Page 10 of Hers to Love
“Good.” He grinned, his muscles relaxing and then going tense once again. “I do want to apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean to impose. I wasn’t trying to get into your room or anything.”
Kori chuckled. “No, I know. I believe you, and thank you for apologizing. I appreciate it. It’s not something I come across often.”
“People apologizing when they’re wrong?” That seemed odd. He’d grown up in the Midwest, and it was a value his mother had instilled in him that was strongly reinforced by a grandmother with a wide, leather belt. He always apologized when he was in the wrong. It made for better communication and relationships. But he had to admit that he didn’t hear it often from people either—at least not the ones whom he’d wanted to hear it from the most.
Like his father.
“Yeah. People actually thinking they’re wrong and then apologizing. Neither of which happens much anymore.”
“We do work in an industry that caters wonderfully to narcissists.”
“Yes.” Kori let out a breath. “Yes, I know that for a fact. The tech industry is full of them.” She smiled again and met his gaze. Her intense dark eyes held him captive. “Thank you, Marshall. I will work very hard for you, I promise. My work ethic is something I pride myself on, and I hope to meet your expectations each and every day. I give you my word that will be my number one priority.”
Meeting his expectations. He had learned to let those go by the wayside after his experience with Madeline—Sabrina’s mother. Meeting his expectations was something she did not sign up for when she married him—according to her. He had to meet hers, and if he had, she wouldn’t have looked outside their marriage to find happiness and…other things.
Those words had torn his insides to shreds. She’d hurled those knives at him from their bed, her lover grinning from ear to ear enjoying the show.
Being his first marriage later in life, he had thought he was more prepared than most guys marrying in their twenties or even in their early thirties. He had lived life and gained valuable experiences in the relationships he’d fostered. He had worked hard on his communication skills, and her admission had floored him. Had he missed the signs from her that he wasn’t meeting her needs?
He chuckled nervously. “I’ve gotta say that…this is going to be an area that I’m not all that familiar with.”
Her brows came together. “Excuse me? At lunch yesterday, I was under the impression that your last assistant had done a great job and you were sorry to have lost her.”
Marshall remained outwardly passive, but inwardly his mind was screaming. She wasn’t here to be in a relationship with him. She was here to be his assistant. What was he thinking?
He was thinking that sitting in front of him was a gorgeous woman who had offered something to him that had been lacking in his personal life for so long that he didn’t know how to react. But that wasn’t the truth. She was offering professionalism. She would handle his appointment book and dry cleaning.
Not his heart.
Never his heart.
The woman was only slightly older than Sabrina. Okay, he was still on the ripe side of fifty, but no woman in her right mind would want a forty-something-year-old man, no matter how much he worked out. Nor how much hair remained on his head. He had to shift his focus, if that meant never actually looking her in the eye—or at her, period—again.
His heart dropped a touch. He had enjoyed what little company they had spent together so far, and limiting their interaction sounded like an impossible task.
But it had to be done. She was already suing her old boss for behavioral issues and he didn’t want to know what those were. He needed to concentrate on acting aboveboard. And that meant no room visits and few in-person meetings. He’d deal with her via email and text.
“Um, yes… Yes, I was sorry to lose Annie,” he said while averting his eyes. “She was a good assistant. No trouble at all. I even wrote her a reference, which she’ll probably never use, but I was happy to do it.”
Kori grinned. “Well, I’m ready to start. Should we go to the office now? I’d like to get accustomed to my surroundings.”
“Surroundings? Well, you should probably start here, then. No, wait. I know the place.”
He stood and offered his hand. She slipped her small one into his, gripping it firmly. He lifted her from the couch and forced himself to let go of her.
He was already going to break his rule. Oh, well. It had been a year of freedom. Might as well carry it on for a little bit longer.
Chapter 5
Kori was torn. She thought Marshall was going to show her the office—it was still a Thursday—but instead, he took her near where it was located and then had the driver turn in the opposite direction and stop by the river.
Kori and Marshall exited the car, and while Marshall spoke to a guy in the boat, Kori viewed the picturesque scene of Florence. She marveled at the river down the center of the city, cobblestone bridges arching above the calm waters, the red tile shingled-roofs that covered box-style homes, and buildings painted in bright yellows and oranges. Lovely green and blue shutters that accented windows. It was like all the paintings and pictures she had ever seen.
I’m living here?
She glanced at Marshall. If only he wasn’t nearly...fifteen years older than her—at least,she mused—and her best friend’s father, she could consider herself the heroine in a romance movie. He had offered her a job, flown her out on his private jet—well, private to the corporation probably—and then after an awkward afternoon of drinking too much, had knocked on her door bright and early the next day, begging her to stay.
Despite all of that, the last thing she wanted was to be in any relationship with her boss that wasn’t professional. Brigham didn’t understand that concept. Couldn’t grasp it for the life of him and now that was ruiningherlife.
