Caleb
She growled in embarrassment and hid her face in her hands. “Ugh, fine. Just don’t laugh.”
“I can’t promise that. You laughed when you saw me standing in the buff. Now that doesn’t do much for the male ego, does it?” I replied, not letting it drop. I wanted my answer more than ever.
Ruby gasped in amusement. “I wasn’t laughing at ... whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’ll tell you. Ever since I met you, that night in the elevator in Washington, I thought about you a lot.” A blush crept across her flawless creamy skin. It reached her ears, turning them crimson.
I ran a hand down my face in mock horror.
“Ooh, no, no, you had a little girl crush on me? Babe, now I feel weird.”
She stoo
Ruby Caleb was standing with idle grace, holding the car door open like a true gentleman. He was dressed to the nines in a sexy, black Armani suit that complemented his masculine physique. Combine all of that with a sultry look, he looked glorious. I could scarcely breathe. It got me thinking, ‘How on earth could a man like him possibly be real’? He was too perfect, too good to be true. I wasn’t sure why I was looking for fault all the time or why I couldn’t just thank my lucky stars that I had a perfect boyfriend. Maybe it was because I didn’t feel as if I measured up to him. I thought, if I could find even the smallest fault, just one, Caleb would seem like a real human being and not like some God-like figure that I’d placed on a golden pedestal. “You’re gonna be a little overdressed for a diner, just so you know,” I teased
RubyThe pretty waitress returned carrying an ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne. I didn’t take my eyes off Caleb as she popped the cork and poured some into my glass, then into his.I picked up the delicate flute and brought it to my lips, pulling back for a moment as the fizz bubbles flew up my nose. I took a small sip to sample the taste, wincing and scrunching my lips. The effervescent liquid set my taste buds alight. It was gorgeous. Not like the sugary sweet stuff my mom usually buys at Christmas. I knew absolutely nothing about champagne or fine wines. I was a clueless novice. Just like Eliza Doolittle in the movie ‘My Fair Lady’ before she was trained to fit into high society with all the rich, snobby, socialites, I imagined myself speaking in an overly accentuated, upper class, English accent, reciting the famous phrase, ‘The rain in Spain,
Caleb“So, have you thought of what you’ll do if your parents move to Montana?” I felt the squeeze on my heart as I asked the dreaded question.Please say you’ll stay.Ruby’s expression seemed pained. Her brows drew together as if she had been worrying about it.“I did want to stay at the house but Dad said I can’t. He thinks I’ll trash it or something.” Ruby rolled her eyes, then dropped her gaze to the table. “I’m worried that they’ll sell it.”“It’s normal to get attached to a dwelling but it’s just a house, Ruby,” I replied, trying to sound positive but judging by her disappointed expression, I would say that I failed dismall
Ruby Caleb dropped me home, promising to bring my car to me by the morning. My head was giddy from the champagne, so I couldn’t have driven home myself. I blew him a kiss and waved goodbye at the front door. Apart from the slither of light that spilled through the kitchen doorway, the rest of the house was in darkness. It seemed peaceful. My slippers served as a welcome replacement for my high-heeled shoes. I kicked them off, sighing with relief by the shoe rack. My lips curved into a slight smile, replaying the evening’s events in my mind as I shucked off my leather jacket, hanging it up on the coat stand. I hummed a tune, plodding through to the kitchen. My initial thought was to make a hot drink, maybe invade the fridge and seize the can of ready-whip. But the first thing I noticed was the dirty dinner dishes in the sink.
Ruby “Dad—” My voice came out broken. “I know what happened next, you don’t have to tell me. I hate seeing you hurt.” I wiped my eyes with the scrunched up kitchen roll and then used it to wipe my nose. Dad shook his head. “Well, Ruby, I have to.” Sadness pinched his expression, and I understood what he was trying to convey. He needed to talk about it, so he could fully move on. “It happened. And it’s all happening again. It’s the same threat. They want the same thing as last time. Only, they’re targeting all of us. My family, Vanessa’s family, even Caleb’s family, and more of our friends.” “Dad, who’re they?” I frowned, panic froze me, hearing him bring up Caleb’s name. Dad’s expression darkened. He dodged my question as he continued. “They took our baby from Vanessa’s womb and left them
CalebThe following day ...We were about to hold a legal meeting. My father, Aaron and I, were all gathered around my father’s desk, waiting for Charles, our lawyer, to finish flicking through the heavy file. Neither one of us spoke during the painful silence as we watched and waited, and waited.“This is ridiculous,” Aaron huffed and folded his arms.My thoughts mirrored Aaron’s. I had been dreading this encounter for days. Everything was riding on this meeting and I crossed my fingers as I prayed for good news.“So, where do we stand?” I asked, in my assertive, all business, tone. My eyes were fixed firmly on Charles, who was fidgeting uncomfortably under my heated glare.
CalebI spent the morning trying to explain a conference call to my old-fashioned father. It gave me the world’s biggest headache. I lost count of how many coffees it took for me just to get through the day. I just hope my mother doesn’t make Ruby feel uncomfortable during dinner. She promised me she wouldn’t. Too much was riding on this working out well.Giving up for the day, I threw the used roller into the trash bag and turned to face my paint-splattered friend. “Aaron, let’s finish up. I’ve got to go home and shower if I want to be on time to pick Ruby up at six-thirty.”We had been fixing up the office all afternoon. Aaron and I had just as much apple green paint on us as we’d applied to the walls. We could’ve hired someone else to do it, but Aaron wanted to take his mi
CalebRight on cue, at six-thirty, I pulled up outside Ruby’s house. I was just about to get out of the car and go knock on her door like a gentleman, when out she came. She looked stunning, she’d pinned her hair elegantly, and she was wearing a cream-colored lace dress that stopped before the knee. The golden heeled sandals clacked as she walked with elegant steps along the stone pavement.As soon as she opened the car door, her scent struck me hard. The intoxicating, soft, floral notes with vanilla undertones made saliva pool in my mouth. My canines threatened to extend as they ached in my gums. The mate bond was growing more and more impatient. I knew I had only a little time left before I lost control and my wolf would decide to claim her as ours.My arousal stirred deep within me and a low rumbling growl reverberated thr