Page 27 of Hooked on Marshall

“Reserve that thought for after we launch this,” she laughs. “Then we’ll see.”

“Doesn’t matter,” I whisper. “As long as I still have you.”

She giggles and turns her head. So, I kiss her.

Twenty

I’m still smiling when I walk through the door of my parents’ home. Hell, I haven’t stopped smiling all damn day. And it’s all because of Marshall. Not only because he’s now my boyfriend, but because he’s giving me the opportunity to do what I love. All that on top of allowing me to spill my secret about what happened between me and Jonas.

We talked about that in the parking lot before I left and I explained that going after Jonas now isn’t worth the aggravation to me. But if he does manage to find me and try to convince me to come back to him, I’ll use it as my bargaining chip. Marshall didn’t like it, but he agreed.

“Hey, honey,” my mom calls out. “How did it go with Marshall? Did he like your ideas?”

“He did,” I say brightly. “I’m going to his place after I change to keep bouncing ideas off him and to help him settle in a bit.”

“You’re going to help him settle in?” she asks with a smirk. “That’s a little beyond the call of duty, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” I laugh. “Wouldn’t you do the same for your boyfriend?”

She gasps. Then she jumps up from her chair and rushes over to hug me. When my grandfather walks in, he just smiles and shakes his head.

“Oh, honey, that’s so wonderful,” she sighs. “I think he’s a very good man.”

“Indeed, he is,” my grandfather chimes in. “And he seems quite smitten with you already.”

“Stop, grandpop,” I giggle.

“Just calling it how I saw it this afternoon,” he grins. “There was no mistaking the expression on his face when helooked at you. And you certainly deserve to be with a man who looks at you like that, Lana. Enjoy it.”

I give him a hard hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then I rush into my room to change. I also pack a small bag with another work shirt in it and some toiletries. Because I’m not fooling myself about what I want to happen tonight. Before those short weeks of idiocy with Jonas, I hadn’t had sex in almost a year. And considering my physical reaction to Marshall so far, I know that I’ll be satisfied when he takes me to bed. And I’m very much looking forward to it.

Ten minutes later, I’m heading for the door. My grandfather doesn’t miss the fact that I’m carrying an extra bag, either.

“Should I tell you goodnight now?”

“Maybe,” I shrug.

He shakes his head. Then my father walks in the front door as my mother comes in from the kitchen. He takes me in and just quirks an eyebrow. I let my smile speak for itself as I speak.

“Hey, daddy,” I say as I hug him. “I’m heading over to Marshall’s place.”

“What for?”

“To keep working on my marketing ideas for the Alehouse and to help him settle in a bit,” I say calmly. “And to spend more time with him since we’re now officially dating.”

His face barely masks his surprise. Then he looks at the backpack on my shoulder before hitting me with a hard look.

“Don’t you think it’s a little soon to be sleeping over?”

“Ben,” my mother says. “Marshall’s a good man. And she seems happier now than she’s been since she came back home.”

“Last night you couldn’t get away from him fast enough,” he says. “And now you’re ready to shack up? What’s going on, Lana? I want to know therealreason you came back home.”

My jaw drops at his words. And my anxiety returns with a vengeance.

“I told you,” I choke out.

“You fed us a line, and you know it,” he snaps.

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