The Acostas Box Set: The Shameless Life of Ruiz Acosta / The Argentinian's Solace / A Taste of the Untamed / The Man From her Wayward Past / Taming the Last Acosta / Christmas Nights with the Polo Player. Susan Stephens
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in a better mood since you got back from the gym,’ she observed as she vigorously stirred the soup.
‘Yes, dear,’ he mocked her lightly.
‘And here was me thinking you might have knocked some of that frustration out of your system at the gym.’ She blushed and stopped talking abruptly, but he knew she was referring to his ill-tempered arrival at the penthouse.
Lifting the bottle in a toast to her back, he drank it down. He had dressed casually after his shower in a pair of jeans and an old, faded blue sweatshirt, which he felt comfortable in around the house. Holly was barefoot in jeans and a pale blue shirt, which he found both casual and appealing. She was wearing hardly any make-up and had a tea towel tucked into the waistband of her jeans like someone who loved cooking and didn’t care who knew it. She looked great. The pale blue shirt suited her, and he had to try very hard not to notice that it was straining over her breasts.
‘Sure soup is going to be enough for you?’ she asked, avoiding his gaze.
‘For now.’
Opening the fridge, he found it stocked with fresh ingredients and a line of cold beer. ‘Soup smells good,’ he observed, joining Holly at the cooker. ‘I usually call for take-away when I’m in London, unless I’m eating out—’ He was staring at the back of her neck, longing to drop kisses on it. She had brushed her hair to one side, leaving the soft skin temptingly exposed, and he was standing close enough to see it had the texture of a peach. ‘Are you sure you want to share your supper?’ he murmured, thinking of anything but soup.
‘I can’t drink the whole pan full myself.’ She turned to stare at him.
‘I’ll get some spoons,’ he said, breaking away first, knowing that if he didn’t he would have to take her to bed.
‘I’m sorry for our rocky start this evening, Ruiz. I hope the soup makes up for it.’
‘I’m sorry too,’ he said. ‘I was hardly Señor Charming earlier.’ She was a friend of his sister’s, he told himself sternly. It was his duty to be nice to her. Equally, it was his duty not to seduce her. ‘Why don’t we forget it and start over? Minestrone.’ He hummed with appreciation. ‘My favourite.’
‘Really?’ She seemed surprised. ‘I had you down as more of a vichyssoise man.’
‘Oh, please. Do you think I have my newspapers ironed before I read them too?’
‘I’ll be sure to be up early enough to do so, sir.’
‘Be sure you are,’ he teased, holding the emerald gaze until her cheeks flushed red.
A friend of his sister’s? His good intentions where Holly was concerned weren’t holding up too well, Ruiz concluded, registering the pressure in his jeans. ‘Hurry up, I’m hungry,’ he commanded mock-sternly, hoping that by adopting the role of master of the house he would distract them both.
Holly smiled and shook her head. ‘Do you treat all your staff like this?’
‘My staff?’ he queried.
‘The people you pay to do things for you,’ she teased him.
‘Was that supposed to be a joke?’ he countered, finding he couldn’t bring himself to avoid the extraordinary green gaze and that he really didn’t want to.
‘What do you think?’ She laughed.
‘I think you like living dangerously, Ms Valiant,’ he said quietly.
Holly’s smile died. He got the distinct impression that this brush with a man who really liked her was too much too soon for Holly. ‘Do you think Bouncer would like some soup?’ she asked him in a decidedly humourless tone.
‘If you sprinkle cheese on it I doubt he could refuse,’ he said, matching Holly for matter-of-factness. This was like trying to win the trust of a damaged pony. He couldn’t lay his cards on the table—tell her she was beautiful and that he wanted her. He had to earn her trust and wait for Holly to come to him. She was graceful, he thought as she dipped low to feed the dog. She was kind and gentle and funny too. This was proving to be an unexpected distraction and he was enjoying tonight more than he could possibly have imagined.
‘I realise this must be awkward for you,’ she began as she straightened up.
‘Awkward?’ he queried.
‘Living together like this,’ she explained. ‘I’m not exactly experienced when it comes to flatmates.’
He doubted she was experienced in any sense. ‘Don’t worry. You won’t be seeing a lot of me.’
She laughed. ‘Can I have that in writing, please?’
‘And when I’m here I promise to keep out of your way,’ he added.
‘That’s all I need to know,’ she said, but her darkening eyes told a different story.
As they settled down to drink the soup together either side of the kitchen table it occurred to him that, as Lucia’s friend, Holly was practically an honorary member of the family and so deserving of his protection, which was ironic when what she needed was protection from him.
‘Soup okay, Ruiz?’
‘It’s delicious,’ he said. It was. And when she smiled like that, looking so relieved and happy, he knew that Holly was as oblivious to her talents as she was to her beauty. It was when she cut a fresh slice from the crispy loaf, saying, ‘I like a man with a healthy appetite,’ that he had to reach for the butter and pretend he hadn’t heard what she’d said. ‘Hey, Bouncer.’ He called the dog to draw the spotlight off her. ‘Are you snoring?’ he suggested as the big mutt grunted in his sleep.
‘You’re asking questions of a sleeping dog?’ Holly enquired, watching him chin on hand.
‘Is that permitted?’ he teased, thinking how beautiful her eyes were.
Shaking her head, she smiled. ‘I think you love that dog. Don’t worry, I’ll clear up,’ she said, pushing her chair back.
‘Let me help you,’ he offered, realising how much he wanted to be close to her.
One step at a time, Holly thought, feeling heat curl low inside her when Ruiz brushed past her at the sink. Now, if she could just control that heat and direct it into building a friendship with Ruiz everything might work out fine.
‘Why don’t you tell me something about the gap between school with my sister and now?’ Ruiz suggested casually, taking her off guard as they loaded the dishwasher together. ‘You can leave out anything you don’t want to talk about.’
‘That would mean leaving out most of it,’ she said, trying to make a joke of things she really didn’t want to remember. ‘And I’d much rather talk about you.’
‘I’m sure you would,’ Ruiz agreed dryly, easing onto one hip.
‘A playboy makes a much more interesting topic of conversation than the life of a would-be journalist,’ Holly pointed out.
‘A playboy?’ Ruiz queried. ‘Is that how you see me?’
‘That’s how the world sees you.’
‘Really?’ His lips pressed down. ‘It seems a rather old-fashioned term for a man who works hard for a living.’
‘A man who lives like this,’ Holly interrupted him, glancing round the designer kitchen. ‘Most people would find it fascinating.’
‘That’s only because they don’t know the truth about the boring slog associated with getting to this point,’ Ruiz assured her with amusement.
‘And if they did?’ she said carefully.
‘What are you getting at, Holly?’
‘Can I be honest with you?’
‘I