Why Resist a Rebel - By Leah Ashton Page 0,40

was impossible to interpret.

‘Is that how little you—?’ he started. Then stopped.

Then in a different, heavier tone, the shutters firmly up again, he spoke. ‘No.’

Ruby backed away, needing to put space between them.

‘So you’ll come now? Right this instant?’

He nodded.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Fine. A favour. Done.’

She thought she’d get that smile again—but didn’t. He just kept looking at her, revealing not a thing.

So she backed away even further, right outside the room and into the hallway.

‘You’ve got two minutes to meet me out the front,’ she said, briskly. Like Production Co-ordinator Ruby, not the Ruby who’d very nearly kissed Devlin Cooper again.

She didn’t wait around for him to respond, she was just out of there. Away from him, away from the mass of confusion and attraction and questions and heat that was every encounter with Dev.

Outside, on the decking, she stared up at the cloudless sky. Just stared and stared and stared.

And wondered what on earth she’d just agreed to.

What on earth she’d just done.

NINE

Days passed. A week.

Nothing.

Ruby barely saw Dev at Unit Base, and the few times she did get out to set he didn’t even notice she was there—or at least certainly gave the impression he didn’t.

When she ate dinner at the pub a few times after work, she deliberately kept her back to the door and talked and laughed with her friends as normal—because it wasn’t as if she cared if Dev arrived or anything.

And then she hated herself for looking over her shoulder whenever a footfall was somehow heavier or different or whatever. Just in case.

Occasionally she’d kid herself that he’d forgotten about their deal. That he was half asleep and didn’t remember, or that he’d never meant it anyway.

But she didn’t, truly, believe that.

So late on a Saturday afternoon, after a six-day work week and with every cell in her body desperate to crawl into bed and sleep straight through until Monday, it didn’t really surprise her to see Dev sitting on the jarrah bench seat outside her apartment.

Equally, it didn’t surprise her when her heart did a little somersault. Didn’t surprise her—but she wasn’t exactly happy about it either.

He wore jeans, T-shirt and a black jacket. A rugby team’s baseball cap was pulled down low over his forehead, and dark sunglasses covered his eyes. He pushed himself to his feet as she slid out of her car.

Ruby locked the doors, and walked towards him as nonchalantly as possible, fumbling only slightly as she located her key.

‘Is this your version of going incognito?’ she asked as she stepped onto the small porch. ‘As I don’t think you’re fooling anyone.’

‘You’d be surprised how many people don’t recognise me,’ he drawled, catching her gaze with a pointed look.

For what felt like the hundredth time since they’d met, Ruby blushed, and she turned her head to give the task of opening the door her complete attention.

‘You’d better come inside before the whole town starts talking,’ she said as the door swung open. ‘Apparently my motel manager tops even the local hairdresser in knowing all the Lucyville gossip.’

‘That’s a real issue for you, isn’t it?’ he asked, following her inside. ‘People talking about you?’

Inside her apartment Ruby wasn’t exactly sure what to do. After all, she had no idea why Dev was actually here.

‘I would’ve thought you’d understand that,’ she said, throwing her handbag onto the tiny kitchen bench. ‘Given how much the world gossips about you.’

Tea, she decided. She’d make them both a cup of tea.

‘For me, gossip’s a necessary evil. I can’t expect all the perks of fame without some of the crap.’

Ruby flicked the switch on the kettle, then found two coffee mugs that she placed onto the laminate counter. One had a chip on the handle.

Somehow, making tea for Dev in this simple little apartment seemed more surreal than anything else that had happened between them. She rubbed her thumb over the chip a few times, trying to pull her thoughts together.

Why was he here? What favour was he going to ask of her?

Dev was resting both his hands on the other side of the counter, watching her. ‘Ruby?’

What were they talking about again?

‘Gossip,’ she said, reminding herself. ‘Well. I’m not famous, obviously. So there’s no real positive out of people spreading rumours about me, is there? Wouldn’t it be more strange if it didn’t bother me?’

‘But you seem slightly more...obsessed with maintaining a lily-white reputation. Not one whisper of scandal is allowed when it comes to Ruby Bell. No hint of the slightest moment