This chapter is a bit shorter, but I figure it's short and sweet. Enjoy.

Stupid. So stupid.

Ruby cursed herself as she paced the empty hotel room, teeth almost gnashing into her lip. She hadn't been drunk the night before, but she sure as hell wished she'd been. Then there would be an excuse for the way she'd acted. Not only had she had a detached and unresponsive attitude, but she'd turned down Sam's blatant offer of sex afterwards. She was slipping.

Slipping.

What did that even mean? What was slipping? What would show when she finally did? Ruby couldn't slip. She didn't know what was going on in her own head, and until she did, she didn't want anyone else to see what a mess it was. Sam especially. Even after she did figure things out, there was a great possibility no one else would know her inner workings. Ruby was used to keeping things to herself, and she was sure that she'd continue on that way for the rest of her life. She was content that way. No fears, no judgement, no hurt.

What had even set her off so horribly? Was it Sam's agreeing that he loved his wife, or his words about not thinking about Ruby when he wasn't with her? Jesus. That hadn't even been what he'd said, had it? So why was she choosing to take it that way?

Ruby gasped and lifted her hand to her mouth, wiping her thumb across her bottom lip. Blood. She'd chewed so hard on the skin of her lip that it had split and begun to bleed. She sucked her lip into her mouth and pressed her tongue to it, hissing at the sting.

Sam and Ruby's relationship was not about feelings. It wasn't love. It wasn't mutual adoration for each other. It was a lawyer who'd been seduced by his client and a lust for sin. It was dirty, it was wrong, and it felt good. That was it.

Ruby was almost disgusted by the fact that she'd let Sam hold her while she slept. It was a fatal mistake. Lovers held each other, and Sam and Ruby were not lovers. They were sinners. They didn't open up to each other, they didn't learn each others weaknesses, and for all they knew about each other, they had no weaknesses.

The door clicked open, surprising Ruby, and Sam stepped through, ducking his head as he entered from the rain.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked him over, her eyes scanning down his body lustfully. Sam's button-up shirt was crisp and white, and almost seemed odd on him. His jeans clung to his waist where his dark belt held them up. Looking up, she found his green eyes on her. Sam's hair dripped into his face, damp with rainwater, and as he reached to push it back over his head, she could see his shirt tighten over the muscles in his arms.

Ruby shifted on her feet, lips parted as she ogled him, breath coming in small pants.

It was quiet between the two as they watched each other, each one of them trying to decide what to do. After nearly a minute had passed, Ruby swallowed and reached for the hem of her black v-neck, pulling it up and over her head so that she wore only her jeans and black bra. She crossed the room quickly, hands gripping Sam's shirt and tugging him in for a long, sensual kiss.

"What are you doin'?" he asked when she finally pulled back and began kissing down his neck roughly.

"Making it up to you. Don't you want me to make it up to you, Sammy?" Ruby panted, unbuttoning his shirt in a hurry. "I know you want me. You wanted me so bad last night. And you know you shouldn't. You know how wrong it is to want me so bad. But you like it. So let's do it."

Ruby's words had clearly gotten into his head, as he was hurrying out of his jeans, attempting to keep their lips sealed together as he did so. Her hands moved to his shoulders, shoving his shirt off and running over his soft skin. Then, moving again, Ruby unbuttoned her jeans and hopped out of them, moaning against Sam's lips to keep him on edge.

She pulled away, and Sam made hands to pull her back, but she escaped his grasp. Sam's hand moved up to brush across his lip, his tongue pressing into it gently. His brow furrowed as he spoke, "You're bleeding."

"So kiss it and make it better for me." Ruby sat backwards on the bed, scooting herself towards the headboard.

The only sound in the room was the panting of their breath as they eyed each other, knowing full well what came next.

"Sammy," Ruby whispered, her eyes seeming to soften as she beckoned him to her. And he came, crawling to her, pressing kisses against the wall of her chest.

This was what Sam and Ruby were. This is what they'd always been. They would never be anything more