What?

Casey snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh, oh sorry, sorry Cassie, what?"

"What has got you so distracted? Never mind, that can wait. Tobias has got that person here he wanted us to meet now."

"Uh, okay, sure… wait, he? I thought you said..." Casey didn't finish her sentence before she was pulled through a mob of people celebrating the holidays. She had been excited about meeting this important client all week, and now all she could think about was that man, the one who had made her feel like dinner, and not in a good way. She paused, realizing that Cassie had finally halted, and the room was no longer flashing past her eyes quickly.

Great! Time to meet this evasive company "he," she thought reluctantly. All effort at her normal smooth, schmoozing self deflated and flew out the window.

"There is Tobias, now go do your businessy thing; I will be over here playing with the pretty boys." Cassie gave her a wink and a kitty cat growl, then stumbled away, giggling. Casey rolled her eyes and then proceeded to push her way through the crowd of swarming people. In an effort to be polite, she found herself ushering out a bunch of apologies as she pushed through the last crowd of people surrounding Tobias and his mystery guest.

She changed her mind to the elusive guest of honor. She had met almost everyone in the company at this point. She was sure she had to have been introduced to them at least once. Tobias wouldn't have kept anyone from her. She didn't think.

Casey stood waiting for a chance to get into the line of people who were trying to talk to Tobias. She watched as he shook another person's hand, a large smile plastered on his face. A crinkle between his browline hinted that he had gotten enough of the handshakes an hour ago and was looking for a way out. She smiled and shoved her way to the front of the line, glaring back at those who felt they could glare at her.

"Tobias, there you are. I have been looking for you all night. I have some urgent business that cannot be held up. Can you come look over some sheets with me?"

Tobias's face lit up with relief, and a real grin appeared on his face.

"Sorry fellows, this dashing young lady would like me to look over some work data. Yes, what a spoilsport to the party, but I will only be a bit."

With a polite nod and a simple gesture, Tobias had everyone turn away to relay the message to those in the group who had not heard it firsthand.

Once the announcement had reached the farthest corners of the group and the group waiting for Tobias's approval, dissipated out of the way, mingling back into the original crowd enjoying the party.

Casey watched them leave with slight amusement and a small bit of relief. She turned back to Tobias and gave him a devilishly satisfied smile. He looked at her for a moment, then chortled lightly, his face lighting up and giving him an air of youth.

"Oh, you devil of a woman, you enjoyed that almost as much as I did. Now did you actually have business for me, or was that just too good an opportunity to spoil everyone else's party?" he smiled at her, the humor twinkling in his eyes.

"Why, just to spoil everyone else's party, of course!" she said, then giggled as Tobias let out a bit of a chuckle, and she noticed that along with his high baritone, there was another lower laugh that joined with his. She stopped and actually viewed her surroundings with interest this time.

Tobias stepped slightly to the left, and as he did, the man with the maddeningly green eyes and the elusive air stood behind Tobias with an air of slight indifference. His eyes, though, regarded her with humor as if he thought the very idea of her was a joke.

She straightened up under his appraisal, feeling slightly erotic but also as if she were a delicacy he was devouring bit by bit at the same time. She shuddered, and his face turned to stone again. How could a man like that make her feel so disgusting and feverishly lustful at the same time? An unexplainable hunger she wasn't sure was her imagination and the alcohol or the actual personality of the strange man.

She shook her head slightly and attempted to scrub the loaded look out of her mind. Tobias, just look over at Tobias.