Island Girl Read Online Free

you.”
    I paused, suddenly flustered. “It’s good to see you too.”
    He rose and approached, hand outstretched, face collapsing into a minefield of wrinkles when he smiled. My God, but the man had aged. I couldn’t help wondering if he was thinking the same thing as he took my hand. My God, Ruby’s looking old.
    But he said, “You look fabulous,” and I smiled back, wanting to believe him. He may have been older, but his handshake hadn’t changed and my teeth were still rattling when he said, “Have a seat,” and led me to the desk.
    “I assume you’re no longer in the legal aid business,” I said, taking in the floor-to-ceiling view of the city before sitting down. “What made you change your mind?”
    “Debt mostly. Drink?” he asked, indicating a bar on the far side of the room.
    I was still curious about his leap into the world of big law, but nothing about him indicated a willingness to chat about that chapter in his life. So I said, “Not right now,” and stashed my purse under the chair. “Thanks for seeing me.”
    “I always make a point of seeing a pissed-off ex.” He sat down and folded his hands. “What can I do for you, Ruby?”
    And suddenly I had no idea. Not a clue as to why I was there.
    “I need to talk to you,” I said, because it made sense.
    “About what?”
    “It’s hard to explain,” I said, and waited, hoping it would get easier. Or at least clearer.
    He tipped his head to one side. “Do you want to try?”
    “I hardly know where to start.” I rose and walked around to his side of the desk because it felt like the natural thing to do. The picture in the frame by the phone made me pause. Mark and a little girl in a tree house. Same brown hair, same green eyes. His daughter? Possibly, but where was the mother? Why no shots of her?
    “Ruby? Are you okay?”
    “Yes, of course.” I smiled harder and did the only thing that came to mind. I moved in closer, making him roll his chair back to accommodate me. Those green eyes flicked up and down my body. He let out a long controlled breath, inched his chair back a little farther, and I could have cried. The child’s mother aside, he still found the ex tempting.
    I perched myself on the corner of his desk. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,” I said, which was probably true. Why else would I be there? “And I’m happy to see that life has been good to you.”
    He rolled his chair back farther still. “What do you want?”
    “A chance to get reacquainted? Let bygones be bygones?”
    “Ruby, you can’t—”
    “Can’t what?” I leaned forward slightly. “Stoke an old flame? See what flares up?”
    He leapt up, knocking over his chair, and flattening himself against the wall. “For God’s sake, what are you doing?”
    “Trying to stir up some memories,” I said, which was definitely true. I moved closer, pressed myself against him, ran my hands over his chest. “I see it’s working.”
    “It’s not working.”
    “You never could lie to me. Not about this.” Cupping his face in my hands, I brought his mouth down to mine, kissed him lightly, once, twice. Third time and he was on me, dragging my mouth closer, covering my lips with his and trying to get his tongue inside. He might have been older and out of shape, but he was hard in a hurry and he still wanted me.
    “Oh, Mark,” I said, feigning breathlessness, hoping the real thing would overtake me while I tried to pull him to the floor.
    Halfway there, he stopped, dragged me back to my feet, and stepped away from me. “What the hell are you doing? What is this about?”
    “Reconciliation?” He looked doubtful and my shoulders slumped. “All right fine, I don’t know what it’s about right now. Let’s assume it’s about sex. Let’s just do it and I’ll leave.”
    He held a hand over his belt buckle. “Ruby, stop. I’m not going to let you screw up my life again.”
    “I screwed up your life?”
    “For years and years to come.” He