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The door creaked, snapping them back to the present, and they turned as one to find Nick Kringle standing there, arms folded across his chest. His gaze was unreadable, but something about the set of his jaw suggested a storm brewing on the horizon.
"Nick," Tanya began, stepping away from Vigo, her professional mask slipping back into place. "We were just?—"
"Discussing the prototype," Vigo finished with a nonchalance he didn't feel, his eyes locked on Nick's.
"Right." Nick's expression softened fractionally, a sign that maybe, just maybe, he understood more than he let on. "Well, don't let me interrupt the... 'prototype development.' I just came to deliver this paperwork for you two to sign."
"Paperwork?" Tanya and Vigo asked together.
"Nothing too invasive," Nick continued. "Just standard documentation, much like your brother did with his new girlfriend. And just like I did with my wife a year ago." A shadow of something—nostalgia?—flitted across his face but vanished just as quickly. "It's a disclosure agreement. The legalese is all about transparency and consent. We're an adult toy company, after all."
"Of course," said Vigo, reaching for the pen and paper. If that was all it took to have the right to kiss and touch and do even more to this woman, he would sign his soul away.
Thankfully, it looked like Tanya felt the same way. Just as soon as he finished scribbling his signature, she yanked the pen from his hand and added her own.
"Good," Nick said, a hint of warmth returning to his tone. "Now let's get back to business. You're both invaluable to this company, and frankly, Tanya, your tenacity is what makes you an excellent head of the Chicago office. Though you'll be needing more hands on deck."
Tanya gave a decisive nod. She might have let Vigo help her, but she was going to have to relinquish more control from her micromanaging ways. Vigo would dedicate his professional and private life to getting this woman to let go of the things she didn't need to hold so tightly to.
"You have to understand, cuz. Success breeds expansion. So get more people in here so you can grow."
With that, Nick stepped back, the door closing behind him with a soft click that seemed to seal their fates. Vigo exhaled slowly, feeling Tanya's grip on his hand tighten.
Tanya turned to him, her face slowly contorting into a grin. "So…"
"So…" Vigo took a deep breath.
"Hey," interjected Troy, "you two look like you're about to go at it. Just remember, this is my office, and I was about to debauch my scientist in here."
Maya's cheeks went pink, but she didn't contradict her boyfriend.
"Let's get back to the lab then," Tanya said, mustering the full force of her determination. "To making history, one satisfied customer at a time."
"History with a buzz," Vigo mused, following her lead as they stepped out of her brother's office. And not a moment too soon. The rhythmic thudding of a body being pounded into the desk could be heard a second after closing the door.
"I've been holding out on you," Vigo said as he kept pace with her stilettos clicking into the hardwood. "I have a few other prototypes that need...evaluating."
"Other prototypes?"
"Some things I've been tinkering with. At home." His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.
"You have a home lab?"
Vigo nodded.
"Is this an invitation to your inner sanctum?"
"Consider it a professional inquiry," he said with a playful tilt of his head. "Care to come over and give me your...expert opinion?"
She pretended to ponder, tapping a finger against her lips. "I suppose it would be irresponsible not to."
"Utterly," he agreed, a grin stretching across his face.
"Then I accept," Tanya declared, her smile reflecting his. "Lead the way, Ricci."
Vigo walked beside Tanya toward the exit, keenly aware of the subtle tension in the air between them. He could sense her anticipation, almost palpable, as they moved in sync. For him, the allure was not just in the prospects of their professional collaboration on new toys, but in the unexplored personal journey that lay ahead with her.
As a scientist, he was no stranger to navigating uncharted territories, yet this was different. The thrill of discovery in this new personal dimension with Tanya, the possibility of intertwining their personal and professional lives, presented an enticing challenge. It was a realm where control and precision, his usual companions, mingled with the unpredictable nature of feelings and relationships.
He glanced at Tanya, observing the way she moved with a confidence that had always captivated him. Now there was a hint of something more—a willingness to explore, to relinquish even more of her tightly held control to him. It humbled him, the idea of being with someone who was as strong-willed as he was yet open to the vulnerabilities of a personal connection.
As they reached the door, she allowed him to hold it open for her. But then she reached back and grabbed his hand, entwining his fingers with her own. Vigo realized that they were on the cusp of something new and potentially transformative. It wasn't just about the projects they would work on together or the partnership that extended beyond the confines of the office. It was the knowledge that every theory he tested from this day forward, every blueprint he drew, he'd have her at his side, at his back, and beneath him at some points too.
Tanya might be the one willing to cede control to him, but he had already surrendered his heart and mind to this strong and capable woman. Vigo knew with her he would never fail at anything.
* * *
