room. Unlucky for you the last time I had my eyes tested I was assured I had twenty-twenty vision.’
‘There was a perfectly good reason that I fell asleep—and it was for all of five minutes, if that!’
She heaved a breath that strained at the buttons on her blouse and Conall became transfixed by the sight. He wanted to ask her to have pity. It seemed the lady just had to take a breath and lust took the place of the cool professionalism he usually maintained. His gaze drifted back to her face and those flashing green eyes of hers. He had no intention of sacking her, but he wasn’t averse to playing a little cat and mouse either.
‘Okay. Convince me.’
He was just so smug and self-righteous sitting there that suddenly Morgen lost the urge to prove anything. Let him think what he damn well liked, for all she cared! There were other jobs besides this one. She’d just have to temp for a little while until she found something more permanent. Though the thought didn’t hold much appeal, and she was genuinely upset at the idea of leaving Derek in the lurch. Particularly now, when he needed all the support he could get. Still…
‘I’ve changed my mind.’ Smoothing down her skirt with a trembling hand, she turned on her heel and stalked back into Derek’s office with her head held high.
Stunned, Conall pushed himself to his feet, loosened his tie and followed her. He found her pulling files from a tall mahogany cabinet and laying them out on the desk.
‘I said convince me, Miss McKenzie.’
‘Go to hell! And if that’s a sacking offence too, then I’ve well and truly been given my marching orders, haven’t I?’
‘It would mean so little to you, losing your job?’ Frowning, Conall watched her stalk to and fro from the cabinet, somehow deflated that he had pushed her too far. If that wasn’t bad enough, there was a little niggle in the centre of his chest that told him he might just be wrong about Morgen McKenzie. That being the case, he didn’t want to lose someone who might turn out to be a valuable employee.
‘There you go again, making assumptions about situations you know nothing about!’ She stopped her agitated stalking and dropped her hands to her hips. ‘My job is very important to me, Mr O’Brien, and if you’d care to ask around in the office you’d more than likely find out that I do it well—at least, I haven’t had any complaints so far. Unfortunately Derek isn’t here right now to corroborate the fact. Perhaps when he does come in you can ask him.’
‘And do you really believe his good opinion is honestly worth having?’ Raising his eyebrow, Conall waited with interest for her answer.
‘If you’re referring to the bottles…’ Morgen’s eyes drifted towards the now closed cabinet and a tinge of pink highlighted her beautiful cheekbones. ‘The fact that he’s got a problem with drink doesn’t make him a bad person, or a man whose opinion doesn’t count. He’s won awards for this company, Mr O’Brien, as I’m sure you must be aware. He’s a talented architect with a bright future. Right now he needs help and support. He doesn’t deserve to lose his job because his world suddenly fell apart when his wife walked out.’
‘And what about what this firm deserves, hmm?’ Rubbing at the smooth tanned skin between his brows, Conall frowned. ‘We have our reputation to think of…clients who expect a first-class service. If that level of service starts to suffer because of individuals like Derek Holden, who can’t cut it when their personal lives start to encroach on their work, then I’m sorry—but we’re not in the business of extending patience indefinitely. If he can’t get his act together pretty soon then there are plenty of other ambitious young architects waiting to fill his shoes.’
Several thoughts jumped into Morgen’s head at once, but one inched ahead of all the rest. The man was ruthless…unbending. He didn’t care if Derek was suffering the torments of hell. All Conall O’Brien cared about was that right now Derek wasn’t ‘cutting it’—ergo, he wasn’t making any money for the firm. It would serve him right if she walked out right now in protest. Nobody was indispensable, that was true, but he was going to have a hell of a time making sense of things without her around to explain them. Especially when all the other secretaries were run off their feet as well. She was tempted to do it, too.
Seeing the conflict in her troubled green eyes, Conall feigned a look of boredom, wondering what she’d do if he called her bluff.
‘So, Miss McKenzie…are you staying or going?’
‘I won’t let Derek down.’ She was fidgeting with her hands, and her angry glance slid away from Conall’s un-flinching stare. Her emphatic statement made it quite clear that it was Derek she owed her allegiance to—not him or the firm.
He wanted to admire her loyalty—no matter how misplaced, in his opinion. After all, hadn’t her boss let her down too, leaving her to face the music while he drowned his sorrows at home? But Conall found he couldn’t. It irked him immensely that she insisted on trying to protect a man who clearly didn’t deserve it.
‘Good. Now that we’ve established that you don’t want to make yourself unemployed, perhaps we can get some work done around here?’
The expression on Morgen’s face told him she wanted to throw something at him. The fact only hardened his resolve to deal with the situation in his own inimitable way—the way that had turned his father’s business into the successful firm it was today. Conall gestured at the unopened files on the desk. ‘Are these current projects?’ When she nodded mutely, he slipped behind the desk and sat down in the big leather chair that Derek Holden usually occupied. ‘Bring me some more coffee and I’ll take a look while I’m here.’
Biting back ‘I’m not your servant,’ Morgen swallowed her pride and reluctantly returned to the outer office to fetch his cup. As she poured coffee with a shaking hand, she couldn’t help wondering for how long she and her boss would keep their jobs now that their dictatorial senior partner had made his ominous presence felt.
CHAPTER TWO
THE ringing of the phone on her desk made her jump. She snatched it up guiltily, wondering if Conall was straining an ear to keep tabs on her movements. Glancing at the door to Derek’s office, and seeing it closed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Morgen McKenzie.’
‘It’s Derek.’
‘For goodness’ sake! Where are you?’ Cupping the mouthpiece with her hand, she turned her head again, to make doubly sure the door to the other office was shut.
‘I’m at home. Where do you think I bloody am?’
As 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
