Their clothes in hand, they returned upstairs to the empty house and continued up to the second floor. Evan drew a bath, adding scented oil to the steamy water. They climbed in together, Evan behind Ruby, his legs stretched out on either side of her.
Words that had been forming ever since her decision to go again tried to rise in his throat. Don’t go. Not yet. But he refused to let them out of his mouth. Wasn’t it only the day before that he’d been freaked out at how close they were getting—how fast they were moving? It was only because he hadn’t been the one to make the decision to go first that he felt off kilter.
And wasn’t that part of Ruby’s unusual charm? Unlike every woman he’d been with since Marissa, Ruby didn’t cling. She had never made demands on him, never wrapped possessive tentacles around him, threatening to drag him under. He should be grateful and glad that things would end so simply and so cleanly, without any hysteria or female drama.
And Bob had given him a list of a thousand last-minute urgent tasks to get ready for the grand opening. This way, he was free to fully focus on his work.
He wrapped his arms around the lovely, petite girl leaning against him and nuzzled his face in her soft hair. “Ruby,” he whispered, a sudden spasm of longing piercing his heart like an arrow.
She twisted out of his embrace and turned in the water so she was facing him. She cradled his face in her hands and then kissed his mouth lightly. “Let’s go to bed.”
~*~
They dried each other with big, fluffy towels and then brushed their teeth, standing side by side at the single sink, watching each other in the mirror. When Ruby was done, she set her toothbrush in the cup set there for the purpose and turned around to see her marks.
“Ooh,” she breathed, meeting Evan’s eye in the mirror. “Those are awesome.” Some of the welts were already fading, but there were a few darker ones that would remain for several days—a sweet reminder of their last night together.
“Glad you like them. I had fun giving them to you.” Evan smeared another layer of Arnica over the welts, and then they went together to the bed. Ruby set her phone alarm for five o’clock, as she had an early flight out. It was already past eleven, but she could sleep on the plane.
“Just lie back and relax,” she said to Evan. “I want to give you a full body massage.”
He lay on his stomach and she straddled his thighs. She started slowly, working from his lower back upward, carefully pressing her fingers along either side of his spine. His shoulders were tight, and she spent a long time kneading the knotted muscles until they yielded at last, loosening and easing under her touch. She moved down his back again, massaging each section until it was soft and pliant beneath her fingers.
Then she climbed off him so she could focus on his long, muscular legs. She worked the thighs first and then moved down to the calves. Finally, she focused on his feet, pressing the padded ball, arch and heel of each foot and then pulling gently at each toe as the last of his tension slid away beneath her touch.
“Evan?” she said softly, thinking to turn him over and straddle his lovely cock for a good-night fuck before they slept.
He was still, his breathing deep and even.
“Evan?” she said a little louder, shifting so she could see his face. His eyes were closed. “I want to make love to you before we sleep.”
He didn’t move, save for a soft snore between parted lips.
With a rueful chuckle, Ruby snuggled up against him and closed her eyes.
She woke some time later. The room was pitch dark. A heavy but comfortable weight was on top of her, something hard nudging between her legs. As she came more fully conscious, she wrapped her arms around Evan’s back and arched her hips upward, eagerly taking him inside her.
They made love without speaking, Ruby still half-caught in a dream. Evan’s hard, thick cock moved perfectly inside her, sending several sweet, powerful climaxes radiating through her body. He stroked her face as he fucked her, as if memorizing it with his fingers.
He came with a quiet cry, his body heating suddenly on top of hers as he held her tight. Then he slid from her, lowering himself until his face was between her legs. He licked her clit, which was swollen and throbbing from the lovemaking.
She moaned, shifting slightly to get away from the overstimulation of his tongue against her. But he held her fast, his hands on her inner thighs. He licked and suckled until she stopped resisting him. His warm, insistent tongue lapped over her, the intensity of the pleasure mounting until it burst out of her in a powerful series of orgasms strung together like beads that he pulled from her, one by one by one…
She was only dimly aware as he pulled himself up beside her in the dark. As he took her into his arms, she slid helplessly back into a deep, dreamless sleep…
~*~
Evan was awake when Ruby’s phone alarm started to chirp. She didn’t react, still dead to the world. She looked so peaceful lying there. Her dark hair lay in a riot around her face, her long lashes brushing her soft cheeks. He hated to wake her, and even toyed with the sudden, evil idea of turning off the alarm and going back to sleep. If she missed the flight, oh well…
But no, he wouldn’t do such an immature thing. She had a plane to catch, and he’d promised to get her to the airport. He reached for her phone and turned off the alarm. Then he shook her gently. “Ruby. Ruby, wake up. It’s time to get up. Your alarm went off.”
She opened her eyes, a smile moving over her pretty mouth as she focused on his face. “Evan. I was just having the best dream.”
He grinned. “You can tell me all about it on the way to the airport. Now, get that pretty little butt in gear. You’ve got a plane to catch.”
When they came downstairs, to their surprise, Liam and Allie were in the kitchen, the coffee brewed, blueberry muffins on the table, bacon sizzling in the frying pan.
“Hey, you guys didn’t have to get up,” Ruby said, smiling at them.
“We wanted to,” Allie, still in her robe, said from the stove. “You need a good breakfast before you travel.” She dumped a mound of scrambled eggs onto a plate and approached the table.
Evan caught Liam’s eye. He was already seated, a cup of coffee in front of him. He was shirtless, his hair mussed, his expression bleary. Evan grinned, and Liam smiled sleepily back. Clearly, their getting up early hadn’t been his idea.
“We’ve got a little time,” Evan said, sliding onto a chair and reaching for the coffee pot. “This was really thoughtful of you, Allie. You guys have been amazing hosts.”
“You really have,” Ruby agreed enthusiastically as she took a muffin and put it on her plate. “If you guys ever got tired of your day jobs, you could open a BDSM bed-and-breakfast. How many B&B’s have a fully equipped dungeon?”
Liam piled his plate with bacon and eggs. He handed the egg platter to Evan, who shook his head. “I don’t have much of an appetite in the morning,” he explained. The truth was, his stomach was in knots. He doubted he’d be able to get any food past the lump in his throat. “Coffee’s great, though.”
Ruby ate two muffins and several pieces of bacon. Evan smiled as he watched her. He loved that she wasn’t always obsessing about her weight, as so many women seemed to. Was there anything about her that he didn’t love?
Well, yes. There was a rather huge thing. She was leaving him in a couple of hours, and she wasn’t the least bit teary or apologetic about it. As sweet and loving as she’d been since the moment he’d met her, she seemed perfectly content to let it end. What was wrong with her? She was behaving just like…just like he always did…
They said their goodbyes to their hosts and headed out to Evan’s rental, Ruby’s overnight bag and huge backpack in tow. Allie and Liam had assured Evan he was welcome to stay at their place as long as he needed, but Evan doubted he’d take them up on it. That bed would be entirely too large and empty, now that Ruby would no longer be in it. Better to make a clean break, just like always.
They were quiet
on the drive to the airport. There was little traffic, and they made it in record time. At the airport, everything went smoothly, and before Evan knew it, Ruby was checked in and standing at the security gate for international flights.
“Well, here we are,” Evan said, his tone over-bright.
Ruby looked up at him, her large, dark eyes suddenly pooling with tears. “I’m going to miss you, Evan Stewart,” she said, reaching up to pull him into an embrace.
He held her tightly, blinking back tears of his own. He was the first to pull away. He’d never liked long goodbyes. “Have a safe flight, Ruby. If you think of it, text me that you arrived safely.”
Now, why had he said that? That implied some kind of ownership—some kind of ongoing connection that he had no right to assume.
But Ruby just smiled and nodded. “I will,” she said softly. “Thanks for everything. You’re an amazing man, Evan.”
“Back at ya, babe,” he said stupidly, aware even as the words tumbled from his mouth that he sounded like an idiot. He started to say something else, but Ruby had turned away, already caught up in the snaking line moving toward the security gate.
Chapter 14
Ernesto, the Mexico coordinator for Volunteers Around the World, was waiting at the gate when Ruby arrived at the airport in Mexico City. “Hola, amiga,” he cried happily as she came through customs. He was a big, burly man with a mop of graying curly hair and a full beard. He caught her in a bear hug as she reached him.
“It’s so good to see you,” Ruby said, falling naturally into Spanish. “It’s been too long. How are Maria and the kids?”
Ernesto insisted on carrying Ruby’s bags. They caught up on each other’s lives as they made their way out of the crowded airport, though Ruby left out any discussion of her BDSM lifestyle, which would probably have given her old friend a heart attack.
They stopped at a phone kiosk to buy a SIM card for Ruby’s phone and then made their way outside to a beat-up Chevy that was idling by the curb. A man with the dark, blue-black hair and chiseled features of an indigenous Mexican looked up with a nod and a smile as they approached. He popped the trunk, and Ernesto loaded Ruby’s things.
Ernesto climbed in beside the driver as Ruby sank gratefully into the backseat, tired from the long day of travel.
“This is Carlos,” Ernesto said, looking from Ruby to the man beside him. “He’s the maintenance man for our building and an excellent driver.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Carlos,” Ruby said with a smile. “Thanks for coming to get me.”
“My pleasure, señorita,” Carlos replied, his eyes crinkling good-naturedly.
As they pulled away from the curb and inched their way into the traffic, Ruby popped the new SIM card into her phone and then shot a quick text to Allie to let her know she’d arrived safely.
Allie responded back immediately. “Thanks for letting me know. We miss you already!”
She sent back a heart emoticon and then started a text message to Evan. “Arrived safely. I miss you so fucking much already.”
Wait a minute. What was she doing?
She deleted the second sentence.
Before she could hit send, Ernesto twisted back to update her on all the latest scandals and emergencies that plagued their nonprofit program. Ruby did her best to engage in the conversation, trying to put Evan out of her mind.
She failed.
Leaving him had been harder than she’d expected. She wasn’t one to linger when it was time to go. So why was it so hard now?
He’d been reserved on the ride to the airport, barely glancing at her or speaking to her. She understood he hadn’t wanted her to leave. She’d seen the look of raw longing and pain that had spasmed across his features as they’d said goodbye. If he’d said something—anything… But he hadn’t asked her to stay.
Recalling it now, her heart contracted with longing and remorse.
What the hell am I doing here?
Why had she agreed to cover for Alan? Surely he could have found someone else? Why had she left Evan when they still could have had nearly a week together?
If he’d asked her to stay, would she have?
Okay, hold on. This isn’t like you, second-guessing yourself.
Whatever amazing connection they’d shared over the past ten days, it was over now. She still had a few of the marks from the delicious caning he’d given her, but those would be gone soon, leaving only her memories. What was done, was done. She’d made a choice, and she would need to live with its consequences. By the time she finished this teaching assignment, he’d have left Portland for who knew where.
What she needed was a fresh start. She’d been bumming around in the US for long enough. She’d always wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand. Maybe that would be her next adventure.
When Ernesto finally faced front again, Ruby looked down at the unsent message on her phone. She typed a little more. “Arrived safely in Mexico City. Miss you already.”
Before she continued to overthink it, she hit the send button. Why shouldn’t she admit she missed him? Because the truth was, though it had only been twelve hours or so since they’d parted, she missed him with every particle of her being.
They pulled into the VAW headquarters, a crumbling two-story apartment building in the Tabacalera district that had been transformed into a teaching center and hostel. Carlos drove off with a wave, and Ernesto took Ruby to the small bedroom where she’d be staying. It was one of the nicer rooms with its own WC, though the communal shower was the down the hall.
“Maria is waiting for me,” Ernesto said, “but Isabella and Gordon are around here somewhere. They want to take you to dinner.”
“Terrific,” Ruby said. “I can’t wait to see them again.”
The couple oversaw the various volunteer programs VAW conducted all around Mexico, while Ernesto handled the recruiting and non-profit funding. Ruby especially liked Isabella, a sweet, soft-spoken woman with a will of steel. If something needed doing, Isabella was the one to get it done.
Ernesto’s mention of dinner made Ruby’s stomach growl, the breakfast back in Portland a distant memory. She had subsisted on pretzels and crappy coffee for most of the day. “And dinner sounds great. I could really go for some chilaquiles verdes.”
As Ruby put away her few things and washed up, she tried not to obsess over Evan’s lack of response to her text. She shoved her phone into her bag, ordering herself to forget about it.
The evening passed quickly as Ruby caught up with her friends, ate great food and drank too much tequila. When she finally pulled her phone from her bag to steal a surreptitious look, she saw that the battery had died, which made her feel better regarding its silence.
When she got back to her room, she plugged in the phone and powered it up. Her heart jolted pleasantly as she looked at the screen. There was a text from Evan, and her finger actually trembled slightly as she clicked it open.
“Glad you arrived safe. Be well.”
Not exactly a declaration of undying love, but better than nothing.
~*~
The key was to stay busy. He took care of all Bob’s last minute issues and helped the various vendors get their displays ready. While he was working, he actually managed to put her out of his mind for whole minutes at a time.
Despite their kind offer to let him stay, Evan had moved out of the Byrne house and into a spare room in Bob’s place for the duration of the week. Though he told himself it would be easier this way, since Bob and he had a lot to do, the truth was he didn’t want to stay in that bed with Ruby no longer beside him.
He sent the Byrnes one of Taggart’s gorgeous hand-braided bullwhips as thanks for their generous hospitality. As he signed the note he included with it, he nearly added Ruby’s name, but caught himself in time.
She hadn’t called, and taking her cue, he hadn’t either. Instead, she sent him breezy texts from Mexico, as if they were just pals who had shared a fun week. He responded in kind, keeping
it neutral.
On Wednesday, Bob discussed in detail with Evan his latest potential project overseas. “My BDSM Connections personals and product sites are really taking off in Europe and Great Britain, and I want to set up a BDSM Connections Event Center in London. There’s this fantastic private BDSM club coming up for sale. I know the couple that’s selling it. They’ve given me first dibs, if I’m interested. It’s got a fully equipped dungeon, plus rooms for munches, demonstrations and play parties.”
“That sounds like an ideal setup. You’ve got an excellent model in place now,” Evan said enthusiastically.
“Yeah,” Bob agreed with a wide grin. “I’ve got a lot going on in the States right now, but if you were available and willing, I’d love to send you over there in a week or so to check out the club in person. Because there’s a fully equipped dungeon that’s already licensed for BDSM play, I’m thinking we might want to actually run it as a nightly club, which would require a full-time presence. A couple of months should be enough time to get it up and running to our specifications, especially if you had someone working with you. After that, we’ll put someone local in as manager.”
When Bob mentioned the sum of money he’d pay Evan, it was a no-brainer, especially when he added in a bonus incentive if things were in place in less than two months. If the place already had a good presence, it should be doable.
“…especially if you had someone working with you…”
Ruby would be the perfect partner to help him get the project off the ground. She was experienced and comfortable in the scene and wouldn’t have an issue with picking up and moving overseas for a few months.
The thought had leaped into his mind before he could censor it, but once it was lodged in his brain, it refused to budge. Just to test out its validity, Evan asked casually, “Did you have someone in mind as my partner or…?” He let the sentence trail off.