Page 22 of Ivory Ashes

She swallows and spins away. “I have a file with all of the security information on my laptop, sir. I’ll get it for you.”

I wave Rumpled Suit away and drum my fingers on Viviana’s desk. She mistypes her password three times before her computer dings with recognition.

“You’re a hard woman to find.”

She looks around, but we’re alone. My new office is at the back of the third floor. Her desk is stationed just outside my door. Close enough to touch.

“Sorry. I was running late this morning. I would have been on time if I’d known I was going to see—meet my new boss.”

I have a feeling she wouldn’t be here at all if she knew I would be waiting for her inside. Which begs the question: why?

Why have I been looking for her while she wants nothing more than to sprint in the opposite direction?

I lean on my elbows, only a few inches away. She smells like vanilla and honey, sweet and warm. The same way she tastes. “Are we going to pretend we haven’t met before?”

She turns her hazel eyes on me. She’s fighting to stay calm, but she’s practically buzzing out of her skin. “What’s your email? Is it the same as Mr. Fredrickson’s old account or do you have a new one set up?”

“How long have you been here?” I ask.

If she’s been here this entire time, I’m going to make sure Kenan never works another day as a P.I. He’ll be strip-mining glaciers in Siberia by the time I’m done with him.

Alternatively, I could send him a thank-you bonus for being absolute shit at his job. Viviana has been back in my life for five minutes and she’s already proving to be a distraction. Tracking her down could have thrown everything off-course.

A distraction like her is the last thing I need as I’m finalizing things I set in motion six fucking years ago.

She tugs on her lower lip and turns back to the screen. “I can set up a new account for you. I’ll send the file there. Then you’ll have everything you need.”

“Don’t bother. I already have what I want.”

“You’re being inappropriate.” Viviana jerks her hand away and spins her chair to face me.

There she is.

“Then maybe I shouldn’t tell you that you look fucking delicious.”

“Maybe not.” Her jaw twitches. “I don’t know how things usually operate under your control, but?—”

“Actually, I think you have an intimate understanding of what it’s like to be under my control… Viviana.”

Her face flushes red before she stands up. Her rolling chair slams back against the wall. “Mr. Novikov, I don’t know who you think I am—or who you think you are, for that matter—but you can’t talk to your employees like this.”

“Mik—Mr. Novikov.” Raoul looks sorry to have interrupted, but that doesn’t stop him from surveying the scene. How close we’re standing. Her eyes narrowed in defiance.

“What, Raoul?” I growl, turning back to Viviana. I feel like she’ll disappear if I look away.

“The shareholders are here to sign the final documents,” he reminds me. “They’re in the boardroom.”

Ten minutes ago, we didn’t have a key for the boardroom, which is why I went looking for Margaret in the first place. I’m guessing Anatoly got bored with waiting and put a shoulder through the door.

I’ll be annoyed with him for that later. Right now, I’m too busy paying attention to the flash of recognition in Margaret’s eyes.

She knows these people. Their names. She’s met them all before.

“Alright.” I wave Raoul off. “Go ahead. I’ll follow you.”

If it was Anatoly, he’d resist. He’d want to stay and watch the show. But Raoul strides away without hesitation, leaving us alone again.

I turn towards the door and Viviana sags in relief. Only to go rigid again once I snap my fingers.

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