by Stone, Anna
“That’s believable too? That you’d fly a lover to wherever you were, just to see them?”
“It’s believable to anyone who knows me. When it comes to women, I’m quite picky. If I find someone I’m compatible with, I like to keep her on hand. If that means flying her across the country when I need her, I won’t hesitate to do that.”
“Someone you’re compatible with?”
“Let’s just say, my tastes are very… specific.”
It was obvious that Yvonne wasn’t referring to her tastes in appearance or personality. In Ruby’s line of work, she’d seen it all, from the tamest to the most scandalous kinks.
Ruby sucked her lip. What was it that Yvonne was into?
“Back to the matter at hand,” Yvonne said. “After a year or so of casually seeing each other, we both began to feel like what was between us was more than just physical.” She paused. “However, we were afraid to confess our true feelings.”
Yvonne spoke as if she were discussing a business deal. Ruby wondered if Yvonne had spoken to her friends about their marriage the same way. She didn’t sound convincing at all.
“So, when we met up in Vegas over the weekend, we got blind drunk, drunk enough to finally talk about how we felt, and ended up having a quickie marriage. After we sobered up, we discussed the situation and we decided we wanted to stay married, so I brought you here to live with me. Again, there’s that element of truth.” Yvonne folded her hands in her lap. “So that’s what I’ve told my friends. We’ll need to build upon the story, add some details. But that’s the foundation of our back story. ”
“That works for me,” Ruby said. “So, we should probably tell each other about ourselves. Our backgrounds and so on. We should know the details of each other’s lives, being married and all.” And if Ruby was lucky, talking about themselves would get Yvonne to loosen up a little.
“Good idea,” Yvonne said. “Why don’t you start?”
“Okay. I’m twenty-five, although I usually don’t admit that to my clients. I grew up in a town a few hours from Vegas, moved to Vegas when I turned eighteen, and I’ve been there ever since. Not sure what else there is to say. I should mention, my real name’s Ruth.”
“I know. It’s on the marriage certificate. Is Ruby just a name you use for work?”
“Kind of,” Ruby said. “I started using it because the name Ruth isn’t very glamorous, and it stuck. Nobody calls me Ruth anymore.”
“Ruby it is,” Yvonne said. “Do you have any family?”
“Mom, Dad, and four older brothers. Things were rowdy growing up. What about you?”
“My father died ten years ago. My mother passed when I was young.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” Yvonne’s voice remained flat. “I have other family. A half-brother and a stepmother.” The way she stressed ‘half’ and ‘step’ suggested she wasn’t exactly close to them. “As for everything else, I’m thirty-four, and I grew up here in the city. I went to college here too.”
Ruby nodded. “Well, I already know what you do for work, but what about me? If people ask about my job, what should we tell them? ”
“What do you want to tell them? I have no issues with being married to an escort. You don’t have to hide it if you don’t want to.”
Ruby frowned. So Yvonne had no qualms about Ruby’s occupation. And Ruby had already surmised that Yvonne wasn’t the type to let emotions or vague, old-fashioned notions of morality get in the way of something as simple and physical as sex.
So why was she so insistent that she didn’t want anything physical with Ruby?
Ruby returned to the conversation at hand. “We should come up with something else. Not everyone is as open-minded as you are about my job. Plus, my being an escort will just make people less likely to believe our marriage is real.”
“You’re right,” Yvonne said. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“I sometimes tell people I’m a waitress. I actually was a waitress for a while recently. I took a break from the escort thing after, well…” Ruby pushed down the unease suddenly bubbling up inside her. “It’s not important. Anyway, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say I was a waitress.” She gave Yvonne a cheeky smile. “Obviously, I retired once I found myself a wealthy wife.”
“All right. You’re a waitress.” Yvonne paused. “How did you end up in your line of work? Escorting, that is.”
Ruby shrugged. “I moved to Vegas after high school to take a job as a waitress. I was working at one of the restaurants on the strip and I became friends with a regular who was an escort. We’d talk about her job, and it sounded like something I could do, so I gave it a try, and here I am. ”
“That’s it?”
“Do I need a better reason?” Ruby raised an eyebrow. “Or is it because you think only someone desperate or troubled could end up as an escort?”
Yvonne tensed. “That’s not what I’m saying. I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s an unusual profession, that’s all.”
“I’m just messing with you. But for the record, I don’t come from a ‘troubled’ background. My childhood was great. And my waitressing job, it was well paying with all the tips, but escorting paid even better, and it’s far less demanding. There’s no desperation involved. And it’s a fun job. I get to meet all kinds of interesting people.”
“Your clients,” Yvonne said. “Are most of them men?”
Ruby nodded. “Women who are interested in hiring female escorts are few and far between. Half of them are just bored rich ladies wanting a taste of the sapphic side. But the female clients who are actually into women have always been my favorites. They appreciate me more.”
“So you’re actually interested in women? It’s not just the job?”
“Women, men, anyone really. Even though this is a job, the attraction is always genuine. I choose my own clients, and I only choose clients I’m attracted to on some level.”
Yvonne studied her. “Does that include me?”
Ruby’s skin prickled, Yvonne’s voice enthralling her. “Like I said, I only choose clients I’m attracted to.”
Silence sizzled in the air between them. Yvonne’s gaze didn’t leave Ruby’s. What was going on behind those hypnotic eyes? Everything about Yvonne was impenetrable, from her expression to her words, to the way she held herself. Ruby usually found it easy to read people, but Yvonne was a complete mystery.
Ruby broke the silence. “There’s something I want to ask you.”
“Go ahead,” Yvonne said.
Ruby’s heart began to race. “Is there anything else you want from me?”
Yvonne’s lips opened ever so slightly. Their eyes still locked, Ruby caught a glimpse of something in Yvonne’s, the faintest ember of desire, just like when they’d shared that first glance in the bar in Vegas.
But it only lasted a moment.
“I’ve already told you what I want,” Yvonne said. “I want you to be my wife to the outside world.”
“Only to the outside world?” Ruby asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m only asking because most people who hire escorts are looking for something more than that.”
“I’m not interested in that kind of arrangement.”
“Right,” Ruby said. “But I’ve noticed you haven’t actually said you’re not interested in me .”
Yvonne stiffened. “That’s not relevant. This is a purely business agreement.”
Ruby held back a smile. “Right, because you don’t ‘do’ escorts? Is that because of those ‘specific tastes’ of yours? Nothing fazes me. Trust me, I’ve seen it all.”
Yvonne scoffed. “No, you haven’t.”
“Yes, I have.” Ruby rested her chin on her hands, examining Yvonne. “So what is it that you’re into? Do you have a foot fetish? Do you like to make women dress in schoolgirl outfits? Do you like to tie women up? ”
Yvonne spoke in a firm voice. “It doesn’t matter what I like. I told you. I’m
not interested. I don’t pay for sex. And even if I did, that’s the last thing I’d want from you !”
Ruby flinched, a stinging feeling growing in her chest. Clearly, she’d pushed Yvonne too far. “Okay. Message received.”
Yvonne let out an exasperated sigh. “Ruby-”
Ruby held up her hands. “I hear you loud and clear. Forget I said anything.”
“Ruby.”
The doorbell rang.
“That’s the takeout I ordered.” Without giving Yvonne a chance to respond, Ruby got up and left the room.
She headed to the door, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Was she actually upset that Yvonne wanted to keep things business? It wouldn’t be the first time a client had wanted an arrangement that was entirely platonic. Besides, it was a good thing. It made Ruby’s job simpler, decreasing the risk of her getting emotionally involved. So why did Yvonne’s words bother her so much?
There was only one explanation. Ruby wanted Yvonne. Badly.
And considering their complicated circumstances, and the dangerous way that Yvonne seemed to be able to get under Ruby’s skin, that was not a good thing.
Chapter 6
I t was early afternoon when Ruby returned to Yvonne’s apartment. She’d treated herself to lunch at the fanciest restaurant she could find using the credit card Yvonne had given her, simply so she’d have something to do. Now, boredom was setting in again.
She sat down in the living room. It had been a week since she’d signed the contract laying out her agreement with Yvonne. Since then, Ruby had taken advantage of her new status as Yvonne Maxwell’s ‘wife’. She’d embraced a life of luxury, ordering expensive food and furnishing herself with a whole new wardrobe. But it had only taken a few days before the novelty had worn off.
Now, Ruby was faced with the reality that she had absolutely nothing to do.
It didn’t help that she didn’t know a single person in the city other than Yvonne, and Yvonne seemed determined to maintain a professional distance from Ruby. Sure, Yvonne had reiterated that their arrangement was purely business, but with the way Yvonne was behaving, it was like she was going out of her way to avoid Ruby. Yvonne would leave for work early in the morning and would come home late at night, with nothing but a ‘good morning’ or ‘good night’ if Ruby happened to be around. Ruby wasn’t sure whether to take it personally. Yvonne was a busy woman, and it had been clear from the moment they’d met that Yvonne wasn’t a warm, bubbly person.
But this felt like something more.
Ruby recalled the conversation they’d had that first night. It’s the last thing I want from you. Yvonne’s words had been clear. Her behavior, however, was far more ambiguous.
Ruby knew a thing or two about attraction, and Yvonne showed all the signs of wanting Ruby, in her cool, reserved way. When Ruby would walk by late at night in nothing but the oversized t-shirt she slept in, Yvonne’s eyes would follow her, before snapping away. When they passed by each other in the hall, Ruby would feel Yvonne’s gaze on her. When Ruby would go into the kitchen for breakfast, freshly showered, combing her fingers through her damp hair while she waited for her toast to pop, Yvonne would give her a wide berth but would watch her out the side of her eye.
Ruby sighed. Yvonne was so confusing. Clearly, she wasn’t going to warm up to Ruby any time soon. Ruby couldn’t rely on Yvonne to keep her occupied.
However, Ruby didn’t know what to do with herself. She had no hobbies, no interests, no way to pass the time. It was like she was just this blank slate of a person. She had no friends to call, no one to talk to. Not anymore .
Things hadn’t always been this way. It had been a slow, gradual thing. And it had all started with him .
Over time, as they’d become more than just client and escort, she’d changed. She’d become who he wanted her to be. She hadn’t noticed it at the time, that she was losing her identity, her sense of self. And over time, she’d lost touch with everyone else in her life, even her own family. It was all part of his manipulations.
That was all in the past. Ruby was free now. And yet, she didn’t know how to deal with her freedom. She felt overwhelmed, completely lost and directionless. She’d felt this way for so long now, ever since she’d left him. That self-assured siren Ruby pretended to be wasn’t real. It was a mask to hide all her uncertainties.
She stretched out on the couch. She needed a distraction. As she glanced around the apartment, an idea popped into her mind. Perhaps she could try to find out a little more about Yvonne.
The day Ruby had arrived, she’d checked out every room in the huge apartment, except for Yvonne’s bedroom and study. Yvonne kept those doors closed at all times. Perhaps Ruby could find some more hints about the woman inside her spaces. Besides, this apartment was Ruby’s home for the next year. It was odd that she lived here, yet she didn’t know what some of the rooms looked like. Taking a peek inside them wouldn’t hurt.
She got up from the couch and crept to Yvonne’s study. Yvonne spent a lot of time inside it. There had to be some clue, some hint inside about what was behind Yvonne’s mask.
Ruby turned the door handle. It was unlocked. She slipped inside and looked around. To her dismay, it was just a regular, boring home office, with a desk in the middle and some bookcases and cabinets. Ruby tiptoed to Yvonne’s desk. It had a few folders and documents on it, including the contract she and Ruby had signed. Their marriage certificate was there too, as well as some other papers that looked to be work-related.
Ruby’s eyes landed on a check sitting on top of a pile of documents. She picked it up. The check was made out to a ‘Nita Chen,’ and it was for almost a hundred thousand dollars. That was a lot of money, although it probably wasn’t much to Yvonne. Who was Nita and why was Yvonne paying her so much?
She put the check down. It was none of her business who Yvonne gave her money to. Ruby left the room and headed to Yvonne’s bedroom at the end of the hall. She opened the door. The bedroom was even more disappointing than the study. It was decorated much like the rest of the house, and just as neat and tidy. So was her bathroom, although it was twice the size of Ruby’s. But there were no clues to who Yvonne was in the room.
Ruby shut the door. As she did, she realized that there was another room next to Yvonne’s bedroom that she hadn’t noticed earlier. How had she missed it?
She opened the door to the room to find another spare bedroom. But unlike the others, which looked rarely used, this bedroom was well decorated and furnished, the bed fully made with linens and extra pillows.
Ruby frowned. Was it a guest room? It was too nice. Too made up. It looked too well used. And the decor in it was different. Whereas the beds in Ruby’s room and the master bedroom were made with crisp cotton sheets in neutral, light colors that matched the rest of the house, this bed was made up with dark satin sheets and velvet pillows. The lighting was different too. Darker, softer.
More sensual.
Ruby took a step into the room, then another, not knowing what she was looking for. She simply had this feeling. She walked over to the four-poster bed, running her hands along the satin sheets. Next to the bed were matching nightstands. She opened one of them up.
Her mouth dropped open. Inside the drawer, laid out neatly on a bed of velvet, was an assortment of handcuffs.
Ruby slammed the drawer shut and opened the one below it. More cuffs, this time made of leather. She opened the bottom drawer. Ropes, all neatly coiled, lined up by length and color.
Ruby’s heart thudded hard inside her chest. She looked around the room. There was a dresser and a closet on the far wall. She walked over to the dresser and opened the drawers one by one. Two held an assortment of whips. Another was filled with blindfolds, gags, and all kinds of leather straps. Another held an array of intimidating-looking metal tools and restraints. She found more of the same in the closet.
Heat suffused Ruby’s entire body. So this was what Yvonne meant about her ‘tastes.’ Ruby had suspected that Yvonne was
the dominant type, but she’d had no idea just how seriously Yvonne took it all.
This had to be why Yvonne kept rebuffing Ruby. Did she think that Ruby wouldn’t be interested in all this?
Yvonne couldn’t be more wrong .
Ruby picked up a coil of rope from the shelf, letting her fingertips run over the rough fibers. Desire ignited within her. Despite what she’d been through with her last client, everything in this room excited her. She shouldn’t have wanted this. But she did.
Ruby wanted a taste of what Yvonne had to offer. And while she wasn’t sure if Yvonne was willing to give her one, one thing was certain.
Ruby was going to make sure Yvonne knew how much she wanted this.
Ruby sat on the bed in the bedroom next to Yvonne’s, waiting for her. It was late at night. Yvonne was due home any moment now.
Something fluttered in Ruby’s chest. Was she really doing this? Was she making a huge mistake? Would Ruby’s actions simply infuriate Yvonne? That was a possibility. Ruby knew she was overstepping. She knew she was pushing Yvonne’s boundaries.
But she had to get through to Yvonne.
Faintly, Ruby heard the front door open at the other end of the apartment. Yvonne was home. It was too late to back out now. As Ruby repositioned herself on the bed, Yvonne’s footsteps grew louder, before slowing down in the hall. Ruby’s pulse raced even faster. Could Yvonne see the light coming from the room? Was she wondering why the door was open?
Did she have any idea of what she was going to find inside ?
Ruby held her breath. A second later, Yvonne appeared in the doorway.
Ruby gazed at her from the bed. “I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”
Yvonne froze in place, taking in the scene before her. Scattered on the bed around Ruby was a selection of Yvonne’s toys and tools from the drawers and closet. Handcuffs. A blindfold. A coil of rope. A whip. And Ruby had placed herself in the middle as a centerpiece, kneeling with her hands in her lap, looking up at Yvonne from under her eyelashes.
