Chapter 24 Ruby
Ruby
Iwake up before my alarm.
Which is horrifying because that has never happened in my life. Not once. Not even on Christmas.
My heart is already racing.
“Oh god.”
I sit up. I flop back down. I sit back up again.
“Oh god.”
Today is the day.
THE DAY.
At 11AM I have to walk into his office, his personal territory, his throne room, his sexy lair, and pretend to be a functioning human being.
I roll out of bed and nearly trip over my own anxiety.
The outfit the girls forced on me is hanging on the wardrobe door like a threat.
I shower. I moisturize. I stare at myself in the mirror like I’m about to give a TED Talk on how to not lose your job due to lust.
“You can do this,” I whisper.
No I can’t.
“You’re professional.”
HAHAHAHAHA.
“You’re calm.”
Absolutely not.
“You don’t care about him.”
LIES.
SLANDER.
TREASON.
I put my hair in soft waves just like Ava said. I do my makeup, clean, subtle, glowy. I put on the outfit.
It fits too well. Hugs too nicely. Makes me look like someone who knows what she’s doing.
I’m a fraud. A trembling fraud.
I stare at the clock.
10:36 am.
No.
Too soon.
I grab my bag, take a deep breath, and head to work.
Halfway there I want to vomit.
This is going to kill me.
JAXON
I wake before my alarm too.
But not out of panic. Out of anticipation.
The good kind. The kind you feel right before stepping onstage. Or into a fight.
I shower. I shave. I choose a shirt that’s crisp but not rigid. I don’t wear the jacket I initially grab, too formal. I roll my sleeves twice, purposeful, intentional, relaxed.
She gets nervous when I’m too powerful. I like her nervous. But not scared.
I skip breakfast. My chest is too tight with focus.
I spend the morning reviewing notes I don’t need to review. I adjust the lighting again. I sit in my chair and imagine her in the one beside mine.
Close. Warm. Soft.
She doesn’t know what I plan yet.
Not anything physical. Not yet.
But today I’ll push the line just a little further.
A touch of her wrist when I pass her a paper. A lean-in when she makes a point. A “good” murmured close to her ear.
Small moves.
Deliberate ones.
I check my watch.
10:58am.
She’ll be here soon.
And I’m ready.
EVAN
Evan has been in a mood all day.
The kind of mood that makes interns avoid eye contact. The kind that makes his coffee taste wrong. The kind that makes him nearly slam his keyboard twice.
He doesn’t know why he’s this angry.
He does.
He just won’t admit it.
He saw Ruby yesterday in the CEO’s office. Saw her flustered. Saw Cole watching her like she was something he owned.
And Evan’s stomach twisted.
He tells himself it’s just concern.
It’s not.
He tries to work. But his eyes keep sliding to the clock.
10:45am.
10:51am.
10:55am.
She’s going up there today.
Alone.
He stands abruptly from his desk.
A coworker jumps. “You okay, man?”
“No,” he mutters. “I need… I need a minute.”
He looks toward the elevators.
He shouldn’t go check on her.
He really shouldn’t.
But he does.
Not to confess anything. God no.
Just to… make sure.
Make sure she’s not being pressured. Or manipulated. Or…
Okay, yes. He’s jealous.
He hates that too.
RUBY
I walk toward the executive floor with my pulse pounding in my throat.
51st floor.
52nd floor.
53rd floor, the elevator dings.
I step out.
His office door is open. Only a crack. Like he left it that way for me.
I hover outside for a breath.
Then knock.
“Come in,” he says.
I push the door open.
And then, there he is.
Leaning against the edge of his desk, sleeves rolled, top button undone, looking like the reason HR exists.
His eyes sweep over me again.
Slow.
Hungry.
“Ruby,” he says quietly. “You look…”
He stops.
Not because he can’t think of the word.
Because he’s thinking of too many.
I flush.
He smiles.
“Come here.”
My knees wobble.
But I obey.
JAXON
She’s breathtaking.
Exactly as I imagined.
Better.
Her hair soft around her shoulders. Her blouse hugging her in clean lines. Her lips slightly glossy, like she’s been biting them all morning.
Which she probably has.
“Sit,” I say, gesturing to the chair beside mine.
She sits.
Nervous. Pretty. Trying so hard to pretend she’s fine.
I let the silence stretch.
She shifts. Crosses her legs. Tries not to stare at my arms.
It’s almost cute how bad she is at pretending.
I open the project folder.
“We’ll start here,” I say.
But I don’t look at the folder.
I look at her.
She feels it.
Her breath catches.
Good.
RUBY
He leans in again.
He always does. He shouldn’t. He knows he shouldn’t.
But he does.
Our shoulders brush. Our arms graze. Heat shoots up my spine.
He speaks softly, pointing something out in the draft.
I’m not listening.
I’m absolutely not listening.
All I can focus on is the way his hand is moving, slowly, toward my wrist.
Not touching.
Just… drifting closer.
Closer.
My pulse thunders.
He notices.
He always notices.
His fingers graze mine.
Barely.
But I jolt like he shocked me.
He freezes.
I freeze.
The air changes.
His hand turns, just slightly, palm up, inviting, offering, asking.
A question without words.
My breath stutters.
I should pull away.
I should.
But I don’t.
Not right away.
My fingers twitch toward his.
And then there’s a knock on the door.
We both jerk.
The door opens, and it’s Evan.
Of course. OF COURSE.
His eyes widen. At how close we are. At our almost-touch. At the tension in the room.
“Oh,” Evan says tightly. “Sorry. Didn’t realize..."
“You never do,” Jaxon says, calm, controlled. A warning under it.
I tug my hand away fast.
Too fast.
Evan’s jaw clenches.
“I just, Ruby, can we talk later?”
No.
No no no.
My whole body goes hot.
Jaxon’s gaze sharpens.
Possessive.
Focused.
Dangerous.
“This is a closed session,” Jaxon says smoothly.
“She’s busy.”
Evan blinks.
Then nods tightly.
“Right. Of course.”
He leaves.
Closes the door.
Silence.
Jaxon looks at me.
“Ruby,” he says softly.
I can’t breathe.
He leans in closer. His mouth near my ear.
“I told you,” he murmurs.
“I’m not stopping.”
My whole body ignites.