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‘And the fact that they seem to be stealing the march on us lately with several business deals?’
‘Well, of course I’m aware of it. I’m your PA—now just a minute.’ She drew herself up to her current full height of six feet—in the two-inch-high-heeled shoes she was wearing—and was almost able to meet Marcus eye to eye. ‘Exactly what are you implying?’
‘I’ve suggested to Lewis that there may be some connection between the last three deals that Grainger International have stolen from under our noses.’
‘Yes?’ she prompted slowly, remembering all too well Lewis Grant’s remarks on the subject on Thursday. And the implication behind them. ‘When you said lately just now, did you really mean to say in the last six months?’ she pressed resentfully. ‘The exact amount of time I’ve been working for you?’
‘Calm down, Kit.’ Marcus sighed. ‘I didn’t mean to imply—’
‘Oh, yes, you did!’ Kit bit out indignantly. ‘How dare you? How dare you even think such a thing about me and that—that woman?’ she finished for want of something better to say.
The things he was implying about her, that she might possibly have leaked information to Catherine Grainger—presumably, he thought, for some monetary reward to herself?—would be laughable if they weren’t so insulting!
‘For your information, I wouldn’t offer to help that woman—in any way—if she and I were the last two people on the planet!’ Kit was breathing so hard in her agitation that her creamy breasts were clearly heaving beneath the low neckline of her dress.
Not that she was too concerned about that, realising as she saw the sudden change in Marcus’s expression that she had said too much; Marcus was far too intelligent a man to believe she could possibly have come to that conclusion about Catherine Grainger after only five minutes’ acquaintance!
Which she obviously hadn’t. No, her knowledge of Catherine went back much further than that. Too far back to even give Marcus a hint at the reason she felt the way she did.
She made a dismissive movement of her hand. ‘What I meant to say was—’
‘I believe you made yourself more than clear, Kit,’ Marcus assured her dryly. ‘And I apologize if my remarks just now were less than—well, trusting.’ He grimaced. ‘All I’m saying is that I’m inclined to think the only explanation for those three lost deals is that there is someone in my employ who is revealing details of my business interests to Grainger International. But just because you and Catherine were talking together just now is really no reason for me to think that you—’
‘That I’m the disloyal employee,’ Kit completed tautly, having already known—and dreaded—the connection he could make concerning her and Catherine Grainger. ‘Maybe you should try looking a little closer to home for your leak?’ she suggested, still smarting from the fact that he might have thought it could have been her.
He blinked. ‘Such as where?’
Kit gave him a smile of completely insincere sweetness. ‘Did it ever occur to you that maybe you talk in your sleep?’
Marcus looked momentarily stunned by the suggestion. But then his good humour, which had been such a welcome surprise to Kit the last few days, took over, and a wry smile started to curve his lips. ‘I think maybe I deserved that,’ he acknowledged.
She gave an accepting inclination of her head. ‘I think maybe you did.’
‘Hmm,’ he murmured ruefully, still smiling. ‘Am I forgiven?’ His expression was cajoling.
She was still annoyed with him, but at the same time knew how ludicrous were his suspicions that she could have betrayed him to Catherine Grainger. But Marcus couldn’t know that. And she would rather it remained that way.
‘You are,’ she returned lightly.
‘In that case—’ he reached out to take a courteous hold of her arm ‘—shall we join the others, Miss McGuire?’
‘Certainly, Mr Maitland,’ she instantly accepted, knowing that if he had overstepped a line where she was concerned, then she had certainly done the same thing to him with her inference about pillow talk with women like Andrea Revel—and got away with it, thank goodness!
She had no idea what had prompted her to make that completely personal remark, except that it had disturbed her to have him accuse her of somehow being in cahoots with Catherine Grainger, of all people. She would rather ally herself to a rattlesnake!
‘But don’t be under the misapprehension,’ Marcus murmured close to her ear as they entered the noisy sitting-room, ‘that because I made a mistake about Catherine Grainger, I’ve forgotten our need to discuss your—acquaintance, with Mike Reynolds.’
Kit turned sharply, the high colour back in her cheeks. ‘I don’t feel such a need!’ she assured him quickly.
He raised dark brows at her vehemence. ‘Like that, is it?’
‘Exactly like that!’ If she never saw Mike Reynolds again it would be too soon!
Marcus gave her a considering look. ‘There really is a lot more to you than meets the eye, Kit McGuire—’
‘I thought that for this weekend it was to be Marcus and Kit?’ she reminded him, preferring not to have her surname bandied. Especially in Catherine Grainger’s hearing…
‘Oh, it is,’ he replied. ‘Have I told you yet this evening how beautiful you look?’
If anything that colour in her cheeks deepened. ‘There’s no need to keep up the pretence when we’re on our own,’ she informed him awkwardly.
‘It’s not pretence,’ he assured her softly, blue eyes laughing warmly as she gave him a puzzled look. ‘You really are a very beautiful woman, Kit,’ he told her seriously. ‘I had absolutely no idea.’
‘Perhaps it might be better if we left it that way,’ she said stiffly.
‘Too late,’ he responded. ‘I think simply coming in to the office might be a pleasure in future!’
Kit didn’t feel the same enthusiasm, not if it was based on the fact that he now found her an attractive woman. Considering the short amount of time his interest in a specific woman usually lasted, that could mean that her days as his PA were numbered…
‘Especially…’ he looked at her intently ‘… if you really have forgiven me for my remarks of a few minutes ago?’
Kit gave an abrupt nod of her head. ‘I said I had.’
Marcus grimaced. ‘It’s been my experience that women don’t always mean what they say.’
‘Well, this one does!’ she assured him firmly.
Oh, she had forgiven him. Of course she had. But she wouldn’t forget. Couldn’t forget.
Because if Marcus knew the truth about her acquaintance with Catherine Grainger, she was sure he wouldn’t have Kit anywhere near him, let alone working in his office!
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘I THOUGHT the man was never going to leave your side!’ Mike Reynolds complained as he joined Kit beside the buffet table and a mouth-watering array of desserts.
Because of the amount of people staying at the house this weekend dinner had necessarily been a full buffet affair, which actually suited Kit much better than being seated formally at a dinner table and stuck between two men she would probably rather not spend the time of day—or evening!—with.
Which pretty much covered most of the men here this weekend. With the exception of those wealthy businessmen—and women!—Kit had noted earlier, she had so far found them exactly as Marcus had earlier described them, a lot of ‘hangers-on and social bores’. And Mike Reynolds came even further down the social list