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By the time I get through security and into the elevators, I’m sweating through my light blue blouse. Because of course I justhadto wear silk today. Another great decision.
I’m on a freaking roll.
And since I am not allowed to catch a break today, the elevator makes eleven slow stops before it finally hits my floor. “Excuse me!” I gasp, shoving my way out of the elevator and racing down the corridor towards my desk.
Maybe he won’t notice?
Ha. Right.
I’m not at my desk three seconds before the doors of Ruslan’s office open. He stands in the threshold, his gaze directed squarely at me.
“Ms. Carson.” He sounds pissed. “My office. Now.”
He leaves the door open and disappears inside. A steady stream ofFuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckplays in my head as I follow him inside and shut the door.
I start talking before I’m even at his desk. “I amsosorry. I know I’ve said it before, but thiswill nothappen again and—”
He holds up a hand and I fall silent in the face of that very large, very intimidating, very callused, very, very capable palm.
“Was there an emergency of some sort?”
“Um… no. Not exactly.”
“An accident?”
“No.”
“Are you hurt in any way?”
“No.”
This little interrogation is not helping my sweat glands calm down.
“What about the kids?”
“Safe and in school.”
He nods. “Then I’d like your explanation as to why you’re one hour and twenty-seven minutes late.”
I take a deep breath and barrel ahead. “I thought I put my phone on the charger last night, but the plug fell out because the wall thingie is broken loose. So it died on me while I was asleep and my alarm didn’t go off. By the time Josh woke me up, Ben was gone, so I had to get the kids to school first, which made me miss my train. So I caught the second train into the city which was delayed by seven minutes due to some ‘technical difficulties,’ because of course it was.” I am very aware of the fact that I’m ranting now, but I can’t seem to stop myself. “And then I nearly took down an old lady as I ran to the building. And of course, there were, like, a hundred people in the elevator on the way up here. Do you know how slow that elevator is? Can someone look into that? And why is it always so crowded? You would think that a building with so many elevators wouldn’t have a crowding issue, but well, anyway…” I glance up at him and notice that raised brow. “Um… here I am.”
I’m winded by the time I finish. And now, I’m definitely sweating through my shirt.
Ruslan is silent, staring at me with that inscrutable expression of his.
“I really am sorry, Mr. Oryolov. I promise you, it won’t—”
“Sit down.”
He doesn’t leave me a lot of room to decline. I plonk myself down on a chair and wait for him to fire me.
But instead of reading me the Riot Act, Ruslan just walks across the office toward the door I came through.
My knee starts jumping as I stare unseeingly at the view in front of me. He’s gonna fire me. Or worse, he’s gonna bend me over the desk, make me forget all about being late, andthenfire me, just to make that pink slip even pinker.
Would he really do that? After everything we’ve been through?
Of course, “everything we’ve been through” in this case just means a lot of sex. An insane amount of sex, if I’m being honest. Which may not be as significant to him as it has been for me.
