by Ellis, Eliza
“But don’t worry. I will be going back. Every week until I think I’m okay to move forward without it. I’ve realized that I haven’t really had someone to talk to since the divorce. It’ll be good for me to get a few things I’ve bottled up out in the open. Not sure why I hadn’t gone sooner. Sabrina’s always saying I should. I have a life coach for a daughter and don’t even listen to her.” He laughed.
Kori could take a guess why he hadn’t gone. A powerful man having to admit he had issues and needed help? Brigham refused to acknowledge his own faults. Someone like that could wield their influence for evil, which Brigham did. Kori felt bad for the person Brigham had found to replace her and hoped that person had a strong sense of self-worth and could walk away if needed.
“I’m glad you’ve found it helpful,” Kori said with an encouraging nod. “These next three months are probably going to be incredibly stressful, especially when it comes out that…” She couldn’t say it out loud. If she did, then it would be true.
Marshall nodded slowly. “Yes…when it comes out. Hopefully, the board will keep it a secret until the day I walk out. Guess I better learn how to handle the embarrassment now.” He gave her a wry smile.
“I’m sorry, sir.”
He shrugged. “Don’t be. You said I’ve been an incompetent boss—”
“I never said—”
He laughed, reached across the table, and briefly squeezed her hand. “I’m kidding, but you know you implied it.”
Sheepish, Kori bit her lip and stared at her food. It was delicious. She took a large bite to keep herself from saying anything else stupid.
“Look who’s embarrassed now?” Kori continued to stare at her plate, and Marshall laughed. “You have guts, Kori. I admire that. Hey, look at me.”
Kori lifted her eyes to his. Her belly warmed, and it wasn’t because of the food. The intensity in his eyes took her breath away.
“Don’t ever think you can’t tell it to me straight.”
“You’ve certainly taken a lot of it from me.”
The side of his mouth curved up, dimpling his cheek. “And it’s been incredibly humbling…and motivating.”
“I want you to be honest with me. And I’ll be honest with you. Deal?”
With his ex being a cheater, it didn’t surprise her that he put a high value on honesty. She smiled. “Deal. I’m sorry—”
“No apologies. I deserved it.”
“You mean you enjoyed it?”
His head went back, and he laughed. She enjoyed the deep, genuine sound. How it wrapped itself around her heart like a warm, comforting blanket. She let her guard down, and it felt good to trust again. Marshall had is own issues with trust. Who could blame him? Perhaps their faith in people could be restored by trusting each other.
Marshall settled, and his brow furrowed. He looked down at his plate. Kori wanted to reach across the table and take his hand like he did with her, an overwhelming urge to comfort him going against her good reason. She kept her hands firmly in her lap. A clear boundary had to be maintained, no matter how much she trusted her boss.
They were losing their jobs. Making their relationship a gray area wouldn’t help at all.
Chapter 9
This was the best decision…
The food was delicious as always, which made the walk back to the hotel slow and leisurely. Marshall was glad for it. He enjoyed Kori’s company. She was a calming influence on his anxieties, and he felt more centered now than he had in a year. She was steady and a natural planner, where he could be a little more free-spirited as a visionary.
He had to hand it to Sabrina: she was full of good ideas. If only he took Sabrina’s advice more often. Hiring Kori had been one of his better decisions over the course of his entire career.
Kori had been silent throughout the rest of the meal, but Marshall hadn’t felt uncomfortable. He had offered her a temporary job and made sure she would get paid as much for it as possible. It was all he could do. She didn’t ask how much, to her credit, but he had secured her a twenty-five percent bump in pay. He pushed it through Perry, who agreed that it would probably be money well spent for nothing to happen between the two of them. Marshall had only nodded, thinking the board’s fears unfounded and having no desire to fight them on that issue.
Yes, he found Kori charming, enticing, and as mouth-watering as the filetto di manzo he had for dinner, but no indication from her that she felt the same.
There was their age gap.
Society would allow a handsome, well-educated, and highly successful man such as himself a partner who was…a few years his junior, but she would be labeled a gold digger, a trophy, and someone trying to up her stock. Kori wasn’t that type of woman. Marshall would never understand why society would accept his pursuit of a younger woman but not the reverse.
Especially since he was worth it.
Maybe.
Perhaps not in the last year, but he’d been on an upturn as of late.
Anyway, it didn’t matter because he wasn’t pursuing her.
And she definitely didn’t want him.
“What do you want?” The question slipped from him as they walked along the river’s edge, taking the long way back to the hotel.
“Sir?”
“Do you think this position will help advance your career in some way? What do you want out of life now…after…”
Kori smiled sadly. “It’s a question I’ve asked myself since it all happened.”
“You don’t need to explain anything to me.”
She looked at him for a long moment. “No, I think I do. I think I owe you that much—for the raise.”
“I don’t need or want anything in return. I did it simply for a job well done.” That and he had wanted to help her. Offering her a life in Italy and then telling her it would only be for three months almost felt like a bait-and-switch. He’d felt bad for her, like he had let her down.
Sabrina tried to tell him that her mother’s actions weren’t his fault. He hadn’t let his ex down. It was the opposite. Marshall had struggled to believe that…until the way Kori’s eyes had shone at him during dinner. Like she trusted and respected him.
“Brigham was drunk—as usual—after a major party where he met some people he could do business with. The pitch was successful, and they toasted their future success well into the night.”
Brigham was drunk. Marshall inwardly cringed, remembering the first day Kori arrived. Admittedly, he had had too much to drink. Now he understood Kori’s disdain for alcohol.
“I was never allowed to leave the parties early. I had to be there as long as he wanted to stay, because I was his assistant. Maybe he would need help getting to the car…or for me to hold a bucket so he could puke in it.”
Marshall made a noise of disgust. “Okay, that’s taking your duties a little far.”
“Not for Brigham.”
“I suppose if he had long hair he’d want you to hold it back, too?”
Kori snorted. “Yup. I guarantee that’s what he would’ve expected from me.”
“Oh, Kori…I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”
She shivered. “Thank you,” she said softly, rubbing her arms.
Was she cold? Although the scorching temperature had cooled with the arrival of the moon, it was still quiet warm outside. Either way, he offered his jacket to her. Kori accepted.
“Anyway, he had sobered up some on the ride back to the hotel. We were in California at the time and, on the way back, he made a pass at me.”
Marshall watched the side of her jaw harden and her eyes fill with moisture.
“More than a pass. He…”
Marshall stopped and put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her eyes up to his. “You don’t have to,” he whispered.
Her lips twisted into a lopsided smile. “Maybe I should be the one seeing a therapist.”
He nodded. “That might be a good thing.” He cupped her head in his hands. “Did he hurt you?” Because if he had, Marshall was goin
g to fly to wherever that jerk was and knock his teeth in.
She let out a breath. “He didn’t succeed because the driver had to make an emergency maneuver to avoid hitting a car. Brigham got slammed into the side of the door and was so angry the entire way back. Couldn’t stop cursing at the driver.”
“Sounds like fate.”
Kori nodded. “I like to think the driver was watching us and just looking out for me.”
“Maybe he was.”
“Brigham was too sloppy to even walk to my hotel door, so it didn’t go any further than the car.”
Marshall squeezed her shoulders. “Are you…physically okay? You didn’t need to see a doctor or anything?”
Her tender smile eased some of his worry away. “Yes, I’m okay. And no, I didn’t need to see a doctor. But I wish I had more evidence—not that I wanted more physical evidence.” Her lips slanted down to one side.
She groaned and then ran her hands up over her bushy hair, effectively knocking his hands off her shoulders. Marshall put his hands behind his back and moved to her side. He didn’t want her to feel trapped and that he was the one ensnaring her.
“Anyway, Brigham gave me an ultimatum. If I didn’t…and then he fired me.” She began walking again. “I thought I had the driver’s support. He’d seen the way Brigham was acting toward me before we got in the car.”
“Has your lawyer spoken to him?”
“She sent me a message the other day that he has since recanted his statement.”
He put an encouraging hand on the middle of her back. She didn’t flinch. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m assuming that was Brigham’s influence?”
Kori nodded. “Although I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but my lawyer and I think so. The driver is still employed. I remember Brigham ranting that he would be fired for almost getting us killed. I guess Brigham would rather put up with him than to fire him and have him be a witness for my side.”
“People in power wield a lot of influence. They won’t all use it for good.”
“I’m a walking testimony to that,” she agreed softly. “It’s why I wouldn’t care to see another alcoholic drink in my lifetime. I’ve seen how people behave and how vulnerable they can be when under the influence. The stories I’ve heard from women—and men—who’ve been in my situation. Almost all of them will stay quiet because they don’t want to lose their jobs. They weigh the discomfort and find it bearable.”
Marshall marveled at the woman who walked beside him. He considered her incredibly brave and strong. “And you couldn’t.”
Kori shook her head. “How could I live with myself? After what my father had said about me and my sisters? I’m the oldest. If I don’t set an example of how we should be treated, then they won’t know, will they? I know they’re grown and can make their own decisions, but I’m still their older sister.”
Marshall thought of Sabrina. Her mother wasn’t a great example, and it blew his mind that Sabrina had turned out so well. Her mother was practically a con artist—manipulative and an expert liar. He’d been blind to her need for money and how she could cast a spell over people’s emotions and bend their wills to hers. Sabrina’s antics as a teenager had warned him of trouble, but he was so taken with her, he figured all she needed was a little bit of love—and he had wanted to be the male role model she’d needed.
“And I didn’t want my father to be proven right,” she continued. Her chuckle sounded humorless. “Now it doesn’t matter because he’s dead.”
“Kori, I get that. I don’t know about your father, but he should be proud of you. Whatever he told you, he got it all wrong.”
Kori smiled up at him, and Marshall felt proud. He quickly squashed the feeling. He had to keep his feelings professional.
“It’s okay. He died about a year ago now. I wasn’t allowed to go to the funeral, because Brigham refused to let me leave the country. We were in South Korea. Can’t fly anywhere without a passport.”
“He held your passport!” Marshall fisted his hands, the temperature of his blood shooting up. If he ever met this guy, then he’d go to jail for battery, because Marshall would beat the guy to a pulp. “He can’t do that!”
“Well, he did. And I missed the funeral. It’s been hard trying to grieve for a man who never thought I’d succeed. To let it all go, and then…”
“Then face what you did and now this.”
She smiled. Her eyes held tears, but they didn’t flow. She was trying to be strong in front of him. He admired her fortitude, and he wished she didn’t have to be so tough. He wanted to hold her and tell her she could breathe. If only for a moment, she could breathe and he would protect her.
But she wasn’t his to protect.
“I’m sorry that this won’t last long,” he whispered, emotion in his throat.
She shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m enjoying the work so far. It keeps me from being lost in my own head. And I’m in Italy!” She threw her arms up and laughed. “I’ve been here before, but only for overnighters. It’s almost like a…”
He cocked a brow when she looked away. Then he laughed. “You don’t want to say it’s a vacation, do you?”
She shook her head, the corners of her mouth twitching.
“As long as you keep me from looking like I’m taking a vacation, then it’s okay. And you have. That first day was…interesting but necessary. And I’ll make sure you have time to take a real vacation here before it’s all over. You’ll have a lot to deal with when you get back.”
He wished he hadn’t said that when he saw her downturned face.
In the elevator at the hotel, Marshall thought to move to the opposite side of the car, but he stayed near. Still feeling protective of her, he wanted her to trust him. So he kept his hands in his pockets and barely made eye contact. She stood with a straight back, her expression calm.
He walked her to her room door. She opened it and turned around with a smile. “Thank you for tonight. Thank you for the raise and…for listening and not judging.”
He could only imagine what someone in her position would’ve gone through. “Kori, thank you for being strong. For being a professional.” He took a step closer, emboldened by the admiration for the woman in front of him. “I want you to know you have my full support. Whatever you need.”
A tear slipped from her eye. He caught it with his knuckle and slowly dragged it across her jaw before cupping her cheek. “Kori…” he whispered.
Digging deep, he willed himself not to move a muscle. The line was staring him straight in the face. The divide between professionalism and personal. He wanted nothing more than to cross it. To brush his lips over hers and take her into his arms. To feel her arms come around him and hold him close; to be her rock.
But he couldn’t. Wouldn’t put her in that position again.
Kori stepped forward. “Marshall,” she breathed.
Her intense dark eyes looked up at him expectantly…silently asking.
Or maybe he was interpreting the touch of inquisitiveness in her soft voice, the way her lips remained parted.
His mind yelled at him to back away while his heart squeezed into his ribs as if trying to reach the woman in front of it. He wished more than anything to fulfill her expectations.
His body swayed forward slightly, and then with more force of will than he thought he possessed, he dropped his hand and took several steps back.
“Good night, Kori. I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”
She blinked a few times and visibly swallowed. “Sir.” She hurried inside and shut the door.
Marshall groaned and leaned against the wall opposite her door. It was over. He’d made a pass at her, however subtle. Another boss wielding his influence over a subordinate who wouldn’t be able to fight his power.
He was the world’s biggest jerk.
Chapter 10
What have I done!
It took a gargantuan effort to keep her fingernails out of her mouth. Instead, s
he pressed them firmly into the mattress of her bed while her legs jiggled over the side. If they didn’t steady soon, she’d be stuck doing her job from her room.
She had to tell her lawyer. Give her the heads-up. If she got blindsided by this news—and if Brigham’s legal team heard about it—then Kori’s case was over.
Technically, it was over anyway. There was no way she could win against Brigham now that the driver had backed out. Her lawyer was hungry, and Kori appreciated that she believed her, but none of that would matter anymore.
Not when she liked her new boss.
More than liked.
What he’d just done for her…her heart still kindled from his generosity, his support, his respect.
She eyed the man’s jacket, draped over the chair at her desk. Every time she passed it, she smelled him. Earth, musk, and strength…with just the sweetest hint of pine. Her breath caught again as anticipation stirred in her belly.
As desire for his kiss radiated through her.
Kori groaned and put her face in her hands. Last night… Last night she practically threw herself into Marshall’s arms. Crying and whispering his name. It was tantamount to an invitation. After she had told him the story about Brigham? How could she have stood there, in front of her door, waiting for her boss to kiss her? Why didn’t she back herself into her room?
Furthermore, how in the world was she attracted to Marshall? Yes, he was taller than her five foot nine frame. Yes, he had an amazing smile that was too inviting for its own good. Yes, his body looked fit beneath his clothes, like he spent the right amount of time in the gym.
And no, he wasn’t too old. Well, maybe, but the way her heart had banged against her chest last night, ordering her forward and into his arms… Her body clearly didn’t mind his age. She didn’t either, finding his company interesting, his touch soothing as she spoke about Brigham. He was so thoughtful to ask for a raise.
He wasn’t perfect—nobody was—but she could tell that he was trying. The last two weeks had been stressful for them both, but Marshall showed up to work on time, every day, and with an attitude of determination.