‘Release me first,’ she insisted.
‘I released you three minutes ago.’
Shocked, Ruby glanced down at her wrists. Sure enough, the velvet rope was loose enough to free herself. She’d been too spellbound by his kiss to notice.
She met his hard, mocking gaze. Rubbing her right wrist, she encountered his watch. She pulled it off and held it out to him.
He didn’t take it. ‘I’m waiting for an answer.’
‘My name is Ruby Trevelli.’
He continued to stare at her. ‘Should that mean anything to me?’
Despite knowing how self-absorbed he was, that flippant question hurt. She flung his watch on the bed. He calmly retrieved it, took hold of her wrist, slipped it back on, and returned to his predator-like position.
‘What—?’
‘Answer me. Should your name mean anything to me?’
‘Yes. I was recently voted Élite Chef.’
His lips twisted. ‘My apologies. I don’t keep up with pop culture,’ he said.
‘Well, you should. Your TV company sponsored the show.’
He frowned. ‘I have over sixty media companies scattered all over the world. It would be impossible to keep up with every progamme that’s aired through my networks. So you’re here to collect some sort of prize—is that it?’ The disappointment she’d heard earlier was back, accompanied this time by a flash of weariness that disappeared as quickly as it’d arrived.
‘You make it sound like a whimsical endeavour. I assure you, it’s not.’
‘Enlighten me, then, Miss Contest Winner. Why have you flown thousands of miles to accost me?’
Put like that it did sound whimsical. Except this was her life and livelihood they were talking about, the independent life she’d worked hard for so she wouldn’t be pulled into her parents’ damaging orbit. The life that was being threatened by a loan shark.
‘I want your company to honour its agreement and pay me what I’m owed.’
His face hardened into a taut, formidable mask of disdain. ‘You came after me because of money?’ His sneer had thickened.
Ruby couldn’t really dwell on that. She needed to state her purpose and leave this room, this suite. He was close, so tantalisingly close, the warmth of his skin and the spicy scent of his aftershave made stringing words together an increasingly difficult task. He smelled like heaven. And she wanted to drown in it.
‘Prize money, yes.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘But why come after me? Why not go after the man I’ve put in place to head NMC?’
‘You think I haven’t tried? No one would take my calls.’
‘Really? No one in a company with over a thousand employees?’
‘No. Trust me, I have the phone bill to prove it.’
‘Well, clearly, I need to hire better staff.’
‘I don’t like your tone,’ Ruby snapped. She sidled towards the edge of the bed.