A Christmas Seduction. AMANDA BROWNING

her unsettled state, that was one insult too many for Laura. She counted to ten before losing her temper. ‘You really shouldn’t make those sort of value judgements, Stella. You don’t have the brain power for it!’ she returned caustically, drawing a collective breath from most of the adults in the room.

      ‘Of all the nerve!’ Philip exclaimed, shooting to his feet in defence of his sister.

      ‘Mother, we cannot put up with this!’ Stella cried at the same time as Laura felt a strong hand close about her upper arm.

      ‘I think you’ve said just about enough,’ Quinn warned sibilantly.

      ‘On the contrary, I’m just getting started,’ she countered, trying to shake him off but failing miserably.

      ‘Back off, before I get nasty,’ he cautioned just loud enough for her to hear.

      ‘Nasty? You’re already breaking my arm,’ she complained, turning her head and finding herself looking straight into his eyes. Her lips tightened at the mockery she found there. Her efforts amused him.

      ‘Be thankful I’m not breaking your neck!’ he retorted mildly, but his hold did ease a fraction, though not enough for her to escape.

      ‘You are an obnoxious man!’ she declared witheringly. All it did was make him grin.

      ‘But too much of a gentleman to reply in kind.’

      Laura knew that to struggle would be playing into his hands. Taking a deep breath, she sought the calm which always managed to get her through particularly taxing moments with difficult clients.

      ‘Something tells me this might be a good moment to ask to be shown my room,’ she observed wryly, and Quinn eyed her thoughtfully, clearly wondering what she was up to with this change of tack.

      ‘That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said all evening,’ he agreed sardonically, and she longed to wipe the smile from his face.

      ‘I happen to be an extremely intelligent woman,’ she informed him loftily, and received a grunt of amusement for her pains.

      ‘There’s a hell of a difference between intelligence and cleverness. I’ll admit you’re clever, Laura Maclane, but that kind of cleverness relies on the stupidity of others.’

      ‘You, of course, would never be that stupid?’ she contested scathingly, and Quinn laughed.

      ‘Not where you are concerned, anyway.’

      It was the equivalent of waving a red rag at a bull. Laura couldn’t resist retaliating. Licking her lips provocatively, she raised one perfectly arched eyebrow questioningly. ‘You’re that sure?’ she taunted recklessly.

      Quinn’s eyes narrowed speculatively. ‘Playing games can be dangerous, as I’ve told you before. Don’t start something you’ll regret.’

      Laura laughed, though the warning sent a shiver of excitement down her spine. ‘What makes you think I’m starting something? Poor Quinn, I do believe all those thrillers you write are beginning to make you paranoid. After all, who is holding whom?’ she pointed out mockingly, glancing down to where his hand sat on her arm.

      His hand didn’t release her. Instead, it slipped down to her wrist and his thumb began a steady backwards and forwards movement over her pulse. ‘I thought the point of the game was wanting me to touch you,’ he drawled huskily, and Laura knew he could feel the way her heart was galloping.

      Still, she was not ready to retreat. ‘What game are you referring to?’

      ‘The one where you come on to me so strongly, I forget all my principles and am overwhelmed by lust,’ he enlarged for her benefit, bringing hot colour to her cheeks, though she tried to prevent it.

      ‘Why on earth would I want you to do that?’ she demanded witheringly, and drew a soft laugh from him.

      ‘Because you’re bored? Because it’s been how many months, and you need a man? Because you want me?’ he added in a sexy undertone that rippled along her nerves, doing untold damage.

      She went as still as a statue. ‘What?’

      ‘Don’t tell me you didn’t know?’ Quinn goaded in amusement. ‘Like me or loathe me, you want me.’

      Shock tore through her at his stunning declaration. ‘That is the most-’ She hastened to deny it, but he didn’t let her finish.

      ‘I want you, too,’ he confessed, taking her breath away. ‘But before you get too excited it’s only fair to warn you I have no intention of doing anything about it. Call me over-fastidious, but there are just some things I will not do. Top of the list is getting involved with someone who’s gone round the block as often as you have.’

      It was the very last thing she had expected him to say, and for a second she was too surprised to be insulted. Then it hit her, and anger surged up insider her. How dared he?

      ‘My God, you’ve got a nerve!’ she gasped furiously, but he merely laughed.

      ‘Just how many men have you had?’

      ‘Go to hell.’

      ‘With you? I’ll pass, thanks.’

      Positively volcanic, Laura wanted to say so many things but not a word found its way from her mouth. Then, before she could take any other form of action, they were interrupted.

      ‘Is everything all right over there?’ Jonathan called out.

      ‘We’re fine,’ Quinn put in before Laura could respond. ‘Laura was saying she wanted to be shown her room. I was just about to take her upstairs.’

      That’s kind of you, Quinn.’ Maxine thanked him. ‘The room next to yours is unoccupied. It’s rather small, I’m afraid,’ she apologised to Laura, ‘but as we had no idea you were coming all the other rooms have been taken.’

      ‘Perhaps Laura expects to share Jonathan’s room?’ Philip put in snidely, and Laura, catching the look Jonathan sent Caroline and the dismayed expression on the other woman’s face, would have gladly throttled him, half-brother or not.

      ‘Thank you for the thought, Philip, but Jonathan is my friend and nothing more,’ she said lightly, knowing that the best way to handle the remark was not to take it seriously. She let her gaze drift to Quinn’s sister, and hoped she got the message. ‘I will be perfectly satisfied with the room Maxine suggested, if Quinn will show me the way.?’ She turned to find him regarding her curiously, but he was quick to respond to her suggestion.

      ‘This way.’

      Laura followed him back into the foyer and waited impatiently whilst he collected her case from where Jonathan had left it. They mounted the stairs side by side.

      ‘That was a kind thing you did,’ he remarked, and she didn’t pretend not to know what he was referring to.

      ‘Didn’t you think I could be kind?’ she said curtly.

      ‘It never occurred to me.’

      Now, why didn’t that surprise her? ‘But it did cross your mind to wonder if, since I came with Jonathan, I might be sleeping with him?’ she countered dryly.

      ‘It’s been a long time between men, and you’re not exactly the type of woman to respect other people’s feelings. You take what you want. You could have taken Jonathan to your bed. My sister means nothing to you,’ Quinn replied, and Laura smiled thinly. His opinion of her kept sinking lower and lower. Would it ever reach rock-bottom or was the well of his dislike bottomless?

      ‘Believe it or not, I like your sister,’ she said honestly.