Ruthie's Desire - The Esquire Girls Series - Ruthie's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  The wicked intonation of his voice is turning me the hell on. I know it’s wrong. I know I shouldn’t go down on Michael in the conference room here at work. But I get a thrill imagining it.

  “Think of it as a celebratory blowjob.” He leans back against the door and his pants slide to the floor. He softly stokes his long, hard cock as I make my way over to him, licking my lips.

  I lower myself to my knees and take his throbbing column in my hand. I’m already pulsing, even before I run my tongue along the wide tip. Michael’s lips part and he pushes out a deep breath as he leans his head back against the door. I take more of him into my mouth. I feel myself getting wet as my tongue slides back and forth along his flesh. Small sounds escape his mouth as he gently tugs on my hair. He thrusts softly, nudging his way into my throat. He’s feeling so much. I can see it on his face. “That feels so good, babe,” he whispers.

  And I just want to see him let go. I want him to release all of that built up tension into my mouth, down my throat. So, I suck on him hard and I bob my head fast in his groin. His face reddens as he struggles against the moans building up in his throat. I reach behind him, my hands running down the firm cheeks of his perfect ass. And I squeeze, pushing him as far down my throat as he’ll go.

  A low moan tears out of him and he jerks. “God, I’m coming, Ruth.” And he spurts into my mouth, hot and thick. The muscles at my core spasm violently as I struggle to swallow his nectar. I stumble backwards, my ass landing on my heels. I’m completely overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

  He’s overwhelmed, too. He runs his hands through his messy, dark hair as he tries to temper his breathing. “I need to fuck you,” he mutters as he reaches out to take me by the hand and help me to my feet.

  But then, there’s a knock at the door.

  “Shit,” he curses under his breath as he pushes the tail of his shirt into his pants. I retreat to the corner of the room and struggle to tame my messy hair. “Who is it?” Michael says in a booming voice.

  “Sir, it’s Jessica.” I hear his assistant say through the door.

  Michael frowns. “Can this wait?” The irritation in his voice wears no mask at all.

  “I’m here with your mother,” Jessica replies.

  I cringe as I take a whiff of the sex-scented air. The idea of Michael’s mother walking into the room makes me want to hide under the conference table.

  “Gimme a second,” Michael says loudly before approaching me. “You okay?” he asks in a low voice, as he folds down the collar of my mint green blouse.

  I nod without a word.

  “Okay. We’ll catch up after work. I wanna take you out. Somewhere special.” He smiles softly at me before pressing his lips to my temple. He turns around and walks towards the door.

  He opens the door a sliver and tries to slip out. But Gabriella sees me, flushed and disheveled standing in the corner. Her eyes bore into me like daggers in the fraction of a second before Michael pulls the door shut.

  Chapter 19

  I pull my ear buds out of my ears as the phone on my desk rings for the second time. “Ruth Salvador?”

  “Hello Ruth. This is Johnny Trahn.” My attention perks up when I hear the unmistakable New Jersey accent of the litigator I’ve been working with here at the firm over the past few months.

  I cross my fingers hoping that he has a new case for me to work on. “Hi Johnny. How are you?”

  Johnny skips the pleasantries and gets straight to the point. “Look Ruth – I’ve got a new client who insists on coming in for a consultation on Thursday morning. But I’ll be in court along with most of the other litigators at that time. So, what I wanna do is have ya meet with him in my place.”

  My heart leaps into my throat. I can’t believe my ears.

  “You want me to meet with him?” My voice cracks with excitement.

  “Yeah – is that a problem?”

  “No, no, no. It’s no problem at all.” I’m lying. I have property law class on Thursday morning. But consulting with a new client is far more exciting than just another day in class.

  “Aright. My secretary’s gonna email the details to ya. Give ya some background on the file. Don’t stress out too much. Just ask questions to figure out what his complaint is. Honestly, I think this guy might be a waste of time. I’m not even sure if he’s got the kind of money he needs to pay my fees. He sounds like a small timer.”

  I nod my head as I take notes. To Johnny, this client is a tiny fish. But to me, it’s my first chance to interview a client one-on-one without the supervision of a lawyer. I’m over the moon.

  “Okay. I’ll handle it,” I say trying to control the timbre of my voice.

  “Good. You’ll report to me on Thursday afternoon.”

  “Yes. Thanks, Johnny.”

  “Take care, Ruth.” I hear the phone go dead in my ear.

  Johnny’s definitely rough around the edges, but his telephone call just sent me over the moon. I’m so excited that I have to do a little happy dance in my seat.

  “What are you so happy about?” Luke asks, peering at me from his desk.

  “I’m meeting with a new client on Thursday, unsupervised.” I’m beaming.

  I hear Nadia groan. “You lucky bitch!”

  I spin around in my chair to look at her. “C’mon, Nadia. Don’t be sour grapes over this.” I love the girl, but sometimes she lets her jealousy get the best of her.

  “Don’t hate, Nadia. Ruthie’s just climbing the ladder faster than the rest of us,” Luke says with an unmistakable hint of bitterness in his voice.

  Nadia rolls her eyes as she pushes away from her desk and stands to her feet. She walks over to my desk and leans in so only I can hear. “I guess that’s just one of the perks of fucking the boss.”

  She leaves me stunned, with my mouth hanging open as she walks down the hallway in the direction of the washrooms.

  Chapter 20

  The fire crackles loudly in front of me as I lie back on the sheepskin rug and bring the wine goblet to my lips. It’s a cold late November night and spending time in front of Michael’s fireplace sounded like the perfect plan after a long day at work.

  Nadia’s words are still nagging at my mind, but I’m determined to push them aside. She’s just jealous of me. They all are. I know that the reason Johnny trusts me to meet with the new client is because I’ve earned it. Not because I’m sleeping with the boss. That’s what I keep telling myself over and over again. Maybe soon, I’ll actually believe it.

  I smell the aroma of homemade pizza before I hear his footsteps enter the room. He’s shirtless and gorgeous in his low-riding jogging pants, his hair still wet from the shower we took together when we first got here. He sets the platter down next to me.

  “Smells delicious,” I mutter as I grab a slice. He sits in silence on the rug next to me and watches me eat. “Aren’t you having any?” I ask, feeling self-conscious as I lick tomato sauce from the corner of my mouth.

  “You’re fucking gorgeous, Ruth,” he says in a hauntingly low timbre as he brings his body near to mine. I smile to myself as he runs his hands under the hem of my sweater and up my stomach. His lips blaze a trail up my torso before he pushes my bra up and catches one of my nipples between his teeth. I hiss out in pleasure.

  I push my fingers through his hair. “I got so lucky finding you,” I sigh.

  He moves until his face is hovering over mine. “I feel exactly the same way.” He kisses me and I can feel that, despite the lust that’s burning in his eyes, he’s holding back. His tongue barely dips into my mouth, his breathing is controlled.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask pulling out of the kiss and shoving the platter of pizza aside before pushing up on my elbows.

  Michael twists his lips as he takes a seat on the carpet. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

  “What?” My voice sounds just as nervous as I feel. This relationship has moved at lightening speed and I just know that Michael is as crazy for me as I a
m for him. A big part of me is imagining that he’ll get down on his knees right now and ask me to marry him. I’m scared because I know that if he does, I’ll say ‘yes’. And that’s obviously a bad idea. With a past like mine, Michael and I can only go so far.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you…to go to a charity event with me.”

  I feel the air deflate from my lungs. I should be relieved but instead I feel a wave of disappointment crash into me.

  Crazy girl, I scold myself. I let my daydreams carry me away for a minute.

  “A charity event?” I repeat his words.

  “Kasper Redhook – he’s a very sought-after movie stunt double. He and his wife, Cecile, started a foundation to build houses for the homeless in South East Asia. They’re having an event and I’m going and I want you there with me.” His eyes are skeptical and that tells me everything I need to know.

  “There’ll be paparazzi, won’t there?”

  He nods and I feel my heart sink. I can’t let my picture get caught up in that world because it will only be a matter of time before my past gets out.

  “Michael, y’know I –“

  “Just answer one question, Ruth.”

  I sigh. “What?”

  “Do you want to go?”

  An image of myself all dolled up and walking into a celebrity-filled event on Michael’s arm floods into my mind. It would be nice.

  “I do want to go…but you know why I can’t.”

  He holds my face in his hands. “I can make it happen, Ruth. Let me do that. Please.”

  My eyes betray my skepticism.

  “I can do it. Trust me,” he insists.

  I take a deep breath before I hear myself say, “Okay.”

  Chapter 21

  Michael pulls his sports car to a halt near the service entrance. After killing the engine, he opens his door and starts to round the car. But I don’t wait for him to open my door for me. He promised me that tonight would be as low-key as possible and I plan to hold him to it. Still, I don’t quite trust that we can completely slip under the radar at this charity event. The paparazzi is going crazy at the front entrance as celebrities file into the building, but after the way I reacted the last time I was in the vicinity of the bright lights, Michael agreed that we could just slip in through the back door tonight.

  Still, I know that now that Michael is managing partner of the law firm’s New York office and since he plans to run for office in the foreseeable future, there are a lot more ritzy events like this in the cards for him. And he’s going to want me there, standing by his side.

  “You look beautiful,” he says softly before kissing my cheek.

  I went out of my way to dress down tonight in the hopes of blending into the background – a gray satin blouse with black slacks and patent leather flats, my hair in a low bun. So, I’m relieved to know that Michael still finds me attractive. He grabs hold of my hand as he leads me through the bustling kitchen, nodding ‘hello’ at the busy sous-chefs.

  As soon as we emerge into the large, elegant ballroom, a plump redhead makes a beeline towards him. I shrink behind him instinctively. “You made it!” She pulls him into a tight embrace.

  “Cecile – look at you! Gorgeous as ever!” I can’t help but envy her beauty as Michael kisses her on both cheeks. She wears a deep green strapless evening gown that grazes the floor and diamonds drip from her neck.

  Michael introduces me to her and we shake hands quickly before Cecile’s attention is pulled in the direction of a passing waiter and his tray of appetizers. “I’m gonna go get some hors d’oeuvres,” she announces before briefly bringing her attention to me. “Do try the crab-stuffed mushroom caps. They’re to die for.” With that, she floats off, nearly salivating.

  “We have to find a way to make you comfortable in the public eye,” Michael whispers into my ear as Cecile disappears into the crowd.

  “What?” I ask glancing around the room apprehensively.

  “When I run for office, I need you by my side. And you can’t be feeling paranoid every time we go out.”

  He’s mentioned it before. He’s said that I need to let go of my fear of being photographed by the media because as long as we’re together and he’s runningthe law firm or engaged in politics, eyes will always be on us. I care about Michael a lot but I’m not sure if I can sacrifice my privacy in the name of our relationship. I’d be mortified if my past became a national headline.

  I push a sigh past my lips as we approach an elegantly decorated table where a pretty, but obviously high-strung, brunette sits punching away at the screen of her smartphone and completely ignoring the eager-looking young man with a buzz-cut hairstyle sitting beside her.

  “Hello Campbell.”

  Her eyes shoot up when Michael says her name. “This is her?” She puts her phone down on the table and looks at me with judgmental eyes before Michael even has the chance to introduce me.

  “Yes, this is Ruth.” Michael places his hand possessively on the small of my back while the brunette surveys me disapprovingly from head-to-toe, all while tapping her blood-red nails against the white tablecloth. Michael turns his attention to me. “Ruth, Campbell Cross – a member of my team. She’s a personal and professional image rehabilitation specialist.”

  A what?

  “Your mother warned me about her lack of style,” Campbell whispers loudly, “but this is much worse than I expected. We’re going to need to get her a makeover, pronto.”

  I interrupt her before she continues to shred into me. “Michael, what’s going on?”

  He brings his hand gently to my shoulder. “Campbell’s going to help us come up with a plan to get you out of the shadows. So that when I’m running for office, you won’t be…”

  “A problem?” I interject.

  He scowls at me. “Uncomfortable is the word I was looking for actually.”

  I’m insulted, utterly insulted that Michael would hire a ‘fixer’ to manage my image and without even running it by me. He’s ashamed of me. Just like I knew he would be. And now, he wants to ‘fix’ me. I’m furious.

  “Excuse me,” I mumble as I turn and push through the crowd.

  I hear Michael call my name exasperatedly but I don’t even turn around. I need a breather. “The crab-stuffed mushroom caps,” I hear Cecile say to me as she passes by holding a plate stacked high with finger foods. When she catches my eye, she points her chin in the direction of a large table where a wide array of delicious-looking appetizers are laid out. I toss her a grateful smile and head over to the table.

  I shove a mushroom cap into my mouth as I stand in the corner and look out over the crowd.

  I don’t belong here. Not rubbing shoulders with New York City’s rich and famous, not on the arm of one of the country’s most prominent entertainment lawyers. I wish that he would have just let me go when I warned him about my past. Now, he’s trying to ‘fix’ me, to ‘rehabilitate’ my image because he knows as well as I do that my presence by his side is career suicide. I should have insisted that he stay away from me. But now, I need him…I think that I might be in love with him.

  “We’ve met before.”

  Puta – I swallow fast without even chewing. Hearing those words strung together is always an absolute nightmare for me. Especially at an event like this.

  I lift my eyes slowly, fearing that I’ll find myself looking into the eyes of a man I stripped for years ago, a man who knows me from my days back at Evade. But the instant that my eyes fix on the handsome face in front of me, I remember where I met him.

  I cough slightly, choking on the mushroom. “Yes. Hi. We met at Cartwright Moretti Stevenson a few weeks ago.” He was on the elevator late one night when Michael was taking me home. “Nicholas, isn’t it?”

  He smiles as he grabs a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and hands it to me. “Yes, Nicholas O’Connor…don’t choke. Please. Drink up.” Friendly amusement dances on his face.

  I take the champagne flute from him and take
a small sip. “Ruth Salvador,” I say returning his smile.

  “You’re here with Michael, I’m assuming,” he says as he reaches beside me for a plate and loads up on hors d’oeuvres.

  I nod as I run a napkin across my mouth. “Yes.”

  Just then, a petite brunette shows up at his side. “Everything okay over here?” she asks, her frantic eyes darting from Nicholas to me and back again.

  “Liz, you look great,” I say, hardly able to believe my eyes. She looks better than I’ve ever seen her look before. She’s wearing a knee-length fitted lavender shift dress and her hair is swept up into a whimsical style.