"Not me," he whispered and lowered his mouth to mine.
I rose on tiptoes to meet his seeking kiss. Winding my arms around his neck, I darted my tongue between his lips. He answered the invitation to deepen the kiss sifting his fingers through my hair and tilting my head back for better access.
Just as the kiss started to get really interesting, someone knocked at the door. Sasha leapt up from his spot on the rug and marched to the door to woof loudly. With an irritated groan, Yuri ended our kiss. He brushed his knuckles down my cheek. "Between that dog, the staff and our phones, we may never make love again."
Giggling, I patted his chest. "Maybe we should check into a hotel."
"At this point, I'm willing to buy us a hotel to get five minutes alone with you."
He said it jokingly but I could see him actually going through with such an outlandish thing. Trying to rein him in, I suggested, "How about a bed and breakfast?"
Yuri tossed back his head and laughed. Glad the money tension between us had dissipated, I reached for the door and discovered Feodor on the other side.
"Dinner is ready."
"We'll be right there."
I glanced back at Yuri. "Dinner?"
He strode to his desk and picked up the folder sitting there. "I thought you were telling a white lie earlier to get me alone in here. Who brought this?"
"Anna." I stepped aside so Sasha could escape the office. No doubt his dinner had been placed in his bowls too. "She said it was important but that you'd already left the office. She was on her way out of town, I guess."
He nodded. "I'm sending her to Europe to tamp down the environmental protests. They voted to give me permission to build but it's not playing so well in all the papers. She's going to help Jameson, the pipeline project VP, get the situation under control. After that, she's going to spend some time with a sick relative."
"Do you still think it's an inside job? The sabotage, I mean?"
"Yes." A frustrated sigh erupted from his lips. "I had my financial team vet our backers again and they swear everyone looks good. I hate to think someone who works for me is causing these problems but I'm starting to become very suspicious."
"I'm really sorry that all this crap with my family got dropped on your doorstep when you're trying to save this pipeline deal."
He waved his hand. "If the pipeline doesn't come off the way I want, I'll find a new way to make it work. We may have to change the route or come up with a better design, one that will placate the environmentalists, but I'm getting this pipeline built."
I raised an eyebrow. "Come hell or high water, huh?"
"Absolutely." He dropped the folder onto his desk and strode toward me. After pressing a kiss to my temple, he said, "But no more business talk for a while. Let's have dinner like two normal people and try to forget everything else going wrong in our lives."
I didn't know if it would be that simple to go an hour without thinking about my father's precarious situation, my dumb cousin's criminal blunder or my job prospects—but if any man could make me forget my troubles, it was Yuri.
* * *
Later that night, Yuri sat at his desk and finished up the last of his nightly correspondence. He'd been reading through the day's reports while enjoying a drink and the light notes of Scheherazade over the office's sound system.
Across the office, Lena lounged on the sofa and quietly tapped away at her laptop. She'd already had her evening bath and had changed into a tiny pair of striped shorts and a tank top. Though he'd wanted to join her in that bath, work had beckoned him. As much as he wanted to blow it off to spend an evening enjoying her supple curves and pleasured sighs, there were hundreds of employees who depended on him to maintain focus.
Soon, he promised himself, and picked up the next stack of paperwork that needed his attention.
The folder Anna had dropped by the house caught his eye. He shifted aside the geology reports from the newly proposed mine and picked up the folder. Inside, he found a thick stack of papers and a cover sheet with Lena's personal details and a quick synopsis of the contents of the dossier.
Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, he glanced at her but she remained none the wiser. His heartbeat kicked up a few notches as he quickly perused the file. She had a clean credit report and surprisingly high balances in her checking and savings accounts. He had a good idea of the salary she'd earned at the PR firm so he now understood just how frugal she truly was.
Her father's photographs from his driver's license and passport didn't show the hardened criminal he'd expected but a tall, lean, clean-cut Latino man in his fifties who could have easily passed as a white-collar type. The rap sheet attached to an older mug shot wasn't nearly as long as others he'd seen. Joe Cruz had nothing on Ivan or Nikolai.
"Yuri?"
He slammed the folder shut. Hoping he didn't look as guilty as he felt, he met her questioning gaze. "Yes?"
"What do you know about crisis management firms?"
Setting aside the folder, he chuckled softly. "That if I had one on retainer I wouldn't be dealing with this pipeline bullshit. Why do you ask?"
She closed her laptop and put it on the cushion next to her. "Ty Weston called me earlier, before you came home."
"Oh? And what did Houston's biggest mouth want?"
"To talk to me about going into business with him."
Yuri blinked a few times before his brain processed what she'd said. "You go into business with that gossip columnist?" He laughed harshly and put his metaphorical foot down. "I absolutely forbid it."
Now she was the one laughing and rolling her eyes. "Oh please. Like that works with me!"
"It does with Erin whenever Ivan says it," he grumbled.
"Well, I'm not Erin and I don't find the alpha caveman thing as hot as she does."
Ignoring her remark, he asked, "Why in the world would you want to go into business with a man who has a reputation like Ty Weston?"
She snorted. "Did you really just ask me that? You the billionaire playboy infamous for his high-profile, love 'em and leave 'em romances? You with an inner circle of friends that includes two felons and mob connections?"
He held up his hand. "All right. Point taken."
"Look," she rose from the couch and came toward his desk, "I haven't agreed to anything. We're meeting for lunch tomorrow to discuss his idea."
Walking around his desk, she leaned back against it and exposed those sexy legs of hers to his approving gaze. Running his hand down her thigh, he asked, "And what exactly is his idea?"
"He made the point that what I seem to do best is rescue businesses in trouble. Tai and Chuy's restaurants, Benny's bakery, 716, the restaurants and two clubs I worked with when I first started interning at the firm." She ticked off the locations on her fingers. "It's like my whole career has been built around that one area of expertise."
"That explains why you felt stagnant and bored in your old position." He let his fingertips drift down the smooth curve of her knee. "You only find excitement in being challenged and once the businesses are doing well your work is done. What does Ty plan to bring to the table?"
"I'm damn good at working social networks but Ty understands how scandals and crises play out in the media in ways I never will."
"Because he exploits them and uses them to for link bait to increase his page hits and drive advertising dollars into his bank account," Yuri retorted with some disgust.
Her eyes brightened. "I'm surprised you know the term link bait."
He dragged his fingers along the inside of her thigh, creeping right up to the first touch of cloth before stopping. "When I first became aware of you, I got to know you via your social media platform. You actually had a post that first day I started following you making fun of link baiting."
"Really?" She seemed oddly touched. "I can't believe you've been paying attention to me that long."
"I couldn't help myself. From the first moment you came into my view, I couldn't think of anyone else."
/> "Not even Tanya?"
He smiled at her catty tone and lifted her tank top a few inches, baring the sloping pane of her belly. "Tanya Who?"
She smacked his arm. "Nice save."
"Hardly," he whispered and leaned forward to press his lips to her naked skin. "I intend to have you here. On my desk," he added, in case she had any doubts. "Every time I sit here to wade through reports from my staff, I want to be inundated with the memories of you riding my cock."
As he snaked his hand under her shirt to cup her breast, she reached down and plucked an expertly hidden condom from the waistband of her shorts. With a mischievous grin, she tossed it onto his desk. "Take me."
He nipped at her navel. "I love a girl who is always prepared."
Giggling, she raked her fingers through his hair. The sensation of her short nails scratching at his scalp sent a tingling shiver down his spine. His cock throbbed to life. The memory of her soft lips wrapped around his cock last night made his balls ache and his groin tighten.
"You make me crazy." He grasped the waistband of her shorts and dragged them down her hips. She wore no panties and he appreciated it immensely. Dotting kisses alone her soft skin, he whispered, "I keep telling myself to go slow, to make love to you gently and take my time, but then I see you like this and I lose control."
Gripping his hair, she widened her stance and offered him access to the place he most wanted to visit. "I like it when you lose control. I like the way you make me feel."
Sliding to his knees, Yuri shoved his chair out of the way and nuzzled his face between her thighs. "Right now, I plan to make you feel very, very good."
He pushed her shorts all the way down her legs so she could kick them off. The moment the restricting fabric was out of his way, he grasped her thighs and shoved them apart. With one long lick, he swiped the seam of her sex. She inhaled sharply and then mewled like a kitten when his tongue probed her folds and found her clit.
She said his name on a low groan. "Yuri."
He loved to hear her enjoying his wicked ministrations. Unable to get enough of her, Yuri lashed her sweet cunt with his tongue. He alternated swirling movements with long, slow tugs of her clit. She gripped the lip of his desk so hard her knuckles had gone white.
When he penetrated her with one finger and then two, Lena cried out and pushed her pussy against his mouth. He attacked her swollen clit, determined to make her shatter and to hear her shouting his name. Thrusting his fingers in and out of her wet channel, he curved them just so and found that spot that made her knees wobble. Suckling her clit, he pushed her over the edge.
"Oh! Oh!" She came hard, her clit pulsing against his mouth as he continued to torment her. "Oh God. God!"
When she rose on tiptoes to escape his fluttering tongue, he decided to show some mercy and let her come down easily. She still panted and shuddered as he stood and spun her around to face his desk. Tangling his hands in her hair, he pressed his cheek to hers. "I'm going to fuck you now."
"Yes. Please. Fuck me, Yuri. Fuck me now."
He doubted she'd ever begged any man to take her. The heady knowledge that he affected her in ways no other man ever had left him reeling. He quickly freed his cock from his pants and rolled on the condom.
Enthralled by the sight of her wiggling ass, he swept his palm up and down the plump curves of her bottom. She spread her thighs even more and displayed that pink pussy that felt so damn good squeezing and enveloping him. Unable to delay a moment longer, he pressed the head of his cock against her entrance and slowly slipped inside her.
She moaned and pushed back encouragingly. "Yes."
Certain she wanted exactly what he desired, Yuri clasped her waist and began a hard, fast rhythm. She clawed at his desk, shoving papers and pens out of the way as he pounded into her from behind. The sexy sound of their bodies noisily meeting in the throes of passion echoed in the office. He could only hope that the classical strains of music flowing out of the speakers muted their coupling for the staff in the rest of the house.
Running his hands down her back, he leaned forward and kissed her neck and shoulders. She shivered and reached back to cup his hip. He picked up his pace and depth, taking her roughly and making her cry out with excitement. The desk vibrated beneath them. A stack of bound reports sitting on the corner of his desk rattled too close to the edge and fell to the hardwood planks with a noisy thwap.
Heat ripped through his lower belly as those first fluttering waves heralded his impending release. Biting back the need to come, he focused on Lena's needs and ignored his own. When her breaths hitched and grew more frantic, he reached for her hand and dragged it down to her side.
"Touch yourself," he growled urgently. "Make yourself come for me."
She whimpered but did exactly as commanded. Lifting her bottom, she reached between her thighs and started to flick her clit. The heavenly fit of her snug pussy grew impossibly tighter as she chased her own climax. The first spasm broke his tenuous hold and he surrendered to the blissful bursts tearing through him.
He cursed under his breath as the waves of ecstasy made him rock on his feet. He caught himself at the last moment and managed not to fall forward on top of Lena. Flopping back into his chair, he dragged her onto his lap. Panting and shuddering, they clutched at each other and made out like teenagers in a steamy backseat.
"I'll be right back," he said finally and untangled himself from her nubile body. Leaving her in his chair, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly. "And then we'll take this upstairs."
He ducked into the private bathroom. Though sex had always required the use of condoms, Yuri found himself loathing the damn things. When it came to Lena, he wanted nothing between them, not even that thin sheath of latex. How would she react if he subtly suggested they have the necessary testing done to rid themselves of the nuisance? He trusted her to be faithful and he damn sure wasn't interested in any woman other than Lena.
Still thinking of the best way to approach that rather sensitive subject, Yuri stepped out of the bathroom and spotted Lena standing behind his desk. He noticed the floor had been tidied. The jumbled papers on his desk were now in neat stacks.
And there, clamped in her hand, was the dossier he'd asked Anna to prepare.
When he saw the betrayal and hurt etched into her beautiful face, Yuri experienced the most brutally painful clenching of his gut. Suddenly, he was reminded of the words she'd spoken that morning at her kitchen table. She'd given him one more chance—and there was no doubt in his mind he'd just royally fucked it up.
Chapter Fourteen
"What the hell is this, Yuri?" Chest tight and heart racing, I glanced down at the incriminating paperwork for a second time. I'd been tidying the mess we'd made during our fantastic romp when my gaze had flicked across the folder. As I'd picked it up, the papers had fallen onto the desk. It was the sight of my father's mug shot that had stricken me cold.
Jaw clenched, he took a tentative step forward. "It's nothing, Lena. It's simply a dossier on your background. It doesn't mean anything."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you serious? Are you really going to stand there and lie to my damn face?"
"I'm not lying." He put his hands together in front of him. "I don't care what the file says about you or your father or any of that."
"Then why the hell have it done? Huh?" Anger bubbled violently in the pit of my stomach and I tried to keep my temper under control.
"The night you called me in Berlin, when you were drunk, Nikolai made an offhand comment about you having a gun because of your father. I didn’t know what that meant—who he was or what he did. I asked Anna to put together this file so I could understand you."
"Understand me?" Betrayal gnawed at my heart as I rifled through the nearly two-inch thick file. I jerked out the sheet with my bank account details and waved it angrily. "You think this helps you understand me?"
The paper fell to the floor as I pulled out another sheet, this one my high school trans
cript. "Or what about this one? Huh? Is my C in AP Calculus that fucking important to you?"
He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving the ends sticking up wildly. "God, I didn't think—"
"What? You didn't think I would find out? Because that's the problem, isn't it, Yuri?" I stabbed an accusing finger in the air. "You're only upset because you got caught."
"That's not true."
"Bullshit." Feeling so stupid, I gestured to the sofa where I'd been researching and reading email earlier. Balling up my father's mug shot, I threw it at Yuri and hit him in the chest. "I was sitting right there while you were over here reading all about my family's dirty little secrets."
"Lena, please," he pleaded.
"No, Yuri. You started this. Now let's see how good an assistant your sweet little Anna is."
"You don't have to do this. Please." He came closer. "Let's just shred the whole damn thing and forget this ever happened."
I gawked at him. "Do you really think it's that simple? Do you think I'll just forget how awful you made me feel? How embarrassed and stupid and betrayed I feel right now?"
"Yelena," he said, his voice husky with regret.
"You wanted to know everything about me, right?" I started to dig through the dossier in search of the sealed juvenile court record I was sure Anna had uncovered. The evidence of one of my deepest shames popped into view. I slapped it against his chest. "Well, there you go, Yuri. Now you know something I've only ever shared with Vivian. Go ahead. Read about what a messed up thirteen-year-old vandalizing freak show I was."
He refused to look at the page. Instead he crunched it in his big hand and dropped it. "No."
"What? Now you have a conscience?" I tried to hold back the tears burning my eyes but it was impossible. Fat, hot tears splashed onto my cheeks. Confused and hurt, I asked, "Why?"