Page 50 of Sweet Animosity

I wasn’t prepared to say yes, but deep down, I already knew my answer. “Maybe.”

Vaska laughed as he reached for the vodka bottle to pour us another toast. “You know the rule, brother. You better introduce her to the girls sooner rather than later for their approval before shit gets too real.”

“You’re not honestly suggesting that I get your women’s approval on the woman I’m with?”

The table was silent for a moment. Then they all burst out laughing.

Maxim slammed his open palm on the table as his head tipped back. “Holy shit, that’s funny.”

Vaska wiped a tear from the corner of his eye as he continued to laugh.

Anton slapped him on the shoulder as he held his middle. “Aw, our little boy is about to get his first lesson in women.”

My brow furrowed. “Shut the hell up. I know all I need to know about women.”

They lifted their shot glasses. “To famous last words.”

“Fuck all of you,” I growled, before downing my shot and rising to go change.

They were wrong.

This was a solid plan.

I would keep Vivian close and keep the deeply satisfying pressure on her until she broke.

Then, once I handled the current entanglement, Vivian would be so far under my control, there would be no more worry about her being a liability.

Problem solved.

And we’d continue to have kinky, mind-blowing sex.

Fuck, yeah. This was a good plan.

CHAPTER 20

VAR

“What the hell is going on in here?”

After a quick meeting with the front of the house staff in the gambling ballroom, I headed through the lobby of the club and noticed the distinct lack of activity. While the exclusive club gambling room would not open until later, there were still the restaurant, private hotel rooms, and the new spa run by Brynn on the property.

Despite the early hour, there should be at least one or two security guards.

And my sommelier had missed the meeting as well.

Heading back to the office, intent on reaching out to Polina about any recent schedule changes, I first heard the laughter.

No one laughed in my office.

As I rounded the corner into the open antechamber lounge to my public office, I found half of my staff milling about.

And then I heard her.

“So then I said, ‘But Officer! These are Manolos!’”

The men in the room burst into another round of laughter.

Through their shoulders, I glimpsed Vivian holding court at a desk. At least, I was looking at Vivian; I was fairly certain my men were staring at her tits, which were on marvelous display.

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