Only You (Sweet Torment 2)

“Well, would you enjoy a dance, Miss Levine?” Colin asked. I gave my polite smile, ready to decline, when Colin finished with, “Or I could stand here and chat with Harris about Davis Shipping stock.”

That wasn’t good. Colin was out to play hardball, and while I had no effect on Harris and his stock portfolio decisions, keeping Leo’s competition away from a major stockholder was smart.

“Thank you, Mr. Davis, I’d like that.”

I excused myself from Harris, and Colin took me to the dance floor.

“I see you know who I am,” he said, catching that I’d called him Mr. Davis instead of Colin.

“Yes, sir, I do.”

He smiled. “I like that. Being known by a woman like you makes a man’s night a bit brighter.”

I gave a tight nod and glanced around. I saw Leo off to the left talking with a few men. He was animated when he spoke. Fiery and flashing that megawatt smile. He looked excited about what he was saying and, in return, the men were engaged and excited with him. Of course, Leo was that way, easily able to get you onboard with what he wanted. My skin flushed thinking of just how good he was at bringing out that emotion in me.

Leo glanced away momentarily from the group and caught my eye. He stalled, his shoulders instantly bristling, and his bright eyes turned darker. I offered a slight smile in acknowledgment, but he didn’t return it. He went back to speaking with the group, and those baby blues skated my direction every so often.

“I must say that when I heard you talking about stock portfolios with a major player on Wall Street, I was curious to meet you,” Colin said, snapping my attention back on him. Thank God Colin hadn’t noticed my rising unease that the minimal information I’d learned about stocks and Savas Shipping was running low. His hand on my lower back tightened a little. “That’s pretty bold.”

“Just doing my job, sir.”

“Well, you seem thorough. Savas is lucky to have you. Tell me”—he spun in the other direction when my gaze met Leo’s again, cutting me off from being able to look at him anymore—“What would a man have to do to lure you away?”

I kept my expression as still as possible, not particularly liking the way he phrased that. It reminded me of Bill. Colin’s interest in me, professionally, was something I should keep in mind for the future. But my loyalty lay with Leo and Savas Shipping, because what I should do and how I felt were two different things.

Security and options were a good thing to have since my employment and living situation were based on a ticking clock. Details Colin didn’t need.

It would be a bad play to let on that my job with Leo was temporary. At least for now, all Colin knew was that I worked for Savas. He didn’t need to know I had a deadline. I was playing the long game with a temporary situation.

“I like working for Mr. Savas,” I said. The truth was always best, but spinning was better. Say what you need to say so that you aren’t caught in a lie, but present the best possible side.

“I’m sure you do,” Colin said and I caught the slightly sarcastic tone in his words.

I lifted my chin and looked him dead in the eye. “Shipping is a complex process and being a part of the inner workings of such a company is challenging. Challenging is where I excel. So yes, I like my job at Savas Shipping and like what I’m learning even more.”

He nodded, hopefully getting the hint that I was purely professional and could turn that tone right around.

“Of course, Miss Levine. I have already seen with our brief encounter just how good you are . . . at your job.”

The song ended and I was happy to be done with this conversation. I was dancing around a spot—literally—I couldn’t win. And if there was one thing I’d learned in all my years working with politicians it was: If it didn’t look like you were getting traction to win, find a new path to ensure victory.

“Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Davis.”

He smiled. “The pleasure was all mine, Miss Levine.” I turned to walk away but he grabbed my hand and coaxed me back to face him. “If you ever find your job with Savas unfulfilling, make sure to keep me in mind. I could use a good exec assistant on my team.”

I nodded once. While it was an opportunity, it made my stomach hurt. Mostly because I recognized Colin as a man I couldn’t trust completely. Granted, we’d just met, but over the years I’d learned to trust my instincts. If I got a bad feeling about someone, it usually led down the path of mistrust. I was pretty certain I knew what kind of man Colin was because I had worked for a man just like him for years. All I could hope was there would be more options when the time came.

“You looked graceful out there,” Harris said and handed me a glass of champagne.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Tell me, is there anything you can’t do?” The older man smiled with a light in his eyes that wasn’t the same as Colin’s. Harris was sweet. Kind. And enjoyed talking shop. He also smelled like cigars and mints, and his trim white hair and matching mustache made his rosy cheeks glow like Santa’s. My kind of man.

“I see you’ve met Paige Levine, my new executive assistant,” Leo said, resting his palm on the small of my back.

“Indeed. She was just reminding me that Savas Shipping is doing spectacularly! I want to get on your books for a meeting to discuss some future endeavors together.”

Leo glanced at me, first with a bit of shock, then he winked. “Sounds great.” When Harris got sidetracked and began talking to a man next to him, Leo leaned in. “Did you enjoy your dance?”