I don't know why but his words caused my eyes to burn like they were going to fill with tears. I knew there was some truth to what he was saying. I wasn't the easiest woman in the world to get along with, but I didn't think that it was something I needed to change. I didn't believe I needed to be a different person in order to win a man, instead I needed to be myself and find a man who would accept me like that.
There must have been a change in my expression because his face softened and his hand reached up to cup my cheek. "I'm man enough for the job, Andi, if you let me try."
"Maybe that's what scares me," I said out loud even though I had only wanted to think it.
"Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who is scared shitless." Before I could say anymore, his lips were on mine and pretty soon we were stumbling out of the kitchen into his couch, our clothes falling in our wake.
After that, dinner went very well.
The next morning, as I got ready for work in my room at home, I was still scared about what was happening between me and Noah, and yet excited too. I didn't know what the future held for us and I suspected it would be a roller coaster ride. But I was ready to strap in and go wherever it led.
I was just getting ready to walk out the door to head to the office, when Margaret called and told me that she would be working at home so that Noah would be able to have access to her computer. I was disappointed that I would need to be working out at her place, but then again, I wasn't sure how I could work alongside Noah and not want to jump him. Granted, I’d done it for three years, but during those three years we had never acted on those urges. Now that we had let them loose, it didn't seem like something that we could put back in the box, so to speak.
It was nice to be back into my old routine with Margaret. Every day was different and there was always something to do, which was one of the reasons I enjoyed my job. I was never bored and I always felt like I was making a difference. Along with that, I was able to work for a woman I could watch and learn from. When she retired and I had to find a new job or maybe even start my own business, I had the mentorship from a powerful woman to help me guide my way.
In midafternoon, though, I began to run out of steam. I blamed it on the jet lag and tried to fight my way through it with copious amounts of coffee, but Margaret noticed and took pity on me, sending me home.
When I arrived home, the day was warm and as I walked into my house, I realized it was still a bit stuffy from being locked up while I was gone. I opened the windows, and I left my front door open with the screen door shut and locked.
I was about to text Noah to tell him that I was home in case he wanted to stop by for a nap with me, when there was a knock on the door frame.
I walked out into the living room and standing on the other side of the screen door was Marcus Chen. My stomach rolled and fear gripped me although I couldn't say why. He’d never been threatening to me, and yet, Noah had concerns about that.
"Marcus, what are you doing here?" I moved toward the door but didn't plan to let him in.
"I have a proposition for you Andi."
I arched my brow. "I thought my leaving made it clear I wasn't interested in your proposition."
He looked down at the closed door and then up at me again. "Why don't you let me in, and we can discuss this further. Surely by now you know that what I told you was true."
Was he still going to try and turn me against Noah? "No. Everything you said was a lie."
Marcus tsked and shook his head. "You're blinded by your lust and maybe your greed. I promise you Andi, I can offer you more than he can." He jiggled the door of the screen and it popped unlocked. He surprised me by stepping into my house, keeping his arms out wide, like he was approaching a skittish cat, which wasn't far from the truth. "I'm not here to hurt you Andi. I meant what I said. You're a tremendous asset to Strong Incorporated and now that I'm going to be a significant part of the business, I want you by my side."
I stepped back, putting a chair between me and him and trying to figure out where I left my cell phone in case I needed to call for help.
"You seem confident in your
takeover of Strong Incorporated," I said, trying to nonchalantly scan my home for where I set my purse.
"Oh, I'm quite confident, thanks to Noah."
I wished he'd stop saying that. "Noah has nothing to do with this." I decided to keep the fact that Noah's brothers were working behind the scenes to stop Marcus to myself.
Marcus tilted his head and looked at me at pity. "He's done a number on you, hasn’t he? Well, soon enough, you will know the truth. When your beloved Margaret Strong turns on you, along with all the Strong brothers, you'll know that what I'm telling you is the truth."
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Marcus shook his head. "As we speak. Noah is uncovering proof that you are part of the hack. Of course, we know that's not true, but Noah is planting evidence against you. Why do you think he showed an interest in you? He’s not a man to fall for a woman, and yet he’s been wooing you for weeks, all as part of the plan."
In that moment, my heart dropped.
29
Noah
It was a good thing that Andi wasn't in the office that morning because I knew I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off her, and I had important work to do. For the majority of the morning, I worked in solitude in my grandmother's office and while I would've appreciated an interruption from Andi, the more I worked the closer I came to uncovering how Marcus was able to get into our system. I had narrowed down all the emails from the timeframe that the malware could've surreptitiously been sent in an email. I investigated the obvious emails which had attachments up to them, as well as those in which the virus may have been attached without the recipient knowing.