‘That business at the office...’ he began.
Hayley’s heart leapt awkwardly. So he did have some feelings of guilt about that. Oh, my God! Was he going to ask her to keep quiet about it in front of Felicity? She wouldn’t be able to bear it if he did.
Anthea had almost reached them, her face aglow. She halted as she realised her friend was talking to a man. She stood politely at a distance, waiting for them to finish. Not that either was talking at that moment.
Marcus Maury was taking his time in studying Hayley’s face, and Hayley was staring back at him, her mouth half open while she found the words to tell him what she thought of him, but before she could collect herself he said, ‘I’d intended calling on you tomorrow, to make sure there were no ill effects.’
He was talking about her ordeal, she realised incredulously, not their lovemaking.
‘There aren’t any,’ she said faintly. ‘Ill effects, I mean.’
He smiled. ‘That’s good.’
But something unfathomable still hung in the air between them.
Was he, the great, commanding Marcus Maury, afraid to ask her for what he wanted?
‘And as for...the...other,’ she said, skirting delicately around the words she couldn’t bring herself to say, ‘don’t worry. I’ve already forgotten all about it.’
His brows rose the merest fraction. ‘Really? How crushing to my ego.’ Something tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Hayley had a suspicion that he was actually laughing at her.
‘You’ll survive,’ she said grimly. ‘And perhaps, in future, you should indulge your romantic inclinations only where they’re welcome.’
He frowned. ‘I could have sworn that’s precisely what I was doing. Could I really have been so mistaken?’
Hayley drew in a sharp breath. ‘You’ve got to be the most arrogant...conceited...’ She fumed, silently mouthing adjectives she didn’t dare to utter.
He moved closer, and she felt his warm breath fanning her forehead. ‘Is it conceit to say honestly what you feel?’ he challenged, barely audibly. ‘You should try it some time, Hayley. Being honest, I mean.’
Hayley blinked at the familiar use of her name, and, despite her anger, it sent a shiver of pleasure up her receptive spine.
‘Then perhaps we might get somewhere.’
She licked dry lips. ‘And where is it that you want to get, Mr Maury? With me, I mean. Isn’t one string to your bow enough?’
His eyes narrowed on hers in silence for some seconds, the cool probing of his gaze drawing her nerves so taut that she felt she’d scream.
Then he said, ‘Perhaps. But it would need to be the right string to strike the desired chord.’
While Hayley was still trying to digest this, and find a reply, an excited voice sounded in her ear.
‘Oh, my gosh! It is you!’ They both turned as Anthea’s breathless voice broke between them. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but I simply can’t believe it.’ She turned her round, incredulous eyes on Marcus Maury. ‘You really are Felicity Braun’s—’
Hayley saw the furious darkening of his expression with dismay. There was no way anyone would describe Marcus Maury as anyone’s anything, and get away with it.
She cut in quickly. ‘Anthea, I think you should meet my—er—boss. Mr Marcus Maury.’
The hesitation must have shown him plainly that she believed that relationship might now be in doubt, and she saw a gleam of something in his eyes that looked like ironic amusement. Well, let him have the satisfaction of his little private joke, she thought tightly. She wasn’t that desperate for a job.
‘This is him?’ Anthea repeated in amazement. ‘Why, you sly puss, Hayley. You didn’t tell me he was also—’
Hayley trod on Anthea’s foot hard, quite unmoved by her friend’s glare of pained outrage.
It was at that moment Felicity Braun joined them, her hand slipping possessively through Marcus Maury’s arm.
‘Here I am at last, darling! Did it seem like forever?’ Her eyes gleamed coolly as she realised he was in company. ‘I might have known you’d manage to find a little diversion. Double helpings too, you greedy thing.’
Ignoring the coy reproach, Marcus Maury said abruptly, ‘You’ve met Miss Morgan already at the office. And although I haven’t yet been introduced, this young lady is, I take it, Miss Morgan’s friend. Miss—er...?’
‘Lewis.’ Anthea supplied hastily. ‘Thank you so much for your autograph, Miss Braun.’ The piece of paper waved in her hand.
‘Only too happy,’ Felicity said, but she was looking closely at Hayley’s flushed face.
‘This is Miss Morgan?’ She eyed Hayley coldly. ‘Well! She’s certainly been keeping her light well hidden underneath a bushel.’
He gave a grim laugh. ‘Yes. There I have to agree.’
Hayley gave a little shudder at the hard gleam in his blue eyes, and groaned silently as he went on, ‘In fact we were just discussing her penchant for hiding.’
Hayley muttered something rude beneath her breath.
‘We’ve booked to eat,’ she said, trying to sound nonchalant. ‘So I’ll see you on Monday, Mr Maury.’
He inclined his head. ‘Goodnight, Miss Morgan.’
‘Goodnight,’ she muttered, unable to meet his eyes. ‘Goodnight, Miss Braun. Wonderful film.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Anthea chirped in admiringly. ‘We both enjoyed it enormously.’
Felicity ignored them both.
Still looking bemused, Anthea allowed herself to be dragged away. Thankfully Hayley led her outside into the fresh air, where, as luck would have it, a taxi was just drawing into the kerb. Grabbing Anthea’s arm, she sprinted forward to beat another couple who’d been waiting.
‘Sorry,’ she said as she bundled Anthea into the back. ‘It’s an emergency.’
If she had any more emergencies in the near future, she thought grimly, then she was probably in for a nervous breakdown.
Anthea had booked at an Italian restaurant, and, although she normally loved Italian food, Hayley doubted she would be able to do full justice to her favourite cannelloni tonight.
Anthea was sulking a little. Now the excitement had worn off, she was hurt by what she called Hayley’s deviousness.
‘Why didn’t you tell me who he was?’ she complained, while trying to juggle with meatballs and trailing spaghetti.
‘I didn’t think it was important,’ Hayley hedged, still reluctant to discuss Marcus Maury with Anthea. Especially after their disturbing conversation, which had led—goodness knew where. Come Monday, she might not even be his secretary anyway.
‘Important?’ Anthea was saying explosively. ‘You didn’t think working for Felicity Braun’s latest was important?’
Hayley’s frayed temper seemed close to snapping. ‘I wish you’d stop saying that. Latest what? Latest besotted admirer? Latest groupie?’ Hayley gave a short, hard laugh. ‘If you knew Marcus Maury, you would know he’s not the type of person to fit happily into either of those descriptions.’
Good grief, what’s the matter with me? she thought disbelievingly. I’m actually defending his integrity.
Unrepentant, Anthea grinned. ‘Latest lover, I should think. There was definitely something sparking between those two. She was practically gobbling him up with those fascinating green-gold eyes of hers.’
Hayley didn’t like the description, although she had to admit it fitted.
‘I didn’t notice,’ she said untruthfully. ‘Now do you mind if I forget all about work, and Marcus Maury, and enjoy my meal?’
It would have been nice if she could have done, but, no matter how hard she tried, her mind came back to him. Because of her stupid need to impress him—and that, she now recognised, was what the nonsense of working late had been all about—their relationship had been changed irrevocably.
Last night he had found out how easy it was to get her into his arms. Did he intend to take advantage of that fact, as Frank Heaton undoubtedly would have? she wondered, worrying into th
e early hours of the morning, when the only partially digested cannelloni lay as heavily on her chest as the foreboding did on her mind.
CHAPTER FIVE
MARCUS was already there when Hayley arrived first thing Monday morning. He’d obviously brought the mail up early, and was sorting it when she walked through into his office.
She’d been reluctant to face him, unsure what his attitude this morning would be, and had had to steel herself to walk calmly into his room.
He lifted his head in response to her wary, ‘Good morning.’
‘I see you’ve started the post,’ she said crisply. ‘Would you like me to finish it?’
To her consternation, his hand came out to grasp hers as she leaned across his desk, his long, lean fingers tensile against her skin.
‘Leave it for a moment,’ he ordered casually, absently moving his thumb against the soft, sensitive skin of her wrist, filling her with a painful confusion. Did he know how easily he could affect her with his slightest touch? She felt the flow of his vitality and stifled a shudder, pulling her hand from his.
He sat back, perfectly at ease, as his eyes flicked over her in absorbed and silent appraisal.
Hayley squirmed under his scrutiny, longing to tell him to stop, but she didn’t want to start a quarrel this early in the morning if she could avoid it. She longed to know what it was that held him entranced.
She wore a straight black skirt and neat blouse and had coiled her hair, but she wasn’t wearing her glasses.
His mouth curved sardonically, and at last he said, ‘I see you’re still wearing the disguise. Now you’ve been rumbled, I don’t quite see the point of keeping it up.’
Hayley flushed. ‘It isn’t a disguise. It’s simply my idea of suitable dress for the office.’ She added spiritedly, ‘You wouldn’t wear a business suit to play tennis, would you?’
He grinned, his teeth gleaming white against his lightly tanned skin.
Hayley’s stomach gave its familiar little lurch as her eyes were caught in his ironic gaze.
‘Actually my game’s squash, not tennis, but point taken.’
He stood up and came around the desk, his eyes on her hair. ‘It wouldn’t hurt to let that glorious hair free, though, would it?’ Unexpectedly, his fingers loosened the knot, allowing the curls their freedom to riot, and she moved back out of his reach with a cry of annoyance.
‘The way I wear my hair is my choice. And I happen to like it pinned up.’ She held her hand out for the pins he’d removed, and he gave them to her with a sigh.
‘Shame!’ he said mockingly, as she drew the hair forcibly back from her face and re-coiled it. ‘It’s so pretty, and actually I’m not averse to a little glamour about the office, provided it comes hand in glove with efficiency.’
Her brown eyes glinted fiery sparks. She said coldly, ‘The efficiency I can promise you.’
His brows rose mockingly. ‘And the glamour?’
She shrugged. ‘Out of place, don’t you think? I wouldn’t like to be thought provocative.’ Old memories resurfaced, making her bitter.
‘An admirable sentiment.’ His laugh this time was full of amusement. ‘I’d be more impressed if I hadn’t met a certain Miss Pushy on a train, who showed every sign of being provocative.’
Hayley grimaced. She’d thought it was too good to last. ‘Oh, I see! So we’re back to that.’
‘Yes. You never did reveal the mystery.’
She shook her head. ‘Ancient history, Mr Maury. No longer topical.’
‘But tantalising. I’d like to know. Why won’t you tell me?’ His voice was soft, almost seductive, and he moved forward, so close that she was pinned with her back against the desk.
Her heart fluttered uncomfortably. She felt trapped, by the past and its power to invade the present. And by the determination of this man to pierce every one of her defences.
She said tensely, ‘Because it’s none of your damned business.’
The smile had vanished, to be replaced by a frown. ‘I think anything that involves me becomes my business.’
‘And I disagree.’
It was difficult not to be intimidated, especially since his face was so close that she could feel the warmth of him and smell the subtle scent of his aftershave, which sent her treacherous heart leaping about like a lamb in spring.
He went on staring into her defiant eyes for seconds that seemed like years, before giving a resigned shrug. ‘What’s new?’
His hands lifted and she thought for a moment that he was about to seize her shoulders, but they halted midway and fell to his sides.
Walking back around the desk, he sat down heavily, his face withdrawn and unreadable.
Unaccountably she was shaking and, intimidated by his sudden withdrawal, she wondered if, once again, she’d gone too far. ‘I can promise Miss Pushy is out of your life forever. And Miss Morgan wants only to do her job as well as circumstances will allow. We can agree on that.’
He gave her a wintry smile. ‘Well, I suppose that’s something.’ He pushed the paperwork across the desk. ‘Now you can have the post.’
* * *
After that awkward start things could only get better, Hayley promised herself. But in the weeks that followed they went from busy to hectic, and as yet another weekend loomed Hayley’s in-tray was still very much ‘in’. But, she thought wryly, there was no danger of her making the mistake of working over this weekend.
Mid-afternoon on Friday, Hayley felt as she imagined Atlas must have felt, carrying the world on his shoulders, and decided to put it down for a while, to take a desperately needed break.
She brought a cup of tea and a sticky bun up from the tea-room and was indulging herself, seated at her desk, when her door began to open. She’d been expecting Marcus to come back for the past hour, and had a half-smile pinned to her lips, awaiting the ribald remark she knew would come, when the door opened further and, with some difficulty, a woman manoeuvred a wheelchair into her office.
The stranger had a long, thin face, set with sharp grey eyes which fixed on Hayley’s snack with obvious disgust.
‘When the cat’s away...’ she said pointedly, adding frostily, ‘And if there’s one thing Marcus hates, it’s eating in the office.’
Hayley was tempted to say that, far from hating her taking her break in her room, he was only too delighted, as long as it kept the work moving forward, but why should she stoop to argue with this stranger?
‘Is there something I can do for you?’ she asked as politely as she could manage.
‘Not you,’ the woman said, with a cool smile. ‘There is something, but I’d prefer to discuss it with Marcus.’
With a similarly cool smile Hayley answered, ‘I’m afraid he isn’t here at the moment.’
‘That’s pretty obvious.’ The grey eyes were looking pointedly at the bun again. ‘But don’t worry about me.’ She waved her hand airily. ‘I’m quite happy to amuse myself.’
Before Hayley could stop her she’d wheeled herself across the room and entered Marcus’s office.
Hayley jumped up quickly, almost spilling her tea on some finished letters, but by a miracle she righted her cup and mopped at the spilled drops with a tissue. That was all she needed now, to have to reprint an afternoon’s work.
Determinedly, she crossed to Marcus’s room, where the woman was busy looking through some files on his desk.
‘What on earth do you think you’re doing?’ she demanded fiercely, and then caught sight of the smile cast over narrow shoulders.
‘You’re Audrey Blake, aren’t you?’ she said, her voice sounding annoyingly shaky from repressed temper. ‘Why didn’t you say so in the first place?’
‘Because I wanted to see how long it would take you to guess,’ she said triumphantly. ‘Not very quick, are you, dear?’
Hayley felt goaded. ‘Neither would you be, after a week like the last one.’
Audrey’s smile didn’t enhance her face, Hayley thought. No wonder the girls in
the typing pool didn’t like her. Her expression alone would put her to the bottom of any popularity poll.
‘Finding it hard going, are you?’ Audrey enquired with mock-concern. ‘Well, don’t worry. I’ll be back on Monday to relieve you of the burden of my job.’
Hayley felt stunned. ‘You’re coming back to work on Monday?’ She gasped in astonishment. ‘Does Marcus know?’
Her brain was whirling. How could he do this to her, leaving it to the last minute to tell her? she thought with a surge of resentment.
‘Not yet,’ Audrey said. ‘But he will, when I tell him.’
‘Tell who what?’
Marcus’s deep, pleasant voice startled them both. Two flushed faces turned to him as he entered. He stopped in the doorway in surprise.
‘Good grief! Audrey! What on earth are you doing here?’
He crossed the room and bent to kiss her thin cheek as she beamed up at him.
‘As I was just telling your temp here, after today her services will no longer be required. On Monday I’ll be back.’
He frowned. ‘A bit high-handed, even for you, Audrey.’
Without looking at Hayley, he said, ‘See if you can get two coffees, will you? One black and one white.’
Hayley was fuming as she left the office. Irrationally, most of her anger was for Marcus Maury, though she could hardly expect him to tell Audrey she couldn’t have her job back, if she thought she was capable of doing so. Still, her mutinous heart complained, he might have just glanced at her, given her some moral support in a moment when she had suffered such a body-blow. Didn’t he care that she would now have to leave him?
She groaned and stood still for a moment, with her eyes closed, shocked by the strength of the emotions which rocked her. It was the job she was leaving...the job. It was her own idiotic fault if, somewhere along the line, she had fused the job with the man. Stupidly, she now felt as though she was losing both.
The office was filled with tension when Hayley returned with the coffee. Marcus was rubbing a deep groove which had appeared between his eyes, and Audrey was looking stubborn. They’d obviously stopped talking as she’d entered, and didn’t resume until she’d left and closed the door behind her, a fact which didn’t improve her temper.
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