and honest rather than trying to be cool and lie.’
She choked—torn between laughter and outrage. ‘You’re so up yourself.’
‘No, I’m just not so uptight I can’t admit to something that feels good.’
She twitched. ‘Look, what happened was a mistake. I’m all for learning from my mistakes.’
‘Well, frankly, I’m glad you made the wrong room mistake and saved yourself from a mess-up with that other guy.’
‘What happened with you was a mistake too.’
‘How can you say that?’ His voice dropped lower still. A whisper that slid over her like the faintest, warmest of breezes. ‘You’re as in thrall as I am.’
She had to end this somehow, before she went up in a puff of smoke. ‘This is really flattering and all—’ she sucked up some cool ‘—but I’m not available for anyone, or any kind of thing, right now. That night just showed what an idiot I was.’
‘You weren’t an idiot.’ He looked concerned. ‘That wasn’t the act of a desperate woman.’
‘Wasn’t it?’ Wasn’t it exactly that?
It was one of the few moments in the evening where his expression was serious. ‘There’s nothing wrong with having needs and giving them free expression. You know what I think of you?’ he asked.
She really didn’t want to know.
‘That you’re a spontaneous, fiery, passionate woman who’s as human as I am. Who makes mistakes, who has wants. It was refreshing. You were in total charge. You blew my—’
‘Look, don’t try to make out like I’m some kind of sex goddess just because you want back in my pants.’ Ellie breathed in desperately. ‘Truth is I don’t want any kind of a relationship right now. I’ve got a new job that I really don’t want to lose because I actually love it. I want to be in charge of both my career and my social life.’
‘I don’t want a relationship either.’ His shoulders lifted. ‘It’s impossible for me. I’m in the middle of a new deal, I’m away every week to another hotel.’ He half laughed. ‘And that’s not going to change any time soon. And not for anyone.’
‘So there’s really nothing to talk about, right?’
‘There is just this one small thing.’ He leaned closer.
‘You said you wouldn’t make a move.’
‘I’m not.’
‘You know you are.’ She shook her head. ‘Why don’t you drive to the nearest bar or something? You could get sex any time you want it.’
‘You’re proving that statement wrong right this second.’
She swallowed.
‘I have some fun when it feels right, but my field’s been empty a while.’ He maintained his intent, fiery gaze on her. ‘I can admit to my needs, maybe you can’t. But your actions that night showed you have them.’
‘It can’t happen.’
‘Yes, it can. Just once more can absolutely happen.’
Just once more. Oh, so, so tempting.
‘You promised you wouldn’t touch me unless I invited it.’ Her whisper was invitation enough and they both knew it.
She looked down to stop the mesmerising effect of his easy smile and dangerous eyes. But it merely made it worse because now she could hear the molten-chocolate quality in his words. She could feel his heat; her own instinct to draw nearer pulled.
‘Look at me.’ Now there was more than a thread of steely persuasion in that warm voice.
She fought the urge to obey—because he wasn’t going to win her around. She wasn’t going to roll over like so much of her wanted to.
He braced his hands in the door frame and leaned across the threshold.
And she felt it, she really did. His proximity was as good as a touch, spiking her adrenalin, sending shivers along her skin despite that inch of air between his body and hers.
‘Ruben,’ she barely breathed.
She could retreat into her room but she didn’t want to back down in any kind of way. Besides, he’d simply follow her in and that would decimate her control.
‘I’m not touching you,’ he murmured, his sensual dominance merciless. ‘Do you want me to?’
He didn’t have to touch her to tempt her. But his incredible magnetism equally repelled her. More games with him would inevitably cause hurt for her—she always ended up the heartbroken, not the heartbreaker. She’d had only that one night of playing carefree seductress, whereas he’d had many as seducer. And worse, more games could cost her future with the best job she’d ever had. So despite the desire threatening to enslave her, she couldn’t succumb to it.
‘Good night.’ She shoved him back through the doorway and quickly shut the door.
A split second of silence and then he called a teasing comment through the wood. ‘Enjoy those dreams, darling.’
Oh, she would, but dreams were all they were going to be.
CHAPTER SIX
‘IT’S supposed to be summer.’ Stupidly forlorn, Ellie stared out of the window at the grey-blanketed land. The steady drizzle had drenched all her plans for the day. How were they going to get out and see the set remnants in this? How was she going to get through another hour under the same roof as Ruben and not jump him—even a roof as huge as this? She had to get out of there.
‘It’s not so bad.’
She turned. He was jeans-clad again. And it was worse than bad.
‘Come and eat something.’ He took her trembling for hunger of the food kind.
‘We can still ride if you don’t mind getting wet,’ he commented, not quite idly, once she’d filled her cereal bowl.
Okay, maybe he knew exactly how much his mere presence tormented her. But she wasn’t ever admitting how wet she already was.
‘I’m not riding with you.’ She glared at him, her spoon halfway to her mouth. She was a frustrated wreck who hadn’t managed to get nearly enough sleep and infuriated with her inability to restrain her attraction to him.
‘If you won’t go on a horse, then it’s the quad bike. It’s too far to walk and it’s rough country, especially in this weather.’ He shrugged. ‘But lots of your tourists would like quad biking, right?’
Quad biking would mean her straddling the seat behind him, her arms around his waist. He was determined to breach her personal space again, wasn’t he? And she was melting already. She shoved the loaded spoon into her mouth and chomped.
‘I
