Claiming His Nine-Month Consequence

Well, that was why he was sending her away. Because she was dangerous to his peace of mind.

“Mrs. Ford promised to teach me how to play pinochle tomorrow,” Ruby added with a grin. “Apparently she’s quite a card shark. Belongs to a league and everything.”

Pinochle league? This side of Mrs. Ford was news to him. But the lesson would never happen. Because tomorrow Ruby would be gone. The thought caused a sharp feeling in his throat. He pushed it away grimly.

It’s for her own good. And mine.

Forcing his face into a smile, he held out his arm. “Are you ready?”

Ruby hesitated, then tentatively wrapped her hand over his arm, clearly trying to keep her body as far away from his as possible. “If you are.”

Ares looked down at her, aching with desire. Let tomorrow’s problems wait. For now he had a whole day of her company—and a night.

Oh, yes. He was ready.

* * *

They started with a helicopter ride, of all things.

Ruby’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as the Rolls-Royce dropped them at a small private heliport on the other side of the East River, behind a guarded gate. As she gawked around her, Ares led her past the small executive lounge to the tarmac, where she saw a waiting Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, emblazoned with Kourakis Enterprises.

Ruby flashed him a grin. “You put your name on everything, don’t you?”

“Everything I care about,” he said, then his jaw tightened and a strange look crossed his face.

She heard the loud noise of the helicopter’s engine warming up. Two pilots were visible in the cockpit, waiting. She put her hands over her ears. Then she stopped completely, ten feet from the helicopter.

Ares frowned down at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I—I’m a little nervous,” she choked out, raising her voice to be heard over the noise. She tried to smile. “I know it’s silly, but I’ve never…”

Putting his hands on her shoulders, Ares roughly pulled her against his body. Her hands fell to her sides as she was swept into his arms. She gave a soft gasp, her lips parting, as she looked up at his face.

Then he lowered his lips to hers.

His kiss was hungry. Savage. And all of the pent-up hunger she’d tried to deny, suddenly burst through Ruby like an out-of-control blaze.

Her hands lifted around his shoulders, drawing him down against her. With a low growl, he tightened his arms, tipping her back, deepening the embrace until she could think of nothing but the demands of his mouth and tongue against her own. Her knees went weak as she was lost in desperate pleasure. Need for him thundered through her, begging for release, for more, harder, deeper…

Finally, Ares pulled back. His dark eyes pierced hers.

“You’re not afraid of the helicopter,” he said, and it was a command, not a question.

Dazed, blinking in the sunlight, Ruby realized she was still standing on the tarmac of the private heliport. She shook her head. Helicopter? Who cared about that?

Ares’s hot eyes caressed her. “Come with me now.”

With a deep breath, she took his outstretched hand. The helicopter was luxurious inside, with four white leather seats, two front and back, a flat-screen television and a small refrigerator. Handing her a headset, he smiled at her.

“I knew you wouldn’t be afraid.”

“No,” she said, swallowing hard. At the moment, riding a helicopter was the last thing she was worried about.

Then they took off, and she gasped at the view, pressing her nose to the window as she saw the glorious Manhattan skyline from every angle. They flew south to the majestic Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, circling north to Wall Street and One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the city. Continuing to Midtown, she saw the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and the Chrysler Building, with its distinctive curved art deco spire. She saw everything Ares had told her about Central Park was true. It did have indeed have twenty-six separate baseball fields—and a castle.

“What’s it for?” she asked him over the headset. “The castle?”

“Nothing,” he said with a grin. “It’s just beautiful.” His handsome face turned serious. “But not half as beautiful as you.”