My Best Friend's Father (A Best Friend's Series Book 3)

by Eliza Ellis

  Kori wet her lips.

  At the same moment, she fell into his embrace as his arms went around her back. Kori tilted her head back. His warm lips gently brushed hers, the contact over too quickly. Kori wrapped her arms around his neck and guided his head back down. The line was already crossed. No sense in not giving their all. Their lips met in a passionate kiss that deepened as they tightened their hold on one another.

  When at last it ended, they stared at one another, still embracing.

  “Kornelia…”

  “Marshall?”

  “We…can’t.”

  She nodded and let her arms fall away. Marshall stepped back. “I know,” she whispered. She ignored the burning at the back of her eyes and grabbed her bag from the floor. “Good night, sir.” She refused to look at him as she entered her room and shut the door.

  Chapter 13

  She had to wear yellow.

  Kori looked unbelievably stunning in the color. It matched well with her brown skin. She stood out among all the other women, who wore drab colors that matched the suits of the men in the room. Even Marshall had chosen a soft salmon color, which went quite well with Kori’s dress. He appreciated a woman with style, but hoped no one thought they were coordinating their outfits.

  Kori sat at the other end of the conference table in the office of one of the firm’s strategic partners in the country. She occasionally looked at him, and as though they were on the same wavelength, he caught her gaze as well. The presentation was boring, quite the contrary. It was that Kori was far more agreeable to look at.

  Marshall cleared his throat and doubled down, pinning his gaze to the screen where a graph showed the potential decrease in stability if the revolutionaries were to win a democratic vote. The country’s stability left everything in jeopardy, but if the vote was successful, things would spike soon afterward. Marshall liked the sound of that. His firm could be on the ground floor, helping revitalize the country’s basic economic structure. The partnership would be lucrative for both the firm and Bendola in the long run. With Bendola as a competitive market on the world stage, the benefits would be endless. Marshall decided that he would return a positive report to his board, with stipulations.

  Good. One decision down, another one to go.

  The hardest one of all.

  They had crossed the line last night in a kiss that had rocked Marshall’s world. Never had he dared to dream of feeling this way about another woman. He was over the hill. Done. His marriage wasn’t a success. He had nothing to offer another woman except money, and he couldn’t stand to be with anyone who’d only want him for his money.

  He should’ve beaten himself up last night for acting unprofessional. He’d put his company at risk for a lawsuit if Kori hadn’t wanted the kiss at all, even though he didn’t believe she had a vindictive bone in her body. The board did, however, and he would be fired immediately if the board discovered the truth.

  Instead, he went to the gym and ran six miles and then followed that up with a tough leg workout. Afterward, he felt exhausted, but his mood was incredibly high. He only thought about how amazing Kori was and how his heart had destroyed his ribcage when her lips clung to his. His had ego soared. The only woman he’d come to care about since his divorce hadn’t thought him over the hill. She had picked him over Jarod, a guy who wasn’t even in the same competitive league.

  He went to bed smiling.

  Had Kori done the same?

  She wouldn’t look at him after the kiss. He’d thought he’d read sheer passion and desire in her brown eyes—until he reset the boundary. Then she left him standing in the hallway.

  Exactly what she should’ve done before he dragged her into his arms.

  They’d met briefly before this meeting. She was cool and professional. A bit too icy for his liking, but he matched her persona so she would be as comfortable as possible—and to give nothing away to Jarod, who kept staring at them as though he had to report on their every blink.

  Now, Kori met his eyes again, her gaze curious and questioning, but he didn’t know what she was asking. Could they be together? No.

  At least, not until he started another company.

  The idea of being let go started to sting less with the prospect that Kori could come with him. They could start the company together. She had a business degree she could put to better use than being his assistant. He wouldn’t want her as his subordinate; they could be partners. An incredible duo. And since they’d both be in charge, they could make up whatever rule they wanted about their relationship.

  Relationship. Would she consider having one with an old man?

  He grimaced. He had to stop calling himself that. His mile run time was as good as it was in college, and he could bench more than twice his body weight. He was a stud. A stallion. He’d like to see Jarod keep up with him.

  “Marshall? Is something wrong?” the presenter asked.

  Marshall cleared his throat again and put on a smile. “No. My apologies. Please continue.” He glanced at Kori, who raised her brows. He gave a quick shake of his head and returned his gaze to the presentation.

  She didn’t look like a woman who hated him and wanted him out of her life. Perry hadn’t sent a frantic text saying the company was getting sued. Had she told anyone? Maybe she had wanted him to kiss her as much as he wanted to feel her lips move beneath his, her lush body in his arms. Maybe she wouldn’t sue him and take both his and Brigham’s companies down.

  Brigham deserved what he was going to get—if Kori’s lawyer was worth her law degree. Marshall wrestled with whether or not he deserved punishment as well. And not just any punishment. He’d be called out and excoriated on social media. She was the employee, and he was the boss. If anyone should’ve had more willpower, it was him, because he had more to lose.

  He’d thought they had come together at the same time. That the kiss had been mutual. He hadn’t considered himself wrong about that until this morning. And now he had a massive headache from going around in circles for hours.

  When the meeting ended, Kori met up with Marshall and gave him a thumbs-up. “I thought that was a good presentation. What did you think?”

  Jarod joined them. “Looked good to me.”

  Marshall nodded. “I think this will be an excellent venture if the country can stabilize.”

  Jarod snorted. “I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon. With the fighting in the streets? There’ll be a full-blown civil war first. Then who knows how long that’ll last?”

  “Way to bring the whole mood down, Jarod,” Marshall said dryly.

  “Marshall?” One of the associates approached their group. “I hate to say it, but you and your colleagues should head to the airport immediately. We’ve just gotten word that there has been some fighting near there.”

  “Are we in danger?” Jarod’s voice rose a notch.

  Marshall and Kori exchanged a calm glance. Marshall expected Kori to be cool under pressure. She’d had enough training being Brigham’s lackey.

  “We can’t say for sure. We don’t want to take any chances.”

  “You’re being cautious,” Marshall said while gripping Jarod’s shoulder. “We appreciate it. We’ll get Jarod on board as soon as possible.” He winked at Jarod.

  Jarod’s lips thinned while Kori sucked in hers, attempting to hide a smile. Her eyes met Marshall’s, and he read the appreciative humor in them.

  Did that mean they were still on good terms? He hoped so.

  Chapter 14

  She had slept like a baby. A baby with sweet dreams. It had been one of the most restful, peaceful nights of sleep she’d had since leaving Brigham’s company. Who knew all she had to do was get a kiss good night from Marshall to make that happen?

  That kiss…

  It had curled her toes, sent shivers all through her body, set off tiny explosions in her belly. Pressed deliciously against him, she’d felt the raging beats of his heart, and it had surprisingly matched her own. She had thought
she’d been the one to foolishly have these feelings, to have this crazy longing for him. She was supposed to have talked herself back into her room, but the gravitational pull between them was too much for her to overcome.

  To be honest, she didn’t even try to fight it. For years, she had been so lonely. Meeting almost no one while working for Brigham, who had been insanely jealous of her time spent away from him. Her heart had been desperate for companionship, and finally she’d found a man whom she could put her trust in. He wasn’t perfect, but he was trying, and so was she. She was learning to accept that she wasn’t the weak, useless girl her father had said she was, a girl who wouldn’t amount to much. She was tall and beautiful, so she might as well use that to her advantage.

  She could never do that. What man would respect her? She didn’t want a man who mirrored her father—an abusive one who didn’t respect women at all. Ironic since he had three girls.

  Kori settled back into her seat on the plane, and Marshall took the one opposite her. They had been staring at each other all throughout the meeting. He had looked uncertain about things, and she’d felt the same way. What did he think about the kiss? Was he sorry it happened? The only thing she regretted was their working relationship. Had she come here on a whim and met him, then it would’ve been different.

  Except for Sabrina.

  Kori put a hand over her eyes briefly and then tucked a few stray wisps of hair back into her updo. She didn’t want to appear upset. How had she not thought of her friend since the kiss? Because Marshall had dominated her dreams. It was his strong, hard arms, his warm lips, his gorgeous eyes that had captivated her since she had closed the door on him. If only he knew she had wanted to run right back into his arms and kiss him. Tell him that everything would be okay. He had nothing to worry about.

  And then invite him inside.

  Ugh. Not only was she a horrible friend, but she was also a terrible employee. Marshall was juggling losing his company and starting another one, and he had therapy. And now this. The girl who sues her boss for being unprofessional. A liability to any company who would risk hiring her. She had to convince him that she wouldn’t do that to him. The risk he’d taken would be rewarded.

  Kori stared at Marshall until he looked up, which didn’t take long. She wanted to believe they were still on the same wavelength, but she shoved that thought aside. Instead, she held his gaze as she stood and made her way through the curtain to the back of the plane where the toilet and serving station were located. Then she waited.

  And waited.

  Until Jarod appeared. Kori rolled her eyes. “What are you doing?”

  Jarod leaned against the toilet door, staring down at her as she had taken a seat on one of the fold-down chairs for the flight attendants. “What are you doing?”

  “Since we’ve been delayed, I thought I’d take some time to be alone. If you don’t mind?”

  His slick grin morphed into something twisted like disgust. “I think you’re trying to pull something, that’s what I think.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Jarod shrugged. “Just an observation.”

  Kori looked around the back of the plane. “Okay. Me sitting here, alone, is me trying to pull something? What exactly are you seeing because I’m just sitting here?”

  Jarod kept his narrowed eyes on her. Kori maintained eye contact, even raising a brow to indicate she expected an answer to her question.

  “What’s going on back here?” Marshall appeared behind Jarod. His concerned gaze was on her face. “Am I missing a meeting?” He chuckled lightly, but his eyes held no humor.

  “Jarod was just about to tell me what I’ve been up to,” Kori said quickly. “I’m sitting here minding my own business, and he’s accusing me of…sabotaging the company? I’m not entirely sure. He said I’m up to something. Jarod?” Kori looked pointedly at him.

  Jarod straightened. “I never said you were sabotaging the company.”

  Marshall laughed. “How could she when she’s sitting back here doing nothing?” Marshall’s eyes glinted with restrained temper, his smile dangerous. “I personally hired Ms. Kaye. She’s done a fabulous job. It’s been a stressful couple of days for us, and I commend her for taking some time to be alone and get centered. We’ll be presenting to the board when we return, and that’s got its own set of concerns. Why are you harassing her? You should be preparing your own report.”

  Harass was a strong word, but Kori believed Marshall purposefully used it because he was following her lead. Now the two of them had ganged up on a red-faced Jarod, who quickly excused himself after mumbling an apology.

  Once Jarod was through the heavy curtain and on the other side, Kori stood. In one long stride, Marshall was in front of her, his hands cupping her upper arms. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  She nodded. “Something’s not right. I’m getting a weird vibe from him. I don’t know what it is.”

  Marshall rolled his eyes. “I do. He’s a spy for the board.”

  “A spy? What are you talking about?”

  “I think they sent him along to make sure we don’t do anything stupid. Forget about him. We’re okay.”

  She searched his eyes. “Are we? Because we did do something stupid.”

  His gaze faltered. His fingers ran up and then down her arms. “You think it was stupid?”

  “Of course not,” she said quickly, stepping closer. “Marshall?”

  His eyes came up, as did one of his hands. His fingers rested on the curve of her jaw while his thumb grazed her bottom lip. “Good. Because I don’t either. I can’t stop thinking about this right here,” he said, focused on her lips.

  She chuckled. His worried, anxious expression made him look a decade younger. So cute; she wanted to cup his face in her hands and kiss away his worry. Instead, she backed out of his hold, inhaled, and spoke, “I’m willing to sign paperwork to say that I won’t sue for what happened yesterday.”

  He blinked. Kori kept her gaze latched with his, but his eyes became unreadable. Unsure if her words went over well, she tried again. “I’m…I’m willing to take responsibility for what happened. You’re not to blame,” she whispered.

  His light eyes darkened. “You think I would pressure you to sign?” he hissed. He stepped closer. Kori’s eyes went involuntarily to his thinning lips. “You think that’s all I care about?”

  Kori’s hands came up, and she caressed his cheeks. “No, Marshall. But it’s important to me that you don’t suffer any more for my sake. You hired me, and…and I’m damaged goods, for lack of a better term,” she said wryly.

  His gaze dropped once more. Kori’s heart rate increased, as though it was calling out to Marshall to risk their jobs even further. Would it be worth it to feel his lips once more? Or was she seeking him to fill a tiny hole in her heart left by her father?

  Marshall’s praise of her was something she’d never experienced at all in her professional career as an executive assistant. Brigham wasn’t big on recognition because he was too self-involved to believe anyone’s work was better than his own. Nobody’s efforts topped his. A true narcissist. She’d received an obligatory yearly bonus at Christmas—like all the other employees—but nothing else to indicate she was doing her job well outside of not being fired.

  In the same vein, Gregory Kaye found nothing but fault in his three daughters. As the eldest, Kori had experienced the most criticism. She was supposed to be a model for her younger sisters, and she was held up as a whipping boy instead. She’d never been looked at with such love and acceptance until Marshall.

  Love? Was it love she was seeing? Or just bloated appreciation? Either way, she’d take it, never realizing how much she needed it. But she didn’t want it to be a crutch. She had a long life ahead of her, God willing, and couldn’t rely on a man to puff up her self-worth.

  And what she felt in return for him had less to do with her self-worth and more to do with desire. To feel his arms around her, his lips conjuring delicious need that fill
ed every inch of her.

  “The board already ordered me to fire you,” he said quietly.

  “They did?”

  His intense gaze bore into her. “I refused. Does that not mean anything?” He took a step forward. “Kori, do you not understand what you mean to me?”

  She was beginning to. He had put his job on the line for her. What had the board offered him in return? His job, maybe? Whatever they did or didn’t offer him, he had refused and kept her employed. How much more trouble did that cause him?

  “I think you should. Fire me.”

  His eyes bugged. “Are you crazy!”

  “Do it in front of the board. That’ll convince them that you’re serious about your position.”

  “No,” he stated firmly, shaking his head. “Not happening.”

  “Don’t you see? They won’t let you leave after that.”

  “You don’t deserve that, Kornelia. And if you think you do, then you’re wrong.”

  His eyes had darkened like the sky before a major storm. It thrilled her that he would take such a risk for her, but it pained her all the same because of what he would be giving up for her. “Marshall, I’m only thinking of—”

  His arms drew her firmly into his chest. Yes, her heart cried. She would follow him off the cliff, and whatever was below, they’d face it together. Their lips came within a breath when the frantic voice of the attendant shattered their dream.

  Chapter 15

  Marshall rushed toward the front of the plane, ignoring the suspicious glare of Jarod. He sensed Kori was on his heels. He stopped a passing steward who was yelling for him to return to his seat and put on his seatbelt. They were taking off.

  “What’s going on?” Marshall demanded.

  “Rebels are on the runway. We’ve got to get out of here, now!” the attendant shouted. She then ran toward the back and disappeared behind the curtain.

  Marshall tightened his seatbelt, and Kori did the same.

  “They better get us out of here,” Jarod said from his seat. “I’m not getting paid to be in a warzone.”