Secret Obsession (romantic suspense) (Red Stone Security Series Book 12) (7 page)

“I have a brother.” Who he didn’t want to talk about. Or think about. He rolled his shoulders once as she swiped her access card against the security pad.

“What’s with the tone?” She glanced up at him, her expression curious.

“There’s no tone.” She was just good at reading him, apparently. It surprised him a little, but it was easy to let his guard down around her.

Her very pretty lips quirked up as the elevator dinged softly, the doors whooshing open. “You’re definitely lying but since I’m wearing your clothes and you saved me last night, I’ll let it slide.”

He loved the way she was with him, with people in general. In their past interactions he’d noticed that she had a way about her that put people at ease. Everything about her was so real, and in a sometimes plastic city, it was refreshing. “So if I hadn’t saved you, you wouldn’t let me off the hook?”

“Pretty much.” She gave him a full-on smile and his heart rate kicked up to epic proportions. “You’re from here, right?”

“Yeah, born and raised in Homestead, then later I moved to Miami when I got a job with the PD.” He’d also been in the Corps in between those years but didn’t bring it up.

“I heard from a little birdie that Grant keeps trying to get you to work for Red Stone,” she said as the elevator doors opened onto her floor.

“Ever since he went to the dark side he’s been trying to bring me with him.” Grant had been a detective before going to work with his family at Red Stone Security.

She nudged him with her hip. “Hey, I work for said dark side. And the benefits are great in private security.”

Grinning, he shook his head. “I like my job.”

“Good. This is me,” she said as they came to stand in front of a door halfway down the plush hall. “You…want to come in for a coffee? You don’t have to,” she rushed out.

He’d just planned to make sure she got to her door safely, but there was something in her expression that looked a little like fear. Which made sense. After last night, of course she was probably feeling scared. He nodded. “Yeah.”

Blushing prettily, she opened the door and he followed after her.

When he didn’t hear the telltale beeping sound of an alarm, he frowned. “Don’t you have a security system?”

“Yes, but I was running late yesterday and forgot to set it. The building is ridiculously secure though, so it’s fine—what’s that look?”

He lifted a shoulder, trying to remain casual. Every protective instinct inside him was pretty much ordering him to do a full sweep of her place. Just in case. He knew it was crazy because she was right—the building was one of the most secure in the city. But logic didn’t play into his need to protect Raegan.

“You totally want to check out my place right now, don’t you? To make sure it’s secure.”

“Maybe.”

She gave him a slightly wondering look. “You really are cut from the same cloth as my cousins.” Surprising him, she motioned down the hallway with her hand, a grin tugging at her lips. “Go for it.”

Not caring that he’d ventured into complete overprotective mode, he did just that, quickly sweeping her one-bedroom place. He found her in the kitchen, pulling two bottles of water from the stainless steel refrigerator. “Is my home free of burglars?” she asked, handing him a bottle.

“You’re good to go.” Of course, now that he’d seen her bedroom, a place he’d fantasized about, all he could think about was her lying in it. Naked. Under him or on top of him, it didn’t matter.

“Good. And I know you said to stop thanking you, but whatever, I’m doing it again. Thank you for this. I…was a little scared to come home by myself, which feels stupid, but…” Trailing off, she shrugged.

“It’s not stupid,” he murmured, his gaze dipping to her mouth even as he told himself not to. After that kiss in his kitchen, the memory of her taste and the sweet way she’d moaned into his mouth had been replaying over and over in his mind.

She cleared her throat, almost nervously. “So…after running up to Julieta’s shop this morning I was going to head to the beach for a couple hours. Do you want to come with me? No pressure if you can’t, I—”

“I’d love to.” The words were out before he could stop himself. He hadn’t been to the beach for relaxation in as long as he could remember. But getting to spend more time with Raegan, and seeing her in a bathing suit? Yeah. Even if he knew he was playing with fire, he couldn’t seem to make himself walk away from her. For once, he made himself ignore the voice in his head that told him things would end badly, that he’d just end up getting burned again.

Chapter 6

“Are you trying to destroy my new shipment?”

Ruby looked up to find Julieta frowning at her. With a box cutter in one hand and pieces of a destroyed cardboard box on the ground around her, Ruby figured she probably looked a little nuts. “I already took the clothes out.”

“So you just decided to attack a poor, defenseless box?” Julieta lifted an eyebrow, her lips curving up into an amused grin as she looked at the tattered remains littering the otherwise clean floor.

“I’m in a bitchy mood today, sorry.” She figured she might as well be honest. Well, as honest as she could be. She certainly wasn’t going to tell Julieta that her oldest brother was a big jerk who she wanted to punch in the face right now.

Immediately Julieta’s expression morphed to one of concern. “I’m feeling weird about last night too. Raegan’s on her way over though. She just called. That cop who helped her is with her.”

Ruby’s mood lifted a fraction. She set the box cutter down on the table they used for unloading. “Is this the same guy she’s had a thing for since moving to Miami?”

“I don’t know. She was cagey on the phone.”

“Well if he’s coming with her…” For months, Raegan had had a crush on some guy who her cousin Grant was friends with, but she’d never told them the guy’s name. She’d been really private about it. Not that Ruby could exactly blame her. Ruby hadn’t admitted to anyone she was half in love with Montez—because he was Julieta’s brother. After last night though, she realized she needed to move on from him. It was clear nothing could ever happen between them.

“Yeah, I thought so too. And he knows Grant so I think it must be the same guy, because she told me Grant and Mystery Man used to work together.”

At the buzzing sound, letting them know a customer had just entered the store, Ruby smoothed a hand down her red, scoop collar vintage-style dress. This was one of her go-to dresses when she was feeling crappy. “Do whatever it is you came back here to do. I’ve got the front.”

“I’m hiding this box cutter and all knives,” she called out as Ruby disappeared through the door to the front.

The laughter died on her lips when she saw Montez standing in the middle of the store. He looked out of place among all the displays of lingerie. Thankfully the sex toys were at the front of the shop in a discreet display case, but she didn’t want to see him right now.

Not when she was still so hurt after last night. That’s what she got for putting herself out there. She’d thought Montez was different. They’d been friends for months and…whatever. It didn’t matter now. “I’ll get your sister,” she said, already turning back to the storeroom door.

“I came to see you.”

She should have known, but nerves still skittered through her. Montez had been in here maybe once since Ruby had been working here. Sandro came in all the time, but that was because he was a huge flirt and liked to hit on all of Julieta’s friends. Pasting on a fake but friendly smile she turned back around. She didn’t want Julieta to know anything was wrong so she could pretend if she had to.

“Need help finding something? A dildo perhaps?” Her heels clicked against the smooth wood floor as she rounded the cash register to greet him. She might not want to talk to him, but she wasn’t going to hide from him.

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, turned the injured side of his face away as he so often did. As if she gave a crap about his scars. Yeah, they were hard to miss since they covered half his face, but they didn’t take away from who he was, how he’d gotten them. She knew he’d nearly died saving his friends and even though he hadn’t saved all of them, he was the bravest man she’d ever known.

“I was a dick last night,” he said.

At least he admitted it. “Yep. A big one.” She was glad he seemed nervous. Served him right.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. I…there’s no excuse. I’m just sorry.”

She looked into his dark eyes and realized he truly was sorry. But that didn’t ease any of the pain in her chest. She’d had it bad for him for a year. Pretty much ever since she’d met him. He could be so sweet and kind, especially to his family. But he could also be a surly jerk. He’d just never been that way to her before. Until last night. He’d talked to her like she was nothing and it cut deep. “Fine. Apology accepted.”

“Damn it, Ruby.” Expression pained, he stepped closer, until only a foot separated them.

She could see the tension in every line of his incredible body. She knew he ran every day. Some mornings when she opened up the shop she’d see him jogging in the area, as if demons were chasing him. For all she knew, maybe they were. He worked, spent time with his family, and worked out. As far as she knew that was pretty much all he’d done the past couple years since getting out of the Marines.

But she’d seen the way he looked at her and had kept waiting for him to make a move. After she’d almost been hit by that car and avoided what could have been a much worse fate from a lunatic, she’d thought he’d finally make a move. She was an old-fashioned kind of girl and she’d wanted him to. But when it was clear he wouldn’t, enough was enough. She’d decided to go for it. After last night, however, she just wanted to smack him. “I said, apology accepted.”

His jaw tightened, pulling his scars tighter. “You’re pissed at me.”

“Of course I’m pissed!” She winced, glanced over her shoulder. The storeroom door was still closed and they didn’t have any customers, but still, this was where she worked and she didn’t want Julieta overhearing any of this. She turned back to face him. “You talked to me like I was a whore,” she said quietly, rage surging through her. Last night she’d been too shocked to respond other than to tell him to leave. But now that he was standing in front of her she couldn’t hold back.

He moved lightning fast until he was right in front of her. He reached out, grabbed one of her hips with his hand.

She blinked at the possessive grip, but also didn’t step back. She hated that she liked the feel of him holding her.

“You’re not a whore,” he bit out, looking as pissed as she felt. “I was crude because I was… It doesn’t matter. Fuck. I was wrong and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk to you like that or make you feel like that. Let me make it up to you, please.”

“There’s nothing you can do. I want more than sex, more than fucking.” She whispered the last part, still angry at the way he’d spoken to her. “I won’t settle for something less than I deserve, even if I am into you. I thought you were different, but last night—”

His fingers tightened. “Ruby—”

“No. You’re just another asshole.” She pushed at his chest as she heard the storeroom door opening. Almost at the same time the front door to the store opened and two women, sisters if she had to guess, came in laughing to each other.

Perfect timing.

Completely ignoring Montez, she sidestepped him and went to greet the customers. She hoped he’d leave because she had nothing left to say to him. Work was exactly what she needed when all she wanted to do was cry.

* * *

“What’s that look?” Raegan asked, her beach bag hooked on her shoulder as Ford pulled out a towel and beach umbrella from the back seat of his truck. He was glad she’d asked him to come with her.

Ford’s lips curved up at her question. His aviators hid his eyes but apparently she was learning to read him. Which was…interesting. She was more perceptive than some cops. “Nothing. Just thinking that it’s been a long time since I’ve done this.”

“Done what?”

“Gone to the beach.”

She pushed her own sunglasses down, gave him a pointed look as he shut the door. “You live in Miami. That’s wrong on so many levels.”

He just snorted as they headed for the boardwalk. “Sand just reminds me of the desert.” And he hadn’t had a lot of fun there. Not to mention he always felt like a sitting duck on the beach. Which he knew was ridiculous. But there was literally no cover from an attack. Not that he expected to be attacked on South Beach, but some things had been ingrained in him long ago.

“Oh, right. Grant mentioned you were in the Marines too.” She glanced at him. “Was it hard to transition back?”

He lifted a shoulder. That was a complicated answer and not one for a beach day. “I had it harder than some, easier than others.”

She nudged him with her hip. “That’s a very evasive answer.”

He just grinned. Being around Raegan was a breath of fresh air. “Maybe I’ll tell you more one day.” The thought of opening up to anyone was hard enough, but especially a woman who he was starting to have real feelings for.

“I’m glad you came with me today.”

“I am too.” After their kiss this morning he’d been feeling unsettled. She hadn’t brought it up and he wasn’t going to either. Not yet anyway. “Your friends were nice.”