Falling for the Shifter

13

RUBY

Ruby lay in the bed, looking up at the ceiling, trying very hard not to think about a certain pair of blue eyes and a mouth that was made to be kissed.

It was impossible, of course.

No matter what position she tried to settle in, Ruby kept on imagining Ethan lying next to her. Two kisses from the wolf shifter, and her brain was completely addled. Scrambled by the wolf.

It was no good. Oh, sure, Portia would be all for it. She would no doubt encourage her to go for it, but there was the obvious truth that she and Ethan wouldn’t last. There was a built-in end because of what she was.

This was precisely what she had to figure out now that she knew the only way she could leave the succubus life behind.

Yup. She and Ethan couldn’t be together for the long run.

Not that Ruby wanted that with a man she barely knew.

But her dreams of being a mother had gone up in absolute smoke as soon as she learned the truth. Couldn’t she console herself in Ethan’s arms?

Resigned not to spend her hard-earned holiday feeling bad for herself, Ruby got out of bed, took a shower, taking her sweet ass time washing her hair. The long and thick strands took a lot of hard work to brush and style, but today she was taking the time for herself.

Not because she had to get a soul to Lucifer. Not because a mark was waiting for her.

Nope.

Today, Ruby was going to do her hair and makeup for one person and one person only.

Ethan.

What the damn hell?

The thought shocked the hell out of her. It wasn’t what she had wanted to think! It had totally snuck up on her.

With a determined nod, she tried it over again, staring into the eyes of her reflection. She was doing it for herself, but because Ethan was periodically popping into her head, her brain had chosen that moment to throw a curve ball.

Ethan was not the reason she was doing her hair and getting all dolled up. She was doing it for herself.

There.

She got through the thought without f*****g it up. That had to count for something.

She continued to monitor her thoughts … keeping them as far away as possible from Ethan … when a knock at the door interrupted her. She tried not to rush to the door, and before opening it, she closed her eyes, took a deep cleansing breath, and told herself that if it was Ethan standing on the other side, she would not do anything.

She wouldn’t invite him in. She sure as s**t wouldn’t kiss him.

Ruby swung the door opened, and her heart sank. “Now you knock?” she asked her aunt, motioning for her to come in.

Portia closed the door behind her, giggling. “I was scared of walking in on something.”

“Such as?”

“You know. You and Ethan the wolf going at it.” Portia watched Ruby for any reaction, but the younger succubus was expecting that exact line.

She kept her features clear. “Oh, no. He isn’t here.” There. Do with that little non-information tidbit what you will, Auntie.

“Don’t think I didn’t see you and that hunk of a wolf shifter last night,” Portia said as she entered Ruby’s room like she owned the damn place.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, don’t pretend you didn’t see me lurking. I totally was.”

“Ya don’t say.”

“Come down to the bar and have a drink with me. Lou makes the best cocktails.”

Ruby shook her head. “I wish I could, but I have plans.”

Portia’s eyes widened while her smile got comically wide. “Oh? Are these plans with that hot-hot-hot wolf?”

“Maybe? Or maybe I just want to take a book down to the beach and read.”

Portia waved her off. “That is boring. Not how my niece is gonna be spending her holiday. There is something wrong with your eyesight if you don’t want to spend more time with Ethan.”

“Well, I like him,” Ruby shot back over her shoulder as she applied a layer of pink lipstick.

“I’ll say,” Portia pointed toward the lipstick. “That’s a nice shade. It’ll look nice on him too when he’s kissing it off.”

I like him.

Had she really just said that?

It sure sounded like she had, but that wasn’t the shocking part. The shocking bit was that it was actually true. Even though she had only just met Ethan, their walk on the beach … not to forget those two pantie-melting kisses … was nice.

Not nice, like her work was fine and passable.

Nice, like she was just a girl, and he was just a boy.

Neither one of them was just anything. She was an honest-to-Lucifer s*x demon who took souls for her boss, and Ethan was an alpha. By the looks of it, he was also an alpha who took his job as head of the pack very seriously.

Ruby appreciated that.

“Hey, do you know much about packs?”

Portia giggled. “You mean wolf packs?”

“Duh. How does it all work?”

“You’d have to ask Ethan for more clarifications. I won’t answer, I leave that to him.”

“Because you wanna pretend you know?”

She threw her head back. “Oh, no, sweetie. I’ve had my fair share of dealings with shifters over the years, but if I spill all of the secrets I know, what will you two talk about?”

“I thought you wanted me to do more than talk,” Ruby mumbled as she adjusted the corset of her dress. The white dress should’ve washed her out because she was so pale, but with that long red hair of hers, she managed to look like a goddess instead.

Not that it really mattered since she was wearing it for herself.