Chapter Ten

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For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Owen watched as the Outlaw Ridge deputies loaded the four goons into the cruisers. They were beat to hell and back, moaning and complaining, but they weren't attempting to go another round with Ruby and him.

Goon five, Rocco, was missing, but Owen had no doubts that Marty would be revoking his bail and the bail of the two brothers. The two new guys would be facing charges of their own.

The deputies also took the woman with them, too, but that was only to get her statement and to make sure she was taken some place safe afterwards. Owen had no idea how she'd gotten dragged into that, but he was sure Marty would fill him in once he had answers.

"The abuser whisperer," Ruby muttered, drawing Owen's attention back to her. She hadn't said it with any venom. More like exhausted amusement.

Owen wasn't amused about any of this, and after he parked his SUV in his garage and turned to her, he cursed when he saw the bruise on her cheek.

"Yeah, I'm obviously not as effective at it as my reputation indicates. I'm sorry, Ruby," he added, helping her out of the SUV. He took her by the hand and led her into the house.

"No need to apologize. And I'd say you are effective. The little dick came after us and not his girlfriend in the hospital." She paused, the worry flying through her eyes. "He didn't go after her again, did he?"

"He didn't. I've still got a man guarding her. One of Hayes' brothers. Ass-kicking is his specialty. She's safe." And the ass kicker would continue to guard her as long as necessary.

Owen took her into his kitchen and repeated the process of the night before. Two ice packs and two bottles of beer. He grabbed a bottle of Oban scotch just in case Ruby wanted something stronger. After laying the booze and one of the ice packs on the counter, he eased the second ice pack to her cheek.

She winced a little, causing him to curse even more.

"Don't you dare apologize again," she said, which was exactly what he'd been about to do.

"We're in the same line of work," Ruby went on a moment later. "And our situations could have been reversed. You could have ended up in the middle of one of my shitstorms."

She picked up the second ice pack and held it against his knuckles while he continued to press the first one on her cheek.

He smiled.

"What a picture we must make," he said.

She stiffened, and he wanted to curse again for ruining the moment. Yeah, it was a moment filled with pain, a little blood, and spent adrenaline, but it had felt, well, good. As if they hadn't needed redemption for failing to find Brynn. As if no ethical barriers or their pasts existed between them.

Ruby stayed stiff, but she didn't back away. Nor did she take the ice pack from his hand. She just stood there. Their gazes locked. And the scalding heat igniting between them.

Owen decided to put that heat to the test by moving in. He pulled back the ice pack and brushed his mouth over hers. Just a touch. In fact, it barely qualified as a kiss.

What a mistake.

Because the heat didn't just ignite, it swooshed into full, blazing flames. Just like that. In a blink. In a heartbeat. Flames and pleasure.

Yeah, a bad combination if this was something he shouldn't be doing. But Ruby didn't stop him. Didn't throat-punch him, either. That was a good sign.

So, he went in for more.

Owen slid his free hand around the back of her neck, easing her closer while he pressed his mouth to hers.

Another kick of pleasure and heat.

And Ruby didn't stiffen this time.

However, she did curse him right before she tossed the ice pack onto the counter, took hold of him and pulled him to her. Their mouths met, and this time, it more than qualified for a kiss. It was long, deep, and French.

Just the way a good kiss should be.

She tasted like Christmas, birthday cake, and a first time orgasm all rolled into one. A heady mix of pure pleasure. In other words, it was everything he thought a kiss with Ruby would be.

Her body landed against his. Her incredible body, mixed with this incredible kiss that Owen was certain would become the benchmark for any and all kisses in the future. And he knew that none of those future experiences would live up to what Ruby was doling out right now.

He felt her breasts press against his chest. Their centers met. And the heat just kept on coming, kept on rolling through him. It would have continued, too, if oxygen hadn't become an issue. They finally had to break for air, and that brought on the locked gazes again.

Much to his delight, Ruby didn't look horrified by what had just happened. Then again, she didn't look especially happy about it either. Her breath was gusting. Her face was flushed, and he could see her pulse throbbing in her throat.

"I…" she started but stopped and shook her head. "…don't know how to finish that," she finally said. "I, uh, don't get involved in situations like this."

That wasn't a newsflash. From everything he'd heard, Ruby was all business. All about that drive for justice.

But sometimes justice could take a momentary break.

Owen touched his mouth to hers again. Got another nice slam of pleasure, but he didn't push it. He gave Ruby time to catch her breath. Time for her mind to settle. And that's when he realized something.

He didn't just want more kisses from Ruby. He wanted more of everything else. And, yeah, that included sex.

She probably wasn't going to leap right into his bed. And she just might launch a new attack against this heat, putting up barriers and reining in anything she might want from him. Like sex. She also could have a lot more willpower than he did and succeed at stopping this lust in its tracks.

He frowned and might have indeed changed his mind about that time and space. Owen might have kissed her again if his phone hadn't sounded with an incoming call.

Now, Owen had a reason to curse. He hadn't wanted the interruption, but when he saw Marty's name on the screen, he knew it was a call he'd need to take.

"Yeah," Owen said when he answered, and he was unable to keep the frustration out of his voice. Definitely unable to keep it out of his body. "You're on speaker, and Ruby is here with me."

Not as close as she had been moments earlier, but still, she hadn't moved to the other side of the room.

"Did you find the asshole who escaped?" Owen wanted to know.

"No. Sorry. He hasn't turned up yet," Marty said, and there was something in his tone. Not frustration but dread.

"Hell, who's dead?" Owen came out and asked.

"Not dead yet, but there's been an attack. Carlton Barber," Marty provided. "He's alive and he claims he knows exactly who tried to kill him."

Owen cursed. "Let me guess. He insists it was Brynn."

"No," Marty replied, surprising him. "He said it was Trent."

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