…

Troy lifted her with one strong arm, and her legs automatically wrapped around his waist as if she’d been made for him. As though they’d performed this same dance a thousand times even though it felt new, exciting, arousing. His stride sure and confident, he ascended the stairs toward her apartment. Ruby tried to focus on him, kissing his neck and breathing in his scent to calm her racing heart, to no avail. She’d never met anyone who could see through her so easily. Call her so accurately on her bullshit. It made her want to trust him. Never tell him another lie. He’d only known her a matter of days and yet, knowing her background working for the criminal he was tracking, he’d trusted her enough to leave her alone in his apartment that morning. Found a way to let her retain her freedom even though she had potentially damning information to use against him. Ruby felt a desperate need to repay that trust. Troy thought she was worth more than whatever money she could earn in a single night. Time to prove it.

She’d never brought anyone into her apartment.

When she’d left her father to his own devices on the road to return home, she’d finally found her own space. Unlike the drab, impersonal motel rooms she’d been frequenting, this was her home. Sharing it with something else was a big step, but it felt right. She wanted the memory of him in her bed, his scent on her pillow. To share a part of herself with him that she’d kept hidden for so long.

Troy came to a stop at her door and let her slide down his body. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she averted her gaze to dig the keys from her pocket.

“Hey,” he said, tipping her chin up, frowning when her smile trembled. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you look nervous.”

Shrugging, she tried to appear unaffected by his observation and failed. “I’ve never brought anyone here before. Or whatever.”

Something primitive flashed across his face as he moved closer. “Except me.”

“Except you,” she whispered a second before his mouth locked itself to hers, draining every ounce of tension wrought by the interminably long day from her body.

Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much she’d needed him to kiss her. The last hour had left her tense, reminders of her past life making her feel exposed, like an imposter. She drew strength from the contact of his hungry lips. It made her feel whole in a way that nothing else ever had. It should’ve alarmed her how easily his mouth commanded her mood, but the sensations it elicited left no room for her to care.

He pulled away, keeping his gaze locked on her mouth like he couldn’t contain his need for more.

“Let’s get inside before I peel off those jeans and take you hard against this door.”

Biting her lip to refrain from begging him to do just that, Ruby turned and pushed open the door.

Schooling her expression, she whispered to him. “Just keep your voice down. I don’t want to wake up my husband.”

Behind her, Troy tensed. “You better be joking.”

Ruby threw him a wink over her shoulder and flipped on the overhead light. She turned to Troy to gauge his reaction. He scanned the room, landing on everything within seconds, eyebrows lifting in surprise.

Attempting to see the apartment through his eyes, she looked at the unfinished pool sticks and spec sheets pinned to all four walls and drills, glue, and tools stored neatly on every available surface. The entire back wall was lined with finished pool cues of varying size and brightly colored wraps.

Troy carefully pulled a cue down from the holder.

He turned it over in his hand, then threw an amazed glance in her direction. “You make these?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

“You make them here? In the apartment?” He shook his head in disbelief. “They’re amazing.”

Relieved for something technical to focus on, she spoke quickly. “Some of it, like the wrapping and varnishing, I do here. I rent a wood lathe at a local guy’s shop for the actual carving of the maple.” She shifted uncomfortably. “I’m saving up for my own lathe. They’re expensive so…”

He closed the distance between them. “So you hustle.”

Ruby nodded seriously. “I’ve already got a business model worked out. As soon as I get my degree, I’m going into business for myself. I want to do this right.”

She met his gaze. “I’m not going to hustle forever.”

“Of course not.” Cupping the sides of her face, he half smiled in a way that made her heart rate stutter.

“God, don’t you know how incredible you are? You can do anything you want.”

A powerful feeling spread through her chest, one she didn’t have a name for. He believed in her. And at that moment, she didn’t need anything else. Just this man standing in front of her, looking down at her like he couldn’t believe his luck at having met her. It humbled Ruby. Made her want to be as amazing as

Troy seemed to believe she was capable of being. She’d revealed her dream to him, one she’d never shared with anyone, and he’d accepted it, praised it even. He didn’t tell her to stick to what she knew, or stop trying to aspire to unrealistic dreams. She’d never in her life experienced that kind of unconditional support. It made her want to reveal everything about herself, to just lay all the good and bad at his feet to let him pick through the debris.

“Thank you,” she said, not surprised to find her voice sounded shaky. Turning her head, she kissed his palm. “Are you up for one more adventure tonight?”

Chapter Ten

Ruby peered down at her hand, swallowed up by Troy’s larger one as they walked through the alley behind her building. She hadn’t revealed their destination, yet once again, he’d trusted her enough to follow her back down the stairs and out into the night. Around them, steam rose from subway vents in the concrete, televisions flickered in people’s windows, and wind whipped past them in steady gusts. All familiar to her.

Home. Noticing how he inspected every dark corner of the alley suspiciously, looking for any sign of trouble, she elbowed him in the ribs, smiling playfully.

“You look fully prepared for an alien attack.”

He pulled her into his side protectively. “Please, for the love of God, don’t tell me you walk through here alone at night. Or during the day, for that matter.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you that.” She grinned at his warning look. “Although, it would make us even for scaring me half to death earlier.”

“You deserved it,” he grumbled. “I swear, you’re going to give me an ulcer. I’m too young for an ulcer, Ruby.”

“It’s not much farther,” she said. “Soon we’ll be safely inside where you can scold me for my recklessness and manhandle me into promising I’ll do better.”

“I’m only mildly appeased.”

“Mmm. We can do much better than that.” When he tried to lift her off the ground into his arms, she squirmed out of his grip and jogged toward a padlocked door located along the brick wall of the alley. “Here it is.” She pulled a thin, metal object from her pocket and inserted it into the lock. “Don’t look now, but here comes that ulcer.” With a few calculated twists of her wrist, the lock popped open. She removed it from the metal loop and opened the door, gesturing for him to follow as she walked inside.

“Jesus,” he groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

“A little warning would be nice before you involve me in a felony.”

“And ruin the surprise?” She flipped a switch on the wall. Over their heads, a dozen lights came on, illuminating a deserted tavern. “Oh, good, they haven’t cut off the power yet.”

Troy circled the room, the wooden floor creaking beneath his feet. Furniture sat neatly arranged in sections, and portraits of famous Irish writers lined the walls. It felt as though moments before, it might have been filled with people. He came to a stop at the full-sized pool table located in the center of the space.

“All right, what is this place we have forcibly entered without permissio

n?”

Ruby dug a few quarters out of her jacket pocket before hanging it on the back of a high stool. “The Wicked Monk Tavern. Closed down about a month ago. It’s still cleaned regularly because they’ve been showing it to prospective buyers.” Sending him a wide smile, she rubbed her hands together. “Feels like the heat’s been left on, too.” She crouched down and placed the quarters in the slot of the table. The balls sped down, landing with a crash, and she began to rack. “Fancy a game?”

“What the hell.” He shrugged off his jacket with a heavy sigh. “I’m already an accomplice. Might as well make it worthwhile.”

“That’s the spirit.” Ruby stood and jiggled her ever-present yoga mat, dislodging both halves of the stick inside. Quickly, she screwed the ends together and moved around the pool table to stand in front of him, holding it out for him to take. “Your break.”