‘What do you think of Battle at the Bar?’ he asked.
‘That’s one of my favourites,’ the man answered as he sped through the harbour tunnel. ‘My wife’s too. Wouldn’t miss an episode for the world. I hope they make another season.’
‘I’m sure they will,’ Sebastian said a little smugly. They’d already aired four seasons here in Australia and the shooting of the last episode of season five was wrapping up this week. ‘Man, it’s hot today.’ He glanced at the outside temperature on the dashboard. It said thirty-seven.
‘They say it’s going to be hotter tomorrow.’
‘Thank heavens for air conditioning, then.’
‘You can say that again.’
Sebastian still hadn’t heard back from Ruby, a quick check of his phone showing no messages. His text had gone through but there was no answer. That was odd. He frowned. Maybe he should have contacted her sooner.
The taxi dropped him off with his case, Sebastian giving the man a good tip.
‘Thanks, mate,’ the driver said, and headed off with a wide smile on his face.
Sebastian unlocked the front gate and wheeled his case along the marble path up to the front door. Once inside, he called out Ruby’s name but was greeted by silence. No TV on. No sound at all, except for the air conditioning. It was on downstairs but not upstairs, he soon found out. Sebastian turned it on, throwing his case onto the bed to unpack later when the room was cooler.
It was then that he heard a faint splashing noise coming from outside.
Sebastian moved over to the window, which overlooked the pool, his brain already understanding why Ruby hadn’t answered his text. She was in the pool.
And why not? It was blisteringly hot.
Sebastian might have joined her if the woman in the pool hadn’t suddenly hauled herself out of the water. For a few seconds, she sat there on the side of the pool, dripping water, before slowly, gracefully, standing up.
Sebastian couldn’t help it. He actually groaned, squeezing his eyes shut for a split second before opening them again and just staring.
If ever there was a female body designed to make a man drool, it was Ruby’s, especially in that zebra-print bikini she was wearing. Heavens!
It was bad enough when she stood still, but even worse when she began to move, reaching for a nearby towel then lifting a hand to release the clip in her hair. It tumbled down, long black wavy hair, which was in as much abundance as her curves. Watching her walk along the side of the pool, patting herself down with the towel, was an exercise in masochism. Sebastian’s male body reacted as most male bodies would, his arousal bringing a surge of dismay.
Sebastian couldn’t think of anything worse than having a housekeeper who looked like Ruby. His home was more than his castle. It was his refuge, the only place he could totally relax. How could he relax with that sashaying around his house?
Quite attractive was how Gloria had described Ruby over the phone. Talk about an understatement.
Not that he could blame his sister for this situation. He’d been the one to hire the girl, sight unseen. He’d mistakenly assumed Ruby was a plain Jane, a homely thirty-year-old spinster who’d spent years looking after her dying mother and now wanted to become a social worker.
It wasn’t Gloria’s fault. Or Ruby’s, for that matter. It was his own stupid fault for jumping to conclusions.
Thank goodness it was only a temporary situation. One day in the not too distant future, Georgia would be back and his life could get back to normal.
Meanwhile...
Sebastian heaved a deeply frustrated sigh before clenching his teeth hard in his jaw and heading downstairs.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘RUBY, I PRESUME?’
Ruby’s head shot up with a gasp, her eyes widening as she recognised the man standing on the back patio. It was Sebastian Marshall himself, whose images she’d looked up on the Internet just last night.
There was quite a difference, however, between them and the real thing.
First of all, she hadn’t realised he was so tall. The photos had all been of him sitting down at a table on television awards night. She saw now that he was well over six feet. He was also even better-looking than she’d originally thought. Talk about tall, dark and handsome!
His photos hadn’t done him justice, that was for sure. Then again, they’d all been taken at a distance and in profile. Up close and face on, he was gorgeous, with the kind of strong, manly features that aged well. No one would guess he was forty. His nose was straight and strong, his jawline very square and masculine with a small dimple in his chin. His dark brown hair was cut very short, showing ears that were set close to his head. There were a few lines around his mouth but they didn’t detract from his well-shaped lips.
Ruby couldn’t stop staring up into his very attractive face, and his even more attractive blue eyes.
So it was impossible for her to miss the narrowing of those eyes. Or the way he began frowning at her.
Automatically, Ruby clasped the towel she was holding to cover herself more modestly. Her bikini would not be considered risqué when worn on Gold Coast beaches, but it was possibly not the thing to be wearing on first meeting her new boss. She felt half naked, even more so since he was dressed in a business suit, complete with white shirt and tie.
‘Goodness me, Mr Marshall!’ she exclaimed as she stepped up onto the back patio. ‘You frightened the life out of me. You said you wouldn’t be home till tomorrow morning.’
‘I caught an earlier flight,’ he retorted in clipped tones. ‘I sent you a text.’
‘Really? I’m sorry but I’m sure I didn’t get one. When did you send it?’ she asked, determined to stay cool, and not become flustered.
‘On my way home in the taxi. Clearly, you were in the pool at the time.’
For heaven’s sake, she thought a little irritably. That was a bit late to let me know you were coming home a day early.
‘Yes, I was,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve been in there for a while. It’s been so hot. Look, I’ll just dash inside, have a quick shower and get dressed. Then I’ll make you some coffee, okay?’
She already knew from Georgia how much he liked his coffee. And she knew how he liked it. Georgia had also told her that whilst their boss was long on looks he was short on charm.
Ruby could see what she meant.
‘I won’t be long,’ she said as she hurried past him, shivering as her damp skin encountered the cool air inside the house.
Sebastian could not resist turning and watching her walk away from him, her peach-like derriere drawing his eyes, and holding them. Lord, but her body was delicious. Delicious and lush and so sexy it was criminal.