Getting It Right This Time (20 page)

He grinned at her. Kate scowled back.

With the look of a man who’d accomplished his mission, Mark leaned toward Jess. “What does this notice say then? Jessica Marshall…” He stopped, hesitated. “…is the most beautiful three-year-old girl in the whole of England. Mmm…I’m not so sure. Maybe I need to take a closer look at this Jessica Marshall.”

And then Kate looked on helplessly as he dumped the pizza boxes and DVD he held onto the step and snatched Jess from her mother’s embrace. Jessica squealed with happiness as he swung her into the air before poking and prodding at her body.

“Yeah, okay. Now that I’ve had a closer look at this Jessica Marshall, I think that sign is right. In fact, she’s the prettiest girl in the world.”

Kate watched him continue to tickle Jessica as she gestured them inside. Her stomach tossed and turned and her heart ached--but what else could she do? Grab his shirt and toss him into the road? Burst her daughter’s happiness right there and then? He’d clearly no idea of the commitment and fortitude it took to raise a child despite the amount of times she’d asked him, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t find a way--a private way--to let Jess down gently.

Bending down, she picked up the pizza boxes and DVD. If Mark thought he’d be here long enough to watch a DVD, he was sorely mistaken. Stepping into the house, she kicked the door closed with a loud bang before striding through her narrow hallway and peering through the open living room door.

Mark listened intently to Jess as she told him about the characters on her favorite show--the sticky fingerprints on the TV screen evidence of how big and long each of the creatures were when they appeared. Kate fought her smile.

She cleared her throat. “Mark? A word please.”

They both turned. She looked at Jess. “You sit and watch TV, sweetie. Me and Mark will get some plates and drinks, okay?”

Jess nodded and turned back to the TV, happy and content.

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Getting It Right This Time

With her heart banging like a pneumatic hammer, Kate watched Mark stand up and walk toward her. His six feet two inch frame filled the doorway and she abruptly turned, headed for the kitchen so she didn’t have to endure the indignity of tipping her head back in order to glare at him.

His footsteps behind her marked the beat of her heart.

“Take a seat.”

She pulled out a chair for him. With his eyes still locked on hers, he sat. The height advantage worked wonders.

“Kate--” he began.

She held up her hand, cutting him off. “I don’t think so. I’ll go first, and then I’ll listen to your bullshit for approximately sixty seconds before you go into the living room, say your final goodbye to my daughter, with no mention of what was said in this kitchen, and then you will never
ever
contact me again.”

“No.”

A burning hot rage hit her square in the gut. “Pardon me?” she said quietly. “Did you seriously just say no?”

He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving until you listen to everything I have to say. And what I want to say will take more than sixty seconds. So no, Kate, I won’t be leaving here anytime soon.”

His eyes burned with rage, determination…maybe even a hint of fear, and Kate’s body trembled. Her heart ached. “Get out.”

“No.”

She whirled away from him and curled her fingers around the counter, willing her body into some sort of self-control as she stared out into her garden. She wanted to hit him, kiss him, and hit him again. The view blurred, Kate squeezed her eyes shut.

“You kissed her. After everything I explained to you about Jess, you kissed her.”

Kate flinched and snapped her eyes open when she heard the scrape of his chair against the floor tiles. His hands clamped on her shoulders and spun her around before she could put up a modicum of resistance.

“Listen to me,” he whispered urgently. “I love you. I’ve always loved you.” His gaze darted over her face, her lips, her eyes. “Why would I risk losing you again by kissing Marcia in full public view? If I wanted to kiss her, I have ample opportunity when we’re alone.”

The gold flecks in hazel eyes shone, beseeching her to understand. Kate pulled away. “Then why don’t you? I don’t want you here. This is too hard for me.”

He released her. “That’s it? One measly photograph and you’re giving up on us? I thought you were made of stronger stuff than that.”

Rachel Brimble

103

“Don’t you dare,” she said, through clenched teeth. “Don’t you dare think you can get us past this by challenging me, Mark. How many times do I have to tell you I am not the person I was five years ago? James changed me. His moods, his ego, his God damned demands made me realize more often than not, men do what the hell they want, when they want. Stupidly, I thought you’d last longer than two weeks before showing me your true colors.”

“I am not James. Whatever he did or didn’t do. I am not him, you know I’m not.”

“Why are you talking about Daddy?”

Kate spun around. Jessica’s eyes were wide, her bottom lip trembling. Kate rushed across the room and scooped her into her arms. “We…we…were…”

Mark came up beside them and smoothed Jessica’s hair back from her eyes. “I knew your daddy, sweetheart. I was his friend.”

Kate’s stomach turned over. What was he doing? She didn’t need to know that. Why didn’t he just leave? And then Jess stretched her arms out toward him. He flashed Kate a look of surprise before his face broke in an expression of pure joy. He grinned as Jess scrambled from Kate’s arms to his.

“You knew my daddy?”

Mark’s adam’s apple shifted. “Uh-huh.”

“And you know Mummy?”

“Uh-huh.”

Her frown softened until a shy smile played at her lips. “And now you know me.”

He kissed her cheek. “Yes, I do.”

Jess looked at Kate, her green eyes shining. “Can we have pizza now? Me and Mark are hungry.”

Kate forced a smile and swallowed her tears. “Sure. Let’s eat.”

Two hours later, the three of them were laying on their stomachs in front of the TV, Mark and Jess stuffed full of pizza and diet soda whereas Kate hadn’t managed to eat more than one slice. The movie was barely halfway through as she fondly watched Jess struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Time for bed, sweetheart,” she whispered.

“No, I stay up with you and Mark,” she mumbled.

Kate laughed. “Well, that would be fine with me if those pesky eyelids of yours would stay open.”

Mark got to his feet. “I know, why don’t you get into bed for Mummy, chose your favorite book and I’ll come up and read you a story.”

Jess looked from him to Kate, her bottom lip trembling. “No, Mummy reads to me. Mummy always reads to me.”

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Getting It Right This Time

Kate’s shoulders stiffened. Part of her wanted to jump in and save him but the other still mad part, wanted to see want he’d do with such a blatant rebuff. He glanced at her and Kate stared straight back. Two spots of color appeared high on his cheeks, but he quickly turned back to Jess and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

“Okay, that’s fine, but promise you’ll tell me what the book was about next time?”

Kate swallowed back the urge to interrupt him, to tell him there would be no next time.

Jess grinned. “Okay.”

Pushing to her feet, Kate stood up and lifted Jess into her arms. “Say goodnight to Mark, honey.”

“Night, night, Mark.”

He blew her a kiss. “Night, Jess.”

Tossing him a glare over Jess’s shoulder, Kate’s face flushed hot when he grinned back.

Turning abruptly, she took Jess upstairs. Grateful Jessica was too tired to talk and ask the endless questions she anticipated, Kate quickly undressed her and tucked her in beneath the bedcovers.

Almost as soon as Kate pressed a kiss to her cheek, Jess was softly snoring.

She took a moment to watch her. Life was simple when you were three. Trust. Simple, unbreakable trust. And then you grew up.

Switching on the night-light, Kate quietly pulled the door together. She walked to the top of the stairs and stopped. She could hear the clink of glass against glass and then the pop of a cork.

He’d opened a bottle of her wine. Without asking. She marched down the stairs and into the living room. He turned, held out a glistening glass of what she knew to be Chardonnay.

“I’m falling for her, Kate.”

She met eyes so somber, so afraid, so unmistakably sincere the fight left her like air escaping from a balloon. She sighed. “We can’t do this to her. It’s not fair.”

“Do what? I’m here for the long haul. You have to believe me. I understand what losing James did to her.”

Kate shook her head. “It’s not just that. She barely remembers him. It’s me who keeps him alive for her. It’s the fact she cannot lose another one.”

“Another what?”

She met his eyes, felt her heart hitch painfully in her chest. “Another father.” She sat down heavily on the sofa. “And that’s what you’ll be to her quicker than you can say ‘no thanks’ if she gets any closer to you. Don’t you see? Kids aren’t capable of differentiating between time and space, Mark. You’re a busy man, you work, you network. I understand that. My reaction to the picture of you and Marcia is because this is just the beginning, not because I don’t believe the woman isn’t capable of throwing herself at you.”

“Which is exactly what she did, by the way.”

Unable to resist the way he looked at her, Kate smiled. “Fine, I believe you, but it doesn’t change what I’m saying.”

Rachel Brimble

105

“Which is what? We’re over before we’ve begun?”

She took a confidence boosting mouthful of wine. “Exactly.”

“And that’s what you want, is it?”

“Mark…”

He put his finger to the top of her glass as it rose to her lips once again. “Is it?”

“It does it matter what I want.”

He put his glass down on the coffee table in front of them. “How can you say that?” He gripped her free hand in his. “What you want is all that matters to me.”

“Fine. Then let me and Jess go. This is going to get worse. The press, Marcia. I don’t want people coming into the salon to gawk at the woman dating the great Mark Johnston. And most of all, I will not risk Jess being exposed--”

The ringing of Mark’s mobile filled the room. “Damn it. Sorry.” He pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at the display. His finger hovered at the
off
button before he looked at her.

“It’s my PA. I’d better take it. My office was broken into last night. It might be--”

“What? Your office…”

He held up a finger and pressed
talk
. “Liam?” Mark’s voice filtered into the background as Kate watched him march around her living room, his phone stuck to his ear. His office had been broken into? Couldn’t he see what was going on here? This was madness.

“Shit!” Mark squeezed his eyes shut as he snapped his phone closed.

“What is it? Why didn’t you tell me you were broken into last night?”

“I didn’t want you worrying until I ascertained how bad it was. That’s why I cancelled lunch and why I turned up here so late this afternoon.” He opened his eyes. “I’ve got no bloody idea who’s behind this, Kate. Well, no one that I can accuse with proof at least.”

Kate put down her glass and went to him. She touched his arm. “And I’m guessing this trouble started when me and you became an item, huh?”

He met her eyes. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean…”

“Mark, this is ridiculous. You could lose…”

He shook his head. “Maybe I am losing. But none of that matters apart from us. I want you, and I want Jessica.”

“What do you mean you are losing?”

He took a step back, pushed his hair from his face. “Liam’s just told me two clients have phoned demanding to see me first thing tomorrow morning. Someone told them about the paperwork that was taken.”

“Paperwork?”

“Confidential paperwork. Details of their earnings, their contracts.”

“My God, this is serious. This is sabotage.” She shivered. “It’s like…it’s like James is looking down in outrage. Throwing one thing after another in our path to prevent us from being together.”

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Getting It Right This Time

He cupped her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes before pressing a rough and urgent kiss to her lips. “No, Kate. We can do this. I will not lose you again, and there is no way Underwood is going to get to me like he got to my father.”

Kate pressed her hands to his chest and felt the rapid beat of his heart against her palms.

“You’re shaking. Who’s Underwood? And what did he do to your dad?”

He shook his head. “Not now. I’ve got to go. Just tell me this isn’t it for us, Kate. Please.”

Her heart swelled in her chest, and hot tears pricked her eyes. It was impossible to keep denying her love for him, impossible to think she could stay away and carry on as she had before.

Lifting his hand from her face, she kissed his palm. “This isn’t it for us. This is just the beginning.”

Chapter 12

It was nearing nine o’clock when Mark pulled up in front of Liam’s modest three-bedroom semi. He killed the engine and got out of the car. And stopped. Marcia’s Mazda6 sports car sat on the driveway. He glanced toward the drawn curtains of the living room and back to the car. His gut churned. What was she doing here? His mind instantly filled with a million scenarios--none of them good. What he wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall inside the house instead of having to announce his arrival by ringing on the doorbell.

Clamping his teeth together, he approached the front door. Liam greeted him with a face full of worry. “You’re here,” he said. “Thank God.”

“What’s Marcia doing here?” Mark stepped over the threshold, glaring toward the living room rather than looking at his assistant.

“She called me. Asked to come over. Is that okay?”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why did she want to come over?”

“Hi, Mark.”

Mark turned. She stood in the living room doorway, her arm held above her head against the doorjamb.