Sebastian’s laugh was dry. ‘My mother would never live with me. She says I’m a misery guts. Not to mention a workaholic. She told me she’d be talking to the walls after a while, since I’m never at home.’
‘Oh. What about Gloria?’
‘God, no. Gloria has two teenage boys. Mum couldn’t stand the noise.’
‘Have either of you actually offered?’
‘We both did and she refused. Look, she likes living in the retirement village. She has lots of friends there. Now stop playing the social worker, would you?’
‘But I wasn’t!’
‘Yes, you were, Ruby. I suspect you’re an incorrigible fixer. Trust me when I say my mother is happy where she is.’
Ruby pulled a face at this, knowing full well that his mother wasn’t that happy. If she was she wouldn’t have been so grateful for Ruby offering to cook her a special birthday dinner.
‘Now on to my real reason for this call,’ Sebastian swept on before Ruby could think of a suitable comeback. ‘I realised this morning that I’d forgotten to talk to you about the Christmas party I throw for my staff every year. It’s booked for Friday next week. I’m worried it might be too late to hire the party people we usually use.’
‘You don’t have to worry,’ Ruby said. ‘Georgia already had that organised. She booked the caterers well in advance. She told me they bring everything, do everything, and even clean up afterwards.’
‘Good old Georgia.’
‘She’s certainly very organised. So how many people are coming to this party?’
‘A lot.’
‘Twenty? Thirty? More?’
‘At least fifty.’
‘Wow. That is a lot. So who will be there?’
‘Are you fishing to find out if Zack is coming?’ he asked sharply.
Ruby suppressed a sigh. ‘Not at all. Is he coming?’
‘I would imagine so. Speaking of work matters, I also just remembered that I forgot to get that email sent to you about the times of my shows. Sorry. I’ll get my PA to do it, asap.’
‘Please don’t. I really don’t have time to watch much television at the moment, Sebastian. I have a lot of studying to do.’
‘Already? I wouldn’t have thought any course would start until well after Christmas.’
‘That’s not the case with online courses. They start when you want them to start. I will find time to watch Battle at the Bar, but not the others.’
‘Okay. The latest episode airs this Friday. You can tell me what you think on Saturday at breakfast.’
‘I’ll be glad to. So, what do you want for dinner tonight?’
‘Didn’t I tell you? I won’t be home for dinner any night this week.’
‘No, you didn’t tell me,’ she said, feeling quite put out. Yet she should have been grateful. Out of sight was out of mind, right?
On the other hand, absence also made the heart grow fonder...
Don’t be silly, Ruby, she lectured herself. It’s not your heart involved here. It’s something much more basic.
‘More time for me to study, then,’ she quipped. ‘Anything else you’ve forgotten to tell me?’
The sudden silence down the line unnerved her until she heard him clearing his throat.
‘You sound like you’re catching a cold,’ she said.
‘Could be. I hate the rain. Have to go now, Ruby. If I don’t see you before I’ll see you on Saturday morning at breakfast. I’m looking forward to hearing what you thought of Zack’s show.’
‘I’ll take notes,’ she said brightly. No point in giving away the fact that she would miss his company, even if his presence frustrated her like mad.
His sigh sounded weary.
‘Are you all right, Sebastian?’ she asked.
‘Yes. Like I said, we’re having a few problems with this last episode. But nothing that can’t be fixed, I hope. Bye.’
‘Bye,’ she returned, but he was already gone, leaving Ruby with a strangely heavy feeling in her chest.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BY FRIDAY, the rain that had dogged Sydney all week had finally begun to clear. Sebastian’s sexual frustration had begun to clear as well, intense work and several days away from Ruby’s provocative presence doing the trick. But that hiatus was now over and he had to face the weekend ahead, with all its accompanying difficulties.
The thought of bringing his mother over for a home-cooked dinner tomorrow was not something Sebastian was looking forward to. His mother would take one look at Ruby and think what Gloria had probably thought when she first met her. That she was wife material.
He wished his mother and sister would abandon the hope that he would marry again one day. Because he wouldn’t. They simply didn’t understand his resolve after Jennifer’s death never to risk a serious relationship with a woman again. The truth was he simply could not bear to go through what he’d gone through ten years ago. It had scarred him for life, time not having dimmed the feelings that welled up within him every time he thought of Jennifer dying like that. He shuddered whenever he thought of falling in love again, of leaving himself vulnerable to such pain. Lust he could cope with, but not love. It bothered him how much he already liked Ruby. He would have to be careful around her. Very careful.
Sebastian took some time to fall asleep that Friday night, despite the late hour he’d come home, late enough for Ruby to be safely in bed. He woke on Saturday morning with a start, his head turning to stare at the pillow next to him, a tortured groan punching from his throat.
Ruby wasn’t there, of course. It had all been a dream, a wildly erotic dream where Ruby had been lying naked in his bed with her gorgeous hair spread out across the pillow, her eyes glazed from hours of lovemaking.
The trouble was he could remember the lovemaking so very well—though one could hardly call it lovemaking. It had been nothing but sex of the raunchiest kind. Primal even. He’d been a beast. A crazed beast. Not like him at all. But it had thrilled him to the core, and left him to wake up still cruelly aroused.
Groaning, he opened his eyes and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
Such acute physical frustration bothered him enormously. He wasn’t used to it. After Jennifer died he hadn’t wanted sex for a couple of years. Then, when his male hormones had finally demanded he listen to them, it hadn’t been with this kind of intensity. He’d been able to satisfy his sexual needs by having the occasional fling when he was away from home.