Twisted

by HELEN HARDT

  But that was a lie.

  I’d be back. I’d go back until this whole thing was solved.

  My fucking mother…

  She’d given me that bracelet. The sapphire bracelet that my father had supposedly given her. I’d been carrying it around in my pocket since. I wasn’t sure why. It certainly wasn’t to feel closer to Wendy. I couldn’t stand the woman who’d given me life. I’d thought it tainted.

  But no, it wasn’t tainted. It had belonged to my grandmother.

  As I looked at Ruby, her eyes a perfect match to the sapphires set in silvery white, I suddenly knew the perfect thing to do with it.

  I’d give it to Ruby. It would be beautiful against her milky skin.

  Oddly, it hadn’t crossed my mind to give it to Ruby at the time, but now, looking at her, so forlorn and empty, I wanted her to have it. The piece had been made for her. It would never have shined upon Wendy—or even my grandmother, according to the photos I’d seen—the way it would illuminate Ruby.

  I pulled it out of my pocket, the weight of it heavy in my palm. “I have something for you.” I held it out to her.

  “What is this?”

  “It’s a bracelet. It’s made for you. I didn’t know it until just now, but that is why I have it. To give it to you.”

  “You didn’t buy it?”

  I couldn’t lie to her. Would she take it if she knew the truth?

  “My mother gave it to me. She said it belonged to my grandmother, and that my father gave it to her when I was born.” I let out a small huff, shaking my head. “I have no idea if that’s the truth or not. Who fucking knows? All I know is I’ve kept it with me, wondering what the hell I’d do with it, and when I looked at you just now, I knew.”

  She fingered the bracelet. “It is beautiful.”

  “It was made for my grandmother, and it was made for you.”

  “Was it?” She bit her lower lip. “I don’t think I can accept it.” She held it back to me.

  Suddenly, it became more important than anything for her to accept and wear this bracelet—as if it would give me something good to take out of the relationship with the woman who was my mother.

  “Please. I want you to have it. Honestly. I had no idea why it fell in my lap, but now I do. Here.” I took it from her and clasped it around her right wrist. “It fits perfectly. It truly was made for you. Look at the color against your skin. And it matches your eyes.”

  “It’s not really me.” She scoffed. “Look at me. I can’t pull something like this off.”

  “You can.” I fingered the jewels around her wrist. “You’re beautiful. So much more beautiful than any trinket could ever be.”

  She shook her wrist. “This is hardly a trinket.”

  “Maybe not. But it’s perfect on you. Please. Keep it. For me.”

  “It’s a lovely gift, but it’s not something you bought for me, Ryan. Why is it so important to you that I keep it?”

  How could I explain? “Because I’m not sure I could pick anything out that better suits you, baby. And if you keep this and wear it, then in some obscure way, I can feel like having Wendy Madigan for my mother isn’t just a curse. Maybe something good came out of it.”

  She smiled and caressed my cheek, the bracelet sparkling as she moved. “Something very good did come out of it, Ryan. You.”

  My heart nearly melted. How I loved this woman. I pulled her to me in a soft embrace. “You’re wonderful,” I whispered in her ear. “Please keep the bracelet.”

  She pulled away. “If it means that much to you, I’ll keep it. But honestly, when would I wear it? It’s certainly not appropriate for work.”

  “You’ll wear it tonight,” I said. “You’ll wear that bracelet…and nothing else.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Ruby

  Oddly, I had gotten used to stripping for Ryan. He seemed to like me naked while he kept his clothes on. Truth be told, I liked it too. Part of me felt vulnerable, yes. Very vulnerable. But laced within that vulnerability was an innate feeling of power.

  There was power in being a woman—a power in femininity—and I’d hidden my femininity for so long that I’d never experienced it. I’d spent my life building a strong body and a strong mind, all the while ignoring my femininity. I hadn’t missed it. At least I hadn’t thought I had.

  Until now.

  I peeled my clothes from my body until I stood naked, only the sapphire bracelet adorning me. My nipples pebbled as Ryan stared at me, the bulge growing beneath his jeans.

  Power.

  I had this power over him.

  And I liked it. I liked it very much.

  Every other time I’d been naked with Ryan fully clothed, he’d attacked me, made me come, and then thrust into me without bothering to disrobe himself. Not this time, though.

  He kept his distance, though I hungered for him to come and take me, make me his.

  I stayed quiet for a few moments, looking at him, but then had to say something. “What are you doing?”

  “You’ve stripped for me so many times. I figured I owed you the same courtesy.”

  My breath caught when he tugged open a button of his shirt, and then another. With each new inch of bronze skin exposed, my heart fluttered a little faster. I ached to reach out and touch him, feel his flesh beneath my fingertips, but I held back, mesmerized by his movements, the striations in his muscles, the rustling of his garments as he discarded them.

  Ryan Steel was so beautiful. So magnificent. His shirt hit the floor, and he raised one leg and discarded one cowboy boot, and then the other. Slowly he unbuckled his belt and unsnapped his jeans. Over his muscular hips the clothes went until they reached his ankles. He kicked them off, toeing off his socks as well.

  Ryan Steel stood before me, naked and glorious, his cock springing forward in its magnificence.

  I stood, unmoving, gawking at him, resisting the urge to reach toward him, run my fingers over his taut flesh, grab his hard member and bring it into my body.

  I inhaled.

  The vanilla musk scent permeated the air, but something else was mixed in. Ryan. His earthy masculine aroma mingled with mine. I inhaled again, letting the odor penetrate the most inner layers of my body.

  He came toward me then and lifted my wrist, staring at the expensive bauble I wore.

  “You’re so beautiful. It’s perfect.”

  I looked down. The sapphires were midnight blue against my pale skin, the platinum shiny and silver.

  “I never imagined I could pull off anything like this,” I said. “I never imagined owning anything so perfectly beautiful.”

  “It’s not beautiful,” he said, caressing my forearm. “You are.” He pulled me to him.

  Our lips met softly at first, sliding over each other’s in a smooth caress. I parted for him, and he delved his tongue into my mouth, searching. I met him, returning his kiss, savoring the slowness and the softness. We didn’t often kiss like this. Normally we were ferocious with each other. Not this time. This was a gentle kiss. A kiss not of lust but of comfort.

  Comfort I craved.

  We continued to kiss, our arms around each other, moving slightly as if we were on a dance floor sliding against each other to a slow ballad.

  Melodies played in my mind. Music I didn’t recognize floated in the air around us as we danced to the slow rhythm. The kiss deepened, though instead of becoming frantic, it became more comforting. Our mouths were fused together, and with my eyes closed, I almost felt like we were floating on a cloud. A soft pink cloud of comfort and love.

  Though I sizzled between my legs, I had no desire to break the kiss and demand something more. Ryan’s cock was hard, pushing in my belly, and I knew he was aching too. But he made no move to break the kiss either.

  Slowly we continued our enchanting dance, until the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed. Ryan didn’t break the kiss but swiftly lifted me in his arms, our mouths still joined, and then we were lying on the bed, still kissing.
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br />   He rolled over so that he was on top of me, bracing his weight on one arm so as not to crush me. Still we kissed, pulling back, pressing our lips together in little pecks, and then joining them again, our tongues twirling.

  We stayed that way for a long time.

  The temperature in my core increased, and I began undulating my hips. Smoothly, so smooth I hardly even noticed at first, Ryan entered me.

  Sweet completion. Perfect comfort.

  He groaned, pulling out and then pushing back in.

  His groan vibrated down my throat.

  I wrapped one of my legs around his waist, gliding against him as our bodies met again and again. This was slow, sweet lovemaking—something I hadn’t yet experienced.

  Ryan was always showing me something new.

  All I wanted, all I needed was to be with Ryan. If I could stay with him—if we could become hermits, never leave this room—

  I stopped that thought, for I knew it was impossible. I didn’t want impossible dreams clawing at me. Not now.

  I surrendered to the moment. Locked both my legs around his back and relished the feeling of him inside me. He was still pumping slowly, easing in and out of me, and I felt every hard inch of him inside the walls of my pussy.

  I savored it. Welcomed it. The completeness in our joining.

  Ryan finally moved his mouth away from mine, trailing kisses to my ear. “I need to come, baby.”

  I whimpered, and I finally let go of the sweet feeling of comfort and made way for the climax that was imminent.

  “Come,” I said to him. “Come with me, Ryan.”

  I brought my lips to his neck, sucking on his smooth flesh, as the orgasm ripped through me. I imagined us flying, hovering over the earth, floating among the clouds, as both of our bodies shook in climax. This orgasm was different. I thought I would give up the comfort when I let go to come, but it was still there. Even as my body shuddered in response to the physical rapture, comfort enveloped me in a soft cloud.

  We were both out of breath when the shudders finally stopped. Still, that beautiful feeling of contentment overwhelmed me.

  We lay together, silent, for a few moments.

  Finally, Ryan rolled over onto his back. “Wow,” he said.

  “Wow,” I agreed.

  “I don’t know about you, baby, but that was just what I needed.”

  “Me too. I think we were both looking for comfort.”

  “I didn’t realize that until you just said it.” He smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you? What for?”

  “For always giving me what I need. At any given time, Ruby, you either let me give to you or take. Whatever I need.”

  “I… I guess I never thought about it. But I love you, Ryan. I will give you whatever you need if it’s within my power.”

  “That’s what makes you so special.”

  There was nothing special about me, but I wasn’t about to argue with Ryan during our afterglow. The word special belonged to people like Ryan Steel and his brothers.

  “You know, I’m going to have to go back to my apartment at some point.”

  “Why? I have a perfectly good house at the ranch, and there’s plenty of room for you there.”

  We were back to this. I wasn’t ready to move in with him, but I didn’t want to argue after the beautiful lovemaking we’d just shared. So I simply said, “We’ll figure things out.”

  I giggled when Ryan’s stomach growled.

  “I guess we forgot to eat,” I said. “Everything will be closed by now.”

  “Maybe room service?” Ryan arched his eyebrows.

  “It has to be after midnight.”

  “Let me see what I can do.” Ryan rose and searched for his phone in the pocket of his jeans.

  I took advantage of the view and ogled his gorgeous ass. I remembered how, when we were in Jamaica, I had accidentally brushed my fingers over his asshole. It had scared me at the time, but now I found myself wanting to explore every tiny bit of his beautiful body, including the forbidden parts.

  I shuddered for a moment. If I felt that way about him… He probably felt the same way about me. He’d already licked me there once. Was anal sex something he wanted?

  I still felt so naïve about men. As scared as I was, I itched to bring up the subject with him. If only because I wanted to touch him there, maybe lick him there—something I had never imagined wanting to do to another person. But Ryan… I wanted to experience everything with him. Everything the universe had to offer.

  Ryan turned back to me, still naked, and smiling. “How does pizza sound?”

  “Sounds perfect,” I said.

  “It will be here in about half an hour. What on earth could we possibly do until then?”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Ryan

  Ruby was still lying on the bed, her head propped up by pillows. Her body was covered in a shiny coat of glistening perspiration. The sapphire bracelet sparkled on her wrist. For a moment, I imagined her body covered in a bikini made of sapphires and platinum. Maybe a few small diamonds for glitter.

  But Ruby didn’t need that kind of ornamentation. She was at her most beautiful naked, with her hair down. Right now, it was still in the messy ponytail. I pulled her forward and worked the band out of her hair.

  “God, Ryan. It’s going to be a big tangled mess.”

  “No. It’s beautiful.”

  She looked down shyly.

  I tipped her chin up, forcing her gaze to mine. “Everything about you is beautiful, Ruby. You’re the only one who never saw it. You tried hiding away your beauty, covering it up, but I saw it.” I smiled. “And you know what? I don’t think you’ve had nearly enough orgasms.” I gave her a quick kiss on the lips and then nuzzled her neck, sliding down, giving each nipple a tug with my lips and then spreading her legs. I inhaled her sweet scent.

  Then I dived in. I slid my tongue between her wet folds, nipping at her clit. She tasted so good, our juices mingled together. I looked up at her, her eyes glazed over as she watched me. “I think I could eat you forever, baby.”

  I continued my assault, thrusting my tongue into her wetness and then adding two fingers. That was all it took to send her over the edge. She clamped down on my hand, and I took my mouth from her for a moment and watched her lips quiver with the contractions of her climax.

  But only for a moment. Then I sank my tongue back into that beautiful, delicious pussy.

  “Ryan!” she cried out. “God, Ryan!”

  Her voice spurred me on, and I continued to fuck her with my fingers while I nipped at her clit. She smothered me in her cream and I savored it, licking my lips. When she came again, this time I didn’t lean back. I clamped my lips around her clit and sucked, taking her higher and higher.

  When her shuddering slowed, I pushed her thighs forward. Her little rose of an asshole beckoned. It shone with the juices that had dripped from her pussy. How I longed to stroke it with my tongue once again, to show her the pleasures it would bring.

  Ruby was still so inexperienced. No way would she be ready for real ass play.

  One day. And hopefully soon.

  “Beautiful,” I whispered, looking at the paradise between her legs.

  Then I couldn’t help myself. I swiped my tongue over her rosy anus.

  Before she could object, I went back to her pussy, sucking her labia between my teeth and tugging.

  But she grabbed my hair and pulled me forward. “Need you inside me now. Please.”

  Since she said please. I crawled upward, giving each turgid nipple a tug as I went, and plunged into her heat.

  Sweet home.

  She hugged me so completely. So effortlessly. As if she’d been created to perfectly cast my cock. I groaned as I pulled out and thrust back in. Heaven. Sweet paradise. Paradise between the legs of the woman I loved.

  I closed my eyes and surrendered to the moment, to this woman, as I—

  Someone knocked at the door.

  I stopped
in midthrust.

  Ruby chuckled. “Pizza.”

  As if on cue, my stomach growled.

  “Shit,” I said.

  “You have to answer it, or he’ll leave.”

  “Guess I’ll have blue balls for a while.” I pulled out—with great effort—and stood, shucking my jeans over my legs, my hard on apparent.

  Ruby burst out laughing. “I’ll get the door.” She got up and yelled, “Just a minute!” Then she put on a robe from the bathroom and left the bedroom.

  I willed my cock down to half-mast—that was the best I was going to get—and went into the living area to join her. She had poured two more glasses of the merlot and dished out two slices of pizza onto napkins.

  “Come and get it,” she said.

  I inhaled the spicy tomato aroma. Pizza and wine. Then sleep.

  And then…tomorrow.

  * * *

  Back at the ranch, I rode through the vineyards to check on things and then went to do my usual tastings of what was aging in the barrels. I needed to hire some help. Jade had helped me in the office when she first came to town but had left to work in the city attorney’s office once she passed the bar exam. I hadn’t gotten around to hiring anyone else.

  Ruby popped into my mind.

  She’d be great. She was smart and she learned quickly. Plus, she liked wine and wanted to know more about it. But she’d never leave the police force. I couldn’t ask her to. She’d consider it an insult.

  She was at work now, most likely answering questions about her boss’s death. One more death at the hands of Theodore Mathias. She and I had come from some paragons of parenthood between the two of us.

  DNA didn’t lie. I wondered if Ruby had ever considered having her DNA tested. My fate was sealed at this point, but maybe hers wasn’t. Did she know for sure that she was Theodore Mathias’s daughter? She didn’t look anything like him, except for her hair color. Of course that didn’t mean anything. Talon and Joe didn’t look anything like Daphne Steel, except for their hair color.