“Hello, gentlemen,” I say plastering a fake smile on my face as Michael moves possessively into the space next to me, his body shielding me from the predatory stares of the other men.
Michael taps me on the shoulder. “This is Ruth Salvador. One of our legal interns. She’s completing her law degree at Cornell. One of the hardest workers on staff.” I smile at his complimentary words.
By now, the men have lost interest in me and have resumed their conversation about the Superbowl or the NBA finals or whatever. Just then, the elevator chimes its arrival and the men load onto the lift. I take a tentative step forward, less than excited to jump into that box overflowing with testosterone.
Then, I feel Michael’s hand on the small of my back. A low sound inadvertently escapes my lips just at his mere touch. “Gentlemen, go on without me. I need to have a word with Ruth.”
I stand there immobilized as the elevator doors slide shut and half a dozen pairs of raised eyebrows disappear from view.
“What?” I say in a low voice as I spin around to watch him.
“Come home with me.” It’s not a question. It’s an expectation.
“What?” I turn my back to him and press the elevator call button.
“Come home with me, Ruth.” He takes a step towards me and spins me around dramatically. Now his body is pressing mine into the elevator door. “Don’t play games with me. Not tonight. I need you. I miss you.”
His desire is so raw. He’s so captivating. I feel like I’m under his spell. He tilts my face up to look at him, his mouth searching for mine.
Damn it. I’ve missed him, too.
He squeezes my breasts through the thick leather of my jacket and my brain short circuits just like that. I groan as I kiss him hard and slip my hands under his sport coat to feel his rock-solid chest just as his hands glide down and cup my ass. All I can hear is the blood rushing through my ears. I want him enough to fuck him right here and now.
And then, the elevator doors slide open again and we go stumbling inside. Finally, I’m snapped back to my senses.
I look over and who do I see standing in the corner of the lift with her arms folded tightly across her chest?
“Good evening, Liz,” Michael says clearing his throat.
She nods without looking his way.
“Michael – How are you doing?” That’s when I notice a tall handsome man standing in the other corner of the lift struggling to push the knowing smirk off his face.
“Nicholas!” Michael adjusts his suit jacket and I try to make myself small enough to disappear. “I didn’t realize you were still around. I thought you went to catch a drink with the other partners.”
“Nah – I’ve gotta get on the road. I’m driving back to Chicago tonight. I’ve got a client meeting at noon tomorrow.”
The men continue to make small talk as the four of us ride the elevator to the lobby. Michael and I get off and I try to keep my distance from him although the two other occupants of the elevator have already witnessed me trying to swallow his tongue just moments earlier.
Too late to play modest now, Ruth.
“Good night, you two,” Nicholas says as the doors close. “Play nice.” He tosses a wink at Michael and the elevator continues its descent to the parking garage.
Chapter 11
When we got to his apartment, Michael had thrown me onto his bed and had his way with me for hours. Then, he’d fed me – bruschetta and red wine.
Damn it. I could fall in love with this beautiful Italian man. If his plan is to seduce me with sex and food, it’s definitely working.
Now, it’s 4:00 in the morning. I roll over in bed and he’s not here. I wander around his spacious apartment looking for him until I see light spilling out from beneath his office door. I knock lightly and wait till I hear him tell me to come in.
“What are you doing?” I ask groggily as I pull the bed sheets tightly around me. He motions for me to sit in his lap.
“This is the paperwork I have to fill out to run for office.”
I shuffle through the documents on his desk. “So, you wanna be a politician, huh?”
“I guess,” he says shrugging his shoulders. He looks tense in the dim light of his desk lamp.
“You don’t look too excited.”
“I was. It was the plan. Practice law for a few years then run for office…but then …”
“But then?” I prod, running my finger over his dimple.
“But then, I met you…” He catches my finger between his lips and sucks lightly.
I feel my cheeks heating. “What does that mean?” My voice comes out in a squeak.
He twirls a golden lock of my hair around his finger. “You’re special, Ruth. You’re everything that I didn’t even know I was looking for. Now that you’re here, I’m reevaluating my life. My goals. I’d love to have you around…for a long time.”
This is too good to be true. It’s more than I could have ever expected. I don’t know what to say or how to feel. I mean – just yesterday, I had sworn that I was done with Michael. His unresolved issues with Liz are more complication than I need in my life at this point. But now, he’s telling me that he sees me in his future…and I believe him.
“I’m serious, Ruth.” His eyes search my face for some sign that I understand what he’s saying.
“We barely know each other,” is all I can manage to mutter.
He sighs loudly. “How about we change the subject?”
I arch an eyebrow at him waiting for him to continue.
“I still haven’t managed to take you on a proper date. It seems like things always fall apart when I try to get to spend quality time with you.”
“We’re spending time together now,” I say sheepishly.
Michael shoves his hand through his hair. He’s becoming irritated by my resistance. I can tell. “Ruth, don’t play games with me. If you want this to be just about sex, let me know. But if you want more, stop acting like you don’t. If you’re scared, tell me that you’re scared, and we can take it from there. I’ll take care of all the complications. I’m interested in a relationship with you. For the first time in a long time, I’m interested in that. Let me know if you’re on the same page.”
I search my mind, scrambling for any excuse, any reason, any justification for the reluctance I feel to giving myself to him. I find nothing, nothing good enough to justify not being with him. He knows my darkest secret and wants me anyway. There was no point in resisting him. Not when I wanted him so bad.
“Yes.” I hear myself say the word.
“Yes?”
“Yes, I’m on the same page. I want to be with you.” I lean towards him and catch his lips with mine. It’s a slow and languorous kiss. For once, I fully permit myself to be in the moment.
Chapter 12
I walk out of the bathroom wearing a pair of raspberry-colored ankle-length slacks and a black scoop neck blouse, a tiny black purse clutched in my hand. I’m very proud of my outfit – I think I look chic and classy but not too overdone. “What do you think?” I ask spinning around dramatically, my hair whirling with my every move.
Nadia and Hailey give me disapproving stares.
“I’m telling you – pants are a mistake. You need to wear a dress.” Nadia pops a grape into her mouth before returning her attention to the Contract Law book in her lap.
I growl lightly. “I don’t want to wear a dress. It’s the end of October. It’s freezing.”
“Sometimes, you have to suffer for the cause, honey,” Hailey says from her seat in the rocking chair positioned in the corner of her bedroom. “Besides, I told you – if you don’t know what to wear to a Moretti family dinner, let me shoot Maddie a quick text to find out what’s appropriate.”
I frown at her. “Don’t text Madison. I don’t want her to think that I don’t know how to ‘groom’ myself. That’s just embarrassing.” Michael’s sister always looks so beautiful and put-together. I don’t want her thinking that I can’t manage
my own very limited wardrobe.
“How does Princess Madison feel about you dating her brother, anyway?” Nadia asks glancing up at me from her perch on Hailey’s bed.
I look at her reflection in the cheval mirror. “I – I don’t know. And I’m probably better off not knowing. I’m sure she hates me.”
“Actually, I don’t think she minds,” Hailey pipes in. “Of course, she was surprised when Michael popped up here unannounced the other night. But generally, I don’t think she minds.”
Oh, Hailey, the eternal optimist. I love her but she loses touch with reality sometimes. Madison would never find me good enough for her brother. I’m a Brazilian with a thick accent and no family pedigree. A grunt at her father’s firm.
I’m not good enough.
“How about this?” Nadia asks lifting to her knees to hand me a full midi skirt in hunter green satin and a fitted cream sweater with pearly embellishments.
“That could work,” Hailey says excitedly. “With your Mary Jane stilettos and some pearls earrings.”
I look at the outfit. The skirt is feminine and flirty without being too sexy and the sweater is classy and not at all revealing. “I like the way you think, ladies,” I say as I change outfits.
Moments later, I’m standing in front of the mirror in my new outfit. “You look so gorgeous,” Hailey chirps clapping her hands excitedly in front of her.
“Totally Audrey Hepburn,” Nadia grins.
Hailey winks at me. “Yeah – if Audrey Hepburn was a blond bombshell sex kitten!”
Chapter 13
I hold my breath as Michael takes my coat in the lavish foyer of his parents’ prewar-style home. Crystal chandeliers cast a gleaming light throughout the elegant space. So, this is what it’s like inside of all those fancy Park Avenue high-rise apartment buildings.
“Michael? There you are, sweetheart!” A petite woman in an elegant cream designer suit rounds the corner. Her dark brown hair is pulled into a flawless chignon and her makeup is understated but elegant. Her every movement is the epitome of sophistication and grace. Despite the fine lines slithering around her bright blue eyes, she looks like the type of woman who takes great care of herself and prides herself on her appearance.
“Hello mother,” he says as she pulls him towards her and he places a soft kiss on her cheek.
She quickly sidesteps him. “And who might this be?” She observes me from head to toe with a raised eyebrow, her lips thinned. My stomach churns nervously.
Here we go.
“Mother, this is Ruth Salvador. Ruth, my mother, Gabriella.”
I take a step forward and stretch my hand out to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Moretti.” She can’t be much more than 5 foot 2 inches. I’m towering over her. Darn it. Why did I wear four-inch heels today?
She frowns slightly at me and shakes my hand apprehensively. “Well, this one’s…tall. And she’s not American.”
Stunned, I pull a tight smile across my lips and look to Michael.
“Yes, she’s tall and Brazilian and absolutely stunning.” He presses his lips to my temple as he wraps an arm protectively around my shoulder.
She rolls her eyes discreetly. “I’m assuming Liz wasn’t available tonight? That’s a shame. She and I always have such lovely conversations over dinner.” Gabriella says the words nonchalantly but I know that they’re meant to sting me.
Michael looks annoyed now. “Mother – shhh. You’re making my guest uncomfortable. Ruth and I are seeing each other now. Liz won’t be coming to dinner with me anymore.” He waves his hand dismissively at her as he guides me deeper into the apartment.
She opens her mouth to argue but she’s cut-off by the high-pitched squeal of the lithe, beautiful teenaged girl who rounds the corner and leaps right into Michael’s arms. “Mikey!” she yelps giving him a bear hug.
He laughs as he picks her up and spins her around in the air before setting her down on her feet. “Ruth, this is Mackenzie, my younger —“
The young girl observes me with a hand on her cocked hip. “Hot damn, Michael. She’s gorgeous. Maddie said she was pretty. But she’s not just pretty. She’s gorgeous.”
Gabriella frowns. “Mackenzie, would you stop behaving like an indigent?”
Ignoring their mother’s comment, I smile brightly at Michael’s younger sister. “It’s nice to meet you, Mackenzie.”
“Come,” she says grabbing me by the hand. “Everybody’s in here.” She leads me into a stunningly-decorated living room. Mr. Moretti is sitting in the middle of a cream tufted sofa, Madison right by his side with a laptop on her knees. Domenic is sitting in an armchair across from them and Matt is leaning against a bookcase, a tumbler of dark alcohol in hand. They all look up as Mackenzie drags me into the room.
“Daddy, this is Ruth. Michael’s girlfriend,” she announces as she plops down on the couch next to him.
My cheeks flame as my boss looks over at me with an arched brow, deep lines forming in his forehead. He struggles to stand to his feet and limps for a few steps. “Ms. Salvador. It’s lovely to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you too, sir,” I say, shaking his outstretched hand. “How are you doing?”
“Given the circumstances, I’d say that I’m doing just fine. Working hard to regain my capacities.” Although his left leg seems to drag a little and the left side of his mouth is slightly downturned, his dark brown eyes are beaming with joie de vivre. If he finds it inappropriate that one of his interns has just showed up at his home on the arm of his son, he’s doing a fine job of hiding it.
“Well, we’re eager to see you back at the office, Mr. Moretti, ” I say with a soft smile.
He pats my hand gently before turning back to his seat. “All things in due time.”
“Hello Madison,” I say turning my attention to Michael’s other sister.
She looks up at me and grins. “I’m glad you could make it. Rosabelle makes an amazing pot roast. You’ll love it.”
“That sounds great,” I say offering up a smile to hide how taken aback I am by her friendliness. Usually, she’s quite standoffish but tonight, she’s with her family, in her element, and she seems so much more down to earth.
“I hope you came with an appetite, Ruthie, ‘cause Rosabelle cooks up a storm,” Domenic chimes in with a warm lopsided smile.
“I’m starving,” I laugh softly. “I can’t wait.” Just then, my eyes meet with Matt’s. He practically snarls in my direction. “How are you, Matt?” I ask timidly.
“Fine,” he says as he turns his back to me and refills his tumbler at the minibar.
Okay, then…
Just then, Michael sticks his head into the living room. “Dinner’s ready, guys. Let’s eat.”
Chapter 14
Dinner was delicious – pot roast with scalloped potatoes, a roasted butternut squash and kale salad. For dessert we had a homemade lemon pudding.
Matt disappeared shortly after dinner and Mackenzie left soon after to meet up with some friends. It was nearly 11:00 when Domenic and Madison said goodnight. After Gabriella went to bed, Michael and his father disappeared into the study to talk business for a while.
I’m left alone, wandering around the living room. I linger by the mantle over the fireplace to look at the photos sitting in ornate frames.
In all the family portraits, the Moretti children look prim and proper next to their parents – stiff smiles, clothes clean and well-ironed and not a hair on their heads out of place. A few pictures of Madison holding the perfect ballet pose or Matt receiving some diploma or other. A faded photo of Mr. and Mrs. Moretti on their wedding day, posing stiffly next to each other on the church steps.
There are a few candid, carefree shots, though. A laughing Mackenzie riding on Michael’s back as he runs down the beach, the sun setting in the background. A toothless Madison with carnival paint all over her checks making faces at the camera. Tucked way at the back is a tiny photo of a pretty little blonde girl with those tr
ademark Moretti dimples and pigtails in her hair. She’s smiling broadly as she’s being pushed on a swing. I pick it up to examine it closer. Who is this little beauty?
A sudden movement behind me nearly makes me drop the photo.
“Ready to go?” Michael asks pushing his hand through his messy hair. His eyes tell me that he’s tired and ready to get to bed.
“You scared me,” I say bringing my hand to my chest.
Ruthie's Desire - The Esquire Girls Series - Ruthie's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set Page 10