Ruby Rose Read online

  Ruby Rose

  by

  Alta Hensley

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  About the Author

  www.lazydaypub.com

  Ruby Rose

  ISBN-13-978-1-61258-122-4

  ISBN-10-1612581226

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Copyright © 2013 Alta Hensley

  Cover art by Anthony Walsh

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, any events or locales is purely coincidental. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission from the publisher LazyDay, with the exception of quotes used in reviews and critical articles.

  Dedication

  To A-K.

  Everything I do is for you.

  Chapter 1

  The deafening club music pulsated through her body, the base pounding at her ears like a hammer. Ruby Rose made a mental note to try to describe the sensation when she wrote her article. One more thing to add to her ever-growing list of story notes. She wanted her readers to understand the power the music possessed. Recounting this club would definitely be a challenge. How could you possibly express the inside of a nightclub without sounding like a washed-up poet?

  Ruby took off her apron at the end of her shift, desperate for a break. She wanted to get some fresh air and maybe a small moment of silence. She scanned the room, looking for her friend Melanie again. Melanie had promised to meet her at the club before her shift ended and at least be a familiar face amongst the crowd of complete strangers.

  Melanie could socialize her way through anything. She had helped Ruby land this job, a job completely out of her element, bartending at the most popular BDSM club in Seattle. Melanie had also offered her a place to stay while she did the research needed to write her article on the lifestyle of Domestic Discipline. Ruby hoped she got enough to expand her article into a book, but didn’t know how much information she could gather. Her editor Harold had thought it would be a good idea for her to completely go undercover and immerse herself in the everyday life… or nightlife, as it were. Ruby agreed the investigation might make her article more genuine and complex. She didn't want to just get the generic, canned answers from an interview. Writers and reporters had done that many times. Every article she read by a reporter on Domestic Discipline sounded the same. Ruby wanted to go deeper. She wanted the truth, the feelings, the reality.

  Ruby glanced at the clock and saw that Melanie was over an hour late. Had Melanie really flaked on her? Melanie had a habit of getting ‘lost’, but she wouldn’t just forget about Ruby, or at least Ruby hoped not. She counted on Melanie for a ride back to their apartment. She took in some of the faces around her and wondered if she should mingle and make some friends. Being outgoing was not her strength, so she chose to sit and observe instead. A commotion got her attention and she turned to the front entrance to find a crowd gathered around a group of men who had just walked in. Ruby stiffened, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She swallowed the lump forming in the back of her throat, her heart leaping as she saw the man she wanted to get to know. He was the key to her success. Tall. Handsome. Face hidden in darkness. Did she even have a chance at getting close? The pictures she had seen did not do this man justice. A single picture could not capture the raw power and strength that rippled through him. The control, the authority, the mystery. Evan Steel.

  Ruby watched with interest. She’d been told that this club was a hot spot for the leaders in the BDSM community. She hadn’t heard of such a thing or even known the community had so-called “leaders” until Melanie raved about them, and her boss at the club told her to always cater to their needs. Ruby looked around for Melanie, feeling more than a little annoyed at still having to wait.

  A deep wave of laughter erupted directly behind her and she turned to find the same group of men she’d seen walk in just moments earlier. A flock of women surrounded them, flirting, dancing, and having a good time. Evan Steel stood in the middle of it all. Ruby had seen his pictures, read of his speaking engagements, and collected research on everything and every word that came from him. He was laughing when their eyes met. His laugh stopped and the smile on his face seemed to melt away slowly. He stood there frozen, his chiseled face almost demanding to be touched. The scar near his lower lip caught Ruby’s eye. For a moment, Ruby thought he might say something, but then she heard Melanie come up behind her.

  “Hey, mama” Melanie said, a bit winded.

  Ruby snapped out of her groupie stare and watched as Melanie wiggled her way to the bar and ordered a drink. “Crazy night! Sorry I’m so late.”

  “It’s okay. I was actually hoping to leave. It’s been a long night.”

  Melanie grabbed her drink and spun around, taking in the dancing bodies around her. Bobbing her head to the music, she instantly fit in. “You do realize, Ruby, who that was staring at you, right?”

  Slightly embarrassed, Ruby pretended to not comprehend. “No one was staring at me.”

  Melanie gasped. “That was Evan Steel! I told you that if you really want to get into the true workings of the Domestic Discipline lifestyle, then you need to get near him. I showed you pictures. Don't you remember? You two were staring at each other.”

  “No we weren’t,” Ruby lied. She could hardly breathe now because of that brief moment.

  “Look at you! You’ve been here one night and you’re already making headway. I knew you’d fit in just fine.” Melanie took a large swig of her drink. “Let’s go out there and show them what we got.”

  She grabbed Ruby’s arm and pulled her out onto the dance floor before Ruby could object.

  ****

  Evan made his way to the VIP section of the club. His head pounded as the techno music pulsated in his ringing ears. He wasn’t in the mood to be here. It was the second time this week for this club, but the fourth time being out on a paid appearance. He only mingled, shook hands and gave false hugs to strangers because he got paid to do it. He got paid a lot. Evan was famous for one thing: being an outspoken leader in the Domestic Discipline lifestyle. The fame caused him to be in high demand at every BDSM bar, club, and trendy restaurant in town. What once used to be very secretive, behind-closed-doors, and hush-hush had recently become very popular. BDSM was the ‘it’ thing right now, and for some reason, he was seen as the face of it. Media took hold of the idea, and the rest spiraled out of control.

  Evan nodded to and acknowledged all the club-goers gazing his way. Some of the other guys he hung with were already doing shots and beginning the party. His entourage kept the energy high, the fun flowing, and the night alive until the wee hours. They earned every penny the nightclub paid them. Evan, on the other hand, had the charm. His charisma and lure worked its magic as usual tonight, although his smile was anything but genuine. The odd popularity had stopped making him uncomfortable a long time ago, especially among drunk women throwing themselves on him, but he would never get used to everyone wanting to know more about Domestic Discipline.
Or wanting him to spank them and make them ‘good girls’. The liquor in their veins made them beg to be taken in hand. He hated it.

  Although it was nice to have instant notoriety the minute he walked into a room, at times he resented having to always be the life of the party. He had the looks, the right aura, the status, and everyone wanted to be a part of it. Evan never knew who truly wanted to be around him for him, and who just wanted the limelight. He learned to trust nobody.

  Lost in his thoughts and wanting a moment for himself, Evan made his way to the dance floor. Blocking out everyone around him, he closed his eyes and just leaned up against a wall, taking in the beat of the music. The heat of the room and the close proximity of bodies caused sweat to trickle down his back. Evan slightly bobbed his head to the music, enjoying the isolation the rhythm of the base gave him. Someone brushed right past him, a little too close. Annoyed, Evan took a soothing breath, when he realized the person who bumped into him was the same girl who’d caught Evan’s attention at the bar.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to knock into you. Did I hurt you?”

  “No, I’m good.” Evan swiped at his brown hair that now lay limply against his forehead. He found it odd that he suddenly felt self-conscious about his appearance.

  “You sure you’re okay?” the girl asked again.

  Evan looked into her deep brown eyes for the first time, his heart beating hard. The laser lights swirled behind the girl, casting her in full light one second and in a shadow the next. Evan smiled at a petite silhouette. Every time her face lit up, Evan noticed her eyes first. They were an amazing rich chocolate color, unlike anything he had ever seen. Her full eyelashes curved slightly at the end. They matched perfectly with her dark brown hair that reflected all the colored lights around her. She was a true Spanish beauty. The girl stared back at Evan as she stood there breathing hard.

  Her brown hair was up in a loose bun, except for a few strands that lightly rested on the sides of her face and forehead. It surprised Evan that she didn’t seem fazed by Evan’s notoriety. She acted genuinely sorry for knocking into him. It didn’t seem like she had done it intentionally, like the game that many others had played in the past. She wasn’t bratting in hopes Evan would threaten to discipline her. That game had gotten really old.

  “I’m fine,” Evan said.

  “Good.” The girl tucked the loose hair behind her ear and turned to resume her dancing. She didn’t look back or ask anything else. She seemed impatient to be on her way. Evan watched as she seductively moved her hips to the music.

  With his heart pounding and the overpowering need to see her face surging, to Evan’s own surprise, he tapped her on the shoulder and stammered, “So, I haven’t seen you here before.”

  The girl turned and looked at him without responding. Maybe she hadn’t heard him. Evan hoped her lack of words weren’t just because she thought he was an idiot.

  “I’m Evan, what’s your name?” Trying to keep his cool was as difficult as walking under water.

  “Ruby Rose.”

  All Evan could manage was a weak smile as he allowed the most alluring name he had ever heard to descend into his soul.

  “Well, have a good night,” Ruby said, and danced off, fading into the crowd of bodies.

  Evan reluctantly made his way back to the VIP section to join his friends as his thoughts went back to those brown eyes cloaked in black lashes. Ruby Rose and the enticing eyes.

  ****

  Ruby danced off, concentrating on trying to be as graceful as possible. She had a feeling Evan was still watching her, and she would die of embarrassment if she fell or stumbled. Her awkward nerves were out of control. How could she almost knock the man over? Of all people, it had to be the famous Evan Steel. She should’ve said more to him, but she'd been at a loss for words, and thoughts. All she could do was gawk at him like a crazed fan. Ruby was sure he thought she did it on purpose. He probably expected for her to ask for his autograph.

  Her knees had almost buckled when she realized who she had accidentally danced into. Ruby had researched all about the great Evan Steel and his BDSM clan. By coincidence Melanie partied at the same hot spots as they did. Since Melanie had recently come out as a spanko and submissive, she held them in high regard and told Ruby about them all the time. Melanie desperately wanted to be let into their popular social circle. Ruby had never really grasped everything Melanie told her about Evan and his friends. She made them out to be movie-star, drop-dead gorgeous, and after seeing them in person, Ruby would have to agree.

  Evan Steel was too gorgeous for his own good. Ruby's heart thumped wildly as she tried her best not to look over her shoulder. She wished she weren't so attracted to that man. But how could she not be? With that messy chocolate-brown hair, sexy, mysterious eyes, and lean, muscular body, Evan was a walking vision. The ink of his tattoos beckoned her curiosity. Everything about him teased her senses – his looks, his raspy baritone voice, his tantalizing, sultry scent.

  Ruby made her way back to the bar and looked over at the VIP section where Evan sat with a large group of men and women, most clad in leather and collars. Evan and his friends seemed to glide in a lingering wave toward a group of girls. They had a mysticism in their actions. In the way they moved. Almost like vampires in a dark blockbuster movie. The women waited, their eager smiles reminding Ruby of teenyboppers at a boy band concert.

  Evan wore a tight black shirt that showed off his firm arms. Tattoos marked his entire exposed skin. His black pants clung to his body as if they were designed just for him. Ruby had never seen a more seductive smile. His masculine look screamed alpha. Rough, rugged, and at the same time, handsome. The scar by his mouth had an incredible draw, giving him a lure that pulled anyone in. Ruby watched as one of the leather-clad women practically lunged into Evan’s arms, smothering Evan with her breasts, and then looked around nonchalantly to make sure everyone was watching.

  “Is that Evan’s girlfriend?” Ruby asked Melanie as she leaned over to speak in her ear to be heard over the booming cadence.

  Melanie shook her head. “Only in her wildest dreams. That’s Maxine, one of the groupies. She relentlessly tries to convince anyone who will listen that the two of them are a couple. Everyone knows Evan’s not interested in her. I’ve actually never seen Evan with a girlfriend. He seems to keep to himself. Although, many would volunteer to fill that position in a heartbeat. Just look at him. Yummy.”

  Ruby took a small sip of the drink she nursed and just watched. The group of men Evan hung with seemed so experienced and composed. They laughed and flirted, but still appeared powerful and dominating. And all Ruby could do was almost knock the most admired person in the room down, and then fumble her way through a hopeless conversation. Even looking at them made her feel unworthy.

  Sitting at the bar watching the ‘cool kids’ made her miss home, particularly holing up in her office writing. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to this assignment. Ruby wasn't prepared to feel so inadequate.

  If Harold hadn’t talked her into this, Ruby would be home with a glass of wine and a laptop as her only friend. Boring, maybe, but secure. Harold meant the world to her. He had become far more than just her editor. They’d been through so much over the years, last year especially when the nightmare of Ruby’s sister’s death almost destroyed her. Losing her last surviving family member had left her only with her best friend Harold to stand by her side. She didn’t really mind being alone with her words and her stories, but she appreciated having a friend who truly got her. Harold understood her sheltered ways. He understood her past, and would stand by her side as they walked into the future.

  When Ruby decided to move to Seattle to work on this exposé, she and Harold made a promise to keep in touch daily. She wanted to make sure he helped her stay on task and give her the encouragement to do something completely out of her comfort zone. So far, since she had made the move, they talked and texted every day, and she had a rough outline on her story already under way. N
o matter how far away, Ruby was determined to keep Harold in her life forever, both professionally and personally.

  Her goal was to get the info needed and write an incredible story, with Harold, back in San Francisco. She already had months’ worth of research, mostly candid interviews with women who willingly bent over a man's knee and got spanked. Between those and all the blog posts she had read, Ruby was close to reaching her goal. She could then get back to the way she preferred her life. Safe, sound, and predictable. Just the way she liked it. Seattle, this club, and Evan Steel were just stepping-stones to a brighter future.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the warmth from a sweaty body press up against her. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as she attempted to move her body away. A man with short-cropped hair, lacking a masculine bone in his body, reached over to grab her hand.

  “You seem like you’re in a whole other world,” he flirted.

  “Just thinking. Getting ready to leave, actually.”

  He moved closer. “Do you want to go dance?”

  Ruby shook her head, not the least bit interested. “No, like I said, I’m getting ready to leave.”

  “Do you want to leave together?” he said. “I’m ready to get out of here, too.”

  Ruby’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped back. She had no desire to break it to him easy anymore. “I’m not interested. Sorry.”

  The man leaned forward, and the stench of liquor on his breath overpowered her air space. “Well, then what are you doing in a place like this? Maybe you just need someone to show you what you’re missing. I can tell you want to be dominated, and taken in hand.” He leaned in, and began putting his arms around Ruby’s waist.

  Ruby scowled, pushing him away. “I told you I’m not interested!”

  Clearly annoyed, the man smirked and proceeded to move forward and force a hug. “Isn’t that why you came tonight? To see what being dominated would be like?”