by Laura Ann
“Pssht. Waste of a pretty face.” Gram turned back toward the inside of the house. “I expect you to be a gentleman, but a kiss or two never hurt nobody,” she called over her shoulder.
“Grams ... “ Ruby hung her head and put a hand over her face. “I am so sorry,” she said. “I have no control over her.”
Derrick chuckled and pulled Ruby’s hand off her face. Then he reached under her chin and tilted her face until she looked at him. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m completely flattered at your description.”
Ruby rolled her eyes and Derrick laughed, pulling his hand back. “Plus ... I’m pretty excited to have her permission to kiss you tonight. Not too often a guy gets the go-ahead on the first date.”
Ruby stuck up her chin and straightened her shoulders. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure it’s my permission you need bucko, not hers. So don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“So noted.” Derrick winked at her, enjoying the pink that once again invaded her cheeks. Offering her his hand, he asked, “ready?”
Nodding, Ruby took his hand and they walked to the car.
“By the way,” Derrick said as he opened the passenger door. “You look breathtaking tonight.”
The red dress she wore hugged every curve without being clingy and rested just above her knees. The silver heels gave her a few more inches while making her already long legs look like they went on forever. Her dark hair hung in waves down her back and Derrick felt sure every man at the restaurant would be watching her. A spark of protectiveness and jealousy ran through him, surprising him. Slow down, Woodsman. This is only your first date. Take it slow.
Ruby looked up at him with wide eyes at his compliment and a small smile graced those lush, red lips. “Thank you,” she whispered.
With a nod, Derrick closed the car door and went around to the driver’s side. Play it cool, Woodsman. Play it cool.
BY THE TIME THEY GOT to the restaurant, Ruby was a bundle of nerves. Derrick looked deliciously handsome in his brown button-down shirt and jeans that were obviously made for him. Her cheeks hadn’t stopped blushing since Gram had spilled the beans on Ruby’s description of Derrick.
He had certainly lived up to his reputation tonight. The brown shirt brought out the golden tone in his hair and eyes and with the sleeves rolled up, his muscled forearms were also on display. The jeans made Ruby’s blush a nearly permanent fixture. She had never realized how attractive and masculine a pair of slightly worn jeans could be.
They said very little in the car, the tension was as thick as pea soup and seemed to have both of them on edge.
Once at the restaurant, Derrick came around and opened her door. During his short walk to her side, Ruby took a quick look around the parking lot; eyes peeled for anything unusual. See? Braedon is not following you. No big deal.
Derrick placed his hand on the small of her back while they walked in and Ruby thought she might melt from the heat spreading throughout her body at the touch. Good grief. What am I going to do when he kisses me? She stopped herself. I mean, IF he kisses me.
“Is this table all right?” Derrick asked, shaking her from her inner thoughts.
Ruby blinked rapidly, bringing herself back to the present. Looking at the private booth in the corner she felt the butterflies in her stomach take flight again. The table was private and lit with candles, giving it a romantic feel. “Of course.” She worked to sound nonchalant in her response, but she couldn’t help but be thrilled that he wanted to be alone with her.
Derrick smiled and helped guide her into her seat.
Once seated, the waitress handed them menus, explained the specials and left. Ruby looked over the menu, using it as an excuse to keep from looking at Derrick. She couldn’t explain her nervousness. They had gotten along so well at the barbecue, but now, she was feeling like an anxious school girl.
Derrick cleared his throat, getting her attention. “Find anything you like?”
Ruby felt some of the tension ease at the simple question. “Way too many things,” she admitted.
Derrick grinned. “Sounds like a good problem. If we like it, we’ll have to come back and try it again.”
Ruby’s heart fluttered at his words that they would be going out again, but she worked to not let herself get too carried away. “Sounds good to me,” she responded. “What are you having?”
“The blackened swordfish.”
“Ooh. A guy who likes spice,” Ruby teased.
Derrick shrugged. “Spent some time in New Orleans. Learned to love the food and the seasonings.”
“Wow. I’ve never been there, but heard good things.” Ruby let her eyes wander back to the menu for a few minutes, finally selecting the salmon fillet.
When they had both ordered, Derrick restarted the conversation.
“Have you traveled to many places?” He asked before taking a sip of water.
Ruby pursed her lips and played with her straw. “Not much. Grams pretty much raised me, so there was never a ton of extra funds. Gramps died when I was a teenager, leaving us with even less. I never knew my dad, mom left when I was young.” Way to just get it all out there Rubes.
Derrick stilled her fidgeting fingers with his hand. “Your Grams seems like a wonderful lady. Full of spark and life. And from what I can see, she did a great job raising you.” His eyes held compassion but not pity, which Ruby was grateful for. The warmth from his hand helped soothe the sting of the story and she was grateful for his reaction.
Her upbringing might not have been conventional, but it wasn’t bad. She always had enough to eat and she was surrounded by love. That’s all that truly matters, right?
“Thanks. That’s really sweet of you.” Ruby smiled. “So what about you? Obviously, you’ve done some traveling, I would assume that came with your Marines career.”
Derrick nodded. “Yep. Entered straight out of high school and took off to see the world. I loved what I did, but not everything was pretty.”
Ruby felt the edges of her mouth turn down. “I’m sorry. Did you ... “ Her mind fought with a way to ask the question in the most sensitive way. “Did you lose many friends?”
The light dimmed in Derrick’s eyes and Ruby regretted asking the question. “A couple.” Was his flat reply.
“I’m sorry.” Ruby took a quick drink of water. “And thank you for your service.”
Derrick’s mouth turned into a half grin. “You’re welcome.”
Ruby gave a soft smile in return. “What did your parents think of your career choice?”
Derrick shrugged. “Dad was never in the picture, but mom was glad I had found something that fed me.” His eyes went down to his lap. “We didn’t have much, but mom worked hard. She loved me, she was just always working.”
“I keep putting my foot in my mouth,” Ruby said, sympathy coating her voice. “I’m sorry, again.”
Derrick gave a light laugh, the life returning to his eyes. “No worries. I guess we just got all that out in the open, huh? Neither of us had a typical childhood. But look at us now. I don’t think we turned out too bad.”
“I don’t think so either,” Ruby agreed with a smile. “So ... is it safe to ask what your hobbies are?”
Derrick nodded. “Absolutely. Although I don’t have a lot to tell. I exercise a lot, a habit I picked up during my service. Although, some of my cardio has been limited since my injury. Does that count?”
“Of course! I’m pretty into it myself. I run marathons in my spare time. Where did you get hurt?” Her eyes wandered over him, trying to see a scar or disfigurement, but nothing was visible.
Derrick’s eyes widened. “In your spare time? How does running marathons leave you any spare time? And I got shot in the thigh. I used to run some, not the miles you’re talking, but a few here and there. Haven’t gotten back into it yet. I finished PT a while back, I should probably give it another go. So when do you run these races of yours?”
Ruby giggled. “Well, I do the best I can during the sc
hool year but pick it up in the summer. That’s when I put in the real hours. I try to run at least one every summer, two if I can manage it.”
“So you’re really hardcore.” Derrick raised his brows, a look of approval on his face.
“Nah. Dedicated ... yes. But I’m definitely not the fastest one out there, nor do I put in the time to be the fastest one. I enjoy running, but I keep it at a level I enjoy. I wouldn’t call myself a real competitor.”
“Well, you’re more competitive than me,” Derrick said.
“Only because you got hurt. I’m sure you’d be great if you gave it a try,” Ruby said with a grin. She was enjoying the way their easy banter was back. The awkwardness from the car had fled, but the electric connection they had was steady and strong.
Derrick ticked his head from side to side, pursing his lips as if debating something. “I’m probably too big to ever be a real runner. I was always told you didn’t have to be the fastest, just not the slowest. That’s all you need to survive.”
Ruby frowned. “Survive what?”
“The zombie apocalypse.” Derrick’s face was perfectly serious and it took Ruby a moment to figure out he was joking.
She closed her eyes momentarily and let out a light giggle. “I see. You’re one of those, huh? Into government scientific conspiracies?” She leaned over the table, bringing them closer together and narrowed her eyes. “Do you have some insider information you want to share? Eyewitnesses? Threats from other countries?”
Derrick copied her actions and leaned in, putting them practically nose to nose. “If I did, it would be classified and I couldn’t share it with you.”
Ruby’s voice dropped. “What would it take to convince you to break that oath?”
Derrick raised an eyebrow, his eyes dropping to her lips before coming back up. “Probably less than you would think,” he whispered back in a husky voice.
Oh my ... Ruby felt as if someone had turned a heater on full blast into their little corner. Their eyes stayed locked and Ruby was fascinated as she watched Derrick’s eyes appear to darken the longer they stared.
A cleared throat had them both jerking back. Their waitress stood at the edge of the table with their plates, her eyes darting around anywhere but at them. With a mumbled apology, she set down their plates and darted away; clearly embarrassed to have interrupted them.
Derrick ran his fingers through his hair, looking slightly agitated and Ruby bit her lip, praying her blush would disappear quickly.
Unsure what else to do, she broke the silence. “Certainly smells good, doesn’t it?”
A sheepish grin crossed Derrick’s face. “I’ll admit I hadn’t paid attention.”
Ruby smiled, delighted he was so open about being caught up in their moment. “Brownie points, Lumberjack. Definitely brownie points.”
Derrick scowled while he picked up his fork. “Lumberjack?”
“Yeah. I told you, that’s what you look like to me. A big, tall lumberjack.” She took a bite of her fish and almost moaned in delight. Oh, so good.
Derrick finished the bite in his mouth before answering, “You couldn’t call me something better? Like, I don’t know ... Stud?”
Ruby nearly choked on her bite. Coughing a little, she got herself under control. “Stud?” She asked with a smile. “You want me to call you Stud?”
“At least it sounds more manly than Lumberjack,” he muttered as he picked up more food.
Ruby fought the laugh bubbling up inside of her. “How do you know I’m not one of those women who secretly read romances with big, strong men on the front? Maybe I’ve got a lumberjack fetish.”
His gaze shot up to hers and he cocked his head to the side, causing a small chunk of hair to fall over his brow. The hair tempted Ruby’s fingers, so she quickly stuffed another bite of food in her mouth to keep herself busy.
“Do you?” He asked.
Ruby put on a face of mock innocence. “Do I what?”
His eyes narrowed. “Have a lumberjack fetish?”
“The world may never know,” Ruby answered.
Derrick’s eyebrows shot up. “Maybe I’ll make it my mission to find out.”
“Maybe you should,” Ruby flirted back.
Derrick grinned, mischief radiating from his eyes and went back to his meal.
CHAPTER 7
Derrick wasn’t ready for the night to be over as he led Ruby to his car. Their flirty banter during dinner had only solidified his desire to spend time with her. Her sense of humor and intelligence was just as attractive as her looks.
“Would you—” Derrick cleared his throat. “Would you maybe like to take a walk with me?”
Ruby’s blue eyes drifted up to his. A coy smile spread across her lips and Derrick had to fight the desire to see if they were as soft as they looked. “I’d love to, but these shoes aren’t really made for real walking.”
Derrick mentally facepalmed himself as he glanced down to the high heels she was sporting. “As fantastic as they look, I would have to agree, probably not good walking shoes. I can just take you home if you want.” He opened the passenger side door.
Before sitting down, Ruby put her hand on his chest. Heat radiated through him at her touch and he held himself still so she wouldn’t break the contact.
“If you don’t mind waiting a few minutes, I could change at my house into something more appropriate and we could take a walk through one of the trails behind my property?” Her eyebrows were raised and her head tilted as she asked the question, looking cool as a cucumber. But Derrick could feel a slight tremor in her fingers, letting him know she was just as affected as he was.
Covering her hand with his own he answered, “I would love that.” He proceeded to usher her into her seat and drive them back to the house.
Although Ruby had invited him to wait inside, Derrick had voted to stay at his car. At the smug grin on Ruby’s face, he knew he hadn’t fooled her. His comment that he didn’t want to inconvenience anyone was really a ploy to avoid Grams and her embarrassing comments.
At his denial to go inside, Ruby had patted his cheek and whispered, “Smart man,” before walking inside and closing the door.
Feeling like he had dodged a bullet, Derrick leaned against the side of his SUV and tried to keep his imagination from running away with him. Tonight had been the best first date he had ever had and the chemistry he felt with Ruby was off the charts. He seemed to constantly be reminding himself to ‘slow down’ when what he really wanted to do was pull her into his arms and see what a big, ole kiss would do to the electricity they naturally created.
I wonder how she would react if I just laid one on her? He chuckled at the thought. She’d probably slap you, you idiot. He quickly pulled himself together when the front door opened and Ruby walked out, wearing capri workout pants and a tunic t-shirt.
She looks just as good in comfy clothes as she does when she dresses up. Derrick worked to swallow the lump in his throat, but his cotton filled mouth wasn’t being very helpful.
Ruby came up and stood toe to toe with him, tilting her head to the side. “Ready?” She asked.
Derrick nodded and put out his arm to let her lead the way. “I figure you know these trails better than me,” he explained.
“True.” Ruby’s eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “I run them almost every morning.”
“Wow. There must be a lot of them if you can use them for marathon training.”
Ruby nodded. “Yeah. There are, plus some loop into others and you can double or even triple up.” She shrugged. “They’re pretty popular with the woodsy folks in town.”
“Like yourself,” Derrick said with a smile.
“Like myself,” Ruby answered with a smile of her own.
As they walked, their hands brushed lightly and Derrick held his breath. When Ruby didn’t object he purposefully reached over and toyed with her fingers for a moment before slipping his hand all the way around hers.
He glanced sideways at Ruby, gl
ad to see her biting her lip, obviously trying to reign in a smile. He mentally fist bumped himself and tightened his hold, loving the feel of her soft skin and how small and delicate she felt.
RUBY WAS STRUGGLING to hold in the obnoxious grin that wanted to break out when Derrick had taken her hand. His hand felt strong, masculine and slightly callused; all good things in her book.
“So ... Lumberjack.” Ruby broke the silence of the evening. “How are things going at The Center?”
Derrick humphed. “Fine.” He shrugged as they walked. “Still going through lots of paperwork.” He glanced at her. “I’m assuming you heard the story behind why I got hired?”
Ruby pursed her lips. “Not the full one. But most of the school knows Ms. Millicent resigned to avoid being fired.” She turned her face to look at him. “Since Rory and Steven are so heavily involved, we hear a few things. Rory’s main group might know more.”
Derrick kept her gaze for a moment. The color of his eyes was amazing in the moonlight and Ruby had the strangest desire to go swimming in a pool of gold. That same chunk of hair fell across his brow again and before she could think better of it, Ruby reached her free hand across and swiped it out of his eyes.
She hadn’t realized they had stopped walking until Derrick turned fully towards her.
“Thank you,” he whispered softly.
Neither of them moved. Their natural draw was stronger than ever and Ruby found herself digging her toes into the ground to keep from leaning into his warmth.
The hand that had been holding hers let go and Derrick slowly, achingly, slid the tips of his fingers up her arm and over her shoulder until he reached her neck. His fingers sat lightly on the pulse in her neck that was obviously giving away her emotions, because it was racing faster than a horse at the Kentucky Derby.
Derrick took in a ragged breath, inched closer and slid his hand to the back of her head, cupping it with a firm hold.
“Just do it,” he murmured to himself. The whisper had been so quiet and quick it had floated away on the breeze like a sigh before Ruby could comprehend what he had said.