Which is exactly what happened. As she stood there staring up at Spencer, both willing and not willing him to speak, she braced herself for the worst. He’d hate her. He’d revile her. Or, worst of all, he’d look down on her.

He did none of those things. Instead, he crossed the room in one powerful stride. He came so close that his hips touched hers, holding but not pinning her against the vanity. She could feel the powerful press of his thighs, the heat of a body that seemed to thrum with some unspoken need. More curious than alarmed, she waited to see what he would do.

His hands came up, a low growl escaping his throat before any words could form. Even that didn’t scare her, especially when his hands stopped on either side of her face, his palms hovering above her cheeks.

“Goddammit, Ruby,” he said, his low growl still evident in the rumbling way the words came out. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

“You do?” Something in her throat caught and clenched. He wasn’t going to storm out the door. He was still here and with such a look in his eyes. It was his challenging look, his I-cannot-fight-this-attraction look. “What’s stopping you?”

He released a shaky laugh, his hands still suspended above her skin, the heat of him causing a rush of sensation to overtake her. “Several things,” he said, “but none of them as pressing as the fact that I just had my hands up a dog’s ass.”

She laughed so hard that he was forced to take a step back. She probably sounded unhinged—she felt unhinged—but her relief was so strong that it came out in a burst of sudden, overwhelming glee.

“That might be the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” she confessed—and it was the truth. Sweet nothings and flowery compliments had nothing on a man who had just saved a dog’s life, taken down Harry Gunderson, and not fled the moment the real Ruby Taylor reared her not-so-pretty head.

“Ten minutes,” he said as he stepped back. “Give me ten minutes to get cleaned up, and then we’ll talk.”

“We’ll talk?” she echoed, somewhat disappointed. A conversation between them was inevitable, it was true, but she’d much rather do the kissing first. It was so much more enjoyable, so much easier than all the rest.

Which was why she nodded and accepted his offer. It might be easier to use sex and attraction to smooth things out between them, but Ruby didn’t want the easy way. Not when it came to Spencer. Not when it came to the things worth fighting for.

“I should probably go clear out my locker anyway,” she admitted. “There’s not much in there, but it’d be just like Harry to change the locks before I can get to it.”