Read Online The Reluctant Duke by Carole Mortimer - Free Book Online Page A

against the soft wool of her sweater.
    ‘I’m cold,’ she dismissed scornfully. ‘Look, Lucan, I’m sure there are plenty of women who would be only too happy to share the bed of the Duke of Stourbridge—temporarily! I just don’t happen to be one of them!’
    Lucan’s eyes narrowed, and he straightened abruptly before stepping away from her. ‘I don’t remember mentioning that I’m the Duke of Stourbridge.’ He eyed her coldly.
    She had done it again, Lexie realised sinkingly.
    Because she was flustered. Because Lucan was right. Her mouth and her body weren’t in agreement at all! Her brain knew that she shouldn’t feel this attraction towards Lucan, of all men, but the ache in her body told her it had completely different feelings on the subject.
    She breathed raggedly. ‘John Barton mentioned itearlier.’ Well… he might have done, mightn’t he? ‘Imagine my surprise when he referred to you as “His Grace”,’ she added tauntingly.
    ‘I prefer not to use the title.’ Lucan bit the words out as he thrust his hands into his pockets.
    ‘Why not?’ Lexie derided. ‘Just think of all the extra women you could attract into your bed if they knew you were a duke!’
    His eyes narrowed at her obvious mockery. ‘I said I prefer not to use it!’
    ‘And I asked why not.’
    His mouth thinned to an uncompromising line. ‘It’s a long story.’
    ‘I’ll be happy with the condensed version,’ Lexie encouraged huskily.
    His nostrils flared angrily. ‘There isn’t a condensed version.’
    ‘Oh, come on, Lucan—’
    ‘Just leave it alone, will you, Lexie?’ he rasped harshly.
    Lexie felt a shiver down her spine as she took in the cold glitter of his eyes, the nerve pulsing in his clenched jaw, and the uncompromising—dangerous—set of that sculpted mouth. ‘I—okay, fine.’ She turned away. ‘Perhaps we should eat now?’
    Lucan breathed deeply in an effort to control the black tide of anger that had held him in its grip at the reminder of exactly who he was and what he was doing at Mulberry Hall. Most of the time—in fact, all of the time he was in London—Lucan managed to forget completely that the Duke of Stourbridge even existed, let alone had any bearing on his own life.
    Because as far as he was concerned it didn’t. The title,Mulberry Hall, the whole damned estate could all just disappear as far as he was concerned.
    Damn it, he shouldn’t have come back here again so soon after Jordan and Stephanie’s wedding. Should have resisted John Barton’s suggestion that he come up to Gloucestershire and view the damage for himself.
    So why hadn’t he…?
    Because, Lucan realised with a frown, the idea of being alone for a few days with the beautiful and feisty Lexie Hamilton had somehow appealed to a side of his nature that he was usually at pains to control.
    The sensuous side of his nature, which was so much like his father’s, and which had caused so much unhappiness to Alexander’s wife and sons.
    He had decided long ago that no woman would ever lead him around by a certain part of his anatomy. That he would never want, desire
any
woman enough to cause the hurt and destruction that his father had brought on his own family twenty-five years ago, when he’d fallen in love with another woman.
    ‘Lucan…?’
    He scowled darkly as he looked up to find that Lexie had placed the casserole in the middle of the table, ready for serving, and was now looking across at him expectantly as she resumed her seat.
    He gave a terse shake of his head. ‘I don’t think I’m hungry after all.’
    Lexie gave a pained frown. ‘As far as I’m aware, you haven’t eaten anything all day…’
    Lucan’s expression was derisive. ‘And that bothers you because.?’
    ‘It doesn’t bother me, exactly…’
    ‘That’s what I thought,’ Lucan drawled ruefully.
    She gave an impatient sigh. ‘The Bartons didn’t evenknow I was going to be here, so Cathy Barton obviously prepared this meal for