Page 23 of Hooked on Marshall

“Jonas has one of those giant personalities that draws you in from the moment you meet him,” she mutters. “And it just so happens that his uncle owns the company. At first, I thought the flirting was all harmless because he seemed to behave that way with the other females underneath him as well. Plus, we all knew he was married.

“Even so, there were still rumblings about him having trysts with several woman not under his direct supervision. Apparently,thatwasn’t against company policy. So, I just kept with the playfulness and did everything I could to keep advancing my position. Three months ago, one of the seniorteam leaders retired. And despite my short time with the company, I decided to go after the promotion.

“I had forged a great relationship with several of my co-workers at this point and many of them supported me in my quest. When Jonas caught wind of it, he offered to give me some pointers for my presentation. Since the other three team leaders who were after the promotion were under someone else’s supervision, there was no conflict of interest.”

She shivers again. Then she pulls back some more and finally meets my eyes. Her emotions are like a neon sign reflected in her gorgeous hazel eyes. As I watch them harden, my anger toward Jonas multiplies.

“More than once, we stayed late so he could help me. He was very much all business at first. But one Friday afternoon, he seemed distracted. Finally, I gave up on our task and asked him what was wrong. He told me it was something personal and he didn’t feel comfortable telling me. I took that as face value but still offered an ear if he needed it. He broke down then. I didn’t hesitate to offer him some physical comfort. I wrapped him in my arms and just held him. When he finally regained himself, he lifted his head and thanked me. Then he kissed me.

“The next thing I knew, I was sprawled across his worktable. He kissed me with such passion I didn’t realize what he was doing until he was inside me. But…my emotions were in overdrive at that point, so I let him take what he needed from me. I figured it would be a one and done thing. I figured after the weekend, we’d forget it ever happened. Until it kept happening. Until his uncle caught wind of it and came within minutes of catching us in the act.”

She barely chokes out those last words and lowers her head once again.

“His uncle was ready to fire me on the spot, but Jonas demanded that he allow me to resign so I could continue mycareer elsewhere. His uncle agreed but only if he could keep all the work I had done with the company. So…that’s what I did. And I came back home.”

At this point, my anger has reached its boiling point. And all of my rage is directed at Jonas and his uncle. Because it's obvious that Jonas received no type of disciplinary action for breaking the rules. Nepotism at its finest.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” I spit out. “Why didn’t you go after them?”

“What?” she gasps as she looks up at me again.

Her face reflecting both fear and confusion.

“You weren’t the only one who made that mistake,” I snap. “Jonas’ uncle protected him and used you as a scapegoat. No doubt to squelch any kind of scandal that might hurt the company. Plus, they robbed you of all your work. I have no doubt that some or all of that is illegal.”

“But…”

“I’m a businessman, Lana,” I snap. “And I know all about business ethics. What they did to you was shameful and dirty. And just plain wrong. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, and if you want to go after them, then by God, I’ll help you.”

Eighteen

I am absolutely stunned by his words. For the last two and a half months, I’ve been dreading telling this story because I didn’t want anyone to tell me how stupid I was. Not only did I sleep with a married man, I slept with my supervisorin his office. I was prepared for a barrage of name-calling and more.

But not Marshall.

“What…did you just say?” I breathe.

“You heard me,” he says slowly. “All you have to do is say the word, and I’ll find a lawyer to get the ball rolling.”

“But…why?”

He exhales heavily as his eyes close, and he drops his head. Then he scrubs one hand over his neck before he cups my face in his hands. His handsome face is as serious as I’ve ever seen it. But the intensity in his eyes right now is heart stopping.

“Fine,” he says in a low voice. “I’ve told you before, but I’m going to tell you again. From the moment I met you, I felt something for you. And the more time I spent around you, the more I liked you. No, that’s not right. The more Iwantedyou. And now that I know what’s holding you back from starting a relationship with me, I am fully prepared to do whatever is necessary to eradicate that situation, so you’ll never have to worry about Jonas or his uncle ever again. Is that clear enough for you?”

I heard every word he just said, but I still have one question to ask.

“You…still want to be in a relationship with me?”

“Yes,” he says. “I do.”

“But-”

“Stop right there and answer me one question, okay?”

“Okay,” I nod.

“Why don’t you want to date me?” he asks.

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