Chapter 6
Ruby
Isleep in again. I swear it's like I'm using this week to catch up on all of my sleep.
When I wake up, I'm hungover, mad, and frustrated.
I go straight to my laptop, and I have four more emails of “thanks, but no thanks.” Before I do something stupid like call up my ex-boss and give him a piece of my mind, I make plans for the day.
Some of the girls are going on a spa day, but I decide not to join them.
I need to start saving money, it seems, seeing as how I no longer have any income coming in.
I have savings that will last me for a while, but the thought of dipping into that makes me nervous.
I shower, put on my bathing suit, pack my bag with sunscreen, a granola bar, and a smutty romance novel, and head out to the beach.
He sits down on the chair next to me. "Are you still mad at me for last night?"
I grit my teeth, hating that he's throwing that up at me. "Yeah, I'm still mad. I'm also done throwing myself at you only to be rejected over and over again.”
“Do it now."
I roll my head to the side and look at him. "Do what now?"
He leans forward. “Throw yourself at me."
He says it like a dare or a challenge, and I let my head roll away from him.
"No thank you," I answer.
I feel so exposed with him hovering next to me. I can feel his gaze go up and down my body, and my nipples pucker at his perusal. His voice is gruff. "You may be mad at me, but your body says otherwise."
I almost bring my hands up to cover my breasts, but I decide not to. Screw him. I don’t need to hide my reaction to him. I pretty much begged him to have sex with me last night, and he turned me down. I do give him a little huff and then continue ignoring him.
When his hand lands on my bare waist, my whole body jerks at the contact.
I look at him out of the corner of my eye, and he scoots his chair closer to mine.
His hand is right under the swell of my breast, and I'm secretly hoping that he moves it up and covers me.
His fingers stroke back and forth across my bare skin.
He leans down closer, his voice at my ear. "I stopped last night because you had been drinking. I didn't want you to regret this. I needed to know that it's you and not the alcohol talking."
I want to call him out and ask him how he could not know that I want him. I've thrown myself at him over and over. He has to know how I feel about him. His hands continue to stroke along my midriff. "When is your next wedding activity?"
My mind draws a blank, and I shake my head. He does this to me. He makes me crazy. "I skipped the spa day. The next event is Saturday night at the rehearsal dinner."
"Good," he answers immediately. "Spend the next few days with me."
I swallow hard. It's like I'm in a parallel universe, as if everything I've ever wanted is right within reach, and all I have to do is put my hand out to take it.
But it can't be that easy. Am I falling for his game again?
But I still can't resist asking. "Spend the next few days with you doing what? "
His hand moves up just a little, and I swear his finger is stroking back and forth right at the very edge of my nipple. My body is like a magnet drawn to him. It wouldn't take anything to move just a fraction of an inch to have his hand where I want it.
I can hear the smile in his voice as he answers me. "Getting to know each other, dinner, dancing, whatever you want to do."
I don't care that I'm on a crowded beach and there's probably people around that I know.
None of that matters right now. I lift my arm and cover Austin's hand with my own.
I look at him through my tinted lenses, and he's staring where our hands are touching one another.
I take three deep breaths and then pull his hand up to cover my breast. Instantly, he palms me and squeezes my fullness.
I lift my glasses with my other hand and look him right in the eye. "Whatever I want to do?"