Debauched (Undone Book 3) (33 page)

Chad

I am fucking miserable.

I have no idea why I decided to come to Jillian’s art show at the Lair, for the up-and-coming artist, Gaston Lamar, but all I want to do is go home. Of course, because Brandon and Jillian are evil geniuses this is a private party and everyone who was anyone wanted in.

I take a gulp of my scotch, swallow with a hiss, and glance around the room. I don’t know much about art but even I have to admit the guy has talent. There is something haunting and beautiful about his art that makes you want to stare into it for hours and watch how it transforms.

Not that I give a shit about that right now.

I swallow the rest of my drink and then I grit my teeth. Ruby’s not going to come back.

I can feel it in my bones.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I have to be okay with that, because eventually I would have grown unhappy. Right or wrong, I need something from Ruby she doesn’t want to give me and I can no longer take it on the sly. So even though I’m miserable and suffering, I suppose I can take some stupid fucking solace in doing the right thing.

And I’d kept myself busy. Since I went out with Michael and Leo I realized drunk is better. Tonight I’m well on my way.

Leo walks over to me, eyeing my drink, then me.

I nod. “Hey.”

He points to my empty glass. “I got you another.”

“Good.”

He cracks a grin. “When I stupidly left Jillian, drunk seemed the easiest.”

I tilt the glass to capture the last drop before rolling the ice in the glass and wondering when the waitress would come.

“Wanna tell me why you left Ruby when it’s clearly not making you happy?” Leo rubs a palm over his jaw.

“I don’t need a therapy session, thanks.” Where’s that fucking drink?

“Fair enough.” Leo doesn’t seem inclined to press.

With my empty glass I point to where Brandon and Jillian and the artist are talking to a couple in their early forties. “Why aren’t you over with your girl?”

He shrugs. “They have it covered and that’s not really my thing. Between Brandon and Jillian every piece will get sold and they don’t need me as Jillian says—hovering and being scary. So I let them do their thing and stay out of the way.”

I laugh, but there’s no real humor in the sound. “Does it bother you? That they are so close?” I don’t really know where the question comes from but I’m curious. Leo seems completely at ease with his fiancée’s relationship with one of his best friends.

Leo shrugs. “At first, but you can’t stop fate.”

I frown. “They’re fate?”

Leo waves in their direction. Brandon and Jillian are standing there, tall and beautiful, one blond, one dark, both in black, clearly captivating the hell out of the couple they are talking to. “Look at them. They are charming and effortless and have perfect rhythm. Together they could sell air. Brandon’s also teaching Jillian everything she ever wanted to know about business. Why would I put a stop to something that is so clearly good for her?” He grins at me. “Besides, I’m a cop on a city salary, and Jillian’s going to make us rich. It’s kind of hard to be upset about it.”

I nod and stare down at the melting ice in my glass.

“Brandon and Jillian were destined to be great friends and business partners. I’m destined to be her husband and share every aspect of her life. So I let him see her come sometimes as a consultation prize.” Leo chuckles. Jillian has an exhibitionist streak that Leo continuously likes to mess with.

The waitress finally brings us another round. “Brandon said to make them doubles.”

Grateful, I take the glass and down a third of it in one gulp, waiting for that moment my head will go numb. When she leaves, I frown and sigh. “You guys are lucky. I hope you appreciate it.”

“I do. Every day.” He’s silent for a bit and we nurse our drinks for a couple minutes before he says, “You don’t think it will work out?”

“Nope.” I think I’m starting to feel fuzzy, blurry around the edges and I drink more to hurry it along.

“Why’s that? You guys are clearly perfect for each other.”

I scoff, “In some ways yes.” I think of talking to her. Watching movies nobody but us wants to see. Sliding inside her, her tight wet heat enveloping me. I clear my throat and find the alcohol has made my tongue loose. “She doesn’t want to be submissive.”

Leo shrugs one shoulder. “What she wants and what she is are entirely different things.”

I shake my head. “She’s got a mental block. I’ve tried my best to work through it, but I can’t keep pretending it’s not there.”

Leo takes a sip of his drink, catches Jillian’s gaze and grins at her. Her whole face lights up and she beams back. Leo turns his attention back to me. “She’s submissive, that much is clear. And in the times I’ve seen you two interact it’s obvious. Her mind might reject it but her body knows. Maybe you need to give her more time.”

I blow out a breath. My buzz turning into depression. Maybe I made a mistake. “I want what you guys have. And maybe it’s crazy but I can’t keep living like it’s not important to me.”

“Maybe you won’t have to.”

At his words I furrow my brow and say an astute, “Huh?”

He points at the entrance.

I glance over and the wind gets knocked right out of me.

Leo whistles. “She is not messing around, is she?”

Ruby is standing at the front of the bar, scanning the crowd. She looks…stunning. Gorgeous in a black dress that’s cut practically to the navel and is short on her thighs. Her black hair is sleek, curving just a hint at the bottom in a gentle wave, her lips are crimson, and even from across the room her eyes are electric. My grip tightens on my glass as about a hundred male eyes turn to watch her.

Her gaze finds mine and her focus locks in on me.

My tongue is thick and I can’t speak.

She starts walking in my direction.

“Good luck with that dress.” Leo’s voice is amused as he kicks back against the wall, grinning.

Over by the bar, I see Layla and Michael, and they stop what they are doing to watch Ruby’s walk across the room.

Everything drains away and all I see is her while the blood rushes in my ears. The time it takes to make her way through the place seems like the movies, when the distance grows instead of shortens, but finally she’s standing in front of me.

She gives me a tentative little smile. “Hi.”

I still can’t seem to make my tongue work.

“You’re looking quite fuckable, girl,” Leo supplies, oh so helpfully.

I turn to glare at him but before I can even try and find my voice, Ruby grins at him. “Thanks.”

She shifts her attention to me and smooths a hand down the dress. “Do you like it? It’s new.”

I wave my finger at her cleavage. Ruby is stacked, but unlike a lot of girls built with her body, she doesn’t normally put her breasts on display. “It’s missing a front.”

Yep, these are the first words I manage to say to her.

Leo chuckles. “And it’s very appreciated.”

“Would you leave?” My voice is slightly slurred and I realize I’m drunker than I thought.

“I don’t think so.” Leo winks at her. “I’m curious what the lovely Ruby has to say for herself.”

Ruby puffs out her bottom lip and actually pouts at me. Pouts.

I blink, trying desperately to focus and failing miserably.

She puts her hands on her hips. “I thought you guys liked putting your property on display. I thought that was like—” she waves a hand, “—a thing.”

I can only gape at her and when I fail to form a coherent sentence Leo steps in. “It is absolutely a ‘thing’.”

She raises a brow at me. “So I’m not wrong?”

“Um…no?” I end the word on a question. I’m so confused, so taken aback I’m at a complete loss.

Leo laughs.

She takes a breath that threatens the confines of her dress before she slowly exhales. She glances at Leo then back at me. “You were right.”

“About what?” There, I’ve said two words.

“My mom is happy.” She grins and cocks a hip. “And a bit of a slut.”

“Huh?” What is she talking about? I have no earthly idea.

“Really, now?” Leo’s beyond cool and collected and seems able to follow her train of thought. “Do tell.”

She turns to Leo. “So you probably don’t know this but my dad’s a minister and my parents are very religious and traditional and I’ve never really liked it.” She winks at him. “It’s why I’ve never been too keen on male patriarchy.”

Leo roars with laughter. “Quite a predicament you got yourself into there, girl.”

“I know, right?”

Is her voice flirty? Because it sounds flirty. My brain is only capable of base emotion at the moment.

She continues. “Anyway. It turns out I had it all wrong. My parents…” She waves and lowers her voice. “You know.”

“Fucked?” Leo chuckles, expression amused.

“Yuck!” She wrinkles her nose. “But yes, about thirty minutes after they laid eyes on each other, and he was willing to give everything up for her. So I was wrong.” She rolls her eyes and shrugs. “I guess male patriarchy isn’t all bad,
if
you’re into that kind of thing.”

They both turn to look at me, and I’m still trying to catch up to wherever she’s at. When I don’t say anything, Leo asks the question for me. “And are you into that kind of thing?”

She gives a little shrug. “Maybe a little.”

Leo shakes his head, turns and punches me in the shoulder. “Are you going to pick up any of these things she’s throwing your way?”

It finally shakes me from my stupor and the world jerks violently into crystal-clear focus. I straighten, put down my drink and grab her upper arm. “Let’s go.”

Ruby

Now this is more like it. I was starting to worry.

Chad is dragging me toward the back of the bar, not saying a word, the set of his jaw making me shiver. I wave to Layla, who gives me a thumbs-up sign before I’m yanked down a corridor.

The second I saw him I knew I couldn’t live without him. I mean, I knew it for the last couple of days, but this made it sink in. Feel it deep down. Understand how integral he was to me, to my life. How much I need and want him.

Can I live without him? Sure. Do I want to? No, I do not.

Why on earth would I?

Like my mom, if I let him go, I’ll spend the rest of my life lonely, looking for my other half. It doesn’t matter that he’s nothing like I envisioned, because he’s better. So. Much. Better.

He pushes me into Brandon’s office before he shuts the door with a slam.

I give him a wide-eyed innocent look. “Are you mad?”

The man could barely speak—which isn’t too bad on the old ego—so I’m pretty sure he’s not mad. But I’m finding this innocent damsel thing kind of fun.

He drags a hand through his hair. “I am trying to figure out what to do with you first.”

I nod. “What are your options? Maybe I can help you out.”

He stares at me. Unblinking. His expression endearing and confused. Finally he says, “You left.”

“I did.” I straighten my shoulders. “And it was the right thing to do. I needed to think, and I can’t do that with you driving me crazy all the time. I needed to figure out what I wanted. Without your magic fogging my brain. But I’m sorry it hurt you.”

He frowns. “You didn’t think I could help you?”

“Of course you could help me.” I take a step toward him. “But some things you need to figure out for yourself.”

His gaze dips, cruising the length of my body.

The first thing I’d done when I got home was go shopping and when I saw this dress I knew it was perfect. It was exactly who I wanted to be. Who I really was. I look like a grown up—as I should, because I’m thirty, it’s time to stop living like I’m a college kid. Time to get a life with a bed on a frame and something besides ramen noodles in my cupboard. I’m ready. But the dress still has a bit of an edge to it—which I like, because I still don’t want a traditional life.

It’s only what I define as traditional that has changed and expanded.