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Ewen settled across from me, his legs grazing mine. He could have sat in the other half of the tub, but chose to still be touching me.
‘I’m too tired for any more,’ I said, resting my head back against the edge. It was only a half-truth. If he slid his fingers between my thighs, I’d have caved.
‘I didn’t join you for that. Tell me about yourself.’
‘Didn’t find enough while creeping about in my flat?’
He snickered before answering. ‘Other than Ruby, do you have any family?’
‘No. It’s been just the two of us for years.’
‘Who’s ring do you wear? An ex-boyfriend’s?’
It was my turn to laugh. ‘No. Boyfriends don’t tend to give girls who won’t have sex jewellery. My dad gave it to me. I promised him I’d wait until I got married to have sex. It’s stupid, really. He got involved in some stupid cult and made me do it not long before he died.’
‘Is that why you’re still a virgin?’
Opening my eyes, I glanced at his face. He wasn’t mocking me. Genuine interest lay in his expression.
‘It was, at first. Over the years, I saw Ruby fall in and out of relationships. She got hurt. A lot. I think I was scared to give it to someone. Eventually, the idea of it being sweet and loving didn’t hold my interest. I craved it darker.’
‘Is that still what you want?’ Beneath the water, he captured one of my feet and slid his fingers over the arch in a way that made me melt.
‘Yes.’
A groan slipped out as he massaged my foot.
‘What about you? You have a load of siblings. That must have been fun growing up. Especially in an actual mansion.’ I said.
‘My dad was hard on us. And I was pretty young when Mum passed. Being the middle kid, I mostly just trailed around after my siblings. Always felt like a bit of an inconvenience, I suppose.’
‘I bet you were a cute kid.’ A yawn stole over me as I sunk a little lower in the water.
‘I always felt like a shadow. Not as real as my older siblings, but not one of the younger ones, either.’
‘That’s how I feel with Ruby. She always just shone so bright. Half of my life I’ve spent dazzled by her, and the other half jealous of her.’
Ewen’s fingers stilled, and he sat up, leaning in toward me. ‘You’re perfect, Cora. You captured my attention from the moment you walked into my club. Before I even knew you’d taken Ruby’s place. There was something about you that was impossible to ignore.’
Accepting compliments made me feel uncomfortable, and I squirmed against the backrest.
‘You’ll have to get used to accepting the compliments. I’m as likely to tell you how wonderful as I am to call you my little cum-rag.’
I bit my lip, and his features spread into a grin.
‘Keep that up, and I’ll turn you into a cum-rag right now. Tell me what you want out of life,’ he said.
‘I want to finish my studies, and have my photographs blown up big in a gallery some day. See my name in lights. You know. All that stuff.’
‘You’ll have to show me your pictures sometime.’
‘They’re not great at the minute. My camera’s pretty shit, but I do my best. You can pose for me, if you like.’ I paused, cutting off my words. What was I doing? ‘I’m sorry. I’m just struggling with not knowing where Ruby is. I keep relaxing around you, and then this guilt washes over me.’
Ewen nodded. ‘I get it. I’d be pretty pissed if someone took one of my siblings. She’s in a private hospital rehab. Seth had her hooked on some nasty shit, and they’re working to get her off it.’
Relief washed over me. ‘You didn’t hurt her?’
‘I would never.’
