“None,” was Marshall’s curt response. “She’s only been here one day. I think Colette is off to a great start.” He clenched his jaw, hoping his brother would swallow the explanation.
Roger sighed. “Can I make a small request?”
“Yeah?” His brow gathered in confusion.
“Please keep your hands off Colette. You cannot fuck Simone’s friend. I know you like to have fun with the ladies, but this girl is special to Simone, so she’s special to me. Not a girl to mess around with. Keep things professional, okay?”
Marshall rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t dream of it. She’s part of my staff; I wouldn’t hit on a fellow employee.” Imagine the gall of his brother. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind once.
“Technically, she’s Grandpa’s employee, but good. I’m glad there won’t be any of that,” Roger continued. “I knew I could trust you, Marshall. We’ll be coming up for the weekend soon. Simone misses Colette already.”
“Can’t wait,” Marshall deadpanned. “It’ll be fun.”
“You okay?” Roger asked.
“Just insulted, that’s all.”
His brother laughed. “Oh, if that’s all, we’re good. See you soon. We can chat more when I come to town. Wait until I update you on how much Regina George is growing.”
A smile tugged at his lips as Marshall pictured Roger and Simone’s cat. The one they had picked up from the ranch when she was terrorizing his own cat, Pablo Picasso. Marshall was glad they were so happy with her. She was a menace.
“Looking forward to it,” he said, before saying goodbye. And he was. Visits from his brother were always fun. It gave him some company, and it forced Marshall to go out and have fun in town.
As Marshall hung up the phone, Jack’s and Roger’s words weighed on him.
There was no way he was going to visit Colette. He had nothing to apologize for; she just had to get used to working for him. Plain and simple.
The resolution didn’t sit well with him. Though he was tired from a long day, a nervous energy simmered in his gut.
Maybe they had started off on the wrong foot. And if she was special to Simone and Roger, he should make an extra effort to smooth things over with her.
It wouldn’t hurt to visit Colette to see how she was settling in.
If the opportunity arose to apologize or make a second, better impression, maybe he would take it. He liked maintaining friendly relationships with all his employees. They all looked out for each other.
Colette would be no different from anyone else working on the ranch.
CHAPTER 7
Marshall could hear the little guest house before he could see it, as he walked up the curved gravel path to Colette’s. When he first noticed the music drifting to him on his front porch, he assumed it was the guys in the bunk house. He was soon corrected as he approached the cottage. It was like she had never received the memo that people escaped to the country to enjoy the quiet, the stillness. Some kind of loud music was blaring out from her open windows. As he walked up to the house, his mouth gaped open in shock as he saw through the living room window to the kitchen.
He licked his lips, his gaze locked on Colette, mesmerized.
There she stood, one leg on a chair and the second one on the kitchen counter, an arm and head stuffed in one of the cupboards, wiping as her hips swayed suggestively to the music. Marshall licked his lips as he took in the bright pink pajama shorts and top, with… He squinted to see better… Little red cherries sprinkled all over them. He shook his head in slow motion, taking in the soft curve of her ass as it made the ruffled bottom of the shorts flutter.
This would not do.
This would not do at all.
Colette Slip was used to life in the city, but out here, things were different.
The ranch had men living in quarters not so far from this guest house. Maybe in a high-rise apartment where your privacy was assured by being high up off the ground, this was an appropriate outfit, but out here, anyone could catch a glimpse of those creamy thighs and get up to mischief. Get ideas. He shook his head. It was a good thing he had come upon her before anyone else did.
Turning to glance at the two cold beers in his hand, he remembered the purpose of his visit and decided to keep the lectures for later. He wanted to start their conversation on a positive note. He was, after all, Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky Marshall, and she needed to get better acquainted with the man he was—not the grumpy oaf he was earlier today during their meeting. First, he had to tear his eyes away from the sight of her curves and break the spell her moves were weaving. Giving his head a shake, he willed his legs to advance.
Imagine getting caught staring like a creep.
Marshall scoffed. The last thing she needed was a lecherous boss devouring her with his eyes. A flush crept up his cheeks, his ability to deny what he had been doing rather impressive.
