Claiming His Nine-Month Consequence

CHAPTER TWO

WHAT WAS THIS stupid Greek billionaire trying to do?

Ruby’s body felt strangely tight as she turned to pour a drink. She could feel his hot gaze trailing over her body.

She couldn’t imagine why a man like Ares Kourakis would be paying attention to her. He could have any woman here—starlets attending the film festival, ski bunnies, rich debutantes just in from the French Alps. He couldn’t possibly be interested in a regular girl like Ruby.

But why else would he be sitting at the bar, not looking at anyone but her and meekly drinking the worst-tasting beer in the world?

She couldn’t think of any other reason.

People were starting to notice, too. Monty and the waitstaff were constantly sneaking glances while the female customers sitting at the bar looked as if they’d happily stab her with their olive picks.

Ruby served up two gin and tonics, a screwdriver and a rum and Coke, then turned on him angrily. “Seriously,” she hissed, bending closer over the bar. “What is your problem?”

Ares’s gaze bored into her. “You.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You’re the most desirable woman in the club. You fascinate me.”

She saw the dark hunger in his eyes. A flash of heat traveled through her body. She had little experience with men, but she would’ve had to be blind not to see that he wanted her.

Her gaze traced over him. The hard edge of his jaw, rough with five-o’clock shadow. The rough curl of his short dark hair. The rhythmic thrumming of his powerful fingers against the wood bar. She was aware of him in a way she didn’t want to be. Aware of everything, even the way her own knees felt suddenly weak beneath her.

He’d caused that just by looking at her. Just by telling her she was desirable. She’d thought she couldn’t fall for any rich man’s charm. That she was too smart to fall for it.

But was she? She felt strangely intoxicated, though she hadn’t had anything to drink. She felt like she was in a dream, though she was awake. This man, so handsome, arrogant and wealthy—so out of her league—had made just the barest effort and her whole body quivered, as if on his command.

What was wrong with her?

And, oh, sweet heaven, what would it do to her if he actually touched her?

What would it feel like if he lifted his hand from the bar and stroked her cheek? If his fingertips traced down her throat? If he cupped his hand gently around her breast?

Ruby’s nerve endings zapped with shock, her nipples tightening beneath her cotton bra. A sweet low ache coiled low and deep inside her. She put her hands on the bar to steady herself.

“What...” The words caught in her throat, and she swallowed, her voice suddenly shaky. “What do you want?”

His dark gaze fell to her lips. He smiled.

“Dance with me.”

Dance with him? This Greek god whom everyone else was losing their minds over? Ruby caught at the tendrils of her sanity. “No.”

“Why not?”

Don’t ever believe anything a rich man tells you. Her mother’s sad voice came back to her. They are liars, all of them. Liars and thieves.

Taking a deep breath, Ruby squared her shoulders and managed to say in a calm, strong voice, “I don’t dance.”

“You don’t dance? You don’t drink? You are old-fashioned.” His eyes slowly traced her body, making her cheeks hot in spite of herself. “I could teach you,” he murmured. “When is your break?”

She gripped the edge of the bar. “No, thanks. I just work here. It’s not what I do for fun.”

Ares tilted his head thoughtfully, taking a sip of his beer. “What do you do for fun?”

“I...” Ruby tried to remember. It had been a long time since fun was on her agenda. Even before her mother got sick, before Ruby had taken three jobs to provide for their family, she’d been busy after school, taking care of Ivy and running the house, back when their mom was the one who’d worked three jobs. Ruby blinked. Fun?

Ares covered her hand with his own.

“Tell me what you’d do.” His voice was low, persuasive. “If you could do anything in the world tonight.”

At the touch of his powerful hand over hers, a tremble went through her, as violent as a hard flood of rain across hot, parched earth. A bead of sweat formed between her breasts.

How could he make her body react like this just by putting his hand on hers?

Pulling away, Ruby muttered unwillingly, “I’d be up on the mountain.”

“The mountain?”

“Some of the other ski instructors are running Renegade Night.”

“What’s that?”

“There’s no night skiing at the resort, so before the season ends, just when the snow’s starting to melt, we run our own the old-fashioned way. Tonight’s the last full moon.”

“Is the moon so bright?”

“We also use torches.”

Ares’s eyes sharpened with interest. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“Of course you haven’t. It’s locals only.”

“I see.” Finishing the beer, he put the glass down on the bar. “Good to know. Thanks for the drink.”

Tossing a twenty-dollar bill on the bar, Ares left without another word.

Ruby stared after him, her mouth round with surprise. All she’d wanted him to do was leave her—and Ivy—alone. But now he had gone so abruptly, she felt oddly deflated.

“Wow.” Monty, the other bartender, snorted beside her. “That was cold. What did you say to make him practically turn and run?”

Ruby’s cheeks went hot. She quickly turned to restock the clean glasses. “He just wanted a beer.”

“Obviously.”

A waitress hurried up with another drink order. Dazed, Ruby poured three shots of tequila, and had just put them on the tray when the lights of the club suddenly turned full-on. She blinked, blinded by the bright light. There were groans of shock across the crowd as the music, too, was turned off.

Paul Vence, the wizened former musician who owned the Atlas Club, appeared on the dance floor in all his purple-leather-wearing glory.

“We’re closed for the night,” his voice boomed, surprisingly loud for a man so short. “Everyone out!”

The customers and the staff looked at each other in bewilderment.

“Out! Now!” Mr. Vence looked at the bartenders and staff. “Don’t worry. All of you will still get paid for the night. Tips included.”

The staff brightened considerably. “Shall we start cleaning up?” Lexie asked.

“It’s been handled. You can all just go.” His beady gaze focused on Ruby. “Especially you.”

And with an intake of breath, she knew.

Tell me what you’d do. If you could do anything in the world tonight.

Ruby felt a tingle at the back of her neck as customers slowly started to file out, muttering and moaning. With the lights on so brightly, the club looked plain, with bits of trash on the floor. The men suddenly appeared disheveled, their clothes wrinkled; the women had smudged mascara and tired eyes. The illusion was over. The magic of the nightclub—the music, the darkness, the flashing colors—was gone.

The waitstaff, on the other hand, were practically singing with joy in the changing room, chattering happily about how they’d spend their unexpected free night. As Ruby went back to retrieve her coat from her locker, she lingered, waiting until the others had left. She tried to tell herself she was crazy. Imagining things. There were plenty of other possible explanations.

But as she left the Atlas Club, he was waiting for her, as she knew he’d be.

The sidewalks had already grown quiet on the snowy street, as the last of the clubgoers and staff disappeared in the cold night to the nearby Settler, called the Sett for short, or other bars in the tiny mountain resort town.

Ares Kourakis was leaning against a streetlight, dressed in black, surrounded by snow. Butterflies filled her belly at seeing him.

“You did that, didn’t you?” she said accusingly.

Ares gave her a careless smile. “What if I did?”

She shook her head. “The club would have made a fortune tonight. How much did you pay Mr. Vence to close?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“And you made sure the staff had the night off. Paid. With tips and everything.”

“I knew it would kill your pleasure if they didn’t.”

Ruby’s voice croaked as she asked, “But why?”

“I told you.” He came closer beneath the street lamp, until their bodies were only inches apart. With his greater height, he towered over her. She squared her shoulders desperately beneath her vintage jacket, refusing to back an inch, but she couldn’t hide the rapid rise and fall of her breath. Reaching down, he tucked back a tendril of her long dark hair. “I want to be with you tonight.”

Be with her. Be with her? Looking up, she tried to glare at him. “Do you always get what you want?”

His dark gaze poured through her soul. “Yes.”

She swallowed. “But—but why?” she whispered. “Why me?”

“I told you. You’re incredibly beautiful.”

“Most of the girls in the club were way prettier than me.”

His expression changed. “You’re different.”

Ruby shook her head helplessly. “Different how?”

“You weren’t trying to get my attention.”

Ah. Now she understood. She felt suddenly, incomprehensively disappointed. She wasn’t special after all. Somehow he’d almost made her hope—

Cutting off the thought, she lifted her chin. “So you’re a spoiled child in a roomful of toys, throwing a tantrum over the one toy you can’t have.”

He drew closer, looking down at her.

“Your refusal only drew my attention,” he said huskily. “It wasn’t the only reason. Something about you...” His gaze fell to her lips, and for a second she thought he might kiss her, right then and there on Main Street. She shivered, holding her breath as he said, “Take me up on the mountain.”

Take me. Up on the mountain. She gulped.

“I can’t,” she breathed. “It’s...locals only...”

“You can.” His voice was so persuasive she felt like she couldn’t say no. In fact, she could barely remember what no meant.

Ruby took a deep breath. “Look, I’m sure you’re a great skier, but—”

“Actually I’m not. I suck at skiing.”

Her lips parted in astonishment, both at the assertion and that any arrogant man would admit to being bad at something. “Then why would you buy a house here?”

Ares looked at her. “There are other things I enjoy.”

His voice was low, making her shiver in the cold night. He wasn’t even touching her, but she felt electrified, half on fire. It had never felt like this with Braden, not once, not even when he’d kissed her. Even when he’d proposed to her, he’d never made her feel like this.

Run, her mother’s voice warned inside her. Run as far and fast as you can.

Instead, as Ruby looked up at Ares beneath the diamond-sparkled winter moonlight, she heard herself say, “Do you have ski clothes?”

His cruel, sensual lips curved. “Of course.”

She snorted. “But they’re probably some expensive designer, aren’t they? Brand new? In black?” When he didn’t deny it, Ruby shook her head. “I’ll find you something else.”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“No one can know I’m bringing you up on the mountain. They’d be furious. Think you can keep your mouth in check and be inconspicuous and quiet?”

He looked insulted. “I can be inconspicuous when I choose. In fact, I’m amazing at it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just do your best, okay? If anyone asks, you’re my cousin’s best friend from Coeur d’Alene. Come on.” Motioning him to follow, she led him to her old, beat-up SUV parked on a side street. She opened the passenger-side door with a squeal of rusted metal. She had to wrench the handle just right to get it open.

Ares looked at the truck dubiously.

“Not scared of a little worn upholstery, are you?” she challenged.

“That truck is older than I am.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-six.”

“You’re right. Get in.”

Going to the driver’s side, Ruby climbed in. He slid in beside her on the bench seat, then slammed the passenger door shut with a clang. It actually latched. She was impressed. Most people weren’t strong enough to close it unless they knew the trick. She looked at him.

Ares looked out of place sitting on the worn bench seat in his elegant black cashmere coat and well-cut white shirt and black trousers. She hid a smile. If he was bothered by her old truck, just wait till he saw what she planned for him to wear up on the mountain. Her smile spread to a grin.

“Ruby?”

Starting the engine with a low roar, she glanced at him. “Yeah?”

Ares caught her gaze beneath the moonlight. “Thank you.”

His dark eyes burned through her. Her grin faded. Looking away, she muttered, “It’s no big deal.” Glancing over her left shoulder, she twisted the steering wheel and pushed on the gas. “I’m just going to stop at my house and pick up some ski clothes for you.”

“Whose are they? Your brother’s? Your father’s?” He paused. “Your lover’s?”

“I don’t have any of those things,” she said, staring forward at the road. “My father deserted my mom before I was born. It’s just my mom, my little sister and me.”

“The same little sister who planned to seduce me?”

He sounded amused, but her cheeks burned. She could only imagine what he thought of Ivy. “Don’t judge her. She should be in college, having fun. Instead, she spends most of her time in a sickroom. Our mom’s been sick a long time. And Ivy doesn’t even remember her father. He died a long time ago.”

“You and your sister have different fathers?”

She looked at him fiercely. “So?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes I think fathers are overrated. My own was a piece of work.”

Slightly mollified, she changed the subject. “Did you grow up in Greece? You don’t really have an accent.”

“I was born in Greece. But most of my life I’ve lived elsewhere. New York, mostly.” For a moment, silence fell as she drove the truck down the thin sliver of highway going through the moonlit, snow-covered valley. Then he said, “In my experience, all fathers do well is pay the bills.”

With a snort, Ruby shook her head. “My father never paid a single bill for us. Neither did Ivy’s.”

He frowned. “What about child support?”

“They found ways around it.”

“But legally...”

Gripping the steering wheel, Ruby looked at the road. “It’s complicated.”

He turned away. “You don’t have to explain.”

She glanced at him, her mouth curving with humor. “What is that, reverse psychology?”

“No. I really don’t need to know. I don’t do complicated.”

Ruby’s lips parted. “What do you mean, you don’t do complicated?”

“Just that.”

“How do you have relationships, then?”

“When my relationships get complicated, they end. I don’t do love, either. I don’t even know what it is.”

He sounded almost proud of that fact. “Is that why you broke up with your girlfriend?” Ruby asked. He gave her a sudden searching glance, and she ducked her head, embarrassed at her own curiosity. “Sorry. Everyone was talking about it at the club.”

“No. Poppy didn’t need me to love her. That was one of her best qualities. But her debut film didn’t do as well as she hoped at the festival. She wanted me to fly her to the Himalayas on some mystical experience to seek redemption. I declined. She left. End of story.”

Ruby turned her truck off the highway.

“Where are you going?”

“Star Valley’s expensive. Most of the people who work there can’t afford to live there. I live in Sawtooth.”

“How far?”

“About twenty minutes more.” Turning her truck onto a rough mountain road, she glanced at him. “I heard you have a private jet.”

“I have a few.” His voice wasn’t boastful, just factual.

Her eyes went wide. “A few jets! What’s that even like?”

He shrugged. “They get me where I need to go.”

In Ruby’s one flying experience, traveling to Portland to visit an old high school friend, she’d been stuck in a middle seat in economy, between two oversize men who took her armrests and invaded her space. The flight had arrived an hour late, and her suitcase had arrived twelve hours after that.

Thinking of what it might be like to have one’s own private fleet, she shook her head, a little awed in spite of herself. “I can’t even imagine.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“It must be hell.” Tilting her head, she gave him a cheerful grin. “Your friends must be always hitting you up for rides. Nagging and begging all the time.”

The corners of his lips curved upward. “Actually, they don’t. Most of them have planes of their own.”

That brought her up short.

“Oh,” she said faintly. As she changed gears, her old truck rattled and coughed smoke behind them. “I live just up here.”

Ares turned to look out the window, and unwillingly, her eyes lingered on his silhouette. The hard line of his jaw, the curve of his lips. He was so handsome, she thought. So masculine. So powerful. So everything she was not.

Then, following the direction of his gaze, she saw her neighborhood with fresh eyes. The trailer park was small, tidy and well maintained. Ruby’s neighbors were kind and hardworking, but the trailers looked old and plain, with snow piled haphazardly on the road. The flowers that made the street so beautiful in summer were nowhere to be seen in winter. And her neighbors’ cars, like her own, had all seen better days.

As she parked in front of her own family’s single-wide mobile home, she saw how careworn it had become. But good people lived in this neighborhood. Good people who worked hard. Telling herself she had nothing to be ashamed of, she put her truck into park and turned off the engine. “Would you like to come in?”

Ares’s darkly handsome, chiseled face held no expression. “To meet your sick mother and the little sister who was planning to trap me into marriage?”

“Right. You don’t do complicated.” She tried to keep her voice light, even as her cheeks burned. “I’ll be right back.”

Closing the door solidly behind her, Ruby went into her home. The living room was dark. “Ivy? Mom?”

“I’m in here,” her mother’s voice called weakly.

Ruby hurried into her mother’s small bedroom and found Bonnie propped up in bed, a small television blaring from an opposite shelf. Pill bottles were on her nightstand table, along with an untouched plate of food.

“Mom! You didn’t eat!”

“I wasn’t...hungry,” her mother said apologetically. Her voice was small, and she paused to take breaths sometimes between words. “Why are you...here?”

“I got out of work early, so I’m going up on the mountain for Renegade Night.”

Her mother beamed at her, her kind blue eyes shining.

Ruby hesitated. “I’m, um, bringing someone. A man I just met.” She bit her lip, but she wasn’t used to hiding things from her mother, so she finished reluctantly, “That Greek guy who bought the thirty-million-dollar house.”

The smile slid from Bonnie’s wasted face. “No.” She shook her head weakly. “Rich men...cannot love...”

“Don’t worry,” Ruby said quickly. “It’s not like that. We’re not on a date. He just helped me get the night off, so I’m returning the favor by bringing him on the mountain. I’m sure I’ll never see him again.” Lowering her head, she kissed her mother’s forehead. Drawing back with a frown, she touched Bonnie’s forehead with her hand. “You feel cold.”

“I’m fine. Ivy said...be home soon.”

“She called you?”

“She...was here. Changed to...jeans. Out with friends. Pizza.”

Ruby hoped that was true, and that Ivy wasn’t trying to get into some other club downtown. But if she’d changed into jeans, that was unlikely. And she knew Ivy wouldn’t be on the mountain. She hated winter sports with a passion. “I could stay with you.”

“Go,” Bonnie said firmly. “You deserve...fun. You always take care...of us.” She took a rasping breath. “Go.”

“All right,” Ruby said reluctantly. She squeezed her mother’s hand and smiled. “When I get back tonight, I’ll hopefully have funny stories to share. I love you, Mom.”

“Love...you...”

Ruby hurried down the hall to the oversize closet, where she stored all the interesting vintage clothes she’d collected over the years, in dreams of someday starting her own business. Now, let’s see, where had she put it? Digging through boxes, she finally found what she was looking for and grinned. She could hardly wait to see Ares’s face.