a slight bump to the straightness of his nose where it had been broken playing American football during his teens, his mouth often snapping words too cutting for the sensuousness of his bottom lip to be noticed. Although, from the amount of women who telephoned him at the office, it was noticeable enough! He was well over six feet tall, and still had the physique that could have taken him into pro-football if the challenge of speculation hadn’t been the stronger of the two.
He towered at least a foot over Darcy as she faced him, his stance threatening even if she knew he would never physically hurt her. He was a hawk, why should he bother himself with the little mouse? Even if the mouse did occasionally, very occasionally, roar!
‘Reed, she’ll turn up——’
‘Will she?’ he scorned. ‘It’s been almost two hours, and she hasn’t “turned up” yet!’
That guilty blush returned to her cheeks. ‘The police——’
‘Will not look for a woman who’s only been missing two hours!’ he snapped disgustedly.
She chewed on her inner lip, oblivious to the soreness she was inflicting, not knowing what else to say. Because she didn’t think Maud Hunter was missing, was sure the other woman would make her way here or to Reed’s apartment when she was good and ready. But until she did, Reed wasn’t going to calm down.
And in the meantime she had given him her notice. She was regretting that pride-saving impulse already. He was an interesting man to work for, no two days the same, the heavy workload keeping her occupied long outside the nine until five she was supposed to work. And that suited her. But she knew Reed would never forgive her for this, that he obviously adored his mother.
The day had begun so nicely, too; birthday cards from her family and friends pushed through her letter box by the postman, a couple of parcels left on her doorstep. She was twenty-three today, felt as if she were finally putting the past behind her. And now this. It wouldn’t just be the work she would miss.
‘Darcy, are you listening to me!’
She gave a surprised start as Reed shouted at her. Concentrate on one thing at a time, they had told her. And she had. And it had worked. But now, more than two years later, she still had difficulty giving her attention to more than one thing at any given moment. Whatever Reed had been saying to her, she hadn’t heard him. And she could see by the angry glitter in his fierce eyes that he knew that.
‘I said,’ he ground out between clenched teeth, ‘I think the best thing to do is drive back to where you parked your car and look around there for her. Can you remember where that was?’
Her mouth tightened at his obvious scorn. ‘Of course I can. There’s nothing wrong with my memory——’
‘Because you don’t have one!’
‘Reed!’ she gasped her hurt surprise; he had never been deliberately cruel to her before.
He put his hands up in apology. ‘OK, that was uncalled for,’ he acknowledged grimly. ‘I’m upset, and I’m taking it out on you. But I’m damned worried.’ He frowned.
She could see that, had never seen him this agitated before. But she also knew that if she mentioned it he would point out that he had never lost his mother before!
‘Don’t you think one of us should remain here?’ she suggested practically. ‘Just in case she should come here.’
He thought for a moment before nodding. ‘You stay,’ he bit out. ‘I couldn’t stand the inactivity right now.’ He took his jacket off the back of his chair, shrugging in to it. ‘And for goodness’ sake go and put your contacts in so that you’ll at least recognise it is her if she arrives!’
She hurried into the adjoining office, leaving the door open for him to follow, groaning her dismay as the outer door opened and a grinning Marc Kincaid came in. ‘Not now, Marc,’ she said, trying to push him back outside the door before Reed saw him. ‘Reed isn’t in the mood to see you right now,’ she explained frantically as Marc looked down at her in surprise, her efforts to evict him proving ineffectual, Marc being almost as big as Reed.
‘He’s never in the mood to see me,’ Marc dismissed, easily standing his ground. ‘But——’
‘He wants to see you even less than usual today.’ Darcy threw a hunted look over her shoulder; Reed was, thankfully, still in his office. Although her luck couldn’t hold. It hadn’t so far today! ‘Please leave, Marc,’ she begged him desperately.
‘He will want to see me, Darcy,’ he assured her. ‘But how about a kiss first?’ he encouraged huskily, bending his head to claim her mouth with his.
It was far from the first kiss she had shared with this wickedly handsome man; she was still slightly amazed that someone as attractive and popular as he was wanted to date her. He was handsome enough to have any woman he wanted, with his thick blond hair, dancing blue eyes, a seductively smiling mouth, the masculinity of his body undoubted in his tight denims and fitted blue shirt. But for the last six weeks he had asked to see her every night. Not that she had accepted every night, but four out of seven still amounted to a lot of nights.
And Reed was going to be even more furious than he already was if he found him here. She had met Marc because Reed had become his financial partner in the photographic studio he ran on a lower floor of the building, but Reed didn’t approve of their personal relationship spilling over into his office.
‘And just what happens if someone wants to come in the door?’ grated an icy voice.
Marc lifted his head slowly, in no hurry to release Darcy as he looked up to grin at the other man. ‘They either ask us to move or wait until we’re finished,’ he drawled unconcernedly.
‘Marc——’
‘Darcy tells me you’re in a bad mood,’ he continued as if she hadn’t tried to cut in. ‘Something wrong, Reed?’ he held Darcy snugly against his side, his arm about her shoulders.
‘Yes, something is wrong,’ the other man hissed. ‘I’ll leave Darcy to tell you all about it!’
Marc still blocked the doorway. ‘Maybe I can help?’ His eyes gleamed with amusement.
‘I doubt it,’ Reed snapped, shooting Darcy a disparaging look.
‘Sure?’ Marc taunted.
‘Marc, please,’ she groaned, as Reed looked ready to explode if the other man didn’t get out of his way. ‘Reed is in a hurry.’
‘Too much of one for his visitor?’ Marc challenged.
‘Is this important?’ Reed snapped tersely.
Marc grinned. ‘I think so. I think you will, too, if you stop long enough to listen to me.’
‘Can’t it wait?’ Reed sighed impatiently.
‘I doubt it.’ The other man shook his head mysteriously.
‘Marc, unless it’s really important please leave it until later.’ She looked up at him pleadingly. ‘You see, Reed’s mother arrived in London this morning, and I——’
‘I
