usual abruptness.
‘Care to explain who Richard is?’
Stephanie drew in her breath with a sharp hiss as she turned and saw that Jordan had come quietly back into the sitting room and now stood near the door, looking across at her with icily narrowed eyes. She stood up slowly to run her damp palms down her denim-clad thighs. ‘Didn’t you know that it’s rude to listen to other people’s telephone conversations?’
‘If I did then I obviously forgot,’ Jordan said unapologetically as he stepped further into the room.
The hours spent convincing his mother that he was well on the road to recovery had been just as much of a strain as Jordan had thought they might be. So much so that he was now exhausted. He had come back to his suite hoping for a rest before he had to go through the whole charade all over again at dinner. He certainly didn’t appreciate coming back into his suite of rooms and overhearing the end of Stephanie’s telephone conversation concerning some man called Richard that she was obviously desperate to get in touch with!
He eyed Stephanie coldly. ‘Well?’
‘I don’t see that this has anything to do with you—’
‘You told me you weren’t involved with anyone,’ he reminded her harshly.
‘I told you I wasn’t married or engaged,’ she corrected. ‘Which I’m not.’
‘But you obviously are involved with someone. Or at least you were!’
‘I—Are you okay, Jordan?’ Stephanie exclaimed as she saw how pale he was.
‘Do I look okay?’ he snapped scathingly as he swayed slightly on his feet.
‘No.’ She could clearly see the grey cast to his skin, and dark shadows under his eyes, deep lines grooved beside his mouth. ‘You need to take some painkillers and then lie down until they start to take effect. I’ll help you into your bedroom—’
‘I don’t need any help!’ He glared across at her.
She flinched at the vehemence in Jordan’s tone. ‘You obviously need to go to bed—’
‘Is that an invitation, Stephanie?’ he cut in. ‘If it is then I think I should warn you I’m really not up to making love to you right now, and I’m not exactly in the mood, either.’ Those gold eyes glittered down at her with cold satisfaction as Stephanie gave a pained gasp.
‘That’s enough, Jordan!’
Stephanie spun sharply round to find Lucan St Claire standing in the doorway, his austerely handsome face set in disapproving lines as he looked coldly across at his youngest brother.
The fact that the critical gaze wasn’t levelled at her made absolutely no difference to Stephanie; Jordan’s scornful remarks had made it more than obvious that he had made love to her before today!
Tears of mortification welled in her eyes. ‘If you will both excuse me?’ she choked emotionally, before hurrying into the bedroom she’d as yet had no opportunity to tell Jordan she couldn’t sleep in—tonight or any other night.
‘Well, that was pretty nasty even for you,’ Lucan said with disapproval as he closed the door behind him before striding further into the room.
‘I don’t remember asking for your opinion on my behaviour, Lucan,’ he muttered wearily.
His brother frowned. ‘It was possible to hear your raised voice all the way down the hallway.’
His mouth twisted derisively. ‘How utterly shocking!’
Lucan raised dark brows. ‘Exactly what is your relationship with Stephanie McKinley?’
‘You were the one who hired her.’ Jordan turned away abruptly and began walking painfully towards his bedroom.
‘That wasn’t what I asked.’
‘It’s all you’re going to get!’ Jordan snapped, as each step he took caused him excruciating agony.
‘Have you been to bed with her?’
Jordan came to a sudden and painful halt before slowly turning back to face his eldest brother. ‘Mind your own business,’ he bit out with slow precision.
‘I’ll take that as a yes, shall I?’ Lucan murmured speculatively.
Jordan glared. ‘You can take it any way you please.’
‘Oh, believe me, I will,’ Lucan said.
‘No doubt,’ Jordan muttered disgustedly.
His brother gave him an arrogant look. ‘That aside, I believe you owe Miss McKinley an apology—’
‘Like hell I do!’
‘You deliberately set out to insult her.’ Lucan gave him one of his superior looks.
Jordan knew exactly what he had done. He just wasn’t sure why he had done it…What difference did it make to him whether or not Stephanie was still panting after some man called Richard she had been involved with before the two of them had even met?
His eyes narrowed. ‘Tell me, Lucan—when you decided to hire her, did you do your usual check into her background?’
His brother looked unconcerned by the insult in Jordan’s tone. ‘Stephanie McKinley graduated top of her class—’
‘I meant her personal background,’ Jordan cut in impatiently.
‘I don’t believe her personal life is any of my concern. Nor,’ Lucan added softly, ‘if your lack of interest in her is genuine, should it be any of yours.’
No, it shouldn’t, Jordan acknowledged grudgingly. Except last night had made it so…
Damn it, he had thought Stephanie was different. Had hoped that she was. And all the time she had been in his arms she had been hankering for some man called Richard.
‘Unless it escaped your notice, Stephanie McKinley was crying when she ran out of here.’ Lucan’s mouth had thinned disapprovingly.
‘I noticed,’ Jordan admitted. ‘But we have much more important things to worry about than Stephanie’s hurt feelings, remember?’
‘Let’s deal with one problem at a time, hmm?’ Lucan insisted. ‘Your first priority is to apologise to Miss McKinley—’
‘For stating the truth?’
His brother looked implacable. ‘I didn’t hear her calling you a cruel and heartless louse, but at the moment that happens to be the truth, too.’
Jordan’s mouth compressed into a tight line. ‘Obviously Stephanie is much more restrained than I am. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, Lucan?’ he added pointedly. ‘I need to go and lie down before I fall down.’
He didn’t wait for his brother to answer, but limped the rest of the way
