, but Derick wouldn’t let me go.
He tilted my head up to look at him. Derick seemed to search my gaze for a moment before he gave me a look, that if panties melted, mine would be gone. His lips curled and his eyes blazed with a passion that had my nipples hardening and pussy throbbing. I ached just to be with him.
“Yes,” he sighed, and he sounded in pain.
I rubbed myself against him. “I want you.” I trailed my fingers up his abs, before my arms circled his neck.
“Precious. You’re drunk. I want you more than my next breath, but I want you when you’re sober.”
“I’m sober,” I mumbled. “Enough.” I pressed my lips to his, and he gave me a gentle kiss before he gathered my hand in his and eased back away from me on a loud moan.
“You’re making this real hard, precious.”
“I like you hard.” I tried to kiss him again, but he kissed my forehead and then let me go. I stumbled. I had lied—I was drunk. “Let’s go home. I’m looking forward to sleeping.” I wiggled my brows.
“Ruby, only sleep though. Just sleep.” He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. “As much as I want to show you all the fun and delicious things I want to do to you, I want you a hundred percent sober for that.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against my cheek. “Come on, let’s go home.”