Ruthie's Desire - The Esquire Girls Series - Ruthie's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set
Page 12
She smiles without looking up. “Yeah – it was great to see you and Michael together. You guys are so cute.”
We sit in silence for a few moments and watch people mill around in the coffee shop. Finally, I build up the courage to ask her the question that’s been burning in my mind. “Your mom – she doesn’t like me, does she?”
Madison throws her head back laughing. “I don’t think she does. But don’t take it personally. She won’t be happy till the day that Michael settles down with Liz – and I can tell you, it ain’t gonna happen.”
“So, she likes Liz, huh?”
Madison nods as she swallows a bite of her scone. “She thinks that Liz would be an asset to Michael’s political career because Liz’s family has been involved in politics for decades. She has a few relatives in the U.S. Senate and her brother ran for lieutenant governor of New York a few years ago. But all that is irrelevant to Michael. He sees Liz as an old friend.”
“Are you saying that Liz isn’t a threat to me?”
“Nah, Liz isn’t a threat to you.” She waves her hand in the air dismissively. “My mother, on the other hand – I’m not so sure.”
Chapter 20
I spent the entire night on the phone with Michael. I can’t get enough of his voice and my body feels like it’s in withdrawal, craving nothing but his touch.
And now I’m at the office at 9:15 in the morning and I’m so sleepy I can barely hold my eyes open.
“Good morning,” Madison says to me sounding extra chirpy as she settles into her cubicle.
“Hey.” I give her a small smile.
“So what’s new?” she asks raising her eyebrows at me.
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?” I hear a hint of suggestion in her voice but I have no idea what she’s getting at so I decide to let it go.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Have you checked your email this morning?”
“Not yet,” I say now suspicious of her.
“Well, I think you should…Now.” What is going on with this girl?
She peers excitedly over my shoulder as I log into my account and wait for my emails to load.
“Why is it taking so long? It’s killing me,” she says, shifting anxiously from one foot to the next. By now, my heart is lodged in my throat.
The email portal opens and the very first message at the top catches my eye.
Your travel itinerary, the subject line reads.
“Open it! Open it! Open it!” Madison prods.
By now, Luke, Domenic and the new intern, Jasmine, are all hovering curiously over my shoulder, too.
“Ohmygod – it’s a first-class ticket to Los Angeles for this weekend.” I can’t believe the words even as they are leaving my mouth.
Madison squeezes my shoulder so tight that I’m sure it leaves an imprint. “You’re going to L.A. to be with Michael on his birthday!”
Chapter 21
“I heard you’re going to California this weekend.”
I look up and catch Liz’s glare in the mirror above the sink. She’s just walked out of one of the washroom stalls.
“Yes,” I say in a curt tone and continue applying my lip balm. I really don’t want to engage in any conversation with Michael’s jilted ex-lover. I’m at work right now. This isn’t the time or the place.
Liz is silent for a while as she washes her hands. Just as I step away from the sink to leave, she turns to me and says, “I’m happy for you. I’m seeing someone now, so I’m happy for you.”
Umm. I’m not quite sure how I’m supposed to respond to that, so I say. “That’s nice.”
I turn to leave and I hear her speak again. “He’s a lawyer, too.”
I face her, already exhausted by this conversation. “Who’s a lawyer, too?”
“The guy I’m seeing,” she says rolling her eyes at me.
“That’s really great, Liz. I hope it works out.”
I reach for the door but her monologue isn’t over yet. “And he’s tall. Really tall. Taller than Michael. And he’s got a great body. And he’s funny and has really great hair.”
I push an exasperated sigh past my lips.
“So, y’see – I don’t want Michael…And I’m really happy for you.”
Jeeze – this woman is borderline delusional. I’m half sure she’s made up this new boyfriend of hers. “I really have to go,” I say impatiently.
“Well fine, then. Just know that I don’t want Michael, anymore.”
Sure.
Chapter 22
“So, a driver will be waiting for you outside of your building at 6:45 to take you to the airport.”
I glance up at the clock on my bedroom wall as I toss yet another sundress into my overstuffed suitcase. It’s 6:19. “Okay, Michael.”
“And, when you get to LAX, I’ll be waiting for you right outside at Arrivals, okay?”
“Okay, babe. I got it.” This has to be the third time we’ve had this conversation today. I think he’s just as excited as I am for me to get to California.
“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I’m just dying to see you.”
“Me too. I miss you so much.”
“I can’t wait to wrap you in my arms and make love to you.” I get all tingly merely at the idea of it.
“I can’t wait.”
“I should let you go now. Remember, a driver will be outside –”
“At 6:45. I know.”
He laughs.
“I’m so excited to see you,” I whisper.
“Soon, Ruth. Soon.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
I give my bedroom a onceover to make sure that I’m not forgetting anything. I drag my suitcase into the kitchen and grab a small notepad from over the fridge to leave Hailey a note. I scribble down a quick goodbye and Michael’s phone number in the event of an emergency. I leave it on the kitchen table where she will see it when she gets back from the gym.
I haul my suitcase out of the apartment and onto the elevator. I’m almost floating by the time I get to the lobby.
I push out onto the busy sidewalk and see a sleek, black stretch limousine waiting right in front of my building. I chuckle to myself. Michael always has to go overboard, doesn’t he?
I glance down at the time on my cellphone. 6:34. The driver’s a bit early, but all the better. Now, I’ll have time to grab something to eat once I get to LaGuardia.
The driver comes out and takes my bags from me then stows them in the trunk. Then, he opens my door and I slide into the backseat. I thank him just as he shuts the door.
All the breath is sucked out of my lungs when I look over and see those cold gray eyes, that thinning dark hair and the mean smirk that causes a shiver to run down my spine. My hand flies to my mouth to suppress a scream as I notice the man sitting in the back of the limo with me.
This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.
“Hello, Ruth.” I hear the doors click shut. A vile grin spreads across his face, revealing his yellowing teeth.
His name pours out of my mouth like gall sliding off of my tongue as the car pulls away from the curb.
“Sergei.”
Desire Ablaze
(The Esquire Girls Series)
Ruthie (book 3)
Cassie-Ann L. Miller
This man is quickly becoming everything to me…What am I supposed to do?
He was supposed to just be a one-night stand. But now neither Michael nor Ruthie can control the way they feel about each other.
Too bad her whole life's about to come crashing down...Will he crash with her?
Table of contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 1
He’s gotten fat as fuck.
His protruding belly pushes against the buttons of his sweaty silk shirt. He gives me a stomach-churning smile as he wipes his bear-sized paws against the legs of his black leather pants. “Ruthie…” The way he breathes my name makes me want to hurl.
“Let me out, Sergei.” The grit in my voice conceals the panic I feel on the inside. He ignores me as he inches closer to me in his seat.
“Angel, you try to run away from me,” he says in a thick Russian accent. “You break my heart.” He cups my cheek in his palm. It’s hot and sweaty. I pull away from his touch.
“How did you find me?” I demand.
His laugh is a revolting sound. “I run New York City – of course I find you. I never lost you. I just let you run free. I let you play for a while. But now, playtime is over. It’s time for business.”
“I have no business with you,” I growl as I rattle the door handle with all my might. The car is moving at breakneck speed down the highway and god knows what would happen to me if the door suddenly flew open, but I’m willing to take my chances because I know that whatever Sergei has in store for me will be no walk in the park.
“Would you fucking stop that?!” Sergei yells at me, yanking my arm away from the door.
“Ouch!” I yelp, massaging my shoulder. Puta! I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he just tore a ligament in my arm.
The partition separating the back of the car from the driver rolls down slowly. “You okay, boss?” asks a burly clean-shaven man with a broken tooth as he peers at me, the barrel of his gun aimed directly at my face.
Sergei yells something in Russian and the bodyguard quickly turns away and closes the partition.
He’s angry now. His face is red and the veins in his neck protrude. “You stupid little bitch! I call you for weeks now. You no speak to me. You think I call you to chitchat? I am busy man. I call you for business. Serious business, Ruth. I have problem and you going to help me solve it…So help me god.”
My blood boils in my veins. I’ll be damned if I help that man with a thing. Over my fucking dead body.
When I respond with silence, Sergei relaxes a bit. His shoulders loosen and his nostrils stop flaring. His eyes soften as he reaches out to hold my hand. I flinch and pull away but he grabs me tightly by the wrist. “I need you, Ruthie,” he says in a quiet voice.
I see a trace of vulnerability seeping through the cracks of his steely façade. It frightens me. If this monster is breaking right in front of me, something must be terribly wrong. I hold my breath and wait for him to speak.
His eyes come to mine. “I’m dying, Ruthie. I have colon cancer. I have two months to live.”
I gasp. This is not what I expected him to say. But I guess it makes sense – the weight gain, the hair loss – both side effects of chemotherapy. I don’t know how to react so I just sit still.
“I want to leave the club to you, Angel. It’s yours. Rightfully, it’s yours.”
I recoil harshly. “What?”
“You heard me – when I die, I need you to take over Evade. I need you to sit on the throne again, Angel. That’s where you belong.”
This man is crazier than I thought. “I will never set my foot in that hellhole as long as I live.” I do nothing to conceal the contempt in my voice. How dare Sergei suggest that to me, after all that I went through in that place?
The car begins to slow down. I look out the window and see LaGuardia airport coming into view. I feel the blood drain out of my face. “H-how did you know where I was going?”
Sergei sighs in frustration. “Ruthie – I told you, I run New York City. How hard do you think it is to find someone to hack into your email?”
My heart is pounding frantically against my ribcage at the knowledge that Sergei has been keeping tabs on me. I thought that I was free of him but I’ve been under his thumb all along. “I don’t consent to being tracked by you,” I say with all the force that I can muster.
“Consent is so overrated,” he hisses on the tail of a vitriolic laugh.
The car pulls to the curb and I hear the door unlock. The bodyguard goes to the trunk, pops it open and hauls out my suitcase.
Sergei clears his throat, bringing my attention back to him. “Think about what I told you, Ruth. I’m transferring the club to you. Preferably before I die.”
“I don’t want it,” I say in a small voice.
He reaches out and touches my face gently. “What you want doesn’t matter.” I open my mouth to protest but he cuts me off. “Where should I send the paperwork to? Your office or your apartment?”
“Sergei, I don’t want anything from you!”
The bodyguard pops open my door and offers me his hand to get out of the limousine. He’s the perfect gentleman. It’s as if he’s forgotten that, just a few minutes ago, he pointed a gun in my face.
As I step out onto the curb, I hear Sergei say, “Have a nice time fucking your little boyfriend in Los Angeles. We’ll be in touch when you get back.”
Without a word, I yank my suitcase and march towards the terminal.
Sergei – that bastard.
I know it’s wrong but a part of me wishes he would just keel over and die right this minute.
Chapter 2
“What the hell happened to you?”
Michael barrels towards me as I lug my carry-on out of Arrivals at LAX. The look on his face is a mix of concern and anger. I was expecting this. We’d had a plan – He’d told me a thousand times that he’d send a car to pick me up and take me to the airport. But when I ‘accidentally’ stepped into Sergei’s car, the plan veered way off course.
I shrug my shoulders, trying to act nonchalant as I strut past him, pulling my suitcase behind me. “I was nervous that I’d be late so I jumped into a cab.” That’s the response I’d rehearsed a million times in my head during the flight. The words sound casual enough but on the inside, my heart is still thumping wildly. Being kidnapped by Sergei really shook me up.
Michael catches up to me, yanking the suitcase handle away from me. “Was my driver late?”
“No. He wasn’t late. I just wanted to get to the airport early.”
“Why didn’t you call? Why didn’t you tell me that?”
I stop and spin around to watch him. I bring my hand to his cheek and speak gently. “Babe, I’m here now. Isn’t that what matters?”
He softens a bit, his rigid expression melting, his blue eyes staring tenderly at me. He takes my hand and brings my palm to his lips. “I was worried. That’s all.”
I smile. “You’re sweet. But I’m a big girl,” I say as I bring my lips to his. “I’m a big, bad girl.”
He slips his arm around my waist and pulls me close as people mill around us in the busy airport. “Just how bad are you, exactly?” He murmurs teasingly against my lips.
“Take me to your place and you’ll get to see first-hand,” I say smirking up at him.
He licks his lips excitedly. “You know, I’m gonna have to punish you for this, right?” he says with a mischievous smile referring to the fact that I didn’t wait for his driver to take me to the airport.
I pull out of his embrace and resume my strut towards the exit. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I say throwing a wink over my shoulder.
Chapter 3
A cool breeze rushes in from the ocean, scattering my messy, blond hair and chilling my bare skin. I watch distractedly as the waves crash against the course sand below. I’m shivering. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m cold or if it’s because of my encounter with Sergei earlier. I can’t get it out of my fucking mind. I thought I had gotten away from him but then, there
he was right in front of me, reminding me of all the things I’d run away from.
“So, this is where you ran off to?” I jump at the sound of Michael’s voice. He doesn’t seem to notice as I spin around to face him and he wraps his arms around my waist.
“Such a beautiful home,” I murmur breathless as he layers kisses along my collarbone.