10
“Iassume you don’t want anyone else assigned to your protection?” Jordan called after Ruby.
She looked over her shoulder.
Rather than the defiance or hell-no attitude she expected Ace and Liam to exude as they tailed her out into the hallway, the wounded despair on Ace’s face and the stony mask on Liam’s told her they still had plenty to fix between them, even aside from the additional damage caused by that morning’s events.
“Nah, boss. I’m good.”
Ace lifted his stare and it locked on hers. He seemed incredulous, or maybe like he was doubting her sanity. Well, he shouldn’t have. Being abducted and in very real danger of not surviving had shown her clearly what was important.
And she was looking at it.
There had been so many times in her life when she’d felt like too much. When she’d tried to make herself less dorky, less garish, less childish, or less brilliant to avoid intimidating someone or risk putting them off…especially guys. She was never going to make herself small so they could feel big again. Fuck that.
Ace would be able to handle that, she was sure of it. But could Liam?
They were about to find out.
“When Devon gets that tone of voice…” James clapped and gave an exaggerated shiver. “This is either going to be one of the best or worst nights of your lives. Have fun!”
Ruby might have bitten her lip if the damn thing didn’t still sting. She ignored everything except the fire inside her that had been lit the night before. It blazed within her even stronger after nearly losing her chance to do anything about it. She marched toward the elevators, then stabbed the up button.
Behind her, she caught Sola’s grumble as the guys filed out of the room. “Don’t fuck this up.”
Her friends were the best, honestly. They understood that no matter the bravado Ruby’s near-death experience had instilled in her, underneath she was still the insecure nerd who’d never been asked to the prom or had a real boyfriend. A quick fuck in the computer lab after a study session to ditch her v-card hardly counted for much.
Ace’s fingers inside her the night before, and his tongue on her most sensitive places—damn, his tongue—had brought her a hell of a lot more pleasure than going all the way with an underclassman for the sake of a scrap of experience.
Somehow none of that mattered, because like Kennedy had reminded her earlier, instinct counted for a lot. Hell, Ruby—along with pretty much everyone they worked with—had watched Kennedy lose her virginity on a mission. Of course they hadn’t known it at the time and it was to Knox, the man she’d always loved and one of the two she still did.
It had worked out for Kennedy, and Sola, and Laurel, and all the other Powertools peeps surrounding Ruby every day. It could work for her too. Ithadto.
Ruby strode into the elevator, prepared to hold the doors for Ace and Liam. She shouldn’t have bothered—they were right on her heels.
The instant the reflective metal slid closed, Ruby flung her arms around Ace’s neck and thanked him properly for saving her ass. She practically climbed him right there in the elevator while Liam watched. Ace’s hands cupped her ass as she wrapped her legs around his waist, clasped his skull between her still trembling fingers, and crushed her lips to his.
He kissed her back with equal parts fervor and apology.
Liam cursed under his breath but stayed put when he could have bracketed her between them. She’d barely gotten a taste of Ace when the door dinged on their floor and he stepped out, walking her to their apartment. Despite Liam’s hands-off approach, he followed, letting them inside and locking up behind them.
No one could enter Shields’ headquarters without their knowledge. Liam didn’t seem to care. He cleared the living room, kitchen, then Ace’s room and finally made his way to his own, Ace following him, before setting his gun on his nightstand.
Ruby wriggled from Ace’s grip and he lowered her reluctantly to the ground. He shouldn’t have worried; she wasn’t going far. She closed the gap between her and Liam as Ace kept pace with her. The entire time, she met his golden stare unflinchingly.
“I thought you wanted to talk.” Liam’s eyes narrowed.
“By ‘talk’, I meant fuck.” Ruby didn’t hedge. If he pushed her away this time, she’d know he simply didn’t share this desire she had for him and his partner.
Ace chuckled. He patted her ass as if to encourage her to keep going. She stalked Liam, taking two steps forward for every one he retreated. The idea that he might be afraid of her, or rather what she was offering, was nearly comical.
“You’re high on adrenaline.” Liam held her at arm’s length. “You should wait until you come down from its effects before doing something you might regret. You aren’t making rational decisions.”
“Is that what you tell yourself? Or do you screw Ace senseless when you return from a mission and you realize you’re both still alive when things could have easily gone sideways?” Ruby propped one hand on her hip. “That’s a rhetorical question. The things I hear through the wall tell me everything I need to know. Why do you think that is, Liam? It’s not because of some dumb chemical reaction. It’s because you care about him. And it’s about time you admitted it. To yourself, if not to him.”
“Of course I care,” Liam sputtered, his face growing ruddy. “We’re partners. Roommates. Best fucking friends.”
“You’re lovers.” Ruby refused to shade the truth, though he surely didn’t need the reminder.