His lips curled into a slight smirk. “You sure are.” He looked at Ellie, lust flickering in his eyes. “And you didn’t come alone.”
I responded by pulling her closer, my arm possessive around her waist, as if guarding what was mine.
Viktor’s smile held. He was too experienced to push further or make any snarky comments. The man, though in his mid-sixties, had one problem: his unhealthy obsession with beautiful women. That’s why his wife left him three years ago.
If I hadn’t marked Ellie and kept a straight face, he would’ve already been flirting with her.
He cleared his throat, shifting his gaze back to me. “We should, uh…we should talk before the end of the week.” He paused slightly as he combed his fingers through his silver hair. “Regarding the port district proposal.”
“I’ll have my assistant schedule a time convenient for the both of us.”
“I’d appreciate that.” He shot her a quick glance, the third in the last minute. The man couldn’t keep his eyes on me alone.“Enjoy the rest of the evening.” He nodded, already backing away. “Lovely to see you both.”
Ellie responded with a wide grin. He did the same, then turned and left.
“He seems nice,” she said to me.
I hesitated, taking a sip out of my glass. “Predators always are.”
She paused, her eyes pinned on me. “Karik, huh?”
I looked at her, and a flutter rose in my chest. No wonder Viktor couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was absolutely gorgeous. Why did her beauty seem to have been enhanced over the past few minutes?
“I thought your name would move mountains or something.” She lifted her glass to her lips, took a small sip, and continued watching the room.
The next hour fell into the rhythm these evenings always did: a controlled rotation of conversations. Some I tolerated. Some I needed to have. And some, I just ended.
She stayed at my side throughout it, absorbing everything. When Dominic Frey, the city planning commissioner, talked about infrastructure, her lips parted as if she had something to add. But in the end, she kept her thoughts to herself.
Deep down, a part of me wanted to hear what she had to say. However, that was a topic for some other time.
She didn’t speak unless addressed, and when addressed, her response was brief and straightforward. Her diplomacy and ability to know exactly how much to give and how much to hold back were rather remarkable.
This wasn’t something they taught in university classrooms. Where did she learn it?
While I was speaking with Senator Albert Ross and Winona Marsh, Ellie turned slightly toward the railing. She was watching the floor below as she cradled the glass in her hand.
The senator received a call and excused himself, leaving only Winona and me. The fifty-year-old brunette, dressed in an elegant gown and an expensive fur coat, had her eyes on Ellie.
“She’s beautiful,” Winona said, stealing a glance at me. “And very smart too,” she added, “I don’t recognize her.”
“Most people don’t,” I replied.
“Is she yours?”
The question landed like a heavy rock on my chest, and I didn’t respond right away. I sipped my champagne, watching as she faced the railing, one hand resting on the polished steel.
Something about her stirred a strange feeling in me. Was it the way the red gown fit her body perfectly, revealing her curves? Was it the pearl at her throat or the way her brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders?
“She’s with me tonight,” I answered, finally finding my voice.
Winona looked at me and said, “That’s not what I asked.”
“No.” I sipped from my glass, my tone low but dismissive. “It’s not.”
She made a sound that was almost amused.
“Something funny?” I looked at her.
