Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
DECLAN
The rest of the group beats us to the pool the next morning. It makes sense, given that Ruby and I stayed up after them and then some.
Fuck.
I can’t keep the smile off my face.
I spot the group quickly. There are two loungers saved for us under a cabana. The only downside is that they aren’t next to each other. Ruby's is on the other side of Sadie; mine is between Luca and Dutton.
Ruby’s walking in front of me in a blue bikini, and it’s taking all I have not to just stare at her. To let my eyes leisurely take her in with memories of the way she fell apart for me last night.
Six years.
Shit.
And he never went down on her.
Idiot.
No wonder they didn’t make it.
Not that sex is the reason people should be together, but hell.
Ruby is basically a virgin again.
It took all I had not to just fuck her last night.
I chose to ease her into it, and let me tell you, I don’t know if I can do that again tonight.
She’s stunning, and now that I know what her body looks like under that cover-up, and now that I know how soft her skin feels under my fingers, how she tastes between her legs, and the sounds she makes when she comes, all I want to do is give her orgasm after orgasm.
Hell, I was with Susie’s mother for years, and not once did I crave her the way I crave Ruby right now.
It hit me the moment we woke up this morning.
I was tempted to reach for her, to kiss her and repeat all of last night, but Ruby simply woke up, asked me if I wanted coffee, made me a cup, and then she got in the shower as if it were any other morning.
I thought about joining her, but we both missed dozens of texts from the group. We couldn’t be any later than we already were.
We also didn’t talk about it.
Not one single word.
As if everything between us didn’t change last night.
Ruby pauses, looking left and right.
“They’re over there,” I say, pointing to the group and brushing my hand to the small of her back to guide her in the right direction.
“Oh wow, how could I miss them? They take up so much space.”
I chuckle.
“This place is pretty packed already.”
“Yeah. I’m glad they were able to save us spots.”
I don’t tell her that I wish they were next to each other. Or how I wish someone would suggest a free day so I can find an excuse to be alone with Ruby again. Waiting for everyone to leave last night was pure agony.
In our room or in public, I don’t care. I just want to be alone with her.
She relaxed when it was just us in the club last night, and I want her to know that this Ruby should come out more often.
That she doesn't have to be “on” all the time. She has her family and me, and we’ve got her back so she can have fun, too.
But at the same time, I know what it’s like to be the default parent. The one who is responsible for everything and has to be on their A game at all times.
I’m not saying Ruby and I should get married and parent together, but I am saying she can count on me. Even when she didn’t care for me, I’d have been there if she needed me.
I just need to find a way to show her, because coming right out to say it won’t click the same way.
Ruby is a woman who needs to see action. I’m starting to see that words, for her, mean nothing without it.
We reach the group, and Ruby just walks away from me as if it were any other day.
I let out a breath and then drop my towel onto the chair next to Lucas. I sit, lay back, and cross my arms.
“Oh, someone is grumpy today,” Luca says. “How late did you and Ruby stay out?”
“We got back to the room around four.”
I think.
Linc, on the other side of Luca, leans forward. “Was it just you two?”
I nod. I open my mouth to ask him where he disappeared to, but he beats me to it.
“How did that go?”
I shrug. “Fine.”
“You got along okay?” Dutton asks.
I nod again.
“You two have been getting along a lot better lately. Living together and now sharing a room…” His sentence lingers in the air.
I know what he’s implying, and he’s not wrong. His timeframe of when it started might be, but yeah.
“Oh, no, you’re not denying it this time,” Linc says in a whisper.
Luca just stares at me, and Dutton chuckles behind me.
“I … it’s not like that. I told you. We are becoming friends. That’s all.”
Fuck is it ever.
Shay walks by, and Luca jumps up.
He points at me. “This conversation isn’t over.” Then he follows Shay to wherever she’s headed.
Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. While she didn’t say those exact words, that was Ruby’s mindset last night, and she’s not wrong to have it.
There is no way I can go back to Lovers and not touch her again, knowing what I know now, but I have to. My focus needs to be on finalizing this deal. Distractions mean delay, and delay means … old habits that I never want to see again.
I know myself well enough to know how easily I could forget the goal and repeat the past. As I said before, Ruby deserves actions, and once this deal is done, I can give them to her.
Her and Susie both.
Not to mention the connection she and Max have to my competition.
It seems cleaner if we keep this to just the weekend.
But we still have another night here, so I'm not done with her yet.
The hairs on the back of my neck tingle. Ruby is looking right at me.
She bites her bottom lip and then smirks, slowly moving her attention back to the girls. Grace’s hands are waving about a mile a minute as she tells whatever story she has going on.
Fuck.
Finally, a reaction that Ruby didn’t forget last night.
“Whoa, earth to Declan.” Dutton waves a hand in front of my face.
“What?”
“You can’t deny anything is going on between you and Ruby and then stare at her just minutes later the way you were right now.”
“I wasn’t looking at her in any sort of way.”
Linc moves to Luca’s seat. He swings his legs over to my side and leans closer to me, his forearms on top of his knees.
“You’re looking at her the way Hudson would look at my sister back when they denied it, too. I know the signs this time around.” He shakes his head. “You are crushing on your friend's sister and denying it. Bold and bad move, man.”
“I … it’s complicated.”
“I knew this was going to happen.” Dutton is now mimicking Linc’s position, and I'm still just lying back on my lounger between them.
“I knew there was no way you two could live together and not start something. I mean, if I can feel the tension between you, it has to be electric at home. Then I saw you last night at the club and—”
“You saw us?” I snap up and look at Dutton. “When?”
“When I sure as shit shouldn’t have seen you. I’ll deny it if you tell anyone, but I think you two are a good match.”
Linc and I are both silent as Dutton nods.
Is he … smiling?
Does Dutton smile?
“Are you okay?” I ask. You know, to be sure.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re …”
“Smiling,” Linc finishes for me.
“Ah, fuck you guys. I smile.” Then he leans back, tucking both hands behind his head. “Especially when I’m on vacation and have nothing to worry about except what I’m going to eat or drink next.”
Linc chuckles and then relaxes, too.
A waitress comes by, and just as I order a cold water, my phone rings with a FaceTime from my parents.
“Be right back,” I say and then hold the phone up. “Hello,” I say with a grin as Susie’s face fills the screen.
“Dad!” she cheers and then, “Ruby!”
I twist to see Ruby right behind me, crowding my space to get into the picture. Her hand falls to my shoulder, and she settles in at my side.
“Hey, girl, is Max with you?”
“Max!”
Suddenly, the screen is filled with two grinning faces.
“You’re at the pool!” Max points out, and Susie sticks her bottom lip out.
“Without us?”
“You two were at the lake all day yesterday,” we hear Colt say in the background. “And as soon as you finish lunch, we are going back.”
He pops onto the screen to wave.
My parents do the same.
“Is that Ruby? Let me see,” my mom yells from the background and leans into view of the camera. “Oh, wow, you are gorgeous, dear.”
“Mom,” I scold as she and the kids all try to be the main focus of the camera.
Ruby giggles.
“What?” Mom says. “Are you having fun?”
“We are,” I answer for both of us.
“Good. You needed time for yourselves.”
I share a look with Ruby, and she blushes.
There is a rustle on the other end and then the phone drops.
I love FaceTiming with my kid, but her attention span is short.
Colt grabs the phone. “And we are on to the next activity.”
“Are they behaving?” I ask.
He nods. “These two are something else.” He laughs. “But I love it. Go have fun. Stop worrying about us here.”
“Okay,” Ruby says quickly. “Bye.”
Then she ducks back to the group.
“Huh,” Colt says. “She was quick with that.”
“Yeah.” I look over my shoulder at her and hear Colt laugh.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Then he clears his throat. “Just make sure she has fun, alright?”
I nod. “I’ll make sure of it.”
When I get back to my seat, everyone is packing up.
“We’re leaving? We just got here.”
“No, you just got here,” Miles says. “We have been here for hours.”
As he packs his bag, he gives me two glances.
Does he know something?
“Let’s all meet up for dinner,” Hudson suggests and looks around the group as if he needs confirmation.
At this point, whatever he or Sadie says goes.
“Meet in the lobby?” I offer.
“Great,” he says and then swings his arm around Sadie before guiding her into the hotel. Like always, each couple follows suit. And just like last night, it leaves Ruby and I alone.
I don’t mind this theme anymore.
“Not going in?” I ask.
She grins, relaxing back even more into her lounge.
“I have three hours to not be needed anywhere; I’m staying right here to soak up the sun for just a little bit more.”
I nod, then glance around.
“Care for some company?”
“Only if it’s you.”
“I’d fight for this spot,” I tell her, earning me a bigger smile.
“So, is your mind saying sit here for three hours, or is there something else you want to do?”