Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 41

With that, he applied a fraction more pressure, prying her fingers from the doorknob before spinning her around.

Hazel Garrison was flipped to face the heavy wooden door, her back pressed flush against him.

His hands remained locked onto her shoulders, trapping her completely.

She could feel the radiating heat of his chest through the thin fabric of her clothes, his warm breath ghosting over the crown of her head.

Her heart hammered so violently she thought she might lose her mind. Marcus Thornton lowered his head, leaning dangerously close to her ear.

Hazel clamped her eyes shut, every muscle in her body rejecting the proximity. "You can't!"

Her voice was breathless, tinged with genuine panic. "Mr. Thornton, I'm married!"

Even if Julian Hayes had zero moral compass, she refused to stoop to his level.

The moment the words left her mouth, a low, rumbling chuckle sounded from behind her.

Then, the punishing grip on her shoulders vanished. Marcus took a deliberate step back. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked down at her, the corners of his mouth curling upward. Amusement danced in his predatory gaze as he spoke in a slow, calculated drawl.

"Since you have such high moral standards, I won't make things difficult for you."

With that, he turned, walked over to the sofa, and picked up his dress shirt.

Hazel leaned back against the solid door, her chest heaving as she gasped for air.

She stared at his broad back, watching him leisurely button his shirt as if nothing had just happened.

How could he be so completely unfazed?

Other than Julian, Hazel had never been with another man. She was hopelessly inexperienced in these matters, which was why she always felt so incredibly flustered around Marcus.

She slowly slid down the door until she was crouching on the floor, burying her flushed face in her knees. Her heart was still racing; she had genuinely thought she was going to lose her dignity today.

The man standing before her was far too dangerous. Unless absolutely necessary, she vowed never to cross paths with him again.

A few minutes later, Marcus finished getting dressed. He adjusted his cuffs, turned around, and raised a brow at her.

"Not leaving?"

Hazel quickly scrambled to her feet, took a deep breath, yanked the door open, and practically fled the room.

She shook her head, deciding it was best not to meddle in affairs above her paygrade, and turned back toward the main banquet hall.

From the opposite direction, Julian Hayes and Evelyn Vance were walking out.

Evelyn had her arm looped through Julian's, laughing brightly as she chatted with the people around them. Julian was looking down at her, his gaze so incredibly tender it was as if he were admiring a priceless treasure.

Hazel's footsteps faltered. A sharp, suffocating ache pierced her chest. Why couldn't he ever look at her like that?

She let out a shaky breath and forced herself to look away. Whatever. They were getting divorced anyway.

Just as she was about to leave, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Marcus.

"Head home for tonight. We'll reschedule."

Staring at the screen, Hazel let out a massive sigh of relief.

She quickly typed back, "Understood, Mr. Thornton," tucked her phone away, and headed straight for the exit.

As she walked past Julian and Evelyn, she didn't so much as glance in their direction.