For a second, the image of him and Rafael, side by side as they faced down one of the gangs that had roved their estate, flashed in his mind. They had both been loners, but when Rafael had seen him in trouble he’d come to his aid.
‘I plan to provide sporting holidays and job-training opportunities. Run fundraisers where they can help out and help organise them. Get involved. Make a difference.’ He met Rafael’s gaze. ‘Give them a chance to do what we’ve both done.’
After all, they had both been experts in petty crime, headed towards worse, but they had both turned their lives around.
‘We did it on our own.’
‘Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help others.’
Before Rafael could reply the door swung open and Ruby entered.
Whoa. She looked stunning, and Ethan nearly inhaled his mouthful of whisky. Her dark luxuriant hair was swept up in an elegant chignon, clipped with a red barrette. A black dress that reached mid-thigh was cinched at the waist with a wide red sash, and—heaven help him—she wore black peeptoe shoes with jaunty red bows at the heels. Clearly she was giving the new uniform an airing.
A small smile curved her lips as she glided towards them and placed a tray on the table. ‘Appetisers to go with your pre-dinner drinks,’ she said. ‘Parma ham and mozzarella bites, and smoked salmon on crushed potato’.
‘Thank you, Ruby.’ Attempting to gather his scattered brain cells, Ethan rose to his feet and Rafael followed suit, his dark eyes alight with interest.
‘Rafael, this is Ruby Hampton—my restaurant manager.’
‘Enchanted to meet you.’ Rafael smiled. ‘The lady who knocked me off the celebrity gossip pages.’
Colour leached from her face and Ethan stepped towards her.
‘I... I hope you enjoyed the respite,’ she said, her smile not wavering, and admiration touched his chest. ‘I’m not planning on a repeat run.’
Rafael gave a small laugh. ‘Well said.’ He reached down and picked up one of the canapés and popped it into his mouth. ‘Exquisite.’
‘Thank you. I’ll leave you to it, and then I’ll be back with the starters in about fifteen minutes.’
‘So...’ Rafael said as the door swung shut. ‘You’ve hired Ruby Hampton?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why? Because you want to give her a second chance?’ Rafael gestured round the bar. ‘That’s what this is about, right? You want people to be given a chance?’
‘Yes. I do. I want youngsters who’ve had a tough time in life to see there is a choice apart from a life of truancy and mindless crime.’
Images of the bleak landscape of the council estate they’d grown up on streamed in his mind.
‘And I want society to recognise that they deserve a chance even if they’ve messed up.’
Rafael leant back. ‘You see, I think people should make their own choices and prove they deserve a chance. So let’s talk business, my friend, and let me think about the charitable angle.’
‘Done.’
Ethan placed his whisky glass down. Time to show Rafael Martinez that he might have a philanthropic side, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t hard-nosed at the negotiating table—helped by the fact that said table was soon occupied by melt-in-the-mouth food, discreetly delivered and served.
In fact if it wasn’t for the ultra-sensitive ‘detecting Ruby’ antennae he seemed to have developed he doubted he would have noticed her presence.
Once the dessert plates were cleared away Ethan scribbled some final figures down and handed them across to Rafael. ‘So we’re agreed?’
‘We’re agreed. I’ll get it drawn up legally and the contracts across to you tomorrow.’
‘And the wine for Caversham Castle?’
Rafael crossed one long leg across his knee and steepled his fingers together as Ruby entered with a tray of coffee.
‘Ruby, I’d like to thank you. Dinner was superb. Why don’t you join us for coffee?’ His smile widened and Ruby hesitated, but then Rafael rose and pulled out a chair for her. ‘I insist. I’m sure you and I will have some contact in the future.’
Half an hour later Ethan resisted the urge to applaud. Conversation had flowed and Ethan could only admire the fact that somehow Ruby had found the time to research Rafael sufficiently to engage him on topics that interested him.
Eventually Ruby rose to her feet and held a hand out to Rafael. ‘It’s been a pleasure—and now I’ll leave you two to get back to business.’
* * *
Ruby stood in the gleaming chrome confines of the state-of-the-art kitchens and allowed one puff of weariness to escape her lips as she wiped down the final surface.
Tired didn’t cover it—she was teetering on the cliff of exhaustion. But she welcomed it. The past week had been incredible. Sure, Ethan was a hard taskmaster, but the man was a human dynamo—and it had energised her. There were times when she could almost believe the whole debacle with Hugh Farlane had been a bad dream. The only whisper of worry was that it wasn’t the work that provided balm—it was working with Ethan.
As if her thoughts had the art of conjure, the kitchen door swung open and there he stood. Still suited in the charcoal-grey wool that fitted him to perfection, he’d shed his tie and undone the top button of the crisp white shirt. Her gaze snagged on the triangle of golden bare skin and her breath caught in her throat as he strode towards her.
Cool it, Ruby.
Will power forced the tumult of her pulse to slow. ‘All signed on the dotted line?’
‘Yes.’ His eyes were alight with satisfaction and she could feel energy vibrate off him. ‘Rafael just left and I’ve come to thank you.’
‘No problem. Just doing my job.’
‘No. You went the extra mile and then some. The meal, the décor...and then you—you charmed the pants off him.’
His words caused a flinch that she tried to turn into another swipe of the counter; panic lashed her as she reviewed their coffee conversation.
‘What’s wrong?’
She shrugged and straightened up. ‘I guess I’m hoping Rafael didn’t think that was my aim in the literal sense.’
Comprehension dawned in his eyes. ‘He didn’t. You did your job. You liaised.’
His matter-of-fact assurance warmed her very soul. ‘Thank you for seeing that. Problem is, I’m not sure everyone will. The world believes I trapped Hugh whilst liaising on the job.’
He stepped towards her, frustration evident in the power of his stride, in the tension that tautened his body. ‘Then deny the allegations.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not? Unless you do feel guilty?’ Blue-grey eyes bored into her. ‘If he dazzled you with his wealth and charm that doesn’t make you a gold-digger. When you start out with nothing it’s easy to be swept off your feet—to welcome the idea of lifelong security and easy wealth. There is no need for guilt.’
‘I wasn’t dazzled by his wealth. I always vowed that I would earn my keep every step of the way.’ Wouldn’t set foot on her parents’ path. ‘I wasn’t after Hugh’s cash.’
And yet...
A small hard lump of honesty formed in her tummy. ‘But I suppose with hindsight I am worried that I was dazzled by the idea of a family. He said he wanted kids, and...’
Yes,