Elizabeth Power – A Passionate Affair: The Passionate Husband / The Italian's Passion / A Latin Passion (страница 23)

She might have known Penelope would turn the knife a little. Marsha took a deep pull of air as she stood outside the closed door, staring across the office.

‘I couldn’t stop her, Marsha.’ Nicki was standing by her desk, her plump face agitated. ‘She muttered something about she wasn’t going to be kept waiting for anyone, and then just opened the door before I realised what she was doing.’

‘Don’t worry, Nicki, it wasn’t your fault.’ Marsha’s voice was soothing, but she was working on automatic.

What on earth had it looked like in there to Taylor? She imagined their stance from his eyes. Nothing short of a clinch, that was what. Rats! She walked across to her desk, her tone preoccupied as she said, ‘They want coffee, please, Nicki.’

As the other woman bustled off Marsha gazed down at the papers on her desk, but she wasn’t seeing the figures in front of her. This was all she needed! Damn Penelope. It wouldn’t make any difference that it was well-known Jeff was madly in love with his wife and a devoted family man; Penelope would have her last pound of flesh with this one.

She wrestled with what she could do or say until Nicki returned with the coffee, but once her secretary was seated at her desk again Marsha told herself she had to clear her mind and concentrate on the job in hand. She had very little time to organise everything, and all the agonising in the world couldn’t turn back time. Taylor would have to think what he liked, and if any gossip started circulating Jeff was the sort of person who would nip it in the bud, Penelope or no Penelope.

It was only ten minutes later when the interjoining door opened, and although Marsha’s stomach turned over she deliberately took her time about raising her eyes, keeping her expression calm and serene.

‘I need to talk to you.’ Taylor had stopped by her desk, Penelope by his side, and Marsha thought the other woman would burst a blood vessel when he turned his head, saying, ‘I’ll be along shortly, Penelope.’

‘Fine, fine.’ It was an immediate recovery, but Penelope was good at those.

Jeff, too, had paused, and now he said, ‘We’re going along to discuss a few items in this proposal with Tim. Can you cope here, Marsha?’

He was asking about more than the office and they were all aware of it. Marsha nodded, her voice steady as she said, ‘Of course, but don’t forget your appointment at four o’clock.’

‘I won’t.’

As Penelope and Jeff left Marsha turned to Nicki, who was all agog whilst pretending to work. ‘I’m going to be here late tonight, Nicki. Could you pop down to the canteen and get something for my tea? A salad or sandwiches will do—something like that. I’ll settle up with you when you come back.’

‘Sure.’ Nicki rose immediately, but not before she had given Taylor the once-over, her face unmistakably hostile.

It was Taylor who spoke first when they were alone. He perched on the edge of her desk, bringing well-cut trousers tight over hard male thighs as he said, ‘She doesn’t like me.’

‘What?’ It hadn’t been what she’d expected.

‘Your secretary. She doesn’t like me.’

‘Well, there has to be the odd female or two who are immune to your charms, surely?’ Marsha said with a lightness she was proud of, considering the circumstances.

He eyed her steadily. ‘Like to explain what that—’ he indicated the office behind him with a jerk of his head ‘—was all about?’

A hundred sharp rejoinders burned on her tongue, but she didn’t voice any of them. She stared at him for a moment or two, as though his words were taking time to filter through. ‘I assume by “that” you mean the friendly arm round the shoulders?’

‘Is that what it was?’

‘Jeff is very happily married with two children. He is also a very nice man, who is a friend as well as my boss.’

Dark eyebrows rose. ‘I’ve known several very happily married men who have the family-man image down to a fine art and also an obliging mistress on the side,’ he said coolly.

‘I don’t doubt for a minute you are acquainted with that side of life,’ she shot back tightly, ‘but Jeff isn’t.’

He shifted slightly and her senses went haywire. His suit jacket was open, revealing a crisp white shirt and a patterned navy tie, and as she watched he undid the first two or three buttons of the shirt, pulling his tie loose. It was a perfectly ordinary action and there was no call for the rush of sexual tension that sent electricity into each nerve and sinew.

‘Penelope informs me you got this job on Jeff’s recommendation.’ He was still speaking in the conversational tone he had employed since he had left Jeff’s office, but Marsha had lived with him too long not to know that he was the master of control and an expert in giving nothing away.

‘I met him briefly when I was working for a different company before we were married,’ she said, in a tone which stated that all this was none of his business. ‘When I applied for the job here he recognised me. That’s all.’

‘And he made sure you got the position under him.’

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.