“You could never leave the bathroom, and we’d miss out on the best steaks in Northern Wisconsin.”
I leaned my head against the mirror, refusing to turn to look at Gray. “He could hear something he’s not supposed to.”
I heard the door shut, then felt Gray’s big body come up behind mine. “What are you doing in here, Ruby?”
“Giving myself a pep talk?”
He braced his hands on the counter on either side of mine, caging me in against the vanity. Damn it, why was that so sexy?
“Sounded to me like you were working yourself up over all the things you think will go wrong.”
“Just trying to be realistic.”
“That’s a load of horseshit, babe. And considering I grew up on a ranch, you can consider me an expert on the stuff.”
Despite myself, I laughed and stepped back so I could turn to look him in the eye. Grayson moved back just enough to give me space to turn, but he kept me caged in.
“My uncle said worrying was as useful as a steering wheel on a mule. So he’d make me say all the things I was worried about. He used to say that if I heard my worries out loud, I’d realize how silly they sounded.”
Gray smiled. Up close the twinkle in his blue eyes was even more mesmerizing. “Sounds like a smart man, your uncle.” He reached up and brushed a curl off my forehead. “You look like your list didn’t convince you yet.”
I shrugged and averted my eyes from his intense look. I couldn’t think with all of Grayson’s attention directed solely on me. “Dating’s always been a bust for me. The last date I was on was over three years ago.”
“I’m a little rusty too,” Gray admitted in a quiet voice. “I’ve been looking forward to and dreading tonight for weeks.”
“So let’s just skip it and save ourselves all of this.”
“No way,” he said as he cupped my cheeks and brushed a thumb over my lower lip. “You look fucking phenomenal in that dress. And we will not waste that. If I don’t take you out, how am I going to get a goodnight kiss?”
The idea of a good night kiss from Gray short-circuited my brain. The evil man must have seen the effect he had on me because he chuckled before stepping back.
“Come on, Ruby,” he said as he grabbed my hand. “I’ve been waiting for this day for months.”
U
Gray
“I can’t believe you brought me here.”
I just smiled at Ruby as she angrily took the menu offered by the hostess and settled herself in the chair. The way she was acting, a person would think I’d taken her to a fast food joint instead of the classiest restaurant in the area.
“I asked around. Everyone said this was the best place for a steak in the area.” I looked around the dining room of the log cabin. The building had been converted to a restaurant sometime in the eighties to create an amazing space. There were massive vaulted ceilings, a fieldstone fireplace, and so many windows it felt like you were sitting in the middle of the forest. “I mean, it’s a little ostentatious, but if the food’s good, I can tolerate it.”
“Grayson, this place is for the tourists. The loaded ones that come to the fancy resort on Cedar Lake. I thought we were going to Jasper’s in Garrett. Not fucking-Château-La-Roch,” Ruby said in an angry whisper.
“You mean to tell me none of the locals eat here?”
Ruby scoffed. “The only people from town that I know come here are the mayor and the doctors from the clinic.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her expression. “Does it help at all that I also chose this place because I’m also here to talk their sous chef into cooking for us in the restaurant at the marina?”
“It helps, but you still could have warned me.” Ruby gestured at the gorgeous green dress that clung to every curve of her body. “I must stick out like a sore thumb. I got this dress at Walmart. You can be sure that every woman here knows it.”
“If that’s the type of outfit you can pull together from Walmart, I’m impressed.”
“That’s beside the point,” Ruby said. She made a little growl like an angry kitten. “Why am I even trying to explain to you? You’re a man. You won’t get it.”
“Guilty as charged, sweetheart. Let’s just order some drinks and enjoy the food. You can tell me all about growing up in the north woods, and I’ll bore you with stories about my family’s ranch. Then, at the end of the night, I’ll walk you to the door and get that kiss I’ve wanted since I stumbled into The Junction in March.”
Her cheeks pinked, and she looked away from me for a few beats. I was worried I’d gone too far.
Then she looked up and asked, “Why did you come in every week?”
My answer was interrupted by our server. “Hello, my name is Jess, and I’ll be your server today. Is this your first time visiting the Chateau?”
I glanced up, a young woman dressed in black stood to my left. She had a polite smile on her face and seemed to be intent on making eye contact only with me. I glanced at my date, but Ruby showed no signs that she intended to answer the girl’s question. So I ordered our drinks and told her we’d need a minute with our dinner order.
As soon as Jess left, I had to ask. “What was that about?”
“We went to high school together.”
“Not a friend, I take it?”
Ruby snorted and took a sip of water. “Not at all. I’m surprised to see her working here. The last I heard was she was going to school. Somewhere out west, I think.”
I couldn’t stand that she appeared so rattled. Vaguely, I had understood that Ruby lived on the fringe of the community, but I’d seen no one be outright rude to her. It was clear I had a lot to learn about the dynamics of my new hometown.
It had been a rough few weeks for Ruby, so rather than digging further into the whole Jess question, I answered her question from earlier. “I have insomnia,” I said. “I get an hour of sleep each night if I don’t wear myself out. So I go to the gym or go for runs. But in the spring, when running wasn’t possible because there was still snow, I’d get bored at night. The grocery store was the only other place open at one in the morning.”
Ruby tilted her head as she looked at me with a soft expression in her eyes. “I would have never guessed you have insomnia. You never seem tired.”
I shrugged. “I guess I’ve just gotten used to it over the years. As I’m getting older, it’s been harder and harder to fall asleep. After a workout one night, I got a craving for my ma’s famous enchiladas, so I walked over to the store. I remember you were cleaning the customer service desk and didn’t notice me right away.”
“I noticed,” Ruby said in a quiet voice.
I opened my mouth to respond, but Jess’s return interrupted me.
“All right, here’s your drinks. And have you decided on your entrees yet?” She faced me in an obvious snub to Ruby.
I wanted to say something, but Ruby was staring at me with a pleading look in her eyes. Fine, if she didn’t want a scene, I’d follow her wishes. “I’ll have the ribeye, medium-rare. Ruby, sweetheart, what would you like?”
Ruby narrowed her eyes a little but responded with, “The walleye.”
“Got it,” Jess said. “I’ll put that order in for you right now.”
I watched her leave before turning back to my dinner companion. “That chick sure has a stick up her ass.”
Ruby burst out laughing but quickly covered her mouth with her hand to muffle it.
“Seriously, what’s her deal?”
Ruby grabbed the wine I’d ordered for her and took a long sip before sitting back in her chair. “Her dad is the local Lutheran pastor. My family is Catholic, and I have an unwed stripper for a mom. Her and her entire family have very strong opinions about me and my family.”
“That’s pretty damn narrow-minded of them.”
Ruby shrugged. �
��You grew up in a small town. Surely you know the type.”
Unfortunately, I did. My mother was shunned by the “God-fearing” folks in my hometown for most of my life. Just because she’d refused to marry my piece of shit Dad.
I reached out to interlace my fingers with hers and would have responded, but Jess returned with our salads.
Ruby and I continued to hold hands and ignored her as she rambled on about the food. She must have realized we weren’t interested in her spiel because she didn’t linger after setting the last plate down.
Once she left, I sat back and picked up my whisky to take a fortifying sip. “My ma was the outcast in our town for years. She had no friends and no respect until she took over the daily operations of the ranch. Suddenly, she was in charge of this massive operation, and people started respecting her because of the land and money she had at her disposal.”
“I get that. When I lived with Adam, and Mom was out of town, I wasn’t as much of an outcast. I was good enough until she came back and started dancing.” Ruby shrugged and took a bite of her salad. She glared down at the plate and shook her head.
“Something wrong with the food?”
“I’ll never understand what the obsession is with adding fruit and sugary dressings to a green salad,” she muttered and smiled up at me. “Guess I just don’t have a refined palate.”
We both laughed and the heavy feeling that had descended over the table lifted. The rest of the meal passed by in easy conversation. She never finished the story about how her mom had gone from working at her uncle’s gallery to working at Foxie’s. I wanted to pry more, but after the initial strain, Ruby was a charming and quick-witted dinner companion. Despite the age gap of sixteen years, we found we shared a lot of the same likes in music, movies, and TV.
“It probably works out in my favor that your Great Uncle raised you,” I said as I sipped coffee and watched Ruby enjoy a slice of apple pie at the end of our meal.
“Hmm, probably. But if you want this date to end in your favor, you’re going to stop bringing up our age difference,” Ruby said and leaned back in her seat.
“I’ll admit I thought the difference was an issue for a while. It was part of the reason I couldn’t get the nerve to ask you out.”
Her lips twitched. “What changed your mind?”
“It never seemed to bother you,” I said and shrugged. “I saw how you looked at me every time I went in the store, how you were when I started coming around your house. I figured those looks weren’t because you thought I was some creepy old man.”
“You have no idea of your appeal, do you?” Ruby said with a laugh. She tilted her head to the side and seemed to scrutinize me.
“I’m okay,” I said and couldn’t stop an embarrassed laugh.
“I don’t know how you’d ever think a man like you—a good man, a kind man— how that kind of man wouldn’t be desirable to a woman. No matter her age.”
Her words warmed me, and I felt a clenching in my stomach. “It seems like we both need to understand our value better.”
Ruby smiled and saluted me with her wine glass. “Maybe we do.”
Chapter 20
Ruby
I’d been warring with my feelings for Gray for months. I’d finally let go and given my feelings the space they deserved, yet I felt paralyzed by indecision. I hated that I still couldn’t shake the last of my misgivings. The date had been one of the best of my life. Gray was the most interesting and attentive date I’d ever had. He seemed to understand when to switch the topic away from topics that were too deep and when to press me for a bit more information.
I hadn’t meant to share about Jess and the way townspeople treated me. But Gray’s open and accepting attitude had me spilling more than I ever had before. Before I gave away more than I’d been ready, Gray had changed the subject and started regaling me with stories of the cheating spouses he’d caught while working private security.
When the sous chef, Marcus, came to join us at the table, Gray included me in their discussion even though I had no connection to the marina. The entire night felt both wonderful and surreal. Maybe it was because I’d never gone to such a fancy dinner, or maybe it was because I’d never had such a handsome date. Whatever the reason, I knew this date would now be the standard I’d measure all future dates against.
After dinner, Gray escorted me out of the restaurant with a warm hand on my lower back. Even as I worried that he’d feel the little roll of fat that always escaped over my underwear, I reveled in the warmth of his touch. The night had turned cool while we were in the restaurant, so Gray had started the truck from inside the restaurant with his remote start. He then insisted I wait in the warm entrance as he drove the truck up to meet me.
How did one seduce a man?
Should I climb him like a tree and demand he take me?
Or should I play the coy femme fatal?
I had been trying to work that out the entire drive back from the restaurant. Unfortunately, the forty-five minute drive hadn’t been enough time to make a plan. I probably should have tried to read some articles in women’s magazines before tonight, but I’d been too busy with the girls and work.
The last time I’d had sex, it’d been a fumbling encounter after a bad Tinder date. That was three years ago. I still shuddered in embarrassment when I let myself think about that night. I’d immediately deleted the app and vowed to avoid dating apps at all costs.
Wouldn’t a man like Gray expect more than a quick pump and run? Or was this going to be a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am?
I sure as hell hoped not.
I’d shaved my legs all the way to the top and even cleaned up my bikini area for tonight. If I’d wasted that effort, I was going to be really pissed.
Gray pulled his truck up to the trailer and turned to me. “Stay there. I’ll help you out.”
That was his thing. He liked to assist me in and out of the truck. I didn’t care if that wasn’t feminist of me, it made him happy and I felt doted on.
Grayson opened my door and reached in a hand to help me down. I took a moment to decide, then launched myself into his arms. Of course, he caught me just as my arms locked around his neck.
“Ruby—”
I cut off his sentence as I molded my mouth to his. The feel of his lips against mine made me have a full body shiver, every sense in my body alight with the contact. The shock of my kiss took him only a beat to register before he wrapped me uptight and kissed me back.
Then the world tilted on its access, and my attempt at seduction failed.
Because Gray took control, and his kiss was more erotic than the chaste peck I’d initiated. His mouth, hands, and body were all involved and overloading my senses. There wasn’t an inch of me that didn’t feel affected.
Gray cupped my cheek in one rough hand and used his thumb to pull down my chin so he could get access to my mouth. As soon as I opened to him, Gray swept his tongue into my mouth and stroked me. He tasted like the last of our dessert and something unique to Gray, a taste that made me rub my body against his restlessly.
Gray took my meaning and boosted me up higher in his arms as he backed away from the truck and slammed the door closed. With his mouth still on mine, he navigated the dark yard up to my front door. He pinned me against the trailer, using his hips to help hold me up. Through the layers of our clothes, I felt the weight and shape of his arousal and moaned in appreciation.
“Keys,” Grayson panted against my neck as he kissed a path along the exposed skin.
“Purse. Dropped it.” I panted back and pointed a shaky finger toward the dark yard.
Grayson swore under his breath and leaned his forehead against mine. His breathing was just as choppy as mine, and I wondered how my fumbling kiss could turn on a man like Grayson Archer.
“Stay right there,” he demanded. His voice huskier than I’
d ever heard it before. “Don’t move.”
As if I had any choice?
I needed the wall to hold me up. My legs had gone to jelly about the time Gray’s tongue entered my mouth. Though the night was dark, I could make out Grayson’s form as he ran back toward the truck and my abandoned purse. In the dim light, I watched as he dumped the contents of my purse onto the seat.
Should I tell him the keys were clipped to my wallet?
Nah, he’d figure it out. Besides, it was too much fun watching Gray paw through my feminine products and receipts.
U
Gray
I was aware I was acting like a sex-starved man, but I couldn’t help it. As soon as her lips touched mine, all thoughts were erased from my head. All except for the one that demanded I get her inside and naked as soon as possible.
After several frustrating seconds of combing through the detritus from her purse, I finally noticed the key ring clipped to her bright pink leopard print wallet. I snatched up the ridiculous thing and slammed the door. I ran back to her as quickly as I could, all while trying not to look eager.
It felt like I had been thinking of tonight for years, not months. Though none of my daydreams had come close to picturing how beautiful she would look in a soft sweater dress or how her auburn hair would shine in candle lights. It was a good thing my imagination had been so stingy. Because if I had conjured those images, I’d never have been able to get anything done.
Before tonight, I could at least keep a bit of my sanity around Ruby. Now that I knew what she tasted like, what her skin smelled like, the sounds she made as my tongue stroked over hers, I was a goner.
“Here,” I said and thrust the wallet into her hands.
She laughed and turned to unlock the door. “Awfully sure I’ll ask you in, aren’t you?”
I wrapped an arm around her middle and pulled her against my body. I made sure she felt every hard part of me pressed against everything that was soft on her. “We’ll do whatever you want. However you want it. I assume nothing, but you can’t blame a man for hoping, can you?”
More Than Words Page 11