Falling for the Boss (16 page)

“Go get into some dry clothes.”

Maggie thought about refusing what amounted to an order, but then realized how silly that would be. She was chilled to the bone. With a curt nod, she disappeared into the bedroom.

Once
there, she decided to take a quick shower. If Marcus tired of waiting, maybe he would leave. Half an hour later she emerged to find him reclining on the couch, his eyes closed and Mittens asleep on his lap.

Deciding she could use some coffee, she walked around his long legs and into the kitchen. He joined her after a few minutes.

“I’d like some too, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“
No adornments, right?”

A faint smile pulled at his mouth. “
Right. You were hoping I would leave, weren’t you?”

“Yes
. I can’t think what else we could have to say to one another.”

“
I do what I must. I need your help.”

“
You have an interesting way of treating people from whom you need favors,” Maggie couldn’t help retorting.

“
What did I do that was so terrible? I kissed my fiancé, something I’ve already done several times.”

“
Admit it - you didn’t know who I was!”

He chuckled and shook his head.
“Think what you’re saying, Maggie. You claim to know me so well. Am I likely to kiss a total stranger? That’s not my style at all.”

“And the comment
s about women?”

“Sometimes my tongue gets away from me.”

“I would hate to think you really feel that way. Let’s go back into the living room where we can be comfortable.”

After they
were seated, he deliberately set down his cup and turned to face her. “Damien called me tonight – that’s why I was in my office when you and Luke were touring the garden. He invited us to a birthday party for Tiffany. I know it’s asking a lot, especially in view of recent events, but I wondered if you could go with me.”

“Recent events?
You mean what happened in the library?”

“
No, I was referring to the new man in your life.” At her complete look of puzzlement, he went on. “The blond-haired giant I’ve seen you with on several occasions.”

A gurgle of laughter bubbled up inside Maggie.
“That giant was Ryan and he’s my cousin. If I’d become involved with someone, don’t you think I would have told you?”

Marcus felt a wave of relief wash over him.
“In my saner moments, yes.”

She reached over and patted his arm lightly.
“You could have saved us all this by simply asking me.”

“I did ask
and you denied it.”

“You did?” She was silent for a moment. “
Oh, I remember. That was the first evening I was expecting Ryan. You asked me if I had a date.”

“And you said, ‘of course not’ or something similar.”

Maggie chuckled again. “I didn’t consider Ryan a date. Well, I’m glad we got this cleared up. Am I still considered a mixture of charm and deceit?”

Marcus looked discomfited for a moment. Had he really said such an outrageous statement? “I was upset. I can’t abide being lied to. And I was all the more disappointed because it was you.”

“Were you really? Why?” she asked in surprise.

“Because
I had begun to believe you were different and didn’t want to face the possibility of being wrong.”

“
Oh, now you’re going to make me cry.”

“
Something I seem to be good at.” He reached over and clasped her hand. “Am I forgiven for the unfortunate scene in the library?”

Maggie focused on their joined hands because it was easier than looking into his face.
“Of course. Like you said, you were merely kissing your fiancé.”

“Something else I seem to be good at.” When Maggie said nothing to this, he sighed and added more softly. “Or maybe I’m just fooling myself.
”

“You know you’re not,” she manage
d to say huskily. “I’m not that accomplished an actress.”

His slow smile was something to behold. “You’re the most disturbing woman I’ve ever met. I wish someone had had the sense to warn me.”

Maggie could have echoed those sentiments. Instead she opted for getting things back on a more normal footing. She tugged on the hand he held and he released it reluctantly. “Now, tell me about this party.”

Marcus seemed more amused than anything by
these tactics. “It will take place in two weeks. If you’re agreeable we’ll drive to Atlanta on the Friday before. You don’t have to worry about dressing up.”

“
I’m not sure my mother can put me up.”

“
No problem – I’ve arranged for us to stay at my parents’ house. They’re anxious to meet the woman who has captured the heart of their capricious son.”

Maggie’s smile disappeared in a hurry.
“Are you crazy? It’s difficult enough pretending to be engaged here; I know we couldn’t fool your parents. They’ll notice immediately that I’m not your type at all.”

“
They don’t particularly care for ‘my type’, so don’t worry about that part. After they get over their initial shock, they’ll marvel that I could ever have enticed someone like you to be willing to marry me at all.”

“They
’ll expect to see a couple in love. We’re hardly that.”

“
A few adoring glances will be sufficient. Not being very demonstrative themselves, they won’t expect or want to see more than that.”

“
You make it sound simple, but things could so easily backfire.”

“
And you’re taking too serious a view of this. Just trust me, Maggie. I know what I’m doing.”

As she
closed the door after watching until he disappeared from sight, Maggie wondered if he really did know. And though his behavior over the past few weeks had more or less been explained, common sense told her that she was storing up trouble and probably more disillusionment by continuing to dance to Marcus’ tune. Where would it all end?

C
hapter Twelve

The
days preceding the trip to Atlanta flew by. Maggie painstakingly went through her wardrobe and decided that a raid of her savings was justified in order to purchase some new clothes. With these thoughts in mind, Maggie spent her next day off poking her golden head into several of the more expensive shops, arriving home hours later very pleased with her efforts. Two pantsuits, one in creamy beige and the other in her favorite soft blue as well as a new nightgown were folded neatly into a suitcase under the watchful eyes of Mittens.

O
n the day before they were scheduled to leave, she was making herself a cup of tea while she waited to start her first tour. Marcus stuck his head through the door, asking to see her before she left for the day. She nodded happily and watched him leave, looking devastating in a dark grey suit with a green silk tie.

A couple of elderly, garrulous men kept Maggie
occupied for some time after her last tour concluded. Her sensitive nature as well as a genuine interest in anything historical wouldn’t allow her to stem the flow of their questions. As a result, when she finally managed to arrive breathlessly at the door of Marcus’ office it was considerably later than she’d anticipated.

H
e was on the telephone, but he smiled and motioned her to a chair. She sat watching him from under lowered lids, the picture of serenity. None of the excitement welling up inside her was visible.

Marcus put down the phone and glanced at his watch,
his eyebrows raised. “I thought those two men would never leave. I thought I was going to have to come to your rescue. You shouldn’t be so friendly. If you’d treated me that way on my first tour, there’s no telling what might have happened.”

“
Exactly what did happen. You bought this house.”

M
arcus leaned back in his seat. “Maybe I bought this house so I could see more of you.”

“You didn’t even like me then.”

“Did I make it so obvious? You’ve had your revenge; there’s no doubt I like you now.” Smiling at her sudden blush, he opened the middle desk drawer and removed a square box. As she watched in bewilderment, he opened the box and drew out a diamond solitaire ring that looked enormous to her startled eyes.

“
Try it on.” Maggie did as he asked and Marcus nodded. “A perfect fit! Isn’t that supposed to mean something about the success of our union?” he asked teasingly.

M
aggie hardly heard him; she couldn’t drag her eyes from the sparkling ring. “Why are you giving me a ring? There’s no reason for carrying our charade to this length.”

“
If you don’t care for this ring, we can exchange it for one that’s more to your taste.”

She
lifted troubled eyes to his face, every vestige of color erased from her countenance.  “That’s not what I meant, Marcus. I can’t do this. It’s not right; only the woman you plan to marry should ever wear your ring.”

He gave her a tender look that she missed.
“I hate to state the obvious, but right now you are that woman. Also, we’re going to be spending time with several of my family members. They’ll expect to see the traditional symbol of our desire to marry.”

Maggie removed the ring
and handed it to Marcus. “You keep it for now; I might lose it.”

Marcus
put the ring away with a wry pull to his firm lips. “I finally offer a ring to a woman, and she doesn’t want to wear it. How fitting is that!”

“It isn’t like that at all and you know it,” she pointed out.

He sighed heavily. “Isn’t it? Anyway, I assume you spoke to Brenda about getting off tomorrow.” Maggie nodded.  “In that case, I’ll pick you up at ten and don’t keep me waiting.”

Having been dismissed,
she got up to go, her goodnight receiving only an indifferent nod. As she hurried home Maggie chided herself for her clumsy handling of the situation. Hopefully, things would be better between them by the time Friday morning arrived. However, it didn’t appear this would be the case early on.

Maggie woke hours b
efore her alarm was set to ring, partly due to the excitement of being with Marcus for a few days and partly due to the apprehension of the part she would be expected to play. As she stole a quick peek through the lace curtains of her living room window, she smiled involuntarily at the sight of a sky almost completely cloudless and wonderfully blue. Her spirits rising like the sun, she hopped out of bed and into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

After a leisurely meal of
coffee and buttered toast, shared with a grateful feline, Maggie disappeared into the bathroom where she lingered in a hot bath liberally sprinkled with new bath salts acquired during her shopping spree. The bathroom was filled with the scent of wisteria, and she sniffed appreciatively as she slipped into a pair of pants and a sweater.

As she
swung her hair into a ponytail, she grimaced at the youthful image reflected back to her. By the time she tidied the apartment and took care of Mitten’s needs, it was almost ten. After checking her purse once more, Maggie carried her suitcase into the living room to wait.

Marcus arrived on time and stowed her things in the trunk of the car without fuss
or comment. His manner was brisk and not overly friendly. When he did finally speak, his remarks were limited to the weather and when this subject had been exhausted, he turned away from her, concentrating fully on his driving.

Ma
ggie almost asked him to take her home. Shrugging, she concentrated on the scenery and once that ceased to interest her, she leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of driving fast in a car that rode like a dream.

M
arcus turned to see what was absorbing his companion to the exclusion of all else. His eyes lost their coolness and softened as they settled on the dozing figure beside him. His glance rested momentarily on thick eyelashes, long and silky, before dropping to take in the beauty of perfectly shaped lips, rosily pink with lipstick.

Maggie was having a marvelous dream in which Marcus had just declared
he couldn’t live without her. She was awaiting his kiss when she felt something pressing against her shoulder. Irritated, she murmured in an annoyed voice, “No, no, not yet; just a few more minutes.” A deep, masculine laugh broke the spell, bringing her slightly dazed eyes open.

His voice brimming with
laughter, Marcus said, “I apologize for interrupting your nap, but we’re nearly there.”

I
n an effort to hide her confusion, Maggie sat up and reached for her purse, noticing they were parked under a shady tree in a rest area.

“
How do you feel about lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant? Afterwards, we’ll go to my parents’ house and spend a lazy afternoon swimming.”

“
Lunch sounds wonderful; but swimming in November? You must be kidding.”

Marcus
chuckled boyishly as he started the car and headed back onto the highway. “You’ll find that swimming in a heated pool can be absolutely heaven on a day like this, especially with the right companion.”

“
That would have been nice, but I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

“
No problem; we can take care of that omission easily enough.”

Maggie thought of her almost empty wallet and started to protest, but as if he
had read her mind, Marcus took his hand off the steering wheel and placed it over hers.

“
Don’t worry about it! Since I asked you to come, the least I can do is buy you a bathing suit.”

“That sounds logical, but I still plan on paying you back.”

Thoroughly experienced in smoothing ruffled clients, he led her into an undemanding conversation which lasted until they reached the outskirts of town. Maggie had been to Atlanta many times, but she still enjoyed looking at the tall buildings lining the streets and the people hurrying along the sidewalks.

Marcus drove
through the crowded streets with the confidence of one to whom it is second nature. In no time, they were away from the bustle of downtown and heading down a street lined with intriguing shops and restaurants. He stopped in front of small brick building, its austere exterior causing Maggie some misgiving.

“
Let’s see what Antonio has on the menu for today.”

“
Am I dressed okay?” Her troubled glance swerved to her companion’s casual, but elegant attire before reverting to her own.

“
You’ll find that the inside of Antonio’s isn’t nearly as imposing as its exterior.”

Maggie was relieved to discover that Marcus was correct
. After they were seated, she noticed the décor was casual and very much to her taste. In addition, the clientele were diverse with a sampling of businessmen dressed in somber-hued suits sitting next to a table jammed with college students in faded jeans and t-shirts.

M
arcus was a charming lunch companion, and they conversed with ease during their delicious meal. Upon leaving the restaurant, he seemed in no hurry to continue their journey, suggesting instead a walk along the tree-lined street. Excusing himself for a moment, he opened the trunk and retrieved something from his luggage before rejoining her.

He said nothing as h
e guided her down the sidewalk, coming to a halt just outside a shop whose display window contained nothing more than an elaborate chair draped with what appeared to be a sequined evening dress. He then turned toward her, holding out his hand as he did so. When Maggie glanced down, there lay the diamond ring he’d shown her the previous day.

“
Will you wear it now?” he asked quietly.

After a moment’s hesitation, s
he took the ring and slipped it on her finger. “For someone who has no intention of marrying, you did a great job picking out an engagement ring. What will you do with it after this is over?”

For a moment, Marcus looked startled and then he smiled faintly. “I hadn’t thought of getting it back.”

“Of course you’ll be getting it back,” Maggie assured him.

“Are the associations with the ring too unpleasant
for you to consider keeping it?” he asked in a low tone.

Her eyes fell from his. How could she explain that loving him like she did made keeping the ring impossible?
“Not at all, but what use would I have for it?”

“Let’s be clear on this; the ring is yours to do with
as you please.” He looked away from her for a moment, and she realized with surprise that Marcus was upset. When he glanced back at her again, his face was a mask, except for his eyes. They were like green shards of glass. “You can give it away, sell it, or throw it in the garbage. It’s up to you, entirely.”

Maggie’s face slowly paled
as his meaning sunk in. Her careless words had spoiled everything. What must he think of her? She had to do something quickly; she couldn’t let him think that something he’d given to her meant nothing at all.

At her silence, Marcus had begun to turn away.
Without thinking, she grabbed his arm. His stormy eyes swung back in her direction.

“
I would never do any of those things, Marcus,” she said in husky voice. “It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen; any girl would be proud to wear it.”

Anxious to
erase the tension that had grown between them, she rubbed her hand up and down his sleeve. He glanced down at that small hand moving agitatedly on his arm for a long moment and then an amused grin formed on his lips.

“Trying to soothe the savage beast, Maggie?” Her hand stopped abruptly and would have dropped from his arm except he placed his free hand over it. “
I grossly underestimated your talent for handling men in general and me in particular.”

“
You’re laughing at me,” she accused.

“A purely defensive
move, I assure you.” He indicated the store window behind him. “My mother shops here. I feel sure they’ll have a swimsuit you can live with.”

Not giving her
a chance to protest, he opened the door and ushered her in. Maggie hung back not knowing which way to turn, but a hand placed firmly on her back propelled her forward. She watched with apprehension as a middle-aged woman came forward to greet them.

Maggie need not have worried for the woman ignored her completely, greeting Marcus with
all the appreciation usual in a female presented with a man of exceptional looks.

S
miling faintly, he said in his most charming voice, “Good afternoon. We were wondering if you have any swimsuits.”

The woman
reluctantly turned to Maggie, and it was clear she was trying to figure out how such a plain face had been able to capture such a beautiful specimen of manhood. Marcus was apparently impressive enough for the two of them because after a momentary hesitation she turned back to him and smiled brilliantly.

“
We only have a few as it’s so late in the season,” she remarked in a pleasant voice. She led them to an area near the rear of the store. At that moment, another customer entered the shop and with a quick apology, she left them.