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She remained silent, and I was forced to admit it wasn’t a big deal. I got back on the phone and told the guard to send me a picture of him. A second later, a photo of Oleg looking irritated popped up on my phone. “Let him through,” I said, my stomach sinking.
“Oh God,” Evelina groaned softly.
My sentiments exactly. Only Leo kept eating his dessert as if nothing was wrong because his conscience was clean. I only hoped I didn’t exude guilt from every pore when I interacted with my old friend for the first time after sleeping with his daughter.
She seemed to sense what I was thinking and got up, tossing her napkin onto the table with more force than necessary. “I’ll be in my office,” she said, storming out.
Leo gave me an arch look around a big bite of apple cake. All I could do was shake my head at him. And get ready for the beating of a lifetime.
***
Oleg Morozov arrived with his own bodyguard and enough luggage to signal a long visit. After he hugged Leo and was informed that Evelina was working, he greeted me with a warm clap on the back.
“I can’t thank you enough for snatching this boy of mine from the jaws of death and keeping Evelina safe all this time. She must have been a real handful.”
Leo snorted, and I suppressed a sigh. “It’s no problem, Oleg. I think of them as my own.”
Another snort from Leo made my stomach drop. There was no way he didn’t spill everything to his father. It was probably the real reason he got him here. I waited for my punishment for toying with Evelina’s heart, but Leo only said he’d show Oleg to his room.
“Ah yes, I need a short rest after that long flight and all that driving. We’ll catch up later over the good vodka I brought from home, eh, Mikhail?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
All I could do was act like everything was normal until it wasn’t. With nothing left to do but wait for the consequences of my actions, I went to help Evelina as I had been every evening.
I paused in the doorway of her office, finding her standing up and leaning over her desk, her fingers flying over the keyboard. I had seen her do this a couple times before. When she was just about to crack into a new camera system or solve a complex problem, her chair couldn’t contain her.
She didn’t seem to notice me, so I watched her work for a moment. I was enamored by every facet of her, especially this drive she had. If things were different, I’d massage her shoulders. They always got so tense when she was that deep in concentration. But things were how they were, and I stayed put.
She finally squealed and looked up, her shining eyes focusing on me. Hurrying around the desk, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the computer. “I’m in,” she said, dancing in place. “I finally cracked the final layer. Everything the Novikoffs own is mine. Total access, Mikhail.”
Seeing her delighted made me happy, though I selfishly wished I was making her smile like that.
“I knew you’d get there,” I said.
She flung her arms around me, vibrating with infectious excitement. I swung her around in a circle just to celebrate. This was what we’d been working for since I got her computers back for her. Well, she had been working for it. I was no better than a trained monkey sorting through piles of paper, but I felt a small part of her pride.
The feel of her against me had me reeling, and I couldn’t let go. She didn’t let go either, even when I set her feet back on the floor. I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation of her body sliding down mine. She still didn’t let go, and I looked down to see her gazing up at me with parted lips.
“You’re amazing,” I said. “Brilliant and talented and gorgeous.”
The next thing I knew, we were locked in an embrace, tongues tangling. Her leg slid up to wrap around my hip, and I gripped her behind to bring her even closer.
“What in the name of all that’s holy is this?”
The furious shout made us jump apart. Evelina sucked in a breath, and I turned to face my best friend, who looked like he was about to pounce and tear me apart.
“What have I just seen?” he demanded; face so red it was closer to purple.
“Calm down,” Evelina said, holding out her hands.
“Be quiet,” he snapped, his glare centered only on me. I opened my mouth and shut it again. What was there to say?
He threw himself forward, covering the short distance with his hands outstretched like he wanted to throttle me. We’d gone after mutual enemies together, and I’d still never seen him so full of rage.
“Papa, stop,” Evelina shouted, jumping in between us. I swiftly pushed her out of the way so she didn’t suffer collateral damage that would only make Oleg angrier. “Papa, don’t do this. It’s not what you think. I love him!”
My head swiveled around, taking my eyes off the stalking beast. What did she just say? It didn’t matter because Oleg’s fist smashed into my face.
