endings in her skin to the hollow halls of her rib cage seemed to snap to attention, to rally themselves for the cause.
Of course, she knew it was possible that she was seeing something that wasn't there--something that she perhaps wanted to be there. She placed her finger on Joe's wrist, almost melting as she felt his nerves flex under her the tips of her fingers. Yes, he was a good enough, tough enough, to hide his nervousness in front of Sean--but a touch never lied.
He moved his hand up her arm, curling up over her shoulders and around her other side, slowly fusing their bodies together, and Ruby closed her eyes automatically as she collapsed further into his touch. She was close enough now to breathe him in--the leather, the grass, the wind, the same elements she had inhaled when he had first come up behind her in her apartment, that had strangely comforted her even as she was frightened to death. It's only acting, she tried to tell herself, but her body wasn't prepared to agree with her mind's conclusion.
Amid her excitement, she managed to steal a glance at Sean as he stared down at the couple. She recognized the knowing twinkle in the slightly older man's cold blue eyes. His unbridled lust was what was going to buy them time, if not save them. Call it gullibility on Sean's part, but Ruby knew it was impossible for him not to believe that Joe, like him, was too much of a slave to his sexual appetites to be able to hold back. If he was led to believe that the young couple on the bed had a tryst in mind, he wouldn't interfere.
Ruby inhaled slowly as Joe bent down to place his lips softly on her collarbone--perhaps to be romantic; perhaps to signal to her that despite the situation, he wouldn't go any farther than she was comfortable with. Or perhaps because--and this is what made Ruby's stomach continue to turn gymnastics--he'd wanted to do it all along. "Do you mind, guys?" Joe demanded as he raised his head, as if surprised Sean and the bikers were still there. "A little privacy?"
"Don't be shy, Joey," Sean hooted. "It's nothing I haven't seen before. Come on, show us you mean business!"
Ruby stiffened, suddenly nervous about how far Joe might be willing to go to demonstrate he was serious. Playacting was one thing, abject humiliation was another. But Joe had her in mind; he handled it without missing a beat. "Sean, I'm disappointed in you. Can't you see that Ruby here isn’t one of your girls down at Curves Cabaret? I mean," he said, his voice quickening as he stole a small glance at the woman next to him, "I haven't known her that long, but I think I can safely say she's not in the business of performing for the amusement of you and your fellow pervs here." He gestured dismissively to Deke and Wes.
Sean crossed his arms and nodded at his cronies, whose hard and dark eyes, black as coal, couldn't bely their own voyeuristic impulses. "Point taken. I know when we're not needed," he said to the bikers. "But you know I've never been one for unnecessary risk, so I'll be keeping this as an insurance policy." He tipped the barrel of the gun up toward his lips.
Ruby felt Joe harden a little, though he said nothing. She knew the loss of the Beretta was a small price to pay for giving them a chance to get out of here unscathed, but it would leave them defenseless. As much as Ruby had resisted using it at first, she knew how much she had come to depend on it. But the mere fact that Joe was still poised, the muscles in his arm and back where her own body rested still taut and ready, made her think that merely his presence might be enough to get her through whatever lay ahead of them.
Sean and his compatriots filed out. When the door closed firmly behind them, the couple on the bed turned instantly to look at each other, letting out two identical sighs. Then Ruby let out a little laugh followed by Joe.
Then, to her surprise, his eyes widened, as if possessed by some sudden urge. He
Of course, she knew it was possible that she was seeing something that wasn't there--something that she perhaps wanted to be there. She placed her finger on Joe's wrist, almost melting as she felt his nerves flex under her the tips of her fingers. Yes, he was a good enough, tough enough, to hide his nervousness in front of Sean--but a touch never lied.
He moved his hand up her arm, curling up over her shoulders and around her other side, slowly fusing their bodies together, and Ruby closed her eyes automatically as she collapsed further into his touch. She was close enough now to breathe him in--the leather, the grass, the wind, the same elements she had inhaled when he had first come up behind her in her apartment, that had strangely comforted her even as she was frightened to death. It's only acting, she tried to tell herself, but her body wasn't prepared to agree with her mind's conclusion.
Amid her excitement, she managed to steal a glance at Sean as he stared down at the couple. She recognized the knowing twinkle in the slightly older man's cold blue eyes. His unbridled lust was what was going to buy them time, if not save them. Call it gullibility on Sean's part, but Ruby knew it was impossible for him not to believe that Joe, like him, was too much of a slave to his sexual appetites to be able to hold back. If he was led to believe that the young couple on the bed had a tryst in mind, he wouldn't interfere.
Ruby inhaled slowly as Joe bent down to place his lips softly on her collarbone--perhaps to be romantic; perhaps to signal to her that despite the situation, he wouldn't go any farther than she was comfortable with. Or perhaps because--and this is what made Ruby's stomach continue to turn gymnastics--he'd wanted to do it all along. "Do you mind, guys?" Joe demanded as he raised his head, as if surprised Sean and the bikers were still there. "A little privacy?"
"Don't be shy, Joey," Sean hooted. "It's nothing I haven't seen before. Come on, show us you mean business!"
Ruby stiffened, suddenly nervous about how far Joe might be willing to go to demonstrate he was serious. Playacting was one thing, abject humiliation was another. But Joe had her in mind; he handled it without missing a beat. "Sean, I'm disappointed in you. Can't you see that Ruby here isn’t one of your girls down at Curves Cabaret? I mean," he said, his voice quickening as he stole a small glance at the woman next to him, "I haven't known her that long, but I think I can safely say she's not in the business of performing for the amusement of you and your fellow pervs here." He gestured dismissively to Deke and Wes.
Sean crossed his arms and nodded at his cronies, whose hard and dark eyes, black as coal, couldn't bely their own voyeuristic impulses. "Point taken. I know when we're not needed," he said to the bikers. "But you know I've never been one for unnecessary risk, so I'll be keeping this as an insurance policy." He tipped the barrel of the gun up toward his lips.
Ruby felt Joe harden a little, though he said nothing. She knew the loss of the Beretta was a small price to pay for giving them a chance to get out of here unscathed, but it would leave them defenseless. As much as Ruby had resisted using it at first, she knew how much she had come to depend on it. But the mere fact that Joe was still poised, the muscles in his arm and back where her own body rested still taut and ready, made her think that merely his presence might be enough to get her through whatever lay ahead of them.
Sean and his compatriots filed out. When the door closed firmly behind them, the couple on the bed turned instantly to look at each other, letting out two identical sighs. Then Ruby let out a little laugh followed by Joe.
Then, to her surprise, his eyes widened, as if possessed by some sudden urge. He
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