Page 31 of Hers to Love
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 wediddo something stupid.”
His gaze faltered. His fingers ran up and then down her arms, electrifying her nerve endings and shortening her breath. “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 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.
