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“I am.”

He closes the distance with a couple of long strides, and in no time at all, his burly body is pressed against mine. His hands cup my face, and his lips bear down on mine. I eagerly return his kiss, already feeling a sweet warmth spreading down my back. Short of breath, I gently push him away. We gaze at each other in a breathless silence, our eyes shining.

His intensity drives me crazy. His chiseled jawline. His steely gaze. His unruly hair. His Greek-god physique.

I’m obsessed with him.

“First Katarina, then you… Are you all trying to drive me insane?”

He lets out a humorless laugh.

“How are things going with her?” he asks as he perches on the edge of my desk and watches me turn off my computer.

“Ugh, I’m dying to tell her exactly what I think of her,” I gripe. “She must be gloating to herself, thinking she’s manipulating us so easily and that we’re stupid enough not to suspect a thing!”

“Easy, Alma.”

“How do you manage to stay so calm?”

“Her time will come. We need to be patient.”

He pulls me to him and wraps his beefy arms around me again.

“Vadim, doesn’t all this drive you crazy?”

“I have my moments, believe me. I often feel like punching holes through the walls when I think about the Monkovs. But I’ve decided I won’t be their victim. I won’t let them destroy me.”

“Want me to lend you mine?” I hold out my tiny, pathetic fists.

“Certainly not. I want you to stay in one piece,” he murmurs, placing my hands against his chest.

We remain motionless for a long moment, our eyes locked on each other, lulled by the silence that fills the deserted offices.

“By the way, have you made a decision about your assistant?” I ask suddenly.

“Zoey Thompson. She’s the most interesting of the three shortlisted candidates. Sofia agrees with me.”

I was rooting for the other candidate.

“Lise was more qualified.”

“Lise was boring.”

“Zoey showed up late.”

“That happens to us all, doesn’t it?”

“She made you laugh a few times…”

Vadim gives me an amused, knowing look. A slightly teasing one.

I pull away from his embrace and go back to tidying my things. It’s not Zoey Thompson herself that bothered me. It’s the connection I sensed between her and Vadim.

“Alma Lancaster, are you jealous?”

“I’m just saying Lise was more competent.”

“And she’ll find a position elsewhere, no problem.”