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‘Maybe a little,’ she said, her eyes widening over the next load of stea dishes ‘I don’t normally eat a lot Well, that’s not strictly true—I normally stuff my face But not recently Not since I’ve not been able to dance’

‘Don’t they pay you?’ he asked ‘Don’t they see you as an investment?’ It was none of his business but the injustice of it puzzled him

‘Of course they look after me—but if I can’t dance I can’t dance’

She turned her head to the side and twirled her ponytail through her fingers

‘Anyway, all you need to know is that I’ve been on a bit of a tight budget recently Normally I’d pay my share if I was on a date, but I’m a bit broke until my cheque clears’

‘Is this a date, Ruby?’

The forkful of pasta she had stabbed and was drawing up to her open mouth was placed down carefully She looked up and the flickering candlelight licked the hollows of her huge almond eyes He didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful woman

‘I I don’t think so’

‘We’ve already established that there’s soree?’

‘Is this how you norht you’d be a bit more subtle’

She picked up her cutlery again and continued eating, her eyebrows raised like two black birds,him He couldn’t help but s to let her off that easily

‘I didn’t think orking on the preht you were quite clear that you found me sexually attractive’

She put her hand to her chest The solid line of her dress cut right across the shadows of her small breasts and his eyes fell there She was exquisite And he allowed hi what those small breasts looked like, what those rosy nipples would taste like rolling under his tongue