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Our lips meet in a soft, almost absentminded kiss goodbye. I can tell something is definitely amiss. She pulls away too quickly, and her gaze shifts from mine as if she’s mentally miles away.
I want to ask her where she went, but I stop myself. If she’s trying to put some distance between us again, it’s probably for the best. My probing into her thoughts and emotions will only further contradict the parameters I very carefully have laid down in our relationship from the start.
That doesn’t make it any easier to watch her car whisk her away.
Releasing a growl of frustration, I head straight to my car, my guards following me wordlessly.
My morning doesn’t improve when I arrive at the office. As I step out of the elevator, I’m greeted by the sight of my brothers already occupying my office, the door open to indicate they’re waiting for me to begin.
“Sorry I’m late,” I state, straightening my suit jacket uncomfortably.
It’s the same one I had on yesterday evening, but it doesn’t look too rumpled, and I only wore it for a few hours. But that doesn’t stop me from feeling slightly like I’m doing an uncommon version of a walk of shame.
Dimitri and Alexei greet me with knowing smirks and raised eyebrows.
“Did hell freeze over? You’re never the last one in the office,” Dimitri observes drily.
“Ha-ha,” I respond humorlessly, shrugging out of my jacket and folding it neatly over the back of my chair. “I might have gotten a little carried away celebrating Aleksandr’s most recent loss.”
“I’ll say,” Alexei pipes in, though the glint in his eye tells me he’s not talking about Aleksandr. “You must have gone all out with your newest fuck toy. You still smell like her perfume. Didn’t you have time to take a shower?”
I glare daggers at him as I slump into my chair, then scrub my face with my palms.
“Can we just get this meeting over with?” I growl. Their teasing grates on my already frayed nerves, making my tone gruff.
“Sure thing, Boss,” Dimitri says, and I just catch the amused look he shares with Alexei before continuing. “We don’t have much to go over, seeing as our big deal just closed yesterday and we don’t have much more in the lineup for this month’s acquisitions.”
I nod.
“My men kept a close eye on Aleksandr after the closing yesterday. Sounds like he had his own... bender last night. One with less sex and a lot more violence, I guess,” Alexei adds. “He’s on the move a lot right now, though. We might just find our window of opportunity.”
My eyes flash to Alexei’s as a spike of anticipation lances through me.
He knows how much I want the man dead. We all do for one reason or another. And it’s been years of trying to get to him, but Aleksandr keeps a tight contingent of guards around him at all times, so it’s been nearly impossible to find that window of opportunity Alexei’s talking about. We share a moment of loaded silence.
Finally, Dimitri shrugs. “That’s all we have. And considering your contribution would be closing on the Bay View—which we were all present for—I think we can consider the meeting adjourned.”
“Good,” I agree, and I watch as my brothers rise and exit as one.
Alexei closes the door behind them, and in the silence of my office, I take a deep breath, trying to focus on my day ahead. But as I look over the list of potential acquisitions Dimitri wants to put on my radar, my mind keeps drifting back to the night I shared with Heidi.
The memory of her laughter over dinner, the warmth of her eyes as we talked and joked, the feel of her soft, beautiful body snuggled close to mine, it all haunts me. I broke all the rules, and now I’m paying for it. The weight of my feelings for her presses down on me, and as loath as I am to admit it, I need to break it off with her. I can’t let this spiral any further out of control.
Despite my best efforts, I find myself staring at my phone, contemplating sending her a message, ending this before it gets even messier. But as my finger hovers over theSendbutton, I hesitate, thinking of all the things I enjoy about spending time with Heidi. Breaking it off with her is easier said than done.
Frustrated, I toss my phone aside and turn my attention back to work, determined to put her from my mind.
Time passes slowly, but I refuse to lift my head—until finally, my phone vibrates, pulling me from my restless thoughts. My first thought is that it might be from Heidi, and I immediately quash the idea, furious that I almost wish she'd decided to text me first.
I’ve always been the one to instigate our nights together, and that’s how it should be. I shouldn’t want her to bother me at work.
Still, when I check the text, it’s from an unknown number. My disappointment only lasts a moment, though, as I open the photo someone sent me. In it, Aleksandr Volkov stands with Heidi, both of them smiling as he’s taking the selfie. Her company’s logo, Turner Interior Design, is visible in the background.
Lookwho I had the pleasure of meeting today,the words accompanying the picture say.Looks like your girlfriend and I are going to hit it off just fine. I wonder if I might not be able to work out my own little agreement with her... unless you’d care to weigh in on the matter.
I clench my jaw,trying to contain the storm of emotions brewing inside me.How did Aleksandr find out about her? What might he do with the information?My mind races, and I feel a knot forming in my chest.
I can’t let Heidi get caught up in our crossfire. Not like Symphony. Never again.
