The entire time, Yvonne hadn’t been able to take her eyes off Ruby.

But as soon as they’d returned home, they’d gone straight to their bedrooms, exhausted. And now that Ruby was in bed, she was wide awake. She still had Yvonne on her mind, along with that stupid slip-up she’d made.

Ruby sighed and got out of bed, giving up on sleep entirely. She left her bedroom, intending to head to the kitchen to grab something to drink. Instead, her feet carried her in the other direction, further down the hall and to Yvonne’s bedroom door.

She paused in front of it, then knocked.

“Come in,” Yvonne called from inside.

Ruby opened the door and stepped into the room. It was lit only by the lamp on the nightstand. Yvonne stood in front of her dresser, brushing her long, dark hair out.

She glanced at Ruby. “Is there something you want?”

Ruby wasn’t even sure why she’d come here. “I couldn’t sleep, that’s all. Thought I’d come see if you were still awake.”

“I was about to get into bed.” Yvonne put the hairbrush down and turned to Ruby. “Why don’t you join me?”

Ruby smiled. “Sure.”

Yvonne gave her a firm look. “To sleep only. I’m much too tired for anything else.” She waved toward the bed. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll join you in a moment.” She disappeared into her bathroom.

Ruby pulled back the covers on Yvonne’s pristine bed and slid between the soft sheets. Somehow, it seemed cozier than her own bed. Ruby had never slept in it before. She hadn’t even been inside this room since that day she went snooping.

After a few minutes, Yvonne returned, turning off the light and slipping into the bed next to Ruby, her eyes falling closed as soon as her head hit the pillow. The room was still half lit by the moonlight streaming around the blinds. It gave Yvonne’s skin a pale glow.

“Yvonne?” Ruby whispered.

Yvonne stirred slightly. “Mm?”

Ruby hesitated. What did she want to say to Yvonne? What did Ruby want from her in the first place? Every time she thought she’d come close to figuring it out, she’d catch herself wanting something more from Yvonne, something inexplicable and intangible.

Yvonne rolled onto her side, propping herself up on one elbow. “What is it?”

Ruby said the first thing that came to her mind. “Why do you want your inheritance so badly? What I mean is, it doesn’t seem like you need the money.”

“You’re right,” Yvonne said. “I don’t need it, but it’s a lot of money. I’d be crazy to let it go.”

Ruby turned to face her. “But marrying someone you don’t even know for it? That’s extreme. What do you plan to do with the money?”

“To start with, five million of it is going to you. As for the rest? A few million is going toward helping someone I care about. A friend of mine. She was my nanny growing up.”