Page 38 of Taming Her Temptations

“I knew Steve wasn’t good enough for you, even back then.” My dad interjects as he lays a big platter of French toast on the kitchen table. He shakes his head and looks genuinely sorrowful as he says it. “He would just sit out in front in his expensive car, expecting you to run out to him. I thought about telling you not to date him.”

“Ugh, why didn’t you?” I know it’s an unfair question. I likely wouldn’t have listened, anyway.

“You know how it was back then,” his eyes meet mine, showing the intense sadness he usually does a better job of hiding. “I didn’t trust myself to know what was best for you. I’m sorry, gemstone.”

I know what he’s talking about without him saying it. I started dating Steve not long after mom died. My dad could barely keep himself together, let alone take over the role that mom played in our house. She’s who I would have confided with about dating.

I get up and hug him. “I was just kidding, Dad. You know I wouldn’t have listened to you even if you told me to.”

I spot Asher and Dean who are pretending to give us privacy as they teach Daisy how to use the spatulas like drumsticks on the floor, and Levi’s head is bent down, cutting into the French toast. Asher’s eyes dart to mine quickly and he gives me a soft smile. They probably shouldn’t be here for this moment.

Yet here they are. At another important moment in my life.

That’s sure been happening a lot lately.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Dean

Tonight is supposed to be all about one woman.

Petra Collins. The daughter of Steven’s close business partner, Mick Collins. And sure, she’s objectively a beautiful woman. But I’ve never been very good at being objective. In fact, I have a bit more of an obsessive personality. What I want is what I want, and fuck what other people say. This explains why I can’t take my eyes off the flowing brown hair I see bobbing from person to person, chatting up the entire room with ease. Our one and only Ruby Rivers.

I swear she has a sway to her hips she didn’t have before. I like to think this is because she finally knows what it feels like to be fucked into absolute bliss. But I think it’s more complicated than that. Somehow it feels like the news that Steven has done bad things to other people, not just her, broke something free inside her. It’s not anger that’s taken over her. She’s had that thrumming inside her for a while. No, it’s rebellion.

I wonder if she’s starting to see this world as fucking ridiculous, the way that I see it. But to be honest, I’m not sure that will come easily to her. She was raised in this. Actually, that’s not even true. She was raised just outside looking into all this pompous shit. And once she made it, she thought she reached the pinnacle. I can understand. We grew up with nothing. And once we made it to the big leagues, we thought we had everything we ever needed. But the truth turned out to be much more complicated. Because all the money and power still couldn’t give us the same high that Levi, Asher, and I got when we sat in our basement as shithead teenagers, making music that we knew was powerful. I’ve often wondered how many experiences Ruby has had out of the toxic Greenfield that could show her that life is so much richer than these fancy goddamn galas.

An idea hits me. I push myself away from the bar to track down our motley little crew. Before I can get far, I hear my name come from an unfamiliar feminine voice.

I whip around to find the woman who’s the goal for the night. She looks unsure as her eyes scan me up and down. “It’s Dean, right?” She asks questioningly when I don’t respond.

Shit. I have a duty to see this thing through.

I nod. “That’s me.”

She extends her hand. “Petra Collins. It’s nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s mine.” I do my best to form a smile as I take her hand.

She unconsciously licks her lips when our hands meet. I know that look. This is a woman who wants to fuck. She has perfectly neat blond hair pushed back into some fancy ponytail. I always wonder how some women don’t have one single hair out of place. She’s tall and thin and the dark blue dress she’s wearing is modest except for the way it clings to her chest, putting her round and likely enhanced, breasts on display right under a thick rope of diamonds.

She’s technically perfect in every way. I imagine her standing in front of a mirror and choosing the parts of her that didn’t fit into the cookie-cutter version of perfection that’s expected of her and fixing them. She could be on the cover of a magazine.

Yet it stirs nothing in me.

I’m not even entirely sure why. It just doesn’t. I’m too hyped up over the plan I was hatching in my head before she came over.

Yet she has her sights set on me, and I’m supposed to capitalize on that.

“Thanks for the invitation,” I say, already bored with myself.

“Oh, no problem. Sorry, it was so late. You guys weren’t on the list from last year.” She smiles apologetically.

“Yeah, just moved into town. We live near Ruby, actually.” I mention as I trace Ruby walking across the room. I sound like an absolute idiot. This isn’t even relevant information, but I guess she’s on my mind.

“Right, is that how she and Levi started dating?” She asks innocently enough.

It fires up something in me, though. I know they got together, of course. It doesn’t bother me. I knew Levi was into her and it’s fair game. But hell, if they're dating, then I'm dating her too, and she should include my name in her question.

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