Page 2 of Covert

She’d had enough of egotistical, overbearing males to last a lifetime, and she had it on good authority he was one of the best.

Defying her brothers was one thing, gaining the upper hand with one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors would be another entirely.

Not that his good looks would intimidate her. She loved a challenge, and handling the likes of Dylan Harmon shouldn’t be a problem.

Now she had to believe it.

2

Dylan stepped from the shower and dried off, before wrapping a towel around his waist and reaching for a razor.

While shaving, he heard the bedroom door slam and assumed it must be the new butler his mother hired. Not that he needed one, but Liz Harmon seemed hell-bent on making his life easier these days.

“Is that you, Sam? I’ll be out in a minute.”

Splashing aftershave into his palms and patting his face, he wondered what sort of man his mother deemed suitable. Sam Piper must be a jack-of-all-trades, because his mother believed he needed someone to lend him a hand in all facets of the business.

If he hadn’t been so pig-headed, she’d have hired someone a long time ago. They’d argued about his workload for far too long and he’d finally given in, knowing his mother’s interference sprang from concern rather than any great desire to rule his life.

Strolling into the bedroom, he came face to face with a woman.

Not just any woman, but a delicate waif wearing a navy blue uniform with the Harmon coat of arms over her left breast. Once his gaze strayed to her chest, he had a tough time wrenching itback, because the evidence of her femininity, combined with the uniform, could only mean one thing.

“Hi, I’m Sam Piper. Pleased to meet you.”

The woman held out her hand and he continued to stare, taking in her short blonde curls, wide green eyes, and heart-shaped face. Not classically beautiful but there was something about her… she had an indefinable quality that could captivate a man before he knew what hit him.

He shook her hand, surprised by the firmness of her grip. “You’rethe new butler?”

She gave a quaint little bow. “At your service… Sir.”

He noted the cheeky pause, the twinkle in her eye. His first assessment had been right. She could be trouble.

“Call me Dylan. Though it won’t be for long.”

She straightened her shoulders. “Why is that?”

“Because you’re fired.”

He turned away and headed for the wardrobe, wondering what had possessed his mother to pull a stunt like this.

“If you’re looking for the charcoal suit, white silk shirt, and maroon tie, they’re hanging on the back of the door.”

He stopped mid-stride and turned around, surprised she appeared unperturbed by his putting an abrupt end to her employment. In fact, she hadn’t moved an inch and didn’t seem at all concerned. “How did you know?”

She shrugged, and he noticed the stubborn set of her shoulders, the subservient clasped hands in front of her body at odds with the defiance in her steady gaze.

“You’re a man of habit. You always wear that combination on a Wednesday.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’ve been studying me?”

“Call it research.” Her demure smile didn’t fool him for a second, especially when defiance sparked her eyes. “All part of the job, Sir.”

“Don’t call me that,” he snapped. He strode across the room and picked up the clothes, wondering when he’d become so predictable. “What are you still doing here? Didn’t you hear me before? Your employment is terminated.”

“I heard you, but I’m not going anywhere.”

He glared at the waif. Rather than being intimidated as most people were around him, she met his gaze directly, not flinching when he moved towards her.

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