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The little green light on my intercom flashes. Ruslan’s direct line.
It’s happening. Be cool.
I count to five Mississippis and pick up. “Yes, Mr. Oryolov?” It feels weird to call him anything else, regardless of the contract I’d just left on his desk.
“Push my three o’clock meeting to four.”
He hangs up immediately and I’m left with dead air. On the bright side? My pussy has finally stopped distracting me with its constant throbbing.
On the not-so-bright side?
I wore this lingerie for nothing.
10
EMMA
I’m texting Amelia, the kids’ absurdlyexpensive part-time nanny, to see if she’s willing to stay later if she needs to when Ruslan walks out of his office.
“Ms. Carson.”
I put my phone down and stand. “Yes, sir.”
“Dinner. 8:30.”
Panicking slightly, I glance at the schedule on the side of my desk. “You don’t have anything scheduled. Do you need me to make a—”
He sighs. “I’m askingyouout to dinner, Ms. Carson.”
“Oh.”
Oh!
He cocks one dark brow. “Are you free to join me or not?”
His tone suggests that he’s got plenty of other options if I turn him down. I twist my phone around and spy the text that I’ve just gotten from Amelia.That’s fine!It feels like my first real break today.
“Yes! Yes, I’m free.”
He nods. “Meet me downstairs in five minutes.”
The moment he disappears into the elevator, I throw files and papers, notepads and pens back into my desk drawer, grab my bag, and haul ass into the restroom.
I touch up my makeup and add another coat of seduction-red lipstick. I thank my lucky stars that I remembered to pack perfume, too. It’s down to its last few puffs, but I manage to apply a spritz onto the sides of my neck and the front of my wrists. Then I pop out the top button of my blouse, allowing just a peek of my bra and the cleavage it offers, before I head downstairs to meet Ruslan.
He’s already in the back of the monstrous black SUV parked right outside the Bane skyscraper. The door swings open on its own as I approach.
Ruslan is on his phone when I slide inside. He doesn’t acknowledge my presence apart from hitting the roof of the vehicle with the palm of his hand. As soon as he does, we whisk away from the curb.
I spend the next thirteen minutes shooting him furtive glances, wondering if I should break the silence. Spoiler alert: I don’t.
The SUV comes to a stop in front of a tall, thin building so white it shines.Eleven Madison Park. I’m pretty sure there’s a three-month waiting list to even set foot in the lobby here.
It’s just as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. We walk into a huge symmetrical room with double-height ceilings and a terrazzo floor with inlaid carpets. Hanging pendant lights illuminate the neutral color palette of the upholstered furniture, a mix of blue-grays and copper earth tones.
Everything about this place intimidates me. Including the leggy blonde in a little black dress who shows us to a private room in the back of the restaurant.
The door clicks shut behind the hostess and the hubbub of the general dining area dies away. Heat instantly spreads across my body.
