by Eliza Ellis
“Are you listening to us, Marshall?” Perry asked, perturbed. “I know this meeting has been coming for weeks, but all the board members are here now and we’d appreciate your attention.”
Marshall let his hand drop, and he nodded. “I apologize. Was up early, and I’m getting headache.”
“Still drinking?” another member asked.
Marshall gave him an even stare. “As fate would have it, your assistant told me you were looking for a new liquor cabinet, and I delivered mine to your office. I don’t need it anymore.”
The member grunted and looked away.
“We mean it, Marshall,” Perry said. “You’ve put us in a tight situation giving her a raise. If we fire her now, it might look like we didn’t have sufficient cause.”
Exactly. Marshall wasn’t an idiot. Kori did deserve a bump in pay; it was serendipitous that the board wanted her gone and hadn’t fired her yet.
“Therefore, there can be no hint of impropriety,” Perry continued. “We already frown upon romantic relationships in the office, but we can’t have any rumors, whether true or false.”
“What makes you think there’ll be any?” Marshall asked sharply. “We all know I was recently divorced and—”
“And you’ve been underperforming ever since. We’re about to vote whether or not you can keep your job. It’s the perfect opportunity for a distraction,” another member claimed.
That was true. And Kori was a beautiful distraction. From the moment she had stepped off the plane, it’d been in the very far back of his mind that she was attainable—and then at the front of his mind last night. She was a breath away from him. His fingers inches from her curvy hips. Backing up and being a professional made him both an idiot and…professional.
“Sounds like it’s the perfect opportunity for me not to screw this up,” Marshall countered.
“If she makes a pass at you or gives you any issues in that area… If you become fearful in any way, we want you to fire her on the spot. Put her on the next plane out of Italy. That will go a long way with this board,” Perry said, his eyes saying what was left unsaid.
Marshall could keep his job if he let Kori go. Maybe. If he fired her right now and didn’t wait for cause. Marshall couldn’t do that. She was a positive influence, and he wanted that in his life right now. Needed someone to genuinely be on his side. He had an ally in Kori. She could’ve walked into the office and not cared that he had let things slide for a year. She could’ve pandered to him and let him be as moody and as lazy as he wanted—like his last assistant. But she didn’t do that. She whipped him into shape, and he loved to exercise.
“I will keep that in mind,” Marshall said.
“Especially on your next trip,” Perry said.
“Excuse me?” Marshall pounded on his tablet for his schedule. He didn’t remember Kori setting up a trip.
“We need you to personally go to Bendola. Talk to the prospectors and give us an update on whether or not we can invest. There’s talk of a civil war, but if things can be resolved peacefully—”
“You mean if a democratic government can be voted in,” Marshall interrupted.
“Yes. If it can, then we want to make sure we’re one of the first major financial institutions to invest in the country’s new government.”
“Of course,” Marshall said.
“Keep things professional,” Perry added. “To help, we want you to take Jarod with you. He’s done an excellent job as our country analyst, and we’d like his professional opinion as well.”
That tool? “Sure.” Marshall gritted his teeth.
Jarod did his job well—according to this last performance evaluation—but he had a reputation around the office as a guy who dated often. He had a penchant for new female employees. Taking Kori on the trip wouldn’t be a good idea for either Marshall or Jarod.
Or Kori, for that matter.
Marshall practically knocked over a few of the board members on the way out of the conference room. Their flight was leaving in two hours, and he had to tell Kori, brief Jarod, get all his data on Bendola for Kori to read on the plane, and they all had to make a run back to their rooms to pack.
He stopped short, seeing Jarod and Kori laughing outside Kori’s office. Jarrod’s left hand was resting on the wall next to Kori’s head, and he was leaning in way too close. Kori had her arms crossed and her body angled away from his, but she still smiled at Jarod, and that meant she wasn’t smiling at him.
“Jarod!” Marshall yelled too loudly.
Jarod straightened and presented a pleased grin Marshall wanted to punch right off his face. “Sir! What do you need?”
Marshall’s sharp gaze assessed Kori, whose wide eyes studied him right back. He couldn’t read her expression, and that made him angrier.
“We’re going to Bendola. The three of us. I need you to get me the latest opinions on the government and rebel talks. We’ve got to meet with our contacts.”
“You got it.” He winked at Kori and walked confidently off.
Kori’s eyes went to the ceiling. “He’s relentless. I was about to try my dozenth tactic to get away, and it was going to be really mean.” She chuckled and smiled up at him. “Thanks for great timing.”
Marshall shifted his weight, still uncomfortable with an emotion he hadn’t felt in years. When he caught his ex in bed with another man, he hadn’t felt jealous—which was strange. He’d felt an overwhelming sense of inadequacy.
Inadequacy. That had been the fuel to his loss of drive. What kind of a man was he if he couldn’t keep his wife? Was he really as good a businessman as he had thought? Had he actually peaked?
In a couple of months, he would start all over and find out. He’d made the decision during his early morning workout.
And this stunner in front of him would be better suited with a young man like Jarod, just not actually Jarod.
“No problem. We’ve got to hurry, so if you can finish up here while I grab some documents, we can take my car back to the hotel and then pick up Jarod and ride together to the airport.”
Kori’s expression shifted into business mode. She nodded stiffly and, without another word, moved quickly into her office.
Across the open area, he caught Jarod smiling at a young blonde woman Marshall recognized from the accounting department. Marshall frowned. He’d have to put up with this guy while in Bendola. No doubt Jarod would be watching him and Kori and reporting back to the board.
Chapter 12
Something was off with Marshall. Way off.
He had been in a long meeting with the board right before telling her they had to be on a plane in two hours to the African country of Bendola for an urgent visit with their contacts.
Marshall barely spoke two words to her on the ride back to the hotel and even less on the way to the airport. Of course, he couldn’t get a word in edgewise with Jarod running his mouth. If Kori had put money down on Marshall being all CEO and ordering Jarod to shut up, she would’ve lost that bet and lost badly.
Whatever this was, it was keeping Marshall’s attention. He didn’t even look at her when she had settled in her seat on the private jet—after Jarod had chosen one on the opposite side. Neither did their eyes connect when Marshall handed her a giant prospectus on the financial firm’s position on investing in Bendola’s industries.
Kori had heard of the tiny country of Bendola but had never been. The country had been in the news lately for a rise in revolutionary opposition to President Abdu Gohi. He’d been labeled by political pundits across the world as a despot. The democracy was a sham. Money flowed into the country and never came out. Companies seeking to profit from Bendola’s rich natural resources ended up losing a lot of money on high export taxes. Their money disappeared into thin air once it was transferred into the national bank, which was President Gohi’s personal account
For years, people had accused the sitting dictator of lining his pockets with the money, putting his country further and further into debt.
People cried out for basic services that weren’t provided for by the government. The opposition party for a free, democratic Bendola had been named, and fighting had begun.
Kori had been uneasy after reading Jarod’s intelligence briefing on the country’s political, economic, and security stability. Why did the board want Marshall to go to Bendola now? It wasn’t enough that they were letting him go at the end of the summer, they wanted to put him in harm’s way first?
Kori’s eyes found Marshall, who sat on the opposite side of the plane but facing her. He was reading papers from the office. His brow was furrowed, and his lips were in a tight line. Even distressed, he looked classically handsome. Kori cast a quick glance at Jarod. The younger guy couldn’t compare. Sure, he was about the same age as Kori, but there was a distinct lack of class and mature charisma that made Kori feel less comfortable in Jarod’s presence than in Marshall’s.
She held in a sigh. She wanted Marshall to look at her. Talk to her. At least discuss the agenda with her before they landed. It wouldn’t be a long flight from Italy to Bendola, just to the northwestern part of the continent, sitting prettily between the Ivory Coast and Ghana. They wouldn’t be there longer than a day, so no chance to sightsee or get in the water, unfortunately. Kori had packed light. Whatever she needed that she didn’t bring with her would have to be bought at an outrageous price at the five-star resort hotel that she had booked for them.
Marshall glanced up and caught her eye. Normally, Kori would quickly look away after being caught staring, but she held his gaze, searching for any sign that he would open up to her and allow her into his world. Especially after what she’d done to him the night before.
Marshall stood and crossed the plane, taking a seat next to her.
“Sir?”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so aloof.”
Kori smiled. “Don’t be sorry. You’ve been busy. I want to help you, if I can.” He stretched his arm across the seat, resting it behind her head. She resisted the urge to use it as a pillow and be comfortable for a moment. “This is going to be a tense trip, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Probably. Definitely not a pleasure one.”
“Did the board give you any indication why they want you on the ground now? I’ve read the intelligence briefings. It’s… I would avoid that place right now. Even the State Department has it on its watch list, which could change at any moment.”
Marshall dragged a hand down the side of his face. “The only thing I can think of is that they want to see how I can perform under intense pressure. It’s a test, no doubt. They said they want to connect with our contacts and potential partners, but we can do that over the phone until the situation in the country settles down.”
“Either way, you’ll be amazing,” she said with an encouraging smile. “You built this company, and you know what you’re doing.”
Marshall’s easy smile awakened butterflies in her stomach. The stress in his face melted away, and crinkles spread from the corners of his eyes. “You’re good for my ego.”
“It’s my job.” She winked.
Marshall chuckled. “I think you’re going above and beyond by stroking my ego.”
“This is a…unique situation we’re in. I think it’s warranted.”
“Finish strong, as you say.”
She nodded. “That’s right. Finish strong.”
A steward came by with a couple of tumblers of alcohol, and Marshall refused, instead asking if there were ingredients on board to make a healthy smoothie. Kori stared at him.
Marshall shrugged. “What?”
“Who are you, and what happened to Marshall?”
Marshall smoothed the front lapels of his dark sports jacket. “You don’t like this new Marshall? The one who doesn’t drink as much and is more health conscious?” His eyes darkened a bit when they shot to Jarod, who watched the two of them with interest. “You prefer a different sort of guy?”
Kori snorted. “Because you’re teasing me, I know you won’t take offense when I say I prefer not to have an office relationship, especially with my boss.”
Marshall folded in on himself, his expression flush and angry. “I’m…I’m an idiot, Kori. Please, forgive me. That…that was probably one of the stupidest, most insensitive things I’ve ever said.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “Stop, please. It’s okay. I know you don’t mean anything by it.” She waited until he met her gaze. She offered him a small smile. “And I know better than to presume you could be jealous of a guy like Jarod.” She lowered her voice. “Someone I would never consider,” she added, hoping to settle his nerves.
She bit her lip. He was nervous, but it couldn’t be because he thought she was interested in Jarod, could it?
His color returned to normal. When his gaze dropped to her lips, Kori instinctively opened them. Then she swallowed and let her hand drop from his arm. She forced her eyes back to the papers in her lap.
Marshall cleared his throat. “I need to be healthy if I’m going to start another company,” he said after a few moments of tense silence.
“That is an admirable goal,” Kori agreed. “Although you look”—she cast her gaze back on him, hitting his abdominal area, which looked flat beneath his dress shirt—“very healthy,” she breathed.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
Kori reluctantly stared at her papers again. This was going to be a difficult trip. She was even more attracted to him than she ever thought she could be and it was starting to chip away—in large chunks—at her walls.
“I owe it to you, of course. With your stern insinuation that I was fast on the road to alcoholism.”
Kori’s head snapped up. “I didn’t say—”
“I’m teasing.” Marshall grinned cheekily. “But I inferred it nonetheless, and you were right. Even the board thinks I drink way too much.”
“I saw you removed the liquor cabinet from your office.”
“Yup. Had it delivered to one of the board members.” He winked, and Kori laughed.
Marshall’s gaze turned somber, a look that had Kori maintaining eye contact. The meeting must not have gone over well. Was he finally ready to share what had happened?
“Kori, I have to apologize for last night,” he said quietly. His gaze shot over to Jarod and then back to her. “I…I was out of line.”
Kori slid an inch closer, keeping her voice low. “You did nothing, sir,” she said earnestly. “I…I took no offense, and I’m grateful to be working with a boss that’s as professional as you. It…it was entirely my fault. I was emotional and—”
His hand briefly touched her thigh, and he pulled back. “Let’s just forget it, okay? We’re going to have our hands full in Bendola. We’ve got to stay focused.”
She nodded wordlessly. He was right. Whatever they were feeling, it couldn’t be acted on, not now, and certainly not ever. They had to concentrate on their jobs. One day at a time.
“Read this, if you haven’t already. I sent you an electronic copy.” He handed her the prospectus he was reading earlier. “Let me know your thoughts. And I’ve amended our schedule, if you want to look it over. Let me know if you have any questions.”
“Yes, sir.”
Marshall’s closed lips tilted up briefly before he moved back to his seat and picked up his laptop.
Kori let out a breath and turned to the page in the prospectus that she had left off during their ride to the airport. Their flight was going to be a long one. She could finish reading this and give him some notes—if she could keep her eyes on the pages and not her boss.
Kori cautiously glanced at Jarod, whose narrowed gaze was on Marshall. She smiled. Jarod had no chance. No reason to be mad. Marshall was in a different category altogether. One that appealed far more to Kori. If the guy didn’t get it, then that was on him.
About twelve hours later, they were on the ground and at the hotel. After dropping Jarod on his floor, Kori and Marshall rode the elevator up to theirs.
Th
ey stopped at Kori’s door before his, which was right next door.
Marshall lingered, and Kori waited for him to give her final instructions before their meeting tomorrow. It was already late, and Kori had refused to go down to dinner with Marshall, opting to order room service and get some sleep. Marshall had thought that was a good idea and, since he’d already forgotten to invite Jarod, figured it was just as well. Kori had tried not to snicker at Marshall’s “forgetfulness.”
“Kornelia, I wanted to apologize again.”
“No, please don’t, Marshall.” She dropped her bag on the floor. She placed her hands on his sagging shoulders. “I want you to feel comfortable working with me because the summer isn’t over yet, and it’s going to be a long one. Especially if the board plans on sending us overseas on these last-minute trips to test your fortitude.”
His lips slanted down to one side. “I’ll try my best to get a heads-up about them so it’s not too stressful for you.”
Kori smiled at him. “I’m not stressed. I thrive in working in a fast-paced environment, honestly. And I am comfortable with you, Marshall.”
The corners of his mouth twitched upward. “Must be if you’re calling me by my first name.”
Kori quickly dropped her hands and took a step back. Her cheeks warmed. “Sorry, sir.”
His face appeared pained, and his color paled. “Not as sorry as I’m going to be.”
Kori held her breath, hearing her heart thundering in her ears. Deep inside, she felt regret growing in her as well. Not for what couldn’t be, but for what his eyes told her was about to happen. His gaze dropped slowly to her lips.
Kori knew she should duck inside. She didn’t last time, and it had been a mistake. She had thought Marshall hadn’t wanted to cross the line, which was why he’d stepped way back.
But if she had to take a guess right now—he was staring at that line and debating whether or not to cross it. She hated this, because if he wasn’t her boss…if he was just someone she worked with, then she would’ve dared to break her no-office-relationship rule.
Just for a kiss.