Tangled Vows (Mistress Book 1)

by Stone, Anna

  “No, I-”

  “Because I’m not some wounded girl. I’m not thanking you for showing me a sliver of kindness.” Ruby’s voice quivered. “I’m thanking you for understanding my needs. And I’m thanking you for believing I could handle this, despite everything. So just accept my damn thanks and don’t treat me like I’m broken.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Yvonne shook her head. “I don’t think you’re broken. I just don’t want you to think that this was performing some selfless act. I enjoyed it too. Your gratitude is misplaced.”

  Ruby let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s so typical of you. You’re always doing this. ”

  “Doing this? Doing what?”

  “Pretending you don’t have a heart.”

  Yvonne frowned. “I don’t do that.”

  “Yes, you do. Whenever you do something nice for me, or for anyone else, you’re always so dismissive. You pretend that it doesn’t mean anything, that all your motivations are selfish.”

  “Because they usually are.”

  “What about this whole marriage thing?” Ruby said. “You married a stranger to help someone else, right? Nita?”

  “It wasn’t just for Nita. I have other reasons for wanting that money. I didn’t want my brother to get it. And I need it to recoup my investments.”

  “Sure, you say that. But if it wasn’t for Nita, would you have still married me?”

  Yvonne hesitated. Did she even know the answer to that?

  Ruby threw her hands up. “See, this is what I mean! You act like you’re this awful, cold-hearted person when you’re not. You act like you don’t care about anyone when you do. You’re always pushing everyone away so that you’ll end up all alone because that’s what you think you want, when really you’re just trying to protect yourself.”

  Yvonne raised an eyebrow. “When we met, you said you were a therapist. Is that what this is?”

  “You’re avoiding the question. I’m not wrong, am I? You’re afraid of people hurting you, rejecting you.”

  Yvonne crossed her arms. “What do you want me to say, Ruby? That I’m all hung up on the fact that I spent most of my life being shoved aside, being resented just for existing?”

  “It wouldn’t be surprising if you were. ”

  “I’m not. I don’t think about any of that.”

  “Maybe you don’t think about it,” Ruby said. “But you feel it. I know you do.”

  Yvonne opened her mouth to protest, but she found she couldn’t. It was true. Yvonne did feel it. She’d never stopped feeling it. And she felt it more than ever now that Ruby had come along and made Yvonne want to open up to her.

  But how could Yvonne open up to anyone? Every time in her life, when she’d sought love and acceptance, she’d been abandoned, rejected, hurt. Her mother had left her alone in the world before she was old enough to find her own way. Her father, the one man who was supposed to love her, had seen her as a nuisance, something he wished he could get rid of. Her stepmother, her brother, had treated her with such contempt, had made her feel alone and unwanted like she wasn’t deserving of her father’s love, or anyone else’s.

  “Believe me, I understand how hard it is to trust after you’ve been hurt. But if you give people a chance, you’ll see that it’s worth it.” Ruby placed her hand on Yvonne’s arm. “You need to stop pushing everyone away.”

  Yvonne sighed. “It’s hard to break old habits. I’ve become so accustomed to living this way.”

  “Lucky for you, I’m one person you can’t push away. I’m not going anywhere. We signed a contract. Two, in fact. And we took a vow. You’re stuck with me.” Ruby planted a gentle kiss on Yvonne’s cheek. “Now lie back down. I need to finish that massage.”

  Yvonne felt a spike of irritation at Ruby’s bossiness. Nevertheless, she lay down again, closed her eyes and rested her head in her arms once more .

  As Yvonne surrendered to the other woman’s touch, Ruby’s words played in her mind. I’m not going anywhere. That wasn’t quite true. Their arrangement had an expiration date. When the year was over, Ruby would be gone.

  Could Yvonne really let Ruby walk out of her life?

  Chapter 23

  Y vonne sat at her desk in the Mistress Media offices, replying to the last of her emails. It was evening, and she was eager to head home to her apartment. Ruby had messaged her earlier with a photo of a dozen meticulously decorated cupcakes she’d made, along with a promise to save the best of the batch for her Mistress. While Yvonne didn’t care for baked goods, Ruby’s enthusiasm for them made Yvonne smile.

  She sighed. The three-month mark was fast approaching. Soon, Yvonne would have her hands on half of her inheritance. It would be enough to help Nita, enough to recoup her own investments. All her problems would be solved.

  And Ruby would have half her money too.

  There was a knock on Yvonne’s office door. She looked up to find Madison entering the room, her coat and briefcase slung over her arm.

  “Still here?” Madison asked. “I thought your days of staying late at the office were in the past. ”

  “They are,” Yvonne said. “I’m finishing up now.”

  “I’m about to head out too. Just waiting for Blair to wrap things up. We have a dinner date.” Madison took a seat in the chair in front of Yvonne’s desk. “While I wait, there are some matters I need to discuss with you, I’ll need you to take care of while we’re on the honeymoon.”

  Madison’s honeymoon was just over a week away. While she was gone, Yvonne would have to take over the running of Mistress Media. It would mostly be business as usual for Yvonne, but Madison insisted on reminding her of every little task and meeting Yvonne would have to attend to in her place.

  As Madison continued, Yvonne’s mind drifted back to Ruby. Ruby hadn’t mentioned anything about ending their arrangement at three months. She’d implied she was sticking the entire year through. But after the year was over, what would happen to the two of them?

  What did Yvonne want to happen?

  “Can you take care of it?” Madison said.

  Yvonne blinked. “Yes. Leave it to me.” She had no idea what Madison had said, but as always, Madison would email her about it later.

  Madison looked at her, frowning. “Okay, what’s going on?”

  “Nothing. Everything is fine.”

  Madison put her coat and bag down. “Don’t tell me. It’s about Ruby.”

  “Is it really that obvious?”

  “I’ve never seen anyone get under your skin as much as her. It’s the only explanation. So, what’s the problem? The honeymoon period is finally over? ”

  “No, everything between us is great. That’s the thing.” Yvonne paused. “I’m becoming attached to her.”

  “Attached?” Madison raised an eyebrow. “Yvonne, Ruby isn’t a puppy. And the fact that you feel something toward her isn’t a bad thing.”

  “It complicates things. This arrangement of ours, it was never supposed to be anything more than temporary.”

  “But you want it to be more?”

  Yvonne shook her head. “I don’t know. Perhaps I should ask Ruby what she wants.”

  “Isn’t it obvious what Ruby wants? She’s clearly head over heels for you.”

  Yvonne scoffed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Madison stared at her, incredulous. “You can’t be serious. You really don’t see it?”

  “See what? Perhaps there’s some attraction there, but I imagine it has something to do with the fact that I know how to handle a whip.”

  Madison shook her head. “It’s so much more than that. The night you brought her to Lilith’s Den, it was obvious to me that the two of you were faking it. But when I saw you with Ruby at my wedding, both of you were completely different people. I’ve long suspected you have feelings for her, but I didn’t know Ruby was into you too until then. All the signs were there. The way she was hanging off your arm like she never wanted to let go. The way she spoke about yo
u-”

  Yvonne held up her hand. “That was acting, on both our ends. It’s no surprise that Ruby is good at it. It’s her job, to become whoever her client needs her to be. It’s not real.”

  “Yvonne, that wasn’t acting. The way Ruby looks at you, it’s like you’re her everything. She’s completely and utterly enamored with you. You’d have to be blind not to see it.” Madison folded her arms across her chest. “You’re not blind, Yvonne. You’re making excuses. Why are you so afraid of telling her how you feel? Why are you so afraid of admitting to yourself how you feel?”

  Yvonne frowned. “I’m not-”

  There was a knock on the door. Through the glass, Blair waved at Madison, then entered the room.

  She looked from Madison to Yvonne. “I interrupted something, didn’t I? I can wait outside.”

  “It’s fine,” Yvonne said. “You’re not interrupting.”

  Blair addressed Madison. “I’m ready when you are.”

  “Let’s get going.” Madison rose from her chair. “We don’t want to be late for dinner.”

  “Speaking of which, when are you and Ruby going to come over for dinner?” Blair said. “I had a great time talking to her at the wedding. She’s lovely.”

  “She is, isn’t she?” Madison said. “I agree, you simply must bring her around for dinner one of these days.”

  Yvonne shot Madison a pointed look. “I’ll talk to Ruby about it.”

  “Good.” Madison gave Yvonne a knowing smile, then turned to Blair. “Let’s go.”

  They left the room, Blair on Madison’s arm. Even Yvonne had to admit the two of them were ridiculously sweet together. They were definitely still deep in the honeymoon period.

  She shut her laptop, packed up her desk and left the building. It was still rush hour, so she didn’t bother calling a cab, instead opting to walk the few blocks home. She had plenty of thinking to do. For starters, she needed to ask someone to come with her and Ruby to the upcoming meeting with the executor of her father’s estate to act as their witness.

  Who would she choose? Yvonne had very few close friends. Madison was out of the question because she knew the truth about Yvonne and Ruby’s marriage. Plus, she was leaving for her honeymoon the same day. One of the others, perhaps? She didn’t know Lydia well enough to feel comfortable asking her. That left Gabrielle and Amber. Although Gabrielle would gladly help Yvonne out, her blunt manner meant there was a chance she’d unknowingly let something slip that would give Yvonne and Ruby away. Amber was far more reliable, and her status as an heiress to a reputable family gave her a certain authority.

  Yvonne reached her apartment and got into the elevator, making a mental note to talk to Amber as she did. She was sure Amber would agree to help them out. Amber had no reason not to believe Yvonne and Ruby were a real couple. They had done an excellent job of convincing everyone of that over the past few months.

  Was there a reason for that? Was Madison right? Was Ruby head over heels for Yvonne?

  Was Yvonne head over heels for Ruby too?

  She made her way to her front door. Ruby was inside waiting for her, cupcakes and all. For once, Yvonne didn’t feel like she was alone. She had Ruby. Ruby was hers.

  Could Ruby be hers for good? Was that what Yvonne wanted?

  Yvonne wasn’t the type to be plagued with insecurities. She rarely felt uncertain about anything. So why was she so uncertain about this? Was she simply making excuses? Was Yvonne afraid of her feelings for Ruby, afraid of getting hurt?

  Yvonne took a moment to collect herself, then slid her key into the lock. But when she turned it, it didn’t make its usual click.

  The door was unlocked.

  Yvonne frowned. Perhaps Ruby simply had forgotten to lock the door after returning home.

  She opened the door and entered her apartment. “Ruby?”

  Ruby didn’t respond, but Yvonne could hear voices coming from the direction of the bedrooms. As she approached, she heard Ruby speaking in a raised, shrill tone.

  “Give it back!”

  Yvonne’s pulse sped up. She raced to Ruby’s room, her heart in her throat.

  When she reached the doorway, she froze. Ruby was cowering by her dresser, her arms held close, hugging herself.

  Standing before her was Yvonne’s brother.

  “Get away from her,” Yvonne said. “Now .”

  Nicholas turned toward Yvonne, his face twisting into a smile. “Yvonne. You’re home.” He stepped away from Ruby.

  Ruby’s eyes widened. “Yvonne, I’m sorry!”

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Yvonne snapped.

  “I came to see you,” Nicholas replied. “I wanted to discuss this inheritance issue of yours, but since you weren’t home, I decided I’d come in and wait.”

  “He just burst in here,” Ruby said. “I couldn’t stop him. ”

  Yvonne’s stomach turned to ice. “If you laid a hand on Ruby-”

  “I didn’t touch her,” Nicholas said. “She let me in, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to have a look around. You’ve lived here for years, but you haven’t invited me over before. I’ve never seen the place.”

  Yvonne looked at Ruby. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Ruby’s voice trembled. “I’m so sorry, I tried to stop him.”

  Yvonne examined her. Ruby seemed unharmed, but why did she keep apologizing? “What are you talking about? What did he do?”

  Ruby looked at Nicholas. Yvonne followed the path of her eyes. Nicholas was holding a document in his hands. Yvonne’s heart plummeted from her chest.

  The contract.

  Before Nicholas could react, Yvonne snatched it out of his hand.

  Nicholas smirked. “It’s too late for that. I’ve already seen it. I’ve read it. I know the truth about your arrangement.” He crossed his arms. “When I started looking around, all I was hoping to find was something that showed you weren’t really a couple. Separate bedrooms, maybe. But this? This is a jackpot.”

  “It’s just a prenup,” Yvonne said.

  “A very unconventional one. And it’s dated after you got married.”

  “I told you, the wedding was a spur of the moment thing.”

  “Because it’s a lie!” He waved his hands around him. “All of this, it’s a big lie. You entered into a fraudulent marriage, and you were stupid enough to put the terms down in a contract. That’s so like you. Such a control freak.” He looked at Ruby, licking his lips. “The other contract I found just proves how much of a freak you are.”

  Yvonne looked down at the papers in her hands. Sure enough, underneath the marriage contract was the other contract Yvonne and Ruby had signed.

  It was enough to bring Yvonne to her senses. Why was she standing here, arguing with Nicholas? He’d invaded their home, invaded her and Ruby’s privacy.

  He had crossed a line.

  Anger boiled up inside her. “Get out. Get out of this room. Get out of my apartment. Get out before I call the police and have you arrested for assault.”

  “Happily,” Nicholas said. “After all, I have all the evidence I need. And I’m going to tell the world the truth. There’s no way you’re going to get your hands on that inheritance now.”

  “Get. Out.”

  “Settle down.” Nicholas held up his hands defensively. “I’m leaving.” Giving Ruby one last glare, he left the room.

  Yvonne followed Nicholas out into the hall and marched him to the door. She opened it wide, shoving him through it.

  “One last thing, Nicholas,” she said. “Don’t you ever, ever come near me or Ruby again.”

  Before he could react, Yvonne slammed the door in his face.

  Yvonne leaned back against the door and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to stifle the fury burning inside her. Nicholas had come to her home, had intruded on her space. He’d violated her privacy, violated Ruby’s space and privacy.

  And now, he was going to expose them.

&
nbsp; “Fuck!” She clenched her fists. Everything was falling apart.

  Yvonne’s phone pinged inside her purse, which she’d dropped near the door on the way in. She took her phone out and checked it, a reflex from years of fielding important after-hours work emails. But it wasn’t work. The notification was a message from her brother containing a link.

  Yvonne’s stomach dropped. She opened the link. What she saw shattered the last vestiges of hope she’d had.

  She slid down the door and sank to the floor, burying her head in her arms.

  Ruby stared at her bedroom wall, replaying the events of the last hour over and over in her head. When Nicholas had turned up at the door and bulldozed his way inside, she’d frozen. Being confronted by a large aggressive man while all alone in her home had sent her mind right back to her past, with her former client, when she’d been powerless and afraid.

  By the time she’d come to her senses, it had been too late. She hadn’t been able to stop Nicholas from going through the house. She hadn’t been able to stop him from finding the contract.

  And now, everything was ruined.

  Ruby took a few deep breaths, trying to settle the anxiety simmering within her. She should check on Yvonne. It was the least Ruby could do, considering this was all her fault. How was Yvonne handling everything? Ruby had heard Yvonne’s bedroom door slam shut earlier. She didn’t know how much time had passed since then. She’d been lost in her own head.

  Overcoming her paralysis, Ruby rose from the bed and headed to Yvonne’s bedroom. She knocked on the door.

  “Yvonne?” There was no response, but Ruby heard footsteps pacing inside. “Yvonne, I’m coming in, okay?”

  Yvonne didn’t answer her, but the footsteps stopped. Ruby opened the door gingerly. Yvonne was standing in front of the window, staring out into the darkness of the night, her body tense and tight.

  “Yvonne?” Ruby stepped inside the room tentatively. “Are you okay?”

  Yvonne’s shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t turn around. “What do you think, Ruby?”

  Yvonne’s hard tone made Ruby’s stomach lurch. “Yvonne, I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I shouldn’t have let him in here. I didn’t mean to, I just froze, and… I shouldn’t have left the contracts just sitting out. But we can fix this, can’t we?”