Chapter Four

∞∞∞

Jaxon:

Ruby’s smile is so tight it looks like her lips are going to crack. “What’s wrong?” We’re standing outside the door to her town home and the street is dark behind us. I can hear people shuffling by, hollering to each other and laughing. It’s ironic that she has her home in the middle of all of this but she hid herself behind this door, venturing out only briefly to shop for necessities.

She huffs out a little breath. “I don’t want you to feel bad when you see my place. It’s not exactly…homey.”

“I doubt if it’s as bad as you think it is. We don’t have to do this now, you know.” I can see the vulnerability in her eyes and it practically guts me. It hurts my heart to think how unsure of herself she is.

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I spent the last fifteen years hiding in here. It’s just a prison of sorts.” And it’s true. The piece of shit that attacked her put her in a prison as sure as he put himself in one. His was deserved. Hers wasn’t. Just the product of one innocent mistake from a naive girl who didn’t get the chance to really live.

But she is going to live with me. Figuratively and literally. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making her happy, giving her the freedom and security to be everything she can be.

I take the keys out of her hand. “Are you sure about this?” At her shy nod, I unlock the door and step inside. My head swivels back and forth. The walls are covered in black and white photos. Pictures of different wildlife. A mother deer nudging a spindly-legged fawn out in front of her in a sun-dappled field. A rabbit in mid-hop. A bear lumbering across a rushing stream, head down, scoping out its next meal in the water. So many different lively photos of life in all its wild glory. But all of them devoid of color.

“Are these yours?” I breathe out. She nods her head, ducking her eyes shyly. “Baby, don’t do that. These are amazing. You are truly gifted. The way you can feel every heartbeat, every little struggle of survival. It’s stunning.” I turn towards her, frowning. “Is this what you didn’t want me to see?”

“I feel like I was these pictures. Like my whole world was in black and white until I met you.” Her eyes shift away from mine and she moves nervously behind a chair using it as a shield. That tightness rips through my chest again.

“Why would you hide all this? Lack of color doesn’t change the fact that they’re amazing.” I wave my hands at the walls absolutely crammed with life.

“I didn’t want you or anyone else to laugh at my work. I started going to the gym to get more comfortable around people. My agent arranged a one-woman art show for next month right before my book launches. It was her suggestion to go to the gym and train. Try and relearn how to be a human she said.”

My temper boils as I think of how that uncaring comment must have hurt her. “And you said she’s your friend, right?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty much my only friend. If I didn’t have her checking in on me I don’t know what I’d do.”

I can’t tell her the truth now but soon enough I’m going to make sure that that bully gets her comeuppance. And gets fired. I’ll help her. I’ll find her another agent. Anything she needs but she’s not going to suffer at her hands much longer.

I smile and sit down in the chair, patting my knee. “Come sit with me, darlin’.”

She strolls around the chair and sits on my lap, hands twining around my neck. Her slim fingers ruffle through the back of my hair and set off a shiver of ecstasy through my body. I want her so much but I don’t want to rush her.

I keep my hands to myself and smirk slowly. “Any chance of a tour, beautiful? I’d love to see more of your work.”

Her emerald eyes flash. “Don’t you want to…be with me?”

I snort. “Ummm. I think that’s a given. But I told you already. I don’t want to rush you. Don’t get me wrong, Ruby. I want you desperately but when we make love for the first time, I’m making love to my wife. My heart, my soul, my everything. If you’re not sure then we need to wait. I intend to make sure that we have the rest of our lives to learn and love each other..

Her pouty pink lips fall open and my dick twitches in my pants again. “I didn’t think you were serious, Jaxon. How can it be that you want me to be yours? That you think we’re a match forever.”

I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just like breathing. You know how to breathe instinctively. I know how to love you for the rest of our lives.”

Her gemstone eyes glisten with tears. “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever said to me, Jaxon.” Her dainty hand comes up to cup my cheek and I turn my lips into her palm, kissing her warm skin. “I can’t believe you’re real,” she whispers and her eyes examine every inch of my face.

“I’m real, darlin’. I see you and I see the you that you’ve hidden away from everybody else. I see the smart, sexy, funny and beautiful woman who’s afraid that everyone’s out to hurt her. And I promise you, I will never hurt you.” My hand cups her rounded cheek and I lean down to take her lips gently, to make her understand that I mean what I’m saying. That she’s mine and I’m hers.

Her juicy lips move delicately on mine and then her mouth opens on a low moan. I can feel my cock straining in my pants. Her hips push into mine and it’s hard to believe she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Her innocent thrusts are driving me crazy. I groan and slide my tongue between her lips, wrapping her silky scarlet strands around my hand and tugging softly. Her head tilts back giving me access to the smooth golden column of her throat. Her breath stutters out and she grinds her hips into my dick. My mouth glides down her throat, nibbling, biting, licking. As soon as I reach the base of her throat my hand glides down to pull at her shirt, lifting it. Cold air must hit her skin because she freezes.

I pull back. “Are you okay? Do you need to stop?”

She shakes her head wildly and her long curls dance around her face. “I want to do this myself.”

I’m not sure what she means until she pushes off me and stands. Her fidgety hands slide down and begin to lift her shirt. “Don’t do this unless you really want to, Ruby,” I growl.

“I do.” Her smile is radiant. Lit up from within like an angel’s glow.

Her hands lift her shirt slowly and she pulls it over head. Her hair settles around her bare shoulders and I’m struck by the fiery tresses. She reaches up and undoes her front-clasp bar. I follow her curves and I can feel my mouth watering. She’s so much woman. And so strong. I can’t believe she’s mine.

I can see bright pink and white puckered scars all over her chest and back. She’s so lucky that he didn’t kill her. Those wounds prove just how strong she is but I don’t think she realizes it. She only sees damage. I see strength.

I reach a hand out and run it along a puckered scar that cuts across one of her generous breasts. Her breath catches and it’s like she’s waiting for the disgust she expects.

“You are so beautiful and strong. I don’t think you even realize how strong you are but it’s fucking sexy as hell.”

∞∞∞

Ruby:

He’s not disgusted. I can see that light of lust still in his eyes. The warm glow of desire. It bubbles and fizzes through my veins like the most expensive champagne.

I don’t think I realized until right now how much he wants me. Yet he’s taking the time that I need. He’s gentle and sweet and so controlled. And I love it, don’t get me wrong. But I also want him to lose control. The thought of having a man as big and strong as he is lose his mind over me. It turns me the hell on.

A groan falls from my lips as he cups my breasts. His big hand pulls me closer and then his wet, warm mouth covers my nipple, tugging at it, laving it. I almost drop to my knees it feels so good but he holds me closer.

“Shit, Jaxon. That feels so good. I want to touch you too.” I reach a hand out to pull at his zipper but he bats my hand gently away.

“Not yet. This is for you, my love.” His eyes caress me and I can feel my juices dripping down my thighs. His cocky smirk tells me he knows it too.

He pulls at my pants, tugging them gently down my legs, his eyes never leaving mine. Concerned, warm and yet so full of desire. Then he slides my panties down one inch at a time until I’m breathless from anticipation.

“Jaxon, please. Touch me,” I whine.

“Touch you where and how, darlin’? I don’t want to do anything you don’t want me to do. I want you to be specific. Tell me.”

It’s so hard to say the words but it’s even harder to imagine not saying them and giving up on this. “I want you to touch my pussy,” I whisper, face crimson.

“That’s my girl,” he says in satisfaction and then his hand cups my mound. One long, broad finger slides along my slit, gathering my juices which he brings to his lips and suckles. “Fuck, you taste like the sweetest nectar.” His drawl is stronger and it makes my knees weak.

I moan as he brings his finger back and slips along my lips until he finds my clit. He thrums it slowly, and I can feel a tension building in my core. He keeps thrumming at my clit, drawing circles and then tapping at it gently until I’m panting with need. Then one of his fingers slips slightly between my lower lips and begins pushing in and out carefully, teasing me with slow pushes and then quick thrums on my clit until my hips are bucking and I can’t breathe.

“Jaxon, please. I’m begging you. Please,” I whimper.

He leans closer and his hot breath teases my pussy. My inner walls clench and tiny ripples begin to build. “What do you want, my love? You tell me and it’s yours. Anything you want.”

My heart flies. His promises are the sweetest words in the world. “Would you lick me?” I ask softly. I’ve never had anyone do that and I want him to be my first.

“With pleasure,” he growls and his tongue dances lightly along my lips. His fingers pull me apart and he grunts. “Such a fucking pretty pussy,” he growls and I can feel a flood of desire hit me. I widen my legs to give him better access.

He laves up and down my slit, deeper and stronger until my hips are rocking and my hands clench in his hair, tugging him closer and closer.

He growls right into my pussy and my walls clench harder. I tense and whimper. The tension climbs higher until I feel like I’m poised on the precipice of something wonderful. Something life-changing. Then his lips pull at my clit and he tugs it lightly between his teeth. The coil wound in my belly flies apart and I shriek loudly as my body tears itself apart and rebuilds itself in a flash of pulsing ecstasy. He keeps lapping until he makes me come apart again. And when he lifts his head, the smile on his face makes my heart stutter. He moves up and kisses me lightly.

My head is full of cotton wool and my body falls limply to his lap. His biceps bulge under his tee as he wraps his arms around me.

“That was so much more than I thought sex could ever be,” I sigh, content to lie in his arms. “But you didn’t get anything.”

He grunts and pulls me tighter into his warm, wide chest. “Uh, yeah. I did. Trust me.”

I lift my head. “What about…?” I nod my head towards his lap.

He grins and adjusts himself. “Don’t you worry about me, darlin’. I’ve never felt better in my life. We don’t need to do anything else to make this the best night of my life.”

I run my hands up his shirt. “Would you lie down with me? I’m so tired.”

“Of course.” He carries me to the room I nod to. He sets me down in the bed and then curves his warm, hard body around mine. His warmth and deep breathing lulls me almost immediately to sleep.