Page 16 of Soul Food

“You look tired,” Jayne observed Ruth as both of them gave Lars a good rub down.

Ruth closed her eyes. “I am. This always happens when I get home from a tour, or just home in general. I want to sleep. I don’t ever get enough of it.”

“Then sleep.”

Ruth opened her eyes and sighed. “I don’t want to sleep, not when there’s so much I want to do.”

Lars was right, her impending death was weakening the soul I spent years nurturing. She was supposed to be my most delicious meal. My biggest reward for going so far to take care of it.

I brought it to its peak. It was mine to devour.

I gazed at Ruth Thomas.

A deal was a deal. She had two more months. Even though she was hurting what was mine, I wouldn’t change my word.

For I knew, a soul like Ruth’s was a rare treat I would never find anywhere else.

Chapter Five

RUTH

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

Jayne ignored me as she impatiently checked her watch and waited by the wooden double doors. Supposedly, on the other side of those doors was Amit. With him was Jordan, vice president of Black Hearts, and Diana, Amit’s secretary and the one that pretty much did everything for him. The new band they were signing off on was with them.

Only I wasn’t too convinced. These schemes of Jayne’s had been a let down before. I just wanted to meet Amit Kingston and thank him for everything he’d done for me. The demon somehow gave me this opportunity, most likely compelling someone in the company like he had lured me to the bookstore. But for whatever reason, it was Amit that looked out for me. Also, to say that I was curious about him would be an understatement. He was known for his good looks that he refused to advertise or boast about even though an attractive president would only help boost the company’s image.

An attractive man who refused to let me meet or see him but had my back when it came to my career and the press... Of course, I wanted to see him for myself. Even Jayne got to see him a handful of times and spoke to him over the phone regarding me.

With every passing second that we stood in the hall, however, the more ridiculous I felt. I shouldn’t be wasting my time here but I was. Pushing off the wall, I sighed. “I’m going to go grab a drink from downstairs, do you want anything?”

“No, no, no,” she hissed as she came and grabbed my shoulder. “You can’t leave for one second because when Amit isn’t needed anymore, he leaves. Honestly, I’ve never seen someone disappear so quick.”

“Jayne, I’m twenty-eight. This is making me feel slightly ridiculous.” I didn’t have to say why. The fact that I kept trying to catch a glimpse of Amit was childish enough.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see the guy who is probably your number one fan.” She winked, and I shook my head at her. “You need to thank him like you said.”

“What if he hates me?” I pulled my arm away from her. “He knows how valuable I am for the company. That’s why he has my back so that I’ll keep collaborating with his artists. There’s a reason he doesn’t want to meet me. I should respect that.”

She gave me the stink eye. “You’re nervous. The appeal of him itself has unnerved you, and—”

“Jayne.”

“—Anndddd…You seriously need to stop being so suspicious of everyone. Not everyone’s Liz… Although a good bit of them are in your world, but still.”

Our conversation was over abruptly as the conference doors opened. I tensed completely as Jayne pulled us to the side and waited for the big reveal—if Amit was truly in there. Heat slid up the back of my neck. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to strike a conversation with a man that never once asked to meet me in person. Then I remembered I was Ruth Thomas. The SoulGoddess.DarkGoddess even. I walked into a recording room and it belonged to me. I stepped out onto a stage and owned it. I’d survived death threats, assaulting reporters, and relentless paparazzi. Why should I be nervous? I wanted to meet and thank the president for all these years. After all, I was running out of days to do things.

The first three guys that stepped out must have been members of the newly signed band. By the looks of them, they were an indie rock band with no idea how big Black Hearts was about to make them. Tattoos, slinky arms, and piercings were the very definition of them, but despite their lanky frames, they were attractive guys that wouldn’t have to survive off ramen noodles after today.

Next came Jordan, my breath caught as my expectation grew worse. Diana walked out beside Jordan. Then came the man himself. He yanked at his tie and looked absolutely tortured about being here. His secretary turned around and tried to get him to look at something on one of the papers in her hand. He pushed dark strands of hair off his forehead and more than anything, just looked like someone that wanted toleave.

Heat burned low in my belly, igniting a chemical reaction to what stood before me. My skin broke out in goose bumps, delicious tingles on my flesh as I stared.

My heart did this strange thing, and by strange, I meant it catapulted straight toward the sheer primal radiating male several feet away from me. He probably took something away from every female that looked his way. There was something about him that called to my baser instincts because along with this unwanted heat spiraling through me, came the same natural fear I felt when hearing his voice over the phone.

He didn’t look right confined in this space, or in that black suit he wore. I tried to picture a place in my head where he would fit in and came up blank. He was monstrous—at least 6’5”. Light creamy skin and full pink lips. His eyebrows were just as dark as his hair, and somehow they looked just as angry as his scowl, heightening the perplexing fear you felt when looking at him. His nose was long yet aligned perfectly with his structured jaws.

Amit was intimating. I think that had to be why he made me feel as flushed as I felt.

---