by MacKay, Cali
“Is that a bad thing?” She pulled away just enough to look up at him with a sultry smile, loving that he made her feel so damn sexy—and in a way no other man had ever made her feel. What was between them suddenly felt all-consuming, and she didn’t ever want it to end.
“Only if you don’t feel the same way, sunshine.” There was an expectant look in his eyes, as if he was worried about how she truly felt about him—and it killed her that Claire had left him uneasy about trusting others’ emotions.
Hating that he’d been so hurt, she cupped his cheek, his stubble rough against the palm of her hand, and kissed him, slow and sweet, her lips lingering on his. “I love you, Marshall—and those aren’t words I speak easily.”
He let out a deep breath as if he’d been holding onto it, and then gave her a crooked smile. “Good—because I’ve fallen for you hard, Harper. From the moment I first laid eyes on you.”
***
Harper checked the scheduled events for the day, and was relieved that things looked to be winding down some. “Would you hate me if I abandoned you and headed back to the room? I haven’t checked email in days, and I wanted to work on your vibe idea. Maybe incorporate the details we’d discussed and come up with a new schematic.”
“Go on ahead without me. I’m on that panel in another hour, so I’ll be tied up with that anyway. I don’t think I sent you the schematics, so just grab them off my laptop and my briefcase, okay?” He pulled out a pen and paper and jotted down a few things before handing it to her. “My passwords. If you have any problems, just call me.”
“Marshall…I really don’t want to have access to your passwords, especially with everything that’s going on.” She’d be devastated if their competitors got their hands on these most recent designs—but she also didn’t want to have any reason for him to doubt her loyalty.
“I trust you, Harper, and if it makes you feel any better, I’ll change my passwords later. But I know you’re not going to snoop around in my stuff, and frankly, I have nothing to hide.” He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her close, his masculine scent filling her head so she ached for him to take her once more, knowing she’d never get her fill of him now that he’d awakened that part of her. And then he kissed her, his mouth lingering on hers, clearly not caring that they were in a room full of people. His kisses trailed off though he kept her close, his cheek brushing hers, making her want to drag him back up to their room, even if she was still deliciously sore from their adventures. “I promise not to be too long.”
Happiness bubbled inside her chest—something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Not since Josh, though what she had with Marshall felt different in so many ways. Though she’d loved Josh and they’d been great together before his accident, she felt like she could be more open with Marshall, especially when it came to being intimate—even if she still had a hard time getting it all out there.
She gave him a teasing smile and sidled up against his tall, muscular form, desperate to have him claim her once more. “I’ll be waiting, though take too long, and I might start without you.”
She swore he almost looked proud of her, his eyes alight as he cupped her cheek. “That’s what I like to hear. I fucking love it that you’re getting to be more comfortable with me—and with yourself, your body. It makes me a happy man, Ms. Harper Jones.”
That fact that her happiness and gratification meant so much to him…that it wasn’t just about his pleasure, but hers—maybe even more so—went straight to her heart. And if she’d been holding back on the feelings she had for him, that was no longer the case, for he’d claimed not only her body, but her heart and soul. “You’re a rare man, Marshall.”
With a final kiss goodbye, she headed up to their room, grabbed her cell phone, and called her dad. It rang and rang, but ended up going to voicemail. She tried again, telling herself not to panic. Though he seldom went anywhere anymore, he could be out in the garden or taking a shower. Voicemail again. Crap.
She called Brian next, hoping her brother could set her mind at ease. At least he answered his phone, though she could already tell he was annoyed with her. “Before you even ask, Dad’s fine.”
Harper felt the knot in her chest loosen as relief washed over her. “So, you went by there today to check on him?”
“I spoke with him this morning, and went by there yesterday. He’s fine, Harper. I swear, I think you forget that he’s a grown man.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Brian. But until he gets the help he needs, he needs us to be there for him. We need to remind him that it’s worth getting up to face another day.” She hated to think of it, but she knew how close her father was to letting the darkness take him, and she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. “You’ll go by there and check on him, right?”
“Yeah…as soon as I wrap up with work. But, fuck, Harper…” He let out a sigh. “Never mind. Enjoy London, okay?”
At least he was going to check in on their dad, though she was annoyed that she couldn’t even hand the reins over to Brian for just a few days without having him bitch and moan.
Knowing work would help her forget how frustrated she was with her brother, she grabbed Marshall’s laptop and briefcase and, after punching in his passcodes, found the files and papers she was looking for. Looking over the design for Marshall’s vibe, a thrum of excitement bubbled up inside her. It was brilliant. Intuitive too, since it could sense how and when the woman tensed so it could increase or decrease the intensity and type of vibrations. It would even have a variety of different settings, like “tease” for a slow build to an incredible orgasm, or “multiples” for an intense experience that would have you coming over and over again.
She spent the next few hours working on the design and figuring out the details of the internal components and how they’d come together in such a compact design. Though she was happy working, her focus still strayed to Marshall, leaving her to wonder how she’d gone and fallen for him. Granted, they’d been flirting around Clio since she got there nine months earlier, but what they were now doing was a huge leap from chitchat and sexy glances over by the coffee and donuts—and it was exactly what she needed.
Marshall made her happier than she’d been in a very long time, and though she still felt guilty about moving on when Josh was clearly having a much harder time of it, she was tired of letting life pass her by, and living in the past. She, of all people, should know better, when she’d seen the devastating effects holding onto the past had on her father. It’d been just over a decade since her mother’s death, and he still hadn’t gotten over it.
When her phone buzzed with an incoming message, her stomach fluttered with excitement and her pulse raced as her thoughts immediately went to Marshall—except that it wasn’t him. Caught up in the fun she’d been having with him, she’d completely forgotten that she was supposed to have dinner with Ben, and he wanted to make sure they were still on. Crap.
She’d much rather spend the evening with Marshall and all that entailed, yet she hadn’t seen Ben in ages and the last thing she wanted to become was a clingy girlfriend who had to spend every waking moment by her man’s side. Maybe Marshall would join them? After all, it wasn’t like it was a date. Just dinner between friends. And as star-struck as Ben had been with Marshall, she didn’t think Ben would mind.
Yet she knew Ben was hoping for a little more than just dinner, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to encourage him or make him think there was hope for a hookup when things were just starting to get serious with Marshall. Maybe skipping dinner and grabbing a cup of coffee would be a better option.
She texted him back, asking if he was free for a quick caffeine break, with apologies for having to skip out on dinner. Perfect—he’d meet her in the hotel lobby in half an hour. Just enough time for her to wrap up the last of her notes.
Quickly, she freshened up, and headed down to the lobby, spotting Ben easily, despite the crowds, since he stood several inches above most men in the room and was b
eyond cute, in a sexy geek kind of way, with his glasses and mussed-up hair. His smile lit up his face when he saw her approaching.
“Hey, you.” Ben pulled her into a big hug and gave her a quick peck on the lips, though it was too brief to address, and she didn’t want to make an issue out of something innocent or casual. “It’s been too long, Harper.”
“I’m just glad we could do this. Sorry about dinner, but things are crazy. I’m still trying to get work done around all this convention stuff.” When she slipped out of his arms, his hand slipped to the small of her back as he steered her through the crowds in the hotel lobby towards one of the cafés. Though it was a small gesture, it immediately reminded her of Marshall, her heart missing him with a tiny pang, and making her feel silly that she could miss someone she hadn’t seen for mere hours.
“Has Dr. Foley been keeping you busy then?” They somehow managed to find a loveseat and table being vacated and Ben quickly snagged it before anyone else could steal it from them. It was crammed into the far corner of the café, and cozier than she’d like, but as crowded as the place was with the convention attendees, she was lucky she hadn’t ended up in Ben’s lap.
“You know what it’s like—things are always busy. But I hadn’t originally planned to come to this event, so I’m still trying to get some work done. Luckily, Marshall hasn’t needed too much from me for the convention, so I’ve been able to stay focused on our project.” She still couldn’t believe Marshall was having her help him with the design of his most innovative product yet—and he’d be incorporating her new technology into it.
“Look at your eyes light up, Harper.” Ben gave her a flirty smile and shifted in on the sofa so they were facing each other. “That must be one hell of a design he has you working on. Don’t suppose you want to tell me more about it?”
“No offense, but no way.” She knew Ben was joking and likely didn’t know that Clio’s designs may have been stolen by Titan, but there wasn’t a chance in hell that she’d be saying a single word about it. “Marshall’s a nice guy, but stuff like that gets people fired.”
“Honestly, I was kidding. It’s the same over where I work, though they’re not as nice about it.” They took a moment to place their order with the waitress who was weaving between the tables. “Actually…that’s one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you. I was thinking I might start up my own company, and wanted to know if you’d like to join me. I miss New England and want to head back there. California’s nice, but I miss the change of seasons—among other things.”
That really wasn’t what she’d expected at all. “So you’re going to put together a start-up? Do you have the capital to do that sort of thing?”
“I found a willing investor who’s got enough cash set aside to get us started.” He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “Come on, Harper. You know it’d be so much fun. Just like old times, with the two of us in the lab together. And just think of the money we could make when it takes off—which you know it would.”
“It sounds great, Ben. And I’ll love having you close by again, but…I can’t.” It felt like she’d be betraying Marshall. “I’m happy working at Clio, and with my dad…I can’t risk my finances, since I send a good chunk of my paycheck his way to pay his bills.”
“Just do me a favor and think about it. I’ve put together a packet for you—just in case you want to give it a little more thought.” Ben dug around in his messenger bag and pulled out a stapled packet of papers, handing them to her. “Sorry it’s so basic, but I didn’t realize you’d be here. I was going to get in touch once I got back and put things into motion. I know you’ve got your concerns, but this sort of opportunity doesn’t happen too often, and I don’t want you to miss out on it. Not to mention, there’s a sign-on bonus, stock options—and did I mention how much fun we’d have working together?”
She flicked through the packet just out of curiosity, and she had to say she was damn impressed. “Wow…this is…generous.”
“Exactly. Just promise me you’ll go through it and really give it some thought before you give me your final answer.”
Chapter Nineteen
As the moderator asked if there were any questions for the panelists, Marshall hoped they’d ignore Claire, who was sitting in the front row and had her hand raised. Somehow he’d managed to ignore her during the discussion, and it looked like he might escape without her getting the chance to ambush him as the moderator picked one person after another. Until they announced they’d take one last question.
Claire stood up and pinned him with a triumphant glare and smug smile as she stood up and started to ask her question—not that he was hanging around. He leaned over towards the moderator, made an excuse, and slipped away out the side door. Life was too short to continue to subject himself to Claire’s insanity and bitchiness.
Though he’d always wanted a child, he still couldn’t believe Claire was pregnant. Especially when she’d always been so careful about making sure he wore a condom, not wanting to subject her body to the Pill on the off chance she put on an extra pound or two—and not wanting to risk getting pregnant. Hell…he’d never even been with his own wife skin to skin. So for her to suddenly be pregnant? He just wasn’t buying it. And it killed him that what should be a happy occasion was instead turned into a manipulative mess.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. Keane… “Hey. How’s it going over there?”
“Busy.” There was a long pause on the line before Keane continued. “Listen…I’m working with the Rykers’ security firm like you recommended, and we’ve made a bit of headway on who might be behind the thefts.”
“Who?” Marshall couldn’t believe they were finally getting somewhere with it. Once he’d spoken to Quinn Ryker about the problems they were having at Clio, Quinn had recommended Gabe’s fiancée, Hadley, and her security firm—and it looked like it’d been the right move.
“We’ve narrowed it down to someone on the engineering team—I have her name here somewhere. Harper Jones.”
It was like a knife to his heart, leaving Marshall stunned and shattered with disbelief.
“It can’t be, Keane. I know her, and she wouldn’t do something like this. No fucking way.” It just couldn’t be. Marshall refused to believe Harper had anything to do with this mess. There was no way she could be the mole. “What proof do you have?”
“Nothing concrete, but there’s an awful lot pointing in her direction. Her work computer had accessed files she shouldn’t have been looking at.” Keane let out a weary sigh. “I know she’s there at the conference with you, Marshall. Are you sleeping with her?”
Fucking hell. “Yeah, I am. But I swear, Keane…there’s got to be a reasonable explanation. A lot of the computers in her department have multiple users on them.”
“I know. Which is why we’re looking into it further. But, Marshall…I’m not sure letting her get close to you is a good idea.” After another long pause that made him want to reach through the phone and shake his brother, Keane finally continued. “There’s more. Locked away in her desk drawer were copies of plans she shouldn’t have had—and there was correspondence to a rival company. Titan.”
“Keep me updated, Keane. But I need to know for sure. Not just half-assed suspicions, okay?” Anger, hurt, and doubt—about whether she could be guilty, about whether what was between them was real—all rivaled with each other as Marshall hung up with his brother and stepped onto the elevator, fighting the urge to put his fist through the wall.
He let himself into their room, still not quite sure what he’d say to her. Not that it mattered, since she wasn’t even there. Where the hell was she? Both their laptops, along with his briefcase, were still on the bed—and he’d given her his password.
Fuck…he hated to think the worst and couldn’t imagine that she was involved. Yet her friend worked for Titan. Keane had narrowed down the mole to someone in Harper’s department at a bare minimum, and though it was hard t
o know when exactly the thefts had started, it wasn’t that far off from when Harper came to work for Clio. And now? She’d said she’d wanted to come back to the room so she could get some work done, and yet she wasn’t here, even if she’d clearly accessed his files.
She’d mentioned her father had problems and she was hoping to get him help. Were things bad enough that she was forced to do things that may be out of character for her out of sheer desperation? Or was the issue something bigger, like gambling, and she just hadn’t told him about it?
He hated to do it, but he had to. Carefully, he went through her briefcase and her luggage, trying not to disturb anything, and then turned his attention to her laptop, though she had it password protected, and he was damned if he could figure out how to get past it.
Needing a drink, he grabbed himself a whiskey and knocked it back, getting himself another before he grabbed a seat so he could wait for her while attempting to sort through his racing thoughts. It couldn’t be Harper. He couldn’t bear to think of her being guilty of doing such a thing—and worse, he couldn’t bear to think that what was between them had been nothing more than a deliberate manipulation. It fucking killed him, his heart strangled by his heartache, as he did his best to push away the thought that she was the mole.
Let it be anyone but her…
He was on his fourth whiskey and in a foul mood by the time she showed up, a smile lighting her face when she saw him. “Hey…when did you get back? You should have texted me.”
She put down her handbag, and slipped some folded papers she was holding into her purse, before closing the distance between them to sit on his lap with her arms around his neck and a smile on her lips. Her mere presence melted away some of his doubts about her, and when she kissed him, he couldn’t help but kiss her back, his fingers sinking into her hair as she shifted to straddle him. By the time he managed to break away from their kiss, his breathing was heavy and his head was spinning. “I missed you, Harper.”
