Page 58 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

ChapterTwenty-Six

Ruby

Idon’t know how long we lay like that. Quite some time. Eventually, he stands and pulls his pants up. Then he undresses me tenderly and settles me in my comfy sweats and vest top.

Once I’m in bed, snuggled under the duvet, he strokes my face and with a sad smile, he turns towards the door.

“Stay,” I say, needing him not to leave me.

He turns back and climbs on the bed, over the covers and takes me in his arms.

“Are you okay?” I ask after a minute of courage gathering.

He peers down at me. “Yes. I’m more concerned for you.”

“I’m okay. I just mean, you know, you didn’t finish…” I bite my lip and trail off.

He chuckles. “Oh, don’t worry about me, Princess. Nothing a wank won’t sort later.”

I giggle. “Wank,” I choke out. “Such a funny word.”

He snickers. “I’m used to that anyway. Every time I saw you in Giselle’s, before you knew who I was, I would have to go and have a wank, thinking about you and wanting so badly to tell you that I knew you.”

“I was so attracted to you. I wish you had told me sooner,” I murmur.

“I do too. I was scared, I guess. It was easier to be a ghost.”

Holding onto the courage, I say, “I can take care of it for you.”

“No,” he says adamantly. “You don’t need to do that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he states, and his tone is final, so I drop it.

I then broach the subject that I’ve been dreading for the last two days. “Uhm, about Cillian,” I start but then have nowhere to go with it.

“What about him?” he asks.

“Have you spoken to him in the last couple of days?”

“Yes. He rang to ask for the details of the flight out tomorrow,” he replies, in just as cautious a tone as me.

“And did you give it to him?”

“Of course,” he says, with a laugh.

“Did he sound okay?” I venture.

“He’s in trouble, you know that much,” he says with a sigh. “He didn’t give many details, just that you two had reached an agreement that he would come to England to lay low for a bit.”

“Is that all right with you?”

“Yes, Ruby. We’ve had this conversation.”

“I know, but I’m triple-checking. I don’t want there to be any weirdness between the two of you.”

“There won’t be,” he assures me.

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