Page 101 of Ivory Oath

I still am.

“What was all that about, anyway?” I ask as casually as I can. “You never take off work.”

“We spent a week in Costa Rica.”

“Because I was in danger.”

He frowns. “There was also the cabin.”

“I was in danger. Again.” I peek up at him. “Do you see why I’m worried? You don’t stop working unless my life is at risk.”

Mikhail kneels on the edge of the bed, his large hands cupping my face. “You have nothing to worry about, Viviana. Everything is fine.”

“So I can leave the mansion again?”

“Almost everything is fine.” He drops my face and pulls on his jacket. “As long as you stay here, everything is fine.”

Tears prick the backs of my eyes and I turn away, blinking fast. Maybe I can fan them back into my tear ducts or dry them before they hit my cheeks. Mikhail explained why I need to stay on the property and I trust him. He’s been through a lot. If I can make his life easier by following his rules until this war is over, I will.

That doesn’t mean any of it is easy.

The bed dips under his weight. “Don’t cry.”

I swipe at my stupid tears. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“I want to see everything when it comes to you, Viviana.” He grips my chin, tilting my face up to his. “You don’t need to hide from me.”

“I’m not hiding; I just don’t want you to worry about me all day. I think I’m just tired and stressed. It’s making me emotional.”

“I want to make this bearable for you.”

“‘Bearable’ is such a low bar and you are leaping over it, Mikhail. I swear, I’m okay.” I shove on his rock-solid chest. “Now, go. You’re going to be late.”

He leans his chest against my hand until I can’t hold him back. My arm buckles and he falls gently against me, brushing his thumb over my damp cheek. “I’m the boss; I’m never late.”

I snort. “Don’t say that in front of your employees. It wouldn’t be good for morale.”

“The only person’s morale I care about is yours.” He presses his lips to mine for a soft kiss. And another. My stomach swoops as the gentle kisses turn more heated. They deepen and expand until his hand is cupped around the back of my head and I’m clinging to him, putting wrinkles in his clean shirt.

He starts to press me down into the bed, but I break away, panting. “Okay. Morale is officially very high.”

“It could be higher,” he growls, sinking his teeth into my bottom lip.

My stomach does another nervous flip. I chuckle and shove on his chest. “Mrs. Steinman is going to be here in a little bit. I need to get Dante out of bed and feed him breakfast. We don’t have time for this.”

He groans in frustration, but I manage to walk him to the door.

Just before he slips into the hall, he hooks me against his body. “Later.”

I have to press my thighs together at the dark promise in his voice.

“Later,” I agree. “Later.”

Mikhail looks me over from head to toe, his eyes snagging on the way the t-shirt of his that I’m wearing barely reaches the tops of my legs. He bites a knuckle and forces himself down the hallway.

I close the door, still feeling off-kilter from the kissing and his attention. My head is foggy and my limbs tingle. I blink hard a few times to center myself.

Then I sprint to the bathroom and drop to my knees in front of the toilet.

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