Boss Meets Baby(115)
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Even though his tone was gently mocking, he smiled and moved his fingers through the soft fall of her hair. ‘You? A coward?You could have done someone some serious damage with that poker because you thought they were breaking in!’
‘I wouldn’t have used it!’ Georgia looked aghast for a moment. ‘Maybe I was being more stupid than brave, now that I come to think of it.’
‘Why did you do it?’
‘Because I didn’t want anyone stealing anything of importance to you,’ Georgia replied quietly, swallowing— hard.
‘Nothing I own would be worth risking your life for, Georgia.’ His voice lowered tenderly, and Keir tipped up her chin, intent on nothing else but to fulfil the compelling, growing need inside him to feel her soft, inviting lips opening beneath his own.
As her warm sweet breath feathered invitingly across his mouth, there was a loud knock at the door.
‘Georgia? Are you all right, lassie? I heard a noise from up here and thought you might be up and about because you were worried by the storm.’
‘Damn!’Cursing harshly, Keir stepped away from Georgia, a sudden irresistible need to break something— flashing through him with almost violent demand.
‘It’s Moira,’ Georgia said, her expression torn. She unconsciously moistened her lips with her tongue and made Keir suffer the agony of heightened frustration—because he could not enjoy the same delectable privilege.
‘Yes…I heard.’
She saw both exasperation and resignation written across his riveting features. She hurried past him to open the door, unable to deny her own frustration that Moira should choose that exact moment to check if she was all right.
The incredible realisation that she’d wanted Keir to kiss her flooded through her. How much had she craved the touch of his mouth on hers when the opportunity— had presented itself? Even now her body still had tremors flooding through it because he had touched his palm to her cheek.
‘Moira…hello,’ she said, smiling awkwardly at the housekeeper, who was standing there in her long plaid dressing gown with her silver hair in curlers.
Georgia caught hold of the edge of the door and pulled it closed behind her as she joined Moira in the corridor. Apart from the occasional flash of lightning reflected in the casement windows, the area was plunged into near darkness. What on earth would Moira think if Keir should come out of her room right now? She prayed he wouldn’t expose her like that and make the housekeeper suspect the worst. Over the past few days Georgia had come to set a lot of store by the other woman’s friendship and respect. Alienating her because she thought something might be going on between her and Keir would not be good at all…
‘I’m perfectly all right, thanks. I thought I heard a noise too, and I went out into the corridor to investigate,— that’s all.’ Shrugging her slim shoulders guiltily, Georgia started to explain what had happened. She despised the need for subterfuge of any kind. It wasn’t in her nature to be dishonest, and this didn’t sit well with her.
‘And when I came back in, the wind must have made the door slam. Maybe that was the sound you heard?’
‘Aye…that must be it, then. Well, as long as you’re all right. This storm is enough to put the fear of God into anybody!’ Moira replied.
‘They’ve always made me a little jumpy,’ Georgia agreed.
Her back was sticky with perspiration and prickly heat at the knowledge that Keir was waiting in her room, and she worked hard at containing her anxiety and not arousing any suspicion from the other woman that something else might be bothering her aside from the weather.
‘Please, Moira…go back to bed. Thank you for your concern, but I’m honestly fine. I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Goodnight then, my dear.’
As the housekeeper turned away to return down the darkened corridor to the grand curving staircase at the bottom, Georgia touched her hand to her forehead and was not surprised when it came away moist. Biting her lip, she turned the catch on the door and went back inside the room.
Keir was standing with his back to her at the window, seemingly engrossed in watching the torrential— downpour that was sheeting the glass and everything— else in sight. Hearing her come in, he immediately sought her out, his blue eyes as piercing as any bright searchlight.
‘She’s gone,’ he remarked soberly.
‘Yes.’ Georgia stared at him, her brow furrowing. ‘You don’t think she heard us talking, do you?’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘AND DISCOVERED THAT the Laird was home again and up to no good in his secretary’s bedroom?’ His smile was taunting. ‘No, Georgia…I don’t think she heard us. And even if she did…Moira Guthrie is the soul of discretion and wouldn’t bat an eyelid.’
He’d been kind before, when he’d thought she was afraid of the storm, and he’d been going to kiss her, Georgia thought a little forlornly. But now his mood seemed to be altering…almost as if he blamed her for Moira knocking at the door!
‘How was it that you arrived home so late?’ she asked, needing to say something to ease the palpable tension between them.
‘I got a flight out of Newark at the last minute. I’d concluded my business earlier in the day and simply decided to come home.’