I can’t help but smile. The thought of her unleashing her tiny fists on me is too amusing to ignore.
“Oh yeah, and how exactly do you think you’re capable of hurting me?”
“I might be small, but don’t underestimate me.”
My jaw pops as I stare at her, wondering exactly what she’s thinking, what she believes she could do to me that would cause any more pain. She’s already ruined my life, taken my father away, I’m not sure there’s much else she could do to make my life any worse.
“Ruby, Ashton, dinner is ready.” The sound of Lisa’s sweet voice is like nails on a chalkboard, and I visibly shudder as it sounds out around us.
“Uh oh, saved by the bell.”
I take a step back as she breathes out a sigh of relief and drops her hands. Wrong thing to do.
In a split second, I’ve reached out and tugged at the fabric that’s covering her body.
Shock renders her useless because by the time her brain’s caught up with what I’ve done and she reaches for the towel, it’s too late.
The fluffy fabric flutters to the ground, allowing me a few seconds to take in my fill of her naked body. It’s fucking perfection. Her rosy pink nipples perk and beg to be touched. Her toned stomach, the small patch of hair before the apex of her thighs, the curve of her hips.
Fuck.
This was probably a huge mistake because where I previously wanted to get my hands on her to prove a point, now I’m damn near desperate to discover if she’s just as feisty when she’s on her back with her legs spread.
Long before I’ve had my fill, she bends and covers herself once more.
“Happy now?” she asks, trying to sound confident but failing miserably. “You’ve had a good look, you can stash it in your fucked-up spank bank for later or whatever it is sadistic motherfuckers like you do.”
I smile at her, the fact she thinks I’m even remotely interested amuses me.
“You think I want you? Fuck off, little girl. If I need a willing pussy for the night, I’ll go find a woman who knows what she’s doing, thank you very much.”
Her cheeks burn crimson before I move toward the door. I’m almost in the hallway when she finds her voice again.
“Who says I don’t know what I’m doing?”
I leave her standing there with just my laugh filling her ears.
7
Ruby
“Ah, there you are. I thought we were going to have to send out a search party,” Mom says when I eventually join them in the dining room.
My skin tingles with their stares, making me look up. I find Stephen at his usual place at the head of the table, with Mom beside him, and Ashton in what is usually my seat. Of course he fucking is. Without even knowing it, he’s driving me crazy.
Ignoring him and trying to push down my embarrassment from not so long ago, I stalk toward the farthest chair away from him and sit down.
“Ruby? Have we all done something to offend you?” Stephen asks as I settle at the opposite end of the table.
“I think I’m coming down with something, I’d hate to spread it around everyone,” I lie, badly.
“Don’t be silly, honey. Come and sit next to Ash, I’m sure he’d love to get to know you better.”
I don’t look up at him, I don’t need to to know that he’s got a shit-eating grin on his face right now.
Reluctantly, very reluctantly, I stand back up and walk to the chair beside him. I could refuse and cause a scene about not wanting to sit beside him. But what would be the point? Our parents would want to know why and I can hardly tell them that it’s because after trying to pressure me into smoking a joint with him—in the house, I might add if they’ve not already discovered that—that he then proceeded to kiss me, throw me out and then, only moments ago, strip me naked for his own sick pleasure. While I’m at it, I could also try to explain that some twisted part of me enjoyed every minute of it. But I decide against saying all of that and just sit silently beside him, keeping my eyes on the table and my hands in my lap.
“I suggested to your mom that we have your favorite,” Stephen explains as Mom disappears from the room and Ashton stifles a groan. “We thought Ash would probably approve too,” he adds, turning his gaze on his son.
Ash opens his mouth to respond, but he must have other ideas because no sooner do his lips part than they close again.
My eyes flick between the two of them as they stare at each other. Confusion and concern covers Stephen’s face whereas Ashton’s entire body is locked with tension and oozing with anger.
Glancing down, I spot his fists curled around the edge of the chair, his knuckles white with the force.
There’s clearly a lot that’s been left unsaid between these two. I can only hope that something good actually comes from Ashton’s stay here and they manage to fix whatever it is that’s broken between them.
Ashton might be an asshole, but he still deserves to have a relationship with his father.
My thoughts wander to mine and I can’t help but smile. He might not live under the same roof as me now, but we’re still pretty close, when he’s in town of course. I think his regular work trips might have been one of the things that added to the many issues that put an end to his and Mom’s relationship.
“Here we go,” Mom sings, oblivious to the tension in the room. It’s so freaking thick you could cut it with a knife, but as she lays out plates laden with everything to make tacos, she either misses it or just chooses
