ever after. She’d seen his unveiled edge—unashamed, reckless—a complete playboy. Someone who could go along with an anonymous one-night stand with such relaxed, outrageous humour? Too, too casual. And while she could live with a casual—frankly marvellous—mistake in her life, it had to be one-off. Her non-plan with Nathan had been for just the once. This definitely had to be just the once. Naked Guy here was just too fit for her to keep up with.
‘It can’t happen.’ Her final decision.
‘Not because of Nathan.’ Statement not question.
‘No. Because of me.’ She’d get burned by Mr Naked & Too Hot to Handle. He was too much more everything than any other man she’d met—more gorgeous, more good-humoured, not only blessed by nature but more talented in bed than any guy had the right to be. She’d fall so hard, in a heartbeat.
He hadn’t taken his eyes from hers, as if trying to read her thoughts. Looking right back at him, into those molten-chocolate eyes, Ellie felt her thoughts begin to splinter dangerously. One thought became dominant. Not a thought—an urge. Steam rose, blinkering her vision—all she wanted was to plant a kiss on those perfectly curved lips.
She breathed, blinked, stepped back. Not going to happen. She moved quickly, opening the door and stepping out of the insanity.
‘Wait.’ He stepped after her, apparently not caring that she was in the middle of the hall in a sheer slip and he had only a facecloth failing to protect his modesty. ‘I don’t know your name. Mine’s—’
‘Don’t.’ She held up her hand. ‘Let’s just pretend the whole thing was a dream.’
‘But—’
‘Bye!’ She clutched her breasts so she could sprint down the hallway to the stairs.
‘You’re going to leave me like this?’
She turned at his holler, saw him standing outrageously proud, bolder than anyone she’d met in her life. He had a fascinating lack of care, and an ability to find amusement in anything—that made him all the more intriguing. But she forced another step back from temptation. ‘I’m sure you’ll figure something out.’
Yeah, it’d be no time ’til he tempted another woman into his bed. And Ellie would be all envy.
CHAPTER THREE
‘ELLIE, where have you been?’ Nathan pointedly looked at his watch when Ellie finally made it down to the breakfast table an hour and a shower later. There was no sign of his girl guest—or any other guests either.
She squared her shoulders, refusing to feel even a hint of regret about last night. Maybe she should feel worse, but the gorgeous Naked Guy had completely diffused any threat of angst with his humour and relaxed attitude. And Nathan here had been scoring someone else. At least he never had to know about her crazy intention last night. She really had got the better end of the deal.
‘I’ve been waiting ages for you.’ Nathan’s tone turned more to the ‘smooth’ one he used so often.
And she really didn’t think so. ‘I didn’t know we were in such a rush to get going,’ she answered ultra matter-of-factly.
‘We’re not leaving.’ Nathan surprised her. ‘He’s here.’
‘Who?’
‘The owner. He’s turned up unexpectedly.’
‘The French guy?’ Son of the folly man? Given the old dude hadn’t lived to see the chateau finished, she guessed the son to be in his late forties or fifties.
Nathan nodded vehemently. ‘We have to do whatever it takes to convince him this is the place.’
Ellie didn’t want to stay here a moment longer than necessary, not when she had that other guest to avoid. Besides, securing permission to film onsite wasn’t usually a problem. Business owners were thrilled to get the exposure. Plus they were well compensated. Although this place was in a class of its own. The elite of the elite retreated here where every luxury was on tap—and the key was its privacy. ‘What’s your plan?’
Nathan was frowning at her outfit. ‘I thought you might toy with the man or something?’
‘Pardon?’ Ellie asked, certain she’d heard wrong.
‘You know, charm him.’ He was still frowning at her outfit. ‘Flirt him round your finger.’
Ellie blinked as the real Nathan was revealed. Yeah, now the smooth had been removed—she realised that was what he did. Oozed charm to get what he wanted. All those compliments and the coy flirting he’d done with her? What had he really been after? Clearly not sex. She’d known the industry she worked in was all about the illusion—but this was killing the dream too much for her. ‘We might work for film-makers, but the casting couch doesn’t happen when it comes to locations.’
Lying back in bed—still recovering from his interrupted sleep—Ruben was glad for the open window and the way words spoken in the courtyard were carried up to his ears. The conversation going on down there was supremely interesting.
‘He’s French, isn’t he? Frenchmen love an elegant woman. Not sure they like jeans.’
‘Actually denim was originally created in France,’ Ellie—Ruben liked her name—snapped back at the Nathan prat.
‘Well, don’t you have anything sexier? What about a skirt or something?’
‘I don’t think skin is going to get us far. He’s probably married.’
Ruben bit back a chuckle at that suggestion.
‘Can’t you make the effort? This is a major deal—you know that, don’t you?’
‘I’m not going to prostitute myself just to land a contract, Nathan. That’s not the way I operate.’
‘You know this industry is all about image,’ Nathan lectured her. ‘I wanted you here because you’re so boringly together with paperwork, but you have to step up to the plate when the heat is on.’ Nathan began with the clichéd metaphors. ‘You need the killer instinct. You do whatever it takes to impress him.’
Ruben couldn’t believe she’d wanted to get it on with this idiot. What had she been thinking?
‘You might flirt your way into getting what you want, but that’s not what I’m about,’ Ellie answered back.
Go, the spitfire.
‘Don’t you want to win?’ the doofus asked.
‘Not at that price,’ she answered smartly.
No, he’d known she wasn’t ruthless or cynical. Ruben frowned at the hint of real hurt in her tone. Had she really had feelings for the jerk?
‘Fingers crossed the guy is gay, Nathan, so you can be the one to flash the skin.’
Ruben got out of bed and walked into his bathroom. He couldn’t wait to get down there. But by the time he did, she was alone, the only sign of
