Chapter Twenty Three

Perhaps it was a little... inappropriate. Does that have to mean it was wrong?"

"Well, tell me this," she countered. "The last person you had working in my position. Did you have the same type of working arrangement as you do with me now?"

Roth chuckled, giving her hand a light squeeze. "Well, to be honest, the last person was a sixty-five year old woman named Maria, who quit because she and her husband were moving to Florida. She arrived at 6am and left at 5pm, and I assure you I had no desire to touch her in any way inappropriately."

Ruby rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help but laugh a second time. "Please don't make me laugh, I'm serious."

His attempt to keep a stern expression was nearly as humorous as his words. "And so am I. She was the sweetest woman, been with my family for decades, she practically raised me, but she just wasn't my type. Don't get me wrong, knee-high stockings can be extremely sexy..."

Pulling her hand from his, she gave his shoulder a playful swat, still giggling. "Stop. I get it!"

"But why hire me," she stressed the 'me' part. He was being intentionally elusive, but there was no way she could let it go without a satisfactory answer.

Roth leaned back on his elbows on the towel he'd laid out previously, causing her to lean back as well, turning to her side facing him, bracing her head with her hand, to watch his expression as he talked. "I've had a slight," he cleared his throat, and even in the dim light of the torch fires, she could see his face redden slightly. It was apparent he wasn't very accustomed to explaining himself to anyone. "A slight crush, if you could call it that, for you for some time now, I think that's what I have come to realize, even though I can't be so sure of my feelings"

Ruby couldn't stop the soft giggle that escaped her lips. With all of the models and high-society bimbo's that she'd seen him with in pictures and in the gossip news, she had a hard time visualizing Roth having a 'crush' on anyone. She would have thought the roles were normally reversed.

He raised a brow at her, amused. "You think I can't have a crush?"

She shook her head. "It's hard to visualize, that's all."

"I see. Well, I have."

"But you date these models, and I saw a picture of you with some soap actress."

Roth grinned and chuckled. "Without the glamour and the make-up, they aren't near as beautiful as they think they are," he stressed the word they, "Besides, most are fake and superficial. Fame does that to people. Not all, but most. And you really can't blame them. When you have thousands - millions even - of people constantly telling you how wonderful, beautiful, talented you are, it's bound to sink it and have an effect."

"I see. So again, why me? Why offer me this job?"

"Do you know what one of the highlights of my day is?" he rolled over to his side so he was facing her directly, mimicking her position by bracing himself up on his elbow.

Ruby shrugged.

"Going out of my way each day to stop by the coffee shop to get a cup of that horrid coffee you people serve. It's horrible. I imagine the only reason the shop stays in business is the good-looking women it tends to employ."

Ruby laughed her agreement with his assessment of the coffee. "So why hire me? Why not just ask me on a date?"

He clucked his tongue off the roof of his mouth. This was the part he would not want them to divert to "Alright answer me this. How many times a week did you get hit on by customers?"

It was ruby's turn to blush. She saw where he was going with this and saw his point. "A few or so."

"I didn't like the idea of being another one of those asshole customers. And so when I showed up and realized you were in a situation that I could help with, I figured it would be a good chance to get to know you."

"Inviting someone to live with you is a really fucked up way of getting to know them roth," she chided.

"Is it," he agreed, his amusement slowly fading to be replaced with the heated, hungry look that she was becoming very familiar with and sent her pulse racing. He touched her hip, just above the string that tied at her hip, holding the bottom together and slowly trailed his fingertips over her hip, and along her waist.

Ruby wanted to close her eyes and sigh. She wanted to fall into his arms and let him do whatever he pleased with her as long as it meant she could touch him, and feel more of his sweet caress. She needed to get the conversation back on track before he...

Oh good lord!

With his hand stopping just below the side of her breast, he lowered his mouth to hers, gently kissing her. His lips barely touching hers was enough of a tease that the fire within her for him flared up with a vengeance. "We should discuss this Roth" she protested, reaching over and flattening her palm against his wet, hard chest, her fingertips tracing the contours of muscle.

Roth moved over her, pressing her back against the towel, as he nipped at her neck. "Why wouldn't I want you here," he countered, his tongue lashing out and teasing her neck where he'd just gently bit.

"There are more qualified people..." She groaned inwardly as he began to kiss his way down her neck, slipping her arms up over his powerful shoulders.

To her dismay he stopped his teasing to gaze down at her, his eyes catching hers. "You're beautiful, and sweet, and funny, and your smile lightens up my mood no matter how bad it may be," he stated kissing her lightly after stating each attribute. "Why wouldn't I want you near me? I'd have been a fool to have let the opportunity pass me by."