Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
It's hard to feel an ounce of shame when I’m on the verge of a monster climax. Not even when I look Polly right in the eye and give Ruby a final savage drive, grinding into her extra-tight back entrance…and flood it for everything I’m worth, my ragged growls colliding with Cameron’s cursing tirade. He’s going off like a bomb, too, our come splattering on the floor under Ruby’s dangling legs, which shake like she’s on the top of a washing machine during the spin cycle, her peak hitting her in a tidal wave, curving her spine as she screams.
I manage to pull out and catch her against my body, Cameron holding her up from the other side, kissing her forehead while I stroke her hair, whispering the praise she needs and deserves. Cameron and I lock eyes over Ruby’s blonde head and exchange a nod, both of us even managing to smile a little in our drowsy, mega-satisfied state.
“Well, hot damn,” Polly murmurs. “It worked.”
Polly’s voice jolts Ruby and she scrambles for her robe, putting it on and tying it quickly. Cameron and I do the same, drawing up boxers that were hastily pushed down in a rush to get inside the heaven that is Ruby Lang. My chest is starting to fill with pain, though, the more it dawns on me that…this is over. Polly and Molly’s arrival signals the end of our three days with Ruby. And I’m beginning to feel sick, my temples pounding. Cameron is in the same shape, his face losing color by the second.
Still, we go to greet our wives, for whom we have very different feelings.
Positive ones. Lasting ones. Just different
I kiss Polly on the cheek and give her a hug, noting that she’s a lot less tense than usual. Even after what she just witnessed.
“You two certainly look relaxed,” Molly remarks with a laugh. “Ruby, however, looks exhausted. Did these men even let you sleep, Ruby?”
“Off and on,” Ruby says, smiling, but still catching her breath. “Have you ladies been enjoying your vacation, too?”
Polly and Molly trade an inscrutable look. “Enjoying?” Molly’s lips twitch. “That’s one way to put it.”
Molly bats her friend’s arm. “Looks like amends have been made, hmm, men?”
Cameron and I trade an eyeroll, but we’re smiling. Or trying to smile, anyway. It’s not easy to feign happiness when I want to bring Ruby to bed and snuggle up for a nap. Cameron’s fists are clenched with the restraint it’s taking not to reach for her, too.
“Yeah,” Cameron says, clearing his throat. “We’re good now.”
“That’s…” Polly blows out a breath. “That’s amazing news. Ruby, you’re a miracle worker.”
“They’re the ones who worked it out. I was just a bystander.”
“You’re being modest,” Molly says, folding her arms. A beat passes while the wives observe us, the three of us standing as close as we can possibly get without touching. “Polly and I have been wondering something, Ruby. About Sip and Flip. Don’t you think it’s a business model that would work better in the Northeast? Those cozy tea nooks and your moody aesthetic would pair well with Connecticut, wouldn’t you say?”
Ruby in Connecticut?
Just like that, my heart is racing.
What’s going on here?
“Well…” Ruby hedges. “I’ve often thought the store’s vibe doesn’t really fit into the sunny California coastal scene, but…that’s where I built the shop. Moving it would be…”
“Easy,” Polly interjects. “With all of us to help you. And lots of money, of course.”
“Did we mention we have lots of money?” Molly says, batting her eyelashes.
Cameron’s chest is rising and falling. “What’s going on here? What are you two proposing?”
“We’re proposing that Ruby move to Connecticut and bring her adorable bookstore.” Molly shimmies her shoulders. “We like our new friend and want to keep her.”
“And…” Polly’s eyes are beginning to sparkle. “We’re guessing you boys want to keep her, as well. To put it mildly.”
Too good to be true, a voice whispers in the back of my head. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch. We have a three-bedroom guest house on the property. I don’t see any reason why Ruby can’t stay there, so you can both visit her easily.” Molly looks at Ruby with a raised eyebrow. “If that’s what she wants, of course. If she wants us to pay her for the last three days and walk away, we’ll do that, too. A deal is a deal.”
Ruby is nonplussed, a lot like me and Cameron. “I…I don’t understand,” she whispers. “You would want to bring me into your marriages permanently?”
“I’m sure it’s very confusing, Ruby,” Polly says, pink creeping into her complexion. “Let me see if we can spell it out for you.”
My jaw drops when Polly leans over and plants a soft kiss on Molly’s lips, before deepening the contact with a low sound, both pulling back from the kiss appearing dazed.