Boss Meets Baby(134)
In response, Keir looked grim. There was certainly— no amusement evident at her clumsy phrasing.
‘I had better go, then,’ he announced clearly. ‘Before I finish what I started to do before my loyal housekeeper knocked on the door and ruined everything. An event that with hindsight you will probably no doubt welcome!’
He left her then, shutting the door with deliberately— firm emphasis behind him, and Georgia stood frozen for a full minute, locked in the myriad emotions that welled up inside her. She no longer felt afraid of the storm that vented its fury outside because her head was too full of wild, heated thoughts to be fully aware of much else but her own disquiet.
Keir was wrong about her welcoming the interruption— from his housekeeper…so wrong.
‘Good morning, Moira.’
‘Georgia, my dear!’
The friendly housekeeper glanced up from the cooking range as the younger woman entered the large bright kitchen. Immediately she observed the telling signs of a sleepless night on Georgia’s slightly paler than usual face.
‘You look like you had as restless a night as I had, love. Goodness gracious, but that was some hullabaloo last night, wasn’t it? Come and sit down, lassie, and— I’ll make you a nice rejuvenating cup of tea.’
‘Thanks, I’d really appreciate that…And I’m sorry if I added to your sleepless night with that slamming door.’
‘Think nothing of it. The truth is it gets harder to get a decent night’s rest as a body gets older so I’m not blaming you. Now, sit yourself down and I’ll get you that cup of tea.’
Pulling out a shaker-style chair from the large pine table, Georgia picked up a pot of marmalade standing with the rest of the jams on the square placemat which had a picture of the Scottish Highlands imprinted on it, and absently read the contents label—her mind preoccupied with the fact that her boss could walk through the door at any minute.
During the night, after he’d left, she’d been kept awake far more by thoughts of him than the thunderous— storm. Her lips had ached without cease for the touch of his mouth against hers, for his inviting, addictive— taste, and she wondered what would have happened if Moira hadn’t knocked at the door when she had. What perturbed Georgia even more was that she would have welcomed Keir’s kiss instead of repelling— it. What did that mean?
She’d always avoided becoming involved with men she worked for and for very good reason. She was responsible for her brother, and that responsibility took precedence over everything else. She had to give Noah the sense of security that had been so devastatingly snatched away from him by the deaths of their parents. And trying to make a living and keep a roof over their heads and not get into debt was hard enough, without making things even harder by getting romantically involved with her boss!
But now it seemed as though all her previous common sense was suddenly coming under serious fire. It must have been the storm, Georgia told herself…That was why she’d acted so uncharacteristically. Storms were her Achilles’ Heel. Plus the fact that she had truly believed someone had broken into the house. If she hadn’t been so jumpy and on edge about those two factors she would never have allowed Keir to even enter her room…let alone comfort her and then try to kiss her!
But even as her mind tried desperately to defend her actions, she knew she was only kidding herself. The fact was that she had seriously missed him when he’d been away in New York, and she hadn’t been able to wait for him to return. Even though she knew her feelings weren’t at all sensible, or even welcome, Georgia couldn’t help them. She just hoped that in the cold light of day what had happened wouldn’t make things too awkward between them for them to continue to work together. The bottom seemed to drop out of her whole world even at the thought that she might have to leave Glenteign sooner than she’d planned…
‘Oh, by the way…the Chief is back from New York, dear. He returned late last night in the middle of that terrible storm! What a homecoming! Come to think of it…it was probably him coming home that woke me up! I don’t suppose there’s much chance of you having a quiet day today with him back, though,— dear. He had his breakfast and then went straight out to see if there was any damage to the gardens. That wind was fierce! No doubt there’ll be a few branches thrown about the place—and he was concerned about some rare plants and shrubs that your brother planted too. Anyway, he came back a little while ago, and he’s in his study now.’
Swallowing hard, Georgia contemplated the news that Keir was already in his study with mounting trepidation. ‘Well, then, I’ll have my tea, give Hamish a quick walk, and then join him. By the way, where— is Hamish?’