Taming the Last St Claire (18 page)

He obviously hadn’t taken her hint earlier for what it was: a need on Joey’s part not to see or speak to him again for at least the weekend. By Monday morning she might—just might—be able to face him again with some of her usual self-confidence.

As it was, it appeared that another confrontation was going to happen much sooner than she would have liked.

Her shoulders straightened determinedly as she disappeared into her bedroom to dress in faded jeans and a green jumper, running a brush lightly through the dampness of her hair, not even bothering to apply any make-up, and then marching back out to the kitchen—before she had time to change her mind.

Only to come to an abrupt halt in the doorway as she saw that he had set two places at the breakfast bar. A pot of tea and one of coffee were already there, steaming, along with mugs and milk and sugar, and warm croissants and toast were arranged temptingly in a basket.

‘What are you doing, Gideon?’ she demanded coldly.

His expression was as guarded as her own. ‘Making breakfast for both of us, of course,’ he said casually as he
carried the butter over and placed it on the breakfast bar with the rest of the food. He was now dressed in a brown cashmere sweater and tailored brown trousers. ‘I know that you prefer tea, so—’

‘You proved earlier that you don’t know
anything
about me, Gideon.’ Joey’s teeth were so tightly clamped together her jaw ached, and her hands were bunched into fists at her sides, her fingernails digging into her palms.

There was a responding glitter of displeasure in the dark brown of his eyes. ‘Obviously not,’ he bit out tautly, only to give a weary sigh as she became even more tense. ‘Look, I don’t want to argue with you, Joey—’

‘Oh, there isn’t going to be time for an argument, Gideon,’ she informed him. ‘Because you’re leaving. Right now!’ She looked utterly fierce and determined. ‘I gave you every opportunity to do this graciously, and just leave while I was taking a shower, but now I’m telling you outright to go!’

Gideon bit back his impatience, knowing it would only make the situation worse than it already was. If that was even possible! ‘I don’t want to leave things between us like this,’ he explained, keeping his voice deliberately even. ‘Don’t you see that I need to understand why you—’

‘How can you possibly begin to understand anything, Gideon—about anyone at all!—when you have all the emotional warmth of an automaton?’ she said vehemently. ‘Your apartment is as impersonal as a hotel suite. Your office looks like no one works there. Your personal life is just as uncluttered by sentiment. No one lives like that.’

Gideon did. Through choice. Because he had seen exactly how it had destroyed his mother to lose both the husband and the home that she’d loved twenty-five years ago. Gideon’s decision never to become attached to people or things, apart from his immediate family, was based
entirely on witnessing the complete devastation of his mother’s life.

Nothing had changed in the years of his adulthood to shake that conviction. Except he found he absolutely hated the very thought of Joey believing he lacked emotion.

‘I don’t believe you can accuse me of being unemotional half an hour ago,’ he pointed out.

‘That wasn’t emotion, Gideon. It was just a natural physical reaction between a naked man and a woman,’ she dismissed flatly. ‘Anyone with blood flowing through their veins has those!’

He drew his breath in harshly. ‘So you’re saying what happened between us earlier meant nothing to you? ‘

Joey stiffened as every barrier inside her, every defence mechanism she possessed, sprang into place; it was one thing for her to know she was in love with Gideon, but something else entirely for him to realise how she felt about him. She deserved to leave herself with some pride after this morning’s humiliating experience, surely?

‘We weren’t discussing me, Gideon. And we aren’t about to, either,’ she added firmly as he would have spoken. ‘Not now. Not ever. Now, I really would like you to leave.’ Her gaze met his unwaveringly, her chin held high in challenge.

Gideon had never felt so impotent, so incapable of knowing what to do or say next. Except he knew that he had to do or say
something.
That he couldn’t leave things so strained between himself and Joey.

‘Why don’t we just sit down and eat breakfast? You felt better last night after you had eaten—’

‘Feeding me isn’t going to change a damned thing this time,’ Joey declared. ‘Right now all I want is for you to just
go.’

‘I can’t leave you like this.’ Gideon’s mouth firmed in frustration. ‘We went to bed together this morning—’

‘Technically, it was a sofa,’ she cut in icily. ‘And I’ve already told you I don’t want to discuss that any further today.’

‘You are the most stubborn, difficult—’ Gideon broke off abruptly as he heard the ringing tone of the mobile he had left on the coffee table in the sitting room, along with his car keys. ‘That could be the police with news on Newman.’ His expression was grim as he brushed past her on his way out of the kitchen.

Joey breathed a little easier once she was alone. She knew another reason to avoid physical relationships in future; when love wasn’t reciprocated, the conversation afterwards was just too embarrassing. In Gideon’s case he wasn’t even aware of the
concept
of loving someone, let alone capable of realising that she had fallen in love with him!

Joey’s legs felt shaky as she moved to sit down on one of the stools beside the breakfast bar, her movements a little awkward as she became aware of the slight soreness between her thighs. Yet another embarrassing aspect of having made love with Gideon earlier. Especially as that lovemaking had been cut so unsatisfactorily short…

Was there a book on the etiquette of the morning after? Or in this case the hour or so after? Joey wondered. If there was, then she badly needed to get herself a copy! Although she doubted she would ever be in need of it again after today, so perhaps not.

‘It was my mother, not the police,’ Gideon said tersely as he strode back into the kitchen.

Joey gave him a sharp glance as he commenced pacing the kitchen restlessly. ‘Is everything all right?’

Gideon ran an impatient hand through his hair. ‘She
would like me to fly up to Edinburgh for the rest of the weekend.’

Gideon was going to Edinburgh for the rest of the weekend. Why, when Joey had told him to leave earlier—repeatedly—did that knowledge cause a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach?

‘That’s nice,’ she said noncommittally.

‘You think so?’ Gideon scowled darkly beneath lowered brows. ‘She says there’s something important she needs to discuss with me, and she would rather do it in person.’

‘Oh.’

Gideon gave a humourless smile. ‘Sounds a little ominous, doesn’t it.’

Joey shrugged. ‘Maybe, with both Lucan and Jordan away, she’s feeling a little lonely?’

He gave a snort. ‘She’s hardly had time to miss any of us—she only went back to Edinburgh on Monday! Or is that just me exhibiting another example of having the emotional warmth of an automaton?’

That comment seemed to have struck a nerve, Joey acknowledged with a frown. It was true, of course, but maybe she shouldn’t have said it.

Too late now!

‘A weekend in Edinburgh sounds like fun.’

Gideon looked grim. ‘I’m glad one of us is looking forward to it.’

‘What do you mean?’ Joey gave him a bewildered look.

He raised blond brows. ‘You’re coming with me, of course.’

‘I’m—? I most certainly am not!’ she assured him indignantly.

Gideon stopped his pacing to meet her gaze with his own implacable one. ‘Joey, nothing that happened between
us this morning changes a single thing about the Newman situation. He’s still out there somewhere, probably thinking up his next malicious act, which means I have no intention of going to Edinburgh for the weekend without you.’

Joey ignored the wincing pain between her thighs as she stood up. ‘And I’m certainly not going to Edinburgh with you!’ She shot him an incredulous look. ‘What would your mother think if I were to just turn up with you? ‘

‘I’ve already told her you’ll be accompanying me.’

‘You’ve done
what?’

Gideon shrugged unconcernedly. ‘My mother is expecting both of us later this afternoon.’

‘I—But—Did you tell her about Richard Newman?’

‘Of course not.’ Gideon looked appalled. ‘There’s absolutely no reason to worry my mother with any of that.’

‘Then what reason did you give her for me going with you?’

Joey was the one to pace the kitchen restlessly now. Gideon was insane. He had to be. Because there was no way—absolutely no way—that she could go with him for the weekend to visit Molly St Claire at her home in Edinburgh.

‘I didn’t.’

‘You
didn’t?’
Joey squeaked. ‘You just told your mother that I would be accompanying you without giving her an explanation as to why?’

Gideon looked down the length of his arrogant nose at her. ‘Why should I have done?’

Well, Joey knew for a fact that if she took a man with her to stay at her parents’ house for the weekend they would draw their own conclusions. ‘Because your mother now has altogether the wrong impression of us!’

He didn’t look at all bothered by that. ‘I’ll explain to her once the Newman situation has been resolved.’

‘And in the meantime she’s going to draw all the wrong conclusions,’ Joey muttered disgustedly. ‘No, Gideon, I
refuse
to go with you.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘You’ve already told me you have no other plans for today.’

‘That doesn’t mean I want to waste half my day in an airport, waiting to get on a flight to Edinburgh. A flight I have no wish to take in the first place,’ she snapped exasperatedly.

‘There won’t be any sitting around waiting for a flight, because I’m going to fly us up in the St Claire helicopter.’ Gideon easily shot down that objection.

Joey abruptly stopped her pacing.
‘What? ‘

He gave a crooked smile at her scepticism. ‘Don’t worry, Joey. I assure you I have a valid pilot’s licence.’

‘Well, that’s a relief—I thought perhaps you were going to fly a helicopter on the basis of owning a dog licence!’

‘I actually don’t have one of those,’ Gideon drawled. ‘Probably because I don’t own a dog.’

Of course he didn’t own a dog. A dog was a living, breathing being, in need of the love and nurturing that Gideon avoided at all costs!

Joey had a vague recollection of Stephanie mentioning something about Gideon flying her and Jordan back to London last year, from the St Claire estate in Gloucestershire, after there had been a health scare concerning Molly St Claire. A scare that had been alleviated once Molly had visited a specialist in Harley Street. Which was probably why she had completely forgotten that Gideon could fly.

She remembered with a vengeance now, though—and Joey had no intention of flying anywhere in a helicopter!

‘Sorry, Gideon, but you can count me out.’

‘If you won’t agree to go, then I’m not going either,’ he said, just as determinedly.

Her cheeks were flushed with temper. ‘You’re being totally childish about this.’

‘Either we both go or neither of us does,’ Gideon repeated grimly. ‘I’m not leaving you here unprotected, Joey, and that’s the end to the subject.’

‘In your opinion!’ She faced him challengingly. ‘Which means diddly-squat to me!’

‘I take it that’s a euphemism for you not caring for my opinion?’ He arched mocking brows.

‘You can take it to mean what you damn well please,’ Joey told him heatedly. ‘I’ve said I’m not going to Edinburgh with you, and that’s the
end of the subject
as far as I’m concerned!’

‘Y
OU
can either wipe that smugly superior smile off your face, or I’m going to take it off for you!’

A statement that achieved completely the opposite effect on Gideon as he now felt an uncontrollable urge to laugh.

Joey had been utterly resentful as she threw some clothes into a bag, and bad-tempered when Gideon drove them to the private airfield where he kept the helicopter. She had maintained a stubborn silence during the flight up to his mother’s home just outside Edinburgh, and been stoically tight-lipped as he’d set the helicopter down on the custom-built pad in the extensive grounds. That resentment had now finally turned to belligerence as they walked the short distance to the house.

She had eventually given in with bad grace and agreed to accompany him to Scotland, after all—but only, she had assured him firmly, because his mother so obviously wanted to see him. Gideon had so far managed to resist commenting on any of Joey’s moods. Obviously she had taken exception even to his silence!

‘It’s not smugness, Joey,’ he told her. ‘I’m just relieved to find there wasn’t any snow and we could land safely.’

‘Was it ever in doubt?’

Gideon shrugged. ‘It’s February in Scotland.’

Joey gave him a sceptical glance, not fooled for a
moment by his excuse; there had been a definite air of smugness about him from the moment she had agreed to come to Edinburgh with him after all. A decision she certainly hadn’t made for Gideon’s benefit; if Joey had her way she wouldn’t see him again until she was old and past caring for or responding to him!

But Joey had liked Molly St Claire from the moment she’d met her at Stephanie and Jordan’s engagement party. Molly’s love and pride in her three sons had been obvious, and it was a love and admiration that was reciprocated; the three St Claire brothers obviously adored their beloved mother.

The fact that Molly had so unexpectedly asked Gideon to visit her in Edinburgh this weekend was unusual; Joey knew from Stephanie that the older woman simply wasn’t one of those clingy, suffocating type of mothers. Gideon’s stubbornness in refusing to visit his mother unless Joey accompanied him had placed her in a difficult position. One that, despite her protestations, she had known could ultimately have only one solution.

Which was why she was now in Scotland, approaching the huge oak front door of Molly’s manor house home, with Gideon strolling along casually—and triumphantly, damn him!—at her side.