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Marco shook his head. ‘I take it you are a bit of a romantic.’
‘No!’ She didn’t know why she hotly denied the charge, because she was a hopeless romantic. Maybe it had something to do with the sudden derisive tone of his voice.
Marco watched the colour deepen in her creamy skin, saw the way her green eyes sparkled with annoyance, and smiled. ‘I think you are,’ he said softly. ‘In fact, I think that maybe deep down you would like to find the kind of relationship that your parents enjoyed…complete with love at first sight.’
‘You mean I’m looking for something you say doesn’t exist,’ Charlie muttered angrily. ‘Any minute now you are going to ask me to lie down on your couch. I don’t need to be psychoanalysed, thank you, Marco. I had a disastrous date last night but it hasn’t left me scarred. I am quite well-adjusted, thank you.’
Marco laughed.
For some reason that irritated her even further.
Marco watched as she brushed a self-conscious hand over the smoothness of her hair and noticed how she swiftly changed the subject. ‘You’re going to be late for your interview,’ she said crossly.
He smiled to himself. Charlie intrigued him and had done so since the first moment she had walked into his office. There was something about the way she carried herself with a cool dignity that was quite beguiling. Never once during the months she had worked for him had he known her to completely lower the barriers that surrounded her. However, as the weeks had gone by an easy compatibility had sprung up between them and her wary reserve had fallen a little. He noticed in particular that when he asked about her son she came alive with a warmth that was completely captivating.
On the other hand she certainly wasn’t at ease talking about her date last night…watching her blush was a whole new revelation, as was the vulnerable glint in her green eyes when he had accused her of being a bit of a romantic. She had thought he’d just wanted to psychoanalyse her, but he didn’t need to get her on the couch to know that some man had hurt her badly…probably her ex-husband. But that wasn’t any of his business and he certainly didn’t want to pry into her personal life.
One of the things he liked about Charlie was the fact that she was so self-contained. Her practical attitude in the office was a real bonus. It suited him to have someone calm and reliable around, someone who didn’t get emotional. His last PA had been a nightmare. She’d been through a series of relationship break-ups, and when he’d offered a word of sympathy she had developed a weird kind of fixation on him that had made work impossible. After that experience he had decided to hire a temp for a while. Charlie was a real blessing. She was always on an even keel, steady and dependable. Charlie never came into the office hung-over or late after a wild night on the tiles. In fact—bizarrely, considering the fact Charlie was in her late twenties and an attractive woman—she didn’t appear to have a love life. Maybe he had even started to take that fact for granted…Why else had he been so taken aback when she’d told him about her date last night?
She stood up now to go and get a file from one of the cabinets and he found his eyes following her. He’d probably just been concerned about her. Sometimes, despite her self-possessed manner, he sensed an underlying vulnerability about her…. something he was sure she took great trouble to hide.
Yes, that was it…he’d just been concerned for her safety last night. His attention was distracted as she reached up to a high shelf to get a new folder. For a moment he was treated to a clear view of her shapely body. As his eyes drifted down over her curves he wondered, not for the first time, why she always wore clothes that hid her physique so completely. She had a nice hourglass figure which was very desirable, but you could hardly see it in the shapeless black business suit.
Annoyed with himself, he looked away and glanced at his watch. He had more important things to think about. ‘Looks like Sarah isn’t going to make it. I’ll have to leave without her.’
‘When she arrives, shall I tell her to follow you to the studio?’ Charlie asked as she sat back down at her computer.
Marco watched as she put her spectacles on and concentrated on the screen as if she had dismissed him entirely from her mind.
‘No.’ Marco shook his head. ‘Because you’ll have to come with me instead.’
She looked up at him in surprise. ‘But I’ve got research notes to catalogue—’
‘You’ll have to leave them until later,’ Marco said firmly. ‘Come on, be quick. I need you to drive because I have notes to read. And, bearing in mind the lateness of the hour…you might have to drop me at the door and park the car for me.’
Charlie took off her spectacles and with reluctance found herself switching off her computer. Then, snatching up her bag, she followed him down the stairs. It was strange but since that conversation about her love life she felt a bit on edge around him somehow. It was as if the professional barriers that she had managed to keep in place around him had suddenly been shifted to one side.
CHAPTER TWO
CHARLIE had to practically run to keep up with Marco as they crossed the courtyard at the side of his house. She scrabbled in her bag for her keys as she stopped next to her car.
‘What are you doing?’
She looked up and saw Marco was standing next to his own car.
‘You said you wanted me to drive.’
‘I do. But I meant in my car.’
Charlie looked over at the brand-new gleaming red sports car and quickly decided she definitely didn’t want to drive such perfection through the traffic! ‘Do you mind if we take mine?’
Marco glanced sceptically at her old car. ‘Do you think it will get us there?’
‘Well, it gets me to work every morning!’ she said indignantly.
‘Fine.’ He shrugged and moved towards her vehicle.
Marco was so tall that his legs were crushed up against the dashboard when he got in. He released the seat and moved it backwards as she turned the key in the ignition. As usual the car didn’t want to start immediately.
‘It’s OK—it always does this,’ she reassured him hurriedly in case he started to get out.
The engine flared into life at the next turn of the key and at the same time music filled the car and Marco was treated to a rendition of Love and Marriage as crooned by Frank Sinatra.
Hurriedly Charlie rushed to switch it off and in her haste turned the volume up. ‘Sorry!’ she shouted over the sentimental words about how love and marriage went so well together and then switched the CD off. But the music kept on and it was a moment before she realised that it was the radio that was playing.
‘That was Frank Sinatra’s opinion of love and marriage,’ The DJ said cheerfully, ‘but in a short time we will be talking to the eminent Dr Marco Delmari about his new book and why he thinks putting love at the top of your list when you get married could spell disaster.’
‘Sorry, I thought it was my CD that was playing,’ Charlie said uncomfortably as she turned the volume down. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Marco had found the cover for the CD of love songs and was reading through the track list.
‘And you tried to tell me you weren’t a romantic.’ He looked over at her with wry humour.
‘I’ve also got classical music in the glove compartment and a selection of rock albums.’
Marco smiled. ‘Interesting. I wouldn’t have had you down as a rock chick. Do you have the leathers and the bike too?’
‘But of course,’ she lied with a bat of her dark lashes. ‘I didn’t realise you were analysing me.’
‘Of course I am.’ He laughed. ‘It’s what I do.’ He slanted her a teasing look. ‘And by the way, there is nothing wrong with being a bit of a romantic,’ he added softly.
‘That’s not what it says in your book.’
‘No, what I said in my book was that people get carried away by the idea of romance. That they imagine themselves in love too easily, when in fact they are just in lust, which is absolutely fine for a short-term affair, but for a longer-term commitment you need more stability.’
‘“Love should not be the only reason for marriage.”’ Charlie quoted one of the lines from his book.
‘Ah…So you have read it, then.’
‘Of course I’ve read it.’ She looked over and found that he was still watching her with a light of amusement in his dark eyes. ‘I bought a copy before I started to work for you.’
‘As a precursor to internet dating?’
‘No, as research towards working for you…and actually, just for the record, last night was my first sojourn into the world of internet dating.’
‘Will you continue with it?’
‘If you’d asked me that question when I got home last night I’d probably have said no…. but…’ she paused for thought ‘…I suppose a date like last night’s can happen even when you meet someone under more conventional circumstances.’
‘So you’ll go out again on another date?’
Charlie shrugged. ‘Maybe…’
‘But not with Mr Dreamboat?’
‘Definitely not.’ She smiled at him.
Marco reached across and turned the radio off. ‘So how does this internet dating service work? Do you get to see photos of the people you can date?’
‘Yes, not that it helps much. My dates’s photo must have been at least ten years out of date.’ She glanced over at him teasingly. ‘Why? Are you thinking of trying it yourself?’
‘Not this week,’ he said sardonically and instantly she wished she hadn’t made the joke. Of course, Marco wouldn’t need to look on the internet for a date—unless he was running an experiment for one of his books! But for Charlie, who didn’t go out to socialise a lot—partly because she had to arrange baby-sitters, and partly because she didn’t really like the nightclub or smoky-bars scene—it was a practical solution. ‘It’s just a bit of fun,’ she said with a shrug. But her tone was defensive now.
‘Is it?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘So you aren’t looking for a serious relationship?’
The gently asked question seemed to echo inside her in a very strange way. She had to admit that recently she had been feeling lonely and when she looked around the world suddenly seemed made up of couples. She missed the intimacy of a relationship…not just the sex but the tenderness and warmth and the feeling that someone was there for her.
Not that her ex-husband had ever really been there for her. They had only been married for twelve months when she had fallen pregnant and, although Greg initially seemed to be pleased, she had soon discovered this wasn’t the case.
At the time they had been living in an apartment and had decided to look around and buy a house…something, as Greg put it, more ‘child-friendly’. They had found what they were looking for pretty quickly, the ideal property; a beautiful old cottage out in the countryside.
Charlie had been ecstatic, full of dreams and plans for the future. But although their offer was accepted she had never got her dream cottage. As soon as their apartment was sold Greg had left her, taking half the money from the sale with him.
The shock had been immense. She had loved Greg and believed that he loved her, and she had never suspected for one moment that he wanted out of the marriage. Left alone and pregnant, she’d known there was no way she could afford to buy the cottage on her own, and the sale had dropped through.
So, no, she couldn’t lie to herself—Greg had never been there for her…and he certainly had never bothered with Jack. That hurt more than anything.
She suddenly remembered how the other day she had seen the man next door taking his son out to play football and how for some reason it had made her eyes prickle with tears. But it had just been PMT, she told herself quickly.
She shook her negative thoughts away and answered Marco’s question. ‘I don’t think I want a serious relationship right now, but if someone special came along in the future that would be nice.’ Charlie pulled down the visor of the car to cut the glare of sun that was so low in the sky it was shining straight into her eyes like a light of interrogation. ‘Apart from anything, there are times when I think Jack needs a dad.’ The words slipped out almost without her being conscious of saying them.
‘Doesn’t Jack see his father?’
‘Not really…an occasional phone call and birthday card…’ She glanced over at Marco and suddenly felt completely self-conscious when she found he was watching her with a very serious expression in his eyes. Why was she telling him this? It was none of his business! ‘However, he’s no great loss,’ she added hastily. ‘And I like my independence. I’d certainly rather be on my own than in a bad relationship.’
‘Very wise,’ Marco said with a nod.
‘Anyway, I’m distracting you from your work,’ she said briskly, trying to change the subject. ‘You should be reading your notes.’
‘Yes, I suppose I should.’
Silence descended between them. Charlie felt awkward now as he shuffled through papers. She wished she hadn’t had that conversation. She had to work with the guy and it was always best to keep personal conversations to a minimum and maintain a cool and businesslike front. The strange thing was that recently she had been finding that more and more difficult. Marco was very easy to talk to…but then he would be, she thought suddenly; he was trained to get people to open up and reveal their innermost feelings.
After a few moments she felt his eyes resting on her again. Why did she feel that he was looking at her with closer attention than usual? She glanced over at him questioningly.
‘Sorry, was I staring?’ He shook his head. ‘I just realised that you are not wearing your spectacles. Don’t you need them for driving?’
‘No, it’s OK.’ She smiled and looked back at the road. ‘I’m not going to crash the car. I’m glad to say I only need them in the office for the close paperwork and the computer.’
‘You look different without them.’
‘I know…they don’t suit me, do they?’
‘Actually—’
Charlie was glad that the ring of Marco’s phone interrupted the conversation at that moment. She didn’t want him to politely lie and tell her that her glasses did suit her because in retrospect it sounded as if she had been fishing for compliments, which certainly wasn’t the case.
She watched out of the side of her eye as he took the phone from his inside jacket pocket and flipped it open.
‘Hi, Sarah; where the heck are you?’ he demanded. ‘Really?’ He smiled. ‘No, Charlie was good enough to drive me in. We’ll be about twenty minutes.’ He listened for a moment to something she had to say. ‘I don’t think that will be a problem because I’ve done the research. The facts speak for themselves.’ Marco’s voice held a dry edge now. He was clearly irritated by something. ‘We’ll talk about it later…OK?’ Then he hung up.
‘Problems?’ Charlie asked, overcome with curiosity.
‘Yes, the problem is that sometimes Sarah can be very irritating,’ he said tersely.
Those were Charlie’s sentiments exactly, but she wondered what Sarah had said to aggravate Marco. The pair usually seemed to get on so well, sometimes almost sickeningly so. Many times Charlie had watched as Sarah fawned over him, agreeing with his every word, fluttering her eyelashes coyly and then basking in his attention. There was no doubt in Charlie’s mind that the woman fancied the pants off him, and Marco had never seemed averse to the attention.
They had left the motorway now and Charlie followed the signs for the city centre. ‘You need to turn left down here,’ Marco said as they approached a busy junction.
‘Where is Sarah anyway?’ Charlie asked as she negotiated the traffic.
‘She’s had a crisis on her hands. Apparently one of her celebrity clients has confronted her husband’s mistress in the lingerie department of Harrods and has been arrested for making a public disturbance.’
‘Really?’
Marco nodded. ‘Sarah’s had to rush down to the police station to get her out before the Press get wind of it.’
‘Never a dull moment in her profession.’
‘You can say that again. Yesterday she was trying to talk me into getting married, or at least getting into a monogamous long-term relationship.’
Charlie shot him a startled look. She was so surprised she nearly ran a red light and just put the brakes on in time.
‘It’s her latest business idea apparently.’
‘A business idea?’ Charlie was nonplussed.
‘Yes. As you know, my book is due to be released in America soon and I’m going on tour to promote it. It’s already getting a lot of coverage; magazines and chat shows are discussing my ideas. So it should shoot in high in the book charts.’
‘That’s good. But I still don’t see where Sarah’s idea fits in with this.’
‘Sarah thinks that the fact that I am a bachelor will substantially affect sales. And that I might not make the number-one slot because of it.’
‘That’s ridiculous. It’s a scientific book, not one written from a personal angle. It uses statistics, case studies and research projects.’
‘Exactly. I said all this to Sarah last night. But she still thinks that if I were committed to someone it would give the book vital credence. We had quite a disagreement about it.’
