Falling for the Boss (13 page)

The following
afternoon, Luke and Maggie loaded her suitcases into the jeep and drove the few blocks to her apartment. Luke, oblivious to the real reason for Maggie’s quiet demeanor, remarked how unfortunate it was that Marcus had been called away again so soon after his return.

Knowing that
the gentleman in question had probably not given her another thought since bidding her goodbye the day before, she murmured something inaudible and quickly changed the subject. Fortunately for the sake of Maggie’s strained nerves, Luke didn’t linger long. Marcus had left him enough research to keep him buried in his office for days.

After the luxury of the Rose Room,
Maggie’s apartment seemed cramped and uninviting. She spent the rest of the day unpacking, putting on fresh bed linens and getting her clothes ironed. On the following day, she visited the market to restock her empty pantry, returning to a depressingly quiet house and a cat not pleased with the change in living accommodations.

T
he last few weeks of September passed uneventfully. Maggie glided back into her guide duties without a hitch and was glad to be busy. This left no time for idle thoughts. Of Marcus she saw almost nothing. Since he was assisting Damien with one of his cases, he spent most of the week in Atlanta, only returning to Charleston for a day or two at a time.

Intellectually
, Maggie knew he was busy, too busy to worry about her and too preoccupied to do more than smile when they happened to meet. It was silly to expect more. After all, there was nothing between them. It was all make-believe.

Something occurred on a busy Friday that drove all other worries from
her mind. The tours had been crazy all day, and Maggie was over an hour late getting home. It wasn’t until she’d changed out of her work clothes that she noticed the absence of Mittens. A quick search of all that feline’s favorite hideouts produced nothing. Sitting down on the couch, she tried to think what could have happened.

Mittens had been safely ensconced in the living room window when she left for work that morning. Other than her, o
nly the landlord had a key to the apartment, and this was only used for maintenance purposes. A sudden thought sent her running into the kitchen. Sure enough, the light fixture over her sink, which for the last month had been broken, was looking as good as new. That explained how Mittens could have escaped.

G
rabbing her keys and a flashlight, Maggie left the apartment only to return hours later empty-handed. Sick with worry, she found her appetite gone. All she could do was pace the living room floor, wondering where Mittens could have gone and trying not to think about all the things that could have happened to her outside.

A few
blocks away, Marcus parked his car in the garage and slowly made his way into the house. He’d spent a tedious day in court trying to argue a case his brother should never have accepted in the first place. All he wanted to do was take a hot shower and sleep for twelve hours. The last few weeks had been too hectic for his liking. While he enjoyed his work, enough was enough.

T
he pulsating water worked wonders on his weary shoulder and neck muscles. Emerging from the shower, he pulled on a bathrobe and briskly rubbed his wet hair with a towel. As he stood before the lighted bathroom mirror, debating on whether he had the energy to shave, he saw something moving around in his room.

For a brief second,
he thought perhaps another mouse had managed to get into the house. His mind dismissed this possibility as another more amazing one occurred to him. Marcus took the few steps into his bedroom and his eyes widened in disbelief. There in the middle of his huge four poster bed, her outline just visible, sat Mittens.

“
How did you get in here?” He bent over the intrepid feline and administered an affectionate pat on the head. “Maggie is probably going out of her mind right now. You’ll have to go back, you know.” Marcus sighed; he was so tired, but he knew Maggie would prefer to have Mittens back as soon as possible. “Just let me get dressed, and we’ll soon have you home.”

P
ersistent knocking woke Maggie from an exhausted doze on the couch. Rubbing eyes puffy from crying, she glanced at the clock, noticing the late hour.

“
Maggie, open up, it’s Marcus.”

Relief pulsed through her body
at the sound of his deep voice. Marcus would know what to do. She jumped off the couch, unbolted the door and without even allowing him a word, proceeded to tell him about Mitten’s disappearance.

Since her eyes were on his face,
she failed to notice the box he was carrying. She did finally realize Marcus was still standing on the doorstep; she stepped aside to let him in. Putting the box down, he clasped her trembling hands.

“
Forgive me for not calling first. Mittens is safe – see for yourself.” He opened the lid of the box and a very indignant feline emerged.

Maggie could
n’t believe it. Picking Mittens up, she hugged her tightly. “Oh, Marcus. I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much for bringing her home. I had begun to lose hope. Where did you find her?”

“
When I came out of the shower this evening, she was sitting on my bed. I’m not sure how long she’d been there.”

“
That’s impossible! Mittens could never have managed to find Bradford House.”

“
Evidently, the desire to see me again was enough to surpass all obstacles,” he said teasingly, hoping to erase some of the tension in Maggie’s face.

This attempt at humor hardly registered.
“I’m just glad she’s safe. How can I ever thank you? I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t found her.”

“
Don’t keep thanking me; I did nothing. It was more a case of her finding me.”

Silence fell between them as Maggie searched frantically for something to say. She
’d wanted to see Marcus for days, knowing the futility of it, but desiring it all the same. Now he was sitting across from her, close enough to touch, and all she could do was stare helplessly into his handsome face.

Marcus felt an instinctive urge to leave. Maggie was looking at him in a way that made him feel peculiar.
He stood abruptly. “I need to get going. You must be exhausted, and I know I am.” At the door he hesitated a few agonizing seconds before turning to the silent girl behind him, his face unsmiling. “Don’t forget to lock up after me,” he added quietly, his desire to be gone so obvious that Maggie winced.

Locking the
door mechanically, she drifted slowly into her bedroom, her mind curiously numb. Unseeingly, she sank down onto the bed. The relief of getting Mittens back and the joy of seeing the man she loved had been too quickly followed by the realization that Marcus hadn’t wanted to be there at all. He hadn’t missed her, and he certainly hadn’t been glad to see her. Her usefulness to him had truly come to an end.

His departure
didn’t bring Marcus the relief he sought. Twinges of guilt nagged him all the way home. There were so many other ways he could have handled the situation that would have prevented him hurting Maggie and acting rude in the process. The only possible explanation for his uncharacteristic behavior was so wild that he swept it from his mind almost angrily. No woman was going to exert so much influence on him. He simply wouldn’t allow it to happen.

Chapter
Ten

The warm days gradually gave way to cooler ones.
All over the historic district leaves were turning from dark green to brilliant red, orange and yellow hues. Fewer and fewer visitors came, and Brenda began reducing the number of tours each day. The entire town seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief at the successful conclusion of another tourist season.

M
aggie usually welcomed this slower time of year, as it provided ample opportunities to do things she normally didn’t have time to pursue. The case was slightly different this year. Fewer tours meant time away from Bradford House, and consequently, time away from the person who’d come to mean more to her than any other.

Marcus filled her thoughts
night and day. And despite evidence to the contrary, she still hoped that one day he might come to love her. Clearly, she needed a diversion.

E
xiting Bradford House one afternoon, Maggie was for once only too glad to leave. Felicia had arrived just after lunch with two friends in tow. The trio of women hadn’t been content to wait for Marcus in his office. Instead, they’d attached themselves to Maggie’s small group of tourists where they proceeded to ask silly questions and generally make nuisances of themselves.

They
’d prudently disappeared before Maggie could give them the telling off she’d carefully rehearsed. Marcus wasn’t so fortunate. Maggie turned a corner on her way to the break room, almost running him down.

“
Are you in a hurry to leave work?” he teased.

There was no answering smile.
“I’d appreciate it if you would keep your girlfriend away from my tours.”

“
To whom are you referring? I’m already engaged to you – I wasn’t aware of any others.”

“Don’t be coy. Either be here when she arrives or tell her to remain in your office.
This is a place of business whether she realizes it or not.”

The gleam in his green eyes became very pronounced.
“You are upset. I’ll speak to Felicia, but it probably won’t do much good.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

He permitted himself a small smile. “She possesses other qualities that compensate for a few flaws in her character.”

Maggie could feel her temper rising. It was bad enough that she had to put up with Felicia, but this weak defense by Marcus was ridiculous.
“So she gets away with being rude and inconsiderate because she’s nice to look at. That must be convenient.”

Marcus could
n’t help himself – he started to laugh. “Well, she is easy on the eye.”

“
That doesn’t make being rude acceptable. The rest of us more ordinary people manage to behave ourselves or face the consequences.”

Marcus was thoroughly enjoying himself
; he’d never seen Maggie in such a passion over something. “You’re not including yourself in these dire predictions, I hope. Because I’d put up with quite a bit of rudeness from you just for the sake of those pretty eyes.”

“
Oh, don’t bother to turn on the charm now. In your own way, you’re as bad as she is.” Maggie didn’t stick around to hear his reply.

L
ike always, her anger quickly burnt out. By the time she collected her mail from the box on the wall, she was regretting letting her tongue get away from her. While debating on whether she should apologize, she spied a letter from her Aunt Sarah stuck between two bills. She was surprised to hear from her father’s sister since their only communication in recent years had been the exchange of Christmas cards.

It had
n’t always been so. Her aunt, uncle and cousin had been frequent visitors to the Pelham home. They would come two or three times a year, traveling from their home in South Florida. Ryan, a few years older than Maggie, had at one time been as close to her as a brother. But the death of Maggie’s father and her mother’s subsequent remarriage had resulted in a gradual parting.

Maggie
allowed Mittens to settle in her lap as she opened the unexpected letter. Her face took on more animation as she read that her cousin, who was in the navy currently stationed in Texas, would be attending a month-long training course in Charleston. By the date on the letter, Maggie realized he would be in town in a matter of days. Aunt Sarah had given Ryan her telephone number so he could call her when he arrived.

The problems of Bradford House might never have been. Her irritation with Felicia and the subsequent
words with Marcus were replaced with the anticipation of being reunited with a person of whom she had the fondest memories.

As is always the case, on the day
Maggie wanted to leave early, events conspired against her. Ryan was due to arrive that afternoon, and she wanted to be home should he try to contact her. The tours had been steady with no serious delays, despite the absence of one of the tour guides. About to collect her last group of tourists, Maggie was already looking ahead. She should be home in an hour, with plenty of time to get changed before Ryan called.

O
pening the door to the foyer, Maggie’s eyes quickly scanned the faces glancing her way with varying degrees of disinterest. Groaning inwardly, she pinned a smile of welcome on her face, her soft voice reflecting none of the revulsion she felt.

This
group had trouble written all over it being comprised entirely of high school students with the exception of an elderly lady Maggie assumed was their teacher. That poor woman’s harassed demeanor showed more clearly than words that she would be of little assistance.

Wanting to close the door and run, but knowing it to be impossible, Maggie
admonished the stragglers who were already trying to peer into rooms clearly marked off limits and began the tour.

As
she described the treasures of the dining room, Maggie recalled a recent conversation among her coworkers. Everyone had overwhelmingly agreed that taking around a group of teenagers who would rather be almost anywhere except in an old mansion, was sheer torture. If you did manage to get them quiet, you couldn’t hope to capture their wandering attention. She sensed this group would be no different.

Maggie
breathed a sigh of relief as they completed the first floor rooms with no major mishaps and ascended the stairs to the second floor. Here the rooms were mostly bedchambers each named for the predominant color of the furnishings.

It was while she was answering a question about one of the portraits that her attention wandered temporarily. When she motioned the group into the next room and
stood waiting by the door until everyone had entered, she realized the two girls who’d been bringing up the rear were nowhere in sight.

Knowing it to be futile, she inquired if anyone knew where the girls might have gone.
Receiving the expected negative answer, Maggie used the house phone to request assistance. Brenda, hurrying up the stairs, was apprised of the situation and without loss of time took over the guide duties freeing Maggie to look for her lost students.

Maggie started searching room by room on the second floor and came up empty.
Trying to stem her frustration, she made her way to the third floor of the house. There were only a few rooms here, but it took time to check them because each had an adjoining bathroom and dressing room. Returning to the main hall, Maggie walked slowly toward the staircase, wondering where to look next. Suddenly an arm came around her waist, pulling her to a stop.

“
Looking for someone?”

Maggie
jumped at the sound of those words, her heart beating erratically. Marcus turned her around, but didn’t loosen his grip.

“
I can feel your heart pounding,” he stated with satisfaction.

Maggie tried to step back,
anything to put some distance between them. Marcus apparently had other ideas, since he simply ignored her feeble efforts to escape, his eyes wickedly amused at her predicament.

“
You scared me. I’ve mentioned before how quietly you move.”

“
A talent I’ve long taken for granted. Why are you up here and not with that group of bored teenagers I saw traipsing downstairs?”

“
Because two of those bored teenagers are missing.”

“
Slipping up on the job? That’s not like you.”

She
had to smile. “I certainly don’t make a habit of losing guests and if I have in the past, you would be the last person I’d tell.”

“Because I’m your boss, I presume, and have the power to fire you?”

“Would you let me go over something like that?”

Marcus grinned and released her. “You must know that there’s nothing you could do that would result in your being fired. I can’t imagine Bradford House without you.”

Trying to ignore the smile and control her pulse rate, Maggie moved toward the stairs.
“Well, I better go and see if my missing students have made an appearance.”

The smile grew and his green eyes sparkled.
“Yes, you do that. You’ve distracted me long enough.”

Knowing he hadn’t been the only one distracted, Maggie took a deep breath. How did one ignore someone like Marcus?

All was quiet when she reached the first floor and puzzled as to where Brenda had taken her group, she hurried down the narrow hall to that lady’s office. Brenda was sitting at her desk as if nothing unusual had occurred.

“
There you are! I was going to tell you that we found the two girls outside in the garden, but I saw you with Marcus and didn’t want to interrupt what looked to be a promising meeting. Apparently, one of the girls felt sick and without telling anyone, they went outside to wait for the rest of the group. It was very thoughtless, but you know kids. They don’t understand why anyone would get upset about them going off on their own.”

Maggie
decided not to comment on Marcus. “Thanks for your help. I knew that group would be trouble.”

“
All of us can relate; large groups can be challenging.”

Glancing at her watch,
Maggie realized the lateness of the hour. After wishing Brenda a hurried goodnight, she made her way to the break room. Taking time only to grab her sweater and purse, she walked swiftly up the basement stairs toward the side door. Marcus must have heard her coming because he was leaning against the door when she reached the top.

“
Since you appear to be leaving, I can assume everything is okay,” he drawled softly.

“Certainly.”

“Another crisis averted! I was horrified by the prospect of having to face two sets of angry parents.” At her puzzled glance he explained, “Consider the bad press this place would receive if news spread that not everyone gets to leave once the tour is over.”

“W
ith you being such an eligible bachelor, there may be women willing to visit just for that possibility.”

“
Why all the compliments? Are you preparing me for some bad news?”

Recalling Ryan’s imminent arrival, she answered
hurriedly. “Not at all.”

“
Am I keeping you from something? You came running up the stairs like someone possessed and now you’re dancing around like a child waiting for a treat.”

“
I’m not dancing about. I need to get going,” she retorted tartly.

A spark of mischief made him ask,
“Why? Do you have a date?”

Maggie hesitated just a second before answering, “Don’t be ridiculous!” She didn’t consider Ryan a date nor did she think Marcus would be interested in hearing
of his visit.

Her hesitation as well as a certain look in her face made Marcus suspicious.
Was it possible she was meeting someone? The thought disturbed him more than he cared to admit and prompted his suave response. “Just keep in mind that at the present time you’re engaged to me. I wouldn’t want there to be any complications.”

Knowing that Ryan wasn’t
a complication to any plans of Marcus, Maggie was able to assure him with a clear conscience and make her exit. Nothing, and by that she meant Marcus, was going to dim her pleasure in the evening to come.

Not quite an hour later, she
opened the door to a good-looking young man whose blonde hair was bleached almost white from his continuous exposure to the sun.

“
Is that really you, Ryan? You’re so much taller and broader than I remember.”

Ryan gave her a hug that almost cracked her bones
. Laughing, she invited him in. He stood back and looked her over carefully.

“
You’ve hardly changed at all,” he said smilingly.

“
You think not? Well, I feel older anyway. I can’t believe you’re here after all this time.”

They dined at
one of Maggie’s favorite seafood restaurants situated appropriately over the water. As she listened to him bringing her up to date on everyone, she had to hide a smile. Maybe it was his bright hair, or just the way he carried himself, but Ryan drew admiring glances from all over the restaurant.