Page 105 of Ivory Oath

I step forward and raise my hand in a friendly wave. “That’s me. I’m his wife.” The words still feel bizarre coming out of my mouth. “I’m Viviana and this is Anatoly, Mikhail’s brother.”

“Oh, God.” The woman’s cheeks turn a deep shade of pink. “I’m so sorry. I should have guessed. I’m Adriana.”

“Security is usually my job, but that’s okay. You can make it up to me next time,” Anatoly tells her as he tries, once again, to waltz past her down the hall.

Once again, Adriana stops him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Novikov, but Mr.—er, the other Mr. Novikov only gave clearance for his wife to come to his office.”

“Of course he did.” Anatoly’s shoulders droop. “And where am I supposed to go?”

Adriana bites the corner of her mouth, clearly holding back a smile. “He told me to tell you to find yourself some lunch and come back in an hour.”

Anatoly narrows his eyes. He may jump whenever Mikhail tells him to, but he doesn’t take orders from anyone else. I can sense an argument brewing, so I dart around them before I’m stuck in the middle of it.

I can hear Adriana and Anatoly talking behind me, but I hurry down the hall. I’d rather do this without Anatoly, anyway. I don’t trust him not to crumble and tell Mikhail about the pregnancy the moment we’re through the door.

I’m halfway down the hall before I realize I have no idea where Mikhail’s office is. It’s a maze of solid wood doors with empty name plates screwed into the walls. Everyone is still getting settled. I’m contemplating turning around and asking for Adriana’s help.

Then, a deep voice beckons me from the door to my right.

“Come in, Viviana.”

There is a tall, thin window set into the wall next to his door, but the blinds are drawn. I have no idea how Mikhail knows it’s me outside the door, but I’m also not surprised.

I push the door open. “Could you be any more obvious about the fact that this is a booty call?”

The words are still hanging in the air when I look around his office and realize, yes, he could be a lot more obvious.

And that’s exactly what he’s being.

“Mikhail!” I hiss his name and slam his office door shut. I flick the lock closed, but the metal bolt doesn’t seem sturdy enough. I want bars and chains. I want a moat dug into the floor outside of his office to make sure no one comes in here.

Not until the projector is turned off. And burned. And the ashes have been scattered to the winds.

“Do you like it?” Mikhail kicks his feet up on his desk and gestures to the wall, where a slideshow of the naked photos I sent him the other day are on a nonstop carousel. Around and around and around I go, wearing less and less clothing until the pictures start all over again.

“What if I was someone else? What if you called the wrong person in here and they saw this?”

“Then I would have told them to leave.” He dips his chin, smirking up at me. “Because I’m waiting for my wife.”

44

VIVIANA

Mikhail turns away from me to stare at the slideshow he made. We’re both watching it. The pictures flicking through one by one. Each frame that passes makes me blush that much harder.

“We already talked about my little photoshoot,” I mumble. “I said I was sorry.”

He tips his head to the side, appreciating a landscape photo of me lying on my stomach across the bed. My knees are bent, ankles crossed. I am my own harshest critic, but even I have to admit it’s hot. The lace thong does absolutely nothing to cover the curve of my ass and my arms are squeezing my chest together.

“Sorry for what?” Mikhail asks thoughtfully.

I tear my eyes away from the slideshow and focus on him. The way he swallows. The finger drawing slow circles along his knee. Is he imagining he’s touching me?

“You were pissed about these pictures,” I remind him. “You hated them.”

He turns to me, his icy blue eyes laser-focused. “I was pissed that you missed the point. I was pissed that you used your entire day to punish me.”

“Punish you? I was the one locked in my bedroom. If anyone was being punished, it was me.”

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