"Enjoy how? Oh-my-God, don't be silly. He certainly doesn't have to hire someone for sex! Maybe he just wants a cook, housekeeper, and someone to shoot the shit with from time to time, nothing more and nothing less. But the heat in his gaze told her otherwise.
His gaze told her he wanted her. Ruby felt it in the coffee shop, and she was feeling it now, more intensely than ever before, because there was no counter to use as a buffer between them. But what if she was mistaken? What if, by taking this job, she'd be forced to endure seeing him bring home a parade of snotty model type women.
She growled at herself. This was a job, nothing more or less. Who he brought home would be none of her concern. "So what happened to your former cook-slash-housekeeper?"
"She has moved on."And what other duties would this include?" Roth's eyes continued to gaze onto hers. Damn, she hated, but at the same time, loved how he was making her feel. Could she work for someone who made her feel this way? Ruby didn't know.
"Well, the cooking is the primary thing. Breakfast would be required to be prepared and served at 7am. sharp every morning. And you are expected to be here and have an acceptable dinner on the table when I come home during the week. On the weekend I expect three meals. In addition, laundry, shopping, and cleaning throughout the day.
Whatever requires doing - more or less. I do have people come in and take care of the floors, windows, and pool twice a week, so virtually everything having to do with the household upkeep would be under your command. And like I say, I require you to be on call 24/7. No exceptions.
"Sounds like you're looking for a wife to me," Ruby joked. Roth's soft smile faded, and his expression went blank, making Ruby gasped her eyes wide in horror as soon as the words that came from her mouth. Why did she keep doing that? Filter. Ruby. Filter, she scolded herself. "I'm so sorry. I never meant. I was ju-"
"Now, if you were to fulfil the duties of my wife, then I assure you I'd be expecting more than simple cooking and cleaning." His voice took on a deep, husky sound that made her wish she was bold enough to volunteer for the "extras." Running a nervous hand through her hair, Ruby couldn't bear to meet his heated gaze. Instead, she focused on an abstract painting just over his left shoulder.
"So would you like to see the kitchen and the room that would be yours before we discuss money and you make a decision either way?"
She gulped down the lump forming in her throat and nodded. "Yes, please."
She was a cheeky little thing. And Roth liked it, perhaps too much. He'd asked himself a number of times during the course of the day if offering her a job and having her live with him was such a good idea. While he'd led her to believe that the previous housekeeper had lived at the house, that hadn't actually been the case.
Aside from him and Tristan, Ruby was the first employee that he'd opened his home to. It was partially because of her apparent financial issues, but mostly because there was something about her that had him captivated.
And if he were to be brutally honest with himself, the house felt too big for him, since Tristan had decided to become invisible, he could not help but smile when he introduced ruby to Tristan, Roth could picture the surprise look on his best friends face knowing a woman would be living with them for the first time since ten years.
One thing Roth had in mind was that he wanted the companionship of a woman without necessarily the relationship. One of the highlights of each of his - frequently frustratingly - long days was the sweet smile she'd present him with when he arrived at the coffee shop and the causal flirting that would transpire between them while he was there.
He liked that she remembered what he liked and things he'd said. She seemed like such a genuine person, unlike the women he'd been with in the past, even those he had one night stand with, they wanted his cock, and money, nothing else.
Yes, ruby had managed to get under his skin and so he wanted her near him, at least until he could sort out his feelings towards her. While his intentions for the moment were strictly professional, the thought of having her in his bed, or for that matter, bent over his desk made his cock come alive. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to conceal his growing erection from her.
Ruby looked a little indecisive, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel he wanted more than a strictly professional relationship. Whether that was the case or not.
"So what do you say? Let me show you around?" Standing, he extended his hand to her. She hesitated briefly, looked up, met his eyes with her sapphire blue ones, and accepted his hand. His larger hand eclipsed her soft, delicate one as she rose to her feet.
He led her to the door and opened it, ushering her out and then exiting after her. The first stop would be the kitchen, and then he's placed it by ear from there. "To address the cooking issue -"
"Are you sure you wouldn't be more suited to have a real chef?" she asked, looking up at him.
He laughed. "No, I know what I want."
"I just want to be honest with you. Even with a lot of practice, I doubt I'll be able to get even close to cooking as well as you'll want from me." Ruby ran her hand through her hair once more, the golden strands slipping by her fingers one-by-one.
It was killing him not to reach over and stroke her soft, silky hair. Or better yet, wrap it around his fist as he pulled her lips up to meet his in a hard, demanding kiss that would leave them both breathless. Oh God, the things he'd like to do to her.