EPILOGUE Call in sick
EPILOGUE
Call in sick
Ryker
The house was dark and silent when I walked in, which came as no surprise considering it had just gone four a.m. I’d come straight from the airport, fresh off an away game.
No matter where we played or when the game ended, we always flew home the same night, so I was forever getting home at ungodly hours.
Living with Ruby, ungodly hours was something I’d become familiar with.
Her shiftwork was intense. It never ceased to amaze me how she could sleep all day – even through the daytime noise – then eat breakfast at seven p.m. like the day was only just beginning.
I was a routine kind of guy, and her lack of one had been an adjustment.
Sometimes our different schedules felt impossible. Days could pass without us crossing paths at home, and on the worst of them, opposite time zones and our jobs meant we couldn’t even manage a proper conversation.
A day without Ruby was a day wasted in my eyes.
But no matter what, we made it work. And whenever we were reunited – even if it was at four a.m. – it was always worth it.
Leaving the lights off, I used the dim beam from my phone to trace the path to our bedroom.
Ruby and I were still living in the apartment we’d found when we first moved to Seattle, right before my rookie year kicked off. It was dead centre between my training facility and the hospital.
Ruby had landed the graduate place – no surprises there – and had been offered a permanent position when her contract ended – no surprises there either. My girl was an operating nurse whizz.
While my rookie contract was only for four years and I’d just kicked off my third season, with how things were going – unofficially – Ruby and I knew we’d be in Seattle for a long time yet. The team had no plans to let me go, and I had no intention of leaving. I loved it here, and Ruby did too.
Discussions for my next contract were already underway. I left most of it to my agent – he was a better negotiator than me. I’ll admit, I’d been happy with the original offer, but he was confident he could lock in a better deal. I guess that’s what I paid him for.
Knowing we’d be here for years to come, Ruby and I had bought a block of land and were partway through building. It was a place to finally call our own – our first real home together.
A lot had happened to it over the off season.
Not only had the house taken shape, but most of the interior fittings had been finalised as well.
We were on track for handover next week, but before that, the builder had asked Ruby and I to check over the place for any last minute changes we wanted fixed before then.
I opened the bedroom door as quietly as possible. The room was dark and still, the only movement coming from the ceiling fan.
After slipping off my sneakers, sweats and hoodie, I climbed into bed behind Ruby. It was toasty beneath the covers – even toastier when I moulded my body around hers.
Her breathing shifted as she began to stir.
“Shh,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of her head. “It’s just me. Go back to sleep.”
“What’s the time?” she groggily checked.
“About four.”
She nestled in closer, getting comfortable. “My alarm is going off soon anyway.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad you’re home. I missed you.”
We’d spoken on the phone after my game, but it was never the same as being together.
I swept her hair to one side, exposing her neck and right shoulder blade. Her soft skin was warm, and dressed in nothing but underwear and a strappy tank, there was plenty of it to go around.
“Mmm,” she murmured as I ran my fingertips over the top of her spine. “That feels nice.”
I’d been exhausted during the flight back and the drive home, wanting nothing more than to crash and burn. But now that I was wrapped around Ruby, sleep was the last thing on my mind.
Three years in, and I wasn’t even remotely near getting my fill of this girl. If anything, my desire for her only continued to grow.
Looking back, I couldn’t fathom how I’d managed to stay just friends with her for all those years. How the fuck did I listen to her talk about Noah, or hang out with them together, or run past her window when I knew he was in her bed? No fucking clue – but never again.
I continued to trail my hands over her body until they reached her underwear. When she wiggled her ass against my hardening cock, my balls tightened in delight.
Fantastic. She was on board.
I dipped my finger beneath the elastic, only to find a slick, simmering heat. Ruby was just as ready for this as I was.
Putting her out of her agony, she moaned happily as I stroked my finger along her favourite spot.
I knew all of them now. I’d figured out how to tease her, how to make her come quickly, how to keep her on the edge, and how to make her orgasms explosive.
My brain had a whole lobe reserved for things Ruby liked in bed. She was my favourite subject to study.
I slipped a finger inside her tightness, all the while tending to her clit with my thumb. My other hand flattened over her lower stomach, drawing her closer to me. There was nowhere for her to go, I had her cornered. Though based on the moans ringing into the dark room, she was okay with that.
Ruby reached a hand between us, sneaking it beneath my boxers and grasping my dick without warning.
This was lazy foreplay, but it was also fucking hot. We were barely undressed, and Ruby was still half asleep, yet I was so fucking wired that I wasn’t far off from exploding into her hand.
When Ruby opened her knee to grant me better access, I took the opportunity and pushed a second finger inside.
“Oh my God, Ryker.”
“Good, baby?”
Her response was a throaty whimper, followed by the arching of her back as she exploded on my hand. Her moan turned into a full-blown scream as her orgasm took over.
The instant she caught her breath, I was shoving down my boxers and pushing aside her underwear, slipping into her from behind.
Fuck. I’d never get over this.
I reached beneath Ruby’s tank to grasp her breasts. Her nipples were already hard, and I couldn’t resist playing with them.
She raised her knee to her chest, which intensified the pleasure for us both. I was buried so deep it was hard staying centred on the planet.
“There,” she panted. “Right there.”
“You got it, baby.”
I liked how Ruby was always willing to switch things up until she found what worked for her. Anything that worked for her was guaranteed to work for me.
Case in point, the other night I’d gotten rock hard when she moaned while eating ice cream. This girl had me hooked around every finger – and I was so fucking okay with that.
I was grateful Ruby had slept with the fan on. Despite the fresh temperature outside, I was working up a sweat. The blankets were already a discarded mess at the foot of the bed, and the sheets were barely hanging on.
“Fuck, I love fucking you,” I growled.
Ruby chuckled. “I love being fucked by you.”
And I loved how possessive that sounded.
Knowing I was the only guy who got to experience this side of Ruby – ever again – was the greatest gift I’d ever received. I was so fucking lucky, and I didn’t take it lightly.
When Ruby reached around to grab one of my wrists and settle my hand over her clit, I followed her guide and rubbed the swollen centre. The way she clinched around me was the first telltale sign that she was close, and the way her breathing turned erratic was the second.
“Ryker–”
“I know, baby. Me too.”
We exploded in sync, the pants from Ruby getting drowned out by the groans from me. I held her close, sinking my teeth into her shoulder as I slowly pumped my hips through the intense climax.
When I came to a stop, Ruby let her leg fall softly onto the mattress. We’d bought this bed when we moved in, though we were probably due for an upgrade. It supposedly had a ten year warranty, but based on how often and how hard we fucked on it, I expect that lifespan had halved.
Ruby startled when her alarm went off, a terrible reminder that a world existed outside of this. With a sigh she reached forward, shutting it off.
“Call in sick,” I said.
“I can’t. I have a CABG first thing.”
“A what? Wait. Let me try and guess.” She knew my world, and I’d been doing my best to learn hers. “Coronary... artery... bypass... ga – gas – gat...”
“Graft,” she finished. “Dr. Jefferson’s assistant booked it in last minute.”
I shuddered. “Sounds gory.”
“It’s amazing,” Ruby breathed. “Dr. Jefferson will take a healthy vein or artery from somewhere else in the patient’s body and connect it to supply blood past the blocked coronary artery and–”
“And the mood is officially killed,” I grumbled.
Chuckling, Ruby rolled away from me, taking her warmth with her. She padded to the bathroom in the dark, emerging an instant later to throw a towel my way.
I only bothered cleaning myself up. The bedding was a lost cause. The only solution was to chuck it in the laundry and start again.
Heading back into the bathroom, I heard Ruby start the shower. I’d taken one after the game, but knowing she was naked in there had me rolling out of bed anyway.
She didn’t act the least bit surprised when I opened the glass door and stepped in behind her. Instead, she made room, as if she’d been waiting for me.
Living with Ruby had plenty of perks, and showering with her was definitely one of them. She did complain that I liked my water too cold though, so we’d been sure to add double shower heads to our master bathroom at the new place – along with a bench seat.
When we’d been reviewing the plans with the builder, he’d mentioned built-in benches were popular for women to shave their legs or whatever. But in my filthy mind, all I’d seen was an extra place to fuck Ruby. It had been a no-brainer after that.
“Will you still be home by two?” I checked.
“I should be.”
“Should be or will be? The builder said we need to check out the house.”
“I’ve got tomorrow off. Can we just go then?”
“Let’s get it done today. Then we can enjoy the whole day off together tomorrow.”
That was a rare occurrence, and it seemed to be the winning strike for Ruby.
“Fine. I’ll text you when I leave the hospital.”
“Are you coming back here first?”
“Nah. I’ll meet you there in case I’m running late.”
That wasn’t going to work with my plan.
“How about I drop you off at work and pick you up later? I need a coffee now anyway.”
She frowned. “A coffee at this time? Shouldn’t you try and get some sleep.”
“I’ll nap later.” I playfully smacked her ass. “I’m way too worked up after that.”