‘Er...could you give me some time to think about it?’ she asked, wondering all of a sudden whether she was capable of conducting a strictly sexual affair without that soft heart of hers finally getting involved. She didn’t want to fall in love with Sebastian. She really didn’t. To do so would be futile. And ultimately bring her a lot of grief. Common sense demanded she leave things at a one-night stand and just walk away.
But common sense was no match for the exquisite feelings pulsating through her body at that moment. Already his hand had moved from her breast down between her legs to that area that was pulsating and throbbing.
‘How much time do you think you’ll need?’ he asked, and stopped what he was doing.
‘I’m not sure,’ she squeaked, desperate by now.
‘I need an answer, Ruby.’
‘Yes. All right. Yes.’
‘Do you want me to continue?’ he murmured knowingly.
‘Please,’ she moaned.
Her orgasm shattered any lingering qualms Ruby had about saying yes. For how could she give up such pleasure? And if it worried her that she would get emotionally involved with Sebastian, or that he would say goodbye to her without a backward glance when Georgia returned, she pushed such thoughts aside. Because already he was inside her, taking her with him to a level of satisfaction she’d never experienced before. She came and she came, her body shattering into a million pieces of pure pleasure. By the time she fell asleep with his arms tightly around her, Ruby’s mind had moved beyond something as mundane as worry. She was totally obsessed. With this man, with his body, and the way he could make her feel. She would do anything he asked of her if it meant she could be with him.
The sun was well and truly up when Ruby woke the next morning. Sebastian was still out like a light, which didn’t surprise her. He’d outdone himself last night, leaving her feeling exquisitely sated.
What did surprise Ruby, however, was that she was having second thoughts about this...arrangement she’d agreed to. Really, what had possessed her to say yes just like that?
Of course, she knew why she had at the time. But that didn’t make it acceptable in the cold light of day. Pride demanded she talk to Sebastian about it again, make some rules of her own. She wasn’t about to be at his sexual beck and call whenever he felt like it, even if being at his sexual beck and call did hold a decidedly wicked appeal.
Ruby cast a glance over at his sleeping form, images popping into her head of the various activities they’d indulged in during the night. She had to admit he was very good at oral sex. She also hadn’t shrunk from going down on him, either, even though it had never been one of her favourite forms of foreplay. With Sebastian, however, it seemed she was up for anything.
And she meant anything!
Her stomach twisted with renewed desire, bringing with it the temptation to just stay here in this bed till Sebastian woke up.
But if she did that, Ruby feared she would be lost. She had to have some self-respect. She had to make a stand.
You’ve never been the meek and mild type, she lectured herself, and you’re not about to start now. Now get out of this bed and put some distance between yourself and this infernal man.
Ruby crawled out very quietly lest she wake Sebastian. Because if he touched her she just knew her resolve would crumble. Once out of the room, she hurried downstairs, collected some fresh clothes and bolted for the nearby bathroom.
She lingered in the shower, shampooing her hair whilst letting the hot water soothe her body, though there was not much soothing for her mind. It was once again a total shambles.
Some loud knocking on the bathroom door brought an end to her tortured thoughts.
‘Ruby, how long are you going to stay in there?’ Sebastian demanded to know. ‘You’ve been in that shower for ages.’
Now, there was nothing more guaranteed to make Ruby defiant than a demanding man. Who in hell did he think he was?
Ruby snapped off the taps so he could hear her answer, loud and clear.
‘Might I remind you, Sebastian, that it’s Sunday, which is my day off. I have plans. So if you want coffee, then I suggest you get it yourself. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be left in peace to finish my ablutions.’ And she turned the taps back on again.
Ruby thought she heard a four-letter word through the hiss of the water. It brought a wry smile to her lips. Yes, this was the way to play it. She couldn’t be at his command all the time. A girl had to have some pride.
It was fifteen minutes later before she emerged, dressed in her favourite black Bermuda shorts and a simple red T-shirt. Her still-wet hair was bundled up on top of her head in a rough knot. She had no make-up on and no shoes on her feet. This she swiftly remedied, slipping on black thongs before padding her way down to the kitchen where Sebastian was sitting on one of the breakfast stools, a mug of steaming coffee in front of him.
‘I see you did as I suggested,’ she said, trying not to stare at him. It was obvious he was naked underneath the short black silk robe he was wearing.
‘I’ve never minded making my own coffee,’ he returned, his eyes glittering with a desire that she found both perturbing and tempting.
‘How generous of you,’ she said.
He looked at her long and hard. ‘You don’t like men much, do you?’
‘Depends on the man,’ came her truthful reply.
‘What about me? Do you like me?’
A small smile tugged at her mouth before she could stop it. ‘You’re growing on me.’
‘You’re an enigma, do you know that?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I can’t work you out.’
‘Do you have to? I’m your temporary housekeeper. And your secret lover whilst I’m here. End of story.’
‘Is that what you expect? That once your time here is over, then we’re over?’
Her smile turned wry. ‘Of course.’
‘And you’re okay with that?’
She shrugged, doing her best to ignore the sharp tug at her heartstrings. ‘Yes. Of course.’
His face showed a perverse mixture of relief and exasperation.
‘When I woke this morning and found you gone, I thought you might have changed your mind.’
This was her chance to say, Yes, I’ve changed my mind. I quit and I’m out of here before I do something stupid like fall in love with you. Because there is no future in that. Even if you are actually a nice man. But you don’t want love and marriage. You don’t want anything from me but sex. Which I thought was all I wanted from you but now I’m not so sure...