Lila

Dane said this night was going to be hard for him, but from her perspective, he was doing just fine.

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From the moment they'd arrived there'd been a constant stream of women floating around them—first as they walked through the halls of the Museum to the ballroom, then around their table and now…

Now she had to watch him politely agree to dance with woman after woman who could barely keep her claws out of his skin.

When the sixth woman in less than an hour tittered an overly fake laugh and put her hand on his arm, begging him to take pity on her and sweep her around the floor, Lila almost left.

If the others hadn't been there, if she hadn't been forced to clutch her wineglass and fake a smile for the sake of the others, she would have gone.

At least Dane got to escape their scrutiny.

Lila sighed and tried to distract herself by examining the gorgeous architecture of the museum building, it's high, high ceilings, ornate moldings, and carved pillars that circled the room. But she couldn't stop turning to stare at the dance floor, looking for Dane.

Chris hovered at her left elbow making quips about the other patrons that were at least amusing. She thought it was odd how closely he'd stood all night—then it occurred to her he'd probably been set on her like a guard dog by Dane. She wasn't sure whether to be flattered or annoyed.

Dane certainly wasn't forced to sit around like a wallflower.

To her right, Tish stood looking remarkably pretty. Though she was already a little loose from the wine. Lila wondered if this was how she usually dealt with her anxiety.

The team—nine of them in total—stood and sat around the white-covered table they'd been given that sat ten. Which had conveniently left a chair empty next to Dane that gave all these women opportunities to come speak with him and tempt him onto the dance floor.

He'd caught her eye a couple times, which was reassuring. But Lila's tension was rising. They'd only been here an hour. Was this what the night held?

"You need to relax. We're supposed to be having fun, remember?" Chris said without moving his lips.

She blinked. "Sorry. I'm a little distracted."

Chris snorted. "You'll need to become a better actor if you want to keep up with this crowd," he said dryly, then nodded towards Dane out on the dancefloor. "Do you know he hates dancing?"

She turned to look at Chris, examine him for the lie. "He's barely stepped off the floor since we arrived."

"Because he knows that by making all these women happy, they'll give more money—and say better things about us."

She looked back at the floor where Dane was smiling down at a tall brunette with a gorgeous waterfall of dark hair rippling down the very low back of her gown.

"What you don't understand," she quipped back, "is that I'm pretending I hate to dance. So really, I'm doing a better job, I think."

Chris chuckled. "Very good."

They stood there for another moment, the strains of the live string instruments playing a gentle waltz not nearly as soothing as they should have been in Lila's estimation.

"Would you like a break from pretending, then?" Chris said suddenly, turning to her.

She raised her eyebrows. "How?"

He held out a hand. "Dance with me," he said with an easy smile. "Once the dogs catch your scent, they'll be flocking. Then at least you'll get to do something you enjoy tonight."

She almost choked as the near-identical reference to dogs that Dane had made in the car. But one glance out onto the floor where Dane was sweeping the woman into a gliding turn had her raising her chin and putting her shoulders back. "Why not?" she said and took Chris's hand.

At least she knew he was safe.

Not as tall as Dane, but broader, Chris was surprisingly graceful. He led her into the crowd on the dance floor and pulled her into his arms without hesitation, immediately turning to sweep her along the floor.

One hand on his shoulder, the other in his hand, Lila was forced to turn her head and scan the couples around them, or stare right at Chris's throat. Much as she tried to ignore the fact that Dane was out here, she couldn't help but search each couple as they passed, wondering if she'd catch sight of him.

"Looking for anyone in particular?" Chris murmured at one point.

Lila shrugged and covered quickly. "There's a couple journalists I'd like to bug tonight, but I'm not seeing them. Do they mix as part of the attendees, or—"

"Not usually. A couple would actually have been invited as guests, but most are here for work. They'll just circulate through the tables, taking pictures and getting comments. You'd probably be best to wait until they descend on our table. They will eventually."

Lila nodded like she was taking the advice, then turned to look up at Chris and smiled. "Thank you for dancing with me. I do enjoy it. You're very good."

"You know what they say about dancing," he said suggestively, quirking up one eyebrow. "Just in case you ever find yourself at a loose end."

Lila snorted. "I'll keep that in mind."

Chris chuckled. "You've done great, you know. Dane isn't an easy man to tame."

She blinked and held her smile, praying it still looked natural. "I'd hardly say I've tamed him, he's just—"

"He's gone through one of the most stressful weeks of the company's existence, and only blown his top a couple times. That's a new record," Chris said, then pulled her into a turn and forced her to concentrate until they were moving in a straight line again.

"I'd say that's as much about the team as a whole than—"

"But Chris dropped his eyes to hers and gave her a flat look. "I said I'd give you a chance to stop pretending, Lila. It's okay. I'm grateful. He needs a… stabilizing influence."

She giggled nervously. "He's just like any bully," she said finally. "He just needs someone to stand up to him, then he calms down."

Chris barked a laugh. "I think you were greeted on your first day with his usual response to being stood up to, Lila. Stop being modest. Your help has been invaluable these past months. I knew I did the right thing hiring you."

Lila felt her cheeks warm. "Well… thank you. That's very high praise. I'm humbled."

"If he ever drives you to actual insanity, let me know. I'd be happy to step in." Then he looked at her again, and Lila couldn't quite decipher whether he was speaking professionally or personally.

And that made her very, very nervous.

The music slowed and concluded then. Lila was glad when she could nod her thanks and let go of Chris's hand and turn for their table.

He walked very close to her all the way back.

The music started again before they'd even reached the table, and Lila sighed. Dane wasn't at the table. So either the brunette had kept a hold of him for another dance, or he'd been caught by someone else on his way back.

Unsettled by Chris's scrutiny and words, and unwilling to torture herself watching Dane tough and laugh with other women, she excused herself to go find another drink.