In His Cuffs(33)

A copywriter entered her office and handed her the final script they'd  be using during the announcements to ensure they thanked everyone who  was there. He also handed her David's bio to use when she introduced him  as the new owner.

Gloria swooped in wearing a red maxi dress with at least three metal  belts wrapped around her waist. "Things are looking good. You've done a  great job on the organisation, and I understand all of our biggest  clients will be here. I just hope the tyrant can be bothered to show up  during his part."

"Out." Maggie pointed at the door.

"What do you mean?"

"I warned you that I won't listen to that. Go find someone else who  will. And if they do, I'll fire them. It's insidious and it stops now.  Here."

"I never," Gloria protested.

"Yeah, you did. Never gave him a chance, and neither did I. You've got a  fat pay cheque coming that you wouldn't have had otherwise." And still  might not if he chose to fire her for insubordination. She wouldn't  blame him if he did. "You might try a little cooperation when all else  fails." She knew that, to others, he might not look engaged because he  spent so much time working offsite on the other deal. But speculation  about his work hours had to end too, particularly when almost everyone  at World Wide Now set their own schedules.

One of the catering assistants popped her head in the door. "I don't know where you'd like the cake?"

Maggie wondered if it would be rude to cut a piece and eat it now. She could use the sugar boost. "Mother, can you help her?"

"This way," Gloria said to the young lady, once again distracted. "The frosting doesn't have dairy, does it?"

David showed up, dapper in grey with a blue tie. Wildly she wondered if  that was the one he'd shoved in her mouth the first night at her condo.

"You've done a nice job on the event," he told her. "I understand you got my bio?"

"Gloria will be reading it, if that's all right?"

He nodded.

"You can do the acknowledgements. I thought I'd handle the welcome and the staff introductions. You up for a rehearsal?"

He nodded again.

They had a large presentation room and, except for a couple of bar-height tables, it had been cleared.

Their sound person joined them, showed them how the lapel microphones  worked, ran through a check then stepped back while Maggie, Gloria and  David read through their lines.

"We make a good team," Gloria said.

By the time David's introduction had been made to the crowd, Maggie  agreed. When they worked together, things ran seamlessly. David even  displayed some unexpected humour that caught some laughter and a  smattering of applause.                       
       
           



       

She stayed through the end. And went home alone.

He hadn't even stuck around to say goodnight.

What had she expected? She swallowed the lump in her throat. How could  she have been so shallow? David had been open, if unyielding, about his  expectations of her. There weren't many. He even cooked and made  Sunday-morning lattes.

She'd been so caught up in looking at the situation through fearful eyes  that she'd blown her chance to be with the one man who satisfied her  more than anyone ever had. He would have continually pushed her, but the  rewards she'd already experienced were more than she could have  imagined.

Feeling miserable, she picked up the phone and asked Vanessa to join her  for a drink. Vanessa said she had only a little time before her two men  were coming over. "I'll share," Vanessa added.

"I'll pass. Thanks."

"Come on over, I'll make you a margarita. You don't have to stay."

She swung by Vanessa's but just felt more miserable when the first taste  of salt hit her tongue. She wasn't in the mood to be cheered up. What  should had been a celebratory evening following the mad success of the  open house had ended up echoing with loneliness, amplified by Vanessa's  uncontained enthusiasm for her night ahead.

When the hunks in leather pants and no shirts arrived, Maggie excused herself.

"Not tempted?" Vanessa asked.

"Not even a little bit."

"You've got it bad," Vanessa said. "We'll go shopping tomorrow."

One of the guys grabbed Vanessa's hair and pulled back her head.

"If you survive," Maggie said with a grin. She let herself out and went home alone.





Chapter Nine





"Has anyone seen my sanity?" Maggie asked the next Friday morning as she  accepted one of the frozen drinks Barb had brought in. "I lost it  somewhere." She stabbed a straw through the lid and took a grateful sip.  Cold caffeine laced with chocolate hit her system, providing a much  needed jolt. Not sleeping well for almost two weeks had caught up with  her, leaving her mentally and emotionally weak. She'd worked dozens of  extra hours, trying to stay busy and hoping David would finally speak to  her.

"Did you look in the break room?" Barb asked. "Maybe it's in that box of pastries. That's where I found mine."

"Pastries?" Gloria asked. She'd refused one of the milk-based drinks,  but her tone went up an octave at the mention of sweets. "Any maple  doughnuts?"

"I don't know. I saw something with sprinkles, though."

Gloria walked away.

"Will you bring me a petit four?" Barb called. "It will be my second,"  she admitted to Maggie. "They're so small, I figure I can eat about  eight and only equal one piece of cake. Right?"

"I don't judge."

The front door opened and David walked in.

Breath vaporised in Maggie's lungs. How was it possible for him to devastate her more every day?

His tailored navy blue suit emphasised the breadth of his shoulders and  the colour of his eyes. His hair was getting longer, more rakish. He  smelt shower-fresh, with a layer of masculine prowess.

"Morning, ladies."

"I've got an extra chocolate caramel upside down latte, if you want it," Barb said.

"I'll just stick with coffee. Thanks," he said.

Was Maggie the only one who felt the sizzling charge in the atmosphere?

He nodded and moved past her. She caught a glimpse of his supple leather belt and an erotic chill danced down her spine.

"Does he seem different to you?" Barb asked.

"In what way?"

"I don't know, more distant." Barb accepted the tiny pastry Gloria  carried in. "I was just asking Mags if she thinks David seems  different," she said, including Gloria in the conversation.

"He's always polite," Gloria said. "In a frosty kind of way. He's never  given me the time of day. But I get what you mean. He spends more time  in his office with the door closed than he ever has."

At least Gloria was no longer making snide comments about his work  habits. It would take a while for her to come around, but it was a  start.

"See what I mean?" Barb asked.

Gloria sank her teeth into an éclair. "Damn, this is good."

"I'm sure he's fine," Maggie said.

"We're all being nicer and more respectful, like you told us to, but he  seems to have become more remote. Maybe you could ask him if there's  something wrong," Barb suggested.

"Me?" Maggie asked, horrified.

"He talks to you more than the rest of us."                       
       
           



       

"Not true." Not anymore.

"It's true," Gloria disagreed. "You work more closely with him than anyone does."

"Find out, Mags."

She nodded since she couldn't out-and-out lie.

"I need to check my email," Gloria said as she licked cream from her finger and headed for her office.

"You didn't tell her the filling is dairy," Barb said.

"You tell her," Maggie replied. "If you want me to talk to David, you have to deal with her. Only fair."

"I guess both of us are keeping our mouths shut then?" Barb said with a grin, reaching for her treat.

She had a meeting with David to show him revisions to the new company's  logo. Even though he'd approved the eagle previously, she'd had one of  the lines removed so that the talons appeared fiercer. It complemented  the more streamlined lettering of the company name.

"I like it." He signed his initials to the bottom of the page. "We're still keeping it under wraps?"

"Of course." It amazed her how natural it would have been to add the word Sir. Not just natural, but right.

He slid the paper across the conference room table towards her. "I miss you, Maggie."

She froze.

"It's probably better this way," he said.

"Is it?" She could hardly force the words past the lump in her throat. "It's not for me."

"I'm a demanding bastard. I require any sub of mine to be honest and respectful at all times."