It was a word that could have been associated with all three of the St Claire brothers since they’d reached adulthood and entered their chosen professions: Gideon in law, Jordan in acting, Lucan in the world of business.
All of that had changed in the past two months, and as a man who preferred order and continuity Gideon was still trying to come to terms with it. Something he wasn’t likely to do with the annoying Joey McKinley haunting his every working moment!
‘Very well, then. Joey it is.’ He gave an almost imperceptible sigh. ‘I’m sure that Pickard, Pickard and Wright—Jason Pickard, in particular—was sorry to see you go.’
‘See me go where, exactly?’
Gideon eyed her impatiently. Really, nothing he had heard about this woman had ever given him reason to question her intelligence. ‘Here, of course.’
Joey looked taken aback. ‘I’m sorry, but you’ll have to explain what you mean. Especially the “Jason Pickard, in particular” remark,’ she added coolly.
Gideon wasn’t enjoying having this personal conversation in the middle of a private car park, of all places, where any of the other company employees might arrive at any moment. Admittedly it was only a little after eight o’clock in the morning, and most St Claire Corporation employees didn’t arrive until nearly nine o’clock, but it would be most unprofessional for anyone to arrive early and see the acting chairman at loggerheads with an unknown woman in the car park.
Gideon closed the distance between them in three long strides, to stand only feet away from Joey, and instantly became uncomfortably aware of the light but heady perfume she wore. The choice of perfume was a surprise; Gideon would have thought, with her forceful personality, that she would wear one of those I’m-here-notice-me perfumes. The type of perfume that tended to give Gideon a headache the moment he inhaled. Instead, it was a delicate, subtly sensuous scent that made him react in an immediate way he intended to ignore.
His mouth thinned. ‘I was merely trying to express my sympathy at how unreasonable it was of Lucan to ask you to give up your place at Pickard, Pickard and Wright in order to work here for only four weeks.’
Joey found herself momentarily distracted as she watched Gideon move, with the lean and predatory grace of a jungle cat.
Once again she considered it a perfect waste of a gorgeous man that he was as tightly buttoned down as the points on the collar of his pristine white shirt. A little effort on Gideon’s part—and fewer disapproving looks!—and the man wouldn’t only be arrogantly handsome but also totally devastating to any female with a pulse and a heartbeat.
If he would just grow his hair a little longer he would look younger, and also rakishly sexy. Ditto as regards those conservative tailored suits he always wore. Put him in a pair of faded jeans and a figure-hugging black T-shirt, to show off his muscled chest and arms, and any woman with red blood in her veins was likely to have an orgasm just looking at him!
Joey smiled wickedly to herself, imagining the look of horror that would no doubt come over his arrogantly handsome face if he were even to guess at the inappropriateness of the thoughts she was having about him.
‘Do you find something amusing?’
It was amusing to imagine a more relaxed and sexy Gideon St Claire, as he attempted to fend off the attentions of all those panting women! But it was not so funny that Joey was actually aware of how much more dangerously attractive this man could be if he would just lighten up a little…
She gave herself a mental shake as she looked up into that darkly disapproving face; this man really wasn’t her type. She preferred men with the daring and energy to try anything new; Gideon gave the impression that the last new thing he had tried was wearing black socks instead of grey!
She drew in a deep breath. ‘Oh, but I haven’t given up my place at Pickard, Pickard and Wright; the senior partners were only too happy to give me a month’s leave of absence so I can help Lucan out.’
Something, Gideon realised with rising impatience, that must have taken some time to arrange. ‘Exactly when did Lucan make all these arrangements?’
‘Three weeks ago—’ Joey broke off to look up at him with narrowed, assessing eyes. ‘When did Lucan break the bad news to you?’
Gideon stiffened. ‘I don’t remember saying I regard it as bad news.’
‘You implied it,’ she dismissed shortly. ‘So—when? ‘
His jaw tightened. ‘I really don’t see—’
‘He only told you at the wedding on Saturday, didn’t he?’ she realised slowly.
Gideon had absolutely no idea why it was he always felt less in control of the situation around this particular woman. During his years in a courtroom he knew he’d acquired a reputation for being formidable. Now, as a corporate lawyer for Lucan’s vast companies worldwide, he knew he was regarded as being no less ruthless than his older brother. And yet just having a conversation with the unpredictable Joey McKinley was enough to set his teeth on edge. To set the whole of him on edge, in fact…
‘He did, didn’t he?’ Joey said with satisfaction, those green eyes now openly laughing at him. ‘It probably totally ruined the rest of your weekend, too!’
Gideon’s fingers tightened about the handle of his black briefcase. ‘My weekend was perfectly enjoyable, thank you,’ he lied stiffly. ‘In fact I had lunch with Stephanie and Jordan yesterday, as they are flying back to LA early today.’
‘And I had breakfast with them this morning, before driving them to the airport, and neither of them mentioned you’d asked for my telephone number. Which I’d have thought you would have done if you had wanted to have this conversation with me earlier.’ Joey McKinley gave a taunting shake of her head.
It had crossed Gideon’s mind, in fact, to ask Stephanie for her sister’s private telephone number, but on consideration he had decided not to involve either of their families in what was, after all, a private clash of personalities.
‘Or maybe you just didn’t want either of them to jump to the wrong conclusions?’
He scowled his displeasure. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘By you asking for my home telephone number. I’m sure you wouldn’t have wanted to give Steph and Jordan the impression that you have 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 I make 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