The Incorrigible Playboy

Harry straightened up, tapping her cheek in passing, and his eyes twinkled as he said, ‘That’s my girl!’

Elizabeth barely stopped her hand from clapping her cheek to rid it of his electric touch. She clenched it into a fist and swiftly decided there would have to be some rules made about this short-term job on the island—like no touching from Harry. No kissing on the cheek, either. He was altogether too cavalier about taking liberties with her.

She was his stand-in manager, not his girl!

She was never going to be his girl.

She needed to find herself a serious man to share all that could be shared.

There was no hope of that happening with a playboy like Harry.

In fact he’d been quite masterful in manipulating Michael into complying with what he wanted. She would have to watch that particular skill of his and not fall victim to any manipulation that would end up with her in the playboy’s bed!

THE LEGENDARY FINN BROTHERS

Australia’s most eligible billionaires!

Everyone has heard about Harry Finn’s reputation: he’s utterly ruthless in the pursuit of beautiful women, and his devilishly charming smile is virtually irresistible! What he wants, he gets—and top of his list is secretary Elizabeth Flippence …

Notorious for being merciless in the boardroom, tycoon Michael Finn is all work and no play. Distractions aren’t on his agenda—especially in the too-tempting shape of bubbly, beautiful Lucy Flippence …

Look out for Michael’s story—coming soon from Mills & Boon® Modern™ Romance.

About the Author

Initially a French/English teacher, EMMA DARCY changed careers to computer programming before the happy demands of marriage and motherhood. Very much a people person, and always interested in relationships, she finds the world of romance fiction a thrilling one, and the challenge of creating her own cast of characters very addictive.

Recent titles by the same author:

AN OFFER SHE CAN’T REFUSE

THE COSTARELLA CONTRACT

HIDDEN MISTRESS, PUBLIC WIFE

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

The

Incorrigible

Playboy

Emma Darcy

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader

I want to dedicate this book to Marilyn Callaghan, who was my personal assistant, dear friend and travelling companion for eighteen marvellous years. She was involved in the writing of over sixty Emma Darcy books, not only as my muse but also as the person I trusted to keep me on track to deliver the best I could do. It was our friendship that made my writing continue to be a joy in my life.

Last year when she became very ill, and I was too worried about her to be creative, she still kept pushing me to write—coming up with ideas, wanting to be involved with another story. To please her, and to try and distract us both from what was happening in the real world, I started this book. All too soon she was hospitalised, and I sat by her bed reading to her the first few chapters as I finished them. It made her happy to feel she was still part of a world we could make together. I’d just started Chapter Four when she died, leaving me too bereft to go on with it for months afterwards.

But I had to finish it. For Marilyn. The last story that she shared with me. I hope I’ve got it right for her. I hope you enjoy it. She would want you to.

Love always

Emma Darcy

CHAPTER ONE

THIRTY.

The big three zero.

If ever there was a birthday to inspire the determination to make a change in her life, this was it.

Elizabeth Flippence assessed her reflection in the mirror with a mixture of hope and anxiety. She’d had her long brown hair cut to just below her ears and layered so that it fluffed out around her face in wild waves with bangs across her forehead. It was a much more modern look and softer, more feminine, but she wasn’t sure she should have let the hairdresser talk her into the vibrant auburn colour.

It was certainly striking. Which was probably what she needed for Michael Finn to really notice her today—notice her as a woman instead of taking her for granted as his superefficient personal assistant. She desperately wanted their relationship to shift from its consistently platonic level. Two years was long enough to pine for a man who seemed fixated on not mixing business with pleasure.

Which was ridiculous. They were so well suited to each other. Surely Michael knew that in his heart. It couldn’t be more obvious. Her frustration over this stand-off situation had been simmering for months, and Elizabeth had decided that today was the day she was going to try smashing down his guard. This makeover should at least capture his attention.

And the hairdresser was right about the auburn tones making her dark brown eyes look brighter. The new hairstyle also seemed to put her rather long nose in better proportion with the rest of her face. It highlighted her slanted cheekbones in a strangely exotic way and even her slightly wide full-lipped mouth looked more right somehow.

Anyway, it was done now and she fiercely hoped it would promote the desired result. When Michael commented on her changed appearance, she would tell him it was her birthday present to herself and maybe … please, please, please … he would suggest celebrating the occasion by taking her out to lunch, or better still, dinner.

She didn’t want to be his Girl Friday anymore. She wanted to be his every day and every night girl. If that didn’t start happening … Elizabeth took a long deep breath as she faced the unavoidable truth. Thirty really was the deadline for a woman to give serious consideration to finding a life partner if she wanted to have a family of her own. Michael Finn was her choice but if he didn’t respond to her differently today, she’d probably be wasting her time to hope for any change from him in the near future. Which meant she would have to move on, try to meet someone else.

She quickly banished the downer thought. It was imperative to be positive today. Smile and the whole world smiled back at you, she told herself. It was one of Lucy’s principles and it certainly worked for her sister, who invariably carved a blithe path through life, using her smile to get her out of trouble. A lot was forgiven with Lucy’s smile.

Elizabeth practised her own as she left the bathroom. She was just slipping her mobile phone into her handbag, ready to leave for work when it played her signature call tune. Quickly flipping it open she lifted it to her ear, anticipating the caller would be Lucy, who had spent the weekend with friends at Port Douglas. Her sister’s voice instantly bubbled forth.

‘Hi, Ellie! Happy birthday! I hope you’re wearing the clothes I bought for you.’

‘Thanks, Lucy, and yes, I am.’

‘Good! Every woman should look bold and beautiful on their thirtieth birthday.’

Elizabeth laughed. The beautiful butterfly blouse, basically in glorious shades of blue and green but with the wings outlined in brown and enclosing a vivid pattern in red and sea-green and yellow and lime, was definitely eye-catching, especially teamed with the sea-green pencil skirt. The outfit was a far cry from her usual style in clothes, but under Lucy’s vehement persuasion, she had let herself be seduced by the gorgeous colours.

‘I’ve had my hair cut, too. And dyed auburn.’

‘Wow! Can’t wait to see that! I’ll be back in Cairns later this morning. I’ll drop in at your office for a peek. Got to go now.’

The connection clicked off before Elizabeth could say, ‘No, don’t!’

It was probably silly but she felt uncomfortable about Lucy visiting her at work and had always deterred her from doing it. Because of Michael. As much as she loved her ditzy younger sister, there was no escaping the fact that men seemed irresistibly drawn to her. Her relationships never lasted long. Nothing with Lucy lasted long. There was always another man, another job, another place to go.

For several moments Elizabeth dithered over calling her sister back, not wanting this day to be spoiled by a possible distraction from herself. Yet, didn’t she need to test Michael’s feelings for her? He should value her worth above Lucy’s honeybee attraction. Besides, he might not even see her sister drop in. The door between her office and his was usually closed.

She didn’t feel right about putting Lucy off this morning. It was her birthday and her sister was happy and excited about seeing her. They only had each other. Their mother had died of cancer when they were still in their teens, and their father, who had since settled in Mt Isa with another woman, wouldn’t even remember her birthday. He never had.

In any event, Michael would have to meet Lucy sooner or later if the closer involvement Elizabeth was aiming for came to pass. Accepting this inevitability, she picked up her handbag, slid the mobile phone into its compartment and headed off to work.

The month of August was a pleasant one in Far North Queensland, not too hot to walk the five blocks from the apartment she and Lucy shared to The Esplanade, where the head office of Finn’s Fisheries was located. Usually she drove her little car, leaving it in the space allocated for her in the underground car park of her boss’s building, but she didn’t want to be tied to driving it home today. Much better to be free to do anything.

The thought brought another smile to her face as she strolled along. Michael really was the perfect man for her. Finn’s Fisheries was a huge franchise with outlets all around Australia. They not only stocked every possible piece of fishing gear—a lot of it imported—but the kind of clothing that went with it: wetsuits, swimming costumes, shorts, T-shirts, hats. The range of merchandise was fantastic and Michael dealt with all of it. She loved how he never missed a beat, always on top of everything. It was how she liked to be herself. Together they made a great team. He often said so himself.

If he would just see they should take the next step, Elizabeth was sure they could team up for life and make it a very happy one, sharing everything. He was thirty-five. It was time for both of them to start building a far more personal partnership. She couldn’t believe Michael wanted to remain a bachelor forever.

In the two years she’d known him his relationships with other women had never lasted long, but Elizabeth reasoned it was because he was a workaholic. It would be different with her. She understood him.

Despite all this positive thinking, her heart fluttered nervously as she entered her office. The door to Michael’s was open, which meant he was already in, organising the business of the day. It was Monday, the beginning of a new week. The beginning of something new between them, too, Elizabeth fiercely hoped as she took a deep breath to calm herself and walked purposefully to the opened door.

He was seated at his desk, pen in hand, ticking off items on a sheet of paper, his concentration so total he didn’t sense her presence. For a few moments Elizabeth simply gazed at him, loving the clean-cut perfection of the man; the thick black hair kept short so it was never untidy, the straight black eyebrows that gave slashing emphasis to the keen intelligence of his silver-grey eyes. The straight nose, firm mouth and squarish jaw all combined to complete the look of the alpha male he was.

As always he wore a top quality white shirt that showed off his flawless olive skin and undoubtedly he would be wearing classy black trousers—his customary work uniform. His black shoes would be shiny and … he was just perfect.

Elizabeth swallowed hard to clear her throat and willed him to give her the kind of attention she craved.

‘Good morning, Michael.’

‘Good morn—’ His gaze lifted, his eyes widening in shock. His mouth was left slightly agape, his voice momentarily choked by the unexpected sight of an Elizabeth who was not the same as usual.

She held her breath. This was the moment when the only-business attitude towards her had to snap. A host of butterflies invaded her stomach. Smile, her mind wildly dictated. Show him the warmth in your heart, the desire heating up your blood.

She smiled and suddenly he grinned, the silver eyes sparkling with very male appreciation.

‘Wow!’ he breathed, and her skin tingled with pleasure.

‘Great hair! Fabulous outfit, too!’ he enthused. ‘You’ve done wonders with yourself, Elizabeth. Does this mean there’s some new guy in your life?’

The high that had soared from his first words came crashing down. Associating her makeover with another man meant the distance he kept between them was not about to be crossed. Although … maybe he was tempted. Maybe he was just checking if the coast was clear for him to step in.

She rallied, quickly saying, ‘No. I’ve been unattached for a while. I just felt like a change.’

‘Super change!’ he warmly approved.

That was better. Warmth was good. Elizabeth instantly delivered the planned hint for him to make his move.

‘I’m glad you like it. The clothes are a gift from my sister. It’s my birthday. She insisted I had to look bold and beautiful today.’

He laughed. ‘Well, you certainly do. And we should celebrate your birthday, too. How about lunch at The Mariners Bar? We can make time for it if we get through this inventory this morning.’

Hope soared again. A lunch for two at one of the most expensive restaurants in Cairns, overlooking the marina full of million-dollar yachts … her heart sang with joy. ‘That would be lovely. Thank you, Michael.’

‘Book us a table. One o’clock should see us clear.’ He picked up a sheaf of papers, holding it out to her. ‘In the meantime, if you could check this lot …’

‘Of course.’

Business as usual, but there was a rainbow at the end of it today. Elizabeth could barely stop her feet from dancing over to his desk to collect the work that had to be done first.

‘Bold and beautiful,’ Michael repeated, grinning at her as he handed over the papers. ‘Your sister must have a lot of pizzazz.’

It killed the song in her heart. He was supposed to be showing more interest in her, not wondering about Lucy. She shouldn’t have mentioned her sister. But there was no taking it back, so she had to live with it.

‘Yes, she has, but she’s terribly ditzy with it. Nothing seems to stay in her head long enough to put any order into her life.’ It was the truth and she wanted Michael to know it. The thought of Lucy being attractive to him in any way was unbearable.

‘Not like you,’ he said appreciatively.

She shrugged. ‘Chalk and cheese. A bit like you and your brother.’

The words tripped off her tongue before Elizabeth could catch them back. The anxiety about Lucy had caused her control to slip. It wasn’t appropriate for her to make any comment about her boss’s brother. Normally she would keep her mouth firmly shut about him, despite the heartburn Harry Finn invariably gave her with his playboy patter. She hated it when he came into the office. Absolutely hated it.

Michael leaned back in his chair, his mouth tilted in a musing little smile. ‘Working behind a desk is definitely not Harry’s thing, but I think you might have the wrong impression of him, Elizabeth.’

‘I’m sorry.’ She grimaced an apology. ‘I didn’t mean to … to …’

Now she was lost for words!

‘It’s okay.’ Michael waved off her angst. ‘I know he seems very casual about everything but his mind is as sharp as a razor blade and he has his thumb on everything to do with his side of the business.’

Charter boats for deep-sea fishing, dive-boats for tourists wanting to explore the Great Barrier Reef, overseeing the resort they’d built on one of the islands—it was playboy stuff compared to what Michael did. Elizabeth’s opinion of Harry Finn didn’t shift one iota.

‘I’ll try to see him in that light in the future,’ she clipped out.

Michael laughed. Elizabeth’s toes curled. He was so charismatically handsome when he laughed. ‘I guess he’s been ruffling your feathers with his flirting. Don’t let it get to you. He’s like that with every woman. It’s just a bit of fun.’

Oh, sure! Great fun! For Harry Finn.

Elizabeth hated it.

However, she managed to paste a smile on her face. ‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ she said. ‘Must get to work now. And I’ll book our table at The Mariners Bar.’

‘Do that.’ Another grin. ‘We can discuss brothers and sisters over lunch.’

No way, Elizabeth thought as she walked briskly to her own office, firmly closing the door behind her to ensure that Michael didn’t see Lucy when she dropped in. She didn’t want her sister sparking any interest in his mind. Nor did she want Harry Finn intruding on any part of this special lunch date. This precious time together had to be about moving closer to each other on a really personal plane. All her hopes for a future with Michael Finn were pinned on it.

CHAPTER TWO

TEN thirty-seven.

Elizabeth frowned at the clock on her desk. The arrangement with the coffee shop on the ground floor was for coffee and muffins to be delivered at ten-thirty—black expresso and a chocolate muffin for Michael, cappuccino and a strawberry and white chocolate muffin for her. She skipped breakfast to have this treat and her empty stomach was rumbling for it. It was unusual for the delivery to be late. Michael hated unpunctuality and the shop tenants were well aware of his requirements.

A knock on her door had her scuttling out of her chair to open it, facilitating entry as fast as possible. ‘You’re late,’ she said chidingly, before realising the tray of coffee and muffins was being carried by Harry Finn.

Vivid blue eyes twinkled at her. ‘Short delay while they made coffee for me, too,’ he said unapologetically.

‘Fine! You can explain that to Michael,’ she bit out, forcing her gritted teeth open to get the words out.

‘Oh, I will, dear Elizabeth. Never would I leave a blemish on your sterling record of getting everything right for him,’ he rolled out in the provocative tone that made her want to hit him. She was not given to violence but Harry Finn invariably stirred something explosive in her.

‘And may I say you look stunning this morning. Absolutely stunning!’ he rattled on as he stepped into her office, eyeing her up and down, his gaze pausing where the butterfly wings on her blouse framed her breasts, making her nipples stiffen into bullets. She wished they could be fired at him. His white T-shirt with tropical fish emblazoned on it wouldn’t look so sexy on him if there were black holes through it to his all-too-manly chest.

‘The hair is spectacular, not to mention—’

‘I’d rather you didn’t mention,’ she cut him off, closing the door and waving him towards Michael’s office. ‘Your brother is waiting.’

He grinned his devil-may-care grin. ‘Won’t kill him to wait a bit longer.’

She crossed her arms in exasperated impatience with him as he strolled over to set the tray down on her desk, then hitched himself onto the edge of it, ignoring any reason for haste. The white shorts he wore emphasised his long, tanned, muscular legs. One of them he dangled at her, teasing her need for proper behaviour.

‘A moth turning into a butterfly doesn’t happen every day,’ he happily remarked. ‘I want to enjoy the glory of it.’

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She was not going to stand for this. A moth! She had never been a moth! She had simply chosen to be on the conservative side with her appearance to exemplify a serious career person, not someone who could ever be considered flighty like her sister.

‘The coffee will be getting cold,’ she stated in her chilliest voice.

‘Love the sea-green skirt,’ he raved on. ‘Matches the colour of the water near the reef. Fits you very neatly, too. Like a second skin. In fact, it’s inspiring a fantasy of you as a mermaid.’ He grinned. Evilly. ‘I bet you’d swish your tail at me.’

‘Only in dismissal,’ she shot at him, pushing her feet to walk to the desk and deal with the coffee herself since Harry was not inclined to oblige. It meant she had to go close to him, which she usually avoided because the man was so overwhelmingly male, in-your-face male, that her female hormones seemed to get in a tizzy around him. It was extremely irritating.

He wasn’t as classically handsome as Michael. He was more raffishly handsome—his longish black curly hair flopping around his face, crow’s-feet at the corners of his eyes from being out in the weather, a slightly crooked nose from having it broken at some point in his probably misspent youth, and a mouth that was all-too-frequently quirked with amusement. At her. As it was now.

‘Have you ever wondered why you’re so uptight with me, Elizabeth?’ he tossed out.

‘No. I don’t give you that much space in my mind,’ she answered, deliberately ignoring him as she removed her coffee and muffin from the tray.

‘Ouch!’ he said as though she’d hurt him, then laughed to show she hadn’t. ‘If I ever get too big for my boots, I know where to come to be whipped back into shape.’

She gave him a quelling look. ‘You’ve come to see Michael. Just follow me into his office.’

The devil danced in his eyes. ‘Only if you swish your tail at me.’

She glared back. ‘Stop playing with me. I’m not going there with you. Not ever,’ she added emphatically.

He was totally unabashed. ‘All work, no play—got to say you’re safe with Mickey on that score.’

Safe? The word niggled at Elizabeth’s mind as she carried the tray to Michael’s door. Why was Harry so sure she was safe with his brother? She didn’t want to be safe. She wanted to be desired so much, there would be no distance left between them.

Harry bounded past her, opened the door and commanded his brother’s attention. ‘Hi, Mickey! I held up the coffee train to have one made for myself. Have a few things to discuss with you. Here’s Elizabeth with it now.’

‘No problem,’ Michael answered, smiling at her as she sailed in with the tray.

She hugged the smile to her heart. Michael was the man of true gold. Harry was all glitter. And she hated him calling his brother Mickey. It was rotten, schoolboy stuff—Mickey Finn—linking him to a spiked drink, and totally inappropriate for the position he now held. No dignity in it at all. No respect.

‘Thanks, Elizabeth,’ Michael said warmly as she unloaded the tray, setting out the two coffees and muffin on his desk. ‘Table booked?’

‘Yes.’

‘What table?’ Harry asked, instantly putting her on edge again.

‘It’s Elizabeth’s birthday. I’m taking her out to lunch.’

‘A … ha!’

Her spine crawled at the wealth of significance she heard in Harry’s voice. If he was about to make fun of the situation … She picked up the emptied tray and swung around to shoot him a killing look.

He lifted his hand in a salute, pretending to plead for a truce between them but his eyes glittered with mocking amusement. ‘Happy birthday, dear Elizabeth.’

‘Thank you,’ she grated out, and swiftly left the two men together for their discussions, closing the door to give them absolute privacy and herself protection from that man.

It was difficult to concentrate on work. She tried, but the clock kept ticking on—eleven o’clock, eleven-thirty, twelve. Lucy hadn’t dropped in and Harry was still with Michael. Anything could have happened with Lucy. It frequently did. She might not make it into the office at all, which would be a relief, no chance of a meeting with Michael. Harry was the main problem. She wouldn’t put it past him to invite himself to her birthday lunch. If he did, would Michael put him off?