“Ruby is such a lousy fuck!” Bobby Pencil-Dick’s voice sneered in her ears as he told all of his friends about her. “Man, if that’s what doing a virgin is like I’ll stick with the bitches who know what a blowjob is.” But this time, she wasn’t able to fight back.
“She’s so fat she’s just jiggling in that dress. Watch it wiggle, see it jiggle…” The giggles of the cheerleaders surrounded her. They sang that hated jingle, pointing and laughing at Ruby. It had taken her years to get to the size she was now, but none of that mattered as it all came rushing back, the emotions as strong as they’d been at the time it had happened.
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69
Dana Marie Bell
“You know, you’d be so much more attractive if you’d just lose ten pounds, sweetheart. Now, if you follow this diet I’ve laid out for you…” Her mother’s voice drifted away, her father’s taking its place.
“Baby girl, if you don’t put that cake down you’re going to weigh more than an elephant!” The laughter of all of her cousins, uncles and aunts mingled with the giggles of the cheerleaders. What made it worse was her parents didn’t even realize how badly they’d hurt her. They’d thought they were helping.
“Don’t know what makes you think you can make it in college. It’s not like you have a brain in your head.” Cousin Trina’s voice made her cringe; her brain had been her only asset all through school.
“Course, with hooters like yours, who needs brains?”
It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real. She chanted the mantra in her head, not that it did much good.
This Malmayne-induced nightmare continued on and on until Ruby thought she’d begin screaming for real.
And then she saw it, the light at the end of the high school corridor. A figure stood there, vaguely familiar, strong and confident. He held out one hand to her, beckoning her to him. All she had to do was have the courage to go to him. But how could she walk that gauntlet with all of those eyes staring at her?
Besides, he was a young god, so good looking it made her heart hurt just to look at him. He couldn’t possibly be there for her.
But somehow she knew he was. Glowing peridot eyes pulled at her. His black hair hung to his shoulders, longer than she thought it was supposed to be, but she still couldn’t remember why he looked so familiar to her. He wore black leather pants that hugged his legs in a way that should be outlawed. His black T-shirt clung lovingly to every muscle, looking almost painted on. He wore a gold ring on the hand he held out to her, with some sort of dark stone in the center.
That stone sent a flash of memory through her. She knew the initials RH were carved in the face of the stone. Her initials.
He was hers.
Without thinking about it, she reached up to feel the collar that should encircle her own neck. With a satisfied smile she felt it, the relief that it was there, branding her, almost overwhelming. The mocking, sometimes painfully loving, voices of everyone else faded away until she could only hear his voice.
“Come to me, kitten.” When she hesitated, he growled, “You know you’re meant to ride off with me.
You belong to me.”
Ruby looked down, not surprised to see the leather halter top and leather pants. She smiled, feeling warm and sexy, no longer aware of anything but him. Leo. She worked her way down the corridor, showing off her own leathers to the best of her ability, but it wasn’t for those who had once caused her so much pain.
It was all for him.
Then she slipped her hand into his and stepped into the sunshine. She blinked dazedly as she realized she was back on the Dunne farm.
70
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Dare to Believe
She gasped as her hand was yanked viciously out of Leo’s, her body tugged away from him. “I don’t think so, human.” Cullen Malmayne pulled her behind him, away from Leo, totally ignoring her struggles.
Apparently Sidhe lords are really friggin’ strong, she thought, tugging harder on her hand. No matter how hard she pulled she didn’t even slow Cullen down. He barely even moved, just barreled forward, her struggles barely registering to him.
She heard a strange roaring sound behind her. The ground beneath her feet began to tremble. Turning in Cullen’s suddenly lax grasp, she saw Leo in his full, furious glory.
Multicolored strands of light whipped around his body in a strangely erotic, lethal dance. Ruby suspected that if anyone attempted to touch Leo in that moment they would die a grisly death. He glared at Cullen Malmayne, his human seeming gone. His eyes glowed even brighter in his fury, his hair blowing about in a nonexistent breeze. Leo looked furious at the sight of her in Malmayne’s hands.
“Ruby is my mate and no one will take her from me!”
Ruby gasped at the power in Leo’s voice. The earth bucked up between her and Cullen, forcing Cullen to release her arm as they fought for balance.