Authors: Dana Marie Bell
Tags: #Paranormal Romance, #Fiction, #General, #Romance, #Paranormal, #Contemporary
She sighed wistfully and headed for the bar, leaving him standing in shadows.
Leo crossed his arms and waited for Ruby to come back to him. It had taken him weeks to put this plan into action. There was no way in hell he was letting her walk away from him tonight. Not until he
Dare to Believe
knew for sure whether or not she was the one. But from the way his body and mind were reacting, he was pretty sure of the outcome. Now all he had to do was claim her. He grinned at the door, eager to confirm what every sense already told him was true.
Ruby didn’t know whether it was possible to die of embarrassment or not. She was so flushed and hot from her erotic dance with her boss (her
boss
for Christ’s sake!) that she was literally shaking.
“Hey, nice! We all wondered who would finally capture Leo’s attention.” Suzanne, the accounting department’s secretary, gave her a thumbs-up on entering the bathroom.
Ruby bit her lip. “I haven’t captured his attention!”
Suzanne laughed. “Wanna bet? He’s standing outside the ladies’ room, and I doubt he’s waiting for me!” With that she entered a stall.
Ruby sighed.
“Oh, by the way, he said you should come out, and he double-dog dares you.”
Shit.
He was watching the door, waiting for Suzanne to deliver his message. Ruby popped her head out long enough to stick out her tongue, darting back in before he could grab a hold of her. She could hear him laughing through the closed doors.
He laughed. I stuck my tongue out at him like a ten-year-old, and he laughed.
“Aw, c’mon, Ruby!” She could hear the laughter in his voice, could almost picture the bad little boy smile that would be on his face. “Come dance with me again? Pleeease?”
Something inside her eased a bit. His laugh had been genuine, not the kind that hurt, but the kind that wanted you to share in it. She was tempted to peek back out but odds were good he’d be a little closer to the door this time. She wondered if she could just wait here until the party was over.
No. Way too juvenile.
Besides, with the way he was acting, he might just come in and try to fetch her.
Or worse, send in Mandy. With a sigh she straightened both her horns, and her spine, and drifted to the door.
“Good luck!” Suzanne stepped out of the stall with a smirk and headed for the sinks.
“Thanks,” Ruby muttered, opening the door a crack and peeking out. She’d barely got the door opened when a strong, masculine hand snaked in, grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her out. Pulling her behind him, Leo headed back to the dance floor. Wrapping her securely in his arms, he grinned down at her. “Gotcha.”
“I thought you were supposed to be the devil, not a caveman,” she grumbled, trying not to notice how good he smelled and failing miserably.
“I’m not Lucifer. I’m just a very horny guy.”
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Dana Marie Bell
Ruby stared up at him, her jaw dropping in shock. She didn’t know whether to laugh or scream for help. “I can’t believe you just said that.” A wicked grin teased his lips. “Wait, scratch that. Yes I can.”
He laughed, hugging her closer, his head bending over hers in a move that screamed possession. His hands roamed down her back, landed on her ass and squeezed. “Believe it,” he whispered, rocking her closer to his aching erection.
He leaned down and kissed her. And not those light, butterfly kisses he’d given her earlier. Oh no.
This time it seemed like he was intent on licking her toes through her mouth.
Shock raced through her system.
Oh my God, I’m being kissed by Leo Dunne! Either he’s lost a bet,
his mind, or…
He plundered her mouth and she lost her train of thought, caught up in the heat and wonder of Leo’s desire.
When his tongue darted between her lips to dance with hers she moaned, and it was all he could do to keep his hands steady. Little flickers of light danced behind his eyes, his magic almost pulling out of his control. Something clicked into place inside him. His veins bubbled with joy, tenderness towards the petite woman in his arms filling him to damn near overflowing.
Gods above, I knew it! She’s the one!
He pulled away from the kiss, breathing hard, mind reeling from the knowledge that he’d finally,
finally
found the one woman born to be his.
Ruby gulped, her face full of stunned heat. “Help?”
He leaned down quickly and licked the tender joining of her neck and shoulder. He felt her tremble under his hands.
Oh, a hot spot. I’ll have to explore that later.
“Glad to.” He heard the hint of Irish in his voice and couldn’t care less. He had his woman in his arms and all was right with the world.
The slow music they’d been drifting to gave way to something a bit more energetic. Leo lifted his head and looked around the room for a tall, blonde angel. Finding Mandy occupied with her Viking, Leo decided to make his move. He took his little devil by the hand and pulled her towards the ballroom door.
“Where are we going?”
He could hear the nerves in her voice but when he glanced back her expression was amused. She clutched his hand, trying to keep her balance in those sexy-as-sin four-inch heels. When she tripped and righted herself he frowned, resisting the urge to just pick her up and carry her. He didn’t think she’d go for that quite yet, although his inner caveman would be more than happy. “Somewhere private.”
She yanked back hard on his hand, stopping him in his tracks. “Hold up there, buddy. I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”
He turned and looked down at her, trying his best to look harmless. “I just want to talk, away from all the noise. Don’t you want to get out of those boots for a bit without worrying about getting your toes stepped on?”
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Dare to Believe
He saw the indecision on her face, the teasing light leaving her eyes. “You’ve got a certain reputation around the company, Leo. Let’s face it, I’m not exactly your type. Even if I was, I wouldn’t want to be another notch on the old bedpost.”
He actually felt his cheekbones heat up. He cleared his throat, trying to figure out how to get her to agree to leave the party with him. “If I promise not to touch you without your permission, will you come with me?”
She bit her lip, clearly undecided.
“I give you my word I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.” He held up one hand and pressed it against his heart, striking a theatrically wounded pose. “Don’t you trust me?”
To his delight she lifted one skeptical eyebrow. He laughed, dropping the pose. “My word is gold, and you know it.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
That my word is gold, darlin’.
He caught a whiff of her wonderful scent and nearly groaned. His hand tightened around hers, daring her to make a break for it.
“Well, all right.” She was frowning. He beamed angelically and pulled her along behind him, not giving her a chance to throw up any more obstacles.
Once out of the ballroom he headed straight for the elevators. “I’m not planning on staying the night,”
she muttered, biting her lip.
He wasn’t surprised she’d said that, considering what she considered his reputation to be. The fact that his reputation was mostly exaggerated didn’t matter, only what she perceived it to be did. He’d have to figure out a way to fix that. “That’s all right. I wasn’t planning on it either.”
Planning, no. Hoping, yes.
She looked a little more relaxed, so he decided not to enlighten her.
They stepped into the elevator and he pressed the button for the penthouse, resisting the childish urge to punch the sky and shout
Yes!
The penthouse was absolutely amazing, with gold-papered walls, rich, burgundy fabrics covering the sofa and chairs and a mahogany entertainment center. A small kitchenette was off to her left complete with a small table and two chairs. She assumed, the bedroom was off to the right. The entire back wall of the room was made of glass, affording her an incredible view of the city below, all lit up for the night like the world’s largest Christmas tree. The carpet beneath her poor, sore feet was soft and plush, a warm honey tone that complimented the walls.
With a deep sigh of satisfaction, Ruby plopped down on the sofa and considered taking her boots off.
Leo watched her for a moment, looking uncertain, like she might just up and run away from him. When she reached down and began easing down the zipper on her boot, she could have sworn she heard a sigh of relief. She looked at him, curious, but he had his back to her and was busy pouring them both a drink. She
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Dana Marie Bell
took both boots and set them under the end table, wiggling her toes in the thick, decadent carpet with a quickly muffled moan. Damn it felt good to get those stupid boots off.
Leo handed her the glass of cola and sat on the coffee table in front of her. “I noticed at the last office party that you don’t drink very much, so I thought you’d appreciate this.”
She was surprised he’d noticed her or that he remembered. The last office party had been about six weeks ago, a retirement party for one of the IT guys. She’d done her best to stick to the shadows, avoiding anywhere Leo was. She hadn’t wanted to make a fool of herself by drooling on him. Besides, he’d brought some blonde harpy with him. The woman had made faces all through the party, making it clear that she would much rather be somewhere alone with Leo.
Ruby was absurdly pleased he’d noticed despite his date’s attempts to hold his attention. She saw he had the other half of the soda in his glass, and her smile turned to a grin. When he held the glass up in a silent toast, she tossed her hair back and clinked her glass to his before taking a sip.
“So, tell me about yourself.” She tilted her head at him and he shrugged. “I know something about every single employee in the firm except you. You are a total enigma.”
Ruby bit her lip and sighed. He was right. She’d gone out of her way to avoid him. “Let’s see. I’m twenty-four, never been married, have a bachelor’s degree from VSU, and, um, I live alone except for my cat, Cliona.”
He choked on a mouthful of soda. “C-Cliona?”
She pounded him on the back. She didn’t know many grown men who were willing to admit to liking fairy tales. “You like Irish fairy tales?”
She could sense he was struggling with a laugh and wondered at it. “You could say that. My parents are both Irish. Why did you name your cat after a fairy queen?”
“She’s a cat, therefore she’s a queen already.” Ruby shrugged, wondering why she was slightly embarrassed. “I liked the name, and the legend.”
“She ran away from Tir Nan Og with a mortal lover, only to have the fairies steal her back.”
Ruby could feel herself blushing under Leo’s intense scrutiny and turned her face away to stare at the glass in her hand. It was like he was trying to read her mind. “I think she should have been allowed to be with her lover. It wasn’t fair of the faeries to decide he wasn’t good enough for her.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and could have sworn she heard a soft groan. “Anyway, Cliona pretty much rules the place.” She looked up at him out of the corner of her eye. “Do you have any pets?”
He nodded. “Actually, I have several. I have a cat named Clannad—”
“Like the band?”
He nodded. “I also have a dog named Eire, and horse named Mr. Ed.”
It was her turn to choke on a sip of soda. “Mr. Ed?”
He shrugged, looking a little sheepish and a whole lot sexy. “He likes to talk back.”
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Dare to Believe
She laughed. “My parents are still together, and living in Petersburg. Yours?”
“Still very much in love. They have a farm out in Nebraska.”
“You’re a Nebraska farm boy?” She could hear the disbelief in her voice and bit her lip, hoping he wouldn’t be offended and end one of the best nights she’d had in a long time.
One dark brow rose cockily. “Want to see me hitch a plow and dig a furrow?”
“Maybe later.” She blushed again and turned her gaze back down to her glass.
Now what made me say
that?
She gave him big brownie points for holding back his laugh.
He sipped the soda in his glass before putting the glass down on the coffee table. He leaned forward, folding his hands and leaning his elbows on his knees. “My parents emigrated from Ireland after my father met and fell in love with my mother.” She sensed rather than saw his shrug. “Funny, the way you feel about Cliona. My mom’s family…well, let’s say they’re a little upper-crusty. They considered my father beneath them, so when my mom decided to marry him they threatened to disown her.”
She looked into his eyes and saw no pain or regret there. “Does your family see them at all?”
He sighed. “My grandparents passed away. The rest of the clan only sees us occasionally, and it’s always a little awkward. Mom can’t forget the way they treated Dad, but Dad doesn’t hold a grudge. As far as he’s concerned, they only wanted what was best for their daughter.”
“He sounds like a good man.”
“He is.” There was a total conviction in his voice that betrayed the love and respect he had for his father. Ruby found herself revising her opinion slightly of her playboy boss. He sounded like someone whose family meant a great deal to him.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Ruby had neither, but loved hearing about other’s families.
“I have a younger sister, Moira, and an older brother, Shane.”
“The middle child, huh? How did you wind up with Leo?”
He leaned back, his face full of laughter and memories. “Rock paper scissors.”
“Huh?”
“My parents played rock paper scissors to figure out what to name us. Best two out of three won. Dad won twice, Mom won once.”
“And you were Leo?”
“Yup. She said I roared like a lion from the day I was born.”
She couldn’t help it. She had to laugh.
“How’d your parents come to name you Ruby?”