Page 105 of Rebel (Renegades 2)
That hit Wes funny, and he laughed loud and long. Christ, he felt good. So damn happy. So relaxed. So…complete. He turned and glanced at Rubi and found her—and his parents—smiling at him.
When she ended the conversation and started toward Wes, he opened his arm at his side to circle her shoulders. Rubi walked right into the embrace—no hesitation, no veil on that beautiful face. She was open, happy, and calm—at least as far as he could tell.
Wes kissed Rubi’s hair, then lifted his bottle toward his sister. “This is my sister, Whitney. ”
Whitney shook Rubi’s hand. “That’s a record,” Whitney said, tilting her head toward her father. “You had him melting in five-point-two minutes. ”
Smiling, Rubi asked, “How long does it usually take?”
Wes and Whitney exchanged a glance, grinned, and said, “Years,” at the same time.
That brought a round of laughter. “Welcome, Rubi. You’ve had a long day, so I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. ” She set the beer down on the closest table and slapped Wes’s arm. “Good instincts, bro. ”
She wandered toward the kitchen, slipped behind the counter, and started cleaning up.
Wes turned and circled Rubi’s waist. “Impressive wouldn’t come close to describing what you just pulled off within twenty minutes of walking in the door. ”
“Exhausting might work. ” Her gaze lifted from his chest to his eyes. “I’m sorry, but I feel like I’m going to fall over. And I’m dying to lick that beer off your—”
“Sweetheart…” Wes’s mother approached and laid her hand on his back. Rubi bit the inside of her lip but couldn’t completely hide the sexy grin. “Rubi’s got to be tired after her day. Settle her in the guest room on the second floor, would you?”
His gaze searched Rubi’s, but he couldn’t read it. “Mama, I think Rubi might be more comfortable—”
“That sounds blissful,” Rubi said to his mother. “Thank you so much. ”
“Absolutely. I’m glad you’re here. ” His mother leaned in and gave Rubi an intimate hug. Then turned to Wes with a familiar I-mean-business glance. “You’re in Wyatt’s old room, son. ”
Wes did the only thing he could. He nodded with a soft “Yes, ma’am. ”
“Yes, ma’am. ”
Wes’s sweet, reverent words kept playing in Rubi’s head. And kept her smiling.
She lay in the comfy queen bed, surrounded by down pillows, down blankets, and colorful quilts, staring at the ceiling in the dim light cast from the private bathroom. She was overwhelmed by the complex day. She’d gone from nonstop invasions of privacy in LA to a cocoon of safety in Missouri—if not exactly tranquility. Downstairs, things had quieted. The kids had been the first to disappear, then slowly the multiple voices.
In the quiet, without the ocean waves to soothe her, thoughts overwhelmed her mind, emotions swamped her heart. She was truly exhausted but far too wound up to sleep.
She’d had different ideas for unwinding tonight, and they hadn’t included being alone in bed. That little quickie in the car hadn’t been near enough to satisfy her. She was beginning to feel like a nymphomaniac. She’d always walked away from other men satisfied with one fuck. But with Wes, the more she got, the more she wanted.
Rubi picked up her phone on the nightstand and texted Desiree.
RUBI: Can you put in another offer on Dolph’s house?
After a couple of minutes her phone vibrated:
DESIREE: Of course. Same amount as the last offer?
Rubi chewed on her thumbnail a moment.
RUBI: Up it half a million. But that taps me out.
DESIREE: Done.
She rolled to her side and cuddled a pillow close to the front of her body. Nothing would come of the offer, she was sure. But Wes was right; she couldn’t win if she didn’t play. Maybe Dolph would mix up the offers, and Rubi would get it by accident.
A click sounded, and Rubi glanced at the door. Wes slipped into the room—all clandestine and half-naked. Rubi propped herself up on her elbow and took in every last inch of skin above the waistband of his cargo shorts. “There is a God. ”
Wes grinned at her with a finger to his mouth, silently shushing her. Took one more glance down the hall and closed the door quietly. He turned toward the bed. “All the relatives are finally gone,” he said, his voice a whisper. “Kitchen’s clean. Whitney took the girls home to Tori and was going to check to see how Wyatt is settling in. ” He lifted a knee to the bed, leaned forward, and braced his hands beside her, then bent his elbows to lower himself until his lips barely touched Rubi’s in a tender, lingering kiss. “And Mom and Dad went to bed—right after issuing a stern ‘Stay in your own room, Wesley. ’”
