“Me, too,” she whispered.
“And perhaps if I make love to you now, this obsession will fade and I will return to my normal state.”
“You mean, crooking your little finger and being mobbed by girls?”
He grinned again, his eyes glittering in the moonlit room. “Perhaps. I am only human, and a man, after all.”
“Humph. Some life-partner you’ll make. I can just imagine you making eyes at all the pretty girls behind my back. You’d be impossible.” She grinned back because she couldn’t help herself. His grin was infectious. It humanized the perfection of his face, made him fallible. More importantly, that grin made it seem possible that when all this woo-woo supernatural crap was over, they might at least remain friends… of a kind. At least until he realized her feelings for him were not in the least bit friendly and she still wanted more… and drove him away.
“So, my Ruby.” He tapped her nose with a fingertip. “Where does that leave you?”
Her heart did a little pit-a-pat at his “my Ruby”. Then he stroked his fingers down the side of her breast, past the curve of her hip, until his hand came to rest on her thigh, and the pit-a-pat escalated to a gallop.
Her whole body warmed beneath his touch. “Wh-what do you mean?”
“I will be honest with you—more honest than I have been with any other woman. I cannot offer you anything beyond the Testing for I do not know what the future holds for us. Whatever we may feel for each other now may be false. But I would have these few weeks with you, Ruby, if you would allow it. So I ask you this: will you make love with me now? Is what I offer enough? For if it is not, then I will leave your bed. And you have my word that I will make no further intimate demands upon you.”
“It’s enough,” she said. And it was true. Because for now, what he offered was more than enough. More than she had ever dreamed.
He leaned in to kiss her then, parting her lips with his tongue. And his hands… what they did to her, how they made her feel, was miraculous.
When he entered her, slowly pushing his hard, thick cock inside her, it was all she could do not to scream his name. He filled her, and in this one way at least, they were perfectly matched, for she accommodated his considerable length. For a long, intense moment he didn’t move, then slowly—excruciatingly slowly—he withdrew, teasing her entrance with the tip of his cock until, craving him inside her again, she grabbed his bum and thrust her hips, demanding.
He placed his hands on her hips and held her still, laughing down at her, and it was a laugh brimming with delight rather than derision. “So, Ruby. You do want me, after all. Perhaps now you will not be so quick to give me to one of your friends.”
“Perhaps— Aaaah!” He thrust deeper inside her. “Perhaps not right away,” she said, and waited until he filled her and then hooked her legs around his waist to keep him there, fully inside her.
They rocked together for what seemed like endless moments, Kyan suckling and fondling her breasts, Ruby stroking his back. They learned each other’s bodies, reveling in what they discovered.
His cock twitched and pulsated inside her, and as each tiny movement sparked spasms of her inner muscles, she whimpered. He moved at last, setting a slow, insistent rhythm with his body that left her gasping. And whenever he sank into her, fully seating himself, his balls rubbed against her sensitized flesh and she writhed with mindless pleasure.
An age later, Kyan increased his pace, pounding deep inside her with ever-increasing urgency. He moaned, cried out her name. He came, and to her surprise, his orgasm triggered her own. He lay prone atop of her, still deep inside her, and at last she felt complete. For the first time in her life, it didn’t matter what she looked like because she knew it hadn’t mattered to him.
Then the man of her dreams rolled off her and curled up behind her, one arm draped over her hip. He nuzzled her ear. “Thank you, Ruby,” he whispered.
She lay there listening to his slow, even breathing, wondering whether he was truly asleep, or lying there like she was, physically wiped but unable to sleep because of the chaotic thoughts buzzing through her brain.
She glanced at the clock, blinking at the time. 4.15 a.m. For the past hour Kyan had coaxed responses that should have had her cringing with embarrassment and worry that brother might hear them from the next bedroom. She found she didn’t care what Mike might or might not have heard. All she cared about was Kyan.
Her last coherent thought before sleep dragged her down was that maybe, just maybe, Kyan really did care about her, and not just because of a spell.
Maybe.
Dreams, after all, were free.
~~~
Kyan waited until Ruby’s breathing deepened and he was certain she was asleep. He rolled onto his back, careful not to disturb her.
Disturbed. An all-too accurate description of his state of mind right now.
He stared at the ceiling, watching the shadows thrown by the gaps in the curtains crawl and twist, and wondering how this tryst could have gone so horribly awry.
He’d seduced Ruby in tacit apology for his earlier coldness. And, if he was completely honest with himself, to bind her to him so she would be less likely to abandon him before the Testing took place. She’d been correct to believe him angered by her suggestion she pass the bond to another woman, like he was little more than a side of meat.
He knew women—knew how much they valued intimacy, even to the point of defending a man who otherwise treated them poorly. As he’d stated so baldly to her earlier because he’d stared into her eyes and couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, he’d hoped that bedding her would lessen his growing obsession for her.
He’d been a fool. How could he have ever imagined he would come away from their sexual encounter unscathed? Merely kissing her had made his world tilt on its axis.
His Ruby was a potent mix of endearing uncertainty, and wanton female who knew what she wanted and was not shy about communicating it. That combination paired with the other qualities he so admired about her, was irresistible. She held the power, here, not him. Not anymore. And his only hope of being able to walk away once this was over was if she remained ignorant of the influence she had over him.
But now he’d had a taste of her, now she’d given herself to him with a whole-hearted abandon that stunned him, he was lost. He didn’t know whether he even wanted to walk away from her when this was over.
For Kyan, who had already lost everything that mattered to him, the thought of losing his free will—depending upon a woman for whatever crumbs she deigned to throw his way—was anathema. He could hate her right now for what she’d done to him, what she’d reduced him to. Except that was a lie. Because whatever happened between them in the future, he could never bring himself to hate her. Not his Ruby.
He could love her, though. Oh yes. That was a distinct possibility. And, more than anything else that had happened since he tumbled into this world, that possibility scared him the most.
~~~
Chapter Eight
Kyan shook her awake. “Ruby.”
“Go ’way.”
“Ruby!” He attempted to yank down the duvet and sheet but she grabbed a handful and held on. A fierce tussle ensued until his superior strength won out, leaving her curled naked in the middle of the bed.
“You will be late for your training session.”
She groaned. “I’m too tired, Kyan. I’ll have to start it tomorrow.”
Silence reigned and she pried open one eye to reassure herself that he’d gotten the hint. The ambient temperature in her bedroom was cool, but not so cool that she couldn’t drift back to sleep. Which was exactly what she was doing when the mattress tilted, dumping her unceremoniously onto the floor.
“Hey!” She glared up at him through sleep-bleared eyes. “That was totally uncalled for.”
He didn’t strike her at all repentant, standing there, hands on hips, looking far too magnificent for her peace of mind. “If you wish to be fit enough to complete t
he challenge Mike tells me you have set yourself, then you must begin training as soon as possible. Today. Get up and get dressed, Ruby.”
“Sheesh! Who died and made you my drill-sergeant?”
“You have five minutes to get dressed, Ruby.”
“Or what?”
“Or I will drag you outside, as you are, and put you on your bike.”
Naked cycling? In public? “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. Very serious.”
She scowled at him, only now noticing he was already dressed in shorts, t-shirt and sneakers. He looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as though he’d had a full eight hours uninterrupted sleep before bouncing out of bed, ready to face the day. Bastard. She glanced at the clock. It wasn’t even quite 5.30 a.m. What sort of a person was that together this early in the morning?
She thought about curling up on the carpet and sleeping some more, but the gleam in his eye made her reconsider. Kyan was obviously a man of his word. And she didn’t want to be responsible for an unfortunate member of the public seeing her naked and requiring therapy for the rest of his life. Not to mention if dragging was involved, there would be the distinct possibility of carpet burns.
She rolled to her hands and knees and crawled to the chest of drawers to fish out some old clothes. She sat back on her heels, clutching the garments to her front, and pinned Kyan with an expectant glare.
“What is wrong, now?” he asked.
“Couldn’t you at least turn around while I get changed?”
His drill-sergeant demeanor softened. “Very well.” He turned his back. “Though why you feel shy now, after I have bedded you and seen you naked, I have no idea.”
Ruby managed a full-body blush as she struggled into her clothes. “That’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because it was dark and you couldn’t really see me.”
“I have acute nighttime vision, Ruby.”
Shit. “Really?”
“Indeed.”
“Oh.”
“And I do believe I saw you naked when I tipped you from your bed,” he said, his voice warm with amusement.
“Oh, yeah. Right.” She shuddered. Bet he’d copped an eyeful—enough to put any self-respecting male off his breakfast. She sat on the edge of the bed to put on her socks and running shoes.
Kyan turned around to confront her. “And from what I have seen, you are doing yourself a disservice, Ruby.”
“Yeah. Right.”
“Right.” He extended a hand.
She stared up at him, ignoring his gesture. All the uncertainty that had been banished during sex had come rushing back. It tumbled from her mouth. “Oh come off it, Kyan. There’s no need to beat around the bush with me. I’m very much aware of what I look like and it’s not pretty.”
He grabbed her hand and jerked her to her feet so they stood face to face. Or rather, her face to his chest, given difference in their heights. She didn’t mind. It was a very nice chest.
“You are a very special woman, Ruby. Your body is a woman’s body, all soft curves and generous, giving flesh. I enjoyed bedding you last night. And afterward, I felt—” His brows creased, and his gaze grew distant, as though he was searching deep inside for the right words.
“I felt as though I had discovered something precious—something I have been missing my entire life.” His face was filled with wonder, like a kid at Christmas time.
“Oh.” Ruby was one-hundred-percent certain she was glowing, and that her face sported a dopey grin. Kyan had enjoyed making love to her. She’d fulfilled him in some deep and meaningful weird way.
He hugged her, and pressed a kiss to her brow. “Perhaps this bond is designed to fulfill spiritual as well as physical desires. If so, then I am content to accept the Crystal Guardian’s choice.”
Her pleasure twisted into a noose that threatened to strangle her with cold hard facts and obligations.
The bond—this so-called mystical power that chosen her, an overweight, desperately lonely woman for this paragon of male perfection—was obviously scrambling Kyan’s brains, and overwhelming his natural inclinations. In real life, in Ruby’s world, for a man like Kyan she would be nothing but a pity-fuck. Or a bet with his mates as to who could screw the most undesirable woman.
She desperately wanted to believe otherwise, but she couldn’t discount everything Mike and Kyan had told her only yesterday. The truth was, anything Kyan felt for her couldn’t be real. It was fake. A means to an end. A warped and potentially devastating lesson he had to learn before he would be released from the spell that had imprisoned him. Pair the handsome Adonis with the fat chick, and teach him to look beyond first impressions—that true beauty was more than skin deep, or some such bollocks. And that would be fine if she could disconnect her heart from her head and accept Kyan as a fleeting gift, a treat to be savored like an award-winning wine or the finest Belgian chocolate before it inevitably melted on her tongue.
But it wasn’t going to work that way. He’d wormed his way into her heart and when he left, Ruby knew she would be broken and lost. Someone, somewhere, had either grossly miscalculated or was indulging in a bloody good laugh at her expense.
She suspected the former because she couldn’t bring herself to believe anyone could be so cruel as to pair her with Kyan, knowing that she would be so dreadfully hurt when the Testing was over. But who knew for sure? Maybe the Crystal Guardian was just a spiteful old bugger who enjoyed messing with people’s lives and making them miserable.
Kyan released her from his embrace and tugged on her hand. “Let us go, Ruby. Time is marching by.”
She allowed him to lead her outside, where their bikes stood waiting. He grinned at her, the sheer joy in his face eliciting a wan smile in return. “And the training commences. Are you ready, Ruby?”
She flung a leg over her bike. “Yep. I’m ready for anything.” Not. But at least the perils of the bike ride would take all her concentration and prevent her from brooding.
~~~
After risking life and limb in the horrendous Auckland traffic, nearly toppling off her bike every time some cheeky sod blared his horn, and having to practically sprint to the bus stop so she didn’t miss her ride to work, Ruby only wanted to collapsed behind her desk, stretch out her legs, and take a load off.
The best laid plans….
The instant she walked in the door she was greeted by a barrage of questions, and a bunch of calculating glances, doubtless gauging the possibility she might provide some further entertainment and faint dead away again. She smiled, fobbed them off, and headed for her desk hoping that would be the end of it.
No such luck.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Liz perched herself on the end of Ruby’s desk. The expression in her eyes promised the second Spanish Inquisition. “You look really buggered. Mike said it was probably just a virus but maybe you should go see a doctor, just to be sure.”
Ruby hid a yawn behind her hand. “I’m fine. Just a bit tired because I—”
“Didn’t get much sleep last night?” Caroline sashayed into Reception, smoothing her almost too tight, definitely too short, skirt down her thighs. She must have been lurking, waiting for Ruby to arrive.
“Do tell us why you’re so tired, Ruby,” she said, winking at Liz.
“I’m tired because I got up early and went for a bike ride before work.”
Caroline gave a ladylike snort and surveyed Ruby through narrowed, disbelieving eyes. “That’s not what I meant,” she said. “I heard—”
“Gee, Caroline. What a great start to the week. It’s—” Ruby glanced at her watch “—just gone eight-thirty Monday morning, and already the gossip-mongers are on the warpath. I’ll have you know, I’m taking this triathlon seriously. Which is why I got up at five-freaking-thirty to go for a bike ride. If you don’t believe me, you can ring Mike.”
“Oh, I already did that,” she said.
Ruby goggled at her. Bloody hell. “You’re kidding
, right?”
Caroline shook her head. “I rang this morning to check how you were, and see whether you were coming in to work. And who do you think answered the phone?”
Uh oh. Ruby bit her lip.
“Duh,” Liz said. “Mike answered the phone. He’s staying the week, after all. What’s the big fricking deal, Caroline?”
Please let it have been Mike who answered the phone. Please—
“Ruby’s stripper.” Caroline’s tone was so triumphant anyone would have been forgiven for thinking she’d won Lotto.
Ah crap. Busted. She was sooo going to have words with Kyan about answering her phone.
Liz’s eyes widened until she looked like a startled owl. “That gorgeous guy from your birthday party?”
“Which gorgeous guy from whose birthday party?” David, the manager of the real estate firm, chose that moment to walk into Reception with a bunch of client files that needed updating.
“The stripper from Ruby’s birthday party on Saturday,” Liz said.
“You had a stripper?” David fanned himself. “Way to go, sweetie! Wish I could have made it along.”
David was—to borrow her mother’s politically incorrect description—more fruity than a Christmas cake. He was very obviously gay, and didn’t give a toss who knew it. Doubtless he’d have been beating Caroline and the other women off with a stick for the honor of being first to squeeze Kyan’s bum.
“Was he hot?” David asked.
“Sizzling.” Liz sighed. “Wouldn’t you agree, Caroline?”
“Yes, I would. And—” she paused for dramatic effect “—if he was answering Ruby’s phone this morning, where do you think he spent the night?” She was making an effort to sound up-beat and pleased for Ruby’s good luck, but it came across totally fake.
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