38 Get Some Rest!

Pulling up in the driveway, Archer parked the black Audi then got out, circled around and lifted the sleeping beauty into his arms before shoving the door shut with his hip and locking the car remotely.

Looking up at the simple two story house then at the woman sleeping soundly in his embrace, he felt a bit weird. To think that the first time he brought a woman to his house would be like this.

Walking up the three front steps, Archer then had to use one leg to support 'Ruby's' lower body as he used the free hand to raise the cushion on the porch swing, slightly flip one of the under boards and retrieve the key hidden beneath. He then unlocked the door and went inside.

Stepping into the foyer, Archer looked around the place. It had been almost a year since he left this house and started living full time at the ancestral home again. After all, with Trooper in the condition that he was in, Sarah dead and many more pressing matters, it was just a lot more convenient to move back home than move everything he would need and Zac over to this place that surely didn't have enough room.

Ah, he missed the quaint little life that he was building on his own before that madman ran his truck into his brother's car. But, he had been reminded tonight that just because he was taking up these responsibilities in Trooper's stead, it didn't mean that he had to completely give up on the things that he wanted for himself.

Looking down at 'Ruby', Archer had to suppress the urge to bend down and kiss her.

No, no. He was a gentleman; he would not take advantage of a sleeping woman... no matter how adorable and absolutely unguarded she was.

In the end, he couldn't stop himself from pinching her nose which made Isabel frown in her sleep before she turned her face to bury it into his chest. Archer sighed.

Walking into the living room, he placed Isabel on the couch and adjusted her position so she would be comfortable then went into the kitchen.

Dragging his hand along the counter, which was a bad habit from his childhood, Archer went over the fridge and as expected, when he yanked the door open it was empty save a few bottles of water.

He hadn't lived here for almost a year anyway, and although there was a cleaning lady who came by once in a while and Phillip would ask to crash here from time to time whenever Uncle Sam chased him out, there weren't any people to speak of that used this place so there would obviously be no food, but water was exactly what he was looking for in the first place, so he took a bottle, cracked the seal open and took a long draft before closing the door and walking back towards the living room where he found the person he left there asleep just mere seconds ago, sitting up sleepily on the sofa.

"Awake?"

With a gentle smile on his face that would scare the people who knew him witless hanging on his face, Archer walked over to 'Ruby', but the woman just continued to sit there, staring at nothing while she tottered back on forth slightly.

"Ruby?"

Archer placed his hand on her shoulder in concern and just as he did he felt her shoulders jerk and heard her make a distinct groaning sound like she was going to....

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait....!"

He quickly picked her up and rushed down the hall, kicking in the bathroom door with no time to turn on the light. He flipped up the toilet seat and with practiced ease, pulled back her hair just as Isabel's shoulders heaved and she puked into the bowl.

Completely not put off by the ordeal, Archer knelt down and patiently rubbed her back as Isabel continued to hurl and when she was done, he pulled her back against his chest as they sat on the floor and pulled a decent piece from the toilet paper roll to wipe her mouth.

"You drank too much."

Isabel's mind was foggy and she could barely register anything she was seeing, but hearing those words full of concern and helplessness, she turned to the source and smiled. Faced with that kind of sleepy, silly-cute expression, Archer subconsciously pulled the woman closer to his chest as he buried his face in her neck.

No, he would not become rogue, but this woman was making it hard for him to observe his own rules. Hah!

Dumping the toilet paper, he flushed it and the ruminate down the drain then picked Isabel up again.

"Come on, let's get you to bed."

"Okay."

Maybe it was because of the type of liquor that she drank, but even after throwing up, when she spoke so close to his face there wasn't any bad odor and Archer instead detected a heavy cherry scent on her breath. Looking at those red lips, he was again tempted.

Pressing down his inner beast, Archer carried Isabel and climbed the stairs to the bedroom where he placed her on the bed then went into the adjoining bathroom and wet a towel with some warm water to wipe her hands, face and of course, her dirty feet from running through the woods bare foot.

It was all done with practiced ease as he had done it many times for Trooper in the past, sometimes he even needed to bathe the big bull while he was drunk off his arse and wouldn't stop rambling nonsense.

Once he was done cleaning her up, Archer pulled the blanket to cover her then scored the towel into the hamper across the room and just as he was about to leave he felt something latch onto his waist, keeping him in place on the bed where he was seated.

"Stay."

'Ruby's' voice was slurred, whether it be sleep or drunkenness or both, but Archer knew she wasn't in her right mind, so he patiently removed her arms from around his waist while sporting a bit of a stiffy and stood up, tucking her back under the covers. Those golden eyes were open wide and staring right at him, shining brilliantly in the dark.

"You should get some rest."

"I'm thirsty."

"Then I'll get you some water, but stay."

Walking to the door, Archer turned around multiple times to make sure that she was still lying obediently under the blankets then he swiftly ran downstairs and grabbed another bottle of water from the fridge before racing up again.

He knew this little cat was unpredictable; he didn't dare leave her alone for too long.

Coming back to the room, he found that 'Ruby' had completely discarded her covers and was lying curled up in fetus position in the middle of the bed, staring at the doorway. Once she saw him appear, a warm smile bloomed on her face.

"You came back."

"Yeah, I came back."

Archer laughed slightly, thinking that she was quite childish in her drunken state and a fleeting thought passed through his mind that made him think of murder.

What if he hadn't been the person she met at the bar tonight?

His cousin owned that bar and Archer knew what kind of people usually came there. Although they were moderate in their actions when Israel was around, it was as the saying goes; 'when the cat's away, the mice will play'. And those dirty bastards, if they were to come across a girl like 'Ruby' even if she didn't want to, if they wanted to, there wasn't anything she could do to oppose them.

Archer's blood was boiling as he thought about it while handing over the bottle to Isabel, but he was thinking too much about the situation, really.

Though she never mingled in the circle directly before, Isabel had been in contact with that side of society enough in the past life to know how to handle those old tigers without force and still have them like docile kittens in her lap. Of course, if they were too stubborn and things went bad, she could always knee them in the jewels and run away, but she could take care of herself.

Besides, the only reason that Isabel let herself go and drank so much tonight was because the one she was drinking with was 'Sage' whom she felt comfortable with. It was too bad she didn't know what Archer was worrying about to tell him that.

After drinking a little more than half, Isabel passed the bottle back to Archer, effectively snapping him out of his inner, murderous tirade.

"Are you done." She nodded and once again laid down with her knees pulled up to her chest and she stared at him unblinkingly.

Being stared at like that, it was impossible for Archer to not feel awkward so he was about to get up and leave but his shirt was caught.

"Stay."

Hearing that word again Archer held his head and almost cursed.

Goddamit! Woman, I will eat you!

"I already told you, you should get some rest."

Prying her fingers off his shirt, Archer stood up and was about to pull the blanket over her again when 'Ruby' suddenly laughed and she reached up with both arms and pulled him down.

Archer was startled by her actions, but that wasn't the end. 'Ruby' wrapped her legs around his waist and with a twist of her small body, she was suddenly straddling his waist from above.

"I already heard you, silly." She giggled and Archer shuddered when he felt a pair of cold little hands slide under his shirt, snaking up his abs to his chest. "Just stay with me, okay."

Looking up at that innocently pleading expression that was the opposite of their position and the conduct of the hands under his shirt, Archer was stuck.

"You..."

"Hmm?" She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in a smile.

Archer groaned as he felt an imperial tent being raised in his pants just under the little woman's butt and he lifted his hands to rub his face as though the action would keep him sober while repeating over and over.

"You're drunk, you're drunk. Damn it, Archer she's drunk..."

"I'm not drunk!"

Feeling a slap to his chest, Archer spread his fingers to see the huffy expression of the person above him then he closed them back. Such expressions should not be looked upon. Suddenly recalling that she had been married and even had kids, Archer felt a bitter taste rise in his mouth.

As the small hands continued to wander, groping his eight pack abs and solid pecks, Archer suddenly heard her say in a pouty tone. "Usually... usually I'm good at drinking and I don't get drunk but there's something wrong with me tonight."

Lowering his hands, Archer looked up to see 'Ruby's' eyes wandering about as though she was trying hard to figure out something.

"Maybe... maybe I am drunk." She was definitely drunk. "But, the bar is the same and the drink is the same, the only thing different... is you."

The eyes that were wandering suddenly came to a halt on Archer's own two grey eyes, causing his heart to jump.

"Maybe, I'm drunk on you."

In that moment, Archer distinctly felt blood rush in two opposite directions in his body at the same time as his cheeks grew hot and his lower body stiffened further as the little woman above him slowly lowered her upper body and brought her face closer to his.

He was anticipating, although the better half of him wanted to stop her, knowing that she was drunk, the side that wanted to indulge just a little bit won in the end, but he was to be sorely disappointed as 'Ruby' brought her head right down to rest on his shoulder, bypassing his waiting lips.

"This is your fault, so take responsibility." That tone was obviously one full of sleep. He had completely misunderstood.

"I'm a terrible person."

Murmuring so, Archer flipped unto his side, bringing down the lady from her high mount and nestled her in the crook of his arm before pulling up the covers then he began to slowly pat her back.

"Go to sleep Ruby."

"Mmm."

Despite the throbbing discomfort between his legs, Archer stayed by her side until Isabel was sound asleep and only then did he go down to have a shower. He used the shower downstairs because he was afraid the noise would wake her up again if he used the one in the room.

As he was passing by the living room, drying his hair, Archer saw a small light shining on the sofa. Walking over, he saw that it was 'Ruby's' cellphone slightly peeking out of her coat pocket.

He picked it up and read the message on the home screen.

[Izzy, where are you?! Kim says the kids are worried.]- Davi

Walking up the stairs and to the bedroom where the woman was fast asleep on the bed, half her head hidden under the covers, Archer placed the phone and car keys on the night stand, her shoes near the foot of the chair next to the bed and her coat on the chair before he turned and left again, taking out his own cellphone to make some calls.