Morning came and Jaxon went about his role of playing nursemaid. When Ruby woke up, he helped her with her bath and left her to get dressed.
He got ready himself, and together they went down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast.
“So what do you want?” He asked her as he brought out a pan from the cupboard.
“Hmm, anything’s fine.” She told him with a shy smile. He smiled back.
He could finally see his chirpy Ruby peaking through the sad exterior she’d had on for days. She was finally smiling again and color had come back to her cheeks. Her bruises had completely faded, and she didn’t hurt anymore, which he was glad about.
“Anything?” He asked with a raised brow and her smile broadened.
“Well… How about pancakes, eggs, and sausages with a side of fruit? Oh! And could you make that chamomile tea for me?” She asked and he smirked.
Her appetite was back and she could eat well again. Ruby had always been one to have a hearty breakfast and she especially loved pancakes and eggs. He was guilty of introducing her to sausages with him and she hadn’t gone back from it since.
“Woah, from nothing to requesting a whole feast.” He drew out and her cheeks reddened.
“Hey, it’s not my fault. I feel like I haven’t eaten well in days.” She hadn’t, but he wasn’t about to tell her that and risk spoiling the mood.
“So, pancakes, eggs, sausages, fruit… Anything else?” He gave her a knowing look.
“Hashbrowns!” They chorused. They laughed as he set about the task of making breakfast.
Thirty minutes later, the kitchen smelt of fresh pancakes, and his stomach hummed with the need for food. Jaxon fixed Ruby’s plate first, then fixed one for himself.
“Here you go my lady, your breakfast with a side of chamomile tea.” He said in an ancient English accent as he set down the plate in front of her. Ruby laughed as she dug in and he thought of how he hadn’t felt happy in a while.
Ruby reached for his plate and he swatted her hand away before giving her a few bites off his plate. Just then, his phone rang and when he saw it was Damon, he excused himself and walked to the living room to take the call.
“What is it?” Jaxon asked when he picked up. He could hear Damon’s frantic breathing which wasn’t a good sign. Something definitely had to have happened.
“It’s bad, really bad.” Damon rushed out and he sighed.
“What is? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He told Damon.
“The news. It’s everywhere. There are numerous articles already carrying the story of how your marriage to Ruby came to be and it’s only eight in the morning. I don’t know how it happened but the press was able to get their hands on some details that were actually in the contract.” Damon explained in a nervous voice.
Jaxon wasn’t fazed, he had expected it. He knew Kimberly would keep her word, she was too money hungry to not. He was sure she had sold the details of the contract to the highest bidder, and it was possible she had exaggerated a bit to really make it newsworthy.
“They are saying how Ruby must be a prostitute you paid to pose as your wife to hide your secret lifestyle.” Damon’s voice broke through his thoughts and he frowned. Secret lifestyle? He had to give it to Kim and the press, they knew how to make a drama out of real life. What secret lifestyle?
“Damon calm down. I expected as much.” He stated.
“You did?”
“Yes. Now here’s what I want you to do. Make some calls and get all the articles, stories and whatever is related to me and Ruby off the internet. I want it done by afternoon.” He told Damon.
“But what about the damage that has already been done to your reputation?” Damon asked and he smiled.
” I’m Jaxon Hugh Vaughn, what damage?” He said then ended the call. He doubted anything Kim told the press would shake his reputation or his company.
He was too big for that. And even if the story did get some leeway, what intelligent person would believe everything some random woman said about him? Some might just think she’s a scorned ex who wanted some revenge and five minutes of fame in the process.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket and went back to continue his breakfast with Ruby.
“Is something wrong?” Ruby asked him as soon as he settled back into his seat.
“Nothing I can’t handle,… Don’t give me that look.” He told her when he noticed her face clouded with worry.
“It’s Kim, right? She released it?” Ruby asked in a low voice as she bit her lips hard.
“I’ll deal with things, you don’t have to worry about anything.” He stated.
Ruby stopped eating and he noticed she was lost in thought. She looked at him with a sorry look and then said,
“I’m sorry I didn’t burn the contract.”
“It’s not your fault, you didn’t know something like this would happen.” He reassured her.
He wasn’t angry with her. It had probably slipped her mind to destroy the contract and she hadn’t thought that Kim would find it and use it against her. Even he didn’t think something like that would happen, but it did. And he would deal with it.
“So, you’re not angry?”
“No, I’m not angry Gem.”
“Now go back to eating, your food is getting cold. And you know as well as I do you absolutely detest cold food.” Jaxon told her as he pointed at her plate and Ruby stuck her tongue out at him.
“Fine.” She sighed.
They settled into a comfortable silence as they ate. And they were only interrupted by the dings from his phone.
“Are you going to get that?” She asked with a mouth full of sausage.
“No, it’s fine.” His phone continued to ping from all the messages he was getting but he focused on Ruby and ignored them.