joining in on on-going conversations or choosing to just listen, he was unable to keep his eyes from seeking out Olivia.
Isamu guided Olivia gracefully around the couples on the large dance floor. It was during that first circuit he'd decided no matter what happened with business, he was going have her.
Olivia smiled shyly when the music ended. He wasn't fooling her. He had the same look in his eye she'd see hundreds of times from men just like him. Most would be astonished to find their money and power meant nothing to her.
"That was lovely. If you'll excuse me, I need to check on a few things. I hope you'll check out the items for the silent auction. It's a very good cause after all."
He nodded. "I will," he promised as he walked with her. A lovely Asian woman intercepted them, Olivia recognized her from the photos, as the woman in the background. She was stunningly dressed in a floor-length black satin gown with an embroidered white dragon cascading down the entire front. Her waist-length hair was fastened low at the side of her head in a flowing ponytail. She stepped close to Matasuki and in a hushed voice spoke with him in Japanese. Olivia purposely slowed her retreat. She spoke Japanese and understood the words "It's done." distinctly. Of course Matasuki couldn’t have known she spoke and understood Japanese. Which language skills she had were one of the things she chose to keep off her resume; things she kept to herself. Everyone except her closest friends were on a 'need to know' basis. She continued walking away, without looking back, promising herself that if Matasuki had any part in Paul's disappearance he was going to pay.
Before she could get to the kitchen, Adam Stein was beside her.
"We need to talk."
"Really," she scoffed. "About what?"
He grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop. She looked around before pulling her arm sharply away from his grasp.
"I think you know."
"No, I'm sure I don't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to."
He guided her to a secluded alcove. "Are you, or are you not assigned to Matasuki's file?"
Olivia frowned. That wasn't at all what she expected to hear.
"I don't see why it's any of your business."
"It is if you slept with me because of 'said' business."
"Ha, you flatter yourself, Mr. Stein. I had no idea who you were, can you say the same?"
Stein looked around making sure no one was watching. "You...you think I knew who you were?"
She folded her arms over her chest and cocked her head to one side.
He rolled his eyes. "No, of course I didn't know. I never would have..."
Olivia cut him off. "Well, neither would I, so I think that's something we can both agree on. Good evening."
He watched as she grabbed her dress, raising her train so she wouldn't trip and left him standing there watching her, mouth agape. She had a habit of leaving him unexpectedly. His hands rose to his hips and he shook his head. If she thought for one minute that he needed her to get Matasuki to choose Stein, she was delusional, beautiful, but still...really? His thoughts drifted back to that night. She was amazing, she asked for what she wanted, knew exactly what he needed, damn it. He strode straight to the bar.
"Double bourbon neat, please." He leaned against the bar as it was poured and swigged some, the amber liquid burning the back of his throat for a moment.
"Wow, what's got you double drinking?"
"A woman, what else?" He glanced over to his partner and brother, Eric. "Did you say hello to Matasuki?"
"I did. He brushed me off. Did you have any better luck?"
"Just said hello, he was with Grant at the time."
"Dolby's no problem for us Adam. They haven't gotten a client we've been interested in for two years."
Adam stared straight at Olivia. She glanced over, obviously annoyed and turned away. "Yeah, well things may change this time." Eric followed his line of sight.
"Wow, she’s why you're drinking?" Adam nodded, still scowling. "Maybe you've finally met
Isamu guided Olivia gracefully around the couples on the large dance floor. It was during that first circuit he'd decided no matter what happened with business, he was going have her.
Olivia smiled shyly when the music ended. He wasn't fooling her. He had the same look in his eye she'd see hundreds of times from men just like him. Most would be astonished to find their money and power meant nothing to her.
"That was lovely. If you'll excuse me, I need to check on a few things. I hope you'll check out the items for the silent auction. It's a very good cause after all."
He nodded. "I will," he promised as he walked with her. A lovely Asian woman intercepted them, Olivia recognized her from the photos, as the woman in the background. She was stunningly dressed in a floor-length black satin gown with an embroidered white dragon cascading down the entire front. Her waist-length hair was fastened low at the side of her head in a flowing ponytail. She stepped close to Matasuki and in a hushed voice spoke with him in Japanese. Olivia purposely slowed her retreat. She spoke Japanese and understood the words "It's done." distinctly. Of course Matasuki couldn’t have known she spoke and understood Japanese. Which language skills she had were one of the things she chose to keep off her resume; things she kept to herself. Everyone except her closest friends were on a 'need to know' basis. She continued walking away, without looking back, promising herself that if Matasuki had any part in Paul's disappearance he was going to pay.
Before she could get to the kitchen, Adam Stein was beside her.
"We need to talk."
"Really," she scoffed. "About what?"
He grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop. She looked around before pulling her arm sharply away from his grasp.
"I think you know."
"No, I'm sure I don't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to."
He guided her to a secluded alcove. "Are you, or are you not assigned to Matasuki's file?"
Olivia frowned. That wasn't at all what she expected to hear.
"I don't see why it's any of your business."
"It is if you slept with me because of 'said' business."
"Ha, you flatter yourself, Mr. Stein. I had no idea who you were, can you say the same?"
Stein looked around making sure no one was watching. "You...you think I knew who you were?"
She folded her arms over her chest and cocked her head to one side.
He rolled his eyes. "No, of course I didn't know. I never would have..."
Olivia cut him off. "Well, neither would I, so I think that's something we can both agree on. Good evening."
He watched as she grabbed her dress, raising her train so she wouldn't trip and left him standing there watching her, mouth agape. She had a habit of leaving him unexpectedly. His hands rose to his hips and he shook his head. If she thought for one minute that he needed her to get Matasuki to choose Stein, she was delusional, beautiful, but still...really? His thoughts drifted back to that night. She was amazing, she asked for what she wanted, knew exactly what he needed, damn it. He strode straight to the bar.
"Double bourbon neat, please." He leaned against the bar as it was poured and swigged some, the amber liquid burning the back of his throat for a moment.
"Wow, what's got you double drinking?"
"A woman, what else?" He glanced over to his partner and brother, Eric. "Did you say hello to Matasuki?"
"I did. He brushed me off. Did you have any better luck?"
"Just said hello, he was with Grant at the time."
"Dolby's no problem for us Adam. They haven't gotten a client we've been interested in for two years."
Adam stared straight at Olivia. She glanced over, obviously annoyed and turned away. "Yeah, well things may change this time." Eric followed his line of sight.
"Wow, she’s why you're drinking?" Adam nodded, still scowling. "Maybe you've finally met
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