The Reluctant Duke. Carole Mortimer

      Lucan had insisted on Lexie Hamilton coming with him because he had hoped her sharp-tongued presence would be enough of a diversion for him to repress these grim and disturbing thoughts—at least until he actually reached Gloucestershire and could no longer avoid them!

      A scowling glance in her direction showed Lucan that she was, in fact, gazing out of the side window of the car as they drove out of London, obviously enjoying the winter wonderland England had become following yet another heavy snowfall two days earlier. The roads had been cleared, at least, but the countryside was still covered in a thick layer of cold and haunting beauty.

      Those blue sooty-lashed eyes were bright with pleasure when Lexie turned to return his gaze. ‘Everywhere looks so beautiful when it’s covered in snow, doesn’t it?’

      Lucan’s mouth twisted derisively. ‘Much like papering over the cracks in life and hoping no one will notice!’

      Lexie frowned slightly as she became aware of Lucan’s obvious tension. ‘It doesn’t have to be like that.’

      He gave a weary sigh. ‘Please tell me you aren’t one of those people whose glass is always half-full rather than half-empty?’

      Lexie felt her cheeks warm at Lucan’s obvious derision. ‘It’s preferable to being a cynic!’

      ‘I prefer to think of myself as a realist,’ he rasped.

      ‘Which is just a polite way of saying you’re a cynic,’ she dismissed.

      He gave her a derisive glance. ‘I don’t believe that politeness is exactly your forte, Lexie!’

      ‘Or yours!’ she came back tartly.

      ‘True,’ Lucan murmured softly.

      Lexie gave him a sharp glance. ‘Don’t tell me we actually agree on something?’

      ‘Unusual, but the answer to that would appear to be yes,’ he drawled ruefully.

      ‘Wow!’

      ‘Wow, indeed,’ Lucan echoed dryly. ‘This is going to be a long drive, Lexie, so why don’t you pass some of the time away by telling me a little about yourself?’ he encouraged.

      Lexie stiffened warily. Lucan wanted her to tell him about herself? Such as what? Who her parents were? Her grandmother?

      Every part of Lexie’s life was a minefield of facts that, if revealed, would probably result in Lucan stopping the car right now and simply throwing her out into this stark and snow-covered landscape!

      Which wasn’t an altogether bad idea, considering the circumstances.

      She moistened dry lips. ‘Why don’t you tell me about yourself instead?’

      His mouth tightened. ‘Perhaps we should just put on some music?’

      Lexie slowly breathed her relief that Lucan wasn’t going to insist on pursuing the subject of herself. It was also interesting to realise that Lucan was as reluctant to talk about himself as she was.

      She couldn’t help wondering why that was. Surely the life of Lucan St Claire, billionaire entrepreneur, was pretty much an open book? The business life of billionaire entrepreneur Lucan St Claire, maybe, but obviously there were things about his private life that Lucan preferred not to talk about.

      His reticence instantly made Lexie wonder exactly what those things could be.

      Perhaps a woman…?

      She looked at him from beneath ebony lashes. The darkness of his hair really would look more attractive if worn a little longer, and the bleak expression in those almost black eyes as he concentrated on driving was off-putting, but neither of those things detracted from the fact that his was a magnetically handsome face. As for the leashed power of that taut and obviously toned body—

      Oh, please, no…!

      Lexie recoiled with inward horror. She had only wanted to meet Lucan St Claire—to see for herself how cold and ruthless he was. Becoming physically aware of him, actually finding him attractive, had not been part of her plan.

      As much as accompanying Lucan to Mulberry Hall in Gloucestershire hadn’t been part of Lexie’s plan.

      ‘What sort of music do you like?’

      Lexie blinked before focusing on Lucan with effort. ‘Classical, mostly.’ She shrugged.

      Dark brows rose over those almost black eyes as he glanced at her. ‘Really?’

      ‘Yes, really,’ she confirmed sharply. ‘Did you imagine I might like heavy rock or something?’ she added scathingly.

      ‘Not at all. I’m just surprised that we have the same taste in music, that’s all.’ He reached forward to switch on the radio, and the car was instantly filled with the soft and haunting strains of Mozart.

      It would have to be Mozart!

      Her grandmother’s favourite composer.

      Lexie had occasionally stayed with Nanna Sian on her own for several weeks during the school summer holidays when she was growing up and her parents had had to work. Weeks when Mozart would invariably be playing on the CD player her grandmother kept in the kitchen.

      In the kitchen of the cottage where her grandmother still lived—which was only half a mile away from Mulberry Hall.

      Lexie was starting to feel ill—and it had nothing to do with travel sickness.

      ‘Perhaps when we get there you’ll find the damage to the house in Gloucestershire isn’t as bad as Mr Barton thinks it is and we’ll be able to return to town tomorrow?’ she said hopefully.

      Lucan glanced at Lexie from between narrowed lids as he heard almost a note of desperation in her voice. Because she didn’t want to spend a couple of days in rural Gloucestershire with him? Or because she had a need to get back to something—someone—in London as soon as possible?

      Both of those explanations were somehow unsatisfactory to Lucan.

      ‘And perhaps I’ll find it’s worse than I thought and we’ll have to stay for a week,’ he drawled mockingly—a remark that resulted in those blue eyes widening slightly in dismay before the emotion was quickly controlled. ‘Do you have personal commitments that make being away awkward for you?’ Lucan asked, and scowled.

      ‘Personal commitments? ‘ She frowned.

      ‘Husband? Live-in-lover? Boyfriend?’

      ‘No, of course not,’ she answered irritably.

      Lucan relaxed slightly. ‘And I’m sure you must have had to go away on business before with your employers?’

      ‘Well… I—Yes. Of course.’ She seemed slightly flustered. ‘It’s just—I’m only supposed to be working for you for a total of three days,’ she reminded him tersely.

      ‘I’m sure your agency will understand if our return is delayed for any reason,’ Lucan growled unsympathetically.

      ‘I’m not sure that I will!’ she came back pertly.

      Lucan felt his irritation increasing at Lexie’s continuing arguments. Damn it, hadn’t his New Year got off to enough of a bad start already without—?

      Redirected anger, Lucan recognised grimly. Not that Lexie wasn’t infuriating—she undoubtedly was. But Lucan knew it was his own frustration and annoyance at having to return to Mulberry Hall again so soon that was making his mood so volatile. Otherwise Lucan knew he would have put this woman firmly, chillingly, in her place by now.

      Except Lucan wasn’t completely sure what her place was.

      Stretched out naked on his bed, that glorious long dark hair splayed behind her on the pillows as he explored every inch of her silken body with his lips and hands, was the place he could most easily picture her.

      Lucan