The Ruthless Marriage Proposal

by Miranda Lee

  Agitated by this thought, Emily swiftly stepped up to the side of the pool, stretched out her hands and dived into the water, not surfacing till she was halfway up the thirty-metre pool. As she slicked back her hair with her hands, she once again glanced nervously up at Sebastian’s bedroom window, relieved to find it still in darkness.

  The pool was not in darkness, however; some subtle underwater lighting shone through the crystal clear water. Emily felt both vulnerable and exposed as she began the rather amazing experience of swimming in the nude. The water was like warm silk caressing her unclothed flesh, bringing an acute awareness of her female body.

  Swimming breast-stroke was a definite turn-on, something Emily didn’t need at that precise moment. Because being turned on made her think of Sebastian and the sexual longings he’d begun to inspire in her.

  Lately, she’d found herself day-dreaming about him all the time, wondering what it would be like to be his girlfriend, to have him look at her the way she’d seen him look at Lana—with white-hot desire blazing bright in his brilliantly blue eyes.

  Emily abruptly changed to the more vigorous overarm, swimming with rapid strokes and her head down till she reached the far end of the pool. Gripping the curved terracotta tiles at the edge, she sucked in some much-needed air, once again lecturing herself on the futility of her love for her boss.

  The sooner she was away from that man, the better!

  Emily pushed herself back from the side of the pool, staying on her back, gently moving her arms to stop herself from sinking. Floating that way was not quite so erotic, providing she didn’t look down at her generous breasts and their disturbingly erect peaks. Impossible to blame their state on being cold. More likely she was too hot from thinking about Sebastian.

  Emily directed her gaze steadfastly upwards, at the night sky above. It was inky black and star-studded. The moon was only a quarter, but how brightly it shone. A night for lovers, or for witches.

  The security lights near the house suddenly snapping on had Emily jerking upright with a gasp. Spinning round in the water sent a great mass of wet hair across her face, so she couldn’t make out who it was standing at the edge of the pool. But she recognised his voice from the very first word.

  ‘What in the hell do you think you’re doing, Missie, swimming in my pool without any clothes on?’

  CHAPTER TWO

  SEBASTIAN. Oh, my God, it was Sebastian!

  What cruel twist of fate would bring him home early on the one night she’d decided to go skinny-dipping?

  Emily didn’t know what to do. Whether to use her hands to cover her breasts, or push the hair off her face, so that he could recognise who it was swimming in his pool.

  ‘I’m waiting for an answer, Missie,’ Sebastian snapped.

  His calling her Missie like that evoked some much-needed resentment that she’d been put in this humiliating situation. Was it her fault that he’d come home early?

  Absolutely not!

  Piqued, Emily dipped her head forward in the water, then threw it backwards, the action sending her hair flying back off her face and plastering it to her bare back.

  Fortunately, she was far enough away for the spray of water created not to hit Sebastian, who was standing at the edge of the pool, his trousered legs wide apart, his dark suit jacket pushed back, his hands on his hips.

  He still didn’t seem to recognise her, despite her whole face now being exposed.

  Understandable, Emily conceded ruefully, considering he was glaring down at what else was exposed.

  ‘It’s only me, Sebastian,’ she said, sounding much cooler than she felt.

  Sebastian’s eyes jerked up to hers, his darkly frowning expression immediately changing to bewilderment, before settling on shock.

  ‘Emily? My God, it is you!’

  Emily’s face flamed when his eyes dropped back down to her naked breasts. She valiantly resisted the urge to cover them, pride demanding that she brazen things out rather than start acting like a shy, simpering virgin.

  Besides, there was something satisfying in seeing Sebastian stare at her like that. Emily knew she had a good body. Now Sebastian knew it too.

  But it was a perverse satisfaction. Because it inevitably turned to distress.

  ‘I didn’t expect you home,’ she said somewhat stiffly, pained at the way he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her breasts.

  Men could be so shallow when it came to sex, she thought bitterly. Even Sebastian.

  ‘Obviously not,’ he said, his gaze drifting even lower in the water.

  Her chin tilted upwards as defiance kicked in. ‘I’d like to get out now,’ she threw at him.

  ‘Pity. I was just thinking of joining you.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing like a relaxing swim after a long flight.’

  His sudden shrugging off of his jacket and tossing it carelessly aside brought Emily close to panic. Surely he couldn’t mean to strip off and go skinny-dipping with her. Surely not!

  ‘Have…have you been drinking?’ she blurted out shakily.

  He smiled a slightly crooked smile as he dispensed with his tie, then attacked the buttons on his blue business shirt. ‘First class flying does come with the very best of wine.’

  So he had been drinking. Which accounted for this most uncharacteristic behaviour. In all the months she’d worked for Sebastian, he’d never crossed that invisible line between employer and employee. Even when she’d sat with him at dinner time, they hadn’t talked of personal or private things, their conversation restricted to more general topics. He’d never said or done anything which could have been misconstrued or would give offence.

  Clearly, he wasn’t himself tonight. Losing Lana must have unhinged him.

  ‘It’s never a good idea to drink and swim, Sebastian,’ she pointed out, not unkindly.

  ‘You’ll be here to save me.’

  ‘No, I won’t. I just told you. I’m getting out now.’

  ‘What if I ask you to stay?’

  Emily groaned. If only he knew how much she’d like to stay.

  But she wasn’t about to be used, not even by him.

  ‘I’m not comfortable with this, Sebastian,’ she said quite sharply.

  He stopped undressing, his eyes narrowing on her. His sigh, when it came, sounded weary.

  ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘I’m behaving badly. Please forgive me.’

  Before she could utter a single word of forgiveness, or anything else, he snatched up his jacket from the ground, whirled on his heel and was gone, disappearing through the back door.

  Emily wasted no time, swimming over to the side of the pool, scrambling out and dragging her robe on over her dripping body. She flew across the pool surrounds and along the flagstone walkway, running up the steps and inside her flat, slamming the door behind her.

  Only then did she realise she was shaking. Not from fear. From how incredibly stupid she’d just been!

  She clasped her hands to her head as she realised how close she’d just come to having her wildest fantasy come true—that of having Sebastian make love to her.

  If and when a male and female went skinny-dipping together, it was never a platonic activity. Sebastian might not have looked at her with quite the same passion as he’d once looked at Lana, but there had definitely been desire in his eyes as they’d raked over her naked body. No doubt about that!

  Okay, so it would have been nothing but sex on his part, Emily conceded. She would have just been a substitute for Lana, a salve for his male ego.

  But so what? her love-sick soul protested. She would have known what it was like to be in his arms, to have him kiss her and touch her. She could have pretended, at least for a little while.

  And now?

  Now, all she had was frustration and regret. And her stupid bloody pride!

  Tears rushed into her eyes. Why, oh, why couldn’t she have thrown caution to the wind? Why did she have to be so damned self-righteous?

  An
y other female would have taken what was on offer. And who knew? Something might have come of it, something special. She had a lot to offer Sebastian.

  But he has nothing special to offer you in return, the voice of reason intervened. Not love…Or marriage…Or children.

  Only sex.

  You had a lucky escape tonight, my girl. Now hand in your resignation in the morning, then get the hell out of here!

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE pre-set alarm on Sebastian’s bedside clock went off at ten to six. He woke with a start, followed by a groan.

  Despite having found oblivion the moment his head had hit the pillow last night, and sleeping a good nine hours, he’d resurfaced this morning with a slight hangover, his first in years.

  Still, he only had himself to blame. He’d drunk far too much during the flight home, though goodness knew he’d had to do something to block out the memory of what had happened in Milan.

  It had worked too.

  By the time the plane had landed at Mascot, Lana had been consigned to history and all he’d wanted was to get himself home.

  And what had happened?

  He’d arrived to find his ladylike housekeeper skinny-dipping in his pool, showing off the sort of body which he’d always found a serious turn-on.

  Not that he’d recognised her at first. He’d thought she was some wild young chicky-babe from the neighbourhood.

  The moment he’d realised it was Emily, however, he should have reined in his galloping hormones. Instead, his behaviour had bordered on sexual harassment.

  Fortunately, his very sensible housekeeper had put him right back in his place, saving him from the embarrassment of doing something he would very definitely have regretted this morning. As much as he had been momentarily struck by desire for Emily, he valued her far too much to risk losing her.

  Thankfully, she’d noted that he’d been drinking and hadn’t seemed too offended. Though she’d made him feel like a naughty schoolboy with her rather pointed remarks.

  He still felt chastened this morning. And somewhat perplexed. How could he not have noticed those incredible breasts before?

  As Sebastian threw back the bed-clothes and struggled out of bed, he wondered if she did that kind of thing often. Went skinny-dipping, that was. It seemed extremely out of character.

  Still, she had every right to do as she pleased when he was away. And every right to expect her employer to always act like a gentleman around her, no matter what the circumstances. Or the provocations.

  Although apologies did not come easily to Sebastian’s lips, he decided to say sorry again over breakfast this morning.

  In the meantime, he had to get himself dressed and down to the river. It was time for his morning exercise.

  Exercise always cleared his head. That, and the two painkillers he intended to take right now.

  Emily stood at her bedroom window, watching Sebastian as he strode down the path which led to the boathouse, his black wetsuit protecting him from the cooler air which had swept into Sydney shortly after midnight. Dawn was just breaking, the sky turning from purple to that soft blue-grey which often preceded the sun bursting over the horizon.

  Emily admired Sebastian’s dedication to his morning fitness regime, but she sometimes wondered if he bordered on being a bit obsessive. One would think that after yesterday’s long flight home—plus a possible hangover—he might have given it a miss this morning.

  But no! There he was, striding forth down to the water’s edge, as he did every morning right on six.

  Clearly, he’d slept well last night and wasn’t suffering any jet-lag, or other after-effects. His broad shoulders were back, his handsome head held high. He looked simply superb.

  ‘Oh, Sebastian,’ she murmured, before turning abruptly away from the window.

  How could just looking at the man give her pleasure? It was perverse in the extreme, as perverse as the pleasure she’d felt when he’d looked at her last night.

  Love did make fools of people—women, especially.

  Thinking such thoughts gave Emily the courage to go through with what she’d decided to do last night. And to face the inevitably unpleasant confrontation with Sebastian after she’d tendered her resignation.

  An hour later she was in the process of setting the breakfast table in the conservatory when she heard the back door open and close. The master of the house had returned as he always did right on seven. Fortunately, he always went straight back upstairs to shower and shave. In thirty minutes, however, he’d be back downstairs and she’d be facing the music.

  Her stomach tightened as she anticipated Sebastian’s reaction to her resignation letter. She’d weakly decided to put it on the breakfast table, rather than hand it to him personally.

  At seven-thirty Emily was standing next to the coffee percolator, rehearsing her speech over why she was leaving when the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood up. She knew, before she spun around on her sensible trainers, that Sebastian would be standing in the doorway.

  He was, looking his usual sophisticated self, in smart fawn trousers and a long-sleeved black and cream striped shirt.

  Emily tried to stop her stupid heart from pounding at the sight of him. But without much success.

  ‘Yes?’ she said a bit sharply, thinking irritably that no man had a right to have so many attractions.

  ‘I wanted to apologise again about last night,’ he said in his richly masculine voice. ‘I was way out of line.’

  ‘It’s okay, Sebastian,’ she returned somewhat stiffly. ‘No harm done.’

  His dark brows drew together into a frown. ‘Are you sure? You seem a bit…out of sorts…this morning.’

  ‘I’m just embarrassed.’

  ‘You have nothing to be embarrassed over.’

  ‘You weren’t supposed to come home till this morning,’ she said, half accusingly.

  ‘I caught an earlier flight than I intended.’

  ‘You shocked the life out of me.’

  ‘I was pretty shocked myself, to find a naked nymph in my pool. I didn’t recognise you without your clothes on.’

  Emily winced. ‘Please, Sebastian, couldn’t we just forget about last night?’

  ‘If that’s what you want…’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘Fine,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘I won’t be having a cooked breakfast this morning. Just toast. Bring the coffee in as soon as it’s ready, will you?’ he added. And was gone.

  Emily closed her eyes and waited for the summons which she knew would come very very shortly.

  ‘Emily, would you come in here, please?’ came the gruff call from the conservatory less than thirty seconds later.

  Leaving the coffee to perc by itself, Emily straightened her shoulders and headed in the direction of the conservatory, her hands curling into fists by her sides.

  Don’t let him talk you out of leaving, she lectured herself as she made her way through the dining room. Keep focused. And strong.

  The double doors which separated the dining room from the conservatory were wide open, as they always were every morning. Sebastian’s back was to her as she walked through, but the set of his head and shoulders were intimidating, to say the least. Emily knew, before she saw the formidable expression on his face, that he was not happy.

  But that was no surprise.

  ‘What’s the meaning of this?’ he snapped as soon as she moved into sight. Her resignation letter was in his right hand, opened and obviously read. ‘I thought you said you were okay with last night.’

  Emily scooped in a deeply gathering breath, exhaling slowly as she uncurled her fists and looped her hands together in front of her in an attitude of superbly feigned composure.

  ‘My resigning had nothing to do with last night, Sebastian,’ she told him calmly. ‘I had already typed out that letter before you came home. I’ve been offered another job and I’ve decided to take it.’

  ‘Another job?’ he repeated, managing to sound both start
led and affronted. ‘What other job? I sincerely hope none of my so-called friends have poached you from me,’ he added, his eyes the colour of a stormy sky.

  ‘I have not taken another housekeeping position,’ Emily was relieved to inform him. ‘I’m to be the assistant manager at a new conference centre at Darling Harbour. If you recall from my résumé, I have a degree in Hospitality Management. I also worked for several years at the Regency Hotel on their front desk, and in their PR department, so I am well qualified for such a position.’

  He looked at her hard for several seconds whilst he slowly slapped her letter against the palm of his left hand. Finally, he stopped the irritating action and placed her letter down on the table whilst his lips made tight little movements back and forth, outer evidence of an inner anger which he was battling to contain.

  ‘And how did this offer come about?’ he asked in clipped tones.

  ‘I put my name down at an employment agency. They sent me for an interview on Thursday, then rang me yesterday afternoon to offer me the job.’

  ‘On just the one interview? You must have impressed them.’

  ‘Apparently so.’

  ‘You’ve been planning to leave for a while, I take it? From what I know of the corporate world, you don’t even get an interview like that overnight.’

  ‘I’ve been looking for another position for a few weeks.’

  ‘Why, Emily? I thought you were happy here.’

  ‘I have been happy here.’

  His expression showed confusion. ‘Is it the money, then? You want more money?’

  ‘No. I don’t want more money.’

  ‘You want more time off?’

  ‘No. I have plenty of time off, Sebastian, with you being away on business every second week or so.’

  ‘Then what is it that you want, Emily? You must know I’ll do anything in my power to keep you.’

  Emily had known he’d take this tack. But she was ready for him.

  ‘You can’t give me what I want, Sebastian.’

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘I want to marry and have a family before I’m too old. I’ll be thirty-five next birthday, and…’