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 ultra-budget short flicks. The make-up artists could work wonders with a tube of Vaseline and an eye pencil. And after the nightmare that had been Nathan and his insulting comments about her attire, she’d gone shopping for a kill-’em-at-any-occasion dress. And okay, it hadn’t been Nathan she’d been thinking of. She’d been channelling her new-found inner seductress—basking in the conquest that had been Ruben and revelling in supreme sexual confidence for five seconds of madness in the shop’s changing room.
‘Impressive.’ Ruben’s expression went evil. ‘So you have no reason to be able to refuse me, then.’
Too late she realised she’d been trapped. Oh, he was good. There was nothing for it but straight refusal. ‘I’m not going as your date.’
‘You have to. We’ve already told the immaculate Margot we’ll be there and we can’t disappoint her now.’
‘Look.’ She sighed. ‘She’s thrilled about you going. She won’t mind my not being there. You don’t need to do the host thing, I’m happy to have a nice quiet night here on my own. I’m really tired—it’s been an exhausting day out facing the elements, you know.’
‘And yet you’re going to send me into the wolves’ den, knowing I’m every bit as exhausted.’
‘Hardly a den,’ she mocked softly. ‘They’ll welcome you with open arms.’
‘It’s a dangerous place, the charity dinner. I’m not sure you understand the threat I’m facing.’ Somehow he’d moved nearer.
‘From all the women throwing themselves at you?’
He nodded soberly. ‘It’s frightening. I need you to protect me.’
‘Oh, as if.’ Arrogant sod. ‘You need no protection. It’s the other way round and you know it. You’ll be waggling your eyebrows at all the waitresses and they’ll fawn all over you.’
‘I only waggle if they’ve got good racks. Of food.’ He caught her eye and laughed. ‘None of those women need fear me. Come with me. Please. It’s what friends do.’ He looked sly. ‘And you’re my friend now, right?’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘I’d like to think that’s possible. It remains to see whether you can manage it.’
‘Well, friends support each other, don’t they? Here’s some truth for you. I’m shy.’ He dropped his voice to a whisper. ‘I admit it. I like my privacy and I find small talk...difficult sometimes.’
‘Shy?’ she scoffed. ‘You’re the guy who was happy to stand buck naked in a hotel corridor the morning we met. You’re anything but shy. You’re outrageous.’
‘That was a special occasion.’ He stared, all big brown puppy eyes.
‘Oh, it was not. You don’t care about what people think of you.’
‘That’s true.’ He shrugged off the bashful routine.
Ellie nodded. ‘You’re stunning at schmooze. You just reduced society matriarch Margot to a blushing, tongue-tied wreck.’
‘Doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I have good managers at each of the lodges. I don’t mix with the clients all that much. I’d rather wander round—’
‘Looking like the gardener.’
‘Exactly.’ He’d edged closer still. ‘Go on, come with me.’
She nibbled the inside of her lip, steadfastly ignoring the less than subtle undertone to his invitation. There was that irresistible desire to see what he was like at one of those events—to be out in public with him at her side. To indulge in that dangerous fantasy for a few hours would be far safer than to stay here another night alone with him.
‘Okay.’ She shrugged,
