by Christina OW
She placed her hand over his tattoo of a skull with a sword through it and a snake wrapped around the hilt, on his shoulder. Once, she’d asked him what it meant and with an embarrassed smile, he told her it was a gang tattoo. ‘One day, I’ll tell you all about it’ he’d said before quickly changing the topic. She thought he was joking and was going to press the issue but something in his eyes, in his rigid frame dissuaded her.
“And the gang?”
“They wanted me. My whole teen life I spent it being some strangers nightmare, but some time in juvenile detention straightened my ass out. I decided I liked living more than being wanted by someone.”
Melody hugged him, wishing she could somehow take his hurt away. No child should grow up like that. And if she didn’t find a solution soon, Esme would be just like her father.
She felt his breath at her neck as he exhaled. “She keeps calling, pressuring me to get the resort back even after it’s been swallowed up by Red Roses. I’ve already paid her back, with interest but all she wants is to hurt Cora even in her grave.”
“Because she was the one he picked.”
“Because he wanted Cora’s children more than he did hers.” He shook his head. “What hurt her most was that they were never truly married.”
Melody stiffened. “What?”
“He was legally married to Cora. My mom’s marriage was nothing but a sham, a practical joke. He hired actors to officiate over it and the license, something he printed off the internet.”
A tremble shook her. Married to two women, god, all this is too close to home.
“He hurt them both terribly. And us the kids who had to grow up watching, me listening to the hatred…he had no idea the damage he caused.”
Hiding her own pain, Melody sat back, taking his face in her hands she said, “Well, we already agreed the man was an idiot and a rotten bastard. The only good thing he ever did was have three awesome kids.”
He smiled faintly at her. “I just wish my mom had let me get to know them. Growing up with Reno would have kept me on the straight and narrow. I wouldn’t have this gang stamp on my shoulder…but it’s a good reminder of the person I don’t want to be anymore, of a life I never want to go back to.”
“He really was an idiot, but you’re lucky. You have Reno, Riana their beautiful babies and spouses and Matthew and his family by extension. See? You got lucky! Not everyone makes good with ill intentions. God, I can’t believe Loraine is pregnant—”
“And you,” he said softly cutting her off.
“What?”
“You, I have you. Or don’t I?”
Melody was locked in place by his searching eyes. Everything inside her wanted to scream yes, but god she couldn’t do that! She wanted to tell him he had his own family, his own daughter who kept her heart beating even when she wished it didn’t, but she couldn’t, not yet.
She climbed off him. “I need to go.”
“Melody, what was this?” he half yelled.
She shook her head, gathering her clothes as she unbuttoned Ruiz’s shirt.
He stood, dogging her movements around the room as she dressed. “I’d rather we be lovers than nothing at all. I love you that much! It’s clear you don’t let Antonio lay a finger on you!”
It seemed he didn’t know that part of his family story. Cora had been ready to let things lie, to let him have his cake and eat it too until she found out she was going to have a daughter. She wouldn’t survive having Ruiz part time and she knew no matter what he said now, he wouldn’t either. They craved each other too much for that kind of relationship. It was all or nothing with them.
She shook her head. “This isn’t going to happen again. It’s too painful.”
“Then leave him!” She heard the hope in his voice saw it in his eyes and it broke her heart.
“I can’t,” her voice broke with a sob.
“Why the hell not!” he demanded.
She shook her head, tears falling freely down her cheeks as she hurriedly dressed. As she reached down to grab her shoes, he grabbed her arms and pulled her back up.
“What aren’t you telling me? Whatever it is, we can face it together. Just tell me so I can fix it and have you back in my life!” His voice poured out the desperation he felt making her cry.
Her vision blurred she stared up at him and begged. “Ruiz please, just let it go. I’m with Antonio now and there is nothing that can change that.”
She pulled away from him, grabbed her shoes and rushed to the door.
“Does he know you’re married to me, still married to me?”
Hand on the knob, Melody froze. Did she really believe he would never bring that up? That he would never remember that winter day at the Jardin du Luxembourg when it filled her thoughts each time she looked at her daughter? She’d always thought she’d rub her marriage to Antonio in his face when she’d done it, make him see that he was very much replaceable. Though married to Antonio under France laws, she never thought how her American marriage would impact it, but what did it matter now? They were in France, not America.
Without a word, she opened the door and ran out, foregoing the elevator and using the steps. She didn’t stop not even for a breath until she was safely in her room. There, with only Jackie and Esme to see, she broke down, sinking to the ground in body wracking sobs.
She felt Jackie’s arms around her and leaned into them. “Hush child, it’s all going to turn out well.”
“He loves me, Jackie. He wants to be with me. How could I screw everything up so badly?”
“He loves you? Then that’s all the courage you need.”
“For what?”
She took Melody’s chin in her hand and turned her head to look up at her. “To finally take your life and Esmeralda’s into your own hands.”
Melody sniffed. “Is it truly so simple?”
Jackie clucked her tongue flicking Melody’s nose. “You’ve grown up having your parents or your brother take care of all your obstacles—”
“But I’m trying to fix my problems myself!” Melody interrupted.
Jackie shook her head with motherly smile. “And mucked everything up even worse. It’s time to let your husband, your true husband help you. That is what marriage is, a partnership. You said the vows didn’t you?”
She nodded. Jackie was right. Accepting Antonio’s proposal to get back at Ruiz had been stupid, but she’d fixed that by breaking the engagement off and Antonio had come back with a threat against Allan and his family. She caved; marrying him and all that fixed was ruining Red Roses Paris.
“But he can’t—we can’t go into it blind. It scares me how much Antonio knows about my family. He’s up to something and that scares me even more.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a detective,” Jackie said, making Melody smile. The woman was a blessing in her life. She didn’t want to think of what she would have done without Jackie.
Chapter Five
“You’ve been in a bad mood this week Monsieur Albury.”
“I asked you not to call me that. Ruiz is just fine,” he grumbled standing and moving to the coffee tray. He’d much rather have something stronger but he couldn’t be sloshed on the first day of firing employees. He took a deep swallow of the dark strong liquid.
He hadn’t touched a drop the entire week or the need for him to be in Paris would amount to nothing. So he went with the first plan he came up with when he landed, he buried himself in work. It helped until he came up for air, then all he could do was stare at the spot he’d made love to Melody reliving each moment with aching clarity. He’d gone through all five boxes entering the information in his laptop. Some things, all legal, didn’t make much sense to him and he’d had to depend on Jon Luc’s expertise. He had no answer yet, seeing as how Ruiz had given him that information that morning, but no one could blame him. He needed to work to keep himself busy, but the things he needed Jon Luc to sort out had him at a standstill.
“Ruiz, I know you hired me to give
you my legal expertise and nothing else but wars have been started over women for centuries. Don’t you think you should start your own little war?”
Ruiz shook his head in wonder, smiling for the first time in a week. “Why don’t you just say I should fight for my wife?”
Damn! Ruiz knew he’d said something wrong when Jon Luc’s eyes bulged out.
“Votre femme! O la la! That’s why you asked me about our laws on bigamy.”
“Sshh! Keep your voice down!”
Jon Luc shook his head a silly smile on his face. He was clearly amused by something and whatever it was, it annoyed Ruiz.
“What?” Ruiz growled.
“How did you lose her to that toad?” he asked laughingly.
Ruiz glared at him as he moved back to the desk, flooded with employee files. “We’re not talking about that.”
“Ruiz—”
“No!” Ruiz barked, his hand tightening around the mug of coffee until it shook, sloshing some drops. If it was glass, it would have broken in his grip and it would have been blood and not coffee dripping off his fingers.
Jon Luc shook his head muttering something in French. “Fine. There is something important we need to discuss. The auditors found some irregularities that quite frankly have them very confused.”
Ruiz ran his free hand over his face in frustration. He knew he shouldn’t have gotten out of bed that morning. “What is it?”
The door swung open, drawing their attention to it to see Melody step in. “Am I late?”
Ruiz stared at her and his anger quickly vanished. His heart pounded a mile a minute under his ribcage. His throat felt like he’d just downed a swallow of course sand not coffee. She stood there in black pumps, black skirt that lay smoothly over her curves from knee to waist. It even complemented the little bump of her belly and her white long sleeved shirt... all he could say was he envied the fabric that stretched over her ample chest. Completely unlike her though, her face was void of makeup except for the cherry lip gloss that gave a little shine to her lips—he knew it was cherry because he could still taste it on his tongue after devouring her lips last night—and her hair was that of a schoolmarm held back in a severe bun.
He knew what she was trying to convey. She was here for business and was going to say that what happened last night was an anomaly never to be repeated—but she was dead wrong. As her husband, her legal one, he had rights to her and he was going to exercise every one of them until he got her out of the clutches of that fake Cuban—Italian. Ruiz was sure that toad was holding something over her, something that’s got her scared and willing to stay with him. Otherwise, if she was truly committed to Antonio, she would never have permitted Ruiz to have her. And she would be having sex with Antonio—something Ruiz was very happy she was not having.
As she stood there, looking all business like, all he could see was pink skin, raven black hair that fell around her bouncing in sync with her breasts as she rode him and the feel of her hot skin on the palm of his hands as he held onto her hips. Ruiz rubbed his fingers over his palms. He could still feel her skin in his hands as the rest of him that was pressed against her, chest to calf and his body was awoken by the sensation, wanting, needing to feel more of her.
“Non madame, you’re just in time. We’re about to start, aren’t we Ruiz?”
Ruiz dragged his eyes away from Melody to catch the knowing look in Jon Luc’s face. Ruiz wanted to punch that look off his face, with the mug still in his hand.
“Monsieur Jon Luc, it’s nice to see you again.” There was a quiver in her voice as hard as she tried to sound professional. And when she moved to take Jon Luc’s hand in a hand shake, she wobbled on the first step she took. Ruiz unsettled her... good. They were on a level playing field.
Instead of shaking her hand, Jon Luc took it, turned it palm down and raised it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. “It’s nice to see you again as well…Madame Albury.”
Melody went rigid, her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened at him before jumping to Ruiz. They beamed shock at first then an angry accusation.
Ruiz cursed under his breath placing the mug down forceful and sitting with the same force before he took a file from one of the stacks and opened it. It was an employee file, but as he stared down at it, he couldn’t see a thing except Melody’s accusing eyes. He shouldn’t feel guilty. He had every right to claim her as his wife. She was done calling the shots on the two of them. It was time he took over. He stood up, grabbed her arm and pulled her to the seat he’d just vacated. He then took another chair and set it against the wall behind her to her right and sat down.
He held her angry gaze, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s time you start taking your responsibility to Red Roses seriously, Mrs. Albury and you’re going to start with firing a few people this morning. Time to call in your first soon to be ex-employee.”
The glare turned to fear and Ruiz clenched his jaw. Why was she scared of them? He softened his gaze towards her with a slight smile. “Don’t worry, I’m right here.”
She lifted her chin a fraction hardening herself. “I don’t need for you to hold my hand.”
He nodded hiding his pleasure at seeing a little backbone even though it was completely phony.
“Okay then. Pick up the phone and ask your secretary to call the first name on the list. The files are arranged in the same order and number one’s file is right in front of you.”
The fear was back in her eyes for just a moment before she turned away reaching for the phone with a trembling hand. Hell, he wished he really could hold her hand, but having her back—literally and figuratively—would have to be enough for now. She needed to fix the mess she let happen and doing it for her like Matthew and the rest wanted wasn’t helping her in any way. They must have known she was here and that something was wrong. Why else would they send Ruiz? Allan, he would just make things worse with his Hulk smashing ways of solving problems. Ruiz would just seduce her into his way of thinking if he needed to. It was his plan of action in getting her away from Antonio and finally finding out what that man had over her.
* * * *
A week. One whole week she hadn’t seen him, hadn’t spoken to him, and yet for that week he had plagued her. He was in her dreams, in her every waking moment even the sacred time she spent with her daughter he invaded those too. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, of making love for the first time after so long…of the guilt of not telling him he had a daughter. A week, she’d been tormented and tortured by longing, need, memories and guilt for a week.
It was today she had decided to tell him the entire truth, about their daughter and Antonio. She’d prepared for it, spent the entire night rehearsing what she would say and how she would say it to soften the blow and his anger. She knew he would be angry and that frightened her a little. She’d seen him angry before and it wasn’t pleasant. It was the night Loraine was attacked; her own wedding night. Melody and Ruiz were at the beach, laying in each others arms staring at the dark sky and listening to the ocean. It was a cool night that night, so, in addition to Ruiz’s warm body, she was wrapped up in a blanket. She couldn’t remember exactly what they talked about, but she remembered the laughter. Then his phone rang and it was like a switch had been flipped. The rage in his eyes made her flinch but the gentle way he spoke in the phone amazed her especially when his hold on her grew crushing. It was Tyler he spoke to, told him to stay in the room and wait for him. Then he hung up, passed her the phone and ordered her to call her brother before he took off running down the beach, towards Reno’s beach house. She’d done exactly that, then ran back to the resort and stayed with Riana who paced the entire night, her arms wrapped around her pregnant belly. The look in her eyes was beyond haunting…like she was stuck in a nightmare. Who could blame her? It had just been a few months after her own ordeal, then this again? When morning came and Matthew finally told them what had happened the night before, Riana fell ill and Melody worried over Ruiz. He’d ran off into dang
er without a second thought. When he finally came home late that afternoon, he stomped around the house like an enraged animal, never uttering a word, visiting two rooms he wouldn’t let her anywhere near numerous times. Her curiosity got peeked, but watching him leave them madder than when he entered kept it at bay. It was hours of his silence, of them just laying together on his bed as they listened to the house being remodeled. Then finally he spoke uttering words that frightened her. ‘I should have killed him myself’. She didn’t respond, hadn’t been sure of what to say so she stayed laying stiffly at his side until he fell asleep, his arms wrapped tightly around her like he was afraid something bad would happen to her. His vehement declaration kept her awake as she questioned herself if he would be capable of killing to protect those he loved. Would she be capable of killing to keep those she loved safe?
Recently, she’s found herself asking her conscious that same question. Antonio threatened the lives of her brother and daughter, but he was yet to carry them out. She always wondered if it was just him blowing smoke or a warning she should take seriously, but if that time came to choose between his life and that of her daughter, as Esme was the one in immediate danger, would she be able to make it? She already knew what Ruiz’s answer would be and it gave her some semblance of comfort. All she had to do now was tell him the truth and allow him to protect his daughter. She trusted him to do that much even if he was incapable of keeping his mouth shut. Why the hell did he tell Jon Luc they were married? What he must think of her, being married to two men!
The door swung open, bringing her to the present. Fear flooded her and she had to hold herself still to keep from turning around to make sure Ruiz was still there. She squeezed her hands into tight fists to hide their shaking, but there was nothing she could do about her bouncing knee. Thank goodness the design of the desk hid her legs and her nervousness.
