Ruby was downright offended at that. “What’s wrong with Hugh Grant? His rom-coms areiconic.Bridget Jones’s Diaryis my favorite modern Austen interpretation! And what aboutNotting Hill! Nineties Hugh Grant was so hot!”
“Okay, so I’m gathering that all one needs to be attractiveto Ruby Dhanji is to be white and British?”
She shook her head. “Wrong. I happen to have huge crushes on Chiwetel Ejiofor and Himesh Patel, too. Have you seenYesterday?”
“I think you’re going all the way across the pond to find someone just like me,” Rashid said, using a London upper-crust accent.
Ruby laughed and reached over to grab the cushion he had taken from her earlier and hit him again. He chuckled, snatching the cushion back. They tussled for the cushion for a minute, laughing, then he grabbed her by both arms, stopping her from being able to hit him again. Within moments, though, his laugh was replaced by a slow smile.
They were so close. He was leaning over her with his hands on her arms, and all his power was on her. Their legs were pressed together. But it was his hands that had all her focus. So strong and so soft. The smile on his face faded and turned to something altogether different. She’d been tamping down this attraction that she’d been feeling for him, mostly because she thought it was one sided—she doubted he was feeling the same thing. But she was wrong. Hewasfeeling this. It was clear as glass. He wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted to kiss him.
The tension was so thick between them that Ruby didn’t have a chance in hell of ignoring it. She’d never felt a charge like this. Electricity this strong. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” came on, and all Ruby could think was that it wasn’t someonelikeRashid that she wanted; it washim.
Smiling, she lifted her chin to close the distance between their faces and kissed his lips briefly. He was frozen for about a second, and Ruby assumed she’d made a grave mistake. Shewas about to laugh it off and apologize for her impulsivity when Rashid made a little growling sound and wrapped his arms around her, slamming his lips against hers.
And holy hell, it was good. He nibbled at her bottom lip a moment before pulling her even closer. Soon they were kissing without inhibition, exploring each other’s mouths with lips, tongues, and teeth. She had one leg draped over his, and his arms were caging her in. Ruby didn’t remember the last time—if ever—she’d been kissed like this. There was no awkwardness. No hesitation. He was assertive. He knew what he wanted:her.
She half expected him to throw her over his shoulder like he’d done with her Christmas tree a few weeks ago and toss her on her bed. And she wouldn’t stop him. Hell, she was seconds away fromaskinghim to take her to bed right now.
But that was only three weeks ago that he carried her tree home. And it was just under four weeks until Ruby was leaving town. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Ruby wasn’t supposed to find someone who made her feel respected, valued, andwantedright before she left the city. The last thing Ruby needed now was to complicate her life. They were both in Toronto temporarily—two trains passing on their way to their final destination.
It took everything in Ruby to pull away from him, but she had to. She untangled her body from Rashid’s and sat back on her knees on the sofa, facing him, catching her breath.
Rashid looked as shell-shocked as she felt. Neither of them said anything. She knew she’d have to speak eventually, because lord knew he wasn’t going to. The Mariah Carey song was replaced by a sadder instrumental melody. Ruby exhaled slowly. “Sorry,” she said.
He nodded, then looked a little confused. “Are youapologizing for kissing me, or for stopping?”
“Um, the first one. Actually both. But I wouldn’t have had to stop if I hadn’t kissed you in the first place, so the second is a bit of a moot point, right? I mean—”
“Ruby,” he said in the tone he used when he wanted her to stop rambling. She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Don’t apologize,” he said. “I mean, I didn’t exactly push you away when you kissed me.”
No, no he didn’t. “I know. It’s just… I like you a lot, like so much more than I thought I would when we met, which is a bit of a…wow. But I’m leaving soon, and I don’t think… I mean, it’s not a great time to start something with someone.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m only here temporarily, too.”
“Exactly. Plus, if things get weird between us, we won’t be able to take the girls out, and we still have two more Christmas outings.”
He nodded. “You’re right. We should just be friends.”
Ruby wasn’t sure how she felt about him agreeing so easily that getting physical was a bad idea. Maybe she was wrong, and he wasn’t really that into her. Maybe it was just that she was there, and not that she washer.
But she couldn’t be upset if it was what she wanted. “Okay. Friends.”
He smiled. “Deal.” He didn’t put out his hand for her to shake like he did the first time they’d made a deal. Which was probably for the best. She wasn’t sure it was a good idea to touch that skin again.
RUBY DIDN’T SEE RASHIDfor a few days after that scorching kiss, but she did text him several times. She wanted to make sure there was no awkwardness between them. So, she texted him things she thought might amuse him, like a plaid tree skirt that looked like one of his flannels, a new men’s cologne they got in the store, and the menus for a few restaurants near the ballet where they could go on Wednesday. He was chatty over texts, too—chatty for Rashid, at least. He sent light and pleasant responses, like oh that’s hilarious or looks tasty! Ruby wondered if he was also overcompensating to make sure she knew they were fine after she kissed him on Thursday. Or, rather, fine after she’dstoppedkissing him.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about him and that kiss. It had been mind-blowing. When she closed her eyes, she could almost feel his body pressed against hers again. Feel his soft lips. Feel his smooth face rubbing against hers. Smell that spicy cologne… andhim. She couldn’t believe she’d put a stop to whatever they were starting. Not jumping into bed with RashidHakim on Thursday night had to have been the most responsible, least impulsive thing Ruby had done in a long time.
It was better they stayed friends.Safer.
On Sunday, Ruby worked until five, and even though it had been snowing steadily all day, the store was very busy. After being on her feet for almost nine hours two days in a row, she wanted nothing but sweatpants, a cup of hot oolong, and her fuzzy blanket at home. But when Ruby walked out of the store, a voice behind her startled her.
“Rubina. I was waiting for you.”
She exhaled. Steeling her shoulders, Ruby turned to face her father.
She hadn’t seen or heard from him since that awkward cake at his house after her birthday.
