Taming the Last St Claire (8 page)

The other side of Lexie St Claire’s office, Joey acknowledged, her embarrassment total as she realised what she had just allowed to happen. How much more could have happened in this public place if Gideon hadn’t called a halt to their lovemaking …?

She quickly grasped the two sides of her blouse together over her semi-nakedness, her cheeks blazing with humiliation as she began to refasten the buttons with fingers that trembled and fumbled over the simple task.

Joey knew exactly why Gideon had behaved in the way he had, of course: he had wanted to teach her a lesson for what he had taken as a slight on his emotions. But how could she have let things go as far as they had?
Why
had she? With Gideon St Claire, of all people!

‘Point proved, I believe?’

Joey looked up sharply at Gideon’s comment, relieved that at least her blouse was once again fastened when she saw that he had turned back to face her, his dark gaze now sweeping over her with what looked like mockery. The fact that she deserved it after responding to him in such an uninhibited way brought the bile rising to the back of Joey’s throat—so much so that she had to swallow before answering.

‘We’ve established that you’re capable of a physical reaction, at least—if that’s what you mean?’ She silently
congratulated herself for managing to meet the challenge in that dark gaze.

Gideon couldn’t help but admire Joey’s quick recovery from what had been a dangerous situation for both of them. A danger he was still fully aware of as he looked at the flushed beauty of her face and recalled how much he had enjoyed the taste of her in his mouth.

His mouth tightened as he fought against those memories. ‘And so, obviously, are you.’

Colour blazed once again in Joey’s cheeks. ‘I don’t think
my
emotions were ever in question!’

‘Well, not any more, no,’ Gideon drawled, accepting he was behaving badly, but aware that he needed to reestablish distance between them. Fast! ‘Unfortunately none of that provides us with any answers as to how two of the tyres on my car appear to have gone flat at the same time,’ he reminded her.

Jade green eyes glittered with anger once again. ‘I’ve already told you I don’t know anything about that.’

Yes—and Gideon believed her. Hell, he had believed her the first time she’d denied it, and had no idea what he’d been doing in the first place, even suggesting that Joey might have done it.

Just being around her on a day-to-day basis was totally screwing with his normal ability for rational thinking, Gideon acknowledged heavily. Even when he avoided her—as he had been trying to do for the past two days—he was still totally aware of her. So much so that it had been all too easy, when he’d left the office and arrived down in the car park to find two of the tyres on his car flat, to apportion the blame to Joey. Impulsively. Irrationally. Gideon was acting completely out of character, and he knew it. He had to pull himself together!

He nodded. ‘I’m inclined to believe you—’

‘How kind of you,’ she shot back sarcastically.

Gideon ignored her. ‘I’m also wondering,’ he continued, ‘whether this and the flat tyre on your own car on Monday night aren’t somehow connected.’

Joey stilled. Initially she had been relieved to have the subject changed to something other than the embarrassment of the intimacies she had allowed Gideon, but with the mention of her own problem with her car, her attention became fully engaged on the subject.

‘What exactly are you suggesting?’

Gideon shrugged. ‘Could you try very hard not to take it as yet another character defect on my part when I tell you that I don’t believe in coincidences?’

Neither did Joey. And what were the chances of two people who worked in the same building and parked their car in the same car park finding both their cars had flat tyres within a couple of days of each other?

‘Has anyone else working here had a similar problem?’

‘Not that I’m aware of—and I can do without any comment from you on how unlikely it is, with the superior stick-up-my-backside attitude you say I have, that any of St Claire’s employees would bother to inform me if they
did
have a problem,’ Gideon warned as he saw the sceptical look that had entered those jade-green eyes at his first comment.

He was aware that she had become popular with the other members of the staff over the past three days. His own secretary was full of praise for her, as was May Randall. It seemed that he was the only one who had a problem being around her on a daily basis.

‘Just accept that I would have heard if there was anything to hear.’

‘Okay.’ She shrugged. ‘Maybe it is just a coincidence, after all?’

‘I doubt it.’ Gideon grimaced. ‘Did the people at the garage give a reason for why your own tyre went flat when you took it in to be repaired yesterday morning?’

‘They didn’t bother to look,’ Joey revealed reluctantly. ‘I had all four tyres replaced after the mechanic took one look at them and decided that they wouldn’t pass a safety check—I’ve been busy, okay?’ she defended herself when Gideon raised disapproving brows. Could she help it if she was one of those drivers who knew absolutely nothing about the mechanics of her car and only required that it start when she turned the key in the ignition? ‘I doubt that there’s any way we can check, either. By now all four tyres have probably been consigned to a tyre graveyard.’

‘No doubt,’ Gideon agreed.

Joey gave a puzzled shake of her head. ‘Why just sabotage the two of us, do you think?’

‘It’s only supposition so far—’

‘This isn’t a court of law, Gideon,’ she jeered gently. ‘I promise not to write down anything you say and use it in evidence against you!’

‘Very funny,’ he drawled dryly.

Not really. But Joey was most comfortable around this man when she was mocking him for one reason or another—she certainly didn’t want to think any more just now about the way he had unbuttoned her blouse a few minutes ago and kissed her breasts with a skill and passion that had blown her away.

‘There’s plenty more where that came from,’ she murmured.

‘I’m sure there is.’ Gideon sighed. ‘But it isn’t exactly helping us to solve this puzzle, is it?’

‘Maybe it was just vandals.’ Joey shrugged. ‘Kids who are bored and looking for mischief? ‘

‘Maybe,’ he said, not looking particularly convinced. ‘But I think it should be looked into further before we totally dismiss it as such.’

‘And how do you suggest we do that?’

Gideon’s gaze sharpened. ‘I wasn’t suggesting
we
do it at all.’

Joey’s eyes widened. ‘I hope this isn’t going to be another case of the big strong man protecting the helpless little woman?’

‘Flattered as I am that you should even
think
of me as a “big strong man”, Joey,’ Gideon said, noting the wings of colour that appeared in her cheeks at his teasing, ‘your own role as helpless little woman is, as usual, seriously in question!’

‘Good,’ Joey muttered with vehemence—at the same time knowing that helpless was precisely how she had felt a few minutes ago, with her hands raised above her head, her blouse unbuttoned and her breasts being plundered by Gideon’s marauding lips and tongue. And she’d loved every second of it!

Looking at him now, every inch his usual cold and aloof self, Joey found it extremely difficult to imagine those intimacies had ever taken place.

‘So, how do you suggest
we
proceed?’ she pressed on.

‘I don’t want you involved, Joey,’ he insisted.

‘Isn’t it a little late for that?’

‘Involved any further than you already are,’ Gideon amended. ‘The most sensible thing for you to do is to go home and leave me here to investigate further,’ he added grimly.

He had no idea what the hell was going on, and until he did he would feel happier if Joey was safely at home.

She quirked auburn brows. ‘No date tonight?’

No date for some time, as it happened. ‘No,’ he admitted. ‘You?’

‘No.’

‘I hope your agreement to work here for a month isn’t in any way affecting
your…friendship
with Jason Pickard?’

As it happened, Jason had finally told his parents the truth about himself and Trevor. The senior Pickards hadn’t been overjoyed at the news—especially as they’d realised it meant they would probably never have any grandchildren—but according to Jason they were slowly getting used to the idea.

Which, of course, meant there was no longer any reason for Joey to go out to dinner with Jason.

‘Wouldn’t it be more sensible if I hung around for a while and helped you to investigate?’ Joey said brightly. ‘That way I could give you a lift home once we’ve finished.’

‘Not necessary,’ Gideon said. ‘I’ve already telephoned my garage, and they’re driving over a replacement car and will take mine away to fix it,’ he added firmly as Joey would have interrupted again.

Must be nice, Joey acknowledged ruefully; the most the garage who serviced
her
car ever gave her was a bill! Not that they were even open at six-thirty on a Wednesday evening. There were obviously benefits to being Gideon St Claire—
Lord
Gideon St Claire! ‘I could still stay and help—’

‘Joey, I may have suggested that you’re far from being helpless,’ he rasped, ‘but that doesn’t mean I don’t still intend to protect you. From yourself, if necessary.’

‘You really are a male chauvinist, aren’t you?’ Joey accused.

He smiled slightly. ‘Didn’t you miss
pig
out of that statement?’

‘Oink!’ she muttered, with feeling.

Gideon had to bite back another smile. At the same time he wondered how it was that Joey could so easily turn his mood to amusement as well as anger. Along with several other emotions he would rather not think about right now. Such as an uneasy jealousy of any
friendship
she might have with a certain Jason Pickard.

‘Just go home, hmm, Joey,’ he said, suddenly deadly serious again.

Her chin rose in direct challenge. ‘And what exactly are you going to be doing to investigate after I’ve gone?’

He gave a noncommittal shrug. ‘Checking into a few things.’

‘Such as?’

‘How about I discuss that with you in the morning?’

Joey eyed him warily, not sure she altogether trusted him to do that, and yet not seeing any hint of evasion in the steadiness of his darkened gaze as it so easily met hers.

Those same eyes had turned the colour of molten gold when he’d looked down at her semi-naked breasts only minutes ago. Well, at least she now had the answer to
that
particular question; Gideon’s eyes blazed that beautiful colour when he was aroused—to passion as well as to anger!

Something Joey would probably be better off not thinking about just now.

‘Okay.’ She gave a stiff nod of her head. ‘But I’ll expect a full report from you first thing in the morning,’ she warned.

‘Yes, ma’am!’ Gideon echoed her mocking salute of two days ago.

It was somehow an intimately shared gesture that made Joey feel uneasy as she turned away quickly to collect her coat from the back of her chair, keeping her back turned
firmly towards Gideon as she thrust her arms into the sleeves of her jacket before straightening her blouse over the collar.

She had accused him of lacking in emotion, but at the same time she knew she had never felt this seesawing of her own emotions until she’d met him. Aroused one minute. Amused the next. With both those emotions usually followed by anger. This uneasiness was new, though…

Her expression was deliberately bland when she turned back to face him. ‘I’ll wish you goodnight, then.’

‘Night.’

Joey gave him one last frowning glance, before picking up her bag and turning to leave, anxious to get away now. Away from the memories of being in his arms.

‘And, Joey …?’

She tensed warily, schooling her features into mild curiosity as she looked back over her shoulder at him. ‘Yes?’

His face was harsh: eyes glacial, cheekbones defined, jaw clenched. ‘I apologise for what happened earlier.’

This wasn’t happening. It really
wasn’t
happening!

Wasn’t it humiliating enough that they both still had the memories of those shared intimacies without Gideon actually apologising for them? That she had to try and work in the office where it had happened for the next three and a half weeks? With the added knowledge that Gideon was in the office next door?

He shook his head. ‘It was ridiculous of me to accuse you of vandalising my car.’

Joey’s breath left her in a controlled—relieved!—sigh; he wasn’t apologising for kissing and caressing her, after all.

‘Forget it, Gideon,’ she said pertly. ‘After all, you can’t help being a bigoted idiot!’

Gideon found himself chuckling in spite of himself. No
one—absolutely no one—spoke to him with the same irreverence Joey did. ‘You know, one day you might actually say something nice about me,’ he said wryly.

‘You think?’

‘I can dream, can’t I?’

‘I shouldn’t hold your breath if I were you!’

Those green eyes openly laughed at him for several seconds, beguiling him into sharing her amusement, before she turned and left the office, flashing him one last triumphant smile on the way out.

Gideon moved to sit on the side of the desk, an amused smile still curving his lips. Joey McKinley was every bit as impossible as he had always thought her to be.

She was also every bit as desirable as he had imagined she might be.

Gideon’s smiled faded as he thought of those few intensely pleasurable minutes of making love to Joey. It had been like holding a living flame in his arms. Sensuously seductive. Fiercely hot. With the real possibility of that flame bursting dangerously out of control and consuming him.

Joey herself was every bit as unpredictable, as volatile, as that flame. In fact, he thought uncomfortably, she was every uncertain, unpredictable emotion that he had been at such pains to banish from his own well-ordered life for the past twenty-five years.

‘G
IDEON?
’ To say that Joey was surprised to answer the door of her apartment at almost nine o’clock that evening and find Gideon standing outside had to be an understatement!