Chapter 2 #3
She’s been angry at me since I broke us, but it got worse over the summer, and I have no clue why. I’m confident the begging will get her, though. And sure enough, the bubbles pop up on my phone.
Princess
Give me a moment.
Part of me wonders if she’s alone up there or if she’s with a boy.
I can’t wait to access those feeds. She’s my other craving.
I must watch her. I need to know she’s okay and safe.
A tightness that’s been in my chest since the day I lied about my feelings eases slightly when I finally see her walk out of the dorm building.
Ruby’s dressed in a half-shirt tank top, exposing her belly.
In the parking lot lights, I can make out the ink across her abdomen, and a new belly button ring twinkles every so often.
The flannel pajama pants hang low on her hips, and my cock hardens at her taut muscles as they flex while she moves toward me.
Her unconfined breasts jiggle, and I look around to make sure no other guy sees her like this.
An open flannel tops everything, and a pair of those popular fuzzy suede boots cover her feet.
The closer she gets, the more she must feel my eyes eating her up as they sweep across her body.
She wraps the flannel tighter around herself, and I instantly recognize it…
she’s in my clothes…and my body reacts. My cock presses like steel against my zipper, so I adjust myself as I stand from my bike.
She studies me, her eyes tracking my every movement.
In the darkness, I can’t tell if she’s turned on too.
When Ruby finally stands in front of me, I look down at her. Her wild rose scent wafts to my nose, and I take a deep breath, inhaling her into my lungs. Her hair is up, exposing her new neckpiece. I want to see it in better light, but I love that she isn’t hiding herself anymore.
“What do you want, Torch?”
It grates on my nerves when she calls me by my road name. I loved hearing her say Ben, but I can’t cross that line with her yet. Soon, though. I’m not staying away any longer; to hell with my promises.
“Your brother wanted me to drop this off to you.” Reaching into my pocket, I slip the lighter back in and pull out the little velvet bag containing the ring. The lie slips easily off my tongue. It’s for her safety, and I’d make a deal with the devil himself to protect her.
She huffs and holds out her hand. “What is it?” I drop the bag into her outstretched palm and can’t stop myself from pulling her into my body by her wrist. “Hey, don’t do that.” Ruby immediately starts pushing on me.
“I want a hug.” The need to feel her body against mine overwhelms my senses. She stops fighting, and I kiss the top of her head.
“Yuck. I don’t want any of your girlfriend’s germs on me.” Ruby’s voice is sulky as she pushes away, and I let her go this time. She wipes the top of her head where I kissed her. “I don’t want any diseases she might have from spreading her legs so much.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I bark out in laughter. She makes me feel young and carefree. She always has.
“Does Barbie know that?” She spits out the name, and I stop laughing.
“What the fuck are you talking about? Barbie and I were not a couple. I fucked around with her once.” I hate saying it, but she needs to know I’m not with anyone. Though this explains her avoidance of me so much over the summer. Her face falls at my admission that we fucked around.
She sighs dramatically, then steps back farther, wrapping my flannel around her tighter again. “It doesn’t matter. I must go; my boyfriend is calling in a bit.” She spits out the words, and I see red.
Advancing on her, I lift her and set her on the edge of my motorcycle. She stops moving so that we don’t dump the bike.
“Boyfriend? You fucking better be lying about that while wearing my clothes.”
Her chin lifts, and fire burns in her golden eyes. “This is my brother’s flannel, for your information.”
“Fuck that. You know it’s mine. You borrowed it two years ago when we went for a ride.” I pat the seat next to us. “Right here you sat, wrapped around my body. It was a month before you left for college.” That was a week before I broke our hearts.
“You mean the seat that every bunny at the club has put her ass on.”
I want to tell her that the only woman who’s ridden there is the woman who should be my ol’ lady, but I don’t. Telling her that would open a can of worms I’m not ready to go into. But soon I will.
Fisting her hair in my tattoo-fingered hand, I turn her to face me and lean so close that my mouth rests against her lips as I speak.
“No fucking man will touch you, princess. I’ll kill them.
” Before giving in to the urge to kiss her, I set her back on her feet.
She wobbles for a moment before gripping the bag tighter and turning away.
“Go fuck yourself, Torch,” she calls over her shoulder, and I allow her to go. Chasing her down right now is not a good idea.
At the thought that she could have another man, I swallow down the bile in my throat, mount my bike, and kick up the stand hard, taking off and leaving her behind.
Will I ever be able to fix us?