Morgen had expected, he sounded irritable and hung-over. Her stomach knotted with deep apprehension.
‘Do you know who you missed an appointment with this morning?’
‘Don’t play games with me, Morgen, I’m not in the mood. Whoever it was I’m sure it will keep. Thankfully, you always come up with the perfect excuse to explain my absences. That’s what makes you such a priceless assistant.’
‘And that’s supposed to be a good quality? Lying?’
‘What?’
She heard the chink of glass, then something heavy thud to the floor. Instinct and experience told her that he had already been drinking this morning and probably still was. If Conall caught so much a whiff of the fact they’d both be for the high jump.
‘Your meeting was with Conall O’Brien, Derek. Does the name ring any bells?’
‘Oh, sh—!’
‘My sentiments exactly. However, that doesn’t do either of us any good. He’s still here in your office, waiting to see you. First impressions predispose me to believe that he’s prepared to wait quite a while until you show up.’ Though he had mentioned to Morgen that he had a one o’clock lunch appointment, she remembered. Glancing down at her watch, she saw that it was a little after twelve-thirty. Thank God the man would be leaving soon—but, more importantly, how soon would he be back?
‘Have pity, Morgen! I’m in no fit state to deal with that man. I can’t possible—possibly come in today. You’ll have to tell him I’m ill or something.’
Gritting her teeth, Morgen glared at the phone. ‘I’ve already told him that, Derek, but quite frankly I don’t think he believed me.’ Now wasn’t the time to reveal that Conall had wandered into his office the very moment Derek’s empty whisky bottles had rolled out onto the floor in front of him. If he knew that he’d been rumbled—by the head of the firm, no less—there was no telling what Derek might do in his present state of mind. ‘You’ll just have to try and come in. Make some coffee, then grab a quick shower. I’ll order you a taxi and meet you downstairs in the lobby.’
He sighed noisily in response. ‘I can’t do it. I feel like death, if you must know. You’re asking me to do the im-impossible.’
Damn Nicky Holden for leaving him in the lurch! But what was the use of blaming his wife? It was Derek’s reaction to the whole sorry mess that was making things worse. Who would have thought that a successful, confident, bright young man who designed major projects worth millions of pounds would fall apart like a house of cards because his marriage hadn’t worked out? Morgen could only wonder. It wasn’t that she was unsympathetic. She had been through a similar scenario herself, and been five months pregnant to boot when her husband Simon had walked out. The difference being that she just hadn’t had the option of falling apart. Not when she had a baby to take care of and a widowed mother who constantly looked to her for support.
Sighing now, she scraped her hand through her hair and completely dislodged the little tortoiseshell comb that held it in place. The dark silky strands of her shoulder-length hair escaped to slip round her face.
‘There’s only one thing for it, then. I’ll come to you and help you sort yourself out. I’ll be with you just as soon as I can order a cab. For God’s sake, stay put—and, Derek…?’
‘Yes, Morgen?’
‘Don’t drink any more. If you want to make yourself useful put the kettle on and have a bite to eat. Got that?’
At the other end of the phone the receiver clattered down without a reply.
Morgen was just grabbing her coat off the chrome coat tree when the door swung open and Conall strode back into the room. His sudden appearance put the fear of God into Morgen, and she hated the fact he could so easily intimidate her. His arms folded across that impressively wide chest of his, he eyed her consideringly, like a big cat about to play with a mouse. Damn, damn, damn! Wasn’t she allowed any luck today? It seemed not.
‘Going to lunch already, Miss McKenzie?’
‘I’ve got an appointment. I’ll only be about an hour, if that. I was just…I was just coming to tell you.’
‘Were you, indeed?’
Was the man always so untrusting? Morgen huffed an exasperated breath and tried valiantly to meet his gaze. No easy undertaking when those cold blue eyes looked as if they would spear shards of ice into her body at any moment.
‘I know you don’t believe me, but I really have to be somewhere right now. I promise I won’t be long, and if you need me to stay late tonight I’ll be only too happy to do so.’ It almost killed her to say it when she knew Neesha was probably pining for her. Her little girl loved her nana, but it was Morgen she wanted when she was feeling poorly. Still, she would do all she could right now to keep her job. She only prayed that Neesha would be feeling much better by the time she got home.
‘Would you be going to meet your boss, by any chance?’ Intently studying the suddenly surprised green eyes, Conall knew he had struck gold. Loyalty in general he admired—but subterfuge to dig her boss out of a hole? Well, that was a whole different ballgame in his book. He didn’t know whether to be more furious with Morgen, for thinking she could pull the wool over his eyes, or the errant Derek, who had let himself slide from grace so ignominiously.
Worrying at her lip, Morgen swept back her hair with her hand. It drew Conall’s appreciative male gaze to the luxurious glossiness of it.
‘He’s going to come into work. He just needs to freshen up a little and sort himself out.’
‘And you’re going to help him? What are you going to do? Hold his hand while he gets into the shower?’ The very idea of this raven-haired temptress and a shower did things to Conall’s libido that could be constituted as sexual torment.
Morgen didn’t think it would do her case any good to confess that it wouldn’t be the first time she’d gone to Derek’s house with rescue in mind. She was practically as familiar with the layout of the once swish Westminster apartment, with its stunning Thamesside view, as she was with her own small terraced house in Lambeth. Only the inside of Derek’s once lovely home was no longer quite so lovely, due to neglect. Even his cleaner had quit, telling Morgen that she was tired of disposing of empty bottles of booze at every turn.
‘Like I said before, he just needs a little bit of support through this difficult time. We can’t just abandon him.’
‘We?’ Conall’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
‘The firm…me. Don’t you want him to get better?’
She frowned, like a little girl who didn’t understand some particular adult peculiarity, and something told Conall that she was too damn caring for her own good. However, it wasn’t enough to make him restrain his temper. ‘I’m running a business here, Miss McKenzie, not a care home.’
He saw her blanch. Did Derek Holden in his alcohol-ridden state know that his beautiful raven-haired assistant was championing his cause while he was away? Probably…no doubt the man was using that very fact to what he hoped would be great advantage.
‘Don’t bother calling a cab; I’ve got a car downstairs. I’m coming with you…to see if I can’t
