Ruby's Fantasy by Cathleen Ross Page A

some notice.’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜Blonde. Great legs.’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜Saw you sniffing around there. She hot stuff naked?’ Abraham said.
    Jake clamped his lips. Yes. Damn good and he wanted to get her clothes off again, but that was none of the club owner’s business.
    Abe gave him an assessing look. ‘Think she’d be interested in auditioning? We have a spot free. Easy work. Just has to dance semi-naked in a cage.’
    â€˜No! Not that sort of girl. She’s a sweet country girl,’ Jake said through clipped lips.
    â€˜Single?’ Abraham asked.
    â€˜Taken,’ Jake said.
    â€˜You sure she’s sweet?’ Abraham’s face wore a leer and he looked over Jake’s shoulder as if he were fantasising about Ruby.
    Jake shifted. The only man who was going to pay attention to Ruby was him. ‘Not the right type for you. Real girl next door.’
    Abe raised bushy eyebrows. ‘Glad she’s next door to me. That Dom dress and whip she’s carrying are sensational. Got several Macquarie Street merchant bankers looking for that kind of action. She could turn some real money dressed like that.’
    â€˜Huh?’ Jake turned just as Ruby walked up to him. He felt his jaw drop and he swayed on his feet. Instantly, he got hard as a stone. With commando-trained speed, he moved in front of Abe so that the man couldn’t see her.
    â€˜Nice tits,’ Abe said.
    Jake heard a chuckle behind him as he shielded Ruby from Abe’s gaze. No matter that he was a client, he wanted to ram his fist into the club owner’s face and only years of discipline restrained him.
    Even Ghost, his mouth open, sat back on his haunches, his drill cocked high.
    Ruby was laced into a black leather corset that pushed up her breasts so that they tipped over the corset barely covering her nipples. The outfit was pulled severely in at the waist and finished with a short skirt that flared over her hips and stopped just below her panty line. Her perfectly shaped long legs went on forever. On her feet she wore black stilettos and in her hand she carried a riding crop. Her blonde hair was piled high on her head, so that when she came close, she reached his eye level. When he met her stare he saw that Ruby had her eyes rimmed black like she meant business.
    â€˜So Jake, how long do you think these modifications will take? I want the shop open.’ She tapped the whip on her thigh.
    Jake was about to reply. Well he would have except his tongue had stuck to the roof of his mouth. Instead, Abe moved beside him and stuck out his hand. ‘Morning, neighbour, I’m Abe Malouf.’
    Ruby took his hand and gave it a shake. ‘I’m Emerald. I own the costume shop and this is my design,’ she said waving her hand down her body.
    â€˜Works for me,’ Abe said.
    Ghost grunted.
    Emerald? What the hell? ‘You mean Ruby,’ Jake interjected. There was no way he was going to let her take on her sister’s persona and put herself in danger. Wasn’t last night enough?
    â€˜I think I know my own name,’ Ruby shot back.
    â€˜I don’t think you do.’ Anger blasted through him like a bullet. When he got her alone, he was going to make it clear that she was not to pretend she was her sister or to leave the store without him. Putting herself as bait was stupid.
    â€˜Out of my way, Jake. I have business to discuss with Abe,’ Ruby said, whacking him with the riding crop on the thigh.
    â€˜Now you’re talking,’ Abe said as his gaze sat hungrily on her breasts as he licked his lips appreciably.
    â€˜Like hell you do,’ Jake said. His hands itched to snatch the riding crop and put it to work on her derrière. It looked like she’d grown her sister’s bossy personality and he didn’t like it one bit. A growl rolled from his throat. He had a whole lot to say to Ruby about survival in The Cross but she turned her