Taken by the Boss: His Very Personal Assistant / In the Banker's Bed / The Takeover Bid

Face it, Kit, she told herself derisively; you stand about as much chance of relaxing around Marcus Maitland, of really going to sleep, as you do sitting next to a tiger poised to spring!

But that didn’t stop her giving every appearance of dozing during the rest of the journey, only making a pretence of waking as Marcus touched her arm lightly and told her that they had arrived.

‘You had a good nap,’ he told her admiringly as he brought the Jaguar to a stop on the gravel driveway in front of what looked like once having been a stately home. Huge pillars supported its entranceway, the stonework old and mellowed. Noise seemed to flow from every open window as the two of them stepped out onto the gravel driveway, where there were a dozen or so other cars already parked outside.

“‘Come and spend a peaceful weekend in the country” was how Desmond described it to me!’ Marcus gave a hint of his distaste for the loud music and chatter as he moved to get their bags from the boot of the car.

Although not normally one for crowds of people on a superficial basis, Kit found herself smiling, quite happy to make this weekend the exception; the more people there were around them, the less likely she was to be so aware of Marcus. Or to spend too much time alone with him.

‘It sounds like fun,’ she responded lightly.

Marcus gave a disgusted snort, leading the way up the stone steps that fronted the house. Its massive front door was thrown open and the large entrance hall inside was filled with what looked like dozens of people.

‘Are you sure you have the right weekend?’ Kit questioned of Marcus.

‘I’m sure,’ he replied grimly. ‘You—’

‘Kit? Hey, Kit, is that really you?’ called out a familiar voice.

A voice that made her freeze in her tracks and caused the smile to fade from her lips as she looked frantically around the entrance hall for its source.

And then she saw him, making his way purposefully towards her, a smile of amused recognition on his over confident, too-handsome face.

Mike Reynolds.

Her ex-boss from hell.

But he wasn’t the sole reason her cheeks paled and her breathing seemed to stop. There was also another person whom she could see standing a short distance behind Mike Reynolds. Someone Kit wanted to see even less than she did Mike!

Catherine Grainger…

CHAPTER FOUR

KIT was so stunned that she stood totally immobile as Mike Reynolds took her in his arms and gave her a bear hug.

It was as if he had totally forgotten that the last time the two of them had met she had told him exactly what he could do with his job—and his sexual harassment!

But Kit hadn’t forgotten, stiffening in his arms and trying to push him away, panic setting in as she wished herself anywhere but here. Mike Reynolds was bad enough, but she could handle him. She just hadn’t been prepared for that other, much more disturbing guest.

Mike stepped back, his hands gripping the tops of her arms as he held her in front of him. ‘You’re looking good, kid,’ he said, his bold blue gaze moving slowly down the length of her body.

Kit’s mouth tightened at his familiarity, her eyes glowing deeply grey as she glared at him. ‘It’s a pity—’

‘—that we haven’t seen each other for so long,’ he completed smoothly.

She had been going to say something much more insulting! Which was totally unlike her. But after the shock she had just received, politeness—especially to Mike Reynolds!—was the last thing on her mind.

Mike nodded appreciatively, apparently completely impervious to her less-than-enthusiastic response as his arm slid lightly across her shoulders as he moved to stand next to her. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Kit?’ he prompted lightly as he looked curiously at Marcus.

Marcus!

It was testament to the shock she had received in the last few moments that she had completely forgotten Marcus had entered the house with her. In fact, she had completely forgotten everything else but that disturbing female presence standing only metres away from her!

She shrugged off the arm Mike had draped about her shoulders, moving deliberately away from him to stand next to Marcus. She shot a glance at her boss; he was watching her and Mike, his expression unreadable, his gaze hooded.

‘Yes, do introduce us, Kit,’ he encouraged now in a voice that sounded as if it came after walking over broken glass.

Kit winced at the sound of it, knowing that the last thing she wanted to do was introduce these two men. Yet it seemed that was the one thing she was going to have to do if she was going to escape from this hallway any time soon. And she most certainly was going to have to escape, to find somewhere she could be on her own for a while, if only to give herself time to decide what she should do next.

Because she couldn’t stay on here. Not now.

‘Marcus Maitland. Mike Reynolds,’ she introduced stiffly, seriously wondering if this weekend could get any worse than it already was. Not only Mike Reynolds, of all people, but—

‘Marcus! Darling…!’ suddenly greeted an all-too-familiar voice.

It just had, Kit acknowledged with an inward groan. Andrea Revel’s heady perfume enveloped them all as she moved into their group and stood on tiptoe to kiss Marcus lingeringly on the lips.

‘And Kit, too.’ Andrea turned to her, the light of triumph in those cat-green eyes before she gave Kit the merest peck on the cheek. ‘How nice,’ she added with dismissive insincerity before turning back to Marcus. ‘Derek Boyes was kind enough to invite me to come with him this weekend,’ she told him with glee as she linked her arm companionably with his.

Kit looked at Marcus beneath lowered lids, but it was impossible to tell from his enigmatic expression just how he was taking that particular piece of news. Although he had to feel something; after all—despite Marcus’s claim that the relationship was over—he and Andrea had been something of an item for at least the last couple of months.

‘How nice,’ he finally answered with the same insincerity Andrea had used towards Kit a few minutes ago.

Causing Kit to look at him with a new appreciation; perhaps he wasn’t as blind to this woman’s bitchiness as she had thought that he was…?

‘Well, if the two of you will excuse us…?’ He deftly removed his arm from Andrea’s clinging grasp as he bent to pick up his and Kit’s cases. ‘Kit and I have only just arrived, so I think it might be appropriate if we find our host and say hello, don’t you?’ Without waiting for a response from either Mike Reynolds or Andrea, he motioned Kit with an urgent inclination of his head to move further into the house.

Further into the lion’s den, as far as Kit was concerned. This weekend was just going from bad to worse. And she had thought the only thing she would have to worry about during the next couple of days was keeping her feelings towards Marcus hidden from him!

A glance at his face as they walked away from the other couple was enough to tell Kit that he wasn’t quite as calm as he wanted to appear: his mouth was set grimly, his eyes narrowed to icy blue slits.

‘Stop looking so worried, Kit,’ he bit out between clenched teeth. ‘I’m not the type to make a scene.’

She hadn’t for a moment thought that he was—it was that he had just thought about making one that bothered her!

But perhaps the fact that Andrea was here with another man had made him realise he didn’t want the woman out of his life, after all? What other possible reason could there be for him making a scene…?

But Marcus’s attention seemed to become distracted as he looked around them, that frownline back between his eyes. ‘There’s something odd going on here,’ he muttered harshly.

Surely he hadn’t just noticed! Her ex-boss was here, someone she had hoped never to see again, and the current woman in his life was here with another man, and as for—

‘Look around you, Kit,’ he said.

She gave him a startled look. ‘Look—?’

‘Just look,’ Marcus encouraged gruffly.

Kit looked, seeing twenty or so other guests: all of the men looked rich and confident, the women beautiful and glamorous.