Chapter 33
RUBY
All eyes were on them as they walked into the office. She was nervous from all the attention and tried to pull her hand out of Alex’s, but he held her tighter instead. He leaned into her, brushing his lips against her ear. “Back straight, chin up. You’re Mrs. Blackwood, don’t forget that,” he whispered.
She looked up at him, and he grabbed her chin, pinching gently as he leaned in for a kiss, right in the middle of the lobby. He smirked as he pulled away, and she was certain her cheeks were painted scarlet. Lately, he would kiss her in public as often as he could, ensuring they ended up in the tabloids every week. He seemed to revel in making her blush, seeing her flustered. She guessed it was yet another gaine for him.
She looked away and caught Scott rolling his eyes despite the smile on his face. Alex threw his arm around her as they walked towards the elevator. “Remind me why you’re here again!” he asked Scott.
She saw a flash of panic in Scott’s eyes, but he got it under control within seconds and smiled at his brother. “I’m meeting a friend.” he said. getting off at a lower floor than the one they were headed to.
She winked at him as he walked away. “Have fun,” she told him, laughing as his cheeks reddened before he rushed off. Alex frowned, but thankfully, he didn’t ask any questions. He held her hand as they walked toward his office, and Alice, his assistant, seemed surprised to see her. Her eyes dropped to their joined hands in confusion, and it took her a couple of seconds to smile at Ruby.
“I need to attend the Willis meeting, Alex said, leading her into his office. Alice followed them in and he nodded at her as he pulled out his desk chair for Ruby. “Make sure my wife is well taken care of. Get her some takeout menus too.”
Alice nodded, but her expression displayed disbelief. “I you’re leaving her in your office? Alone?” she asked, clearly trying to be somewhat discreet, and failing.
Alex straightened his tie, nodding. “You were there the day I married her, weren’t you? She’s my wife. What is she going to steal from me? She owns everything already.”
Ruby tensed. Alex had never mentioned it, but Scott had told her that Natalie stole corporate secrets and handed them to her brother, Cole, losing Alex a deal he’d been working on for years. She could bet that attempting to explain a data breach like that, on top of the lost expected revenue, couldn’t have been easy. She couldn’t even imagine how his grandfather, his father and their shareholders must have responded, she could only assume that it was one of the things that fueled his father’s hatred and made him disown him. Still, he had forgiven her for that and stayed with her. She couldn’t imagine how hard he’s had to work to make up for it over the years. It surprised her that he was willing to leave her alone in his office. In his eyes, she was a Smith, after all. But then again, he was right. He owned her.
Alex turned to walk away, but then he paused and turned back. He pulled her up and out of his chair, his hands around her waist. He kissed her roughly, quickly, and then he pulled away, leaving her standing there in a daze, startled. He brushed her hair behind her ear. “111 be back soon,” he said. He leaned in for one more kiss and then walked away, leaving her staring after him. Why was he behaving this way? There was no need to put on a show for his secretary, was there?
She wasn’t the only one that was dazed- Alice was staring at the door too, and it made her feel uncomfortable. It visibly took the secretary a minute to pull herself together, and when she looked back at Ruby, she struggled to meet her eyes. Ruby sat back in Alex’s chair and glanced at his desk. It was as tidy as their bedroom always was.
“Can I offer you a drink?” Alice asked, and she nodded, asking for a coffee.
Alice walked away, smiling tightly, and she stared after her. Alex had made it clear from the start that they would be exclusive, but she couldn’t help but worry nonetheless. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that she wasn’t good enough for hmm. That she would never be. She decided to not worry about that though, at least not right now. When she was younger, she was bound to inherit her mother’s company, but she could help but wonder about the company’s performance. Was it duing well under her father’s control Shebat down on her lip and clicked on the keyboard in front of her. She wasn’t surprised to find it locked. She besitated for a while and then decided to text Alex.
10:24 Wed, Oct 16
Chapter 33
Ruby Blackwood: Could I use your computer?
He texted back almost immediately, startling her.
Husband: Use the fingerprint scanner on the keyboard.
She frowned at it and carefully placed her index finger on it. Much to her surprise, his computer unlocked.
Ruby Blackwood: How is that possible?
9781
Husband: All our security is tied to biometrics. One of my friends, Elliot, implemented it for me. The guy is a whiz. I’ll introduce you at some point.
She sat up when his email inbox appeared on the screen, filled with dozens of emails with her father’s company as the subject line. She frowned and clicked on one of the emails curiously, blinking in disbelief as she read through it. He appeared to be purchasing company shares from all shareholders that were willing to part with theirs, and he was paying quite handsomely for them
Why?
Why would he do that?
She read through the entire thread, shocked at the amount of money he was spending to acquire her father’s shares. She was still reading through the correspondence when Alex walked back into the office, looking stressed out. He ran a hand through his hair but paused when he saw her expression. She looked up at him, unsure of how to even ask the endless questions she had
“What happened?” he asked, his brows raised.
“… you got an email”
He glanced at the screen and ran a hand through his hair. Alex pulled her out of his seat and sat down, pulling her back onto his lap. “I’m buying as many shares as I can. It might take some time, but every single thing your father took from you, I’ll return to you. Everything, Ruby.”
He kissed her neck and her eyes shuttered closed. “A hostile takeover?” She asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
with us.
He nodded. “You’re a Blackwood now, Ruby. More importantly, you’re mine now. Your father is a fool for messing Shit like buying his daughter bullshit bags instead of helping you save your mother’s life? Fuck that. The mere thought of what you almost resorted to because of that asshole has me seeing red. I’ll take every single thing from him, the way he took it all from you until he’s begging for mercy at your feet. And once you’ve got him there, I want you to walk away from him the way he walked away from your mother and you”
She turned in his arms to look at him. “You don’t have to do that for me,” she said, her voice trembling. She had already asked so much of him. She didn’t want to be indebted to him even further. “I only really care about my mother’s company. I don’t need my father’s financial empire. We can’t mess with him Alex. We’re just asking for trouble if we do. Besides, this isn’t part of our agreement. I don’t want to inconvenience or bother you”
He turned her in his lap, so she was facing him, he caressed her cheek and looked into her eyes, his expression serious, “Ruby, who am I?” he asked
“You’re Alexander Blackwood.”
“Indred And who are you?”
“I I’m your wife.”
He nodded. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Anyone that messes with you–messes with me. And I’m not someone to be trifled with.” He pulled away and looked into her eyes. “That company wouldn’t exist without your mother funding it.
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10:24 Wed, Oct 1b
Chapter 33
04 78%)
It’s rightfully yours, and I’m going to make sure it ends up in your hands. Besides, I can’t wait to see the look on Cole’s face when I take everything from him.”
There it was, the real motivation. She never asked him for her father’s shares. She only ever wanted her mother’s. He was just going after them to get back at Cole, Just like Cole said, Alex was using her. This time, he was using her as an excuse. She was tired of being used, but she was even more tired of being helpless. For years she was powerless, but not anymore, not with Alex by her side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him, startling him. The only thing he had ever asked of her in return was her body, so she would give it to hun, and she would do it with a smile on her face. Alex grinned against her lips and kissed her back. Before she knew it, he lifted her on top of his desk, her legs spread wide so he could stand between them.
“I can’t get enough of your lips. I’m not sure I can live without them for an entire week,” he whispered against her lips. “Come with me on my business trip”
She looked into his eyes and shook her head. “I can’t leave my mom. What if she needs me? You promised me you’d never restrict my access to her.”
Alex sighed in resignation and buried his hand in her hair. He leaned in and kissed her, eliciting a quiet moan from her. His hands ran over her body and she squirmed when his fingers trailed over her thigh. He pulled away, and the passion swirling in his eyes made her want him even more. She bit down on her lip and placed her hand on his chest, feeling his hard muscles underneath her palms. She loved the feel of him. He watched her, as though wondering what she would do, and she yanked on bis tie, pulling him toward her. He was grinning as his lips came crashing back down on hers, and she closed her legs around him. Alex moaned and pushed up against her, sending a thrill down her body. She unbuttoned his shirt, feeling a frantic desperation she had never felt before. He shrugged out of his shirt and pushed up her dress until it was bunched
around her waist.
“Ruby,” he whispered, sounding just as needy as she was feeling, He groaned when she unzipped his suit pants, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted more of him.
His fingers brushed against her wetness just as she wrapped her hand around him, and her eyes fluttered closed in delight. “I need you,” she moaned. “Now. Please.”
He pushed her underwear aside roughly and slipped a finger into her, the way he almost did at the club. The way he played her body was insane. “So needy,” he whispered. “You’re so wet for me, baby.” His eyes were on her as he pushed into her, and she whimpered impatiently. “Good girl,” he murmured.
She moaned in delight and Alex buried his hand in her hair, pulling her closer. He kissed her roughly, and she lost myself in him. The pressure was building higher and higher. The way he looked at her almost pushed her over the edge. She grabbed his hair and kissed him harder as her muscles started to contract, a powerful orgasm rocking her body. Alex’s lips smothered her moans and his grip on her hair tightened, his own release not far away. “Ruby,” he groaned, increasing the he moaned when he came undid her. It was the sexiest thing, seeing him like this.
way
pace. The
He exhaled and dropped his forehead to hers. “You have got me hooked,” he told her, and she smiled at him. “I’m going to hate being away from you next week. I understand you can’t leave your mother, but damn, baby.
Alex leaned in and kissed her, slow and deep, before pulling away. He looked at her like she was all he could see. When he looked at her this way, she was convinced that what they had was more than he was willing to admit to himself. He gave her hope, and that was the one thing she could not afford to have.
