to be ruthless and uncompromising in defence of her clients. Character traits Stephanie would have thought a man like Gideon St Claire, who so obviously possessed those same traits himself, would have appreciated.
‘What are you doing here, Gideon?’ Jordan demanded—and thankfully saved Stephanie from having to make any sort of reply to his twin’s enigmatic comment about her sister!
Instead of answering his brother, Gideon turnedthose cool, dark eyes on Stephanie. ‘I thought I smelt something burning when I was in the kitchen.’
‘The lasagne!’ Stephanie wailed as she remembered the food she had left cooking in the oven earlier. Before Jordan had begun making love to her and she had forgotten all about it! ‘Excuse me.’ She shot the two men a bright, meaningless smile before hurrying from the room.
It was patently obvious that Gideon wanted to talk to Jordan alone, and Stephanie was glad of an excuse to escape the intensity of emotion in being in the presence of two of the arrogantly overwhelming St Claire brothers.
‘Well, you’ve succeeded in effectively getting Stephanie out of the room, so now you can tell me what’s going on,’ Jordan prompted as soon as he and Gideon were alone in the sitting room.
Gideon gazed back at him with the cynical speculation that was so characteristic of him. So typical of all three of the St Claire brothers, if he were totally honest, Jordan acknowledged ruefully; their father really did have a lot more to answer for than just hurting their mother.
Gideon gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘And I’ve been imagining you all alone in the wilds of Gloucestershire.’
Jordan grimaced. ‘I know your sarcasm usually manages to put the fear of God into most people, Gid, but I assure you I’m not one of them.’ He dropped wearily back into the armchair he had only recently vacated.
‘You look like hell!’ his brother declared as he looked down at him with harsh disapproval.
‘As complimentary as ever,’ Jordan murmured, and rested his head tiredly against the chair.
He had forgotten all about the pain in his hip and leg—just as Stephanie had obviously forgotten about dinner—while the two of them were making love, but now that that rush of adrenaline had subsided Jordan once again felt the grinding and remorseless ache in his right thigh and down his leg.
Maybe he should go back to the States and see one of the specialists, as Stephanie had advised he should do?
No, damn it. He would rather live with the pain than suffer any more of those unhelpful medical examinations!
‘Have they run out of razors in Gloucestershire?’ Gideon raised enquiring brows.
‘Just tell me what you’re doing here, Gideon,’ Jordan said again irritably, wondering why the hell it was that everyone was suddenly so obsessed with his appearance. What did it matter what he looked like when there was no one here to see him? Well … until Stephanie had arrived yesterday. And now Gideon, too. ‘Well?’ He glared at his brother.
‘I certainly had no intention of interrupting your little assignation with La McKinley,’ his brother retorted as he moved to fold his lean length into the chair opposite Jordan’s.
‘It isn’t an assignation,’ Jordan denied wearily.
‘No?’
‘Look at me, Gideon.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I’m just a shell of the man I used to be.’
‘Stephanie doesn’t seem to mind,’ his brother pointed out.
Jordan’s eyes narrowed warningly. ‘Perhaps we should just leave Stephanie out of this.’
Gideon glanced in the direction of the kitchen. ‘She doesn’t seem like your usual type of woman …’
‘As I just said, I’m not my usual self! ‘ Jordan snapped back.
‘Aren’t you a little tired of wallowing in self-pity?’ Gideon asked.
That remark was so reminiscent of the one Stephanie had made to Jordan yesterday that it totally infuriated him. In fact, if Gideon had been anyone else Jordan knew he would have given in to the urge he
‘What are you doing here, Gideon?’ Jordan demanded—and thankfully saved Stephanie from having to make any sort of reply to his twin’s enigmatic comment about her sister!
Instead of answering his brother, Gideon turnedthose cool, dark eyes on Stephanie. ‘I thought I smelt something burning when I was in the kitchen.’
‘The lasagne!’ Stephanie wailed as she remembered the food she had left cooking in the oven earlier. Before Jordan had begun making love to her and she had forgotten all about it! ‘Excuse me.’ She shot the two men a bright, meaningless smile before hurrying from the room.
It was patently obvious that Gideon wanted to talk to Jordan alone, and Stephanie was glad of an excuse to escape the intensity of emotion in being in the presence of two of the arrogantly overwhelming St Claire brothers.
‘Well, you’ve succeeded in effectively getting Stephanie out of the room, so now you can tell me what’s going on,’ Jordan prompted as soon as he and Gideon were alone in the sitting room.
Gideon gazed back at him with the cynical speculation that was so characteristic of him. So typical of all three of the St Claire brothers, if he were totally honest, Jordan acknowledged ruefully; their father really did have a lot more to answer for than just hurting their mother.
Gideon gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘And I’ve been imagining you all alone in the wilds of Gloucestershire.’
Jordan grimaced. ‘I know your sarcasm usually manages to put the fear of God into most people, Gid, but I assure you I’m not one of them.’ He dropped wearily back into the armchair he had only recently vacated.
‘You look like hell!’ his brother declared as he looked down at him with harsh disapproval.
‘As complimentary as ever,’ Jordan murmured, and rested his head tiredly against the chair.
He had forgotten all about the pain in his hip and leg—just as Stephanie had obviously forgotten about dinner—while the two of them were making love, but now that that rush of adrenaline had subsided Jordan once again felt the grinding and remorseless ache in his right thigh and down his leg.
Maybe he should go back to the States and see one of the specialists, as Stephanie had advised he should do?
No, damn it. He would rather live with the pain than suffer any more of those unhelpful medical examinations!
‘Have they run out of razors in Gloucestershire?’ Gideon raised enquiring brows.
‘Just tell me what you’re doing here, Gideon,’ Jordan said again irritably, wondering why the hell it was that everyone was suddenly so obsessed with his appearance. What did it matter what he looked like when there was no one here to see him? Well … until Stephanie had arrived yesterday. And now Gideon, too. ‘Well?’ He glared at his brother.
‘I certainly had no intention of interrupting your little assignation with La McKinley,’ his brother retorted as he moved to fold his lean length into the chair opposite Jordan’s.
‘It isn’t an assignation,’ Jordan denied wearily.
‘No?’
‘Look at me, Gideon.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I’m just a shell of the man I used to be.’
‘Stephanie doesn’t seem to mind,’ his brother pointed out.
Jordan’s eyes narrowed warningly. ‘Perhaps we should just leave Stephanie out of this.’
Gideon glanced in the direction of the kitchen. ‘She doesn’t seem like your usual type of woman …’
‘As I just said, I’m not my usual self! ‘ Jordan snapped back.
‘Aren’t you a little tired of wallowing in self-pity?’ Gideon asked.
That remark was so reminiscent of the one Stephanie had made to Jordan yesterday that it totally infuriated him. In fact, if Gideon had been anyone else Jordan knew he would have given in to the urge he
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