Chapter 22
22
CHUCK
Next morning, I wake to the sound of birds chirping outside our bungalow. The night passed peacefully, with minimal exposure to terrorizing insects and no sign of the giant freak of a spider Ruby was convinced might try to eat her.
For a moment, however, I'm disoriented, the unfamiliar ceiling above me a reminder that I'm not in my own bed. I spent a long time awake last night, trying to keep from reaching out, yanking Ruby to me, and finishing what we sort-of started in the hot tub.
As the events of the past couple days come rushing back, I have to smile.
Who knew? I mean seriously. Who the fuck knew?
Ruby. The hot-as-fuck nerd librarian younger sister of my teammate, whose dirty looks could kill. The trust falls, the spa day, the body painting...
Sexually frustrated is not an adequate enough description to cover the way I’m feeling. Neither is blue balls.
I don’t blame Ruby, not one bit. It’s her right to say no at any time and my responsibility to listen to her. And I don’t blame her for freaking out over the spider. Hell, I freaked out myself. It was a big bastard, the stuff of nightmares, even for a big guy like me. I looked it up before bed and found out it’s called a goliath birdeater. I would happily have lived my entire life without encountering one of those suckers.
My train of thought screeches to a halt as I realize the room is too quiet.
Where the hell is Ruby?
I sit up and scan the bungalow. Ruby’s side of the bed, on the other side of our trusty border pillow, is empty. And cold.
And her goddamn suitcase is gone.
Something hits my stomach, hard, and it dawns on me what this means.
She fucking left. Without saying fucking goodbye.
Ain’t that some shit.
I'm out of bed and throwing on clothes faster than I've ever geared up for a hockey game. As I burst out of the bungalow, I'm not sure what my plan is. Find Ruby? Convince her to stay?
Maybe grab her by the hair and drag her back to our room?
Why do I even care?
I race toward the resort's entrance, dodging happy couples, and there she is, standing by the shuttle stop, suitcase at her feet, looking like she might be trying to convince herself this is the right decision.
Or is that wishful thinking on my part?
"Ruby!" I call as I jog to her.
She turns, surprise all over her face. "Oh. What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," I say, trying to keep my tone light despite the strange ache in my chest. "Sneaking off without saying goodbye? I'm hurt, Brooks. You think that’s cool, especially after all we’ve been through together?"
She has the grace to look sheepish. Or maybe she really does feel badly.
Hey, I’m not above using guilt to get what I want.
She looks around for the van to save her. It’s nowhere in sight. "I... I didn't want to wake you. And I thought it might be easier this way."
"Easier for who?" I ask, stepping closer. "And your not being there is what woke me,” I reply.
She presses her lips together but says nothing.
“Ruby, from where I'm standing, it looks like you're running away. I don’t call that easy. Not for you and not for me. Why don’t you stay?”"
She bristles, her chin lifting in that defiant way I've come to recognize when no one can tell her a goddamn thing. "I'm not running away. I'm going home. Where I should have been all along." She looks away like she’s afraid I’m going to change her mind.
Which, of course, I am. Hopefully.
I draw a breath while I’m organizing my thoughts. Why do I want her to stay so badly? It's not just about having company. It's about her. About us.
"Look," I say. "I get it. This whole situation is crazy. We came here under false pretenses, got thrown into some pretty awkward situations, and now... now I don't know what this is. But I do know one thing."
She looks at me, her expression guarded. "What?"
"I know that against all odds, we've been getting along. Hell, I'd even go as far as to say we've been having fun. So why not stick around a little longer? Enjoy the place, now that we know what we're in for. Ya know?"
She bites her lip, her resolve wavering. "I... I can't. The shuttle to the airport will be here in a few minutes. I have to go."
“Has your time with me been that bad?” I ask.
She laughs a little, still avoiding my gaze. “It hasn’t been bad, silly. Not at all.”
“Let’s enjoy the place then,” I say. “Let loose and have some fun.”
“Fun with you wasn’t on the list, Chuck. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but it’s hard for me to do spontaneous. Plus, the last guy I had fun with . . . well, it really wasn’t a lot of fun and the way it ended was worse. Plus, you’re . . . well, you’re Tyler’s friend and teammate. I don’t want to cause any friction there either.”
“Tyler and I are adults,” I point out. “We can handle this. And if you don’t want to tell him, then we won’t. It can be our Costa Rica adventure, if you like. I don’t know anything about this other guy, but I can tell you I’m not like him, not if he hurt you. Come on, Ruby.”
She looks at me, biting her lip, indecision swirling in her eyes.
I look at her, really look at her. Her hair is slightly mussed from sleep, her eyes wide and conflicted. She's the most beautiful I’ve ever seen her.
Without a word, I reach down and take her suitcase. She doesn't resist. Then, slowly, giving her every chance to pull away, I take her hand in mine.
“I don’t know…” she says, her voice quiet.
"Trust me. Just... trust me. Stay, Ruby."
And then I'm leading her back to our bungalow, her hand warm in mine, a kind of elation flooding me that I’ve rarely known off the ice. Neither of us speaks while we catch the amused gazes of a couple people who probably assume we had a lover’s quarrel.
The weight of unspoken words hangs between us. Electric. Full of… possibility.
Intimidating as fuck. But I can handle it.
When we reach our door, I pause, turning to face her. "Ruby, if you really want to leave, I won't stop you. But I think... I think there is something here. Something worth exploring. Ya know? If you’re down with that."
Her eyes search mine. For what, I'm not sure. Sincerity? Desire? Fear? Whatever she's looking for, she finds it. Next thing I know, she's up on her tiptoes pressing her lips to mine.
This kiss is different. Nothing like our little peck after the massage. This one’s intentional, passionate, loaded with all the tension that's been building between us. My free hand comes up to touch her face, and her fingers tangle in my hair.
When we finally break apart, her cheeks are flushed, her lips full and red.
"Whoa,” I manage.
Yeah, I’m tongue-tied.
Ruby laughs, a breathless sound that makes my heart thump. "Yeah.”
I fumble with the door, like a stupid horny teenager on his first date. We fall into the room, Ruby's suitcase forgotten outside. As the door clicks shut behind us, we stand there for a moment, the air thick with anticipation.
"So," Ruby says, a hint of her usual snark creeping back into her voice. "What now, hot shot?"
I pull her closer, fully against me for the first time ever. She’s small and soft, but her gaze is strong, like she’s saying don’t fuck with me .
I get it. I don’t have the best reputation with women. She deserves to be as suspicious as she wants to be.
I clear my throat. "I was thinking we could start with a repeat performance of what just happened outside. And then maybe... improvise from there?"
She pretends to consider this, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. I don't know. That sounds dangerously close to naked yoga territory."
"I promise, no naked yoga. Unless you want to, of course. I'm nothing if not a flexible, open-minded guy."
She rolls her eyes. "You're crazy."
"It’s my fatal flaw," I say, leaning in to kiss her again.
This time, there's no hesitation. We move together like we've been doing this for years, not minutes. My hands find her waist as hers slide up my chest. As we back up toward the bed, neither of us willing to break the kiss, she moans when I squeeze her curvy ass, which I’ve only been able to admire until now.
As we fall onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs, I pull back for a moment to make sure we're on the same page.
"Ruby," I say, "are you sure about this? We can stop if?—”
She cuts me off with another kiss. "Chuck," she says when we come up for air, "for once in your life, stop talking."
I grin, happy to comply. As we lose ourselves, I can't help but marvel at how we got here. From reluctant roommates to... whatever this is. It's unexpected, it's crazy, and it's perfect.