The way he says your services makes something tighten low in my stomach.
“Yes, of course. What do you need?”
“Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes.”
He hangs up before I can reply.
We’re going out.
For a brief second, my heart skips. Is he…?
No. Not yet, anyway.
I don’t waste another moment.
I toss what I might need into my bag and rush to the bathroom to touch up my lipstick, ignoring Lavender, the trainee in the cubicle next to mine.
Seven minutes later, I’m in the lobby, standing in front of the elevators when the middle one opens.
Colin steps out, and everything about him feels purposeful. The stride, the posture, the effortless authority. There’s something predatory in his composure, and beside him, it’s impossible not to feel like prey.
“Let’s go,” he says. Not a question, but a command, motioning for me to follow.
“Can I ask where we’re going, or is it a secret?” I try to sound playful, though I know he can hear the truth under the tease. That I want it to be a secret.Our secret.
“Didn’t you want to know what it’s like to be at the top?” he asks, one brow lifting. “I thought I’d give you a little glimpse today.”
And he does.
He shows me far more than he intended to.
We spend the day in meetings. I take notes, follow every instruction Colin gives—just as he briefed me on the way to the first one—and pay attention to everything.
It doesn’t take long to realize that everyone he meets today belongs to that rare circle of people who shape industries. The kind whose fortunes turn the economy itself.
But no matter how much money these men have in their accounts, when it comes to power, none of them touch Colin.
In every room, he stands apart. It’s the kind of presence you feel as tangibly as heat, like a flame pulling every moth in its orbit.
I see it in the way women’s eyes trail after him, in the way men square their shoulders or grip his hand a little too firmly. Each one trying to level themselves with him, none succeeding.
And the whole time, he looks utterly unfazed. For him, power seems as natural as breathing.
“Wow, the way he looked at you when you said you’d walk if the counteroffer wasn’t ready by the deadline.” I laugh, shaking my head. “I thought he was going to faint right there.”
Of course, they’d never risk it. They all know the weight Montgomery Clifford & Co.carries, and Colin’s name with it.
It’s past two, and we’re back in his car. The light turns red. He grips the wheel with one hand, the other resting casually on his thigh. I curl my fingers into fists in my lap, fighting the ridiculous urge to reach out, to trace my finger along the back of his hand.
Without looking at me, he says, “My time is worth more than money. It’s about respect, about knowing your place.” Then he glances over, his eyes briefly catching mine. “People will always treat you the way you allow them to.”
I swallow hard.I’d let you treat me however you wanted.
I turn to the window, pretending to admire the passing storefronts when I spot the familiar sign.
“Oh, I love that coffee shop,” I say, brightening my tone. “Do you mind if we stop? You wouldn’t even have to get out… I can grab something for both of us.”
He studies me for a moment, considering. Then, softly, he says, “No trouble at all. You did good today. You deserve a treat.”
