She gestures for Morgan to help her with the cuffs and the relief is immediate, blood rushing back to my fingertips. I lean on Athena, and she holds me in a warm embrace.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispers.
I rest my head against her shoulder and tangle my fingers in her hair, clinging on to her. Even under these strange circumstances, holding her feels so right that I don’t want to let go. I feel safe with her, cherished. “I’ve missed you too.”
FIFTY
ATHENA
“Are you sure about this?” I ask. Ruby stands in the doorway of my bedroom, still flushed from our session downstairs. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
She nods, certainty in her gaze. “Yes, I’m sure. I want to stay with you tonight.”
Those simple words hold weight. This is different territory, and even though it’s what I wanted, I still feel a nervous flutter as we enter.
I leave the lights off, allowing only the ambient glow from the streetlamps to spill through the windows.
“This will be a first,” I say, a smile touching my lips as I see Zeus is already sleeping at the end of the bed. “No one has stayed with me since I got him, so I’m not sure how he feels about sharing me.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Ruby whispers as if trying not to wake him. “Do you have a first-aid kit?”
I laugh. “Hey, he’s not that bad.” I close the distance between us and wrap her in my arms. The sensation is still new—holding her without purpose or direction, just for thesake of connection—and her body fits against mine so well. Ruby melts into me, accepting the intimacy. I know I have permission now. That I can do this without her feeling uncomfortable or afraid of getting too close. She chose this, chose me, tonight. I feel her exhale against my collarbone, her muscles relaxing as she leans into me.
“Mmm…this feels good,” she murmurs as if reading my mind. She inches back to look at me. I don’t know how long she stands like that, but I wait, patiently. Finally, she cups my face and pulls me in to kiss me.
Her lips are soft against mine as my hands slide up her back, feeling the delicate curve of her spine through her dress. Without breaking away, I guide her toward the bed.
Ruby slides my blazer off my shoulders and starts unbuttoning my sleeveless white blouse. Everything ends up on the floor, topped with my hat before I turn her around to help her out of her dress. I lower her zipper, revealing inch by inch the elegant line of her back. My fingers brush against her skin, and she shivers.
“Cold?” I ask.
“No,” she whispers, turning back to me. “Just…aware.” She slides out of her dress, and it pools at her feet.
I understand what she means. It’s just us, discovering each other outside the careful boundaries we’ve maintained.
Her eyes study me in the dim light as I stand before her in my bra and panties. No woman has seen me naked since Elena, and that realization makes me freeze. The weight of Ruby’s gaze makes me acutely conscious of every scar, every imperfection I’ve kept hidden. My heart pounds, a strange anxiety flooding through me. I’ve forgotten what this feels like—to be seen, truly seen, simply as a woman with a body marked by time and history.
“You’re so beautiful,” she says softly as her fingerstrace the lace edge of my bra. I remain perfectly still, allowing her this exploration. It’s a strange and scary reversal—me surrendering control, even in this small way.
“So are you,” I reply, my voice unexpectedly husky.
Ruby’s hands slide to my back, finding the clasp of my bra. She unhooks it, letting it fall away between us. Her gaze is appreciative, almost reverent, while her fingertips ghost across my collarbone, down to the curve of my breast. “Don’t be afraid.”
The tables have turned. I came into this thinking I would be the steady one, the protector. Instead, she’s the one anchoring me as I drift in unfamiliar waters. It’s disorienting and humbling.
Ruby steps forward and wraps her arms around me. The sensation of her bare skin against mine grounds and soothes me, and I let out a long breath, closing my eyes as her warmth washes over me.
Something breaks loose inside, an emotion I’ve held at bay, convincing myself it no longer existed. I bury my face in her neck, embarrassed by the sudden wetness in my eyes. I’m undone by tenderness.
“It’s okay,” Ruby whispers, stroking my hair. “Let’s just go to sleep. I want to hold you.”
Her words—so simple, asking for nothing beyond connection—break through the last of my defenses. It’s been so long since anyone has offered me that kind of sanctuary. Not since Elena. Not since I learned how easily it could be taken away.
Ruby slides into bed first and I follow.
“Come here,” she whispers, opening her arms to me.
I shift toward her and let myself be held. Her arm curves around my shoulder, pulling me against her chest, and I rest my head in the hollow beneath her collarbone.My arm drapes across her waist, fingers splayed against her hip. It feels good. No. More than good. The weight of her arm around me creates a haven of pressure and warmth, a boundary that protects rather than confines. Against her skin, I find a perfect negative space shaped for me alone.
