“Because if we keep going, I’ll fuck you right here on this rooftop, paparazzi be damned.” He grabs the wine off the nearby table and takes a long drink straight from the bottle.
I giggle and take a sip from my own glass. “I wonder if anybody is watching us right now. I guess we’ll see when the headlines come out tomorrow.”
“It’ll probably say something like, ‘This just in… country music darling Ruby Lynn Hayes was spotted on the rooftop of her penthouse apartment with some asshole who doesn’t deserve her. She’s so far out of his league, they aren’t even playing the same sport.’”
“But she adores him anyway,” I press my lips to his jaw and rest my head against his chest, staring out at the city beyond.
Several long moments pass, during which nobody speaks.
Finally breaking the silence, I whisper, “Am I dreaming?”
He places two fingers under my chin, angling my face upwards so we’re at eye level. “No, baby. But I think I might be.”
Chapter 21
Fuck the Patriarchy
? The Man - Taylor Swift
Ruby
“Country music darling, Ruby Lynn Hayes, is expected in court today. She’ll be facing off with her former label, which has accused the singer/songwriter of breaching her multi-million dollar contract at the close of her U.S. Tour last spring. In a countersuit, Ruby alleges she endured years of abuse and manipulation from label executives and the management team at C&L Entertainment. The courtroom is closed for the proceedings, but we will keep you up to date on the latest developments as they come.
In related news, the man spotted with Ruby earlier this week has been identified! In an exclusive interview, a reporter from Chicago tells CNT he met with the man in question on a trip to Oak Ridge last spring. ‘He was bartending at this little dive bar on Main Street,’the source tells us. ‘He was a complete asshole. I barely escaped unscathed.’
We’ve since learned that the former bartender’s name is Liam Murphy, and he’s now a firefighter with the Oak Ridge Fire Department. Word around the small town says Ruby dated his younger brother, Connor, in high school, and the relationship fizzled out before her star took off in Nashville.
‘Connor was on the football team and Ruby couldn’t handle his popularity,’ says Missy Chadwick, a former schoolmate of the couple. ‘I was on the cheer team, and Ruby was always jealous of me. We were all so surprised when she dumped Connor at the senior prom and left with his brother that same night. It was a big scandal back then.’”
Without finishing the article, I reel back, preparing to toss my phone across the bedroom.
Liam snags it from my hand. “Calm down, baby.”
I pace back and forth, anger pulsing through my veins. “I’m gonna fucking kill that bitch!”
“Can it wait? We already have one lawsuit. Let’s not add a murder charge… it’s bad for publicity.”
I stare him down with a bemused expression. “Any press is good press.”
He chuckles and pulls me into his chest, one hand cupping the back of my head. “I know you’re nervous,” he murmurs against my hair. “Even if we don’t win this, we’ll be fine.”
“We?”
“Yeah, Goldie. We’re in this together now. It’s you and me against the goddamn world, and I will burn it all to the ground before I see you hurt again.”
Something flutters low in my belly, and my eyes blur. “I think starting fires is frowned upon in your profession.” It’s a thinly veiled attempt to ease the emotional weight of the moment.
“Smokey the bear would be very disappointed, but it’d be worth it.”
I smile and pull away from him just enough to look at his handsome face. “Another joke from Liam Murphy? Nobody’s ever going to believe this.”
He spins me away from him and pats my ass. “Get ready. We have to be at the courthouse soon, and you need to look like the badass, take-no-shit woman you are.”
Glancing back over my shoulder, I say, “You don’t think they’d take me seriously in my disco cowgirl onesie?”
“Oh yeah. And those undereye things you have on are really doing something for me, so if you don’t get your sexy ass into that bathroom and finish getting ready, I’m not going to be held responsible for what happens next.”
Something comes over me and I can’t resist toying with him. I drag the zipper down and peel the onesie off one shoulder at a time until it drops all the way to the floor, leaving me completely naked. “If we win, I’m getting my nipples pierced.”
