‘Is there any other?’
‘Well, then.’ Miller set her shoulders as if she were about to mine iron ore from a deep quarry. ‘We’re going to need something stronger than tea. Or champagne.’
Ruby groaned into her hands. ‘Please don’t make it out to be more than it is. It’s never happening again.’
Miller placed a crystal tumbler on the bench in front of her. ‘Uh-huh...’
‘It’s not! I swear.’
‘You know I want details.’ Miller poured a measure of Johnny Walker into both their glasses. ‘How? Why? Which wall?’ She grinned as Ruby made a face. ‘How good was it? That kind of thing. I mean, the Ventura boys have a bit of a reputation, so I’d be surprised if it wasn’t good, but...’
‘It wasn’t good.’ Ruby sipped the amber liquid and let the warmth of it settle in the pit of her stomach. ‘It was fantastic. But it was a one-off thing.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Would you stop saying that?’ she griped. ‘It was.’
‘Why?’ Miller sat down on a bar stool and eyed her speculatively.
‘Because, well...why would it happen again?’
‘Because he looks at you like you’re a tinderbox he wants to set a match to and you’re so on edge you look like you need that match.’
‘Miller, be serious!’ Ruby implored. ‘I’m not into sex for the sake of it, you know that. And he’s my boss. There’s only one way that can end. And it’s not well.’
‘Hmm, his being your boss is a bit of an issue, but it’s not the end of the world. Lots of bosses and employees get married.’
‘Are you listening to yourself?’ Ruby asked, her brows nearly hitting her hairline at the hopeful tone in Miller’s voice. ‘You’ve gone from sex against a wall to a white dress and church bells in a matter of seconds. Being married has clearly fried your brain.’
‘Can you imagine how much fun it would be if you married Sam, though?’ Miller’s blue eyes lit up with glee. ‘We could—’
‘Do nothing!’ Ruby used her courtroom voice to cut off her friend’s romantic diatribe before it got started. The last thing she needed was her loved-up friend playing matchmaker or, heaven forbid, putting unwanted ideas into her own head.
‘Okay, maybe that was a step too far, but I am grappling with the concept that you, Ms Proper Lady Lawyer Extraordinaire, had hot, crazy sex at a party!’
‘I know. But can we not talk about it any more? I’m trying to forget it even happened.’
‘Not that you have, have you?’ Miller asked softly.
‘Can I plead the Fifth on that?’
‘No.’ Miller laughed. ‘Australia doesn’t have amendments. And I’m not trying to embarrass you. I just want you to relax a little, Rubes, be happy. You deserve it. Not all men are bad, you know. Sam’s not.’
‘So says the woman who got the last good one.’
‘The last good what?’
‘Apple,’ Ruby filled in quickly as Valentino strolled into the room and slipped his arm around his wife’s waist.
Picking up on her cue not to mention any of this to her husband, Miller gave him a searing kiss to distract him. It worked and Ruby slipped out of the back door unnoticed.
Feeling slightly niggled, she kicked off her espadrilles and stepped onto sun-warmed paving stones, sighing at the blissful invitation of the blue-tiled infinity pool that looked as if it continued into the even bluer waters of Elvina Bay.
Crouching down on her haunches, she trailed her fingers across the surface of the pool, enjoying the cool deliciousness of the water as it trickled between her fingers.
Redmond’s delightful baby laugh caught her attention and she glanced up to see Sam lying on the lawn, pretending to struggle beneath the combined weight of the toddler and the puppy.
‘Okay, okay, you got me.’ He groaned, taking care to keep the puppy from launching himself on Redmond and knocking the baby over. ‘Ouch, Kong, that’s my finger.’ He ruffled the dog’s fur and gave him a playful push. The puppy loved it, launching himself even harder at his new master.
A strange sensation rushed into Ruby’s chest as she watched them play. So he was good with kids and animals. And he was smart. Attractive. Of course he was. All the Ventura men were. It was some freak gene that made them tall, god-like and irresistible to unsuspecting women.