by Katie Reus
“Yeah, since I’ll be in the storeroom.”
“Sweet. I’ll grab the food and be back in a bit.” They had a ton of new shipments in and she knew Jules wanted to unload at least half of them tonight so they could start stocking tomorrow. As soon as she was back with the food, she was taking off her heels and slipping into her comfy slippers.
The walk to Julieta’s parents’ restaurant was short, only a block away. The street was quiet tonight, with most of the shoppers long gone or already settled in at one of the restaurants in the area. In an older, established residential Miami neighborhood, their street was the only one with shops and places to eat. They saw some tourists, but it was mainly local foot traffic.
Ruby’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the sign for Montez’s Grill. It was named after Montez Sr., not the Montez she was trying to put out of her mind. She hadn’t seen him since Saturday morning, but that didn’t matter.
He’d been on her mind ever since their confrontation at the shop. She felt a little bad about calling him an asshole, but she certainly wasn’t going to reach out to him. Things were already awkward. They’d both said what they needed to say and she planned to do the mature thing—and just avoid him for the next couple months.
When she pushed the door open she was inundated with laughter, murmured voices, the sound of clinking plates and glasses and subtle Cuban music.
Jaidyn, one of Julieta’s cousins, smiled at her as she stepped out from behind the hostess stand. She had on the standard black pants and black T-shirt uniform of the restaurant. “Hey, Ruby.”
“Hey, Jules said she called in an order.”
“Ah…kitchen’s backed up but I’ve got an empty booth you can wait at.”
“Oh, that’s okay, I’ll just wait up here.” She didn’t want to take up any seating. Not when it was clear they were busy and could probably use all the space they could get tonight.
A big hand settled on the small of her back, making her jump until she realized it was Montez moving in next to her. He gave her a heated look that made her insides melt just a teeny bit. “I actually asked Julieta to send you down here. There’s no takeout waiting and she’s going to be headed home soon. Said she’d bring your purse down here once she closed up. Have dinner with me? I’d like to talk to you.”
Ruby blinked as she digested his words. “You set this up so we could talk?”
“I figured you’d probably ignore my calls and I wanted to make sure you came.”
There was something about the way he said the word ‘came’ that brought up an altogether different mental image. Just like that, her cheeks heated.
He didn’t miss the reaction either, if the low, muted groan he gave was any indication. “Say you’ll stay,” he murmured, his gaze dipping to her mouth.
Unable to find her voice, she simply nodded.
She was barely aware of their surroundings as he guided her to a corner booth with a decent amount of privacy. When she saw a bottle of red wine and two glasses already waiting she nearly stumbled. This was definitely unexpected and incredibly sweet, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up too much. She was pretty sure Montez would break her heart if this ended up being some sort of let-Ruby-down-easy type of thing where he told her again he just wanted sex and only sex. But…despite being a cynic, she was pretty sure that wasn’t what this was. Even if she was too afraid to hope it was what she’d been wishing for, for a year.
After she sat, he slid in across from her, his dark gaze full of way too many emotions for her to figure out. Lust was a definite one, but…he looked almost nervous too. “I know I apologized Saturday but I’m doing it again.”
“You don’t have to.” Nervously, she traced her finger up and down the stem of the delicate glass.
“I do. I never should have said those things to you. I’m not making excuses, but I want to explain…why I did.”
She nodded once, wanting him to continue. “Okay.”
“Adjusting to the civilian world was harder than I expected. Way harder. Probably because of this,” he said, motioning to the side of his face. She noticed he sat with the scarred side facing the wall. “But even dealing with people I know love and care about me and don’t give a crap about my face is still sometimes an adjustment. Cooking and my restaurant and even my crazy family have kept me sane. Then…I met you.”
There was a note in his voice she couldn’t read. “And that’s bad?”
He gave her a wry smile. “Hell no. I wanted you, still want you. But I thought there was never a chance between us. When I got back from Afghanistan…” He scrubbed a hand over his face, looked away for a long moment.
She wanted to reach out and touch him, to comfort him. “You don’t have to go on.”
“No, it’s not…” He pushed out a sigh. “My ex made it clear that I was good enough to fuck but not good enough to be on her arm in public. Ever. She ended things the first night I got home. So when you said all those things to me I wanted to give you an out—and to protect myself from getting burned by you.”
His words were raw, real, and broke her heart. And she wanted to punch his ex-girlfriend in the face for ever making him feel inferior. “Montez—”
He cut her off with a sharp shake of his head. “I just need to know if this is some weird…savior complex you have. Like, fuck the scarred guy out of pity. Even saying it out loud I know it sounds fucking stupid,” he muttered. “Trust me, I absolutely know it. I just… I don’t know why you want me. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I’ve literally seen men trip over themselves trying to get a better look at you.”
She watched him for a long moment, digested everything he’d said and chose her words carefully. “You’re one of the nicest, most sincere men I’ve ever met. Ever. I see the way you treat your mom and sister and yes, even your brothers. God, they’re enough to drive anyone crazy. Your brothers, I mean. You’re like this solid pillar, the one everyone goes to for advice. And I know how much volunteer work you do down at the VA. Jesus, Montez, how could I not want you?”
For the first time since she’d met him, his cheeks turned crimson. He cleared his throat, embarrassed, but she didn’t care. He was such a good man and he needed to know it.
“Since I was fourteen, I looked like this.” She motioned down at herself. Yeah, she knew what she looked like. She had a freaking mirror and it would be stupid to deny it. “I had to learn early how to figure out who the assholes of the world are. And despite what I said Saturday, you’re not just another asshole. You just hurt me. You’re the sweetest man I know—and I wasn’t kidding about trying on those naughty nurse costumes.” She whispered the last part.
Pleasure hummed through her when his cheeks flushed again, but this time for a very different reason.
Before he could respond, his mother, a slightly older version of Julieta, appeared out of nowhere wearing a wraparound leopard print dress and subtle gold jewelry. She smiled at the two of them. “My favorite oldest son,” she murmured. She briefly cupped Ruby’s cheeks lightly. “And mi futura nuera.” Her gold bangles jangled as her hands dropped. “Don’t worry about a thing. Your appetizer and salads will be out soon.”
“Thanks, Mama,” Montez murmured as Ruby did the same.
Seleste Mederos simply patted his cheek and winked at Ruby before moving on to another table.
Ruby had seen the woman at work before and she always came out and greeted customers at least once a night. The restaurant was a staple in the neighborhood and it was clear that she and her husband thought of their regulars like family.
Once Seleste was out of earshot, Ruby leaned a little across the table. “What does nuera mean?” She’d learned a lot of Spanish since she’d started working with Jules, but some words she couldn’t even begin to guess. Not unless Jules used it in everyday conversation.
Montez just lifted a shoulder, his expression unreadable. “I’ll tell you later,” he said, after a long moment. “But first I want to get back to that
nurse costume you brought up.”
She laughed, the weight that had been on her chest for days finally lifting. She wasn’t sure what kind of future she and Montez had but she sure wanted the chance to find out.
After dinner Montez walked her back to her car, which was parked across the street from the shop. Thankfully Julieta had dropped off her purse so she hadn’t had to go back to the shop to get her stuff. Even though it was summer, a cool breeze kicked up as they headed down the sidewalk.
When Montez picked up her hand and slid his fingers through hers, she was pretty sure her heart was about to beat through her chest. She’d never been so excited about a man before. She could admit she was cynical when it came to the opposite sex, but he pretty much blew away all of that.
“I want to take you out again,” he murmured as they reached her car.
“I would like that.” She turned to face him, glad he was still holding her hand. The hum of excitement punching through her, wondering if he’d kiss her or not, was unbearable.
“I’ve got to work tomorrow night, but how about Wednesday?”
“Sounds good.” Did it ever.
“Pick you up from work?” he murmured, his gaze dropping to her mouth, hunger simmering in his dark eyes.
Ruby nodded, unable to find her voice.
They both leaned in at the same time and when his lips brushed against hers, she saw those clichéd fireworks. A wild energy buzzed through her as he grasped the back of her head and held tight as his tongue teased against hers.
She could totally fall for this man. She’d seen her mother go through loser after loser, had been so adamant that she’d never let a guy close enough to hurt her. Then she’d met Montez and he’d shoved his way right into her heart without even trying.
She nipped his bottom lip, moving closer into his embrace. His erection was thick against her stomach and the feel of it made her groan into his mouth. As she clutched onto his shoulders, he pulled back, his breathing erratic.
“Gotta stop now,” he rasped out.
She nodded even if she didn’t want him to. But they were in public and yeah, they didn’t need to have a crazy make-out session on the side of the street—across from where she worked.
“Call me when you get home,” he said. “So I know you made it safe.”
“I will. Or I can just text.”
“Call. I want to hear your voice.”
Pleasure slid through her veins, warming her from the inside out. She wanted to hear his voice too and it touched her that he wanted to know she’d made it home safe. “I will.”
He waited until she was in her car and had pulled away before heading back to the restaurant. As soon as she was on the road she slid her Bluetooth earpiece in and called Raegan. She’d thought about calling Jules but wasn’t sure how weird it would be to talk to her about Jules’s older brother.
“Hey, Ruby,” Raegan said, picking up on the second ring.
She couldn’t hold back her excitement. “Guess who I just kissed?”
Chapter 13
Ford covered his surprise at seeing Grant leaning against his truck in the parking lot outside the range. One of the officers on security must have let him through because civilians weren’t supposed to be here. His surprise immediately morphed to concern as he realized there was only one reason Grant would be here.
He shoved his sunglasses up on his head, broke into a jog. “What’s wrong?” he demanded, coming to stand in front of the former detective. Had something happened to Raegan? He hadn’t talked to her in three days, hadn’t known what the hell to say to her after seeing her kissing that guy.
Grant pushed up from the truck, and despite wearing a suit, he looked nothing like a typical businessman. He looked a little like a caged animal—and like he wanted to deck Ford right across the face. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t fucking dead.” The words were spoken quietly, but there was no mistaking the undercurrent of anger. “Since you apparently cut things off with my cousin like a total douche, without a word. What the hell is the matter with you? If you don’t want to be with her, fine, end things like a man. I never expected you to sleep with her and then just stop calling. It’s a dick move.”
Tension ratcheted up inside him, all his muscles going taut. “Raegan and I are none of your business.”
Grant’s jaw tightened. “You’re right. But you and I are friends. And my very emotional, pregnant wife is upset for Raegan. I overheard them talking. That’s the only fucking reason I’m here right now. I really don’t want to be having this conversation but…what the hell, dude? I’ve seen you practically panting after her for a year.”
Ford had mistakenly thought he’d done a good job of hiding his feelings for Raegan, but that was beside the point. He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling awkward talking about any of this. “Look, whatever you overheard is wrong. It was casual for Raegan but it wasn’t for me. I can’t…be with her if she’s with someone else.”
Some of the anger seemed to subside from Grant as he frowned. “I can’t believe I’m having this fucking conversation,” he muttered. “But what the hell are you talking about?”
Yeah, Ford couldn’t believe it either. “I was out with one of the guys Monday and saw her kissing some guy. I wasn’t following her,” he tacked on, as if that even needed to be explained. “It was dumb luck I saw and…I’m just not wired that way.” Not to mention she’d told him she wouldn’t be dating anyone else. He felt like such an idiot. He should have known she was too good to be true.
Grant blinked, as if Ford had truly surprised him. Then his expression hardened. “Monday night she had a business thing and the guy kissed her out of the blue. She was so pissed about it she passed the job off to Athena—but we decided not to do business with him anyway. And not just because it’s Raegan. The women who work for Red Stone need to feel safe at work. Need to be safe.”
At Grant’s words, a sinking sensation filled his gut. He’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. He knew why he’d done it. He’d let his past cloud his judgment. “Fuck.” Ford wanted to kick his own ass. Repeatedly.
“I’ve known you a long time, man, so I know your baggage. I get it, especially after what happened with your brother. But…” He shrugged and pulled out his car keys. “Raegan’s not like your ex. Not even close. You’re a dumbass if you think that.” He didn’t say anything else, just tapped his key fob and stalked across the parking lot.
Feeling like the biggest dick on the planet, he pulled out his cell phone and called her. It went to her voicemail after two rings, making him think she’d rejected his call. Not that he blamed her. It had been three days since he’d contacted her. He wondered if she’d even listen to him. He had to come clean about his issues, to make her understand why he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion—and apologize because he’d been so wrong to make an assumption like that.
Grant was right; he did have baggage. He thought he’d dealt with it, but seeing her kissing someone else had brought up all those feelings of betrayal and inadequacy. And instead of phoning her and confronting her about what he’d seen, he’d walked away without giving her a chance to explain herself.
Instead of calling again, he texted her. I’m sorry I’ve been a ghost the past few days. I’d like to see you in person and apologize. He also wanted to explain everything to her, but texting wasn’t the way to do it.
He doubted she’d text him right back or maybe even at all, so he got into his truck and headed home. He’d screwed up because of his own bullshit. Now he might have lost the best thing that had ever happened to him. He’d convinced himself that something would go wrong, then, when he’d thought it had, he hadn’t even fought for her.
Losing Raegan because of his own issues was something he knew he’d regret forever. Now he had to make it right.
* * *
“I’m surprised Dominique isn’t here tonight,” Raegan said to Ruby and Julieta. A group of her girlfriends had come out tonight but Dominique had said
she couldn’t. In fact, she’d been surprisingly MIA since Saturday’s event. She’d been at work, but she’d been acting a little off and hadn’t wanted to hang out with anyone.
Before either of them could respond, Lizzy, Porter’s wife, snorted from across the big round table. “She’s busy with a certain Russian, from what I hear.”
Everyone at the table quieted and stared at her.
“Who? What?” Raegan asked. Dominique hadn’t dated a man in…well, since Raegan had known her. She was always so quiet about that part of her life. She wondered if it was that Russian from Saturday’s event, the one who’d dropped off the security feed of the club to Porter. But Dominique had seemed to hate the guy. That being an understatement.
Lizzy stared at all of them in clear surprise. “Seriously, I’m the only one who knows about this?”
“Apparently,” Athena said. “Come on, spill. She’s been cagey all week and I need some good gossip.”
“No way.” Lizzy shook her head. “Dominique is Porter’s assistant. If I make her mad she might screw up his schedule or…I can’t think of anything else right now, but she can be scary. So nope, no spilling of secrets will be happening.” She made a zipping motion across her lips and mimed throwing away the key.
“We’ll get it out of you,” Julieta said, picking up her own wine glass.
Julieta had known Lizzy since they were kids, but Raegan knew her cousin-in-law well enough that if Lizzy didn’t want to talk about something, she wouldn’t.
Everyone quieted for a moment as their server dropped off three appetizers and placed them around the big table. Raegan had been working like crazy and going straight home every day this week, thanks to the unknown threat looming over her head. Unfortunately she’d been going home alone because a certain jerk had decided to cut all contact with her. It hurt way more than she’d imagined. She’d thought they had something good, that they were moving in a positive direction. Then he’d just cut all contact.
She mentally shook herself, not even wanting to go there right now. She’d reviewed the video feed from the club and from the event but hadn’t seen anyone she recognized or that stood out to her as a threat. And she hadn’t received any creepy messages or anything. Still, she was being smart, and the only reason she was even out tonight was because Jules’ and Lizzy’s significant others were at the bar keeping watch over them while they had a girls’ night. She hated that she was the reason for the ‘security’ but she was glad to get out with her friends. Especially since Ford had pulled the rug out from under her. She hadn’t decided whether to text him back or not yet.
