Loneliness bit into her as she heard his footsteps retreat. Her faith in love had died before it had even begun living in her crazy home and she didn’t know how she was ever going to find it.
Ruby wrapped her arms around her pillow and tried to sleep. Jake was right. She wouldn’t let him in. For too long, she’d worn protective armour around her heart and it had become a habit. Sure, she had an alcoholic father, a mother who’d run off and a twin who fled at the first sign of trouble but other people had crap lives and managed to find love. The panic attack had rattled her. She had to pull herself together. If she kept going like this, she’d lose Jake, the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Jake sat at his computer going through the club’s surveillance files and rubbed his eyes. His gaze zeroed in on each patron, taking in their body size and their facial features. It was tough looking for Tattoo Face when some club patrons wore hoodies.
After an hour, he stood and stretched, walked towards the bedroom to where Ruby was sleeping. He opened the door and looked in listening to her long, slow breaths that signalled she’d fallen into a deep sleep. She looked hot in his bed, the sheet moulding the curves of her body. Her blonde hair spreading across his pillow in waves like a mermaid’s, her fair skin was silky to touch and just the thought of taking her while she was thick with sleep made him hard. He had to find a way to back off or he’d lose her, except it wasn’t his nature.
In many ways they were different. She didn’t like the city whereas he got off on the buzz of it, and yet they were similar too. She’d fought for her independence, earning it every step of the way. He too, had made an independent life the moment he could. She was close to her twin and he knew how that felt. She had a brave quality about her, which he respected even though it annoyed him. It took guts going into the club the way she had.
She was warm and sensual and she had a persistence about her personality that appealed to him. Instinctively, he knew that they would be good together if he could convince her to stay. That panic attack showed him she was barely hanging in there, the stress of the death threat and worry of her twin had pushed her over an invisible line. Everyone had their breaking point. He’d seen it all too often in the army.
He’d hoped that slaking himself in her body would ease the void that haunted him since his brother had died. It hadn’t. He needed more of her as if he couldn’t get enough. He needed to belong to someone and he wanted that someone to be Ruby.
Her eyes flickered open as if she knew he was there. ‘You coming to bed or you going to stand there staring at me all night?’
There was nowhere else he’d like to be right at this moment but with Ruby so stressed that she had a panic attack he had to do something. ‘I’ve still got a little work to do.’
‘What time it?’
‘It’s late. Go back to sleep.’ He closed the door and went back to his computer. Surveillance. Focus. Find the opposition. Too late for Remmy; not too late for Ruby. That thought drove him past the need for sleep. He couldn’t lose her. The key to unlocking Ruby’s heart was trust. If he could get to the bottom of her twin’s problem Ruby would learn to trust him.
Clicking on the next file, he enlarged it to view the faces of the people entering the club. On the surveillance tape, a smartly-dressed man walked past John, the Maori bouncer who worked on the door, closely followed by a shorter man who wore a mean expression. Jake hit the freeze button and increased the size again. The web-like tattoo stood out on the cheek of the shorter man. John, the bouncer, scowled when he spotted him, blocked his entrance and talked to him. Tattoo Face shook his head allowing Jake to see the full complement of the web-like artwork, which looped from his cheek over the bridge of his nose. Tattoo Face unzipped his black hoodie and the bouncer leant in to check his pockets. The club had a strict no weapons policy. The taller man signalled impatiently to Tattoo Face to follow him. The two men didn’t look right together. The taller man looked to be about thirty years of age and was dressed in a smart suit jacket and jeans. His fair hair was cropped short, his appearance cultured and Anglo. There was nothing about him that would have distinguished him from other patrons of the club except that Tattoo Face was with him.
Something niggled in Jake’s consciousness. Something he’d seen or read recently and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it but the tall guy’s face was familiar. Jake copied the images of both men from the video onto his computer and ran the images through Google images. Nothing for Tattoo Face. Damn! He sent the image through to his copper mate on the Kings Cross police force to ID with a note that this was the suspected window smasher.
He ran the image of the tall man through Google images and several pictures filled the screen. Jake clicked on one of the images and pulled up a page from the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. Dancer assaulted, the headline ran. Massaging his forehead, Jake read on. Wealthy property developer, Peter Smithers, questioned about death threat of twenty-four-year-old female dancer. There was a small photo of a pretty young woman with long, blonde hair. The Herald mentioned that the threat took place at Darlinghurst, one of the inner city suburbs that had a mix of hip clubs, shops, housing commission and grunge, not far from The Cross.
Jake ran his thumb across his bottom lip as he read the article again. There wasn’t much but now he had a name. He typed the name Peter Smithers to find out more about him. According to several articles, the developer was wealthy and involved in several property deals. Closing the computer, Jake steepled his hands. What had Peter Smithers to do with the dancer? Was Tattoo Face his bodyguard, one who did illegal things like break windows and issue death threats?
Jake looked at his watch. Ghost and his team had just finished a large security installation job in the city. Working nights into the early hours of the morning suited Ghost because he didn’t have to communicate. Jake would get him to guard Ruby while he went back into the club. It was time to pay Nessa the stripper a visit and ask a few questions about Peter Smithers who seemed to have a fondness for girls with long, blonde hair.
Chapter 8
Ruby opened her eyes and stretched feeling as if she’d had the best sleep of her life though parts of her felt pleasantly achy. Looking over she saw that Jake wasn’t beside her. In fact, it looked as if he hadn’t slept in his side of the bed. She knew she’d exasperated him last night but he’d been kind to her. So understanding about the panic attack. Already she could feel her nipples tightening under her tee-shirt as she thought about him.
Jake opened the bathroom door and came out with a towel wrapped around his hips. ‘Hi, sweetheart.’ He must have noticed the way she was looking at him and smiled, his teeth a flash of white.
‘You didn’t sleep with me last night?’
His gaze moved over her. ‘I worked. I think better when it’s night.’
Ruby sat. ‘You do everything better at night.’ She glanced at her watch and groaned. ‘I have to open the shop.’
He looked at his wristwatch and frowned. ‘It’s 8:05. Time to get moving, we’re going to have a busy day today. I sent an email around to my clients to come in to your shop today to try on their costumes for the party I’m throwing in a week’s time. I don’t open on the weekend so I’ll guard you all day.’
‘You’ll stay in my shop all day?’ He was taking over her life. Ruby pushed the panicky thought away, knowing she should be grateful.
‘It’s twenty-four seven until I have Tattoo Face.’
She ran her hand through her hair. ‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier that your clients were coming in today?’
‘I sent the email out last night after you went to sleep. People have short memories so it’s better not to give them a long time period. I like your theme idea, come as your favourite fantasy. I’ve told my clients to mention it when they arrive so you know who they are. I’ve made you fresh coffee. In fifteen minutes, I’ll walk you to your side of the terrace so you can get dressed.’
Jake seemed to work with military precision from
minute to minute. ‘Do you plan to watch me dress?’
His eyes lit up. ‘Do you want me to?’
Despite her irritation at being organised by him, she smiled. ‘I think I can manage by myself.’
‘Good, because I prefer to help you undress.’
Laughter left her lips and she shook her head. ‘You’re good at that.’
When he pulled his towel off and opened his closet door, her gaze automatically went to his sculptured back, which tapered down to his strong butt and muscular long legs. Just the sight of him naked brought back the intense love making they’d shared last night. Why oh why had she had a panic attack straight afterwards? Jake was good to her and she certainly wasn’t afraid of him. It seemed like her past was crashing into her present even though she’d slammed that door shut when she’d left home.
Jake pulled out a pair of denim jeans and selected a baby blue short-sleeved shirt from a perfectly ironed hanging set of shirts. On the left, his other jeans and trousers were arranged by colour from dark to light.
Ruby thought about the chaos of Emerald’s bedroom. Okay, so she was neater than her twin, but everything in Jake’s apartment seemed to have a place. Could she have a life with someone who was so ordered and who liked to organise her?
Whoa! Ruby stopped. She stood and strode past Jake into the kitchen, picked up the coffee pot and poured herself a coffee, added some milk from the refrigerator and took a large gulp. Get a grip. She was here to sort out her twin’s issues, not find a relationship, despite what Jake wanted. She walked back into the bedroom with her coffee, sat on the bed and watched as he pulled on designer briefs, which moulded over his butt.
He turned and his gaze met hers. ‘Enjoying the coffee?’
He was semi-erect and her stomach fluttered. ‘It’s strong. Just the way I like it.’
He raised his eyebrows, his gaze on hers. ‘I know exactly what you like and I plan to give it to you. Whenever you need.’
Several hours later Ruby ran to and fro in her shop, filling orders and helping customers choose outfits. For the umpteenth time she wished her twin were here because she certainly needed to clone herself to get the business done. Fortunately, Jake was on hand helping the male clients under her direction. He was surprisingly good at picking out suitable outfits according to body shape.
‘I had no idea you even knew this many people. How big is this party going to be?’ Ruby asked Jake as she picked a discarded outfit from the change room floor and hung it on a hanger.
‘I’ve sent two hundred invitations.’
‘Two hundred? But I looked at the invites. Some of them were for two people.’
‘I built my business from scratch but I have a lot of clients, which means I expect a good turn up for the party.’ He pulled a wry face. ‘Actually, I should give my mother some credit. Steele parties were legendary in the Eastern Suburbs. Thankfully I have the name of her party organiser and handed the whole Fantasy concept over to her.’
‘I noticed it’s at a private address in Point Piper. Have you got a wealthy contact over there?’ Ruby mentioned an upmarket suburb in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, where homes of the rich and famous looked over Sydney’s beautiful harbour.
‘I’m having it at my Wolseley Road home.’ Jake wore an amused grin on his face perhaps because she knew her eyes had popped.
‘Wolseley Road? I read in the paper that’s one of the most expensive streets in Australia.’ It took Ruby a moment to get her head around the concept that if Jake owned a house on that famous street, he must be extremely wealthy.
‘I did tell you that my grandfather started the family mining business.’
‘Yes you did, but seeing you spend your nights in the Kings Cross terrace, I didn’t really think about it.’ Why was he wasting his time helping her in her shop when he had that kind of money? Didn’t he have something better to do like sail an enormous yacht on Sydney Harbour or build his own casino?
Jake bent, picked up a couple of silky bras from the change room floor and held them up against her torso as if imagining what they’d look like on her. ‘My terrace is my office. I use it to sleep over when I work late. My home is at Point Piper.’
‘Is that where you normally live?’
‘About four days a week.’
Ruby took the bras from him. ‘Jake, why are you chasing me?’ She and Emerald had really stretched themselves to buy the shop terrace. Sure she wasn’t dirt poor, but she was starting to realise that Jake was in the mega league of Australia’s wealthy.
He frowned and turned his head, bemused. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You could have any of Sydney’s eligible women. Famous actresses or models.’
Jake wrapped his arms around her and pushed her against the wall pinioning her with his hips. ‘I want you. Why is that so hard to accept?’
‘But we’ve only known each other three days. We’re str—’
‘I don’t want to hear that anymore.’ Jake cut her off with a kiss. He pressed his lips to hers, forcing them open. The hot, wet tip of his tongue glided over her teeth, demanding entry. She took in a deep breath and opened her mouth as her nipples began to tighten as they rubbed against his torso. Jake knew how to kiss in a demanding, take no prisoners way and she became lost to him. She kissed him back, her lips melding with the enticing heat of his because she knew this couldn’t go on, but she couldn’t waste a single moment with him. City life was not for her. She’d worked hard to establish her business back home. Yet, her tongue danced with his, mating and playing until his hand moved up to cup her breast. His thumb teased over her erect nipple and the pleasure of it made her moan. Her hips rolled forward and she rubbed herself against him.
He moved both hands down, holding her bottom and pressing her against his erection.
She broke the kiss, sucking in a huge breath, fighting for control. ‘Jake. We have to stop.’
‘It’s nearly closing time. I want to take you up hard against the wall. Now! No one can see us from the street.’
He was panting and she could feel his erection pulsing against her. The door buzzer sounded.
‘I have to get that.’
‘Ignore it. I need you. I’ve been watching you put women into sexy outfits all day and all I could think of was what you’d look like in them.’
‘Now I know why you enjoyed helping me out today. I wondered why you seemed so content.’ The thought amused her. It didn’t matter how wealthy Jake was, men were still men.
‘My fantasy is to strip you out of your princess costume and tie you naked to my bed. You’re telling me no but I start licking your clit until you’re begging me to take you. Would you like to play that fantasy?’ He moved his thumb slowly over the tip of her nipple.
‘Oh yes.’ The sensation ripped from her nipple to between her legs on a pulse of electricity and Ruby nearly came apart.
The door buzzed again. ‘Stop!’ she said.
‘I don’t want to.’
Ruby wriggled out from his grip. ‘I’ll make this the last customer.’ Her words came out on hot, breathy pants.
‘Get rid of them fast. I want you.’
Her gaze moved down his body. ‘You can’t walk into my shop like that. You look like you’re about to impale me even wearing jeans. I think you’d better go upstairs and wait for me.’
He followed her gaze downward and adjusted his jeans. ‘No. I don’t want to leave you. I’ll pull the roller shutter down here in the back of the shop and secure all the locks. Check the screen before you let anyone in.’ Jake’s phone rang softly. He pulled it out of his pocket, frowning when he saw who it was.
Ruby left him to it. She skipped to her counter, thinking if business kept up this pace, she’d be banking money instead of being in the red. She didn’t have a huge mortgage on the shop but it still had to be paid each month. For the first time, she could see that the business was going to be a viable decision. Before pressing the release button, she checked on her monitor to see who was at
the door. A woman with long, blonde hair caught up in a ponytail, stood there.
She pressed the door release button and the door clicked open.
The young woman who entered pinioned her with piercing green eyes. Ruby recognised her, but with her mind in a fog, she struggled to remember who she was.
‘Tell your boyfriend to back off and stay out of my life. What I do is strictly my business. I told you last night, I’m not stupid enough to cross the line like you.’ The woman’s voice was so quiet and deadly that Ruby realised Jake wouldn’t be able to hear it in the other room at the back of the shop.
Who was she? The woman’s name came to her. Nessa, the stripper.
Fury lit up Nessa’s eyes. ‘I mean it. Back off.’ She turned and marched towards the door.
‘No! Wait! Nessa, I don’t understand.’ What had Jake done? He was with her last night, not the stripper. What was Nessa talking about?
Nessa reached the door, turned on Ruby and jabbed her in the chest with her index finger. ‘If you’re stupid enough to stay here then you’ll get what’s coming to you.’ She pulled open the front door to leave.
Ruby lunged for the woman grabbing hold of her arm. ‘No. Wait. I have to talk to you. Let me explain. I’m not Emerald.’
Nessa rolled her eyes. ‘As if. Pah! Changing your name isn’t going to save you.’
‘I’m not. I mean it. I’m Ruby, Emerald’s twin. Emerald’s fled and I don’t know why. Please, help me. I don’t know what’s going on with my sister.’
A sneer painted Nessa’s lips. ‘What went on is your sister had sex with Peter Smithers. Talk about a dumb move.’
Ruby’s whole body tensed and her fingers fanned her lips. ‘Who is that? I don’t know him.’
Nessa’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head. ‘If your boyfriend thinks I’m going to be stupid enough to give out information on Peter he’s got another thing coming. I strip. I lap dance. That’s it. I don’t want that freak after me.’ Nessa ripped her arm from Ruby’s grasp and stormed out of the shop, slamming the door with a bang.
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