“Okay, I’ll be out front.”
I watch Hunter make his way to the front of the club before walking to Rubens office, and with the door ajar; I’m about to push through when I hear a woman’s voice.
“I have a hotel room booked, close by. You’ll come and play won’t you, Ruben?”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
Ruben sighs—as least that’s what it sounded like, and then he says, “Yeah, I’ll come to your hotel.”
What the hell!
He can’t mean to…to take her up on her offer to play. Surely he can’t. Not with the way he’s been with me. What was the picnic all about if he planned on continuing to “play?”
“I’ve missed you, Ruben. Now come on, I want to play.”
“Veronica,”
“Now your paperwork will still be there tomorrow, where as I won’t. I’m flying to LA at ten in the morning.”
“What the hell,” Ruben says after a moment of silence before I hear a chair scrape against the tiled floor.
Suddenly realizing I’m going to be caught, I quickly move away from the door, which will give me a view of the back door to the club as they exit. At least I presume they’re going to be exiting by the back door.
“Ruben, you are so funny,” the woman, Veronica says while using a fake laugh.
If I wasn’t so damn angry and upset, I’d laugh at the whole artificial thing she has going on, but right now I feel like jumping back around the corner and poking her eyes out, and maybe a knee in Ruben’s junk. Would that make me feel any better? It probably would for all of five minutes.
“Just be quite. I’ll follow you back to your hotel. I don’t like being without my wheels.”
Then the door bangs shut leaving me stunned with tears silently running down my face.
Chapter 15 ~ Ruben
Sitting in my SUV outside Veronica’s hotel is stupid. Other times when she’s stayed here, I’ve always been out of the SUV and inside before she could even get her clothes off in the room. And now I’m sitting here trying to work up the courage to go upstairs with her.
I’ve never dated her—I’ve never dated anyone, until Rosie came along. But Veronica and I have an agreement that whenever she’s in town, we get together.
Things have changed for me though, and that change is Rosie. I can’t go up to that room and have sex with Veronica or anyone else because if I do I won’t be able to face Rosie again. It’s not just the thought of Rosie finding out that is stopping me from going getting naked, it’s because I don’t want to.
Something clicked with me this afternoon when I was thinking back over my time with Rosie and her reaction at the picnic. I realize I don’t need as much control as I usually like to have. I’ll still need to be in the driving seat, but with Rosie I can make love to her without involving ties and toys. This I proved the other week when I did make love to her. I never once thought about anything other than the woman beneath me.
My brothers like to joke that I’m into all that kinky shit, but the fact is what I’m into is a lot milder than they will ever know. It’s certainly not something I’m going to get into a deep conversation about with them.
I can’t sit out here all night, I need to go inside and try to explain to Veronica that this—whatever—we have is over, and that she needs to move on because I’m no longer interested.
Ruben, stop fucking around and get your ass inside!
“Shit.”
Quickly making my way into the hotel, I avoid the reception desks and head straight for the elevators, finding an empty one ready and waiting.
Pressing the button for the fifth floor, I lean back against the mirrored walls and try to breathe through my nervousness.
I’m not a nervous guy so I’m not sure what the hell is wrong with me. I know I’m worried that Rosie will discover where I’ve been this evening and all it will take is for Simon to open his mouth and she’ll get the wrong impression. Or rather the correct one from a month ago, but now that information would be so wrong.
The elevator comes to a stop as I slowly exit and drag myself three rooms down to Veronica’s room. She could afford the penthouse if she so chose, but that would leave a trail she didn’t want to have.
I tap on the door and hear her shout, “Come in,” in that husky voice that grates on my nerves. Why am I only just noticing how annoying her ‘squeak’ is?
Pushing open the door, I make my way inside her dimly lit room, closing the door behind me.
“Ruben.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re taking your time tonight.”
Oh boy!
I step into the main room and have a hard time looking anywhere, but at Veronica who is lounging on the bed in all her naked glory with her legs spread as she inserts a vibrator between. I stare. I’m a guy!