Page 39 of Her Irresistible Guardian

Amy glanced Susan wide eyed, a little at a loss what she meant at first. Then the memory of the familiarity she and Mark shared while admiring the paintings hit her. “Oh.” Was all she could produce. She was completely oblivious to her surroundings at the opening. The eye-catching paintings, Mark’s attentions and her reaction to Jill Simpson’s behaviour towards him monopolised her thoughts and actions. “I believe I wasn’t aware of it.” She said cautiously.

“So I reckoned.” Susan entwined her fingers on the desk. “But it’s been the coffee-break gossip today.”

“I see.” Only now had Amy realized she was gaping.

“I’m sorry if you feel awkward.” She shrugged. “Being the one who has a closer contact with you, I thought I should, you know, put you in the picture.”

“Yes, of course.” Amy forced herself to focus on the conversation. Thank you for that.”

“I mean, it’s not like no one had suspected it.” She eyed Amy apologetically. “I was still on leave, but I heard Mark was in a...difficult mood when you left the company.”

“I didn’t know that.” Amy rested her chin on her hand.

“I thought as much.” Susan nodded. “But after yesterday...” Needless to finish the sentence. It was implied that everyone became sure now. “Marjorie made it plain, actually.”

“Oh, dear.” It all hit Amy as she got a full idea of the extension of the whole thing. Fortunately, there was a recent celebrity scandal occupying the tabloids. Otherwise, she couldn’t forecast what would happen.

“I can see you’re not happy with that. You’re so reserved.” Susan added. “Maybe it’s better to know, though.”

“I agree, naturally.” Amy stood up. “I have to go now. I have a meeting with Travis.”

“Alright. If you need anything just tell me.” Susan was turning to her screen. “Let’s do lunch later, you, Travis and me. It’s a long time I don’t see him.”

Amy grinned and nodded before she left. She strode through the hallways ignoring the stares that followed her, as her mind was tracking down the facts. And the conclusion wasn’t very satisfying. Little difficult to see that Mark had a part in it. He was utterly upset about the episode with Juan in her office. Mark had eased his manipulative streak, but that didn’t mean he had quit it completely. She was certain that he intended for them to go public, in spite of her.

Obviously, the situation would have come to that sooner or later. Reclusion was not in their nature. There were friends, business associates, acquaintances with whom they kept contact. She couldn’t name what was that they had, but they had it nevertheless. Since she couldn’t forecast where they were going, she wasn’t in a hurry to expose it. It had been going on for quite a while, that was right. It smelled strongly as if Mark wanted to delimit territory. And that was precisely what was inacceptable. He probably wanted to keep Juan, specifically, at bay. The damn man had the power to irritate her to no end.

Amy and Travis had an extremely productive day. She tried to keep her personal misgivings out of her mind while working and seemed to have succeeded. They went for lunch with Susan and had a very relaxing hour.

Chapter XX

Amy was reclining on the chaise-longue in her home-office reading a book that evening when she heard Mark coming in. Her feelings about the day’s events were a little balled up, which affected her humour, giving it a stale taste. The book in her hand hadn’t changed its page since she opened it. There were many layers of feelings running in rivers inside her. There was that strong love she felt for him and its physical expression, which came intense and inexorable. There was her dislike of his possessive streak as it made her feel uncomfortable and a trifle without breathing-room. But his manipulative attitude scratched her sensitivity and she felt like she was caught in cobwebs every time it manifested itself. These jumbled thoughts cornered her as she couldn’t decide on which action to take.

She could hear Mark pacing downstairs, probably looking for her. In a matter of seconds he was climbing the steps up, two by two, if the time he took was anything to go by. His carpet-muffled footfalls neared her dimly lit home-office and his silhouette dominated the door-frame. He had already got rid of his tie and suit coat. Shoeless, his shirt was open at the neck. Looking at his magnetic figure, she took in his muscled body. The manly scent of him invaded the room, inebriating her, as usual. They stared at each other, intimacy and attraction flowing between them. Reactions reaped her involuntarily.

Mark could also feel her flowery soap fluttering in the room. He inhaled it together with her womanly perfume that awakened his senses and got him alert. The hobby fell perfectly on her reclining curves. The sight of her extracted a clear response from his body, readying it. In a question of seconds, he was hard and aching.

Despite her body, her emotions weren’t attuned. That made her refractory to the sparks in the room.

“Susan called me to her office to warn me about the rumours.” She settled her book aside, but didn’t sit up.

Mark put his hands in his pockets. “Seems like Marjorie keeps up with her communication skills.”

“So it does.” Her countenance was neutral.

“You don’t look very happy about it.” He leaned on the door-frame and crossed one leg over the other, his soft hair falling on his forehead.

“Bingo.” She pursed her lips.

“This would happen sooner or later.” His eyes hovered over her in clear appreciation.

“Especially if one encourages it.”

His stare darted back to hers but h

e didn’t reply.

“You manipulated the situation.” She ventured.

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