‘You don’t have to buy me anything, you know,’ he said.
‘But I wanted to. And I tried. But I couldn’t think of anything. Help me out here, Sebastian. Tell me something you want that I can afford.’
‘You don’t need to buy me anything, Ruby. You’ve already given me something incredibly valuable.’
‘What’s that?’ she asked, perplexed.
‘Happiness,’ he said. ‘You’ve made me truly happy again. Trust me when I say it’s something I haven’t been for a long time.’
‘Oh,’ she said, touched, but a little sad too.
‘Before you came into my life, Ruby, the best I could say about myself was that I was busy. Busy and financially successful. I suppose I got some satisfaction from that. But it’s not the same as having someone in your life to come home to, someone you care about.’
Ruby sucked in sharply. Caring was very close to love, but it wasn’t quite the same. Was it possible he did love her but couldn’t bring himself to say it? They weren’t the easiest words to say. She hadn’t said she loved him, either. She didn’t want to risk spoiling what they had. Which was incredible. He really was a good man. And terribly intelligent. When they’d gone to bed together every night this week, they’d talked endlessly about a wide range of topics before going to sleep. He seemed to know something about everything. He’d travelled all over the world, whereas she had only been to New Zealand. Not that he ever made her feel inferior. He wasn’t like that.
‘Have I said something I shouldn’t?’ he asked when she didn’t continue with their conversation, her mind having gone off on a tangent.
‘No, not at all. I’m happy that I’ve made you happy.’
He tipped his head to one side as he regarded her closely. ‘But have I made you happy, Ruby?’
‘Happy?’ she repeated, not sure if she would describe herself as truly happy.
She wished...
A wry smile lifted the corner of her mouth. She wished for too much. That was the truth of the matter.
‘You make me very happy in bed,’ she said somewhat flippantly.
Her answer didn’t seem to please him. He frowned for a long moment. It wasn’t until he smiled that she finally relaxed.
Ruby picked up her glass of champagne and lifted it in a toast. ‘To being happy,’ she said, and clinked her glass against his.
‘Indeed,’ he returned.
A man suddenly appeared by their table, a well-dressed portly fellow of around sixty who had money written all over him. ‘What are you toasting, Sebastian?’ he asked. ‘And who is this lovely lady you’re with?’
Ruby immediately tensed, waiting to hear Sebastian’s answer.
‘Trust you to come sniffing around, Gregory, when you see a new beauty on the scene. But no, Ruby’s not an actor. And not for poaching in any way. She’s my girlfriend. My live-in girlfriend,’ he emphasised. ‘Ruby, this is Gregory Bardon, who runs Bardon’s casting agency. He’s always on the lookout for new talent. Gregory, this is Ruby.’
‘Ruby,’ the man repeated, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips in an old-fashioned kiss. ‘Charmed. You are a lucky dog, Sebastian. Live-in, did you say?’
‘I did.’
‘Amazing. And there I was, all these years, thinking you might be gay.’
‘Really? Whatever gave you that idea?’
‘Just a rumour I heard once. Clearly I was wrong. Lovely to have met you, Ruby. Happy Christmas.’
‘Same to you too,’ Ruby called after him, struggling not to laugh.
‘You should see the look on your face,’ she said to Sebastian when they were alone again.
He finally saw the funny side and laughed as well.
They had a lovely lunch together, the champagne gorgeous, the food divine, and the trip home on the ferry a lot better than driving. Christmas Eve traffic was always a nightmare. Ruby was glad she’d taken her brothers’ presents over to them the night before. They’d had an enjoyable evening together, Oliver coming over to Liam’s place so they could exchange gifts. They’d opened them then and there, Ruby wanting the pleasure of giving hers in person. She’d bought her brothers and their partners a very stylish vase each to go with the expensive sheets and towels. The girls had loved everything. Ruby had been just as happy with her own gifts. Now she wouldn’t run out of perfume for ages, and she had lots of lovely books to read.
By the time she and Sebastian arrived home, the afternoon had warmed up and Sebastian suggested they have a swim.
‘Good idea,’ Ruby said.
‘You can even wear that dastardly bikini if you like.’
Ruby raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Are you sure about that? You might not be able to control yourself.’
‘I can always control myself when I know there are better things to come. I’m looking forward to taking you to bed tonight and making love to you for hours.’
Ruby’s heart flipped over at his words. Had he really said making love, instead of having sex? Did he mean it or was it just a slip of the tongue?
‘Don’t you mean have sex for hours?’ she couldn’t help saying.
‘No,’ he said, his eyes very serious on her. ‘I meant exactly what I said. I want to make love to you, Ruby, because I’m in love with you.’
Ruby decided later that she must have looked like a goldfish with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide with shock.
‘You’re in love with me?’ she said at last after she’d drawn in several scoops of much-needed air.
‘Madly,’ he said, smiling as he pulled her into his arms.
‘Oh, Lord.’
His smile suddenly faded to a less confident expression. ‘Is that good news or bad news?’
She blinked, stunned that he would think him loving her was bad news. But then she recalled the things she’d said to him in the past. She’d actually called him a bastard on one occasion. She’d also said she didn’t particularly like him. It was no wonder he was looking a little worried. Even today at the lunch, she’d only said he made her happy in bed, reducing their relationship to little more than sex.
‘It’s good news,’ she said tenderly. ‘Very good news. Because I’m madly in love with you too.’
Now it was his mouth’s turn to gape open. ‘You are? You really are?’
‘I really am.’
He beamed down at her like a child on Christmas morning. ‘You’ve no idea how glad I am to hear that. I thought... No, it doesn’t matter what I thought. All that matters is that we love each other.’