* * *
Her eyes were the clearest blue. Amazing I could see them in the dark, but they were mesmerizing.
Was this truly the mousy woman I’d sat next to on the plane? God, what would she look like when she was really dressed up for the wedding?
Wow. Just wow.
I grinned. Enter Ryan Steel ultra-flirt mode. “Maybe I wanted to walk with you.”
She rolled her blue eyes. “Please,” she said sardonically.
“Please walk with me?” I widened my grin.
“Thanks. I’d love to.”
I touched her arm again.
Again, she pulled away. “Grabby, aren’t you? And you know that’s not what I meant.”
Man, this wasn’t going to be easy. Her lips were still dark, though the meal had probably taken care of most of her red lipstick. This was Ruby’s natural lip color, darker than I remembered from the plane, and God, it was a turn-on.
I hadn’t dared to think it before, but this woman was beautiful.
Stunning.
“We’re both here, and it’s an amazing night.” I looked up at the night sky aglow with the moon and stars. “What would a walk hurt?” Though I longed to, I didn’t touch her again. She obviously didn’t appreciate it, though I wasn’t sure why. I hadn’t done anything to her that I wouldn’t do to anyone else. Just touched her forearm pretty innocently. Man, she was jumpy.
She let out a sigh. “Fine.”
I held out my arm, thinking it would be no big deal for her to slide hers through it. She shook her head and started walking.
This one was certainly going to be a challenge, but I hadn’t yet met a woman I couldn’t lure into my bed. The thought surprised me. When had I decided that I wanted Ruby Lee in my bed? But there was no doubt about it.
I did.
She was about Jade’s size, probably around five feet seven inches. Although her boobs weren’t quite as big as Jade’s, they were close. Bigger than Melanie’s, and even bigger than Juliet’s. Perky too. Little hard nipples protruded through her blue cotton tank. She was clearly going braless, and if I had it my way, she wouldn’t wear a bra this whole trip.
How to approach her—that was the question. Normally, I’d try taking her hand, especially for a midnight walk on the beach. But Ruby clearly didn’t want to be touched. I didn’t know why, though it could definitely have to do with her father. He had, after all, raped my brother and his own niece.
And then my jaw clenched.
Oh my God. Had that beast raped his own daughter?
That wasn’t something I could ask her, obviously. Maybe Ruby was a woman to stay away from. Maybe I should leave her alone. After all, she hadn’t asked for my advances, though I’d hardly even made an advance yet.
I should definitely stay away from her.
“It is a gorgeous night,” she said, interrupting my thoughts.
And it was. I looked again at the myriad stars sprinkled across the night sky, at the nearly full moon reflecting light upon the water before us.
And I looked at her.
She was the most beautiful thing in the night.
The thought entered my mind from seemingly nowhere. Had I ever thought that of any woman? More beautiful than a starry night?
No. I hadn’t.