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“Maybe they just don’t know you. Or understand where you’re coming from.”
“Or maybe they simply care about their own interests more than they care about right or wrong.”
She took a long sip of her wine, not taking her eyes off him. “Nothing you can do or say will convince me that you aren’t a perfect gentleman.”
Well, that certainly took all sexy thoughts he’d had earlier off the table. But maybe that was for the best. After seeing that notebook in the bottom of Ruby’s buffet, Heath was starting to think that, as much as he wanted Ruby, it might not be a good idea to get involved with a woman who was living with what was likely a very fragile heart. Instead, he might just need to devote himself to protecting it.
Ruby was at war with herself after she’d made that boneheaded comment about sleeping together on the first date. Why did she have to turn things into a joke? Probably because it was her defense mechanism. Humor was a great way to deflect, and she was a champion at it.
But still, sleeping close was a practical solution to their predicament, right? It was the sensible thing to do. Then why did it make Ruby so nervous? Why did it make her feel so self-conscious to have suggested it?You just told a sexy and handsome man who you hardly know that you think it’s a good idea to sleep in the same bed as him. That was a bold move, Ruby Rose Bennett. Incredibly bold.
They ate in near silence, nothing but the quiet crackle and pop of the fire to fill the void between them.
Heath finished eating first. “That was delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re so welcome.” Ruby set aside her bowl, leaving the few remaining bites. She was too filled with nervousness to eat any more. She decided she was not going to circle back to the subject of keeping each other warm that night, so she asked about anything else she could think of, like his ranch and growing up in Royal. Heath reciprocated, inquiring about her career. They steered clear of more serious topics, like the death of his mom and sister, or Ruby’s own loss, of her fiancé. She marveled at how easy it was to talk to Heath. He might be stubborn and a bit single-minded, but at his core, he seemed kind and thoughtful.
“It’s getting late. We should probably revisit the question of sleeping arrangements,” Heath said several hours later.
“Right. We don’t have to do what I suggested earlier. Unless you’re okay with it.” She swallowed hard, daring to look into his eyes, even when a single glance made it feel like he was hypnotizing her.
“I think it only makes sense. We have to sleep and we have to stay warm. That’s the smartest idea.”
Her stomach flipped at the thought of being that close to him. “Great. Good. I was thinking we could drag my mattress in here and put it in front of the fire. That’ll be more comfortable than the floor.”
“Sounds good. No time like the present.” Heath got up, then reached for her to help her stand.
She was perfectly capable of getting up on her own, but she wasn’t about to protest. Instead, she put her hand in his, relishing this bit of male attention. It felt so good, like she was her old self. That person she’d been three or four years ago. “My bedroom is just down the hall.”
Heath followed Ruby to her room.
“I guess we’ll grab the bedding and pillows, and then we’ll carry the mattress into the living room. I’ve got a bunch of extra blankets we can use, too,” she said.
“The hall is pretty narrow. Let me take the mattress. You can take the smaller things.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
There it was again—Heath and his gentlemanly ways. She admired that he was like that.
He walked around to the other side of the bed and playfully tossed a pillow in her direction, smiling.
Ruby entertained a fleeting thought—crashing into him and kissing him and pulling him down on top of her right here and now. They could make their own fire. Together. In this bed. “Sounds like a plan.”
They followed Heath’s suggestion, and a few short minutes later, he had the mattress perfectly situated on the floor in front of the fire, right where they’d eaten. Ruby handed him one end of a clean fitted sheet, then dropped down to her knees to put it on.
Heath followed suit, but he recoiled the instant he reached the floor. “Oh. Ow.” He popped back and landed on his butt next to the bed. “That wasn’t very smart of me. I forgot about my knee.”
“Would you like me to get some ice?” Ruby crawled across the mattress to where he was sitting.
“I’m okay. Really. It’s just a little tender. How’s your butt doing?”
She grinned. “Are you flirting with me?”
He looked at her and their gazes connected. “Of course. You’re so beautiful it’d be stupid for me not to.”
Her heart pounded frantically. She was painfully aware of every breath. “So, you’re not flirting. You’re kidding.”
