by Lily Danes
Josh reached across the table and gripped her hand. He didn’t think about it. It just felt right. She didn’t squeeze his fingers, but neither did she pull away.
“Nine months?” Josh didn’t know a thing about modern pop music, but she didn’t sound like a woman who’d become the next pop sensation.
“Can’t you guess?”
He gave a helpless shrug.
Ruby poked her belly. “I didn’t have this when they signed me. After I heard the song, I didn’t care about anything. I stopped exercising, no matter how many appointments the label set up with trainers. I sat on my couch, where no one could see me, and I ate potato chips. A lot of potato chips. The label delayed the release of the magically expanding girl.”
None of this made sense. Her body was perfect, every curve exactly where it was supposed to be. “Do they have some policy against working with goddesses?”
Her laugh was soft and barely there, but Josh felt a wave of pleasure that he could make her smile while she recalled a wretched memory.
“Was it like the first album?” he asked. “Released with no support?”
She snorted. “I wish. No, they waited to confirm that I wasn’t going to lose the thirty pounds I’d piled on, then they dropped me. A lot of entertainment contracts have a clause about appearance. I skipped over that at twenty-one, because I couldn’t believe my stomach would ever be anything but perfectly flat.”
“It sounds like you’re better off without them.” He tightened his fingers around her hand, and she returned the touch.
“Maybe. But with one song already released, there’d been articles written about me. I had a few fans, thanks to that godawful song, and people were waiting for the full album. It made it hard for the label to drop me quietly. A music website picked up the story, and it got a lot of press. Most of it was outrage that I was dropped for being too chubby, but there were…other opinions.”
Josh had read internet comments before. He could only imagine the sexist vitriol directed her way.
“When was this?”
“A few months ago. I thought it would pass, but photos kept showing up on gossip sites, and the headlines were rarely kind. In the end, I hid in my apartment, though this time without the potato chips. All I’d ever wanted was to make my music. I didn’t want to be at the center of a debate about body shaming. I sure didn’t want people to analyze the width of my ass. I was depressed enough that I stopped eating and lost half the weight I gained. By the time I emerged, the world had moved on to another story. I was ready to move on, as well.” She shrugged. “And now I’m here.”
“Good. You don’t need that bullshit in your life. Work on the music you love, and screw those idiots.”
Her look of horror would have been comical if it wasn’t so genuine. “Oh no. No more music. That would bring the story up all over again. Emma's family runs a music studio in D.C., and she got me a job as a vocal coach. I start next week. That’s as close as I want to get to music for a while, and I’m only doing that because I’m a college dropout with no marketable skills.”
Josh was hardly in a position to lecture someone about following their dreams, but he couldn’t leave it like that. “Are you really going to give up?”
Ruby withdrew her hand from his. “I had my shot. Twice, in fact. One album doing it my way, one doing it theirs. Neither worked.” She lifted her shoulders in a stiff shrug. “It’s closer than most people get to their dream. I’m lucky I had that much.”
She rose with no warning, and Josh stood with her.
“Please don’t go home and Google me.”
Josh nodded, though it was going to take a whole lot of self-control to keep that promise.
Ruby exhaled, her relief obvious. “Thanks. I’m trying to get away from that part of my life right now.”
The parking lot was east of the Grub Shack. Ruby glanced in that direction, then turned the other way. “I think I need a nap. It’s been a busy day.”
It didn’t feel like their earlier plans were being delayed. It felt like a dismissal.
Josh caught her wrist, though he kept his touch light. A request, not a restraint. “Why are you running?”
“I came here to avoid reality.” With her free hand, she gestured at the table where they’d eaten lunch. “That was a whole lot of reality.”
It was more than either of them had signed up for, but he couldn’t regret that she’d told him. A little honesty couldn’t ruin an entire week.
Ruby pulled herself free and walked toward her cabin.
He called after her. “The Saints & Sinners party is tonight.”
She turned around, the movement tired.
Josh kept the distance between them. “You know what that means. People pretending to be someone they’re not. There aren’t many chances for reality there.”
After a second, her lips curled into a sad smile. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
11
Ruby expected to find angels and devils at a Saints and Sinners party, but that was only the beginning. There were also priests and nuns, a couple of monks and rabbis, and at least one pope. More than a few women had used it as an excuse to dress as Catholic schoolgirls. Based on the attention they were getting, it looked like a popular choice.
Emma had tried to convince Ruby to wear the devil costume, but the horns and pitchfork didn’t feel right. Earlier, she’d punished Josh by pulling away when all he’d done was listen to her story without judgment. She owed him an apology.
So instead of dressing like someone looking for trouble, she chose wings and a halo. Maybe if she played the innocent, she could convince him.
And maybe, by the end of the night, he would make her a fallen angel.
She glanced down at her white dress and wondered how it would look covered in grass stains.
It took her a minute to spot him in the crowd and several more seconds to be certain it was him. He leaned against the bar, looking downright dangerous.
So far, she’d only seen him in casual clothes, jeans and old T-shirts and swim trunks.
Tonight, he wore unrelieved black. Black pants that fit his sculpted thighs perfectly. A black T-shirt that stretched across the flawless chest she’d admired earlier that day.
If that wasn’t enough to stop her breath, he wore a devil mask that covered half his face. Only his jaw and mouth were visible.
The dark clothes, the mask, the way he held himself, made one thing abundantly clear.
Josh planned to be a sinner tonight.
He straightened and prowled toward her. The crowd parted as he closed the distance between them, like they knew better than to slow him for even a moment.
She stood, rooted in place, as her body rioted.
When he reached her, he gave her a small half-smile. “Hi.”
That was all it took. She swallowed. “Let’s get out of here.”
He stroked his thumb along her cheek and traced her jawline. Josh bent forward, his mouth to her ear. Ruby leaned toward him, drawn as if by a magnet.
“No,” he whispered.
* * *
He almost laughed at Ruby’s expression.
“No?” She stepped back with a frown.
Josh caught her wrist as she pulled away. With his other hand, he outlined the edge of her wings. “What kind of angel would want to sneak off with a devil?”
Her breath escaped on a small sigh, and Ruby slipped into the role with a smile. “Maybe I planned to reform you once I got you alone.”
“You could try.” Josh drew her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across the knuckles. “But I’d be trying to defile you at the same time. Who do you think would win? Saint or sinner?”
Her chest rose on an inhale, and Josh’s stomach tightened. Instinct told him that he needed to play things differently tonight. Remove reality from the equation, if only for a few hours.
Max had provided the mask, which had been left behind from a previous camp session. After that, it was just a mat
ter of waiting for Ruby to appear and hope, this time, she wouldn’t run.
The boathouse had been split into two rooms. The party began on the heaven side, and they were surrounded by white and silver decorations. People could order whatever they wished from the bar, but the signature drink was something delicate and pale. Josh didn’t need it. He already felt off-kilter standing this close to Ruby. There was no need for alcohol to make things more unstable.
Ruby studied the room like she was considering her options. “Who would win? The saints, of course. We have the angels on our side.”
“Then I better work harder to tempt you.” The line was so cheesy he was almost ashamed of himself, but somehow, with the mask, the decorations and the woman standing in front of him, it worked.
A server appeared at their side with a tray of the white drinks. “Angel’s kiss?”
Well, maybe he could have one drink. “I’m counting on it.” Josh winked at Ruby. She looked down to hide her smile. Josh plucked two cocktails off the tray and handed one to her.
He raised his glass. “To temptation.”
Ruby took a long swallow, draining half the glass. “You’ll have to do better than that if you want me to succumb to your evil ways. I’ve been an angel for years, you know.” She batted her eyes at him.
Josh bit back a laugh. “Start with a dance?”
Too late, he remembered that she said she’d failed the dance lessons the label insisted she take, but he saw no sign she was thinking the same thing. Instead, she studied the dance floor. The DJ was playing some happy pop song by a band Josh didn’t recognize.
“You want to dance to this?” Skepticism poured from her.
He finished the Angel’s Kiss, then took hers and set them both on a nearby table. “You think I can’t dance?” He couldn’t, not really, but he didn’t plan on showing off his moves. Josh drew her into a corner and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.
Ruby didn’t resist. “Not sure this is what the DJ had in mind with this song.”
He swayed in a small circle. “We’re thinking ahead. If he plays a ballad, we can say we were trendsetters.”
She relaxed against him, her hands going around his waist. She stroked the muscles of his back, and he grew warmer with each touch. More campers were arriving at the boathouse, and the volume was steadily increasing. Josh pulled her closer as a large group joined them on the dance floor. A nearby couple started bumping and grinding to the music.
“Looks like people will find a way to sin anywhere,” Josh murmured against her hair. It smelled of her shampoo, something green and earthy.
“Good thing I’m made of sterner stuff.” Though her cheek was pressed to his chest, he could hear the smile in her voice.
They stayed like that for the length of the song and then through the next one. The crowd grew around them, but they swayed to their own rhythm, sneaking in the smallest touches. A soft touch of the hand. A shift of the thighs. They couldn’t have been on the dance floor longer than ten minutes, but it felt like an hour of delicious torture, her body teasing his with every movement.
Ruby turned her hips just so, and her eyes widened as she found ample evidence of how delicious that torture was. She bit her lip, then repeated the motion.
Josh stifled a groan and drew back, giving himself some needed space.
“You’re the one who wanted to stay,” she reminded him. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
He considered it. Maybe they could revisit the golf course. The hiking trails would be empty, and he’d gladly risk meeting a few bears if it meant he got to peel Ruby’s white dress from her body.
But he remembered the look on her face earlier. She wanted him, but she was easily spooked. A smart man, a man who wanted to enjoy every day available to him, wouldn’t rush things. He wanted Ruby to desire him so much nothing would spook her, not tonight.
Not ever, insisted a really stupid part of his brain.
He closed his eyes. That wasn’t an option. All he could do was make the best of the time they had. The future would arrive soon enough.
Josh wound his fingers around her neck, toying with the strands of hair that had come loose from the pins. “Ready to sin already? You’re not very good at being an angel.”
She closed the distance between them and stood on her toes, fitting herself to his hard length. “I’m starting to think heaven is overrated.”
The woman was going to kill him.
“Then let’s go to hell.” Josh grabbed her hand and maneuvered through the crowd. He was thankful for the low lighting that hid the insistent bulge in his pants.
They stepped through the barrier the organizers had erected to separate heaven and hell. He had to give them credit. They’d managed to build a completely different world on the other side of the boathouse. Everything was covered in red, either from fabric or the lighting. The table decorations were pitchforks, and images of flames danced on the wall.
“You know what hell is?” She rose on tiptoes to reach his ear, but the room was loud enough she had to raise her voice a little. “Being with a man who refuses to leave after a woman has strongly implied she wants to tarnish her halo.” She glowered at him, and he thought it was only about fifty percent feigned.
Josh bent his head toward her. “You really are a terrible angel.” He made a tsking sound.
Ruby narrowed her eyes, then grabbed a red drink from a passing waiter and downed it. She headed to the dance floor without looking back.
Of course he followed her. By the time he reached Ruby, another man was already trying to dance with her. Josh snarled. He hoped it looked like more devilish play-acting, but the other man backed away and didn’t glance at Ruby again.
Her eyes were closed as she swayed to the music, but she didn’t jump when he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her to him.
They fell into an effortless natural rhythm. The room was warm with the heat of dozens of bodies, and Ruby and Josh lost themselves in the crowd and the music. Until that moment, he would have sworn he didn’t like nightclubs or dancing, but with Ruby he understood the appeal. Song after song, they moved together, their breath coming faster.
Her face grew flushed and a sheen of sweat covered her. Josh dipped his mouth to the spot where her neck met her shoulders and wrapped his lips around the skin, tasting salt and Ruby. She tilted her head to the side, giving him access, and moved her hips tighter against his.
He was, officially, in both heaven and hell.
Her hand wrapped around his neck, fingers digging into the muscles as she held him to her. “I think my halo is completely destroyed.”
The foil accessory was still affixed to her head. With steady fingers, he withdrew a pin from either side and lifted the gold circlet. “Feel lighter?”
“You have no idea.” Ruby reached up with both hands and gripped his mask. “Time to take the devil by the horns.” She walked backward, pulling him with her.
Josh followed her into the fresh air. It hit him hard, and he drew in a deep breath, but it wasn’t bracing. It didn’t return him to reality. The pulse of the dance floor, the rhythm he’d found with Ruby, moved within him, a connection that couldn’t be broken with a single burst of cool air.
She pressed herself to him and kissed his chin. “Where should we go?”
Earlier, he’d thought it would be enough to sneak away to his truck, but he knew now he’d been fooling himself. Josh needed Ruby stretched fully beneath him so he could explore every inch of her body. No cramped cab would do.
Most of the campers were at the party, but plenty of others milled about. He heard the squeak of the trampoline and the Aeroball cage, and the thunk of tennis balls as people got in a late game on the lighted court. Before he could propose another visit to the golf course, a giggling couple walked past, their arms wrapped tight around each other. They were heading east. He suspected the course was already claimed for the night, possibly by more than one person.
&nbs
p; “It would probably be poor form to kick Emma out of her bed,” Josh joked.
Ruby appeared to consider it. “She’ll forgive me.”
There was another option, though. “Let’s steal a canoe. There’s that rock in the middle of the lake.”
Her eyes lit up. “Elephant Rock. Good devil.”
One hundred feet along the darkened path, they ran across a group of people. They were in costume and walking from the Moon Bug cabins toward the boathouse.
It only took a second for Ruby’s relaxed sensuality to vanish, replaced by a tension that filled her limbs. Instinctively, Josh looked for the threat, finding it in one of the monks. Cory walked toward them. His eyes were a little glazed, like his group had enjoyed a pre-party in their cabin before coming this way.
“Ruby Holland!” The man’s voice carried. Ruby clutched his arm and pressed herself against Josh—not like she sought comfort, but like she wished to disappear behind him.
Cory was oblivious. “I wanted to talk to you.”
She shook her head. “Not a good time.”
The man noted Josh’s presence and smiled. It wasn’t lecherous, but Josh had little doubt the man knew exactly what they were up to.
“No worries. But before the end of camp, okay?”
Ruby’s fingers tightened even more on his arm. Josh wondered if he’d have bruises the next day.
“Isn’t this place great?” Cory’s gesture took in everything surrounding them. The lake, trees, tennis courts, people in costumes. “I’ll be sad to get back to regular life, though I’m looking forward to the talent show. You’re gonna sing, right?”
Somehow, the guy managed to be both sincere and cheesy at the same time.
Ruby’s expression was frozen, her eyes frantic. “We’ll see,” she managed.
