what did he want? To have her in his life for a sex-filled night or two, or for longer as someone to hang with? He tried to think but looking into her eyes was a distraction. They were beautiful—wide and deep, like a vast ocean. Oddly he realised that her wanting just to hang out with him, feeling as if she could, made him feel good in a way he’d never felt before. A way that he didn’t know how to analyse—couldn’t—what with that weird ringing in his ears.
‘Saved by the bell,’ Ellie was muttering grimly.
Oh, there really was ringing—the doorbell. Ruben took her hand and marched her to the door with him. He didn’t want her stropping off to her room because he’d taken too long to answer.
‘Ruben?’ An older woman stood in the entranceway, impeccably groomed and dressed in summer country casual. ‘I’m so glad you’re home.’
‘Oh, hi.’ He drew a quick breath and put his photographic memory to good use. ‘Margot, isn’t it?’ He’d placed her face—one of the society matriarchs in Queenstown. Lovely woman, very proper, probably wanted something for a good cause. He let go of Ellie and stepped forward to shake the older woman’s hand.
‘Yes.’ She smiled.
‘Margot, this is my friend Ellie.’ He introduced them coolly, avoiding Ellie’s eye as he labelled her the way she wanted. ‘How can we help?’
‘I’d heard you were in residence this weekend and stopped by to remind you of the gala in town tonight. Given you’ve donated so generously to the hospice, I thought you might like to attend.’
He donated to all the local hospices near his hotels. The care of people in the last stages of cancer in a homelike environment, with family able to be near, was something he felt very strongly about. He and his mother had cared for his father at home, alone. Had a hospice been nearby it might have made some moments almost bearable.
‘My donations are supposed to remain anonymous.’ He wanted no credit for it. No public recognition. Hell, his business was not built on personality but by private perfection. Quietly satisfied customers were his reward—return customers. He had no hunger for this kind of public approval; his assistance with hospices was intensely personal.
‘Yes, and they will remain so.’ Margot spoke with soft care. ‘I only know about it because I’m the treasurer. But I thought you might like to see how your generosity has helped?’ Margot smiled. ‘There’s a beautiful display at the restaurant and we have a wonderful speaker.’
He cleared his throat. ‘Actually, Margot, we’re really tired. We got bogged in the mud for a couple of hours this morning thanks to this.’ He gestured to the damp fog—it had closed in even more while they’d been in the study.
‘So you’ll be spending the night here anyway as the airport is shut,’ she noted brightly. ‘Why not come just for the dinner? It doesn’t have to be a late night. It starts at seven. It would be wonderful to see you there.’
He hesitated and glanced at Ellie. She was watching him closely. For a second he thought he saw sympathy in her eyes but she blinked and it was gone. She knew he didn’t feel like socialising tonight. And she was right—he’d wanted to be utterly alone with her. He’d planned for them to be miles from anyone up in his mountain hut away from everything but temptation. The damn weather had thwarted those plans. And Ellie herself had thrown Plan B into complete disarray.
Nowadays he often had that nagging question as to whether a woman was interested in him mainly because of his business interests and accompanying bank balance. Ellie had been the one perfect exception to that. She’d had no idea who he was, she’d wanted his body, then she’d laughed with him. Apparently now she wanted to be some kind of buddy with him. He didn’t get that at all—figured she’d partly done it because she didn’t think he could. She thought she’d set him an impossible challenge and he understood there was a part of Ellie that liked to set a challenge. Just as there was a part of him that loved nothing more than a challenge. But she had no idea how determined he could be. He’d taken over a property aged seventeen, for heaven’s sake. He was totally capable of reining in his desires as an adult now. Of course he was...
But he was still looking at her and now a dozen other images flashed in his head.
Okay, the charity dinner wasn’t his number one idea of fun but he could see himself failing on the friends thing if he stayed home alone with her tonight. She tempted too much. It would be safer to get out—and prove a point to her at the same time. After all, failure was never an option. And ultimately he had no intention of failing on getting what he really wanted from her. But he’d play it her way for now.
‘Of course,’ he said, turning to Margot, going for all-out charm. ‘Ellie and I would love to be there. Thanks for stopping by.’
Somewhat stunned, Ellie watched Ruben’s smile flash to mega-impact. Poor Margot actually reddened, her expression morphing from that of polite hostess to one suffused with genuine pleasure and surprise.
‘Oh,’ the older woman gasped. ‘That’s wonderful.’ She flicked a glance to Ellie. ‘It’ll be lovely to have you both there. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better too, Ellie.’
Ellie merely smiled and saved her tongue for when the smartly dressed socialite had slipped back into her silver car and driven away.
‘She seems very nice.’ Ellie walked into the giant homestead. ‘You’ll have a great time.’
‘You’re coming with me,’ he called after her, shutting the door behind them.
‘No, I’m not.’ She smiled sweetly as she shook her head and headed straight for the kitchen for some icy water. ‘This is an opportunity for you to spend some time with your neighbours.’
‘You’re worried because you don’t have anything to wear?’ he asked. ‘There are a bunch of expensive boutiques in Queenstown. We have time to hit them.’
He thought that was why she didn’t want to go? ‘Oh, please, don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re going to make me over.’ She turned to face him tartly. ‘Of course I have something to wear.’
‘You only have an overnight bag with you.’ He rested his hip against the kitchen counter, watching her fill her glass. ‘And you said yourself you don’t have a second pair of jeans, that’s why you’re wearing mine.’
His lascivious look told her he was all macho about her wearing his gear. She tried to ignore the hot clench of feminine satisfaction.
‘I have a slip that doubles as an evening dress.’ She faux demurely took a sip.
His jaw dropped. ‘That blue thing?’
Ellie choked as she tried to swallow water while snorting with laughter. How could he sound both scandalised and horn-dog desperate? She shook her head and swallowed safely that time. ‘No. Not a slip, it’s a dress that doesn’t need ironing so I can roll it up. I always have it in the bottom of my overnight bag.’
‘What about shoes?’
‘I have teeny, tiny strappy numbers. And I have make-up and glittery jewellery too. You never know when you might get that last-minute invite to a red-carpet event.’ She was spouting complete rubbish of course—she’d never been to a red carpet event. But she had learnt a trick or two from hanging around on the set of a few
