‘I’m not, Sam,’ she called after him with belligerent finality.
Sam turned back slowly, a wry smile curving his lips. ‘And that’s your choice.’
Ruby gnashed her teeth together at his easy capitulation. If it was her choice, why did it feel more like a battle? A battle she was waging with herself?
Frustrated, she stared out at the tranquil view but quite unable to take it in. If it was her choice, how was it that every day she saw him, every minute she spent with him, she wanted him more? And what would happen if she did the unthinkable and gave in to the chemistry between them again? Who would be there to catch her if she fell?
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE FOLLOWING MORNING when Ruby stepped into the kitchen she felt bright and eager to start the day.
Sam was wrong. It was a lot less complicated to ignore the attraction between them, not more so. She’d done it all night at dinner the night before and she’d had a great time.
She’d been civil to Sam, talking with him and laughing at his jokes, listening to him and Tino recount stories of their childhood and not even noticing the way his black shirt had turned his eyes the same colour and hugged his muscular chest to perfection. Nor had she trembled when he’d accidently brushed up against her while they’d done the cleaning up together, and her heart definitely hadn’t beat faster when she’d bid everyone goodnight and felt Sam’s dark gaze trained on her the length of the hallway that led to the bedrooms, staring at the ceiling for an hour afterwards until she’d heard his heavy tread take him to his own room.
And if she could truly convince herself of all that she’d consider dropping law to follow Molly into the theatre.
The problem was that she had no idea how to switch off her emotions around Sam. Nothing in her past experiences had equipped her to deal with how she felt when she was in his arms, and it was nothing short of terrifying.
Not expecting to find anyone up, she came to an abrupt halt in the doorway when she noticed Sam sprawled out asleep on the wide modular sofa.
She must have disturbed him because he stirred, groaning as he rolled onto his side, blinking inky black lashes as he looked across at her. Yawning, he rubbed his belly, his T-shirt riding up in the process, making her breath hitch.
As if he caught the sound, his gaze gave her a thorough sweep, making her aware that she was wearing nothing but a silky nightshirt over cotton panties.
Should have dressed first, idiot, she berated herself.
‘You can come in, Ruby,’ he rumbled sleepily. ‘I won’t bite.’
Unfortunately Ruby remembered that he did. Right on that sensitive spot where her neck joined her shoulder. ‘I thought maybe Redmond would be up. I was going to take him so Miller and Valentino could sleep in together.’
‘They’re not here.’
About to head back to her room to put more clothes on, Ruby stopped and swung around to find Sam sitting up, his long legs wide apart, his broad shoulders hunched slightly forward as he stroked Kong’s ears. ‘What do you mean, they’re not here?’
‘Miller received a phone call early this morning saying that her mother is in hospital. Since Red was already up, they decided to head back to be with her.’
‘In hospital? Is she okay?’
‘She fell on her way to the bathroom. Suspected broken wrist and ankle.’
‘Oh, that’s terrible.’ Ruby stared, stunned. ‘I should call her. Check how she is.’ Halfway across the room to retrieve her phone, she stopped. ‘Wait. They took the yacht?’
‘They did.’
‘So how are we going to get back?’
‘I told Tino I’d take care of it.’
Ruby’s eyes narrowed. ‘You’d take care of it. What does that mean?’
Sam passed a hand through his hair, stifling another yawn. ‘It means I’ll take care of it. I didn’t want to worry Miller with the logistics. She was frazzled enough.’
Ruby rubbed her forehead. He might not have wanted to worry Miller, but she really didn’t like the idea that she was now stranded at the beach house with Sam. Alone. ‘What time was this? Why didn’t anyone wake me?’
‘It was about five-thirty. No one wanted to wake you.’