Кэтти Уильямс – Taken by the Boss: His Very Personal Assistant / In the Banker's Bed / The Takeover Bid (страница 2)

In a word, Marcus Maitland was gorgeous!

But Kit took great care never to let him see what she really thought of him.

Besides, having taken account of Angie Dwyer’s warning, Kit played down her own looks when at work, wearing her copper-coloured hair in a French pleat, keeping her make-up minimal, discarding her contact lenses for thick-rimmed glasses during the day in an effort to lessen the effect of the deep grey of her eyes and surrounding dark lashes. The jackets of the dark business suits she wore were shapeless, the skirts always discreetly knee-length and her shoes low-heeled.

There was no way, she had decided, after looking at her reflection in the mirror that first morning she had come to work here, that any man seeing her like this would consider it part of her job to keep his bed warm if they should happen to be away on business together!

Kit had spent too long running round desks, and hotel bedrooms, trying to avoid her previous boss’s less-than-welcome advances, to want a repeat of it in her new job.

Although once she had actually met Marcus Maitland she hadn’t been quite so sure about that…!

Still, she had deliberately chosen her role as demure, plain, featureless, figureless Kit McGuire, and so far she had stuck to it.

But a few more conversations like the one just now with Andrea Revel, and she might just decide to throw caution to the wind and—

No, she wouldn’t, she gently rebuked herself; she enjoyed her work here, the people she worked with, the man she worked for, and most important of all—she needed the job! Besides, how would it look on her c.v. if, when she applied for another position, she had to own up to being dismissed for insubordination to her boss’s girlfriend?

But it would be nice, just for once, if Marcus could see what she looked like when away from the office, with her hair loose, no glasses to hide the luminous depths of her eyes, a pair of denims that fitted snugly to—

‘Well?’ Marcus snapped harshly, tapping his fingers impatiently on his desk top as he continued to wait for an explanation for her intrusion after he had explicitly told her he didn’t want to be disturbed.

At the same time completely bursting Kit’s bubble of illusion where, as in Hollywood movies, Marcus saw her change from a moth into a butterfly and instantly fell in love with the way she really looked. A fairy tale!

She straightened. ‘Miss Revel would like to see you,’ she told him briskly.

‘When?’

‘Now. She’s waiting outside in my office,’ she explained as he continued to scowl.

His brow cleared. ‘Then why didn’t you tell me that when you first came in?’ He stood up to move impatiently around her and open the inter-office door himself. ‘Come in, Andrea,’ he invited. ‘I was going to call you in a few minutes anyway; I have something I need to discuss with you.’

Kit stiffened as the other woman gave her a triumphant look in passing, her hands closing at her sides, her jaw clenching. Andrea deliberately went to link her arm with Marcus’s, before standing on tiptoe to kiss him lingeringly on the mouth.

Kit felt her stomach turn as Marcus bent his head with the intention of returning the kiss, quickly turning on her heel and leaving the room, closing the door behind her to lean weakly back against it.

So much for Angie Dwyer’s warning!

Kit had known by the end of the first week of working with Marcus that she was deeply attracted to him. Not the cleverest thing she had ever done in her life, but probably not the worst either. After all, Marcus had no idea how she felt, so at least her pride was still intact. It was only her heart that went AWOL every time she looked at him!

Only…!

She gave a self-deriding shake of her head as she moved back to sit behind her desk. It was probably as well that she could laugh at her own stupidity, because over the last six months Andrea Revel was the third woman Kit had seen Marcus get involved with—and they had all, without exception, been aged in their mid-thirties, petite, blonde, and curvaceously feminine—not twenty-six, tall and slim, with red hair.

In other words, even without the severe hairstyle, no make-up, and the shapeless business suits she wore, she just wasn’t Marcus Maitland’s type. It was—

‘Give me a call when you get back,’ Andrea Revel snapped as she suddenly stormed out of the inner office. ‘I may decide to see you again—but then, I may have something else more important to do!’ she ended before slamming the door behind her. Her face was an ugly, angry mask as she leant over Kit’s desk to thrust it inches away from Kit’s. ‘You think you’re so clever, don’t you?’ she hissed furiously as Kit could only blink her surprise at the attack. ‘But we’ll see who has the last laugh,’ she scorned as she straightened and, with one last flounce of her rich blonde hair, swayed provocatively from the room.

Now what on earth had all that been about? Kit wondered dazedly as she watched her leave, slightly shaken by the vehemence behind the woman.

The door to Marcus’s office opened again, gently this time. He stood framed in the doorway. ‘Has she gone?’ he enquired.

‘Are you referring to Miss Revel?’ Kit prompted innocently.

His gaze narrowed as he looked at her assessingly, a smile tugging at the corners of that sensuously curved mouth. ‘Yes, I’m referring to Miss Revel,’ he confirmed dryly, his earlier fury seeming to have abated as his normal good humour asserted itself.

Kit gave a slight inclination of her head. ‘She appears to have gone, yes,’ she confirmed evenly, still feeling totally stunned by Andrea’s verbal attack.

Marcus’s eyes gleamed deeply blue as he looked at her consideringly. ‘You know, Miss McGuire, sometimes I’m not sure you’re altogether quite what you seem…’

She remained outwardly composed, but inwardly her stomach was clenched, her thoughts were racing. What if he knew… what if he had guessed at her connection to…? But there was absolutely no reason why he should have done, she instantly consoled herself.

‘Miss Revel seemed—upset, when she left just now?’ she said briskly, deliberately changing the subject.

Marcus smiled more openly now, leaning against the doorframe to fold his arms across his chest. ‘Furious, you mean?’ he drawled.

‘Well… yes,’ Kit confirmed coolly.

He gave an acknowledging inclination of his head, his hair gleaming blue-black in the overhead light. ‘Your fault, I’m afraid,’ he derided.

Her eyes widened. ‘Mine? But—I was only doing my job just now,’ she defended. ‘Besides, she was rude to me first,’ she added quietly.

Marcus raised dark brows. ‘She was?’

‘Yes, she—’ She broke off, her frown deepening as she realised from his curious expression that he had no idea what she was talking about. ‘Exactly why is Miss Revel furious with me?’ she asked slowly.

He shrugged broad shoulders beneath the white silk shirt and dark tailored jacket he wore. ‘She’s taken exception—and I very much doubt we will see each other again—to the fact that you’re the one coming away with me this weekend rather than her.’

Kit stared at him blankly.

When had he—

When had they—

When had she—

What on earth was he talking about?

CHAPTER TWO

‘WELL, Marcus’s last PA did warn you that you might have to go away on business with him occasionally,’ Penny, Kit’s flatmate, teased her later that evening as the two of them prepared a meal together.

Yes, Angie Dwyer had told Kit that travelling with Marcus Maitland on business was part of her job description; it was just that it hadn’t been an issue over the last six months because, until this weekend, Marcus had preferred to take Lewis with him when he went on a trip.

Not that going away on business with Marcus Maitland was actually a problem. It was just the way he had told her and then chuckled at her stunned reaction that had thrown her slightly.

In fact, a lot!

‘Don’t look so worried, Miss McGuire,’ Marcus had grinned as she’d stared across the office at him after his announcement that he and Andrea Revel had parted company, and that he was taking Kit away for the weekend with him. ‘I’m not suggesting that I’m about to make indecent advances upon your person,’ he’d told her mockingly. ‘I just happen to need your capabilities more this weekend than I do Andrea’s rather more obvious charms!’

Kit hadn’t been too sure she found that an altogether flattering summing-up of the situation, but as she had made a point of deliberately playing down her own looks there wasn’t too much she could say in her own defence.

What would Marcus say if he could see her now? she wondered. Her hair was loose like silken flame past her shoulders, her skimpy tee shirt and fitted denims clung to her slender curves and there were no heavy glasses, either, to hide the large deep grey eyes that were surrounded by thick dark lashes. She looked a good ten years younger than the primly efficient Miss McGuire!

But knowing Marcus’s preference for tiny blondes, he probably still wouldn’t be impressed, she allowed ruefully.

‘So where exactly are the two of you going this weekend?’ Penny enquired with deliberate innocence as she sliced up tomatoes to go in a salad.