wanted you to know I'm here in case you need me. Be careful."
"You told me that already." Her glance floated over him and a smiled curled across her lips. "You clean up very nicely."
He chuckled, looking around like she'd embarrassed him. "So do you."
"I..uh..better get back."
It was now 9:30 and the ballroom was finally comfortably filled. The orchestra was luring couples onto the dance floor with soft melodies from movie scores. Olivia could see Samantha already entertaining several men and that Lucy had taken up a position at the sign-in table. Tyson was speaking with someone, whose back was to her. Tyson caught her eye and motioned her over. She knew then, the man with his back to her was Matasuki. Her heart was pounding so loudly, it seemed to drown out everything else.
" You can do this, get a grip Olivia. What was is it Aunt Loralie always says? ‘Make them believe you've been doing this for years. They won't believe, if you don't.’ Head up, it's show time." She smiled, it was a good start to getting to the confident place she needed to be.
"Mr. Matasuki, may I present Olivia Grayson. She'll be handling your account. Olivia this is Isamu Matasuki."
Olivia waited for him to offer his hand and then took it. She'd seen his pictures, but he looked even better in person, a cross between Jett and Bruce Lee. His black hair was slicked back, and his smoldering dark eyes never left hers. A gentlemen? She knew better. He was more a charming wolf in an Armani tux.
"So good to finally meet you." He shook her hand and then looked back to Tyson.
"I wasn't expecting someone so young."
Olivia pulled her hand away. Judgment, already?
Tyson's smiled disarmingly. "Miss Grayson is one of our brightest colleagues. I assure you, if I didn't believe in her, unequivocally, she wouldn't have been assigned to your account."
"Mr. Matasuki, how good to see you again." They all heard. Olivia turned and gasped, causing all three men to look to her. It was the man from the restaurant, the man she'd had amazing sex with in the parking garage and his apartment.
"Have you two met?" Tyson wondered.
"No, no not formally," the man admitted.
"Olivia, this is Adam Stein, head of Stein Brothers."
Olivia's knees nearly failed her as she just barely caught the groan that threatened to leave her mouth, but she stood tall and shook his hand as if it was their first meeting. He smiled broadly.
"Very nice to meet you...Olivia. I'm sure we'll encounter each other often." He let her hand slip from his, turning his attention to Matasuki. "I look forward to our meetings next week, Isamu."
Matasuki nodded. "It should be a very interesting week. I, too, am looking forward to it."
Adam's smile faded. "Tyson, Olivia." His aloof, but polite and somewhat amused acknowledgments made, he walked away.
Olivia was mortified, but she'd done nothing wrong. Of course she certainly wouldn't have done what she did had she known he was Adam Stein . It made her wonder if he'd known all along who she was. She swallowed. Time to go to work.
Focusing on Matasuki, she bowed her head just slightly."Can I persuade you to dance with me, Mr. Matasuki?"
"Please call me Isamu."
"It means courage, I believe." He smiled in response to her comment and she smiled back.
Without turning to Tyson he said, "You're right Tyson, she's very smart. I'd love to dance with you Olivia Grayson."
Brian observed from across the room. Noting the location of Matasuki's three body guards, he casually crossed the room, discreetly taking pictures of them with the miniature camera on his lapel as he walked by. As he worked the remote for the shutter he smiled to himself. He was a sucker for gadgetry and had to admit part of the allure of the security profession was the fabulous array of gadgetry available for surveillance work.
Tyson cursed Stein under his breath before continuing his hosting duties. As he moved from group to group, greeting colleagues, friends and acquaintances,
"You told me that already." Her glance floated over him and a smiled curled across her lips. "You clean up very nicely."
He chuckled, looking around like she'd embarrassed him. "So do you."
"I..uh..better get back."
It was now 9:30 and the ballroom was finally comfortably filled. The orchestra was luring couples onto the dance floor with soft melodies from movie scores. Olivia could see Samantha already entertaining several men and that Lucy had taken up a position at the sign-in table. Tyson was speaking with someone, whose back was to her. Tyson caught her eye and motioned her over. She knew then, the man with his back to her was Matasuki. Her heart was pounding so loudly, it seemed to drown out everything else.
" You can do this, get a grip Olivia. What was is it Aunt Loralie always says? ‘Make them believe you've been doing this for years. They won't believe, if you don't.’ Head up, it's show time." She smiled, it was a good start to getting to the confident place she needed to be.
"Mr. Matasuki, may I present Olivia Grayson. She'll be handling your account. Olivia this is Isamu Matasuki."
Olivia waited for him to offer his hand and then took it. She'd seen his pictures, but he looked even better in person, a cross between Jett and Bruce Lee. His black hair was slicked back, and his smoldering dark eyes never left hers. A gentlemen? She knew better. He was more a charming wolf in an Armani tux.
"So good to finally meet you." He shook her hand and then looked back to Tyson.
"I wasn't expecting someone so young."
Olivia pulled her hand away. Judgment, already?
Tyson's smiled disarmingly. "Miss Grayson is one of our brightest colleagues. I assure you, if I didn't believe in her, unequivocally, she wouldn't have been assigned to your account."
"Mr. Matasuki, how good to see you again." They all heard. Olivia turned and gasped, causing all three men to look to her. It was the man from the restaurant, the man she'd had amazing sex with in the parking garage and his apartment.
"Have you two met?" Tyson wondered.
"No, no not formally," the man admitted.
"Olivia, this is Adam Stein, head of Stein Brothers."
Olivia's knees nearly failed her as she just barely caught the groan that threatened to leave her mouth, but she stood tall and shook his hand as if it was their first meeting. He smiled broadly.
"Very nice to meet you...Olivia. I'm sure we'll encounter each other often." He let her hand slip from his, turning his attention to Matasuki. "I look forward to our meetings next week, Isamu."
Matasuki nodded. "It should be a very interesting week. I, too, am looking forward to it."
Adam's smile faded. "Tyson, Olivia." His aloof, but polite and somewhat amused acknowledgments made, he walked away.
Olivia was mortified, but she'd done nothing wrong. Of course she certainly wouldn't have done what she did had she known he was Adam Stein . It made her wonder if he'd known all along who she was. She swallowed. Time to go to work.
Focusing on Matasuki, she bowed her head just slightly."Can I persuade you to dance with me, Mr. Matasuki?"
"Please call me Isamu."
"It means courage, I believe." He smiled in response to her comment and she smiled back.
Without turning to Tyson he said, "You're right Tyson, she's very smart. I'd love to dance with you Olivia Grayson."
Brian observed from across the room. Noting the location of Matasuki's three body guards, he casually crossed the room, discreetly taking pictures of them with the miniature camera on his lapel as he walked by. As he worked the remote for the shutter he smiled to himself. He was a sucker for gadgetry and had to admit part of the allure of the security profession was the fabulous array of gadgetry available for surveillance work.
Tyson cursed Stein under his breath before continuing his hosting duties. As he moved from group to group, greeting colleagues, friends and acquaintances,
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