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Praise for Trish Wylie

‘Another fantastic novel by Trish Wylie which you

will devour in a single sitting! Brimming with passion,

emotion, romance and humour, and featuring a fantastic

heroine and a gorgeous hero … sheer perfection!’

—CataRomance on

O’Reilly’s Bride

‘With its splendid cast of amiable characters, hilarious

one-liners, heartwarming romance and powerful

emotional intensity … another triumph for the hugely

talented Trish Wylie, one of the brightest stars of

contemporary romance!’

—CataRomance on

Project: Parenthood

‘Absolutely wonderful! Trish Wylie’s spellbinding tale

will tickle your funny bone and tug at your heartstrings.

Featuring characters which leap off the pages,

realistic dialogue, sweet romance, sizzling sex scenes,

electrifying sexual tension and dramatic emotional

intensity … feel-good romance at its finest!’

—CataRomance on

White-Hot

Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author

TRISH WYLIE worked on a long career of careers to get to the one she wanted from her late teens. She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder while playing the promotions game, patted her manicured hands on the backs of musicians in the music business, smiled sweetly at awkward customers during the retail nightmare known as the run-up to Christmas, and has got completely lost in her car in every single town in Ireland while working as a sales rep. And it took all that character-building and a healthy sense of humour to get her dream job, she feels—where she spends her days in reindeer slippers, with her hair in whatever band she can find to keep it out of the way, make-up as vague and distant a memory as manicured nails, while she gets to create the kind of dream man she’d still like to believe is out there somewhere. If it turns out he is, she promises she’ll let you know … after she’s been out for a new wardrobe, a manicure and a make-over …

Also by Trish Wylie

One Night with the Rebel Billionaire

His Mistress, His Terms

His L.A. Cinderella

Breathless!

Bride of the Emerald Isle

Claimed by the Billionaire Bad Boy

Her One and Only Valentine

Her Real-Life Hero

Her Unexpected Baby

Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction

Trish Wylie

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For everyone who kept me from hitting the ground

until I remembered how to fly again.

CHAPTER ONE

‘OLIVIA BRANNIGAN. Blake Clayton?’

Continuing to rehearse below her breath, she tugged firmly on her jacket as she walked up the path. ‘I represent Wagner, Liebstrahm, Barker and DeLuise, and …’

It was what came after the ‘and’ she was struggling with most. Informing him of a legacy was one thing, breaking the news that came with it was another, even if the news was several weeks old. But the man would have to live in a cave to have avoided hearing about it and they couldn’t have been that close—not when it had taken so long to find him.

The Stars And Stripes hanging from the porch fluttered gently in a welcome hint of air movement as she took a deep breath and pressed the buzzer.

‘I regret to have to inform you …’ She hated that line. Last time she’d made a death notification it had been more than difficult:

It had been the final act in a series of events that altered the course of her life.

When the door swung open, a heavy-set man holding a half-eaten hamburger looked her over from head to toe.

‘Mr Clayton?’

‘Yo, Blake!’ he yelled.

‘What?’ a voice yelled in answer.

‘Anyone suing you?’

‘Not this week.’

‘Guess you can come in then.’ The man grinned, issuing an invitation with a jerk of his head.

Following him down the hallway, Olivia’s heels clicked in an even, businesslike rhythm while she focused on their destination and the man she would discover when she got there. In a matter of seconds he would be a living, breathing person instead of someone she’d spent entirely too much time trying to picture in her mind while she was searching for him. She wouldn’t have to imagine what he looked like or wonder how he was going to react.

The mystery would be solved.

Anticipation built with each step as she prepared for the disappointment of reality when compared to the uncharacteristic flights of fantasy she’d been engaged in of late. There was just something about this case that got to her, and with her track record when it came to emotional involvement in the workplace, that wasn’t good.

The sooner she wrapped it up, the better.

The room she walked into was in a chaotic state of construction. There were four men in it: two chewing hamburgers, one hunkered down sanding a door-frame and another by large windows covered in opaque plastic. Since the man by the windows was looking at her, she approached him and held out a hand. ‘Mr Clayton, I’m Olivia Brannigan from—’

‘Over here, sweetheart.’ A deep, rough-edged voice drew her gaze to the man sanding the door-frame.

‘You’re Blake Clayton?’ She turned around. Considering how long it had taken to find him, she had to be sure. ‘Blake Anders Clayton.’

There was a snort of laughter behind her.

‘Thanks for that.’ He shook his head, dropping his chin and lifting a hand to remove the dust mask from his face as he stood up. ‘So what’d I do this time?’

Opening her mouth to set his mind at ease, anything resembling coherent thought scrambled when he set the mask aside and looked directly at her. The room contracted; it was suddenly smaller and tighter and felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of it. Everything in her peripheral vision blurred as her gaze locked on him and doggedly refused to let go. But who could blame a girl for staring?

A little heads-up on how he looked might have helped.

Six foot two, possibly three, lean at the waist, broad at the shoulders, with short spikes of unruly chocolate-brown hair and dark eyes that sparkled with more than a hint of the guy a girl’s mother would warn her about; Blake Clayton was the living, breathing definition of seriously smokin’ hot.

When her gaze dropped briefly to the jut of a full lower lip that begged for immediate, audience-be-damned attention, Olivia ran her tongue over her teeth. Would he taste as good as he looked? She’d just bet he did.

The woman inside her purred appreciatively. The professional forced a businesslike tone to her voice. ‘I represent the legal firm of Wagner, Liebstrahm, Barker and DeLuise, and—’

‘Bet that’s a bitch to put on a business card.’ A corner of his mouth hitched with amusement.

The woman sighed contentedly while the professional frowned at how difficult it was to focus. Her flights of fantasy had fallen woefully short of reality.

‘Is there somewhere we could talk?’

‘We’re talking now.’

‘Mr Clayton, I’m afraid I have bad news,’ she announced more bluntly than she’d intended.

‘I heard,’ he said tightly, the change in him immediate.

Her voice softened ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

‘Don’t be.’ Stepping past her to lift a mug from a worktop, he sat down beside one of the men eating lunch, spreading long, jeans-clad legs while tipping the rim of the mug to his mouth. ‘We done?’

Glancing at their audience, she found them watching her like some kind of floor show. Surely he didn’t want to—

‘You can say whatever you have to say in front of them,’ he added as if he’d read her mind.

Considering her thoughts since she’d laid eyes on him, Olivia sincerely hoped he hadn’t.

‘No secrets among friends,’ the man who’d answered the door added. ‘Offer us the right money, we could tell you enough to get him arrested in a half-dozen states.’

‘And Canada,’ added a chorus of voices.

‘You got something you need me to sign, hand it over,’ Blake said over the sound of laughter. ‘You can mail whatever memento I’ve got coming my way.’

‘I’m afraid I can’t do that,’ Olivia replied patiently. ‘You’re the sole beneficiary. He left everything to you.’

‘Everything?’

‘Yes.’

‘All of it?’

‘Yes.’ She nodded. He obviously hadn’t known. Not that the flat tone to his deep voice gave any indication he was happy with the news. The majority of people would have been turning cartwheels.

‘There’s no one else?’

Confused by the question after her use of the term ‘sole beneficiary’, she shook her head. ‘No.’ Thanks to Charles Warren’s will, his son was one of the richest, most powerful men in America. ‘I know it must seem daunting to take on the responsibility of—’

‘Such a great legacy?’ A dark brow lifted. ‘Wrong tactic, Miss—what did you say your name was again?’

‘Brannigan.’ She tried not to be piqued by the fact he hadn’t remembered. ‘Olivia Brannigan.’

‘Well, Liv—’ he leaned forward ‘—someone should probably have warned you: I don’t give a rat’s ass how great a legacy it is. I don’t want it.’

Was he insane?

‘I understand you need time to process everything, b—’

‘There’s nothing to process.’ Setting his mug down, he pushed to his feet. ‘What I need is to get this job done.’

As she faltered, he walked past her and picked up his tools. She’d never been in such a surreal situation. What did he expect her to do? Go back to the office, walk up to her boss and say, Sorry, no go, we have to find someone else we can give billions of dollars’ worth of property and assets to? They could hold a raffle.

When she didn’t move, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. ‘Am I supposed to tip you?’

Seriously?

The professional stepped forward and smiled smoothly. ‘I don’t think you understand, Mr Clayton. Allow me to make it clear: you’re it. Whether you want it or not, you’re the sole beneficiary of Charles Warren’s will.’

‘The Charles Warren?’ an incredulous voice asked behind her.

‘Your father made his wishes very clear.’

‘Father?’ said the same incredulous voice. ‘You’re kidding me, right?’

So much for no secrets between friends …

He took a step forward and lowered his voice. ‘Look, lady, I get that you’re trying to do your job but, in case you didn’t get it, allow me to make it clear: I’m not your man. So unless you’re planning on setting down that briefcase and picking up a power tool, I suggest you hightail it back to Manhattan and tell Wagner, Liebstrahm, Barker and DeLuise—or whoever it is you answer to further down the food chain—they best find a distant Warren relative they can lay this on. I have a life. I’m not living someone else’s.’

‘This isn’t going anywhere,’ she insisted with a deceptive calmness that masked the effect his proximity was having on her body.

‘Maybe not,’ he allowed. ‘But I can.’

What about the life he’d said he had? Olivia found herself wondering if there was a woman in it; one who would miss him when he was gone. Somehow she doubted he was the type to stick around long enough to let anyone get that close. Judging by the number of addresses she’d discovered in various different states—some of which he’d only resided in for a matter of weeks—any relationships he had were short-lived. Not that looking the way he did would leave him short of company for long.

Squaring her shoulders, she reached into the front of the briefcase he’d mentioned and held out her hand. ‘I’ll leave my card. When you’ve had time to think things over—’

‘Not gonna happen.’

Olivia stood her ground.

‘I take it you can find the door on your own?’

Okay. If he wanted to play hardball, she’d play. Lowering her gaze to his broad chest, she relaxed her shoulders and took a step forward, standing within inches of his large body and slowly lifting her lashes until she was looking deep into dark eyes. She ran her tongue over her lips and smoothed them together, watching his gaze lower and smiling when he frowned. She spoke in a low voice just loud enough for their audience to hear.

‘Tomorrow morning … all over the state … thousands of Warren Enterprises employees are going to turn up for work. I’d like to be able to tell them they’ll have a job a month from now, especially in this economy.’ She angled her head. ‘Wouldn’t you?’

Reaching out, she set her business card on a plank of wood beside him before turning on her heel and walking back down the hall. Her hand was on the door when she heard a voice ask, ‘Charles Warren is your old man?’

Silence.

‘You know my cousin Mike works for Warren Tech? He’s got a wife and three kids …’

Olivia smiled as she opened the door. There was no question in her mind she’d be seeing him again.

She was looking forward to it already.

Blake had always liked cities better than small towns. Cities were anonymous, no one wanted to poke their nose in anyone else’s business; it was easy to disappear into the crowd in the city. At least it used to be …

‘Isn’t that your lawyer lady from the other day?’

‘Yup.’ He’d known she was there from the minute she appeared with her mismatched set of friends. His gaze found her in the crowded bar with the same accuracy as a heat-seeking missile.

‘Sure fills out a pair of jeans,’ Marty observed.

‘I’m sure Chrissy will be glad to hear you noticed.’

‘I’m married, not blind.’

Without her power suit she was different, there was no denying that. Dressed in hip-hugging jeans and a scoopnecked blouse that highlighted her narrow waist, pale skin and the swell of her breasts, it had been hard to ignore her presence since she arrived. If there’d been the remotest chance they might cross paths again, he would never have accepted Marty’s usual end-of-the-working-week invitation for a beer and a game of pool in the nearest bar to the restoration project they’d been working on in the West Village. But it was too late now. It was only a matter of time before she crossed the room.

Bending over to line up his shot, Blake’s gaze was drawn upward by the appearance of distinctly feminine, jeans-clad thighs at the other side of the table.

‘Gentlemen …’

And there she was.

Sinking a ball into the pocket in front of her before standing upright, he set the end of his cue on the floor, folding his fingers around it as he looked her over.

American pool halls had once been the exclusive realm of men who smoked cigars and drank beer while they growled and spit tobacco. Young truants cleaned tables and floors, racking balls for new games while they learnt pool hustling and miscreant behaviour. It had been a poor man’s men’s club, devoid of female company.

Blake couldn’t help thinking it would have been better for Olivia Brannigan if it had stayed that way.

Because the second his gaze swept over her, he had the exact same reaction he’d had the first time. The tips of his fingers itched to be thrust into her sleek blond mane and mess it up until it framed her face the way it would after a session of the kind of hot, sweaty, mutually gratifying sex he doubted she’d ever experienced. He wanted to set the pad of his thumb on her full lips and smear away any hint of lipstick before he set his mouth on hers, to place a palm to the small of her back, melding her body to his as—

He took a measured breath. ‘Want to play, do you?’

‘So it would seem.’

There was a brief spark of light in the cool blue of her eyes that suggested a challenge did it for her. The fact she’d answered in a low voice which could easily have been described as sultry didn’t escape him either.

‘Reckon you can take me on?’

‘I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?’

Indeed they would.

‘Rack ’em up, Marty.’

While Marty handed over his cue and started gathering balls from the pockets, Blake stepped around the table to issue a low warning. ‘If you’re over here to discuss my luck in the legacy department, you can forget it.’

‘Well, I don’t know about you,’ she replied brightly, ‘but I’m off the clock.’

Looking down at her from the corner of his eye, he saw her check the face of a neat wrist-watch. A wave of softly curled hair hid her profile from him until she lifted her chin and added, ‘As of an hour and ten minutes ago.’

‘You’re the kind of gal who’s never off the clock.’

‘Maybe you don’t know me as well as you like to think you do.’

‘Meaning I should get to know you better?’

‘We’re set,’ Marty said.

Blake held out an arm. ‘Ladies first.’

‘Don’t hold back on my account.’

He leaned towards her as he walked by. ‘Never do.’

‘She know what she’s doing?’ Marty asked as he joined him at the bar.

Time would tell. Since every town had a pool table, they’d been one of the few constants in Blake’s life growing up. He knew a lot of pool was simple physics. Watching men who’d been playing for most of their lives, he knew it was all about the angles, the action and reaction, knowing when to exert a little force and when to use a finer touch. He’d learnt a lot of valuable life lessons from the game of pool. Watching Olivia Brannigan in action turned it into something altogether different: less physics, a whole lot more to do with chemistry.

Didn’t matter which side of the table she took her shot from, either way it provided the kind of view any red-blooded male could appreciate. When she was on the far side of the table, bending over the cue, it allowed a clean line of sight down her blouse to a hint of coloured ribbon that became the equivalent of an apple in Eden. A side view let his gaze skim over the sweep of her spine, the sweet curve of her ass, down legs that would never have ended if it hadn’t been for the floor.

As a card-carrying one hundred per cent red-blooded male, his body’s reaction to her was understandable. Unwelcome, considering what she represented, but understandable. Not to mention a timely reminder he’d obviously been all work and no play for too long. Something he would have to rectify, soon.

Standing upright, her gaze collided with his as she walked around the table with a hint of a smile on her face. Turning, she bent over to line up her next shot, gently swaying her hips from side to side: right in front of him.

‘She’s good,’ Marty said appreciatively as a ball ricocheted off a cushion directly into a corner pocket.

Blake’s silent agreement had nothing to do with her pool skills. Setting his bottle down, he stepped towards her. ‘Hustling me, Liv?’

‘It’s Olivia,’ she informed him, twisting on her heel and backing away with a sweet smile. ‘And if I wanted to hustle you, wouldn’t it make more sense to play badly before making a wager?’

‘You just popped over here to play a friendly little game of pool with the boys?’

Standing still long enough to efficiently chalk the tip of her cue with short, sharp movements, she continued walking around the table. ‘Is that illegal?’

‘You’re the lawyer. You tell me.’

‘I know it’s not in the state of New York.’ She bent down. ‘But I’d have to check the rules for Canada.’

When another ball disappeared off the table, she smiled a small, satisfied smile as she stood up.

‘I’m not talking to you about the will.’

‘I didn’t ask you to.’

‘You’re going to.’

‘You can see into the future?’ A flicker of amusement sparkled in her eyes. ‘Wouldn’t happen to know next week’s lottery numbers, would you?’ She shrugged a shoulder as she walked around the table.

‘Not that you need them.’

‘You know I can take out a restraining order against everyone at your firm if I have to …’

‘Be a pretty long list of names.’

‘I’d know who to put at the top.’

When he set his palm on the wooden edge of the table as she bent over her cue again, a brief upward flicker of her lashes revealed what might almost have been taken for hesitation. Did she realise she was playing in the big leagues? Good. Considering her options? More likely. Looking back down the cue, she swayed her hips again, a move that could have been misconstrued as preparation for her next shot to the untrained eye. Blake recognised it for what it was.

What bugged him was how well it was working.

‘I didn’t know you’d be here, if that’s what you’re suggesting,’ she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

That he was more likely to believe. How could she when he hadn’t known himself until a little under an hour ago? He never did from one Friday to the next. It was the nature of the job, the story of his life.

There was a sharp click and another ball disappeared off the table. ‘But, since we are here, maybe if you told me what the problem is, we could talk about it.’

‘We could—’ he rocked forward as she stood up ‘—if I hadn’t already said I wasn’t talking about it.’

‘You brought it up.’

‘Pity you’re off the clock then, isn’t it?’

She sighed. ‘It’s a lot of money to ignore.’

If money meant as much to him as she seemed to think it should, she might have a point. Rocking back on his heels, Blake stilled, his gaze scanning the crowd. He wondered what she’d think if she knew, given the option, he’d prefer every cent to disappear. He didn’t want to be responsible for thousands of people’s lives. A rolling stone could end up looking like the Rockies if it gathered that much moss.

‘I know it’s an intimidating prospect, running a company that large—’ her voice softened to a hum that washed across his senses with the same burn as the first sip of a smooth Scotch ‘—but there are people who have been with the company for decades …’

She was playing the guilt card again? When he looked down at her from the corner of his eye, she tacked on a soft smile and added, ‘They could run it for you.’

‘That’s exactly what I—’

Blake set an arm across Marty’s chest when he stepped forward to add his two cents.

‘You think I’m avoiding this because the leap from carpenter to CEO is beyond me?’

‘I didn’t say that.’

Not in so many words. But she was smarter than that.

Tucking the cue into the crook of his arm, he folded his arms across his chest. ‘So you’re gonna do what? Talk me through a pie chart? Help me pick out a suit for the office? Hold my hand while I go play with the big boys?’ He narrowed his eyes and smiled tightly. ‘Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, sweetheart.’

‘It’s called trying to help.’

‘That’s going well.’ He nodded. ‘For future reference—insulting my intelligence? Not a good place to start.’

Stepping around her to get to the bar, he lifted his bottle and tilted it to his mouth. His gaze followed her in the mirror as she followed him.

‘I wasn’t trying to insult you,’ she said in the sultry tone that travelled directly from ear to groin.

Blake gritted his teeth. Sure she wasn’t.

‘Would hardly be the best way to start a working relationship, would it?’

What working relationship?

‘It’s really none of my business why you want to turn your back on billions of dollars. But, like I said, the responsibility isn’t going anywhere. The board’s hands are tied. You have controlling interest in the company—they can’t do anything without your say-so. It’s how your father wanted it.’

The woman didn’t know when to quit.

Her voice lowered. ‘I know you’re still grieving. The last thing you want right now is—’

‘Grieving?’ A burst of sarcastic laughter split the air as he set his bottle down with a slam and turned on her, frustration mixing with anger. ‘Lady, you don’t know anything about—’

‘Blake …’ Marty used a hand on his upper arm to hold him still and allow him time to take a breath; his voice was filled with the same rock-steady calmness he’d used in the old days when Blake had been prone to standing up to guys twice his size. It had been the curse of the new kid and since Blake had always been the new kid …

With a nod from Blake to indicate he was good, Marty stepped away. Blake looked at Olivia and saw she was staring at him with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Not fear, he noted. Part of him respected the hell out of her for that when guys much bigger than her had been known to baulk. It was enough to make him step towards her again; the fact she stood her ground increased his perception of her as a woman who could hold her own.

He shook his head when his libido buzzed with the numerous possibilities that came with the thought. Strong women who could take him on both in and out of the bedroom—preferably without needing emotional entanglement—did it for him. Always had, always would.

He took a short breath. ‘As much of a pain in the ass as you’re proving to be, you didn’t deserve that.’

She arched a brow. ‘Is that an apology?’

‘It’s as close as I ever get to giving one.’ A corner of his mouth tugged wryly. ‘I’d run with it if I were you.’

Considering him with a tilt of her head, she came back with, ‘Know what you could do to make it up to me?’

Wasn’t going to like this, was he?

‘You know what the Warren Foundation is?’

And now he was an idiot again.

‘They’re hosting a benefit a couple of weeks from now. If you showed up—even for an hour or two—you might encourage people to reach deeper into their pockets to impress the new owner of the company.’ She shrugged as if she didn’t care one way or another if he showed. ‘As well as helping a worthy cause, you can meet some of the people who work for you in a social environment.’

‘You’re one of those women who calls in the middle of the night to tell a guy his phone is ringing, aren’t you?’

When she continued calmly holding his gaze, Blake wondered if she ever cut loose. What would it take to get the real Olivia Brannigan to come on down and—the question immediately jumped to the front of his mind—just how far was she willing to go to get what she wanted?

He was tempted to find out.

‘It’s at the Empire hotel,’ she added with a nod as if he’d already agreed, her gaze lowering to travel over his body from the middle of his chest to the toes of his boots.

Digging in the pocket of his jeans as he turned away, Blake frowned at the immediate response the invisible touch had on him. ‘I’ll think about it.’

‘It’s formal. You’ll need a tux.’

‘I said I’ll think about it.’ Tossing several bills on the bar, he turned to face her again. ‘While I do, I suggest you think about what you’re getting yourself into.’

‘Meaning?’

He stepped closer, forcing her to lift her chin. Searching her eyes, he noted the spark it took a blink of long lashes to conceal and smiled a slow smile. As aware of him as he was of her, wasn’t she? Unless he was mistaken—which he doubted—she’d known exactly what she was doing around the pool table. She thought she was in control of the situation and could use her sexuality to her advantage. He was fine with her attempting the latter, but if she wanted to take him on at more than a simple game of pool there were a few things she needed to understand.

‘Meaning you gamble, you best be prepared to ante-up, so think long and hard about what you’re bringing to the table, sweetheart.’ He closed the gap and moved his face closer to hers, his gaze lowering to her mouth, then shifting sharply to tangle with hers. ‘Because I’ll collect, and I think you know exactly what I mean by that.’

The almost imperceptible narrowing of her eyes told him she’d got the message. Blake smiled lazily when the next thing he saw was a spark of light that said it was ‘game on’ as far as she was concerned.

It was enough, for now.

Walking across the crowded room without looking back, he swung open the door and stepped out into oppressively humid air, pacing up and down on the sidewalk while he waited for Marty. Maybe he should just get the hell on with it. The sooner he did something about offloading property, dumping stocks and signing things over to people who might want them, the sooner he could leave it behind and get on with his life. It was more constructive than waiting around for a hint of grief to make an appearance. Especially when the lack of it was starting to make him feel like a heartless son-of-a—

Shouldn’t he feel something? When he looked inside at the dark corner where he’d tucked away his memories of the past, there was nothing: a big, black vacuum of nothing. That should have made him feel guilty; but nope, still nothing. Not a thing. As if part of him was missing.

When the door swung open again, he made a snap decision. ‘Think you can keep an eye on the crew?’

‘Sure.’ Marty’s shrug wouldn’t have inspired confidence if Blake hadn’t known him better. ‘Do what you gotta do, Anders.’

That was that, then. Another thought occurred to him and he began to smile as they walked towards the subway station. No reason he couldn’t have some fun along the way. Never let it be said he couldn’t multitask.

Olivia Brannigan’s life was about to get interesting.