Chapter Six
‘Ah, hell,’ Ruger grumbled. Keeping his back to the bar, he twisted his head to watch her depart.
‘What did you do?’ Blaser asked, coming up behind his brother on his own side of the bar.
‘I took it too far.’
‘Yeah, I guessed that. I’ve never seen a woman run away from you so fast. She didn’t finish her drink.’
Ruger could be ballsy, but usually he got away with his banter because he kept it light-hearted. He never went as far as to say anything personal or malicious that might upset a person, yet he’d done it with Layla.
‘You better go after her,’ Blaser said.
Ruger didn’t need Blaser to say it. Leaving his stool, he headed for the exit and out onto the street. Hurrying to the edge of the sidewalk, Ruger looked one way and then another. Halfway along the block he saw her striding away from the club with purpose, so he quick-stepped it to catch up with her.
‘Lay,’ he called out to her. She didn’t turn around, so he ran up beside her. ‘Layla, I’m sorry.’
‘You don’t have to apologise,’ she said.
‘Will you stop and talk to me?’ His legs were long enough that he could keep up with her without trying too hard, but he’d prefer to look her in the eye when he apologised.
‘The guy at the door said there was a payphone a block over. I’d rather not hang around on the street this late alone.’
She wasn’t alone, he was there with her. But he hadn’t inspired confidence when he blew off her concerns about him being able to keep her safe. His words in Risqué no doubt made her believe that she was an inconvenience to him and that he didn’t really want to protect her.
‘Why do you need a payphone?’
‘I have some change,’ she said. ‘I’m going to call Drew and then I’ll get a taxi to the bus station.’
‘No, look,’ Ruger said, taking her arm and forcing her to stop. ‘I’m sorry, ok? I shouldn’t have said what I did. I want to look after you and I’m glad it’s me doing it and not someone else.’
‘You don’t have to pander to me, Ruger, I’m a big girl. I get it. I do. You’re right. I followed you and let you call the shots because it was easier and I didn’t have to worry about being active in ensuring my safety. It was lazy of me and it was unfair. You’re right, we don’t know each other and I’m not your responsibility. You’re only doing this because you owe Drew a favour.’
She tried to walk away from him, but Ruger kept hold of her and used his grip to guide her into a nearby alleyway. Putting her back to the wall, he penned her in so that she couldn’t run away again.
‘You’re right, that’s how it started…’ If he wanted to keep her here and fulfil his promise then he had to make her understand how important this was to him. ‘I told you I was in sales and that’s not… it’s not entirely accurate.’
Her curiosity eclipsed her rankle. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m a fence. Guys who have goods that they want to move come to me and I find someone who wants those goods.’
‘You’re a criminal?’ she hissed and tried to push his arm away so she could escape, but he didn’t budge—losing her now meant losing her for good.
‘No, not like… Well, yeah, but I’m changing. What I did… I guess you could say what I did was against the law, but—‘
‘You think you can talk yourself into innocence? You’re either law-abiding or you’re not.’
‘The cops didn’t care. I never got in trouble and I never hurt anyone.’ Except that wasn't entirely true. Bri had been hurt. Ruger might not have intended for her to get caught in the crossfire, but she had been and it was because of his mistake, his error in judgement, that it had happened.
‘Why would Drew set me up with a criminal?’ she muttered to herself. ‘Why would he—‘
‘You might be surprised how many of his friends are involved in illegal activities,’ Ruger said, thinking of Rushe and Victor. Though few people could accuse Victor and Jansen of being friends.
‘This isn’t funny,’ she said, inching in the direction of the street, though she couldn’t get there because his arm was still in the way. ‘I’ve shared a bedroom with you. My god, did you touch me while I was sleeping? Drug me or—‘
‘I didn’t have sex with you. Just because I sell knocked off goods doesn't make me a rapist. If I’d screwed you, you would know all about it.’
‘A cocky bastard, aren’t you? You’re just through telling me that you’re a criminal. I’m sorry if my accusations make you feel type cast, but I’m wondering what else you haven’t told me.’
‘There’s a lot that I haven't told you, Lay, and from the way you’re reacting I’d guess that there’s a lot Drew hasn't told you either.’
‘So why confess now? Why tell the truth? I could call the cops or—‘
‘If you call the cops then you’ll upset a lot of people and you'll lead Ashcroft's men straight to you.’
‘Don’t threaten me,’ she said, peering up at him as though she could squish him like a bug despite their disparate heights. ‘If you hurt me then Drew will hunt you down and—‘
‘Drew wouldn’t have entrusted you to me if he didn’t trust me. I’m going to keep you safe, Lay,’ he said, bringing his hand up to her face. ‘Even if you get on a bus and try to run away, I’ll be right there beside you. If I have to keep you in my sight all the time then I’ll do it.’
‘Why bother? If you let me walk away then it’s not your fault, is it? Tell Drew I was unreasonable, that I was awkward and uncooperative, he’ll believe it.’
And with that statement, he realised something else about her. ‘You’re awkward and uncooperative because you want people to walk away from you. If I wash my hands of you now then there’s no chance of us getting close.’
‘Why would I want to be close to you?’ she asked, pushing his hand away from her face. ‘Why would you want to be close to me? We barely know each other. We don't even like each other. We’ve been forced—‘
‘Enough, Lay.’
His curiosity prompted him to lower his mouth while tilting her head back. Those legs brought her to a height of around five eight and with the heels too it wasn't much of a stretch for him to find her lips. Her abrupt inhale drew their kiss deeper and Ruger used the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth.
Denying his attraction to her had made him say that hurtful thing in Risqué. It was easier to tease her than it was to admit the intensity of temptation he was fighting. Leaving his fascination for her unspoken had caused him to jump down Blaser's throat for talking to a customer at his bar, because much as Ruger hated to admit it, seeing his brother laughing with Layla had made him jealous.
With his hand on her cheek, he directed their kiss. Layla tried to link their fingers and pull it down. But after succeeding to move him an inch, he regained his position and kept on kissing her.
The smart lips he’d sparred with were good for more than a verbal exchange. Their plumpness was glossed adding to the ease of their caress. The taste of cherry and strawberry mingled with the spice of alcohol on her tongue.
Snapping her head to the side, Layla managed to end the union. ‘How dare you speak to me like that and kiss me—‘
‘Enough, Lay,’ he said again and curled his thumb around under her jaw to force her mouth back to his.
The legs he'd admired from afar appeared in his minds-eye now. When he’d first sighted them in Miami he'd pictured himself kissing them, touching and caressing them. When he’d tossed her over his shoulder he got his opportunity to experience how they felt under his hands and he wasn't disappointed.
Now his imaginings moved on a step and he thought about wrapping them around his hips as he slid himself into her.
The thud of her purse hitting the ground preceded her breaking their kiss again. He liked the idea that he’d made her lose her senses enough to lose hold of her purse. But she’d kept her hands to herself and so he’d done the same. The k
iss had been unexpected enough for both of them and he didn't want to push her too far.
With his newfound admission that he was attracted to her, Ruger resolved himself to having her as soon as he could, but he’d give her some time to adjust to the idea fully before he pushed it.
Bending her knees, Layla crouched to snag her purse from the ground, but she stayed down there and brought her chin up to meet his eye.
‘If I stand up, will you make me kiss you again?’ she asked.
‘If you stay down there I can give you something else to kiss.’ He hadn't given up his wise mouth yet.
‘Ruger,’ she said. Straightening her legs to stand at full height, she looped the strap of her purse around her arm and pressed a hand under the side of his ribs. ‘Kissing me won’t change my mind.’
‘About leaving? Or your opinion of me?’
‘I have no opinion of you.’
‘Sure you do and you’re entitled to air it... Come on, let me have it.’
‘I don't have an opinion of you,’ she sighed. ‘You were right about me though, I am judgemental… I don't mean to be. I don't mean to come across that way. I suppose I've learned to focus on the bad stuff because when you do that, you can’t be disappointed.’
‘I’m disappointed,’ he said.
‘You are?’ Her desperate eyes shone with a need he couldn't quite put his finger on. But she certainly had an expectation, he just hoped that he didn’t disappoint her.
‘If you leave now,’ he said. ‘I'll never get to see where this could go.’
‘This?’
‘Your legs were the first thing I noticed about you. I thought your sass would be a turn off but wow honey, you take it to a whole new level and I love it.’
‘Do you think that flattering me and seducing me will make me stay? That it will stop me from asking Drew why he chose you to watch out for me?’
‘I offered to look out for you, that's why he chose me, and that was before I'd seen you in the flesh.’
‘You said you weren’t interested in me,’ she said, prodding her finger into him.
‘Yeah, well you know what guys are like. Denial is easy. When Drew sent me to look after you I don’t think he had this in mind.’
‘This?’
‘Me, feeling up his little sister in the street in the middle of the night.’
‘You kissed me, you didn’t feel me up.’
Cradling her breast in his palm, he gave it a squeeze. ‘That better?’
‘Probably not as far as Drew is concerned,’ she said, taking his hand from her chest and linking their fingers. ‘I’m sorry that I was so sensitive in there.’
‘You had every right to be. I was a dick—‘
‘I’m apologising and that doesn’t happen often so just appreciate it, will you?’ Sealing his lips, he gave her the time and space she needed to say what she had to. ‘You hit a bit close to home, that’s all. Drew is my brother, I love him, he's the only family I’ve got and I want to hold onto that, but... I’ve only ever had one really good friend and as you know, she slept with my ex. Maybe I’m still smarting about that more than I want to admit to myself. Getting close to people means trusting them not to hurt you and that’s what people tend to do, in my experience.’
His thumb traced across the back of her hand and his tone grew softer. ‘You must have let some guys in. You’ve been proposed to a few times from what Drew says.’
‘Those relationships were supposed to be easy. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. But relationships don’t come back from refused proposals. I tried to salvage things with one guy, but... It just never works out.’
‘Do you still care about any of your exes?’
‘Care about them? Sure. Enough to marry them or sleep with them again? No. But you should know that I don’t do one night stands.’
‘I wouldn’t ask you to,’ he said, hooking an arm around her. His father would tell him that he shouldn’t keep her out on the street in the middle of the night like this. ‘The truck is parked a street over. I’ll take you back to my mom’s. I’m sorry that I ditched you there and ran.’
Leading her out of the alley, they fell into step with each other and she didn’t try to move out of his embrace. ‘Suzette told me how you let her take over your place after her fiancé turned out to be a psycho. That was sweet of you.’
‘I didn’t let her take over the place. I said she could stay there while I was out of town. Now I can’t get her out of the apartment. I’ve had to stay with my mom or in Colt’s office any time I've been back in town.’
‘Maybe it’s time to start looking for a place of your own again, a new place.’
‘I’m not ready to give up on the old one yet. Whether Suzette moves or Bri does, one of them will move on soon.’
‘Bri?’
‘Blaser’s girl.’
‘They don't live together?’
‘Not yet,’ Ruger replied. ‘That’s another long story and we’ve had plenty of those tonight. I’m starving. Let’s go back to my mom’s. I’ll eat, we’ll get some rest and then we’ll tackle tomorrow, tomorrow.’
‘Ok,’ she said. ‘Take me to the truck. I’m exhausted.’
She sagged against him and he bent to scoop her up into his arms again. Instead of throwing her over his shoulder as he had in Miami, he went for a more traditional arrangement this time and although she laughed, she didn’t put up a fight.
Telling Jansen that he would look after Layla was meant to be a repayment of his debt. Except now that he’d blurred the lines of their relationship he might owe Jansen another favour after Ruger was finished protecting Layla’s life.
Chapter Seven
For the next week Layla settled in at the Warner family home. Prudence was a wonderful hostess who couldn’t do enough for her guest. The couple were so hospitable that Layla was trying to help out around the house as much as she could in an attempt to offset some of the guilt she felt at intruding in their home.
Ruger stayed true to his word and slept at his mother’s every night. Instead of sharing her room and her bed, as she had thought he would try to do, he stayed in the neighbouring room, which had apparently been Blaser’s bedroom.
Despite them not sharing a bedroom, Layla was convinced that Pru thought she and Ruger were an item. It didn’t help matters that he kept kissing the sense out of her, though so far he'd kept his hands to himself.
Sitting in front of the mirror in the bedroom she had been using in the Warner home, Layla ran a comb through her hair for a final time, checked her makeup, and then twisted around to look at the dress and underwear she had laid out on the bed.
Three days ago, Ruger had come to her with a wad of cash and told her to go shopping for what she needed. He was probably sick of hearing her moan about a lack of appropriate footwear. Layla had promised to pay him back and he’d given her a line about Drew having sent him the money. But the way he mumbled and quickly walked away told her that he’d probably made that up.
Just when she was about to untuck her towel so she could get dressed, the bedroom door opened and Ruger came in. Lowering her chin, Layla waited for an apology for his unannounced entry, but he sauntered into the room as though he had done nothing wrong.
‘Are you nervous?’ he asked, resting against the metal rail at the bottom of the double bed which was parallel to her present position.
‘Why would I be nervous?’ she asked. ‘It’s a family dinner. I’ve only been invited because I’ve been living here for a week. I’ve met everyone before.’
‘You haven’t met Bri yet, and you haven’t had everyone in a group like this. It’s ok to say you’re nervous.’
‘I’m not nervous,’ she said, holding on to her towel as she stood. Moving across to stand in front of him, she cupped her hands around his elbows. ‘Ruger, honey, are you nervous?’
‘They’re my family. Why would I be nervous about eating dinner with them when I’ve done it so many times before?’
�
�When was the last time you had a woman at the dinner table who everyone assumed was your girlfriend?’
‘Blaser and Colt know that you’re not, and there’s no telling Mom. She won’t hear it. Lyssa keeps telling me that relationships are defined in different ways, which are not always immediately recognisable as a traditional union. I mean, what the hell is that supposed to mean?’
‘Maybe she knows you’ve got the hots for me,’ she teased, bowing a little closer.
‘Me? You’ve got the hots for me, Legs. Look at the way you strut around wearing almost nothing, desperately trying to get my attention.’
His assertive poise was lessened by his preoccupation with her cleavage, which she knew wasn’t much to look at compared to the women he saw in Risqué on a regular basis. ‘Did you just realise that I’m naked?’ she asked. The smile he’d worn when he started teasing had become something more intense and less playful.
‘I guess I should’ve knocked, huh?’
‘A few seconds later and you’d have gotten the full show.’
‘Can I go out and come back in again?’ he asked, returning to his grin.
‘You’re nervous because you can’t define this any better than I can,’ she said.
If one of them didn’t pull back on the teasing they would end up in a full-on sass-off and they would never decipher if there was anything serious or worth pursuing between them. More often than not, Ruger was the one to tell her to stop pushing him away with banter. Today it seemed to be her turn.
His hands landed on her shoulders and drifted down her arms then back up. With his fingertips he traced the width of her collarbone, and when they met in the middle they coasted up her throat, forcing her head to tip back, which was always his prelude to kissing her.
His first kiss had stunned her, she hadn’t expected such a full-on display of affection so early in their association. They had only known each other for a couple of days and yet there she’d been, pinned to a wall outside a strip club, desperately trying to remind herself of her no one-night stands oath.
Game Of Risk (Risqué #3) Page 8