“Yeah, that part surprised me. Obviously, I’m not accepting any of them.”
Dizzie gave her a knowing smile. “Of course not. You’ve got Mr. Lind. You don’t need anyone else.”
“Aleks has nothing to do with it,” Portia protested. “I’m their boss! I can’t date an employee. The power differential—it’s too much.”
“Aleksisn’t your employee, so it works out perfectly.” Dizzie smirked at her.
“Dizzie!” Portia ground her teeth and practically sat on her hands to keep from strangling her. If this was what she had missed for all those years—teasing from an obnoxious sibling—well, that was fine with her.
“Just admit it, Portia. You like him. And he likes you too. I saw the way he looked at you.”
“Fine, maybe I do like him. But he works for the Solveig Consortium and they’re gunning for us. It couldn’t possibly work.” Though wouldn’t it be nice to have more than stolen moments?
“But—”
“Dizzie,” Killian broke in. “I think Portia’s had enough of this conversation.”
“Yes, it’s getting late,” Portia said. “Thank you for the invitation. I didn’t expect dinner and a show.”
With a soft smile, she excused herself for the evening and left to settle the bills.
Chapter44
Aleks approachedthe doorman at Portia’s apartment carefully. He’d walked from the hotel, taking a circuitous route in case the Solveigs had sent anyone after him. He hadn’t noticed any tails—or drones—but there was no way to be 100 percent sure. Especially since Mrs. Solveig had been livid at him.
If she somehow learned he’d come here... Well, he wasn’t actually sure what the Solveigs would do. Somedays, he thought his life would be so much easier if they fired him. Or if he quit.
But it was hard to leave years of service and loyalty behind with the snap of a finger.
The doorman caught sight of Aleks and looked him up and down. Aleks tried not to squirm under the scrutiny. “Mr. Lind?” the doorman asked.
Aleks blinked, surprised to hear his name. “Yes,” he said slowly.
“Ms. Tremaine has asked me to escort you to her elevator. Please follow me.”
“Thank you...” He leaned close enough to read the man’s name tag. “Thank you, Sam.”
The doorman accepted his thanks with a perfunctory nod. Aleks felt like he was being judged, but he had no idea why.
He followed the older man through the lobby. There were two banks of elevators on either side of the room. A small seating area sat between them and a desk—for visitors, he assumed—stood near the doors.
They stopped in front of one set of elevators and Sam pressed his badge against the reader. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
“No, thank you.” Aleks placed one foot into the elevator then stopped. “Actually, Sam, Ms. Tremaine had an unwelcome visitor the other day. Do you know how that happened?”
The man’s lips pinched. “Her father, yes. She told me about it. I have no idea how he gained entrance, but if I see him again, well, it will be the last time.”
It amused Aleks to imagine the older man confronting Phillip Tremaine, but Aleks didn’t want to insult him by laughing. “You didn’t help him?”
Sam drew himself up to his full height. “No, sir, I did not. I wouldn’t do a thing to hurt that sweet girl.”
Hearing Portia called asweet girlbrought a smile to Aleks’s face. “Thank you, Sam. I’m sure she appreciates it.”
The door was nearly closed when it stopped again. Aleks looked down. Sam’s foot blocked the doors. “Don’t you dare hurt her, Mr. Lind. That girl has been through enough. Losing Mr. Gilmore wounded her deeply. She doesn’t need you coming along and breaking her heart too.”
Aleks wanted to argue that he would never hurt her, but that wasn’t a sentiment that he’d ever share with a perfect stranger. “Thank you for worrying about her, Sam.”
This time, the elevator doors closed like they were supposed to. While the elevator whisked him up to Portia’s penthouse, he considered the interaction.
