Three

I raised one of my eyebrows in an imperious arc. ‘And how do you plan to do that?’

He let out a harsh-sounding breath that made his nostrils flare. He reminded me of a thoroughbred stallion ready to fight for his territory. ‘I’ll talk some sense into him.’

I gave a cynical twist of a smile. ‘Good luck with that. He looks quite smitten with my sister.’

Grayson’s expression hardened like quick-setting concrete. ‘You can’t seriously believe they’re in love with each other?’

‘Maybe they’re in lust.’ I immediately wished I hadn’t mentioned that particular L word. I could feel my cheeks blooming with heat, as if by the very mention of the erotic word I had allowed something forbidden into the room. Something forbidden and dangerously tempting. Something that threatened to get out of control like a lit match to dryTinder. I could almost hear it crackling in the silence like tiny flames gathering energy to start an inferno.

His eyes held mine in a lock that sent a hot shiver rolling down my spine like a burning ember. I don’t think I’ve ever had a man look at me quite so intensely. The air seemed charged with tension, a throbbing tension that increased as each heart-stopping second passed. He broke the eye contact and his gaze dipped to my mouth. And stayed there for endless seconds...

I held my breath.

My pulse quickened and my blood pumped and my heart jumped.

Grayson licked his lips and swallowed, returning his now inscrutable gaze to mine. ‘Whatever they’re feeling, I know it won’t last.’

‘You don’t believe in true love?’ ‘Do you?’

I know I do it myself at times, but I hate it when people answer a question with a question. I suspected Grayson was very good at deflection. He wasn’t the sort of man to give too much away about his feelings or his personal life. I gave a stiff smile that didn’t show the brilliant job my cosmetic dentist had done on my once crooked teeth. It’s taken me years to learn to smile properly but I still only keep them for special occasions.

‘Some people get lucky.’

He glanced at my bare ring finger. ‘You didn’t?’

That’s another thing I hate—how so many people in the architectural community knew about my broken engagement. But I guess, since I broke it off only days before the wedding it did kind of cause a bit of a scandal.

‘Let’s say I had a lucky escape.’

Grayson made a soft snorting noise but I couldn’t tell if it was one of amusement or cynicism or something else. He was standing at least a metre away but I could still feel the male energy coming off him. A potent energy that made me aware of my femininity in ways I had never been to that degree before. My skin prickled, my heart raced, and liquid heat pooled in my dark secret places. Places I didn’t want to think about right now. Places I hadn’t thought about in years. I hadn’t had a lover since my ex. I hadn’t even felt a flicker of desire...until now. But what was I thinking? Sleeping with the enemy was a no-no. Besides, I couldn’t afford to get distracted away from the issue of my sister and her...gulp...fiancé.

Grayson placed his hands on the back of the sofa he was standing behind and set his glittering gaze back on mine. ‘Are we on the same page about getting Ethan and your sister to rethink their relationship?’

‘How do you suggest we do that?’ I knew my response hadn’t answered his question but I was unwilling to commit to anything that would hurt my sister. Niamh believed herself to be madly in love. She was thrilled with the giant bauble on her ring finger. She had been dreaming about getting swept off her feet since she was a kid. The fact she was still a kid in some ways didn’t mean she wouldn’t be shattered if Grayson and I forced her to give up her dream of living happily ever after with Ethan.

Who was I to burst her big fragile shiny bubble and break up what could be her first and only chance to have a relationship? It was my fault she was the way she was and, while I was committed to protecting her and providing for her, I didn’t want to sabotage her happiness. She deserved to be loved. Didn’t everyone? And while I wasn’t entirely sure of Ethan’s motives, on the surface he looked like he was besotted by her. But that might be a temporary infatuation. It might fade and then my sister’s heart would be broken and I would have to pick up the pieces.

Not that I’m without considerable experience in that department—my mother fell apart when my father took his life after a business deal went wrong a couple of years before Niamh’s accident. A business deal with Grayson Barlowe’s grandfather, no less. Hence the ongoing feud between the Clancy and Barlowe camps. My father’s death was as unexpected as the failed business deal that left us penniless. Mum fell apart, even though she and my father had had a rocky relationship at the best of times. I finally managed to get her back on her feet but then she fell to pieces again when Niamh was injured, which was understandable. It was a double blow to lose her husband and then have her favorite child permanently damaged in the space of two years. To say I’d had to grow up fast is an understatement. There wasn’t time to process my grief. I was too busy carrying my guilt.

‘We sit down with them and talk them through the issues.’ Grayson’s voice cut through my painful thoughts.

We? He wanted me to join forces with him? The thought of teaming up with him gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. A kind of shivery feeling that was part thrill, part dread. I sat on the sofa, not because I wanted to but because my legs were feeling a little unsteady. Grayson’s presence was so intimidating and yet I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was so damn attractive, even when he was frowning.

‘Issues such as?’

His eyes hardened to flint. ‘My brother has a trust fund left to him by our late grandfather.’

I upped my chin a fraction. ‘So?’

‘I don’t want him to be taken advantage of by a supposedly love-struck beautiful young woman. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.’

Anger was a fire in my blood that threatened to boil its way out of my veins. ‘My sister is not the type of person to be influenced or impressed by how much money a man has. She’s not the least bit mercenary or worldly.’ I wanted to say nor am I, but it didn’t seem relevant at that moment. I wasn’t interested in impressing him with my sel-sufficiency. I just wanted to protect my sister from being hurt by his ruthless approach to the situation.

‘It’s obvious Ethan’s been taken in by her act of doe-eyed innocence,’ Grayson said, moving away from the sofa. He opened and closed his hands as if trying to release some tension. ‘He’s not mentioned a word to me about dating anyone and now suddenly he’s freaking engaged? She must have made him promise to keep it a secret.’

I widened my eyes in outrage, even though, like him, I was a little peeved Niamh hadn’t told me a thing about dating Ethan either. I was used to knowing everything about her, far more than most older sisters would know. But then I’ve had to know everything to make sure she has all she needs and to keep her from being exploited by others.