Waking Up In The Wrong Bed

‘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 any lingering annoyance the light flush on her cheeks. A flush that deepened when she saw him.

‘Good morning,’ he said to her for the second time that day.

‘Oh.’ She looked startled he’d spoken, as if she’d thought he was a mirage or something. ‘Hello.’

Ms Cautious herself.

‘You never mentioned your plans this morning.’ He walked to the table that was laden with breakfast options. ‘It’s a beautiful place—are you going to explore it some more?’

She shook her head and looked everywhere but at him. ‘I’m here to work.’

‘But you don’t much like your work. You’re supposed to come here to relax and escape. Have you hunted out the spa facilities yet?’

Her flush deepened again. ‘I don’t have time for the spa. I really have to work and I really do need to get on with it so...’

‘Maybe you ought to have some breakfast first. You must be hungry after last night.’

He sat down at the table, aware of the frustrated look she directed at him. No, he wasn’t going to leave her alone. He bit into a croissant to hide his smile.

‘I think I’ll just have a coffee.’

He reached for the pot before she did, pouring a cup and handing it to her with deliberate care.

‘Thanks,’ she mumbled.

Ruben sent her a hot look. He didn’t like her reserve; he preferred the tease he’d seen up in his room. And he knew there was a bomb going off behind that frozen exterior.

‘Ruben Theroux!’ a guy called loudly, striding out from inside, a huge smile on his face. ‘Wonderful to see you.’

Ruben knew the difference between sycophantic and genuine warmth. This was a no-brainer. He glanced at Ellie—a total ‘what were you thinking?’ look. Then he turned back to Nathan.

‘I’m sorry, I’m not sure who you are,’ Ruben answered coolly, not bothering to stand, just looking up from the table.

But clearly Nathan had done his homework—unlike his sidekick.

‘I’m Nathan, I’m here with CineSpace. You know we’re interested in your fabulous property. It would be just perfect for—’

‘I’d like to finish my breakfast first,’ Ruben interrupted, blatantly dismissive. ‘Perhaps we can talk later?’

‘Oh.’ Nathan rallied in less than a second, his reply too collegial. ‘Of course.’

‘Why don’t you go down to the stables? I’ll be sure to find you there.’

Having sent the pain in the neck away, Ruben looked at the stop-sign-red face of his curvy midnight caller and felt that foreign tug in his chest again. To cover the awkward moment he went for the usual—tease. ‘So, what are you going to do next to impress me?’

Ellie forced back the faint feeling. The guy she’d slept with was the owner Nathan reckoned she had to ‘do anything to impress’—and he’d listened in to that conversation?

‘How else?’ Her temper flared. Did he think last night had been her attempt at the casting couch? ‘Look, I didn’t know who you were. It was a genuine—’

His laughter cut her off. ‘I know that, sweetheart. I got in really late, no one knew until this morning that I was here. I know you weren’t trying to convince me to say yes in time-honoured fashion.’

She still didn’t believe he was the owner. ‘You’re supposed to be French.’

‘I’m half French but I’ve lived in New Zealand since I was six.’

‘You’re not old enough to own this place.’ He looked late twenties. Dressed in jeans and a tee he looked more like the gardener than the owner. But that fitting-too-good tee shirt had ‘Lucky’ emblazoned across his chest and Ellie already knew the guy got lucky—every, single, time.

‘My father was an old man when I was born.’

And he’d had a folly of a marriage? To a much younger woman? Ellie decided to skip that can of worms—she had a huge enough one open already. ‘You told me you were a guest.’

‘You assumed that. I did try to explain who I was but you were too busy apologising to listen.’

‘I’m not going to apologise any more,’ she said defiantly. ‘You should have told me. You should have stopped me making a fool of myself twice over.’

He stood and walked around to her side of the table. ‘You never made a fool of yourself with me.’

She stood, speaking through a clamped jaw. ‘Mr Theroux.’

He stepped closer. ‘You can’t be serious.’ His voice dropped to an intimate whisper.

‘Actually I am,’ she declared firmly, shoring up her quivering response. ‘You know it’s inappropriate for us to talk further. You need to talk to—’

‘Nathan.’

‘That’s right.’ She inhaled—bad idea because she caught that deliciously spicy soapy scent.

‘I don’t want to deal with Nathan. I want to deal with you.’

Now she knew what menopause was going to feel like: the hot flash stunned her. ‘You can’t.’ She snuck a breath. ‘It would be unprofessional. Nathan will work on it alone.’

‘There’s nothing to work on.’ He shrugged.

‘Are you saying that because I’m leaving, you’re not interested in negotiating?’ she asked even more breathlessly. ‘Are you trying to blackmail me?’

He hesitated. ‘I’m open to negotiations. But I would prefer to talk with you.’

‘But if I’m not available will you still be open?’

He grinned. ‘I’m a businessman, not an idiot. I know there are benefits to be had from this place being used as a location. Not for just any movie, of course.’

She gazed at him through narrowed eyes. Not sure she could believe him.

‘I enjoyed every second with you in my bed, but I’m not slimeball enough to use our fling in my business decisions,’ he said quietly but firmly. ‘Just as you’re not slutty enough to think sleeping with me could make me change my mind, right?’

‘Right,’ she said. ‘But the fact is we don’t know each other very well.’

‘And as far as you’re concerned we’re not going to get to know each other any better.’

‘I think that’s best, don’t you?’

‘Not at all,’ he answered bluntly. ‘But unlike your colleague I’m gentleman enough to respect your wishes. I’m not into harassing people.’

Just how much of that conversation with Nathan had he overheard?

‘I’m capable of keeping my business and my personal life separate,’ he continued easily. ‘It won’t make any difference.’

Well, he was more capable of that than she was—she couldn’t think straight with the guy around.

‘Truth is I’m in the midst of a new deal to take on two new boutique hotels so a cash injection plus publicity could be useful. That’s why I’m more open to film negotiations now than I was a couple of months ago.’

‘Well, you’ll need to talk to Nathan. I no longer work for the location company.’

Utterly silent, he stared—his brown eyes shifting to black and hard in a whisker of a second. ‘You got the sack?’

Ellie shivered in the face of iced fury. The ultimate in easy-going humour had a frozen fiery depth she hadn’t anticipated. Ruben Theroux wasn’t someone to make angry. And now she knew he hadn’t listened in to the whole conversation she’d had with Nathan.

‘Nathan didn’t have the authority to sack me. I resigned,’ she said, lifting her chin. ‘With immediate effect.’

His jaw dropped. ‘Why?’ Now he looked even more angry. ‘You’re just going to quit and run from some silly little mess?’

It wasn’t a silly little mess. It wasn’t anything to do with Ruben. She’d seen the light. She’d been taken on by that company to keep the paperwork tidy and to flooze where necessary. She might be a complete pleaser but that was taking it too far.

He glanced down at her clothes—and, no, her jeans weren’t designer like his. Hers had frayed at the edges from use, not been bought that way.

‘What are you going to do?’

Pride surged. ‘I’m not so stupid to throw in a job without having something else lined up. It’s all sorted already. I start next week.’

‘Doing what?’

She didn’t want to tell him the finer details—not that she was embarrassed, more that she sensed it would be safer to keep him distanced. He was in her ‘past’ already. ‘Same industry, different job.’

‘You’ve got a part in a film, then?’ He suddenly grinned. ‘Lead role?’

‘No.’ She bit back an answering smile. ‘I’m not a wannabe actress.’

‘But you have leading-lady looks.’

She vehemently shook her head. ‘Please not the flirting again.’

‘It’s impossible not to,’ he murmured. ‘Come on, tell me.’

She shook her head. ‘Not acting.’

‘That’s really not a fantasy?’ he scoffed. ‘Any woman who works in the industry has that fantasy.’

‘Well, I don’t. I can’t think of anything worse than being judged harshly on a giant screen.’

He gave her a sideways look. ‘Well, you got your new job organised pretty quick.’

‘She’s been after me for some time.’ It was true. She’d only had to send a text asking Bridie if she was still keen and the emphatic ‘yes, start Monday’ had been received less than a minute later. ‘I’ve been mulling it a while.’

Fact was she was tired of trying to please everyone—and of not progressing.

Ruben Theroux still looked troubled. Ellie’s pride bit deeper. ‘Don’t think that my decision has anything to do with what happened with you.’

‘It doesn’t?’

‘I’ve been thinking of a change for months.’

‘You’re not letting that Nathan drive you out, are you?’ he asked carefully. ‘Because he’s not worth it. Trust me, no relationship is worth killing your career for.’

‘You know this from personal experience?’ she asked, happy to get the focus on him for a change.

‘Possibly.’ He shrugged. ‘Just don’t let anyone get in the way of what you want to achieve.’

‘Okay.’ She laughed, not needing the ‘best friend’ advice from her random-stranger lover. ‘Actually I feel liberated.’

She wanted the fun back—to be involved in the industry where she was among her own kind: the fans. And that was what Bridie was offering her. They’d met one day at a location—Bridie took fans on set tours, and she knew just how much of a movie buff Ellie was.

‘How liberated are you feeling?’ Ruben Theroux’s expression had sharpened.

Already she knew what that gleam meant. ‘Not that liberated.’

‘There’s absolutely no conflict of interest now.’

‘That’s definitely not why I resigned.’

‘But you know that, despite everything, we never did kiss.’

‘We did a whole lot more than kiss.’

He shook his head. ‘But we never kissed mouth to mouth. I remember that clearly. I’ve spent the last hour remembering every second we had, very clearly.’

She mirrored his head-shake. ‘We’re not going to kiss now.’

‘You can’t tell me you’re afraid.’

His whisper stirred right where she refused to be stirred. ‘You can’t try to tease me into it.’

It wasn’t right that she have the best sexual experience of her life with a complete stranger. One who’d no doubt share himself with the rest of the female population given half the chance. She convinced herself it had been so amazing because she’d been without so long. She’d been celibate for so many months, it had been like a cork releasing from an all-shook-up bottle of champagne. But these things didn’t last. Another sip and she’d discover how flat it had gone. It had to be that one-off pop of pleasure.

‘I think we should try just the once, just to see.’ A winning, teasing, tempting smile.

She laughed. It was very apparent that Ruben Theroux wasn’t used to having his plans thwarted. He got what he wanted. And while part of her wanted what he was offering, she knew she’d want more than what he was prepared—or even able—to give in the long run.

‘No.’ She could say that to him and mean it. Sure she could.

‘There’s nothing so simple as a kiss.’

‘And nothing so complicated.’ And unfortunately, nothing else she could think about. His lips caused the problem. That natural curve upwards made them so inviting. Then there was that screamingly masculine line to his jaw. And those wretchedly captivating, laughing eyes.

‘Well, if you’re sure...’ He extended the invitation another few seconds.

‘Thanks anyway.’ She stepped back from it, turned and fled.

* * *

Up in her room it took all of thirty seconds to fling her things into her overnight bag. She giggled at the thought of his temptation. Terribly gorgeous guy, bound to be terribly unreliable.

He was waiting round the front of the chateau. Her car had been brought up by one of those invisible service people who were brilliant.

‘I’ll make sure Nathan gets home somehow,’ Ruben said with a faint grimace.

‘Shouldn’t you be off talking with him already?’ She stowed her bag in the backseat.

‘He’s not my number one priority at the moment.’

‘Oh, you’re so good at the flattery, aren’t you?’

‘Given you’re so determined to leave, I guess I’m not that good.’ He tempered the words with that charming smile.

She paused by her open driver door and met the look in his delicious eyes. ‘Right now I don’t have any regrets. I stay and I might get them. I don’t want to have any.’

‘What about what I want? What about my regrets?’

‘I can only apologise. Again.’

He walked closer, taking hold of the door. ‘Never feel you have to apologise to me. Never ever.’

Unable to answer that, she got in the car. She’d not been honest about her lack of regrets. She regretted nothing of what had happened, but of what else could have happened had they been different people with desires that converged.

He closed the door for her but remained right by the car, expectantly. She fired the engine and hit the button to wind the window all the way down. He bent and leaned in so his face was right near hers.

‘You don’t get away that easy,’ he murmured, sliding his hand to her jaw.

She couldn’t accelerate away or she’d take his arm—and head—with her. But there was no mistaking his intention.

The smile said it all and those gorgeously curved lips arrowed in on hers. The touch was firm—but not totally dominant as she’d expected. No, he held back for all of a second or two. But then his hand cupped her head, angling her slightly better to meet his as his lips plundered hers. And in another instant she plundered right back, seeking more of that strong touch, that deliciousness—the full impact of his utter masculinity. The shivers skittered down her spine, the knots coiled tighter and tighter in her belly already. His tongue swept—playful, insistent, driving. How could so much be said with a kiss?

She had no idea why she was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, or why she had her foot pushed so hard on the brake. The car engine wasn’t even running. But she just knew she was in danger.

He stepped back. Her gaze was glued to him—to the fit, taut body and the smile that held as much rue as it did tease now. His big eyes burned right through hers.

‘My regret...’ he nodded slowly ‘...was not kissing you. Of course now I regret not kissing you sooner.’

Breathless, she put her hand on his wrist, seeking one last touch of skin. ‘Thank you for being so nice to me.’

His gaze narrowed. ‘I’m not as nice as all that, Ellie.’ His voice dropped so she leaned forward in her seat, nearer to hear him. ‘You need to know something about me.’

She waited, lungs not breathing, heart not beating.

‘I’m man enough to take no for an answer,’ he said. ‘But I’m also man enough to fight for what I want.’

Eyes not blinking, she had to ask. ‘What do you want?’

‘You again. Every way. Any way.’

Oh.

He broke the drilling intensity with one of those shattering smiles that gave him such an unfair advantage. ‘So if you want to go, you’d better go now.’

CHAPTER FOUR

‘AND now, people, the moment you have been waiting for!’ Despite the pelting rain, Ellie smiled, hugely enjoying the moment as she stepped aside to let them enter the cave—scene of the villain’s final destruction.

The crowd cheered and walked in, a cacophony of excitement.

Four and a half unnaturally long weeks had passed. But the days were getting quicker—sure they were. Being super busy at work helped. She’d progressed from the day and overnight tours, to the longer three to seven nights. This was good, because being responsible for the well-being of up to a dozen people twenty-four hours a day meant she had little time to dwell on what might have happened had she not gunned the car and gone from zero to ninety in less than three seconds.

‘OMG this is amazing!’

‘I can’t believe I’m actually here.’

‘Xaynethe—at last!’

Ellie grinned as she took photos, photos and, oh, yes, more photos for the tourists as they posed outrageously in front of the mother of all rocks that had been used in the penultimate scene of the mock-Greek-myth movie franchise.

Yeah, she too was the kind of girl who’d want to dance in the Sound of Music summerhouse if she ever got to Salzburg. She’d go to Tiffany’s and eat breakfast with her nose pressed to the window pane...so she totally got where her attendees were coming from. And she wanted them to have that experience of their lifetimes, for it to be worth the massive journeys they’d taken. They were die-hard fans, and die-hard fans did not like to be disappointed.

‘Okay, random dialogue time—spot prize to the person who answers this.’ She broke into a speech, one of the less famous quotes that eventually led into one of the film’s greatest scenes.

One guy stepped up immediately, answering her bit-part player’s throwaway comment with the hero’s ‘impassioned plea’. She continued the scene—taking another character’s part, wanting to see how far he’d go and whether he could achieve UFS—Ultimate Fan Status. She set the bar super high so not many did, but she had a good feeling about this guy.

As she’d suspected, her tour ‘hero’ kept the exchange up for the entire scene—and when it ended, the rest of the group clapped and whistled. Laughing, Ellie took his hand and guided him to take a bow. Yeah, it really was the best job ever.

She checked her watch to ensure they weren’t getting behind schedule. The movie re-enactment had gone on longer than she’d expected when he’d made it to UFS. ‘Okay, everyone, you’ve got another fifteen here. I’ll be at the bus finding Kenny’s prize.’

Back outside the rain had eased—slightly. She bent her head, getting ready for the dash across the car park.

‘You can’t tell me you don’t want to be an actress.’ A drawl, right in her ear. ‘Diva.’

She jumped, dropping her clipboard as she clutched her chest—stopping her heart from literally leaping out of it.

‘Ruben,’ she puffed as she turned. ‘You’re here because...?’

He handed her the clipboard he’d already retrieved. ‘I was visiting the cave. Lucky coincidence, huh?’

Ellie wasn’t convinced—not when his eyes twinkled like that.

‘You’re amazing,’ he continued, ignoring her astounded snuffle. ‘You have them eating out of your hand. They’re loving it. Even in the sodding rain they’re loving it.’

He’d been watching them in there? Oh, that wasn’t embarrassing at all.

‘It’s not me.’ She rushed to snuff that burn in his eyes—and douse the roaring inferno that had combusted in her belly at the mere sight of him. ‘It’s because they’re such fans of the film. Doesn’t matter what I do, they’re still going to be blown away by being here.’

He shook his head. ‘No, you do everything for them and more. No small hassle too much trouble. Your patience with the camera posing is phenomenal.’

He’d been watching a while, then? She giggled—and immediately cringed at her girlishness. ‘I’m gritting my teeth over some of it. There are always one or two more difficult clients.’

‘And one or two desperate to get into your pants.’

‘Oh, that’s not true.’ But she blushed.

‘That guy Kenny was all over you.’

‘He was acting the part.’ And she hadn’t let him end that scene with the kiss that had happened in the movie.

‘No, you’re his leading lady now,’ Ruben teased, stepping nearer. ‘He’s over his comic-book-heroine crush and fixed on someone real for the first time in his life.’

‘He’s just being friendly.’

‘He’s just being unsubtle.’

‘And you’re not?’ She raised her brows at the way he’d moved in on her while speaking.

‘Naturally I’m being as unsubtle as possible to let him and the rest of them know that you’re not available.’

She glanced over his shoulder, panicking that some of her charges might come out of the cave and see her standing unprofessionally close to a random stranger. ‘But I’m not available for you either.’ A breathless rush of determined denial.

‘I’m conveniently forgetting that for this moment.’

Hadn’t she known he’d be difficult to handle? Totally the kind to tumble a girl to her back, and have her breathless and delighted before she’d so much as blinked. ‘This isn’t a good time,’ she began.

‘It’s a perfect time. You have fifteen minutes before you have to round them back up on the bus.’ He took her hand and led her across the car park, to the shelter of the trees on the far side. Out of anyone’s view. ‘Fifteen minutes...’

‘Ruben...’ Oh, this was not a good idea, but her heart was skipping and her limbs already sliding towards that warm, supple state. She inhaled deeply and valiantly strove for sanity. She was at work.

‘Have you got any idea how gorgeous you look?’ He sounded as if he wanted to eat her.

She needed to get a grip on both of them. ‘I think you need to get to an optometrist—your vision appears to have gone soft-focus.’

He chuckled. ‘Oh, no, I’m seeing very, very clearly. In fact, I’ve got X-ray vision. I can see the lacy knickers even now.’ He sighed. ‘Lacy knickers under denim jeans.’

She couldn’t help smile back at the sound of his laughter and the sight of his gorgeous—outrageous—face. So enticing. And exciting. Yeah, the rough denim was working its thing on her sensitive bits right about now.

‘They are lacy, right?’ he muttered in her ear as he swept her into his arms.

‘What are you doing?’

‘What do you think?’ He laughed. ‘I’ve wanted another kiss for weeks.’

She shook her head as she gazed up at him. She couldn’t be so reckless again—certainly not now. ‘You can’t kiss me, you’ll kill my lipstick.’

‘It’s alive?’ One eyebrow up.

‘It’s neat and tidy and I don’t want it all over my chin. I have to look good for them.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘You look more than good. That Scottish sci-fi geek couldn’t take his eyes off you.’

‘It’s the collectors’ edition tee shirt—he wants it.’