The Reluctant Duke. Carole Mortimer

      Lucan gave an impatient shake of his head as he moved back behind his desk and sat down. ‘Her name was Jessica.’ Apparently! ‘And that wasn’t her,’ he added stonily.

      ‘No?’ Gideon murmured with a frown as he strolled farther into the room. At thirty-four, two years Lucan’s junior, Gideon was tall and blond, with piercing dark eyes set in a strikingly handsome face. ‘I didn’t realise you were going to replace her.’

      ‘I wasn’t,’ Lucan bit out tightly, as he recalled the reasons Lexie had given him for Jessica Brown having walked out on him in that totally unprofessional way.

      He somehow doubted that Lexie would ever allow her own presence to be overlooked in the same way—even for the three days she had said she intended working for him.

      ‘No?’ Gideon raised surprised brows. ‘Then who was that?’

      ‘A temp,’ Lucan dismissed impatiently. A temporary temp!

      ‘Oh.’ Gideon nodded. ‘She looks vaguely familiar…’

      Lucan’s interest sharpened. ‘In what way?’

      ‘I have no idea.’ His brother gave a self-derisive grimace. ‘It’s a sad state of affairs, Lucan, when all the beautiful women you meet start to look alike!’

      As far as Lucan was concerned Lexie didn’t look or behave like any other woman he had ever met! Something he found intriguing in spite of himself.

      ‘What can I do for you, Gideon?’ He deliberately changed the subject, having no intention of discussing Lexie any further with his brother. Or of allowing Gideon to realise his instant and totally unprecedented physical response to her unusual gypsy-wild beauty.

      Lucan always dated models and actresses—although ‘dated’ was perhaps a slight exaggeration! What he usually did was take models and actresses out to dinner, or, in the case of the latter, escort them to film premieres, and then invariably to his bed. Beautiful women, perfectly groomed and sophisticated women—women who didn’t expect any serious involvement with him and were just happy to be seen with the rich and powerful Lucan St Claire.

      He had certainly never been in the least interested in becoming involved with one of his employees—as proved by the fact that he hadn’t even got the name of his last PA right—and it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to make Lexie Hamilton the exception to that rule, either!

      Gideon raised surprised blond brows. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that you asked me to come in at nine o’clock this morning, so that we could go over the contracts together before Andrew Proctor arrives at ten?’

      As the legal representative for all the St Claire Corporation’s dealings, Gideon kept an office just down the hallway from this one, as well as having his own private offices in the city.

      Lucan had forgotten Gideon was coming in this morning—a phenomenon completely unheard of until today; business had always come first, second and last with Lucan.

      Gideon gave a speculative smile. ‘Miss Whatever-her-name-is should sit in on the meeting—Proctor will be so distracted by the way she looks he won’t have any idea what he’s signing!’

      ‘Her name is Lexie Hamilton,’ Lucan supplied harshly. ‘And I would prefer Andrew Proctor to know exactly what he’s signing. I also don’t think it appropriate for you to make such personal remarks about an employee, Gideon,’ he added darkly.

      ‘I didn’t arrive soon enough to actually see her face, but any man with red blood still flowing in his veins couldn’t help but notice that pert little bottom! ‘ his brother assured him dryly.

      A frown creased Lucan’s brow as he realised he wasn’t altogether sure he felt comfortable discussing his outspoken but definitely sexy temporary temp in these terms—even with Gideon. ‘Perhaps she might prove too much of a distraction?’

      His brother raised mocking brows. ‘Too much of a distraction.?’

      Once again Lucan stood up restlessly. ‘Not to me personally, of course,’ he bit out tersely.

      ‘No?’

      Lucan felt his irritation deepen. ‘No!’

      ‘Then there’s no problem with her sitting in on the meeting later this morning, is there? ‘ Gideon dismissed practically.

      No problem at all—except that Lucan already knew Lexie was likely to prove as much of a distraction to him as she was to anyone else!

      ‘I had a call from John Barton this morning, concerning some damage to Mulberry Hall that needs looking at.’ Lucan firmly changed the subject. ‘I don’t suppose you feel like going back to Gloucestershire for a few days…?’

      ‘I don’t suppose I do,’ his brother came back firmly.

      Exactly what Lucan had thought Gideon might say… Lexie was fully aware of Lucan St Claire’s presence as he came through from the adjoining office fifteen minutes later, to stand looking down at her broodingly from the other side of her desk. She was so aware of him that she deliberately ignored him as she kept typing into her laptop, until she had finished writing an email to Brenda, in the office at Premier Personnel, after the other woman had emailed Lexie to tell her she had successfully managed to reassure Lucan St Claire that Lexie Hamilton was indeed a temp sent from their agency.

      Lexie had panicked slightly when Lucan St Claire had told her he intended telephoning Premier Personnel himself. She’d hurried back into the adjoining office to quickly put a call through to Brenda, her assistant in her parents’ absence, to explain, and also arrange to meet Brenda for coffee after work this evening, so that she could explain the situation more fully.

      Although Lexie wasn’t one hundred per cent certain she could completely explain this situation to herself, let alone a third party.

      It had been pure impulse—along with a lot of curiosity!—that had prompted her into coming here in the first place. An impulse and a curiosity she already regretted.

      She hadn’t expected to like the powerful Lucan St Claire, and she didn’t. She had already decided after their brief conversation earlier that his reputation for being cold and arrogant was well justified. But there was no denying that he was strikingly handsome, too.

      His colouring—that dark hair and those piercing jetblack eyes, his sculptured features—reminded Lexie so much of his father, Alexander.

      She looked up at him blandly. ‘Is there a problem with the intercom, Mr St Claire…?’

      Lucan’s mouth thinned at her obvious sarcasm. ‘I accept that we got off to something of a bad start earlier, Miss Hamilton, but let’s get one thing clear, shall we?’ He looked down at her coldly. ‘Namely, for the moment, I am the employer and you are the employee!’

      Dark brows rose over those deep, and perhaps deliberately innocent, blue eyes. ‘I am?’

      ‘For the moment, yes,’ he repeated harshly—warningly.

      Lexie shrugged. ‘Can I take it from that remark that Premier Personnel have confirmed that my replacement will arrive in three days’ time?’

      ‘You can,’ Lucan confirmed tightly. ‘It would appear that we are stuck with each other until then.’

      She smiled slightly. ‘My sentiments exactly.’

      Lucan scowled darkly. ‘Tell me, Lexie, is this tendency you have to be less than respectful to your employers also the reason that you find it easier to work for an agency rather than attempting to find a permanent position?’

      Two bright spots of angry colour had appeared in the delicate cream of her cheeks. ‘I don’t believe my reasons to be any of your concern, Mr St Claire!’

      He shrugged broad and muscled shoulders beneath his tailored jacket. ‘I was curious. Nothing more,’ he dismissed coolly.