“Are you all right?” she asked.
He grunted a sexy laugh. “Never better.”
“I bet you could be better,” she said.
He sobered at that. “Ruby, you don’t have to. I can’t help what’s going on down there.”
Of course, she knew that. She also knew it was her body against him—her that was making him respond. Moving to turn to face him, she straddled him and sat on his hardness. Then she kissed him, just lightly and just once.
His smoldering eyes met hers. “What are you doing?”
“What I should have done a long time ago,” she said, mimicking him.
He chuckled.
She kissed him again, this time lingering and deepening the caress. He put his hand to the back of her head, fingers going into her wet hair. She had her hands on his shoulders. The contact with his erection heated her up. She rubbed herself against him, making him groan a little.
Ending the kiss, she met his eyes again, lifting herself up. He helped her position his erection so that she could slide down onto him. Shards of tingly sensations rocketed through her. She could not have predicted he would feel so good. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, then began to move, rocking her hips gently. The friction drove her wild.
Damon held her hips and lifted her, then let her down onto him. He did this a few times before she took up the same rhythm, grinding on him as she sank down.
The tingling intensified until she no longer felt a part of herself. She was lifted into some other magnificent realm, where she came undone. Only then did she become aware that Damon had groaned and his breathing had quickened. He had reached his climax with her.
Ruby savored this moment with him. Nothing of their troubles interfered. It was only the two of them. She had never felt this cared for before. She dared not call it love.
Letting her head fall to his shoulder, she held on to the escape of being with Damon like this. But alas, earth came floating back. Then she looked at him. His eyes still lingered in what they had just shared. She sensed it had meant as much to him as it had to her.
Damon kissed her, soft and tender, packed with emotion. Ruby began to fret that maybe she’d gone too far. Maybe she should have at least waited.
More reality descended. The magic faded, and Ruby was left with the significance of this kind of lovemaking. He had deceived her for such a long time. Looking into his eyes, searching, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Was he assessing her?
Disconcerted, she moved back from him. “The water is getting cold.” Standing, she stepped out of the tub and retrieved a towel. He did the same.
Wrapped in the towel, she faced him. He grinned, clearly satisfied.
“This doesn’t mean I trust you.”
“Fair enough, but it’s a good start.” He grinned.
“It was just sex,” she said.
“It felt like more than that, but we can go with that for now.” He moved closer and kissed her again.
It carried with it a different sentiment, loving and not so passionate. Ruby felt connected to him deeper than ever now. Disconcerted, she stepped back.
“I’m going to get ready for bed.”
“All right. I’ll see you in my bedroom,” he said.
She glanced back. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I do. How about you?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, why don’t we try it? If you get uncomfortable, you can go back to your room.”
She might be able to do that. She’d decide after she had her nightgown on.
“Ruby?”
She stopped at the bathroom door.
“You do know you’re safe with me, right?” he asked. “And I don’t mean just from Santiago. I mean with me.” He gestured with a nod toward the tub. “With that.”
“I didn’t. Thanks for saying something.” He had relaxed her. He wouldn’t push her when it came to love and sex. She could take some comfort in that.
Some. But not in totality.
Chapter 10
When Damon woke, his first awareness was that Ruby wasn’t next to him. Why hadn’t she stayed awhile to spend some time with him before getting up? He experienced a few seconds of regret before he realized what transpired last night had driven Ruby from his bed. Potent. Powerful. Almost incomprehensible. He’d felt it, and he knew Ruby had, too. That kind of love was as real as could be. Intangible. Rare. Beautiful. He was having a hard time dealing with that himself. The more he came awake, the heavier the impact became.
He had taken a big risk putting his heart out on a ledge. After spending months calculating his relationship with her, he had finally given in to instinct. Maybe it had all been worth it. If he could have a woman like Ruby for himself, he could have all he ever dreamed. He didn’t have to pretend anymore.
However, the fact she’d left his bed spoke volumes. He hadn’t expected her to do a one-eighty after their earth-shattering sexual encounter, but facing reality today didn’t alleviate his disappointment.
He consoled himself by rationalizing last night happened because he had shed his barrier. Would he ever be rid of his distrust of women? He had taken things so slow with her, knowing the kind of man she had been with before and all she had gone through because of him, but he had also taken it slow because of his history, his experience with ultimate betrayal. And, of course, his investigation had taken precedence. He had allowed it to. From the moment he had first seen Ruby, something instinctual had gripped him. More than her beauty, something about her had filtered into him. Something sweet and innocent. He didn’t like that thought. He trusted her as a person, but not with his heart. He didn’t trust anyone with that. Not anymore.
But he still had an investigation to complete.
His plan was to make this as fun as possible for Maya. The less she knew about the reality, the better.
He showered, dressed and went out into the living area of his apartment. Ruby had her daughter planted in front of a bowl of healthy cereal and a Disney cartoon. Ruby had a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee. Seeing him, she opened the oven and took out a tray of more cinnamon rolls.
Damon poured himself a coffee, feeling the tension emanating from her. He remained calm, but inside the stark reality that she could not face what had happened soured his stomach. He opened the refrigerator and took out an apple.
Taking a bite, he met her eyes. She watched him warily.
He took his apple and coffee to the table and sat.
She deposited a small paper plate with a warm cinnamon roll in front of him, then sipped her coffee and sat across from him, all the while avoiding eye contact.
“Are you all right?” Damon asked.
Her silent glance said no. And he should know no explanation was needed.
“Why did you get up before I woke up?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer. She was running the way his own instinct directed him to do. He would face it, though.
“We’re going to take Maya to a festival. On the way there and on the way back, we’re going to take her to places she may have seen piles of guns. We’re going to make sure it’s fun for her. Got it?”
“Got it.” She smiled big.
She captivated him every time with that smile. Just by being herself, she lassoed him, despite any hesitation he might have. An invisible force kept him tied to her, his heart locked with hers. He would pursue her, but it might be the end of him.
* * *
Ruby sat in the passenger seat as Damon drove to the festival. She didn’t say much, and neither did Damon, although he kept vigil of their surroundings and to ensure they were not being followed. He had taken a long route, so if anyone had tried to tail them, Damon had lost them. He made her feel so safe. Even as danger surely lurked, with him she felt protected.
That aside, Ruby
knew Damon wasn’t happy about having sex and her reaction to it. She wasn’t, either, and suspected they shared the same conundrum. Different causes but the same outcome. It had meant too much to both of them. While Ruby had been prepared for something good with him, she could not have imagined the extent of unbridled passion. That frightened her. Damon must also be troubled, with his history. Now they were left with what they had begun with, hardened hearts, distrust and disillusionment.
Maya hadn’t caught on to the drama playing out between them. In the back seat of Damon’s car, she had her favorite doll and cooed adorably while immersed in play. There was a time when Ruby feared her daughter might not ever find her innocence again, after all she’d witnessed with Kid. But here she was, a five-year-old in her own world, oblivious to evil. Ruby was so grateful.
“We’re coming up on Kid’s second warehouse,” Damon said.
Ruby looked at the crumbling brick building that decades ago had been a factory of some sort. It had very few windows. She had never been inside, but she knew Kid would have secured some space in there so no one could access his loot.
Reaching back, she tapped Maya’s ankle. Maya looked at her, and Ruby signed, Do you remember this place?
Maya looked out the window as they passed the warehouse, then shook her head.
Have you ever been here before? Ruby signed.
No. Why are we here?
It’s on the way to the carnival. It’s just an old, abandoned building. Part of history.
I like history.
Maya did like history, but in her young mind that was how Walt Disney had become an icon. She wanted to go to Disney World and see the castle. She also had become captivated by women who made a difference, like a famous supreme court judge people liked to celebrate. Ruby had to explain what a pioneer was. She had loved that. Ruby smiled as she continued to watch her daughter, who had resumed her play, completely oblivious to what the warehouse meant, much less its connection to Kid.
“Let’s go to the carnival and then go by Mistress Number One’s house,” Damon said. “We need to make these trips fun.” He kept his mouth turned away from Maya, lest she read his lips and start asking questions about what a mistress was.
He continued to amaze her. He was so in tune with Maya and her mental health. He understood what she must have gone through living with Kid, not to mention being found hiding at a murder scene.
Damon parked, and the sights and sounds of fun engulfed Ruby as she walked with an excited Maya toward the carnival. The Ferris wheel dominated the distant picture, the roller coaster second. All the other rides were in motion and produced squeals and laughter. The aroma of fried food wafted stronger as they reached the entrance. Sugar-coated food, too.
Damon walked faster and then turned to walk backward in front of Maya. “What do you want to do first?”
Roller coaster!
Maya didn’t need a voice to let them know her excitement. Ruby would never get tired of her daughter showing such genuine childlike innocence. She searched and found a kiddie coaster, a caterpillar with a happy, grinning face. Smiling, feeling like a kid herself, Ruby pointed in answer to Damon.
He took Maya’s hand and started toward the ride. Ruby took her other hand and had a feeling of family come over her, a feeling of rightness. She let it wash over her for now. Maya mattered more than anything, and she was gleefully happy.
They stood in line, Damon on constant lookout for signs of danger. Maya wouldn’t notice or understand why, but Ruby did. She eyed him inquiringly.
“We’re good,” he said.
She smiled her appreciation. It was so nice to have a day like this, an escape from threats, albeit temporarily.
The line moved forward, and they finally took their seats in a caterpillar car, luckily accommodating three. Maya sat in the middle. The roller coaster moved slowly, up gentle hills and valleys and around a few brief turns. It was by no means a thrill ride for adults. But Maya loved it. Her laughter rang out, touching Ruby and making her share a look with Damon, who clearly enjoyed this as well.
Ruby tried to subdue the feeling of unity. The ride ended, and Maya reached up to take Damon’s hand. Then she took hold of Ruby’s. She smothered a flash of jealousy that Maya had taken his hand first. She supposed Maya’s fascination and, yes, her fondness for Damon had much to do with her action. He hadn’t been hanging around them that long, so the newness hadn’t worn off. He had quickly become her friend.
They walked through the crowds until Maya spotted a train called the Looney Tooter. The cars were designed after cartoon characters like Tweety, the Road Runner and Bugs Bunny. Maya would love that ride. Sure enough, she tugged them forward, her little feet running.
Ruby laughed and saw Damon smiling. They got in line at a charming train station and boarded with cheerful, animated music. Maya chose the Sylvester car, and their journey began. The tracks wound their way around the entire carnival. Ruby took in all the happy people and the sounds and lights. Although beneath a bright blue sky, the carnival lit up. The train stopped, and Ruby found she didn’t want this afternoon to end.
They rode the Tilt-A-Whirl and the carousel and two other rides before Ruby spotted a food truck that was sure to have delectable sweets. She led Damon and Maya there. As soon as Maya realized where they were headed, excitement made her almost skip her way over.
Funnel cake? Ruby signed.
Maya nodded enthusiastically.
She ordered that and two cotton-candy lemonade slushies for her and Damon. She’d share hers with Maya.
“I like a woman who orders for me,” Damon said.
“I’m curious to know if you like it as much as I do,” she said. They went to a table under a white canopy where several other people gathered to eat and drink.
Maya sat between them on a bench. Damon sipped the slushy.
Ruby sipped, too and watched him, Maya happily munching on her funnel cake.
After making much ado of taste-testing, Damon looked at her. “It’s delicious. Yet one more thing we have in common.”
What else did they have in common? He could sign. They had both been scarred by past relationships. They had both lost a parent when they were young. And they had similar tastes in food. Ice cream and slushies.
“A carnival experience isn’t complete without a Ferris wheel ride,” he said.
Finishing their treats, Ruby took Maya’s hand and started walking through the crowd. Maya reached up for Damon’s hand and he took it with a fond look down at her. Ruby would never get tired of seeing that.
They arrived at the Ferris wheel and got in the short line. Getting into the seat, Maya was again between them. Damon rested his arm along the back, his fingers brushing Ruby’s shoulder. She looked over at him and shared a silent, intimate moment. Being like this was magical. Ruby had not felt more a part of a family unit since before her father died.
She imagined what it would be like to have a man like him with her and Maya always. He’d watch Maya grow up, grow out of toys and into a young lady. First dates. Prom. Graduation. Maybe he would adopt her and give her away at her wedding.
She had not had any of these thoughts before. She hadn’t had time with Kid, nor had she had any inclination to imagine that with a monster like him. But now...
Now a warm, glowing cloud of loveliness blanketed her. She could see them having these types of outings on a regular basis, as a family. The temptation to fall into this fantasy was too strong to resist, so she stayed there through the ride. She enjoyed the sights of the carnival below and downtown Chicago in the distance. She also enjoyed the feel of Damon’s hand on her shoulder.
The ride ended too soon, and they exited their seats.
“Well, I suppose it’s time to go,” Ruby said, disappointed that their time together would come to an end.
“One more stop.” Damon went to a shooting
game where there were giant stuffed animals.
Delighted, Ruby watched as Maya, jumping up and down, pointed to the unicorn.
The game host was a skinny fiftysomething man with an untrimmed beard. He looked rode hard and put away wet. He didn’t smile—well, he sort of smiled, a halfhearted, toothless curve to his mouth. His dull eyes said he had plenty of regrets, probably the biggest one being deciding to travel with a carnival and not put down any roots. That’s how Ruby would feel if she were in his shoes.
Damon paid for a few shots and took aim. He effortlessly gained the top score and won the biggest prize. Maya squealed and still jumped up and down, more of a bounce.
Ruby laughed as the game host handed Damon the unicorn and he passed it down to Maya. It was so big she could barely carry it.
“What a grand finale,” Ruby said as they headed for the parking lot. But as they neared the car, the magic of the afternoon began to deflate. Damon was a man who had expertly fooled her. He had known everything about her before she ever met him. All of his charm in getting to know her had been a ruse. How could she ever trust a man like him, a man whose job it was to live a lie?
* * *
Damon helped Ruby put Maya to bed, and the two of them went downstairs. They had gone by one of Kid’s mistresses’ house, and Maya didn’t recognize it. They’d have another outing on another day.
He wasn’t ready for bed yet, and he was sure Ruby wasn’t, either. He could tell her mood had gradually dimmed as they’d driven to his apartment. He had fallen under the spell of enchantment, too. If he ever had a family, he’d make sure they did fun things like that together all the time. He had felt part of a family today. He couldn’t think of anything more important in life than having that, a family. His job was extremely important to him, but that human connection trumped everything. He hadn’t really considered that until now, how fulfilling being a part of a family could be.
Figuring Ruby needed to relax as much as he did, Damon took out a bottle of red wine and poured them each a moderate glass. He took them into the living room, where she was surfing channels with the remote. He sat next to her and handed her a glass.
Colton 911: Temptation Undercover Page 14
