pened in the lobby. Eleanor pulled her arm from his grasp, retreating to the far corner

frame seeming to shrink the space. He loosened his tie with a slow, deliber

the show?" he asked, his voice laced with a dark, cutting irony. He knew.

efully schooled mask. "I don't kn

ted one hand on the wall beside her head, trapping her against the cold steel. "You let Amber swing. Yo

heat radiating from his chest, smell the crisp, li

idn't ask for your protection," she said, her voice dangerously steady, "but I used the only weapon

ated through her skin. "Now everyone on the executive floor

htly, meeting his gaze directly. There was no fear in her dark eyes, no submi

matter how close he got, no matter how much power he held over h

of her jaw-the same cheek Amber had tried to strike. H

ng just hard enough to hold her gaze. "I protected an asset today. Not y

," she replied, her voice dangero

es. She wasn't breaking. She wasn't yielding. She was si

out that," he

ing their arrival at the top

chin and walked out f

d into fists so tight her nails bit into her palms. Then she smoothed

and sat down. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, instantly diving back

stood by the floor-to-ceiling glas

roup's stock dropped another five points at closing. Their

turn. "Good. Keep

in routed to your private server. They contain detailed offshore accou

Verify. Don't act yet. I wan

Ms. Amber... her father

stared through, "if he wants his company to survive unti

pared to leave, but S

er

ir

onto Eleanor at her desk. She was bent over her screen,

silver cufflink back and forth. "Tell them to prepare a gown for Ms. Bal

ise crossing his face before he

glass wall. Her fingers never pa