Summer Temptation: Waking Up In The Wrong Bed / Once a Rebel... / The Devil and the Deep

‘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 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, feigning nonchalance. ‘I’ll go with you.’

‘We have a couple of hours before—’

‘Yeah, I’m going for a lie down.’ She walked, quickly. ‘Alone.’

* * *

Two hours later she was running late, having spent too long messing around with all the luxury bathing products in the bathroom and thinking up movie-tour spiels. Wrapped in one of the luxurious robes supplied in the wardrobe, she raced to the kitchen to hunt out a snack. Munching a cracker, she caught him in the corridor on her way back to her bedroom.

She stopped, spilling crumbs as she unconsciously clenched her fist and crushed the cracker. How could any woman think ‘friends only’ when he looked as sex-in-a-suit as that?

He grinned as if he could read her thoughts. ‘You like it?’

Oh, yeah, her like was all over her face. Way too late she pulled her jaw from the floor and got her tongue back behind her teeth. ‘You’re not playing fair.’

‘I just thought it might be good to lift the challenge for you. Make you think about what you’re giving up.’

As if she needed to think about that any more than she was already.

‘You were wrong once—isn’t there the possibility you might be wrong twice?’ he asked slyly.

‘What was I wrong about?’

‘That it was fantasy sex that couldn’t be repeated. But that kiss in the spa was way better than any fantasy. Just imagine what a whole night together would be like.’

‘This is you meeting the friendship challenge, is it?’ she asked.

He shrugged negligently. ‘Oh, I can meet that challenge. But if you wanted to change your mind at any time, all you have to do is ask.’

And he’d do her? She merely smiled and went to set a challenge of her own. Twenty minutes later she walked into the lounge and waited for his response.

He stared—up and down, up and down, paused just north of her centre, and then up and down again. ‘That was really in that tiny overnight bag?’

She twirled. ‘It’s a tiny dress.’

It was and all Ruben wanted to do was peel it off her. It was black and sleek—like cobwebbing over her breasts and an equally clinging skirt. Her legs were lightly tanned and framed with a pair of barely there sandals on her feet—only a strip of black sequins across her toes and a heel that gave her a slight chance of levelly meeting his gaze.

He managed to haul a couple of words together. ‘We’d better go.’

There would have been a couple of hundred people there. The place glittered—diamonds adorned ears, necks, wrists and fingers everywhere. He glanced at Ellie’s beautiful skin; diamonds would look good on her. Or sapphires to match her eyes. Although no gem, no matter how precious, could sparkle the way her eyes were now.

She was laughing at how he’d just waylaid a waitress and hoovered too many of her canapés before she’d been able to offer them to anyone else. But honestly, he’d not eaten for ages. The two hours Ellie had had her lie-down, he’d been working.

‘You really don’t give a damn about what these people think of you, do you?’ Ellie teased.

‘Why should I? It doesn’t matter to me what anyone thinks.’

‘But what about your business?’

‘It speaks for itself. Each hotel or lodge is its own advertisement. I create them and then disappear into the background. It’s not about me. Never about me. People don’t go to a luxury retreat to hang out with the owner. They go for space, rest, privacy.’ He shrugged.

He watched her talk with one woman about the scenery. Snowboarding. Turned out Ellie had never been snowboarding herself, but she got that other woman talking about it for the best part of twenty minutes. She really was interested in what the other was saying. Asked intelligent, thoughtful questions. She was so good at listening and paying attention to other people. At seeming to care. Watching her in action, he realised it was the skill set she’d learned as a lonely kid. By giving others attention, she got attention. It made her included.

He watched her show all through dinner. For the most part he just enjoyed her enthusiasm—as did those at their table. But she was interested in being friends with him because she didn’t have to maintain that vivacious front the entire time with him. She could be ribald. She could be outrageous. She could be tired and grumpy. She could be selfish and take what she wanted. Hell, he wanted her to take what she wanted from him again. His body ached for her to.

Fortunately the band started up. While dancing was a very, very risky idea, it was also irresistible.

‘Friends kiss each other, don’t they?’ he asked idly as they barely moved, swaying in the small, heated dance space.

‘Oh, you’re bad.’ Glittering blue eyes sliced through him.

‘We’re also in a public place, so it’s not like we can go overboard. Just a little, friendly kiss.’

‘How friendly?’

‘Well, given our history, I’d say we’re very close friends.’

He stole a kiss and felt the fire both sharpen his need and melt his soul. This was what he wanted. Her giving in to him. Wanting him. Hot and sweet and soft. He pulled her closer, ached to have her lush body blanket his. Her warm lips welcomed. Oh, it was good. Blood fired—revitalised—around his body. He actually relaxed, the pressure in his head easing.

But she broke free. ‘That was almost overboard,’ she muttered, not looking at him.

He nodded but refused to let her out of his hold. Thank heavens for a crowded dance floor.

Ellie was almost out on her feet. No way could she handle more of this dancing and certainly not another ‘friendly’ kiss. She insisted on heading back to the bar where she stood alongside him and watched him attract people like the Pied Piper summoned every child in his town. He talked with men about farming, sport, politics, building developments. With the women it was more about the hotel business, the restaurants, the local events. Utterly sociable, he was the kind of person hosts loved at a party because he could carry conversation so well.

But it was all safe conversation. She noticed he never talked about himself—all topics were out in the public domain. While she made conversation by talking about the other person, he made conversation by talking about things or events or policies. He never broached the personal with any of them, but was utterly charming. And as the evening wore on it dawned on her that they were at a charity dinner for a hospice and he’d never once mentioned it in any of his conversations here. So that was too personal—she’d suspected so.

But his roguish smile and occasional outrageous joke had so many women giving him that look. And giving Ellie that look of envy.

She fell asleep on the drive home. Ruben pulled into the entranceway and quietly went round the car and opened her door. He scooped her up and carried her inside to the big sofa in the lounge. He didn’t want the night to end just yet—not with them going to separate bedrooms.

So much for phases two and three being so easy. No matter the weather problems, the fact was she’d turned the tables on him and somehow he’d agreed to it. Friends? It was crazy.

With a soft murmur she stirred, looked at him, all big, blue drowsy eyes. Her heart right there in them—longing. His own heart did a weird flip-flop thing. It wasn’t comfortable in the suddenly gaping cavern of his chest. Usually in this situation, when all the blood in his body had rushed south, he’d be on course for some highly satisfactory action. But today, despite the screaming tension from that most masculine part of himself, his brain wouldn’t shut down. Amazingly the clarity of his thoughts was more acute than ever. And all he could think was how lovely she was.

‘I’m really sleepy,’ she said, scratchy-voiced.

‘I’m not going to bed without you.’ He didn’t want to let her go.

‘You’re not going to bed with me.’

He smiled. A kiss and he’d have her mind changed. The glittering look she gave him beneath her lashes let him know she knew it too. But it had hit him hard—he didn’t want to lose her from his life. Not yet. And knowing what he did—of her need for attention, her habit of running from rejection, of her refusal to ever communicate with an ex...not to mention his own dismal track record in maintaining any length of a relationship...

Yeah, now he knew he had to do what she’d asked. Reluctantly. ‘Then I guess I’m not going to bed.’

He sat on the sofa, still holding her in his arms. She was soft and warm. He rested his head on hers.

‘I had a nice night,’ she murmured, settling closer.

So had he. And he was tired and too human to resist the temptation to kiss her again. Her sleepy, soft response deepened. She was deliciously lax in his arms, as if she’d let him do anything. Her breathy moan pretty much confirmed it. But they were friends and while friends kissed, that was all. And frankly? He’d never found kissing so rewarding. Long and luscious, kiss after kiss after way more than friendly kiss.

‘Ruben.’ She sighed.

He knew she was almost asleep, but she was also begging.

‘You could kiss me all kinds of places.’ A butterfly whisper.

Utter temptation. She had him so hard. And that was what she wanted, huh? To have her cake and eat it too. Or, more to the point, have him eat it. He smiled at his sleepy wanton woman and couldn’t help trailing a finger up her thigh.

Just once. Just once he wanted to see her shudder in ecstasy thanks to him. Yeah, he was that selfish. He’d dreamed of it for too long and, breathing in her fresh scent now, there was no resisting. He was touching only a little. Delving into the soft heat. She clenched on him. He rubbed a couple more times and she was there—right there in his arms—vulnerable, beautiful, and, in that moment, completely his. He watched for a moment, but some emotion deep inside drove him to kiss her, to catch the last of her sighs, to inhale her energy.

The ache tearing him apart inside wasn’t purely sexual. The craving ran too deep to be only that—but it was a yearning for something he couldn’t ever admit wanting. So he clamped it—shutting it down, forcing his own need away.

Breathing hard, he looked at her peaceful expression. She was both vulnerable and strong. His sharp clarity returned. He didn’t want her trying to bend into a box to keep any fling with him going. He had no illusions that a fling wouldn’t end. Of course it would. In the past, a woman in a relationship with him soon grew tired—of his long absences due to constant travel, his mental and emotional absences. Ellie would soon get to the point where she’d had enough. She’d get mad and shout how selfish he was. How he didn’t care.

Frankly he didn’t want to care.

But he didn’t want Ellie walking out on him in anger. She recognised his faults already. Knew what would happen. So she was removing that eventuality with immediate effect because she didn’t want to lose touch with him altogether. She didn’t want to disappear in the sunrise as another one-night stand. There was something in him she liked and wanted—other than sex.

And maybe all that was, was his acceptance of everything she was, without question or criticism. And he felt a simple honesty in return—he didn’t want to screw her over. He didn’t want to let her down. That was the last thing she deserved. And the only way he could ensure he wouldn’t was to do as she’d asked.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ELLIE woke in a crumpled but cosy ball. Stretching out of it was the problem, given her muscles were stiffer than they’d been the day before. Half beneath her was Ruben, toppled sideways on the sofa, still in his tux and destined to have a hellish crick in his neck

They’d spent their first almost platonic night together. There’d been that sleepy kissing session and that moment just before she fell so deeply into sleep—the teasing luxury, the supposed relief he’d given her.

But it was no relief at all. It was like having the merest taste of some decadent gateaux that was now locked behind a glass cabinet and for ever out of bounds. All she could do was look at it with longing. Yeah, she wanted to devour the gateaux now—to indulge in every last bit. She could feel his hard length pressed against her thigh. Who was she kidding about the ‘friends’ thing? The desire to have him was too intense. ‘Ruben?’

His eyes opened, his gaze warm and drowsy. Only as he woke he blinked a couple of times and a cool veil slipped down, masking that expression. She didn’t like it.

She shifted her thigh so his thick erection pressed closer into her softness. ‘You failed already.’

He shook his head. ‘You’re the one who got the “benefit” last night.’

‘You teased me into it.’ He was tempting her deliberately again now—wasn’t he?

‘You asked me to kiss you in the most inappropriate places,’ he said softly. ‘I was a complete gentleman.’

‘With your hand in my pants?’

‘You wanted my mouth there,’ he countered. ‘I went with the less intimate option.’

Oh, it was all intimate. Excitement skittered through her. Yes, the friends idea was a failure already...

‘We’d better get going,’ he said crisply, dropping his gaze from hers. He shifted slightly so he was no longer so intimately against her.

She slid off him—withdrawing too, chilling as she realised he wasn’t out to tease her. He really was drawing the line she’d asked him to. ‘You’re so right. We had.’

Ruben drove them to the airport. It wasn’t as foggy as the day before but it was still grey and wet. No doubt the flight would be bumpy. She sighed as they pulled up outside the terminal. The heartfelt sound gave away more than she meant it to.

‘It’ll be no problem,’ he said, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel.

‘Of course,’ she said, not believing it at that point in time. ‘I’m off on a four-day tour next week.’

‘I’m heading up to Taupo in the latter half of the week.’

‘So there we go,’ she said breezily, covering the ache of his absence that was already twisting her heart. ‘Physical distance will take care of any last little itch.’

‘Absolutely.’

‘Don’t come in, you can just drop me,’ she said as he pulled into a park.

‘Okay,’ he answered readily. ‘I’ll be in touch.’

She wondered if that was a line. If the whole ‘sure we can be friends’ agreement had just been him being charming and polite to get through the weekend. Now she had some info for work, there was no reason for him to contact her directly again. He could do all the negotiations with Bridie and be absent if ever Ellie came on tour here. What a fool she’d been. She should have just taken his body for the weekend and been done with it, because she’d probably never hear from him again once she’d stepped from his car.