Falling for the Boss (17 page)

Maggie
was hoping Marcus would do the same, but he showed no intention of doing so. Not quite trusting the smile he flashed her, she began to suspect that the enthusiasm he was displaying for the task at hand had been manufactured expressly to further her discomfiture. Close at her side, his head bent attentively, he studied one swimsuit after another, holding this one and then that one up as if trying to figure out which one to suggest.

“
Marcus, it would be quicker if I did this alone.”

“
Of course it would,” he muttered under his breath. “Shopping for feminine attire is new to me.”

“You’ve never gone shopping with your girlfriends?” she asked in surprise.

A mild shudder went through him. “Never.”

“I guess I should be flattered.”

He grinned. “You should be. This is a major concession on my part.”

“Your suffering is over.
Go relax in that chair by the dressing room.”

“Thank you, I will.”

Waiting until he was out of sight, Maggie began her search anew. Since she was petite, she always had trouble finding her size and in this instance the only one that she would even consider wearing was a black one-piece that came with a transparent wrap in a floral print. Not exactly what she would have chosen. On her way to try it on, she passed Marcus, comfortably seated on a couch.

“
Are you going to model it for me?” he asked teasingly.

“
What’s the point? You’re going to see it soon enough.”

“You disappoint me, Maggie
. You’re not entering into the spirit of this thing.”

“
You’re fortunate that I’m here at all.” Turning quickly she left before he could comment. It was only as she closed the door of the fitting room that she heard what sounded like laughter. What was there to laugh at, she wondered.

A
fter studying herself from every conceivable angle in the dressing room’s three-way mirror, Maggie braved a look at the price tag and almost gasped aloud. No wonder the material felt so nice and fitted so well.

This little number
cost more than the pantsuits packed securely in her suitcase. Hurriedly changing back into her clothes, she found Marcus still sitting in the same spot, exhibiting no impatience with the long wait. She bent down to whisper her concerns in his ear, but Marcus turned his head at the last minute.

“
Your eyes are something else,” he whispered. “A man could get lost in them.”

She smiled tremulously. “I was thinking the same thing about yours.”

“We must discuss this again when we’re alone. Don’t let me forget.” He gave the lips so close to his own a quick, hard kiss and Maggie stood up hurriedly, suddenly remembering where they were. “I take it you found something you like,” he said in a more normal tone.

“
Oh, yes. I’ve never had anything so nice to wear swimming.”

“
Then let’s get out of here.” Motioning for her to follow, he made his way to the counter where he calmly paid the bill and wished the saleslady a pleasant day.

O
nce in the car, Marcus suggested they proceed without further delay to his parents’ house. In a very short time they left suburbia behind, both sides of the road surrounded by gently rolling hills thick with pine trees. Here and there Maggie caught a glimpse of blue water among the deep green of the trees.

After a while,
a seemingly endless white fence alongside the road captured her attention. Gradually, the pine trees thinned and became mixed with sweet gum, tulip and dogwood trees displaying their vibrant fall foliage, but still the white fence continued. Curious now, she kept her eyes on the road hoping for a glimpse of the entrance to such an extensive piece of property.

When
Marcus began to slow down, Maggie noticed with growing wonder that the white fence posts she had unconsciously been counting had formed themselves into an elaborate gate. She sat as if turned to stone as he pulled up to the gate, let down the car window and punched a code into a keypad cleverly hidden inside an azalea bush.

T
he gate slowly opened, and they proceeded down a narrow road that curved its way through tall pine trees, allowing no glimpse of what might lay ahead.

Noticing the statue-like figure beside him, Marcus reached over and patted her cold hand.
“Don’t look so scared; it’s just a big house sitting in a rather large yard, when all is said and done.”

“
That must be the understatement of the year. You might have warned me,” she replied tartly.

“
Why would I need to warn you? You’re being silly.”

“
Am I? I feel out of place already, and we haven’t even reached the house or met your parents.”

“
Will it make you less nervous if I tell you that you don’t have to worry about meeting my parents? All you have to do is meet the house.”

“
What do you mean?” she asked in a dangerously low voice.

“
My parents left early this morning for Chicago. There were some problems with one of the companies in which my father has a business interest. They will, unfortunately, be unable to attend Tiffany’s party.”

“
You knew this and still brought me?”

Her eyes were shooting blue sparks. It was all Marcus could do to keep from laughing.
She looked furious and adorable at the same time.

“
I only found out this morning. Why do I get the feeling I’m being accused of something?”

She
looked away, not trusting herself to say anything.

“
Maggie, the reason for you being here hasn’t altered. And, with my parents away, that’s one less thing you have to worry about. Now you can relax; let yourself go.”

“
What are we going to do? It’s not like we’re a couple wanting to be alone all the time.”

“
Speak for yourself – I have no objection to being alone with you.”

“
Oh, just forget it.”

“
An excellent idea.  I don’t think my ego can take much more of this conversation,” he added dryly.

Maggie turned her attention back to the
outside; they were coming out of the dense trees. Her eyes widened when she saw the house perched ahead of them on a sloped hill. Built in the Georgia plantation style, the all-white building had the traditional wrap-around porch and numerous tall columns reaching to its third story roof. She lost count of the number of arched windows. In the face of such timeless beauty, her anger melted away.

“
Oh, Marcus, it’s beautiful! Like something out of a dream. Did you grow up here?” Her voice had dropped to a whisper.

Marcus parked the car in front of
the double staircase leading to the porch. “Yes. It’s always been a working plantation, hence the large grounds and house. The previous owner fell on hard times and let the house fall into a state of disrepair. My father came across it in his travels and loving old homes as he does, he decided to purchase it and restore its former glory. It took almost a year to make the house habitable. We moved in when I was about six years old.”

“
I’ve never seen anything like this except in magazines and movies. The grounds must be very extensive.”

“
Somewhere in the neighborhood of ten thousand acres. It takes a team of groundskeepers to keep the place looking decent.”

Maggie shook her head in disbelief
. “I feel more than ever like a fish out of water.”

“
I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but all of this becomes manageable when you’ve been exposed to it for a while.”

She
wanted to disagree, but he wasn’t looking at her. Turning, she saw a man about the same age as Marcus descending the stairway. The two men greeted each other before coming to her side of the car. Marcus opened the door and helped her out, his arm going around her shoulders as if to say ‘the show has begun’.

“
Maggie, I want you to meet my father’s right hand, Collin Rogers. Collin, this is Maggie Pelham.”

Maggie felt her hand engulfed in a strong grip
as she looked into a tan face complete with a pair of friendly eyes.

“
I’m charmed to meet you, Maggie.” He turned to Marcus and said, “I guess congratulations are in order. I must say I never thought you would actually do it.”

“Neither did I, Collin, b
ut Maggie convinced me otherwise.” His sideways glance at Maggie was amused, and she felt the color rush into her cheeks. He was getting a little too much enjoyment out of this situation. “If you’ll help me get the suitcases out of the trunk, I’ll run the car around to the garage.”

Maggie
scooted up the steps and waited on the porch while the two men removed the luggage. She heard Collin volunteer to garage the car.

“You’ll want to give Maggie her first view of the house,” he added when it seemed Marcus was
n’t as quick to understand his reason for doing so.

Maggie waited to see what Marcus would say to this. “An excellent idea, Collin. And one I know Maggie will appreciate.”

Turning away, she felt the urge to giggle. Would she appreciate it? Maybe she would have preferred Collin’s more impersonal escort. What would Marcus have said to that?

When he came up behind her, she had herself under control once more.
As they entered the two-story foyer, she couldn’t help but be struck anew by the sheer beauty of the house. It had been restored with meticulous attention to detail and everything breathed comfort and luxury without being overly formal. Antiques blended easily with more modern pieces, giving the home a friendly, lived-in appeal.

Marcus
evidently thought the house needed no introduction. He preceded her up a mahogany staircase wide enough for five people to walk abreast and down a long carpeted hallway without uttering a single word. He finally halted in front of a pair of double doors. Opening one of them, he ushered Maggie into a high-ceilinged room done completely in snowy white.

Her eyes
drifted slowly around the room taking in the satin comforter covering an ornately carved bed, the exquisite dressing table covered in white net, and the leather loveseat perched in front of a small fireplace. Marcus set her suitcase on an antique chest resting at the foot of the bed. Looking at her expression, he couldn’t resist smiling.

“
Do you like it?” he asked softly.

Maggie
walked slowly over to the window and gazed in wonder at the beautifully landscaped garden below. She answered without turning around. “Yes, very much.”

“
I thought you would. How does this compare with the Rose Room?”

She wh
irled around quickly. “Oh, I’ll always like the Rose Room best.”

“
Well, don’t tell Collin. He thinks nothing can compare to this house. He’s given you one of the nicest rooms and as it happens, a fitting one.”

“
Why is that?” she asked hesitantly.

Grinning
widely now, he said, “This room has always been known as the bridal suite.”

Maggie
didn’t quite trust that smile; she turned back to contemplate the view outside. “Collin is a bit premature, isn’t he? I’m not posing as a bride, only a potential one.”

He crossed the room and stood next to her. “You
’re not upset about it, are you? It’s just a room.”

Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, Maggie shook her head and w
alked into the bathroom, wanting to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere that seemed to be gathering around them. To her chagrin, Marcus followed her, his eyes closely watching her as she explored the amenities of a completely modernized bathroom containing as its focal point an enormous sunken tub.

“
I hope you don’t mind taking baths. As you can see, there’s no shower, an omission I’ve often wondered about. Of course, you can use the shower in any of the other bathrooms at any time.”

M
aggie threw him an extraordinarily sweet smile that took him completely by surprise. “I don’t mind at all. I love to soak in a hot bath after a long day.” She returned to the bedroom and opened her suitcase.

M
arcus followed her more slowly, still reeling from that smile. “I’m going to leave you to unpack in peace, but I’ll return shortly. We’ll take a look at the house and gardens first. I’ll never get you into the pool otherwise.”

T
he tour of the house was a joy for Maggie who lost count of the number of rooms they wandered through, each one decorated with exquisite taste. They also spent time meandering through the English style garden just behind the house with its sculptured hedges, stone benches, and manicured lawns.

D
elighted with the statues placed enticingly in hidden arbors, Maggie teasingly told Marcus that he needed to add some to the garden at Bradford House. “Think how romantic it would be,” she added wistfully.