“Would you feel better about my razzing you if I take my shirt off?”

“Ugh. I’m going back to bed.” She turns to leave but I grab her wrist, stopping her. I don’t know what’s happened since I’ve come back from London, but I don’t like the awkwardness between us.

“Wait. Don’t. I’ll stop. Come have something to eat with me.”

“I have to get ready for rehearsal.”

“What time do you have to be there? I can drive you. Come sit with me. You have to eat before you go, right? Let’s have lunch.” Shit. I sound really fucking desperate right now. Maybe because I am. “I haven’t seen you since I got back, Ruby. It’s like you’re avoiding me.”

Her eyes drop.

“Are you?”

She fidgets with her fingers. This isn’t the Ruby I’m used to. “I’ve been working and so have you.”

“Is it because of what happened the other night? You ending up in my bed?”

“I wasn’t really awake.”

“So you admit it.” Thank fucking Christ. I thought I was losing my damn mind.

That gets me an annoyed glare, which I like a lot better than this sudden insecurity. “Are you serious with this?”

“You had me questioning whether or not I was imagining things. I knew it was way too visceral to be a dream.”

Ruby purses her lips. “You’re going to get on me about this now, too? It was an accident.”

“You’re more than welcome to have more accidents like that any time you want.”

Ruby’s mouth drops open. I want to close the space between us. I want to slip my thumb into her mouth and feel her lips close around it. I want to know if she’ll suck or bite, but I have a feeling if I do, I’m going to create more distance rather than less.

“Well it wouldn’t have happened if you’d been smart enough to lock your door!” she fires back.

“Like you’ve been locking yours?”

She blinks. “Why are you trying to get into my room when I’m sleeping?”

“Because you’ve been avoiding me.”

“I have not!”

“Have too.”

She plants her fists on her hips. “Is this a kindergarten fight? Are you going to stick your tongue out and say neener-neener?”

I can’t and don’t want to contain my grin. I can see she’s trying to keep a straight face, but is unable to maintain it. Her grin is exactly what I need to see.

“I missed you this week.” I take her hand and tug her toward the kitchen. “Come hang out with me before you have to leave.”

Her fingers wrap around mine and squeeze for a second. “Okay.”

* * *

The following Friday, Armstrong, his friend Drew, some guy I’ve never met before and I’m not sure I like, and my brothers follow me down the hall to my condo. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the guys over to watch a game, and I’m not sure how well it’s going to go with the way Lex keeps making snide comments to Armstrong every chance he gets. Those two are competitive, particularly when it comes to women, and I really never understood why.

But tonight, since Ruby’s out until who knows what time, I figured it would be good for me to do something other than wait for her to come home. It’s starting to be a problem. Well, it’s been a problem for a while, but it’s getting worse. Ever since the night she ended up in my bed.

I’d like to say I’ve figured out a way to manage this situation, but I haven’t. Ruby’s hours are opposite mine, so we’re rarely home at the same time and I’ve been stuck at the office until late almost every day this week so we haven’t seen much of each other and when we do she’s always skittering away like I make her nervous. Even the innuendo-laden banter has died since my return. I can’t corner her long enough to find out what the hell is going on.

Tonight there’s no sexual tension to contend with because Ruby’s working. I hold my thumb to the censor, waiting for my print to register. There’s a brief lull in Armstrong’s monologue and the sound of bass registers. It vibrates through my feet and my hand as I turn the knob. Maybe Ruby left the TV on, or the stereo.

Neither hypothesis is correct, I find, as soon as I open the door.

The sight I’m greeted with is immediately stored in the vault in my head labeled “Jerk It.” In the middle of my living room are five women. Five scantily clad women, wearing heels, with their asses facing the door.

I can pick Ruby’s out immediately. She’s on the far right. Closest to me. She’s wearing my favorite fucking shorts.

“Is this a surprise bachelor party? Did you buy me strippers?” Armstrong sounds far too excited about this.

“They’re not strippers,” I snap.

Except the way these women are moving, the sway of hips and the shaking of booty makes me question whether or not what I’ve just said is true.

They do some kind of dirty, thrusty spin, until they’re facing the door. They’re all so caught up in the synchronized routine and following the one in the middle, who is shouting directions, that they fail to notice us right away. My focus is solely on Ruby and the way her leg does this pinwheeling thing, followed by a kick in which she catches her ankle, while it’s beside her ear.

That level of flexibility will be fantastic in bed. When I get her back into mine. I would like that to be right now.

“I know the one on the end.” Drew points at Ruby.

As she releases her leg she notices me, and the rest of the guys standing in the doorway.

Her perfect, pouty mouth, forms the words oh shit, but I can’t hear them because the music is so loud. She stumbles a little, her eyes going wide. She runs, in heels that look rather dangerous, across the room and stops the music.

“What’re you doing?” The woman in the center yells. “We’re in the mid—”

Ruby cuts her off, eyes on me. “I thought you were out tonight.”

“I thought you said you were out,” I reply. My voice is gravel-truck-rumble low.

“You said you were watching the game with the guys.” Ruby’s is atypically high.

“I am. You said you had rehearsal.”

“I do. We are. I’m so sorry. When you said you were watching the game I thought you meant at a bar, not here.” Ruby’s a little sweaty, her bangs are damp and sticking to her forehead. There’s a sheen to her skin and her cheeks are flushed. It’s very similar to how I imagine she might look when I’m making her come, hard and repeatedly.

She’s also wearing so little that it’s easy to imagine such an event rather vividly. She’s paired her tiny shorts with a sports bra. Her abs looks incredible. All of her looks incredible. The bra isn’t one of those ones that reduces a chest into a uni-boob state, though. It’s strappy and sexy and it looks a little complicated to take off, like something I might accidentally tear in my zeal to get her naked. Which I am very interested in doing right now.

“Ruby?” Drew’s voice drags our eyes off each other and over to him.

Her eyes go wide. “Drew?”

“You two know each other?” I ask. Actually, I think it may be more of a growl.

Her gaze flickers back to me and then away again.

“Wow.” Drew’s eyes slide over her frame in a way that seems entirely too familiar. “It’s been a while. You filled out nicely.”