Chapter 12 Ruby
TWELVE
RUBY
I took Diego’s hand and ignored the electricity sizzling up my arm as I walked him over to the bed.
Damn it, the man looked fine as hell with this fucking shirt off even if his chest tattoo was off-putting.
I sat him down on the edge of the bed and took a look at his wound before cleaning it off with an alcohol wipe.
It didn’t look infected, but it was a bit swollen for my liking, so I put an antibiotic cream on it and prepared a penicillin shot.
“What’s that for?” Diego asked.
I giggled as I filled up the syringe. “Don’t tell me you’re squeamish with needles.”
He scoffed. “Is anyone not squeamish with needles?”
I grinned. “That tattoo says otherwise.”
“Getting a tattoo is a hell of a lot different than getting a shot in my ass. Which is where you’re putting that, right?”
I capped off the shot and crooked my finger at him. “Stand up and pull your pants down. I need the butt cheek that’s on the side of your gunshot wound.”
He groaned as he stood. “Suit yourself.”
I watched his pants fall down his legs and I swallowed. He had veins bulging in places that made my mouth water, but the second he pulled his boxers down to expose his chiseled ass cheek, I almost hit the floor. There wasn’t a part of this man’s body that I didn’t want to lick and nibble.
But I kept it together long enough to jab him and get the medicine into his system.
“See?” I asked as I removed the needle. “Was that so bad?”
He pulled up his pants and turned around. “You made it easier with that little pinch you did.”
I took off my gloves and wrapped them around the needle. “It’s a little trick Notch taught me. It works well with kids who don’t like needles.”
“Oh, so I’m a kid now, huh?”
My eyes connected with his abs before they slowly raked up his body, and when my eyes found his, the darkness rushing behind them stole my breath away.
“Not in the slightest,” I whispered.
His hand reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I shivered at his warmth as it caressed my cheek, even though his hand didn’t once touch my face. I closed my eyes, reveling in his presence and wishing to do nothing more but melt into him.
Then suddenly, he wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Diego,” I gasped.
He pulled me so close that his lips feathered against my own. “Tell me you don’t want this.”
But I couldn’t.
Instead, I closed the gap between our lips and captured his.
His arms cloaked my back as he turned me around and the edge of the mattress kicked my legs out from beneath me.
We tumbled onto the mattress as I clung to him, my nails raking along his muscles.
And as he growled down the back of my throat, our tongues dueled for control.
Then, he grunted. “Fuck.”
I paused. “That was a pain sound. Where does it hurt?”
He wiggled his arm. “I just—need my arm back.”
I lifted my back. “Sorry, sorry. That was my fault.”
His eyes danced between mine. “None of this is your fault. That, I can assure you, Ruby.”
A thought occurred to me. “Here, let’s try this.”
I pushed him upright before I climbed onto the bed. I perched on my knees and nodded my head, signaling for him to get on the bed as well. A wild grin spread across his cheeks as I pointed to the headboard, and it seemed as if he understood me even without words.
I watched as he positioned his back against the wall, propping himself upright and getting the pressure off his shoulder.
But just as I went to crawl into his lap, I heard a thump down below us.
“What was that?” Diego asked.
I held my breath and listened out for the sound once more, but it didn’t happen again.
I sighed with relief and crawled to Diego, but I could tell he was still worried.
And rightfully so. I mean, if any of the guys caught us like this—especially Puck—I knew I’d be the only thing standing in between his head and their bullets.
But the second I straddled his lap, all worried thoughts fell from our heads.
And our lips crashed into one another once more.