Page 66 of Keeping Knight

I shouldn’t be thinking about having sex with Ruby right now.

Not with all my friends here. Not when I’m supposed to be paying attention to the poker game rather than remembering how Ruby looked with her legs spread wide, all pink and slick and ready for me. I shouldn’t be thinking about how she looked when she came, her face going slack and her mouth making this perfect little O. Or how sexy ‌a picture she made with her hair tumbling everywhere and her gorgeous body stretched out beneath me.

If I keep thinking about those things instead of the poker game, I’m not going to be able to keep my dick under control for much longer. He’s going to make himself known in a very visible manner, with seven people around to witness it.

Maybe if I hadn’t been so stubborn about not having sex yet, I wouldn’t be as distracted. I’d already know how it feels to be inside Ruby. I’d know how it feels to come inside her instead of in the shower with only my hand for company. My curiosity would be sated. I wouldn’t be so twisted up with wanting her.

Or more likely, I’d still be thinking about Ruby, only I’d know what I’m missing out on instead of wondering.

I’ve second-guessed my decision more times than I’d like to admit in the days since I made Ruby come the first time. First time, but not the only time, because I’ve helped Ruby with her stress relief twice more since then. And it seems to help—with her stress, that is. Which is far more important than my physical needs.

I wanted to have sex with her. So much so that I almost said a mental screw it to the whole being responsible thing and took her right there on the couch. She said she wanted it, after all. I wouldn’t have been doing anything wrong.

But it had only been two days since that terrible flashback. Only three days since she got the news about Sylvia. Ruby couldn’t sleep through the night. Her nightmares were back with a vengeance. She had started jolting at sudden noises again, even though she was trying hard to hide it.

It didn’t seem right when Ruby was so vulnerable. I kept worrying that she’d end up regretting it. So I settled on a compromise, which really wasn’t much of a hardship, all things considered.

“Micah.” Ruby touches my arm. “It’s your turn.”

“Hmm?” Glancing up from my cards, I find Ruby watching me with concern.

“It’s your turn,” she repeats. “Do you want to draw? Or keep what you have?”

Slamming shut the door on my wandering thoughts, I quickly glance down at my cards to remind myself of what I’m holding. I have two threes, a six, a jack, and an ace. Not a great hand by any means, but at least I have something.

“I’ll draw,” I say as I discard my six and jack.

Houdini deals me two more cards, but before I can turn them over to look at them, he says in a wry tone, “Little distracted, Knight?”

“Distracted?” I raise my brows at him. “I’m not distracted. I was strategizing.”

“Oh?” Rogue smirks at me. “You seemed distracted. Thinking about anything interesting?”

“Are you feeling hot?” Jester asks. He has a wide, shit-eating grin on his face. “You look a little flushed.”

“Maybe Knight isn’t feeling well,” Wraith offers. But the glint in his eye tells me he doesn’t believe that for a second.

“I’m not hot,” I retort. “And I’m feeling fine.” Although, now that I’m thinking about it, I do feel a bit warm. Not because I’m sick, but because my damn libido won’t settle down.

Shit, I really do feel like a damn teenager. It’s ridiculous.

“Micah, are you sick?” She rests the back of her hand against my forehead. “You do feel warm. Maybe you should take some ibuprofen and lay down.”

I catch her hand and lower it down. “I’m not sick, Rue. Really.”

“If you want to take a nap,” Rogue interrupts, “we can keep playing without you. Don’t feel like you have to entertain us if there’s something you’d rather be doing.” His lips twitch. “We’ll be just fine down here.”

“Do you want to go upstairs?” Ruby asks me. “I can bring you up whatever you need.”

As tempting as it may be to take Ruby up on her offer—I’d be more than happy to take a nap with her tucked by my side, and maybe wake her up with kisses, and then finally have sex—I invited everyone over for poker night so Ruby can spend time with my friends. Not to be alone with me, like she usually is.

I like having her all to myself; don’t get me wrong. But it’s been over two weeks since the attack at Ruby’s apartment, and aside from the visit to the police station and a brief trip to F&F the other day, she hasn’t been able to go anywhere but my condo. Ruby really likes it when Sofia comes over—they seem to be getting closer, which I’m glad about—and she enjoyed having Evie and Daisy over the other day. So I thought, what about poker night at my place? Ruby can do something fun, she can spend time with my friends, and they can get to know her when she’s not all stressed out during our meetings about her case.

So far, my idea’s been working pretty well. Ruby’s been smiling all night; she’s loosened up enough to tease Jester and Rogue a few times, and she even gamely tried one of the fried tarantulas Wraith brought.

“Fried tarantulas?” Ruby asked when Wraith first offered them. “Um.”

“Wraith loves to bring over weird food,” Houdini explained. “I’m not sure why he can’t just bring beer or pizza.”