Page 29 of Hers to Love
Darts of ice shot through her heart and into her soul. She nodded and let her arms fall away, the line between them widening. Marshall stepped back.
“I know,” she said softly, her heart shuddering at the resignation in her tone. 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. Drawing his and every other man’s eyes to her, forcing them to acknowledge what couldn’t be their’s.
Mission accomplished, beautiful.
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 wasn’t 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 ego had 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.
