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Mr. Banks leaned back to look at him, and his lips lifted into a smirk. “There’s a room in the back.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to.”
Mr. Banks’s hands didn’t stop moving, but his expression changed. “You do not say no to a man like me, Martha. Do you understand?”
I pushed his hands away and stood up. “I know what I’m doing.”
Mr. Banks stood up and folded his arms over his chest. “Maybe you don’t have what it takes—”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was pulled back. He stumbled before righting himself and spun around to face his assailant. Albin released the back of Mr. Bank’s neck before he drew himself up to his full height. He towered over Mr. Banks, who looked small and frail by comparison. Yet, Mr. Banks did not flinch and instead glanced between the two of us and scoffed.
“I should’ve known you were a liar.”
Albin took a step forward and barred his teeth. “I’d suggest you leave before I tell everyone at this banquet what you tried to do.”
Mr. Bank’s expression hardened. “No one will believe you. She’s just an assistant.”
“I saw everything,” Albin told him coldly. “And if you don’t leave, you’ll have to answer to me.”
Mr. Banks took a step back. “It was all just a misunderstanding. She wanted me to—”
Albin held a hand up. “Don’t tell me that she wanted you to do those things because even from across the room, I could see that she didn’t. Get out before I drag you out and make sure everyone knows why.”
“And stay the hell away from Martha,” Albin called out to his retreating back as Mr. Banks scurried away without a backward glance. Once he disappeared, my knees gave out, and Albin caught me before I hit the floor. He eased me onto the couch and sat down next to me, our knees touching.
“Are you okay?”
I twisted to face him and nodded. “Thank you.”
Albin shrugged. “I didn’t do anything.”
I placed my hand on top of his and squeezed. “You did everything. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t intervened.”
And I hated the thought that Mr. Banks had been able to intimidate me by dangling my career over my head. One wrong move and I would’ve ended up leaving the party in tears, my career up in flames. At least with Albin there, I didn’t have to worry about Mr. Banks waiting for me outside to finish what he started.
Why did I have the ability to attract such awful men?
Albin draped an arm over my shoulders and tucked me into his side. “I don’t want you to worry about him or your job. I’ll get everything sorted out.”
I lifted my head to look at him. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You don’t have to.”
Chapter 13
Albin
We sat in silence, with her head tucked into my side and the floral smell of her wafting up my nostrils. Reluctantly, I stood up, held my hand out to her, and waited. She looked up at me, her bright eyes full of emotion.
“Let’s get out of here and go somewhere a bit more quiet,” I suggested with a small smile. “Or I can take you home if you want.”
Martha stood up and took my hand. “I don’t want to go home yet.”
I laced my fingers through hers and brought them to my lips for a kiss. “Good, because I don’t want you to go home yet, either.”
With that, I drew her to me and held her against me.
She placed her head above the hammering of my heart, and my free hand fell to her waist. Slowly, I drew back to look at her, saw the vulnerable look on her face, and pressed my lips to hers. Martha made a low shuddering noise, grabbed a fistful of my shirt, and pulled me closer.
