He swiveled on his barstool and walked over to the door in socked feet, and the beat of her heart picked up at his approach. She crossed her arms, nervous. Why was she nervous? There were files missing in the pile Marshall had offered her, and she was merely coming to request more documentation. The door swung open; a welcome gust of warm air, filled with thecozy scents of a home-cooked meal, wafted toward Colette. No, Marshall wasn’t lonely. He was well cared for.
She cleared her throat. “Hey, Marshall. Sorry to bother you so late. I was missing a file and wanted to see if you might have it here.”
“Uh, maybe?” Marshall replied.
Marshall waved her into the grand, airy space.
“I hadn’t seen you all day and noticed your lights were on. I hope that’s okay.”
It was a large kitchen and living room combination space with a clean, modern look. White overstuffed sofas and a glass-covered wicker coffee table. A large antique wagon wheel on the white wall, plush, patterned blue and gray carpet. She followed him to the large kitchen island, where he grabbed his drink and took a sip, leaning against the granite countertop.
“I thought I gave you all the files I have,” he said. “Hang on.”
He walked around the island and opened the cupboard to pull out a glass matching his. Showing her the glass with a lifted brow, she nodded, and he poured her a couple fingers of bourbon.
“Well, I was looking through the ones you gave me and matching them up to the ledger entries. I wanted to make sure I had all the information before starting to dig in. I see records of sales and payments from a company called Lorimer Fertilizers, but no corresponding information. Is it on a different computer? Could be it’s not printed up, maybe?” Colette said, tilting her glass to sip her bourbon. She shivered as the drink sent flames licking down her throat, then warmth to the tips of her still freezing fingers. Clutching the glass to her chest, she watched as Marshall rubbed his beard.
She couldn’t help but rest her gaze on his lips, soft and sensuous. It was hard for her to disguise the interest in her gaze. He was fascinating. In her normal life, she was used to makingmoves and being bold with men. Those moves got her someone to warm her bed after a night at the bar, but not much else. Her friends were accustomed to ghosting guys, but she was more on the receiving end of the vanishing suitor. Perhaps she wasn’t the ideal candidate for a long-term relationship and was therefore overlooked. But she kept trying, hoping someone, someday, would stick around for more than just a moment.
Marshall could never be that someone. Of that she was certain.
Never mind his Playboy reputation as described by Simone, which instantly made him a candidate she should avoid.
With Marshall, something inside her said stop. Bright lights flickering around a DANGER sign. He was bad news for several reasons. The most important being that he was the grandson of her boss. The second being that she wasn’t in the mood to start something that would have an expiration date. Most of her relationships did. Flings offered little comfort and left her feeling hollow. She had grown to hate the emptiness, opting for an engaging romance novel and a vibrator to fulfill that need. There was no emotional connection, but she was saved from the pain of caring for someone who considered her disposable. Any relationship with Marshall would have a time limit.
In this case, the duration of her contract.
Nowhere in her plan was staying at the ranch an option. This job was a move to better her life. In the city.
She rubbed her arms to stave off the chill that had seeped into her bones. Marshall’s eyes slid to her hands, and he stopped stroking his beard.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“It’s a little chilly. I’m not quite warmed up from walking here.”
“I can help with that,” Marshall said, disappearing up the wide staircase. She took advantage of being alone to peer downthe main floor hallway, which seemed to lead to some bedrooms, maybe? An office? The wide plank floors in a rich dark chestnut led into a dark abyss. This house was huge. It had to be, to fit all the family at the same time.
“Here,” Marshall said breathlessly, handing her a thick wool sweater.
“This is so cozy. Did your grandmother knit it or something?” she asked, tucking her arms into the heavenly knit.
Marshall chuckled. “She would rather die than do any crafty shit. My mom bought it for me. Follow me,” he said with a wave. “Let’s see if I have those files here.”
Turning on the lights in the darkened hallway, Colette took in the continuing white walls and entered a room with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a large desk, and various cupboards and cabinets. A thick rug covering the floor provided warmth to the space, which was otherwise stark and minimalistic.
“I usually work from my ranch office, because I can be easily accessible to everyone, but when I’m not feeling it, I use the home office,” Marshall explained.
Colette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded, leaning against the heavy oak desk. “Do you have extra files in here?”
“I might have some duplicates,” he said as he chewed his bottom lip and opened a filing cabinet. “Lorimer, you said?”
“Lorimer Fertilizers. You’ve done more business with them recently,” she explained, watching him finger the files. He checked each drawer twice, slamming the last one with a grunt.
“Fuck. I can’t see it,” Marshall said, draining his glass and placing it loudly on the desk. He crossed his arms. “I wish I could be more help.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to upset you. I just want to make sure I have all the information,” Colette said, placing a hand onhis arm. “I’ll come back tomorrow and go through the cabinet more thoroughly. I know it’s late.”
His gaze slid to her hand, which was enjoying the feel of his dark green flannel shirt beneath her palm. So what if she stroked her thumb up and down? There was no harm in that. It was an instinctual movement to provide comfort. Nothing more. Marshall was staring at her hand as though it was on fire. She pulled away, tucking her hand inside the sweater sleeve.
