Page 78 of Power

My heart expanded in my throat.

“And,” Marcus continued, “there’s something else I learned from that meeting.”

“Well, I can’t wait to hear this.” I raised my chin, trying to pretend I wasn’t mentally scrolling through self-defense YouTube tutorials I’d watched at two a.m. “Is it that your cologne makes you smell like you bathe in discount aftershave?”

“Jace likes you.”

“I’m a very competent employee. Most leaders I work with appreciate my competence. And theyrespectme,” I added, hoping the insult landed like a slap.

“You know I’m Jace’s best friend.”

“Strange. Because I thought Blake was one of his best friends, and I’ve never heard him mention you.” I scrunched my nose. “Like, ever.”

Marcus raised his eyebrows. “You know his other friends?”

“I want to give you one last opportunity to tell me what the hell you want before I start screaming loud enough that all my neighbors will call 911. Oh, and Johnny over there?” I nodded to a door. “Keeps a baseball bat behind his front door.” Lies. There was no Johnny, no bat.

“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?” He smirked, taking yet another step closer. The way his filthy eyes raked over my body made me want to power-wash my skin.

“So, you’re here to, what, intimidate me into silence? By threatening to assault me again? Because that worked out so well the first time.”

“Who’s threatening?”

“Get to the point. What. Do. You. Want?”

He cocked his head, studying me as he licked his lower lip in what I assumed he thought was seductive but actually resembled a lizard with food stuck in its teeth.

“Jace is obviously trying to figure out who ‘harassed’ you,” Marcus said, using air quotes around the wordharassedlike sexual assault was some made-up concept, right up there with unicorns and men who put the toilet seat down.

“Is that so? What, pray tell, makes you think that?”

“He didn’t ask anyone else in the company to present to him today, so I knew it meant something. And when all of yourmalesuperiors were in the room, but not the female one, I suspected what he was up to.” His voice dripped with smug satisfaction. “I know him. Any last shred of doubt evaporated when you walked in and Jace’s entire demeanor changed. He was like a shark circling for blood, trying to figure out who it was.” He leaned closer. “But here’s the very interesting part: I did some due diligence, and as it turns out, there’s no complaint on file. So, how is it that the owner of the company is aware of some supposed sexual harassment that was never even reported?”

His eyes flickered to the mark on my cheek, the one that looked similar to Jace’s injury.

“That’s a whole hell of a lot of hypothesizing,” I said. “Maybe I’m just the first victim of your harassment who didn’t go along with it, so you’re becoming completely paranoid, reading into everything. Or, shocking thought, maybe you should keep your hands to yourself and your conspiracy theories in your pocket, right next to your apparently nonexistent moral compass.”

“I know my friend.”

“Then talk tohimabout your theories. And get out of my apartment complex before I call the police and tell HR in the morning about your failed intimidation tactic. I’ll make sure to mention the stalking. Very professional touch, by the way.”

“It’s quite puzzling, isn’t it? That Jace Lockwood knows about the harassment, but HR doesn’t?”

“That he supposedly knows, according to you,” I clarified.

“And based on how angry he seemed in that meeting, he cares about youalot.”

“Any owner would be displeased if he suspected sexual harassment in his company. It’s called being a decent human being. You might want to Google the concept.”

He shook his head. “I know my friend. Those weren’t business emotions.”

Crap. The no-fraternization policy flashed through my head. While Jace was the owner and CEO, he also had a board of directors to report to. The last thing I wanted was to get him in trouble. Not after what we’d experienced together and not after he’d protected me from my father.

“Jace and I are not dating, if that’s what you’re implying. But thanks for the fan fiction. Very creative.”

“He obviously has feelings for you. Which creates quite a complication.”

“A complication,” I repeated. “Is that what we’re calling your inability to keep your hands to yourself now?”