Taming the Last St Claire Read Free Page A

personal interest in me,’ she answered mockingly.
    Gideon drew in yet another deep, controlling breath—a futile exercise, he thought wryly. He couldn’t remember feeling as rattled as this in a long time. ‘I believe that’s very unlikely.’
    ‘You do?’
    Was it his imagination, or was Joey suddenly standing closer than she had been a few seconds ago? So close that Gideon could actually see the full swell of her breasts and the top of the lacy cup of her bra, and the pulse beating smoothly, enticingly, at the base of her throat.
    Dear Lord…
    His gaze turned to ice. ‘Surely you recognise just from this conversation that we can’t possibly work together?’
    She was suddenly all business again as she straightened. ‘My arrangement is with Lucan, Gideon—not you. And Imake a point of never letting people down once I’ve agreed to do something. A character trait I believe you share?’
    It appeared that Joey was as aware of parts of Gideon’s nature as he was of hers! ‘I’m sure that Pickard, Pickard and Wright are more in need of your professional skills than I am,’ he pointed out smoothly.
    ‘On the contrary, they were only too happy to accommodate Lucan’s request,’ she assured him.
    Of course they were, he thought derisively. No doubt Pickard, Pickard and Wright were perfectly aware of the prestige of allowing one of their associates to work at the St Claire Corporation for a month. Being asked for personally by a man of Lucan St Claire’s standing in the business world wouldn’t do Joey McKinley’s career any harm, either.
    ‘So, Gideon, Lucan’s happy with the arrangement, Pickard, Pickard and Wright are happy with the arrangement and I’m happy with the arrangement—it appears
you’re
the only one who isn’t.’ She looked him straight in the eye—an obvious challenge.
    Gideon coldly returned that gaze. ‘I don’t recall saying I was unhappy with it.’
    ‘No?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Then that little problem appears to have been settled to everyone’s satisfaction, doesn’t it,’ she dismissed lightly.
    Like hell it was! As far as Gideon was concerned, having Joey in the St Claire building for the next four weeks was totally unacceptable.
    She cut into his dire thoughts with another equally unwelcome sally. ‘Perhaps now you would care to explain exactly what you meant when you commented that “Jason Pickard, in particular” would have been sorry to see me go?’
    Gideon realised she wasn’t being deliberately provocativeany more. Her emotions were now much more subtle. On the surface she sounded pleasantly interested, but he recognised the anger burning beneath that supposedly calm surface; it was there in the sparkling green of her eyes and the flush to those creamy cheeks. Although why she should feel that way Gideon had no idea; everyone in the close-knit law community knew that she had been involved with the junior Pickard for the past six months.
    He shrugged broad shoulders. ‘It’s public knowledge that the two of you are friends.’
    ‘That’s exactly what we are—
friends
,’ she stated evenly. ‘Nothing more, nothing less.’
    ‘I apologise if I’ve stepped on your personal toes.’
    ‘I’ve just told you that you haven’t,’ she said.
    Gideon’s mouth thinned. ‘I’m not prepared to get into an argument with you over a perfectly innocent remark which I have already apologised for.’
    ‘Does anyone ever dare to argue with you, Gideon?’ Joey McKinley eyed him with obvious frustration.
    ‘Obviously,’ he drawled, looking at her pointedly.
    ‘This isn’t an argument, Gideon, it’s a dialogue,’ she snapped.
    He shook his head. ‘I really don’t have time for this, so if you wouldn’t mind—’
    ‘But I
do
mind, Gideon.’ She was suddenly standing much too close to him again as she interrupted him ruthlessly. So close that he could feel the warmth of her breath against his jaw as the three-inch stiletto heels on her shoes brought the top of her