Enchanted (12 page)

“Are you interested
that way
?” he asked.

“Are you really so unsure that you have to ask?”

“I’m unsure of everything when I’m around you.”

Kathleen didn’t comment, afraid if she said anything more, they’d end up in the bedroom. Although that’s where her heart wanted to be, her brain told her to wait. She glanced at the clock, yawned, and stretched. “Do you realize I have to be at work in less than three hours?”

“Call in sick,” he teased.

“No. My boss would know I’m lying.”

His hand touched her neck and lightly caressed the bare skin. He wrapped a strand of hair around his finger. “I don’t want tonight to end.”

“It has to. I’ve eaten too much junk food, and I haven’t had a wink of sleep.”

“Can we have dinner tonight, after work?”

She hesitated. “I can’t. I have too much work to do.”

“Tomorrow night?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’ve got so much to do on the magazine that I can’t take a moment off. Maybe Saturday?”

“How about lunch during the week?”

“I can’t. Too many meetings.”

He removed his hand from her shoulder and stood, pulling her up from the couch. “Are you trying to avoid me already?”

“No. I’m trying to get a promotion.”

“Is it that important?”

“It’s the second most important thing in my life.”

“And the first is?”

“Julie.”

“Oh. Your daughter.” His low voice sounded disappointed. “I’m glad she’s first on your list.”

“She’ll always come first. Now, are you going to take me home?”

He didn’t answer, just went to the phone and requested a taxi while Kathleen slipped on her shoes.

He found his tie slung over a chair and hung it around his neck. He stepped into his shoes, then went back to Kathleen, debating what to do next.

She started to take off his jacket, but he pulled her hands away. He didn’t release them.

“Keep it on. I might have second thoughts about leaving if you’re not wearing it.”

She smiled, pulling her hands away from his before he could draw them to his lips.

“And I might not want to leave if you do that.”

They walked to the door, both of them taking one last look at the room they had shared, the dirty glasses and plates, the leftover food. She’d never forget this night. She hoped Mac felt the same.

They rode down in an
empty elevator. The door opened, but Mac pulled Kathleen close, keeping her inside as the door closed, and the elevator stood still on the lobby level.

“I know you don’t want me to kiss you, but I’ve never let a woman give me orders and I’m not going to start now.”

She didn’t resist when he opened the coat and put his hands inside, slowly, tenderly letting them slip under the light wool of his jacket and around her silky-smooth back. He pulled her close, lowering his head to her upturned face.

“God, you’re beautiful.” Their lips met, gently, carefully exploring newfound territory. For Kathleen the kiss became the finishing touch to what had started hours earlier in the bed of a penthouse suite at the Plaza. For Mac, it became the fulfillment of a desire he had shoved to the back of his mind six long years before.

The door opened again. “Excuse me, sir.” The bellboy cleared his throat and blushed at the sight before him. “Your taxi’s waiting.”

At five-thirty in the morning, very few people littered the lobby, only the bellboy and a desk clerk. Mac tightened his coat around Kathleen to keep out the morning’s chill, draped his arm over her shoulder, and pulled her close. They walked out of the Plaza into the pinkish gray dawn. The taxi waited at the curb, the driver standing beside the opened door.

Again, Mac slid his hands down Kathleen’s back, cupping her bottom and pulling her close. That’s when the first light flashed, and the photographer ran up for a closer shot. Another flash.

Mac pushed Kathleen into the cab, turned to yell at the photographer, and raised his hand to cover his face as the next flash went off. He climbed into the car and the driver shut the door behind him.

“Damn those photographers,” Mac cursed. “God only knows what they’ll print in the paper.”

Kathleen wanted to die. She propped her chin up with her hand, hoping and praying no one would walk in
to her office
and see that she was half-asleep. She could kill Mac for keeping her out all night. Yet, the magic of the evening played over and over in her brain and heart, and she wouldn’t trade the exhaustion she now suffered for even one moment of her night with the man of her dreams.

She checked her schedule. No staff meetings, no lunches, no chance of yawning or nodding off to sleep in front of strangers or colleagues. Her desk overflowed with copy, artwork, pressures, and deadlines. Half a dozen phone messages had been affixed to her phone so they wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle. She laughed. Where do I begin?

In front of her lay the beginnings of an article she had hastily scribbled about “The Arrogant Male.” Words had been crossed out with new ones written above, added lines cascaded down the side margins, and arrows moved text from one spot to another. With a red felt-tip pen she doodled in the blank spaces, drawing nothing but squares, rectangles, and circles, daydreaming of her evening with Mac, wondering when she would see him again.

She found it hard to concentrate on the article. She had originally penned it with Mac in mind. She even planned to add a paragraph or two about the arrogant man she had met from the ad in the personals. Funny they should turn out to be one and the same. Mac definitely had an arrogant streak, but he could also be generous and kind, and she found something endearing in each of his characteristics—the good and the not-so-good.

She jumped at a knock on her door. Obviously, even the
DO NOT DISTURB
sign posted outside wasn’t good enough to keep some people from barging in.

Before she could say “Come in,” the door opened and Ashley Tate breezed into the room. Kathleen didn’t move, just raised her eyes from the paper and inwardly groaned. What could she possibly want, and why is she intruding on my wonderful thoughts?

Ashley snatched the scribbled article off the desk, scanned the contents, then tossed it back amongst the clutter.

“I suppose that’s for your new magazine?” Ashley scoffed. “Mac told me all about it. He hates the concept, you know. For the life of me I don’t understand why he’s letting you continue with it.”

Kathleen rubbed her eyes, then found a sickeningly sweet smile to plaster on her face. “It’s such a pleasure having you drop by my office, especially with such fond words for my work. I’ve rarely had the pleasure of your company. Is there something you need? Something I can help you with?”

“No, nothing at all. I was on my way to see Mac and thought I’d drop in.”

“How kind of you.”

“By the way. Did you receive your invitation to McKenna’s anniversary ball?”

Kathleen opened her top drawer, took out the gold embossed envelope, and waved it in the air with a grin.

“I’m so glad they didn’t forget you. You do have a date, don’t you?”

Kathleen bristled at the catty tone of Ashley’s voice. “I’ve been too busy to think about a date. But please, don’t worry about me.”

“I do hope you’ll be able to find someone. One of the janitors maybe?” Ashley grinned, obviously content that her claws were sinking so deep into Kathleen’s skin. “It’s not much fun being alone at an affair like this. I’m sure all the other guests will be couples. You know, like Mac and me.”

Kathleen seethed. Mac will find himself in one hell of a mess if he parades Ashley on his arm in front of me. She gritted her teeth and responded. “Thank you for being so concerned about my welfare. I’ll be sure to let you know if I can’t find a date.” Now leave, she wanted to add, but didn’t.

Ashley started for the door, then turned around, a questioning frown on her face. “I know you had a meeting with Mac yesterday. I do hope nothing is wrong.”

So that’s the reason she’s in here, Kathleen thought. Her curiosity is eating away at her. Kathleen smiled. “Everything’s fine.”

“I was terribly concerned. I heard how upset Mac was about the new magazine.”

“And who told you he was upset?”

“
T
he word gets around. I have friends here who love to keep me informed. I hope you weren’t too upset when you stormed out of his office yesterday.”

“It’s nothing you should be concerned with. Besides, Mac and I managed to work things out quite nicely, thank you.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Yes, he can be quite sweet, even to you, I suppose.”

Ashley pulled out a chair and sat, gracefully crossing her legs. She leaned forward and whispered, as if in deepest confidence. “May I tell you something, my dear?”

Kathleen said nothing, only acknowledged her with a questioning nod.

“This isn’t easy to say, but, to be perfectly honest, you look dreadful today. You really shouldn’t
burn
the candle at both ends. A good night’s sleep does wonders for your appearance.”

“It really is sweet of you to express your concern.” Kathleen bit her tongue to keep from telling Ashley she spent the night with Mac just to see her reaction. She absently pushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. It definitely had a mind of its own this morning, and she knew she looked a sight. But she didn’t need Ashley to clue her in, and she found it quite easy to adopt Ashley’s venomous tone. “But honestly, Ashley
,
you must know how difficult it is to look your best when you’ve been out all night.”

“No.” Ashley looked bemused. “I always get at least eight hours of sleep.”

“You’re so very fortunate.”

Ashley grinned, then aimed her eyes at the article she had scanned earlier. “I do hope you weren’t working on
that.”
She frowned just the slightest bit, as though her face might permanently wrinkle if she used too much expression.

Kathleen thought about what she had written, deciding her evening with Mac had been too special to trivialize in a magazine article. She looked at the paper, then back at Ashley, who stared, curiously, at Kathleen’s quiet, pensive face. “This,” she said, wadding up the paper and tossing it in the trash can, “was just a fleeting thought, one that wasn’t going anywhere.”

“Mac wouldn’t be pleased if he knew you were wasting your time.”

“I rarely waste my time, or anything else, Ms. Tate, except when people barge into my office, unannounced, with absolutely nothing constructive to say.”

Ashley stood in a huff. “Everything I’ve said to you, Ms. Flannigan, has been constructive. And I think you should remember that my words should be accepted as though they were coming from Mac himself.”

“And when did McKenna O’Brien appoint you as his spokesperson?”

“I’ve always spoken on Mac’s behalf. I know he’s not happy with the magazine, I know he’s not happy with you, and I
think
you know it.”

Kathleen gripped the edge of her desk and leaned forward. “No, I don’t, Ms. Tate. Mac and I had a long discussion about this magazine and my position at McKenna Publishing. It was a private discussion, one I don’t believe he would discuss with staff, or anyone else for that matter.”

“He discusses everything with me.”

“Is that so? I was under the impression your relationship was over.”

“You’re mistaken. Mac’s in love with me, and he always will be.”

Kathleen chose not to believe Ashley’s words, and she wanted her out of her office. “I don’t care what your relationship is, but I doubt even you know Mac’s true feelings about this magazine, this company, or anything else.”

Ashley stuck her chin high in the air, looking down her nose at Kathleen. “You seem terribly edgy this morning. Perhaps you should start sleeping at night instead of gallivanting around till all hours.”

“What I do with my personal time is none of your business, Ms. Tate. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”