Page 59 of My Ruthless Husband

My head snaps up and I lunge for it. “Hello!” I gasp, breathless.

“You’re upset.”

I shiver at his deep voice. Oh, how I missed his voice. Melting back down on the couch, I curl my legs underneath me.

“River?”

“Yes!” My heart begins to beat harder.

“I see,” he murmurs and that’s when I realize what he had said and I just confirmed it.

“No! I mean I’m not upset.” I squeeze the phone with both hands.

“You always answer on the first ring.”

“I do?” I murmur distractedly. I don’t know what happens to me when it comes to him. One minute, I want to talk his ears off, to spill everything I’ve been holding in, and the next, I’m speechless, unable to string two words together. Is this what love does to you? Turns you into someone you barely recognize?

“You mad at me?” he asks quietly in that deep voice that makes my toes curl.

Squeezing the phone tighter, I confess, “I missed you.”

There’s a pause before he speaks, “A major deal went south, and I’ve been busy fixing things for the past four days.” The words has an unexpected edge of guilt, a rare crack in his usual composure. He’s not just explaining himself—he’s offering more than he normally would, like he’s trying to apologize for ghosting me.

“What are you doing right now?” he asks.

“I-I…” My words falter. What was I even doing before I just threw myself on the couch like that? I glance around the living room, hoping it’ll give me some sort of clue.

“Have you eaten?”

“Does granola bar counts?”

He sighs. “I’m coming to get you.”

“What?”I glance down at myself and cringe. I’m definitely not presentable for company—especially his!

“I told you how I feel about you skipping meals.” His voice sends a shiver down my spine. Is this just his way of looking out for a friend? Or is there something more beneath it?

Moments like this make it hard for me to remember that we are just friends. It becomes really difficult to keep my feelings in check.

I clear my throat, trying to hide the excitement in my voice. “Showing up this late at a girl’s place… doesn’t that break your gentlemanly rules?” I tease.

The moment the words slip out, a flicker of doubt hits me. Did I cross a line? Maybe my teasing was too much, too soon. But I can’t help it. I need to know where I stand with him. Testing the waters with a bit of flirting feels like the safest way to catch a glimpse of his real feelings.

It’s been driving me crazy, not knowing how he really feels. Is it possible that he might want more than friendship, too? Or am I reading too much into his actions?

There’s a brief pause on the other end of the line. Then, “I never claimed to be a gentleman.”

His response catches me completely off guard, and warmth floods my face. I bury my head into the couch cushion, trying to muffle the soft giggles bubbling up as my cheeks burn.

“And I never said I’m coming up. I said I’m coming to get you.”

Of course. Says he’s no gentleman but proves that he is by staying in his boundaries. “But I’m not ready to go out. I look hideous!”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

When he says he’s hanging up, I cry out, “Wait!”

“Yes, River?” There’s a hint of amusement in his tone and something tickles in my chest.

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