SEVILLE, SPAIN

TWO WEEKS AGO

Ruby St. Clair's POV

Two more hours before my shift ends. My feet were sore from standing for the past hours and I was tired and hungry. I arrived in Spain a few days ago from Morocco and luckily found a job in this little Spanish restaurant as a waitress. The pay was good and it was near the place I leased for my apartment. It seemed that I would be celebrating my Christmas here in Spain.

I saw a newcomer seated at the table near the glass window of the restaurant. Since my fellow waitresses were busy serving the other customers. Even though, I'm freaking tired I forced myself to walk to their table and get their order. I silently gave the menu and the woman smiled and thanked me in English unknowingly.

While looking at the menu the man was flirting with the woman. I nearly rolled my eyes. Another sweet-talking womanizer how many did I encounter today with the same hateful personality like him? Too many to remember.

Someone called for my service at the other table nearby. What do they want now? I asked myself a little irritated. They were so demanding for their lunch. "Excuse me," I said to this striking couple.  "I will come back later to take your orders. Those people over there couldn't be satisfied with their orders."

So I went to the demanding customers and got their request for another pitcher of iced tea. I went back to the striking couple patiently waiting for me to take their orders.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I said, fishing out my notebook on my waist apron. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes," The guy answered, I guessed that this man was a rich one while the woman seemed like a princess or something. Well, I don't care. All I wanted was to finish my shift so I could go home and get some rest. I'm tired as hell. "Anything else?" I list down their order in my small notebook before walking away from them.

"That would be all," The guy announced firmly in English.

What with his snappy tone? I asked myself silently, gazing down at him. I don't like this guy. "Okay."

After I gave their order in the kitchen, the cooks immediately prepared their ordered food. I glanced at my wristwatch. One hour and thirty minutes more before my shift ends. How I wish the time would fly so fast so I could go home already.

After a moment, I placed the orders of the striking couple near the window at their table. My eyes narrowed at them. I got a feeling that they were gossiping about me. "Have a nice lunch."

I placed their food on the table. I couldn't miss the way the woman with remarkable light green eyes. Those eyes that were a shade lighter than mine lit at the sight of her food. I smiled slightly at how she devoured her food. So she wasn't one of those women who only ate a small amount of food to maintain her figure. A woman after my own heart, I thought silently.

A throaty growl from the premium engine of a pricey sports car drew my attention to the street as everyone else in the restaurant. The most gorgeous man you could ever see slid out of the car with the dark-haired woman in his arms. Another womanizer to add to my list of most hated people on earth had just graced our presence.

It seems that every female inside the bistro sighed with envy when they noticed the beautiful woman walking beside him. Placing a ready-made smile on my face, I walked to where they chose to be seated and offered them the menu. I could do this I could survive this day without exploding. I have so much faith in myself.

They both accepted the menu and murmured their thanks absently. The woman was openly scowling while looking around the place. She said in rapid Spanish to her date. "Where in the world do you find this place, Roman? I can't even see a familiar face here."

Ah, the woman wanted to be seen in the arms of her date in the trendiest place in Seville. Too bad her gorgeous date that I think he's gorgeous, just observation-had another thought. Not my problem anymore if this woman didn't like the place, I told myself silently.

"You said it will be fine anywhere I take you to lunch?" Roman replied, looking absorbedly at the menu never once spared a look at his date. "I see you didn't like the place."

The cold-hearted bastard enjoyed seeing his date in annoyance from the look on his face. How I want to strangle him with my bare hands for his rudeness. But that's not my place anymore butt in their disagreement.

"Will you leave us for a moment?" The dark-haired woman snarled at me in Spanish. I silently threw her an acid glare. Does this woman want to die now? Who does she think she is to talk to me that way? But I reminded myself that she's a customer and I'm just a waitress here I don't want to be sacked because of her.

"Excuse me," I murmured in English, moving away from their table. I would prevail today. I need money while I'm staying here in Spain. I needed to get away from them before I did something to the woman I would surely regret later.

The man raised his cool grey eyes from the menu for a silent apology in my direction. When something hot and predatory flashed in his eyes that knocked every breath on my body, his sexy mouth smiled darkly. "Hello, mi amor. Are you surprised to see me?"

What the hell is he talking about? I asked myself silently. Did he mean me?

The woman shot a venomous glare in my direction and sent her date a questioning look when she asked in slightly accented English. "Do you know this woman, Roman?"

He nodded, closing the menu. He smiled in my direction almost adoringly. How I wish to wipe off that stupid smile on his face right now with my fists. "Sí. She's my girlfriend."

Me? His girlfriend? The man was mad.

I have no idea what the hell is going on here but I'm determined to fix it now. I don't want any part of his game. "Excuse me, but-"

He stood from his chair. He wrapped his strong arm around my waist and drew me closer to him. We're starting to gain attention from the other diners inside the restaurant. "It's alright, querida." He cut me off. His eyes glinted with a silent warning. "I won't date anyone anymore. And I won't agree with my mother's matchmaking again. You don't need to work here to make me crazy worrying for you. I want to spoil you."

"You're telling me that this bedraggled woman is your girlfriend?" The woman shrieked, standing in her chair too. They were attracting viewers now. "You telling me you want her over me?"

"Delfina," The annoying man had warned softly, his arm still fixed on my waist. "Do not make a scene here."

If there was someone who was creating a scene inside the restaurant was him, I conceded silently. I decided to step in before I did something we both regret later. My patience was already running thin. "Can we stop from one blasted moment here?" Trying to remove his damn hand from my waist.

An unexpected thing happened. Roman's mouth claimed mine in a hot erotic kiss that sent my knees to buckle. This man could kiss.

As I struggled to remove my mouth from his, he brought his other hand to the back of my head to keep me in a place where he could get better access inside my mouth. I squirmed when his tongue sneaked inside my mouth.

Hell, he didn't care that we were on the full view of the restaurant. I could feel that every eye on the place was on us. Gosh, I could feel my cheeks heated at the thought.

"That's it!" The long-forgotten woman snarled. "We're done, you cold-hearted bastard."

He seemed not in a hurry to remove his mouth from mine. When he drew back to look at his sneering date, his eyes held unholy gleamed on their depth. "Goodbye, Delfina."

The woman walked out of the restaurant with every inch of dignity left on her. I gave her credit for that. I thought I would be in tangled with a catfight with her after her date forced her to kiss me in front of her.

"Thank--" Before he could say anything. I slapped his handsome face. Several females gasped probably thinking I'd lost my head to be kissed by a man like him surely a dream for them.

Well, not for me.

"She's right about you," I told him furiously, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Trying to remove his kiss traces from my lips as if that could happen. "You are a cold-hearted bastard."

He smiled evilly, massaging his bruised cheek. "I deserved that, I think." He fished out something in his coat pocket and handed it to her. "Here's my calling card."

If my look could burn anything right this moment. That blasted calling card in his hands should be turned into ashes by now. "No, thank you."

The arrogant man pushed it to my hand nevertheless. "Call me if you have a problem. You help me a lot today."

The only thing I wanted was never to see his spiteful face again. "I think you should probably leave. You've created enough scenes for today, sir. We don't cater entertainment here."

The man glanced at his surroundings and spoke in rapid Spanish to the tourists and locals who were having decent meals in the restaurant with such volatility before leaving the bistro with his Ferrari.

What the hell just happened here? I asked myself silently. Watching the Ferrari make its way in the streets. It was like a scene from a bad movie.