There was only one explanation. Ruby wanted Yvonne. Badly.

And considering their complicated circumstances, and the dangerous way that Yvonne seemed to be able to get under Ruby’s skin, that was not a good thing.

Chapter 6

It was early afternoon when Ruby returned to Yvonne’s apartment. She’d treated herself to lunch at the fanciest restaurant she could find using the credit card Yvonne had given her, simply so she’d have something to do. Now, boredom was setting in again.

She sat down in the living room. It had been a week since she’d signed the contract laying out her agreement with Yvonne. Since then, Ruby had taken advantage of her new status as Yvonne Maxwell’s ‘wife’. She’d embraced a life of luxury, ordering expensive food and furnishing herself with a whole new wardrobe. But it had only taken a few days before the novelty had worn off.

Now, Ruby was faced with the reality that she had absolutely nothing to do.

It didn’t help that she didn’t know a single person in the city other than Yvonne, and Yvonne seemed determined to maintain a professional distance from Ruby. Sure, Yvonne had reiterated that their arrangement was purely business, but with the way Yvonne was behaving, it was like she was going out of her way to avoid Ruby. Yvonne would leave for work early in the morning and would come home late at night, with nothing but a ‘good morning’ or ‘good night’ if Ruby happened to be around. Ruby wasn’t sure whether to take it personally. Yvonne was a busy woman, and it had been clear from the moment they’d met that Yvonne wasn’t a warm, bubbly person.

But this felt like something more.

Ruby recalled the conversation they’d had that first night. It’s the last thing I want from you. Yvonne’s words had been clear. Her behavior, however, was far more ambiguous.

Ruby knew a thing or two about attraction, and Yvonne showed all the signs of wanting Ruby, in her cool, reserved way. When Ruby would walk by late at night in nothing but the oversized t-shirt she slept in, Yvonne’s eyes would follow her, before snapping away. When they passed by each other in the hall, Ruby would feel Yvonne’s gaze on her. When Ruby would go into the kitchen for breakfast, freshly showered, combing her fingers through her damp hair while she waited for her toast to pop, Yvonne would give her a wide berth but would watch her out the side of her eye.

Ruby sighed. Yvonne was so confusing. Clearly, she wasn’t going to warm up to Ruby any time soon. Ruby couldn’t rely on Yvonne to keep her occupied.

However, Ruby didn’t know what to do with herself. She had no hobbies, no interests, no way to pass the time. It was like she was just this blank slate of a person. She had no friends to call, no one to talk to. Not anymore.

Things hadn’t always been this way. It had been a slow, gradual thing. And it had all started with him.