by Lilli Feisty
A few minutes later the bartender placed a chilled cocktail in front of her. Taking a deep sip, she savored the chocolaty drink, and of course it conjured up memories of that first night with Mark.
She still wondered how he’d instinctively known her, recognized what she needed, what she craved. How had he seen what had been a mystery even to herself? Well, he’d gone and unleashed something in her, something she could no longer suppress. If only he’d show up; she could start un-suppressing right then.
With the martini glass to her lips, she tilted another few drops onto her tongue. The tang of vodka mingled with the bittersweet chocolate, and she relished the combination as it slid down her throat.
Where was he? Obviously he knew when she was due to arrive. Was he even in the hotel? Maybe he was at a sound check, or whatever it was he did to prepare for a performance. He was a busy man. It was something she was going to have to get used to if they even had a chance.
She was about to order another drink when the sound of female laughter drew her attention. She looked to the hotel entrance, watched two young women enter the lobby. But she never registered what they looked like. Because, walking between them, with an arm draped over each of their shoulders, was Mark.
All the blood seemed to drain out of her body in a cold rush. Her throat went tight, capturing the shout that bubbled in her chest. Frozen, she watched as he led the women casually to the elevator and pushed a button.
His hand was in the hair of one of the girls, playing with it. Her own scalp tingled, remembering how his hands had felt there. She wanted to run to him; she wanted him to explain this horrible mistake.
But then they stepped inside the elevator, and she knew it wasn’t a mistake. Because just before the door shut she saw him bend down, saw the way his mouth moved toward the girl whose hair he held. Saw the way her eyelids lowered as his lips got closer to hers.
And just before their lips touched the elevator doors closed, shutting off her view of them.
Yet she couldn’t look away. Because it was wrong, it had to be. Maybe they were shooting a music video. Maybe the doors were going to open up again and Mark was going to emerge, laughing, and camera crews would appear and tell him they got the shot. And then he’d see her, his eyes would light up, and he’d come to her, take her in his arms and look at her in that way that melted her into a boneless mass whenever she was around him.
But when the elevator doors did finally open, it was only to let out a group of businessmen in navy blue suits.
Seeming to notice her distress, the bartender looked her way. “You need another one?” he asked.
“Y–yes, please. Several.”
He just quirked a brow as if to say “crazy American” and pulled some vodka off the shelf behind him.
Why had Mark sent her the plane ticket? Had he wanted her to see this? Had he wanted to hurt her? Her mind was whirling; she couldn’t think.
“You’re a real tough cookie.”
She looked up to find Yvette standing next to her. She wore tight jeans and a tank top with a picture of a lollipop that said, “It ain’t gonna lick itself.”
“What are you talking about?” Ruby asked.
Yvette ordered a beer before answering. “I mean, I don’t know any other woman who could say no to the man who wrote a love song for her. But you did, you tough cookie.”
Ruby gulped her martini before turning to Yvette. “Fat lot of good it did me. I just saw Mark headed upstairs with a couple of… sluts.” She nodded. “That’s right, I said it. Sluts.”
Yvette cringed. “Yeah, I didn’t mean that to happen. Bad timing, definitely.”
Ruby turned and faced Yvette head-on. “Yvette. What’s going on here?”
“I sent you the ticket.” She put a finger to her lips and made a sshh sound. “But our boy doesn’t know you’re here. I wanted to surprise him.”
“I’m gonna need another drink,” Ruby said, waving for the bartender.
“Good call.” Yvette slid onto the barstool next to Ruby. “See, I’m trying to be a good friend.”
“By bringing me to Budapest to have my heart broken?” Ruby said incredulously.
“Not a friend to you. Although I’m sure you’re quite nice. No, I was trying to be a friend to Mark. See, it was my fault we flaked on your preparty, so I was trying to make amends.”
“Your fault?”
“I made him miss the party, but it was for his own good.”
Ruby just stared and made a “Go on” motion with her hand.
“Oh. Okay. See, here’s the thing. He’s been absolutely miserable this last week. He’s pining; he’s moping. He’s been shot through the heart, and you’re to blame, baby; you give love a bad name!” She sang this last part as she played air guitar.
“You’re insane.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“Yvette,” Ruby said as if speaking to a child. “Why did you buy me this ticket?”
“Because the reason we missed the party was because I made him perfect that song. Before the show the three of us got out our instruments and we just got lost in the music. It’s really an amazing song, one of the best he’s written.”
Ruby was trying really hard not to lose it. Yvette was obviously a few cards short of a deck, but she seemed to have their best interests at heart. “Listen, I really appreciate the effort, but I think it’s misplaced.”
“Nah.”
“How can you say that? He just went upstairs with two bimbos!”
“I think one’s actually an astrophysicist. Or a stripper, I forget. Anyway, he’s just dealing with things the only way he knows how. Girls. Domination. Sex.”
The words caused a nauseous lurch in Ruby’s stomach. “I don’t care. He can do whatever he wants.”
“He mentioned he told you about his family.”
Blinking, she recovered from the quick change of subject. “A bit, yes.”
Yvette ordered another beer, then turned to her. “He hardly ever talks about them.”
Ruby paused. “Really?”
Ignoring the chilled glass the bartender provided, Yvette picked up the beer bottle and toyed with the label. “When he told me how much his dad resented his mom, it was when I first met him. And he was drunk.”
“So? What does it matter?”
“You haven’t known Mark long, but for him? That’s opening up. Big-time.” She tilted the beer bottle to her lips and took a deep swig.
Ruby’s phone rang, making her heart jump. “Mark?” She snatched her phone off the bar, not even looking at the caller ID.
“No, it’s Meg. I got your message. You’re in Budapest? What’s going on?”
Apologizing to Yvette, she excused herself and went to a table in the back of the bar, telling Meg how she’d been set up by Yvette. Then, taking a deep breath, she spewed out exactly what she’d seen Emmett doing on Maiden Lane.
“I’m so sorry, Meg,” Ruby said when she’d finished recounting the story.
“Oh, Ruby. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
“It’s not your fault!” Obviously, Meg was in shock and blaming herself.
“No, you don’t understand. God, this is embarrassing.” She heard her friend take a deep breath. “That was me.”
“No, the woman I saw was blonde. I’m sorry, Meg—”
“I was wearing a wig. God, it was such a bad wig, too. I can’t believe you didn’t know it was me.”
Ruby shook her head as if Meg could see her. “I don’t understand.”
Meg laughed nervously. “Okay, you remember how I told you that Emmett and I were having problems… sexual problems?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Well, we’ve kind of been experimenting to get past all of that.”
“Oh.” Ruby’s face warmed as realization dawned on her. “Oh!”
“Yeah, and that day I was just… playing a role. That day was ‘the sexy businesswoman takes a lover’ role. He was my male prostitute.”
“Wow,” Ruby said, nodding. “I’m impressed with your creativity.”
“Hey, it finally convinced me to get glasses. To, you know, look smart.” Meg laughed, and after a second she said, “Oh, Ruby. I’m so sorry. It must have been awful for you to think that Emmett was cheating.”
She felt her eyes water. “It really was, but I’m so happy I was wrong.”
“Me too. But I promise things are better than ever, and guess what? I’m pregnant!”
Ruby squealed. “Oh my God! Congratulations!”
“Thank you. Now, Ruby. Yvette is Mark’s oldest, best friend. Trust her. Go to Mark.”
After she’d said good-bye, she flipped her phone shut. She wanted to go home, but her ticket had been one-way. She needed to find a computer and book a return flight, but she just didn’t have the energy quite yet. So she went back to join Yvette, who was now using her beer bottle as a pretend microphone and humming a Bon Jovi tune.
Ruby snapped her fingers twice in front of Yvette’s face.
“Sorry,” she said, taking a swig from her beer. “The eighties are back, ya know.”
“So I hear.”
“Anyway, he won’t go through with it. Shagging those chicks, I mean.”
“How do you know?”
She plopped the empty bottle on the counter. “Because I know him, and he only wants you. You know,” she said, pointing a finger at Ruby, “loving you scares the shit out of him. He thinks if he commits to a woman it’ll be the end of his career. Of the band. And he doesn’t want to turn into his father.”
Ruby laughed wryly. “God, we spend so much time trying not to become our parents, we totally lose sight of who we actually want to become.”
“Cheers to that, sister!” Yvette saluted her with the beer bottle.
She studied the gorgeous woman for a moment. “What about you? You’re willing to risk him having a relationship with someone who lives so far away? Someone who will demand his attention? Because I promise I’ll be demanding.”
Yvette’s gaze sharpened. “I love Mark. I want to see him happy. You make him happy, happier than I have ever seen him. So I’m willing to take the chance. I’m willing to encourage him to take that chance.”
Shaking her head, Ruby took in her words. “But—”
“No buts.” She snatched a pen and a napkin from behind the bar and scribbled a number onto the crinkly paper. “Now, you scurry on up to room 2025 and rescue that man from himself.”
Her heart started thumping in her chest. Yvette’s words were pumping her up, making her want to go to Mark. But could she really barge in on him like that?
“Listen, Ruby. Mark is probably the best man I know, and, frankly, if I swung that way I’d have nailed him down long ago for myself. But he’s still just a man, and sometimes men need their asses kicked.” She pushed the napkin toward Ruby. “So I encourage you to go forth and kick some ass. Everything else will fall into place.”
Ruby’s fingers shook as she looked at the napkin.
“Go.”
Ruby hopped off the barstool. She had no control over the future. What she did have control over was the present, and she wasn’t going to let Mark go just because he was scared.
“Thank you, Yvette.”
She smiled. “No problem. Just make sure you have him in the lobby by eight. I kinda need him for the show later.” Grinning, Yvette swigged her beer.
She gave Yvette a quick hug and hurried to the elevator. As she rode up to the twentieth floor she thought that even if Mark had done something with those women she’d forgive him. Because despite all they’d done together, he’d never promised her anything. They had made no commitments, no promises. Cringing, she realized she’d made sure of that.
But, if they were going to try to make it work, that would have to change.
Finally the elevator doors opened and she burst into the hallway. But her dash to Mark’s door slowed when she caught sight of two familiar women walking toward the elevator. She pretended to study a rather hideous landscape painting but watched the girls out the corner of her eye.
Red Miniskirt twisted a blonde curl. “I can’t believe he asked us to leave.”
Black Miniskirt smacked her gum. “I know. I’ve always heard Mark St. Crow was a real animal.”
The rest of their words faded away as Ruby’s heart swelled with relief. Yvette had been right. He hadn’t been able to go through with it. She jogged silently down the carpeted hallway. She didn’t need the napkin to tell her where she was going, and seconds later she was pounding on his door.
And then that door was opening and he was there, looking down at her, brown eyes wide with shock behind his glasses.
“Ruby! What are you doing here?”
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Meeting his gaze, she swallowed. “Yvette made me.”
He looked confused and then horrified by what she must have seen leaving his room. “Nothing happened,” he said fiercely.
“I know that, you idiot. And I know why you blew off the party. Not that I’m over it, but I’m willing to punish you later. Now, just hold me.”
He yanked her to him, hugging her so tight she could barely breathe. Closing her eyes, she let him hold her, wanting to stay in his arms forever.
“I love you, Mark, and I’m sorry about those things I said the night of the party.”
He pulled back, his eyes a warm brown as they bored into hers. But still he remained silent.
“I hope you can forgive me,” she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.
“You had every right to be mad.” His expression turned downright sheepish, and he pulled something from his pocket. It was the necklace she’d dropped outside the theater into the homeless man’s hat.
She put her hand to her mouth. “Where did you get this?”
“A little birdie brought it to me.” He clasped the necklace around her neck. “I love you, too, baby, and I’m not letting you go. Ever again.” And then he kissed her. But this time it wasn’t the Mark she knew. This man was urgent, clumsy even as he started pulling off their clothes. His fingers seemed unsteady as he undid her bra, slid her panties down her legs. That slight show of vulnerability caused her to quiver everywhere, made her toes curl. Made her love him even more.
It took him longer than usual to rip the condom open; he finally used his teeth, spitting a tiny silver piece on the floor after it eventually gave way. She watched him roll the sheath onto his erection, vowing to get on the pill as soon as she could. Her chest ached from the want to feel that part of him inside her, skin-to-skin.
The thought had her pussy dripping, making her slick and sticky and so ready for him.
He backed her against the door. “You’re mine, Ruby Scott.” He said the words into her hair, against her lips. “I want you to tell me that you’re mine.”
“I will, but we need to talk—ah!”
Her words were cut off when he lifted her, wrapped her legs around his waist, and pressed the length of his cock to her damp pussy.
She gasped. “We can talk later.”
“Mine.” He plunged into her, her back sliding a few inches up the door as he did so. With her nipple between his fingers he twisted until she cried out; the sharp pain shot right through her, and she ground down onto him to soften the ache.
She felt his sweat, soaking into her skin in hot drips. His back was slick under her fingers and she couldn’t get a grip, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t need to worry about falling; he held her securely in his arms.
Using the door for support, he made love to her as he whispered things he’d never told her before, hotly against her ear.
“Baby, you smell so fucking amazing. I never told you this, but I took a bar of soap from your bathroom, and I—” He pulled out, drove in again. “I use it when I masturbate. That scent gets me so goddamn hard. You get me so goddamn hard.”
“Oh, God… yes.” She was on fire, every inch of her burning up.
“I love you so much, Ruby…” The words sent a frisson of lust through her, landing between her legs.
He twisted her nipple again, sending her to the very edge of climax. “Mark, I’m going to…”
He pulled out, thrust again. Later, they could take their time, but now she needed him to let go, to show her uninhibitedly how much he wanted her.
“Fuck me, Mark. Make me come for you.”
“Yes, come for me now, baby. Come for the man who loves you, the man you belong to.”
“Yes,” she cried, exploding into a million blissful pieces. “I belong to you, Mark.”
“Oh, Ruby,” he whispered. “Ruby mine.” He drove into her one last time, his pelvis to hers, his heart to hers. She felt him inside her, his cock jumping in tiny jerks as he came.
As he sank against her, she ran her hand over his smooth scalp. That first night at Meg’s she’d wondered how his head would feel beneath her fingertips. The answer was, it felt like home.
He pulled back. Sometime during their frenzy he’d lost his glasses. Now his eyes were dark and warm as he searched her gaze.
He carried her to the bed and tenderly placed her under the covers. Lying next to him, she silently stroked his chest, his stomach, his angular hip bones. The hotel was quiet this high up, and the feel of his fingers combing through her hair combined with the rhythmic sound of his breathing nearly put her to sleep.
“Oh, shit,” she said after a while, glancing at the clock. “It’s seven forty-five. I promised Yvette I’d have you back in the lobby by eight.”
Groaning, he held her tighter. “Crap. I wish I didn’t have a show tonight. Will you come?”
She raised her heavy lids to meet his gaze. “Of course. I would love to see you play,” she said, suppressing a yawn.
“I forgot you’ve been traveling.” Placing a soft kiss on her temple, he chuckled. “There will be plenty more shows. Just stay here tonight, rest up. I’ll be back soon.”
“No, I really want to go.” She pushed herself up.
Kissing her, he didn’t stop until she was lying back down. “Seriously. Stay here and get some rest.” He nipped her earlobe. “You’re going to need it later.”