Page 56 of Conflicted
“Why a wolf?”
Ruby relaxed further as they chitchatted about the tattoo and reasons people selected certain designs. Bob didn’t push for the reason she called him until Ruby summoned the courage to address the matter herself. “I’ve been thinking about Nathan and Will.”
“Figured as much.”
“I misunderstood my parents’ relationship for so long. My entire youth, I saw my mother hurting, pining away. I thought my father broke her heart.” Ruby halted in her steps, pulling Bob to a stop, too.
He shifted to face her. “You know you refer to him as your father now?”
“Yeah.” She wrinkled her nose. “I came to think of him as father over the last couple of weeks.”
“That’s good.” The approval in his voice and his expression drove away the cold inside.
“Still, relationships. I don’t want to get consumed by one.”
He canted his head to one side, while he considered her comment. “You know, a relationship, either kinky or vanilla, is a bit like the sun and clouds. They balance each other. Without clouds, the sun burns too hot and too bright, but solar activity directly affects cloud formation. They belong together.” He nudged her.
Ruby slowly nodded as they continued walking. “That’s one way to look at it. Still...” Thoughts tumbled through her head—too fast and confusing to grab them. Like a word cloud, one sentence seemed to increase and grow, the letters getting less blurry. “I love them.”
“There you go.” Bob didn’t lose his stride, but he pulled her closer again. “I’m not sure if the butt heads deserve your love, but the heart rarely sees reason.”
Ruby twisted and glance at his face. Cast in the shadows, she couldn’t see his bearded lips, but she didn't miss the twinkle in his eyes.
“You like them for me.” She made it a statement instead of a question.
“I do.” White teeth flashed. “Now all we have to do is figure out how to tell your stupid men.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ruby shifted her weight for what must have been the tenth time in the last five minutes. Her fingers and toes tingled as she waited for the men to arrive. A quarter of an hour ago, Bob escorted her to the top floor’s huge open space and ordered her to strip and kneel. Why she had to be naked for her talk with the men was beyond her. Bob’s answer when she asked him didn’t help in the least. “I want you to be completely open, exposed, and honest with them.”
The prospect of opening up to them and showing her vulnerability left her feeling more exposed than her physical nakedness - her nipples peaked, and she shifted restlessly. How much longer do I have to wait?
The door opened, and she sucked in a breath. Will’s left eye was black and partly shut. Nathan’s left cheek appeared slightly swollen. Before she mentally processed her decision, she was on her feet and standing in front of them. “What happened to you?” She turned her anger to Bob, who entered behind the men. “Did you do this?”
“What?” Bob took a hasty step back.
