An hour passed before they were both properly fed and dressed, Sebastian continually delaying proceedings by kissing Ruby. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her. Finally, they made it into his car and out to a nearby mall. The place was already packed, yet it was well off lunchtime.
‘I’m not familiar with this mall,’ Ruby said. ‘Is there a department store or just smaller shops and supermarkets?’
‘There’s definitely a department store. Come on. I know the way.’
When he took her hand in his, Ruby ground to a halt.
‘No hand-holding in public,’ she said firmly.
‘Fair enough,’ he replied. ‘But I reserve the right to buy you lunch.’
‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘Shopping first, though.’
‘Do you have anything specific in mind you want to buy?’
‘Yes. I thought since both my brothers are in live-in relationships, I’d get them some seriously nice sheets and towels. At this time of the year, there are often sales in Manchester.’
‘Sounds like a good idea,’ Sebastian said.
Ruby couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed the next hour. Sebastian was a great help, stopping her from buying navy blue sheets—despite them being a bargain—and insisting she stick to white, both with the sheets and the towels.
‘Can’t go wrong with white,’ he advised.
As they made their way to the car park to deposit all their parcels before having lunch, it occurred to Ruby just how lonely she’d been for a long time. Yes, she’d made friends over the last few years, but they hadn’t been close friends, and she’d moved too often to develop deep connections. Sebastian was the first person she’d gone shopping with in ages. And it had been so nice to have someone with her whose opinion she could ask.
Ruby suddenly thought of her mother and how they had always gone shopping together. For food. For clothes. Make-up. Anything and everything. Her father used to complain they were joined at the hip.
Thinking of her father annoyed her, so she shifted her mind to her brothers, who had always brought her joy. But they had their own lives now. She couldn’t rely on them to ease her loneliness.
She couldn’t rely on Sebastian either, she accepted ruefully. Once Georgia returned, she would be gone, from his life and his bed. She sighed before she could stop herself.
‘What on earth are you thinking about?’ Sebastian asked.
‘Nothing important,’ she replied, and dredged up a quick smile.
He frowned at her, then shrugged. ‘Okay. I won’t pry. You have a right to your thoughts. Are you hungry?’ he asked as he zapped open the car. ‘I am.’
‘Not overly. But coffee would be nice.’
After they finished their coffee, they were making their way past some shops when Sebastian ground to a halt.
‘That would be perfect for you,’ he said, and pointed to a mannequin in a nearby window wearing a red dress.
It was, indeed, a stunning dress. Halter-necked, with a wide band inset around the waist above a gathered skirt—very short gathered skirt.
‘That has Christmas party written all over it,’ Sebastian said.
‘No way could I wear a dress like that to your Christmas party,’ Ruby protested.
‘Nonsense. Let’s go and try it on,’ he said and this time firmly took her hand in his, pulling her into the expensive boutique.
When an attractive young salesgirl immediately approached them, a speechless Ruby let Sebastian do the talking.
‘That red dress in the window,’ he said. ‘Ruby wants to try it on.’
‘Certainly, sir,’ the girl said happily and hurried away to find one in Ruby’s size.
‘It looks expensive,’ Ruby whispered to Sebastian. ‘This whole shop looks expensive.’
‘Good. You only get what you pay for, Ruby. Now, no more objections. I’ll be doing the paying. Call it a thank you for what you did for my mother’s birthday.’
The dress was soon brought to them and Ruby was bundled off to try it on. It fitted perfectly, and looked very sexy on her. Sebastian obviously thought so too when she came out of the fitting room to show him. Desire flooded her as his eyes roved hotly over her. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to go home.
‘Perfect,’ he said. ‘We’ll take it.’
Ruby refrained from telling Sebastian that it cost almost a thousand dollars because he was right. He could afford it. And she loved the dress. It was gorgeous.
The salesgirl returned to the fitting room with her.
‘You’re a lucky girl, having a generous husband like that.’
Something twisted in Ruby’s heart. ‘He’s not my husband,’ she said.
‘Oh, sorry. Boyfriend, then?’
‘Something like that,’ Ruby agreed, and smiled at the girl. For how could she say that he wasn’t her boyfriend either, that he was her boss and her secret lover?
The girl left with the dress whilst Ruby got changed in her other clothes. She took her time, combing her hair whilst her mind whirled with bothersome thoughts. By the time she emerged from the fitting room, Sebastian had paid for the dress and had the parcel in his hand.
As they left the shop, Ruby decided to say what was on her mind. ‘Thank you for the lovely dress, Sebastian, but I can’t possibly wear it to your Christmas party. I’m your housekeeper, not a hostess.’
His sigh was full of exasperation as he stopped walking and turned to face her. ‘At my annual Christmas party, you are neither, Ruby. This is a staff party and you are a member of my staff. Georgia used to get dressed up. Why shouldn’t you?’
‘Oh, I didn’t realise.’
‘No more objections, then?’
‘I guess not.’
‘Good, because I would like to get you home. Seeing you in that dress has done wicked things to me. I trust you won’t come up with any other excuses not to spend some private time with me.’
He didn’t wait for her answer, just headed for the car.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE DRIVE HOME was agony for Sebastian. He wanted Ruby so badly it was painful. As soon as he’d driven into the garage and switched off the engine, he turned and kissed her. It was possibly a mistake but he couldn’t resist. He did stop, however, when disaster loomed. Lord, but she made him act like a randy teenager.
‘I think I’d better get you inside, pronto,’ he said wryly.
‘Yes, please,’ she said in a voice thickened with desire.