lungs and his head so he wouldn’t forget her scent.
Her room was easy to find—it was past her bathroom and down a hallway peppered with photography. As curious as he was about her, he couldn’t look at them. He didn’t want to know if there were any other images of her that her ex had taken. He didn’t want to think about it. Couldn’t think about it.
Still wrapped in the blanket, he placed her on the bed. His gaze fell on her bedside clock and he looked away. It was morning. Time was passing fast, too fast.
She was trembling, her legs and arms shaking. He tucked the blanket tighter around her body.
Sitting on the bed next to her, he brushed a lock of hair off her face. “That was pretty fucking intense, yeah?” God, she was stunning even with her eye makeup smeared, her eyes bloodshot, and her hair messy. It was too much, too good. His throat closed up.
She blinked a few times. “I don’t even know what to say. With Ash it was so different. Not like this at all.”
At the mention of her ex’s name he frowned. The thought of her with another man made his stomach tighten.
“I’ll call you tomorrow night, I mean tonight. We have to meet with some suits in L.A., but I can call you as soon as we check into our hotel.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t need to do that.”
“I want to do that.”
Closing her eyes, she pulled her hand out of his. “Really. It’s fine. This was really… great.”
“Great?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it?”
She narrowed her gaze, her eyes becoming more focused. “Yes. What else do you want it to be?”
“Ruby. I want to see you again.”
“You mean next time you pass through San Francisco? When will that be?”
He searched her eyes, not sure what he was looking for there. “We’ve decided to record here. Starting right away, so I’ll be here a few weeks.”
She pulled the blanket to her chin. “That’s great.” But she sounded less than happy, and Mark waited for her to go on.
“This was supposed to be a one-night thing. Nothing more,” she said.
“I’m not saying it will be.”
She sat up. “Exactly!”
He stood and pulled a worn quilt off a side chair, came back to her and tucked the second layer around her body. “Baby, you are making my head spin.” He couldn’t help but think that if this were any other girl, he’d have been out of there already. And yet here he was, practically begging to see her again.
“Listen,” she said, placing a hand on his. And when she looked at him her expression was downright placating. “This was, um, very pleasant, and you’re a really nice guy.”
Now she was giving him the nice-guy speech? When had he totally lost control of this night?
She smiled at him. “Tonight was new and intense, and I could just fall—” She bit her lip and looked away.
His heart missed a beat. “Fall for what, Ruby?”
After a deep breath she straightened and met his stare. “For a guy who’ll be gone by the end of the month. By the morning.”
It was like a punch to the gut. But what could he say? It was true.
Still, he wasn’t ready to leave her yet. “Listen, let’s talk about all that later. You’ve had an emotional night, and I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am okay.” She lifted her chin, a gesture he was coming to love and hate all at once. “Seriously. I’d rather you go.”
“Why are you fighting this so hard?”
Wide-eyed, she looked incredulous. “Fighting what, exactly?”
“This.” He waved his hand around the room, as if that frustrated gesture would explain everything.
“Don’t you see? I’m not fighting anything. I’m old enough to know how this works. Tonight, it’s me. Tomorrow night, it’ll be another girl.”
Her words made his blood run cold. “Is that how you see me?”
Nibbling her bottom lip, she just looked at him, her silence all the answer he needed.
Running a hand over his scalp, he took a calming breath. And truthfully, he couldn’t even
Her room was easy to find—it was past her bathroom and down a hallway peppered with photography. As curious as he was about her, he couldn’t look at them. He didn’t want to know if there were any other images of her that her ex had taken. He didn’t want to think about it. Couldn’t think about it.
Still wrapped in the blanket, he placed her on the bed. His gaze fell on her bedside clock and he looked away. It was morning. Time was passing fast, too fast.
She was trembling, her legs and arms shaking. He tucked the blanket tighter around her body.
Sitting on the bed next to her, he brushed a lock of hair off her face. “That was pretty fucking intense, yeah?” God, she was stunning even with her eye makeup smeared, her eyes bloodshot, and her hair messy. It was too much, too good. His throat closed up.
She blinked a few times. “I don’t even know what to say. With Ash it was so different. Not like this at all.”
At the mention of her ex’s name he frowned. The thought of her with another man made his stomach tighten.
“I’ll call you tomorrow night, I mean tonight. We have to meet with some suits in L.A., but I can call you as soon as we check into our hotel.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t need to do that.”
“I want to do that.”
Closing her eyes, she pulled her hand out of his. “Really. It’s fine. This was really… great.”
“Great?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it?”
She narrowed her gaze, her eyes becoming more focused. “Yes. What else do you want it to be?”
“Ruby. I want to see you again.”
“You mean next time you pass through San Francisco? When will that be?”
He searched her eyes, not sure what he was looking for there. “We’ve decided to record here. Starting right away, so I’ll be here a few weeks.”
She pulled the blanket to her chin. “That’s great.” But she sounded less than happy, and Mark waited for her to go on.
“This was supposed to be a one-night thing. Nothing more,” she said.
“I’m not saying it will be.”
She sat up. “Exactly!”
He stood and pulled a worn quilt off a side chair, came back to her and tucked the second layer around her body. “Baby, you are making my head spin.” He couldn’t help but think that if this were any other girl, he’d have been out of there already. And yet here he was, practically begging to see her again.
“Listen,” she said, placing a hand on his. And when she looked at him her expression was downright placating. “This was, um, very pleasant, and you’re a really nice guy.”
Now she was giving him the nice-guy speech? When had he totally lost control of this night?
She smiled at him. “Tonight was new and intense, and I could just fall—” She bit her lip and looked away.
His heart missed a beat. “Fall for what, Ruby?”
After a deep breath she straightened and met his stare. “For a guy who’ll be gone by the end of the month. By the morning.”
It was like a punch to the gut. But what could he say? It was true.
Still, he wasn’t ready to leave her yet. “Listen, let’s talk about all that later. You’ve had an emotional night, and I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am okay.” She lifted her chin, a gesture he was coming to love and hate all at once. “Seriously. I’d rather you go.”
“Why are you fighting this so hard?”
Wide-eyed, she looked incredulous. “Fighting what, exactly?”
“This.” He waved his hand around the room, as if that frustrated gesture would explain everything.
“Don’t you see? I’m not fighting anything. I’m old enough to know how this works. Tonight, it’s me. Tomorrow night, it’ll be another girl.”
Her words made his blood run cold. “Is that how you see me?”
Nibbling her bottom lip, she just looked at him, her silence all the answer he needed.
Running a hand over his scalp, he took a calming breath. And truthfully, he couldn’t even
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