Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

SPENCER

I sat at the table where I used to always get coffee with Graham and the guys. Over the months, that routine had slowly changed. We still managed to get together sometimes, but not as often as we used to. I sipped my coffee and scanned the crowded lobby with other early birds. I did a little people-watching.

Some were reading newspapers or scrolling through their phones, others were chatting with friends or coworkers. I noticed a couple holding hands and sharing a quiet conversation, a mother struggling to wrangle her children, and a man in a suit typing furiously on his laptop. My eyes lingered on each individual before moving on to the next, observing their body language and expressions.

I didn't feel like I was being a weird stalker. This was part of my job. I was the guy that had to get to know people to understand how to market to them. I had to be a bit of a peeping tom to understand what people liked. I had to know what made them tick.

After finishing my coffee, I got to my feet and tossed it in the trash before making my way to the elevator.

It was Monday morning, and I was the first to arrive at the office. At least I thought I was. As the elevator doors opened, I spotted Kyla talking to a guy in his mid-thirties in the reception area. I wasn't surprised to see her. She tended to be one of the first to arrive most days. I casually approached, taking in the man she was talking to. The guy wore a ball cap and jeans, not our typical client. Something felt off. I hovered nearby just in case she needed something. I thought it might be a delivery driver or courier. Kyla was an attractive woman, and it wasn't much of a surprise to see her getting hit on.

But Kyla seemed uncomfortable. Her body language was standoffish. Every time the guy moved closer, she backed up, strategically keeping the reception desk between them.

"Kyla, how's it going?" I asked casually.

The guy turned around, and I realized I knew him. It was Dakota Cross. Uneasiness settled in my gut. I knew there was some serious bad blood between the Graylan family and Dakota. His presence here couldn't be good. I was certain Marlow wasn't in the office yet. At least I hoped she wasn't.

"What are you doing here, Dakota?" I asked.

"I'm here to speak with Marlow," he said, his tone sharp. "But her fucking receptionist thinks she's a security guard."

"Assistant," I corrected.

"And she doesn't want to talk to you," Kyla shot back defiantly.

Kyla was a damn good security guard and a better friend. Marlow was lucky to have the woman in her corner. Kyla would tackle Dakota before she let him get near Marlow.

"She's my ex-wife, Kyla. And she's been blocking me at every turn. I need to talk to her. You don't understand. You can't stop me from seeing her."

Kyla scoffed. "What part of ex do you not understand? She doesn't owe you a thing."

"What do you want with Marlow?" I asked, my voice low and threatening.

Dakota crossed his arms, an arrogant smirk on his face. "I'm trying to talk to my wife."

"Right, your ex -wife," I corrected.

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, man. You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know that this is my office and you can't come in here causing a ruckus, disrupting business. You need to go." I nodded toward the elevators. "Leave and figure out another way to try and talk to her. If she doesn't want to talk to you, you won't be allowed back while she's here."

Dakota looked incredulous. "Listen, man, I know you have to do what you have to do, but this is personal, okay? Marlow owes me a conversation, and it's her fault I had to show up here. If she'd just unblock me, we could?—"

"That's none of my business. Now I asked you nicely to get out," I said, leveling him with a glare.

The tension amped up as we stood facing each other. I casually moved to stand in front of Kyla. I didn't really know Dakota anymore, but he had always rubbed me the wrong way. The guy was full of himself and always talked trash about everyone else behind their backs.

Dakota and I were never friends in Stone Ridge. We crossed paths every now and then but that was about it. Knowing what I knew now about Dakota, I didn't want the guy sniffing around Marlow, trying to manipulate her into taking pity on him. Besides, I wasn't kidding about him disrupting business. She was a professional and didn't need her dirty laundry dragged into the workplace.

"Why are you being such a prick?" Dakota asked.

I took a deep breath so I didn't knock his teeth out. "I think Marlow would talk to you if she wanted to," I told him. "Maybe you don't know her as well as you think. The very last thing she would want is this. She takes her job seriously and doesn't need her personal life put on blast like this. This is not going to make her more inclined to talk to you. It's just going to push her further away."

Dakota's eyes narrowed, and then something in him sharpened to a razor's edge. I saw the shift. We went from cool to tense to pissed. I found myself loosening my shoulders, my knees slightly bent and shifting my weight to the balls of my feet in anticipation of things getting physical.

"I get it now," he breathed. "You're fucking her, aren't you?"

The accusation was wild. And it would have been wilder if it wasn't true. Kyla gasped, but I had a feeling she suspected the truth as well.

"Don't be a child," I growled. "And don't you have somewhere else to be? Like a job or something?"

Dakota's eyes narrowed, flashing with jealousy and fury. He was just guessing. I knew there was no way he could actually know I had found heaven on Marlow's desk with her.

"You are," he spat before curling his lips with disgust. "You're fucking her. I should've known. She's got you wrapped around her finger, huh? Playing the role of her protector. Sounds like Marlow, all right. She knows how to work men. Trust me, I should know. She got me to marry her."

"If only she could get you to go away," Kyla said sourly.

Dakota ignored her and glared at me, his eyes never once leaving mine. I saw the challenge there. He wanted me to do something, to give him a reason to hit me. I wasn't going to swing first, but if he started it, I would gladly end it.

I took a step toward him. "Do I need to call security or should I drag your pathetic ass out of here myself?"

I braced myself for the punch but it never came. He just started chuckling. "You're already in over your head. You don't know Marlow like I do."

He turned and walked out, muttering under his breath. As I suspected, he was a coward used to intimidating other people, but when push came to shove, he tucked tail and ran. Guys like him were only brave when they were pushing a woman around. Maybe I should have hit him anyway.

But Marlow wouldn't have wanted that. It would just make this whole situation more complicated, and it would confirm his suspicions about my feelings for her.

I watched him step into the elevator and waited for the doors to close before I relaxed.

"Are you okay?" I asked Kyla as she sat down, looking a bit shaky.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine. It's just that man, he never gives up."

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Dakota has been harassing Marlow for months. She's asked him countless times to leave her alone. She blocked his number on her phone. He found out she was working here and has been calling here as well, but she doesn't take his calls. Reception has been instructed to stop sending him through."

"What does he want?" I asked with real concern.

I had no idea she was being harassed and I didn't like it. I automatically felt protective.

"At first, he called about petty little things related to the divorce." She sighed as we started to walk toward the inner office where her desk was. "Then he called when she went on a date with a guy for the first time after the divorce was official, wanting to know if she screwed him and went home with him. Then he called because he needed someone's phone number. He just won't let her go, and it's escalating. He calls daily."

I didn't like the sound of that. "Does Rhett know about this?"

Kyla shook her head. "I don't think so. Marlow didn't want to worry him, especially with everything he's going through. But I don't know if they've talked about it."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Thanks for telling me, Kyla. I'll handle it from here."

"She won't be happy to have you or anyone else privy to this situation," she said. "She's really embarrassed by the whole thing."

"She has nothing to be embarrassed about," I replied. "She's not doing this—he is. Her only mistake was trusting someone who turned out to be an asshole."

"I know, but she prides herself on having her life together," Kyla said. "She's proud of what she's built. She never talks about Dakota or the divorce."

"She doesn't have to," I added. "She doesn't need to tell anyone about her personal life."

Kyla nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's true. But it's tough to watch Marlow go through this alone. She's in such an awkward position with her brother still friends with Dakota. She doesn't want her parents to know that he's bothering her. She thought he would eventually go away, but I guess that strategy isn't working."

"Is he dangerous?" I asked bluntly.

"No. I don't think so. He's just annoying. Please don't tell anyone he was here. That would mortify her."

I understood where Kyla was coming from, which left me in an awkward position. On one hand, I wanted to respect Marlow's privacy and her pride. On the other hand, the thought of her being harassed by Dakota infuriated me and triggered my protective instinct.

"I need you to promise me something, Kyla," I said with my voice deadly serious. "If anything like this happens again, you need to tell me immediately. I'll deal with it in a way that doesn't compromise Marlow's privacy or her pride. But I want to know if he shows up here or calls."

"I promise. But please, be careful. I don't want this to get out of hand. Don't go all macho on her. She's very independent and likes to feel like she can take care of herself."

"I'll do everything in my power to ensure that," I replied, though there was an unsaid understanding between us that things might spiral beyond our control.

"I'm not going to tell her he came by," Kyla said.

I cocked my head to the side. "How many of these incidents have you not told her about?"

She grimaced. "A few?"

"A few?" I repeated. "Is this a habit?"

"Yes," she sighed. "But I really don't want her to worry. It doesn't solve anything. She's focused on impressing you guys."

"Kyla, she knows she's impressed us," I said. "Her ex-husband isn't going to change our minds about how effective she is."

"True," Kyla said. "But how she's treated at work matters to her. Marlow doesn't want to be seen as a damsel in distress. She wants to be recognized for her strength and ability."

"Marlow's worth is not defined by the actions of her shitty ex," I said with vehemence. "And it's our job to make sure she knows and believes that."

Kyla studied me for a moment before nodding, her gaze serious. "Agreed," she said firmly.

"I'll handle Dakota," I assured her again. I had no idea what shape that would take yet, but I was determined to find a solution that would keep Marlow safe without compromising her dignity or revealing her private struggles. She didn't have to put up with him harassing her. If Rhett wasn't going to handle the situation, I would. If nothing else, I could keep him from showing up at the office to bother her.

"But remember," she added before walking away, "Marlow is not just some project to be fixed. She is capable and strong, in spite of all that she's been through."

"Trust me, I know," I assured her.

I couldn't concentrate on work after that. The concern for Marlow gnawed at me. I knew I had to talk to her, but I didn't want to do it over the phone. I needed to see her in person.

And maybe hold her in my arms again.