Dare to Believe

Chapter Two

What the hell is she doing?

Leo watched as his little imp left him standing in the middle of the dance floor. His cock was hard and aching and his mind totally confused. “Shit.”

“Ruby’s shy.”

He turned towards Mandy, who was dancing with Dave from Marketing. Dave was currently dressed as a Viking, an easy choice with his blond good looks.

Leo cocked one eyebrow at Mandy and received a glare in return. “Seriously. She’s shy. I had to double-dog dare her to wear that outfit. Do you think Little Miss Conservative would have worn it otherwise?”

His gaze traveled back to his little devil just in time to see her disappear into the ladies’ room. Oh, no you don’t. No more running away. He looked back at Mandy, winked, and sauntered after his devil, determined that this time she wouldn’t avoid him.

Before he got two steps, his guardian angel grasped his arm. “By the way, she doesn’t think she’s attractive.”

He turned, astonished, and stared at her in total disbelief. Ruby was one of the sexiest women he’d ever seen. She shrugged. “There’s a history there, some stuff even I don’t know about, but it’s true. She thinks she’s short and fat.”

She thinks what? The image of her in that racy corset, and that seductive skirt, with those sexy boots…how could she think she was fat? She wasn’t fat, she was perfect. He took a deep breath and let it out. “Thanks, Amanda. I appreciate all your help.”

“No problem. But, just so you know, boss or no boss, you hurt her and I’ll hire some really burly guys to rip your head off and shit down your neck.”

She smirked and danced off in the arms of the Viking, leaving Leo with a bemused expression on his face. Turning back to the ladies’ room, he stalked across the floor, dodging the social groups littering its edges. He side-stepped the rather blatant come-on of a slightly drunk redhead, hoping she was one of the employees taking advantage of the free rooms. With a wink and a shrug, he pointed to the ladies’ room.

She sighed wistfully and headed for the bar, leaving him standing in shadows.

Leo crossed his arms and waited for Ruby to come back to him. It had taken him weeks to put this plan into action. There was no way in hell he was letting her walk away from him tonight. Not until he Dare to Believe

knew for sure whether or not she was the one. But from the way his body and mind were reacting, he was pretty sure of the outcome. Now all he had to do was claim her. He grinned at the door, eager to confirm what every sense already told him was true.

Ruby didn’t know whether it was possible to die of embarrassment or not. She was so flushed and hot from her erotic dance with her boss (her boss for Christ’s sake!) that she was literally shaking.

“Hey, nice! We all wondered who would finally capture Leo’s attention.” Suzanne, the accounting department’s secretary, gave her a thumbs-up on entering the bathroom.

Ruby bit her lip. “I haven’t captured his attention!”

Suzanne laughed. “Wanna bet? He’s standing outside the ladies’ room, and I doubt he’s waiting for me!” With that she entered a stall.

Ruby sighed.

“Oh, by the way, he said you should come out, and he double-dog dares you.”

Shit.

He was watching the door, waiting for Suzanne to deliver his message. Ruby popped her head out long enough to stick out her tongue, darting back in before he could grab a hold of her. She could hear him laughing through the closed doors.

He laughed. I stuck my tongue out at him like a ten-year-old, and he laughed.

“Aw, c’mon, Ruby!” She could hear the laughter in his voice, could almost picture the bad little boy smile that would be on his face. “Come dance with me again? Pleeease?”

Something inside her eased a bit. His laugh had been genuine, not the kind that hurt, but the kind that wanted you to share in it. She was tempted to peek back out but odds were good he’d be a little closer to the door this time. She wondered if she could just wait here until the party was over.

No. Way too juvenile. Besides, with the way he was acting, he might just come in and try to fetch her.

Or worse, send in Mandy. With a sigh she straightened both her horns, and her spine, and drifted to the door.

“Good luck!” Suzanne stepped out of the stall with a smirk and headed for the sinks.

“Thanks,” Ruby muttered, opening the door a crack and peeking out. She’d barely got the door opened when a strong, masculine hand snaked in, grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her out. Pulling her behind him, Leo headed back to the dance floor. Wrapping her securely in his arms, he grinned down at her. “Gotcha.”

“I thought you were supposed to be the devil, not a caveman,” she grumbled, trying not to notice how good he smelled and failing miserably.

“I’m not Lucifer. I’m just a very horny guy.”

Ruby stared up at him, her jaw dropping in shock. She didn’t know whether to laugh or scream for help. “I can’t believe you just said that.” A wicked grin teased his lips. “Wait, scratch that. Yes I can.”

He laughed, hugging her closer, his head bending over hers in a move that screamed possession. His hands roamed down her back, landed on her ass and squeezed. “Believe it,” he whispered, rocking her closer to his aching erection.

He leaned down and kissed her. And not those light, butterfly kisses he’d given her earlier. Oh no.

This time it seemed like he was intent on licking her toes through her mouth.

Shock raced through her system. Oh my God, I’m being kissed by Leo Dunne! Either he’s lost a bet, his mind, or…

He plundered her mouth and she lost her train of thought, caught up in the heat and wonder of Leo’s desire.

When his tongue darted between her lips to dance with hers she moaned, and it was all he could do to keep his hands steady. Little flickers of light danced behind his eyes, his magic almost pulling out of his control. Something clicked into place inside him. His veins bubbled with joy, tenderness towards the petite woman in his arms filling him to damn near overflowing. Gods above, I knew it! She’s the one! He pulled away from the kiss, breathing hard, mind reeling from the knowledge that he’d finally, finally found the one woman born to be his.

Ruby gulped, her face full of stunned heat. “Help?”

He leaned down quickly and licked the tender joining of her neck and shoulder. He felt her tremble under his hands. Oh, a hot spot. I’ll have to explore that later. “Glad to.” He heard the hint of Irish in his voice and couldn’t care less. He had his woman in his arms and all was right with the world.

The slow music they’d been drifting to gave way to something a bit more energetic. Leo lifted his head and looked around the room for a tall, blonde angel. Finding Mandy occupied with her Viking, Leo decided to make his move. He took his little devil by the hand and pulled her towards the ballroom door.

“Where are we going?”

He could hear the nerves in her voice but when he glanced back her expression was amused. She clutched his hand, trying to keep her balance in those sexy-as-sin four-inch heels. When she tripped and righted herself he frowned, resisting the urge to just pick her up and carry her. He didn’t think she’d go for that quite yet, although his inner caveman would be more than happy. “Somewhere private.”

She yanked back hard on his hand, stopping him in his tracks. “Hold up there, buddy. I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”

He turned and looked down at her, trying his best to look harmless. “I just want to talk, away from all the noise. Don’t you want to get out of those boots for a bit without worrying about getting your toes stepped on?”

He saw the indecision on her face, the teasing light leaving her eyes. “You’ve got a certain reputation around the company, Leo. Let’s face it, I’m not exactly your type. Even if I was, I wouldn’t want to be another notch on the old bedpost.”

He actually felt his cheekbones heat up. He cleared his throat, trying to figure out how to get her to agree to leave the party with him. “If I promise not to touch you without your permission, will you come with me?”

She bit her lip, clearly undecided.

“I give you my word I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.” He held up one hand and pressed it against his heart, striking a theatrically wounded pose. “Don’t you trust me?”

To his delight she lifted one skeptical eyebrow. He laughed, dropping the pose. “My word is gold, and you know it.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Promise?”

“Promise.” That my word is gold, darlin’. He caught a whiff of her wonderful scent and nearly groaned. His hand tightened around hers, daring her to make a break for it.

“Well, all right.” She was frowning. He beamed angelically and pulled her along behind him, not giving her a chance to throw up any more obstacles.

Once out of the ballroom he headed straight for the elevators. “I’m not planning on staying the night,”

she muttered, biting her lip.

He wasn’t surprised she’d said that, considering what she considered his reputation to be. The fact that his reputation was mostly exaggerated didn’t matter, only what she perceived it to be did. He’d have to figure out a way to fix that. “That’s all right. I wasn’t planning on it either.” Planning, no. Hoping, yes.

She looked a little more relaxed, so he decided not to enlighten her.

They stepped into the elevator and he pressed the button for the penthouse, resisting the childish urge to punch the sky and shout Yes!

The penthouse was absolutely amazing, with gold-papered walls, rich, burgundy fabrics covering the sofa and chairs and a mahogany entertainment center. A small kitchenette was off to her left complete with a small table and two chairs. She assumed, the bedroom was off to the right. The entire back wall of the room was made of glass, affording her an incredible view of the city below, all lit up for the night like the world’s largest Christmas tree. The carpet beneath her poor, sore feet was soft and plush, a warm honey tone that complimented the walls.

With a deep sigh of satisfaction, Ruby plopped down on the sofa and considered taking her boots off.

Leo watched her for a moment, looking uncertain, like she might just up and run away from him. When she reached down and began easing down the zipper on her boot, she could have sworn she heard a sigh of relief. She looked at him, curious, but he had his back to her and was busy pouring them both a drink. She

took both boots and set them under the end table, wiggling her toes in the thick, decadent carpet with a quickly muffled moan. Damn it felt good to get those stupid boots off.

Leo handed her the glass of cola and sat on the coffee table in front of her. “I noticed at the last office party that you don’t drink very much, so I thought you’d appreciate this.”

She was surprised he’d noticed her or that he remembered. The last office party had been about six weeks ago, a retirement party for one of the IT guys. She’d done her best to stick to the shadows, avoiding anywhere Leo was. She hadn’t wanted to make a fool of herself by drooling on him. Besides, he’d brought some blonde harpy with him. The woman had made faces all through the party, making it clear that she would much rather be somewhere alone with Leo.

Ruby was absurdly pleased he’d noticed despite his date’s attempts to hold his attention. She saw he had the other half of the soda in his glass, and her smile turned to a grin. When he held the glass up in a silent toast, she tossed her hair back and clinked her glass to his before taking a sip.

“So, tell me about yourself.” She tilted her head at him and he shrugged. “I know something about every single employee in the firm except you. You are a total enigma.”

Ruby bit her lip and sighed. He was right. She’d gone out of her way to avoid him. “Let’s see. I’m twenty-four, never been married, have a bachelor’s degree from VSU, and, um, I live alone except for my cat, Cliona.”

He choked on a mouthful of soda. “C-Cliona?”

She pounded him on the back. She didn’t know many grown men who were willing to admit to liking fairy tales. “You like Irish fairy tales?”

She could sense he was struggling with a laugh and wondered at it. “You could say that. My parents are both Irish. Why did you name your cat after a fairy queen?”

“She’s a cat, therefore she’s a queen already.” Ruby shrugged, wondering why she was slightly embarrassed. “I liked the name, and the legend.”

“She ran away from Tir Nan Og with a mortal lover, only to have the fairies steal her back.”

Ruby could feel herself blushing under Leo’s intense scrutiny and turned her face away to stare at the glass in her hand. It was like he was trying to read her mind. “I think she should have been allowed to be with her lover. It wasn’t fair of the faeries to decide he wasn’t good enough for her.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and could have sworn she heard a soft groan. “Anyway, Cliona pretty much rules the place.” She looked up at him out of the corner of her eye. “Do you have any pets?”

He nodded. “Actually, I have several. I have a cat named Clannad—”

“Like the band?”

He nodded. “I also have a dog named Eire, and horse named Mr. Ed.”

It was her turn to choke on a sip of soda. “Mr. Ed?”

He shrugged, looking a little sheepish and a whole lot sexy. “He likes to talk back.”

She laughed. “My parents are still together, and living in Petersburg. Yours?”

“Still very much in love. They have a farm out in Nebraska.”

“You’re a Nebraska farm boy?” She could hear the disbelief in her voice and bit her lip, hoping he wouldn’t be offended and end one of the best nights she’d had in a long time.

One dark brow rose cockily. “Want to see me hitch a plow and dig a furrow?”

“Maybe later.” She blushed again and turned her gaze back down to her glass. Now what made me say that?

She gave him big brownie points for holding back his laugh.

He sipped the soda in his glass before putting the glass down on the coffee table. He leaned forward, folding his hands and leaning his elbows on his knees. “My parents emigrated from Ireland after my father met and fell in love with my mother.” She sensed rather than saw his shrug. “Funny, the way you feel about Cliona. My mom’s family…well, let’s say they’re a little upper-crusty. They considered my father beneath them, so when my mom decided to marry him they threatened to disown her.”

She looked into his eyes and saw no pain or regret there. “Does your family see them at all?”

He sighed. “My grandparents passed away. The rest of the clan only sees us occasionally, and it’s always a little awkward. Mom can’t forget the way they treated Dad, but Dad doesn’t hold a grudge. As far as he’s concerned, they only wanted what was best for their daughter.”

“He sounds like a good man.”

“He is.” There was a total conviction in his voice that betrayed the love and respect he had for his father. Ruby found herself revising her opinion slightly of her playboy boss. He sounded like someone whose family meant a great deal to him.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Ruby had neither, but loved hearing about other’s families.

“I have a younger sister, Moira, and an older brother, Shane.”

“The middle child, huh? How did you wind up with Leo?”

He leaned back, his face full of laughter and memories. “Rock paper scissors.”

“Huh?”

“My parents played rock paper scissors to figure out what to name us. Best two out of three won. Dad won twice, Mom won once.”

“And you were Leo?”

“Yup. She said I roared like a lion from the day I was born.”

She couldn’t help it. She had to laugh.

“How’d your parents come to name you Ruby?”

“My mom’s favorite soap opera character. She was so strong, and my mom wanted that for me. It’s sort of a good luck charm.”

There was a brief contemplative silence, each of them trying to think of what to say or ask next. It was strange in that it didn’t feel awkward, the way such silences tended to be. There weren’t that many people she felt comfortable with. Surprising that Leo Dunne seemed to be one of them.

“Are you hungry?”

Her stomach rumbled loudly at the thought of food.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He grinned and handed her the room service menu. “Get whatever you want, it’s on me.”

“Thanks.” And what a buffet that would be! Ruby shivered and looked down at the menu, trying not to picture how good he’d look coated in chocolate mousse.

The meal was excellent, the beef tender, the potatoes just right, the wine not too sweet. Leo made sure he ordered a desert with whipped cream, just to watch her lick it off the spoon with those luscious, full lips and pink tongue. This was the best first date he’d ever been on. She was relaxed and laughing, telling stories about his accounting department that normally would have caused his hair to stand on end.

Her eyes warmed to a delicious honey color when she was happy. He could stare into them for hours, and felt like he already had. He’d lit the candles on the table, trying to add a touch of romance to the meal.

The light danced across her skin, creating intriguing shadows he was dying to explore. He could barely contain himself. He wanted to touch her so badly it actually hurt. His heart was thumping a mile a minute and his palms were sweating so badly he had to wipe them on his pants repeatedly. It was a wonder she didn’t think him a total moron. He had no idea what he’d said to her all through dinner.

She was toying with her glass of wine, her expression soft and misty, the stories having finally run out. She reached up and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, baring the side of her neck, and he opened his mouth, knowing something stupid would come out and wind up ending the best fucking night of his life.

“May I kiss you?”

He saw the way her breathing changed at his request, first hitching, then coming faster. It was all he could do not to yank her out of her chair and across his lap. Little sparkles of light leaped from his fingertips. He quickly pushed his hands under the table, hoping she hadn’t noticed. He’d never wanted someone so badly that he’d been unable to control his powers before. “I promised I wouldn’t touch you without your permission.” The urge to put her in his bed, tie her up, and never let her go was so strong he was shaking with it. He clenched his fists in his lap, getting his magic back under control with a surge of his will.

When she licked her lips he nearly lost control again. “Yes.”

The soft, nervous quality in her voice only added to her appeal. He wanted to take care of her, to let her know she would have nothing to fear, either from him or anyone else, ever again. He would protect her with everything he had, no matter the cost.

He stood up and held out his hand. She took his offer and let him help her to her feet. He led her over to the sofa and helped her sit down, much to her visible confusion. Apparently she’d been expecting him to kiss her standing up. He’d much rather be comfortable, and the sofa was plush and inviting, rather like the woman sitting on it. He sat down next to her and cupped her cheek in his hand. She leaned into his palm unconsciously, a move that spoke of a trust he hadn’t yet earned, but was determined to prove was not misplaced. Very slowly he leaned forward and placed his lips over hers.

She tasted like chocolate and wine, sweet and rich, with that underlying hint of woman that drove him nearly insane. He couldn’t wait to see what the rest of her tasted like. The air was filled with her scent, making his head spin with need. He placed his hands on her shoulders and held her in place while he began a leisurely exploration of her mouth that had them both gasping for breath.

Ruby felt her breasts lift up in a silent plea for his hands. His kiss was easily the most erotic thing she’d ever felt in her entire life. She leaned into him, raising her hands to stroke his bare chest. His skin felt incredible, hot silk over hard muscles, a light smattering of hair around his dark brown nipples narrowing down to disappear into his tight leather pants. She’d been watching his naked chest all during dinner, dying to get her hands on it, and now she indulged herself, sliding them up and down, her fingers clenching slightly in pleasure at the incredible feel of him. She was rewarded for her efforts by his shudder.

Oh, yeah, let my fingers do the walking!

His kiss became hungrier, one of his hands moving up to her hair, his fingers twining in it to grasp the back of her head and tilt it. He began to ravish her mouth, his tongue thrusting in and out in a promise of what he wanted to do to her. Just tipsy enough to go with the flow, but not so tipsy she didn’t know exactly what she was about to do, she drew her hands down his chest until her fingers lightly brushed his nipples.

She played with them to her heart’s content, tweaking them into hard little points, her reward the groan he couldn’t hold back.

When he pushed her back against the arm of the sofa she went willingly, her panties already soaked through with her juices. He kept one hand buried in her hair, holding her in place. With the other he eased down the front of the red satin corset to reveal her breasts to the cool air of the room. His actions were slow enough that she could have stopped him at any moment, but she had no desire to. Her nipples, already hard and aching, brushed against his chest, sending jolts of pleasure straight to her clit. Unconsciously she began to move her hips up against him, silently pleading for his hands, his tongue, any touch he was willing to give her. She’d never felt this kind of fire for a man before. Its strength was frightening, but the thought of pulling away was even scarier.

Breaking from the kiss, he began nibbling his way down, lingering in the sensitive juncture of her neck and shoulder until she was shuddering with need. One of her hands went up to the back of his head and held him to her. He licked and sucked, his teeth scraping along her skin before latching on. From the strong suction of his mouth she just knew he was leaving his mark on her. She arched into him, sucking on her bottom lip at the incredible sensations shooting from his mouth straight to her nipples and clit.

Abruptly he sat up, his breathing harsh in the silence of the room. “Damn, Ruby. Better tell me now if you want me to stop or not. I’m about to hit the point of no return, here.”

She watched his throat move as he swallowed convulsively. She could see how affected he was. He sucked in deep breaths, staring at her naked breasts, hunger and something more written all over his face.

When he licked his lips she hissed, her body arching slightly towards his in a subconscious plea for more.

She’d never felt like this before, like she would die if she didn’t have him right now.

He clenched his fists at his sides to keep from touching her, his legs straddling her thighs, quivering with obvious need held firmly in check. “Choose.”

She could see the strain not touching her put on him. He held himself steady, watching her, his whole body tight with need. He trembled, waiting for her answer, and she knew if she denied him he’d let her go.

It would probably kill them both in the process, but he’d do it.

It said a lot about him that he’d kept his word that he wouldn’t touch her without her permission.

She looked up at him through eyes gone heavy with lust and threw seven years of caution to the winds. When am I ever going to have a chance like this again? Men like Leo didn’t usually go for women like her, but for tonight, there was no doubt in her mind that he did. “Do it.”

One brow arched. “Do what, Ruby?”

She licked her lips, suddenly nervous. “Do me.”

Emotion flashed across his face, gone too quickly for her to see what it was. Surprise, maybe?

Pleasure glittered there now, mixing in with the lust. “Do what to you, Ruby?” The slightest hint of a brogue only increased his incredible sexiness. One hand reached down to tweak her nipple. The other hand began a lazy massage of his cock behind his zipper. Her eyes were drawn to the sight almost unwillingly before they turned towards his.

“Make love to me.” She looked up at him, her voice pleading and heavy with desire. “Please.”

“My pleasure.”