Handle Me (The Heed Me Novellas Book 4) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Author's Note

  2 free books

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1 - Ruby

  Chapter 2 - Raphael

  Chapter 3 - Ruby

  Chapter 4 - Raphael

  Chapter 5 - Ruby

  Chapter 6 - Raphael

  Chapter 7 - Raphael

  Chapter 8 - Ruby

  Chapter 9 - Raphael

  Chapter 10 - Ruby

  Chapter 11 - Ruby

  Chapter 12 - Raphael

  Chapter 13 - Ruby

  Chapter 14 - Raphael

  Chapter 15 - Ruby

  2 free books

  Keep in touch

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books & Upcoming Releases

  Author’s Note

  This book can be read as a stand-alone.

  In case you haven’t read the previous books, here a little introduction:

  Sam lives with four girls in her house in Florida—Kendra, Leo, Ruby, and Skyla.

  This is Ruby’s story.

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  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 Elodie Colt

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Warning:

  This book contains explicit sexual content and harsh language.

  Recommended age: 18+

  Cover Design: Art4Artists

  Editing: Swish Design & Editing

  Proofreading: N.R. Locker Editing & Author Services

  Formatting & Editorial Design: Elodie Colt

  To one of my best and oldest friends who died in May 2019 at the age of thirty-three… You were way too young to leave this world, but you lived a beautiful and fulfilling life.

  Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

  See you up there, my friend!

  Alcohol is a sneaky, little bitch.

  It pretends to be your friend—encouraging you, gaining your trust, and boosting your confidence—but if you’re not careful, it fucks you all over. I swore never to touch the stuff again after my twenty-first birthday party and a Bailey’s hangover that busted me for nearly a week, but I had to make an exception this weekend. We had something big to celebrate, after all.

  The alarm clock going off sounds like wailing sirens in my ears, and I groan into my pillow as a headache threatens to blow up my brain. I try to swallow, but my mouth is so dry, I only manage a throaty cough. My tequila-damaged brain cells barely register the sound of Jesse’s yawn as he stretches his arm to shut up the damn thing.

  “How late ‘sss it…” I slur.

  Jesse’s chuckle makes the mattress vibrate, and I groan again as my headache reaches an unbearable level. “Six in the evening. Had fun in Vegas?” The mattress dips as he rolls out of bed to start packing.

  With my eyes shut, I fumble for the water bottle on my nightstand and take a few greedy sips. “Yeah. Not sure if all the fun was worth a liver transplant, though,” I mutter, my voice all raspy. Why does the inside of my mouth taste like a chimney? Shit, did I smoke yesterday? Well, it definitely feels as if I might need a lung transplant too.

  “Oh, wow, you look wasted.” Jesse frowns at me as he snaps open his suitcase. “How come you’re still not sober?”

  Grumbling, I heave myself up and rest my head against the headboard. It takes my sluggish brain a full minute to jack my memories.

  We left Caesars Palace at about three in the morning after Leo hit a guy who hit on me. We then chucked a few bottles on our way to the airport where Sam made a quick stop to puke her guts out. Next came a drinking game in a run-down airport bar where Skyla fell from her chair and stayed on the floor until the bartender heaved her up. Kendra ordered more hard stuff on the flight, which was when Leo conked out and fell asleep on the tray table in front of her.

  Shit. I knew this was a bad idea. I knew I should have stayed at home, watching a documentary or reading a book or whatever…

  “I downed my last beer after the cab driver dumped me in front of your door,” I drawl.

  “Sounds like Vegas.” Jesse laughs, sauntering over to the closet while I enjoy the view of his sexy butt in tight boxer briefs.

  Sure, Sam and Leo’s bachelorette party was a blast, thanks to our favorite DJ, aka Kendra’s boy, Aaron Callaghan, who happened to have a gig in Sin City. He got us tickets for all the super-exclusive venues. We raided nine clubs and five casinos. The whole shebang and then some more…

  Come to think of it, I remember winning two hundred bucks on a blackjack table.

  Huh, I also remember stuffing all the cash into a stripper’s cherry-red leather thong. Oh my God, what a waste. I mean, the guy wasn’t even hot! Epic fail, Ruby.

  “Why are you making such a face?” Jesse asks when he notices my grimace.

  I take a few sips of my water, stalling for an answer. Lying is my soft spot. Not that I’ve done anything to jeopardize our relationship, but I’d rather not start an argument on how a trio of cops showed up in our suite to then rip their clothes from their bodies on top of the dining table—all orchestrated by Kendra, of course. “Just trying to block out my headache.”

  Jesse stuffs a pile of books into his backpack before he pads over to the bed, a devilish twinkle on his face. Plopping down next to me, he snatches the water bottle from my hand and lets it drop to the floor. A warm hand vanishes under the blankets and grazes my stomach.

  “I can ease your headache, baby,” he murmurs, trailing a path up to the valley of my breasts.

  I give him a tired smile. I’m so not in the mood for sex right now, but I have to bite the bullet. Jesse will be gone for a month. What kind of girlfriend wouldn’t give her man a proper goodbye?

  “Shouldn’t you finish packing?” I ask, hoping this will be a quickie. I’m famished, and I would die for a cheese-dripping pizza and a gallon of ice-cold coke right now.

  “I’ve got plenty of time.” Bending down, he peppers my neck with soft kisses. They feel nice, and for a moment, I forget all about my fat and sugar craving. “Enough to make sure you remember me when I’m gone.”

  His hand moves down, and he dips a finger between my folds, searching for my little nub. It’s not hard to miss that I’m not ready yet, and he scoots down my body to speed things up with some tongue play.

  I wish it were like in these cheesy romance books. The ones Sam writes for a living. The ones that made E.L. James a rich woman and Christian Gray every girl’s fantasy. The ones where the woman gets wet before the guy even touches her.

  We all know it’s not like that in real life. Sex is not always mind-blowing and heart-wrenching and earth-shattering. Some times are great, some times are bad, and some times are okay. Does that harm your relationship? No.

  Does it bug me that Jesse can’t come when I’m on top? Not really. He lets me ride him until I reach my climax, and if he prefers other positions to find his release, fine by me. Right now, I’m happy to stay horizontal and just enjoy the pleasure.

  Does it bug me that I rarely come without clit stimulation? Not sure. It’s definitely one of the reasons why I can do without getting laid every day, but with Jesse and me seeing each other two days a week max, it has ne
ver been an issue.

  At least, Jesse knows what to do with his tongue as he circles it around my entrance, and I feel tendrils of heat gathering in between the apex of my thighs. Glancing down, I catch his smirk as he extracts a trail of wetness from me, and he sucks it away leisurely.

  “How’s the headache now?” he growls, making sure I feel the vibrations of his lips on mine.

  “Better.”

  He inserts a finger and crooks it while his tongue plays with my bundle of nerves. “How about now?”

  “Much better…” is my breathy answer, and I close my eyes, surrendering to the sensations.

  A second finger joins the first, and I widen my legs to allow him better access. I grab his head when the pleasure rises, pulling his hair as my toes curl. His movements become erratic when he feels me spiral out of control, and I mutter his name in desperation before my body starts to quake from the inside out. Sucking my clit one last time, he crawls back up, a triumphant grin plastered on his face.

  “Still having a headache?” he asks in a sultry tone, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

  I throw him a lazy grin. “Mysteriously gone.”

  “Good.”

  He slams into me without forewarning, and I grab the headboard just for something to hold on to. The headache shoots through my skull again, and I shut my eyes to mask the pain throbbing in my skull with each thrust. I contemplate faking an orgasm for Jesse’s sake, but I’m too wasted to keep up the act. Jesse knows I’m a tough nut to crack.

  I arch my back to adjust the angle of my hips, allowing him to go in even deeper. Jesse curses under his breath, and I dig my heels into his ass to urge him on. Five more relentless pounds, and he grunts out his release.

  I exhale in relief. I was already close to having an accident with his cock prodding my full bladder, and I hurry to the bathroom the second he lets me wriggle out of his embrace.

  “Sorry,” I hear him say while I slouch on the toilet.

  “All good. You know I rarely come twice.” At least, not without some additional handiwork. “Hey, can you give me a ride home later?” I ask when I shuffle back into the bedroom, rumbling through a drawer in search for fresh underwear.

  Jesse continues to pack and stuffs a pair of heavy hiking boots into his suitcase. “Sure, but you know you can stay if you want. The flat is all yours.”

  “Thanks, but I need to go home and study for my cognitive psychology exam,” I grumble with a sigh.

  Nobody is as ambitious and dutiful as me when it comes to my career, but I doubt I will be very productive tonight. I still feel like I have a blood alcohol content of 0.5% raging in my system, and I could fall asleep on the spot.

  Jesse tosses his passport into his backpack. “I thought your exam is in three weeks.”

  “Yeah, but I have to pull a double in the library next week. My colleague is on vacation,” I say, trying to get my hair straight with a brush but to no avail.

  After I’m halfway presentable, we leave Jesse’s flat and make our way to his car.

  “When is your flight?” I ask with a glance at the dashboard.

  “Eleven thirty,” Jesse says as he steers the car through the evening traffic.

  “Did you finish the design?”

  He shakes his head. “Not yet. I hope to get it done on the plane.”

  Jesse studies geology with hydrogeology as his major. His excellent grades quickly earned him a scholarship. Gold Reserve, Inc.—a gold mining company that operates in the southeast of Venezuela—offered him a four-week internship to support the local team with groundwater engineering, hydrogeologic investigation, and designing a dewatering system. All very technical stuff but quite interesting if you know the background. Jesse’s work is essential for the economy and the entire ecosystem, especially in Third World countries.

  “Should you get the chance, feel free to pinch some gold dust,” I joke. “I could use a few more zeros at the end of my account balance.”

  “Fuck gold. I’ll find a Hope Diamond for you, baby.” Jesse sends me a sexy wink, and I laugh.

  “Oh my God, Kendra would kill me in my sleep to get her hands on this one.”

  “I’m sure Aaron could afford one,” Jesse mumbles with a scoff.

  “Yeah, Aaron Callaghan was quite a catch.”

  Jesse brings the car to a halt in front of Sam’s house and casts me a sideways glance. “And I’m not?”

  “You’re the best catch ever.” I throw him a wide smile and lean over for a kiss. “Well, then, have a great time in Venezuela. See you in four weeks.”

  “Shit, I forgot to tell you…” he mutters, rubbing his chin. “I’ll be gone longer than expected. The company extended my internship to six weeks, and I wanted to seize the opportunity.” He lowers his voice at the end as he scans my face, waiting for my response.

  My face goes blank. Wow. That came out of left field. “Six weeks? But… but the wedding is in four weeks.”

  “Yeah, I know… I’m sorry,” is his sheepish apology.

  I shoot him a wry look. “Since when did you know?”

  “They told me two days ago,” he confesses at last. My eyes widen in response, and he quickly adds, “I didn’t want to tell you over the phone when you were in Vegas.”

  “So you decided to break the news right before you board the plane?”

  “I’m sorry, baby…”

  I check his face for answers, unsure of how to fight my case here. Jesse is an upfront guy, always circumspect, but he also likes to take the easy way out. He could have told me earlier today, but he knew I wouldn’t have been in the mood for a quickie, so he just decided to let it drop.

  “Since when is that a problem? This isn’t the first time I’ve been gone for a longer period of time.”

  I munch on my lip, contemplating my answer. Jesse’s occasional trips were never an issue. I’m a busy woman and enjoy my solitude, but I’m disappointed he’s letting me down on Sam and Leo’s wedding. He promised not to miss it.

  Then again, I can’t ask him to stay. This internship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I know better than anyone that sacrifices and success go hand in hand.

  “You’re right.” My smile is forced, but I don’t want to leave on a bad note and stew over this argument for the next six weeks. “You just took me by surprise, is all.”

  Jesse tilts his head and puts a finger under my chin. “You’re sure?”

  No. “Yes. Text me when you arrive, okay?”

  “Will do. Love you, baby.” He leans closer for one last kiss, but it somehow lacks the passion. “Be good.”

  I manage to crack another smile before I step out of the car and drag my feet inside, my spirits crushed. Skyla startles when I slam the door with enough force to rattle the walls, dropping the scissors she had in her hands.

  “This is Kendra’s fault,” I declare upon entering the kitchen, tossing my bag onto a chair before ransacking the drawers in search of an Advil. “I’ve never been that shit-faced in my entire life.”

  Skyla throws me a puzzled look, surprised by my snarky remark. “Uh… hi to you, too.”

  I give her a quick once-over. There are no circles under her eyes, and her beach waves look as if she’s styled them for hours. “And why do you look as if you had twelve hours of beauty sleep while my face resembles a female version of Gollum?”

  Skyla picks up the scissors and continues to cut out paper hearts for the wedding place cards. “I threw up all the booze I consumed half an hour ago, so I can’t say I’m feeling any better than you. Concealer works magic.” She points a finger under her eyes. “What’s eating you? You’re never grumpy.”

  I collapse into a chair with a huff. “Jesse just dropped the bomb that he’s going to stay in Venezuela for six weeks.”

  Skyla cocks an eyebrow. “But the wedding is in four weeks.”

  I down the Advil with some water. “Exactly. He literally just told me a minute ago.”

  “Huh.” Skyla pinches her lip
s, and I taper my eyes at her.

  “What?”

  She shoots me a sharp look as if I’m playing dumb. “Jesse is a nice guy, Ruby, but I’m not sure if he makes you happy.”

  That argument again... “Our relationship works,” I deadpan, openly broadcasting my irritation.

  “No, it doesn’t. It lags.”

  I roll my eyes. “Don’t compare my relationship to our Wi-Fi connection...”

  We both look up as Leo struts in, and I’m glad to see that she, at least, looks as bad as I feel. Ignoring us, she beelines for the coffee maker, as usual unresponsive until she’s got her first sip of caffeine.

  “Jesse is boring,” Skyla continues.

  “Yep, he is,” Leo launches into the conversation, slurping her coffee.

  “I’m boring, too.”

  “Yeah, because Jesse’s bumming you out,” Skyla counters.

  “That’s a bit of a stretch. Just because we’re both super busy—”

  “Did he ever take you out on a date?” she cuts in. “Did he ever get you something nice? Did you ever go on vacation with him?”

  “We’re planning to—”

  “Do you even share a hobby other than burying yourselves in books all day and working your asses off?”

  I just shake my head. We are different. Jesse gives me a foot massage after a bad day. He cooks every time I’m over. He cuddles with me after sex, holding me until I fall asleep. He even packs me lunch for work.

  I turn to face Leo. Her shrug tells me she’s on the same page with Skyla.

  “Yeah, well… Not everybody’s life is as exciting as yours, getting kidnapped by a billionaire mobster who turns out to be your future husband.” I swipe my hand at Leo. “Or Kendra who wins over the heart of the world’s most famous DJ and pursues her dream as a dancer.” Both girls remain silent while Skyla continues to cut paper hearts. “I’m not that adventurous, okay?” Snatching the guest list from the table, I go over the seating assignments for the wedding, silently ending the argument.

  We’ve done all the work already, but after Leo got abducted, Sam canceled the wedding. No one would have expected that Leo would come back with her kidnapper (now fiancé) in tow. A textbook example of Stockholm Syndrome. Anyway, we’ve got a double wedding to arrange now.