Falling for the Boss by Erica Matthews Read Free Book Online Page A

his way again. That smile was deadly and she had no doubt Marcus knew precisely when to use it.
    “I don’t want to say just yet.”
    She slammed the suitcase closed and walked to the door, not realizing she’d been followed until his fingers touched her shoulder.
    “ With anyone else, I might have thought this mistake in rooms to be deliberate.”
    “ Deliberate? For what purpose, for goodness sake?” she asked in an ironic tone.
    “ Not everyone is as fastidious as you appear to be about how they further a relationship with their boss.” Taking the suitcase from her, he opened the door and started down the hall.
    “ Were you always this cynical?” she quipped from just behind him.
    He deposited he r suitcase on the bed and returned to where she stood waiting just inside the door, a faint smile pulling at his lips. “It’s called being realistic. Here you are, delivered safe and sound to your room. It even contains a window seat perfect for reading. That reason, among others, made this the obvious choice for you.”
    “ Is that an oblique reference to the fact that this was at one time the governess’ room?”
    “ You should be impressed that I paid such close attention during that tour you gave me. I wonder why you chose to leave out the part about her being more than a governess.”
    “ Because the tour is supposed to be appropriate for all ages. And we’re really only speculating. In all events, in those days she probably had no choice. I hope he was good to her.”
    “If he was willing to spend any amount of time in this room, he must have been crazy about her.”
    “You really don’t care for pink, do you?”
    “No, I prefer blue – like the blue of your eyes after you’ve been kissed for instance.”
    Despite the fact that she knew she was blushing, Maggie could n’t let this go. “In light of your recent comments, and my own feelings on the matter, it would be better if we forget those lapses of judgment.”
    “ It’s a relief to find you as sensible as I’d supposed.”
    “ My degree of sensibility has little to do with it. We barely know each other and if that isn’t enough, there’s Felicia to consider.”
    “ Maggie, our degree of acquaintance has little to do with it either. And while I hesitate to further blacken my character in your eyes, I can’t let you think that any opinions of Felicia would serve as a guide to my own behavior.”
    “ That’s a strange way to talk about your girlfriend!” she exclaimed.
    “ I’ve made Felicia no promises nor required any of her. She’s free to behave as she pleases and so am I.”
    Maggie’s reaction to this statement was all Marcus could have wished. She looked as if he ’d just announced that the world was going to end. “You don’t feel that your relationship with her places you under any kind of obligation regarding your behavior toward other women?” she managed to get out.
    “ I answer to no one,” he stated softly, but firmly.
    Maggie bit her lip and added diffidently, “I begin to feel a little sorry for Felicia.”
    “ Because you’re thinking about the situation romantically and in terms of commitment.”
    “Which you are not ,” she added scornfully.
    “ I think we can agree on the fact that we view this subject very differently. But for the sake of your concern for Felicia, and not in any attempt to mitigate my own actions, I’ll admit that I do confine myself to one woman at a time. I’m not foolish enough to do otherwise.” He paused for a moment, his eyes looking intently into hers. “Kissing you was out of character.”
    “ I’m not sure how to take that.”
    He shrugged elegantly. “At least do me the favor of taking it in a positive light. I don’t run across women like you every day.”
    A s she watched him leave, Maggie could only shake her head. She didn’t run across men like him every day either which was probably a good thing. She’d never met a man so competent at defending his own