Page 14 of Dancing With Desire

“I’m so sorry, Dmitry. I know how besotted you were with her. Is she okay?” she asks innocently.

“I couldn’t tell you, Vivian. She’s made the decision to cut me from her life. She doesn’t trust me to keep her safe. I can’t blame her really, can I?”

I watch her eyes light up as she makes a grab for my hand. “Well, you know where we are if you need anything,” she says, and there’s a note of seduction in her tone.

I glance at my father and notice his jaw is clenched. I’m certain jealousy is coursing through his veins.Interesting.

He throws the papers on the table, grabbing Vivian’s hand and pulling her to stand. “There’s nothing wrong with these fucking numbers,” he snaps, and Vivian frowns. I stand and gather the pages together. “I think you need to get Leo to check over them again because you are clearly losing your touch, Dmitry.”

Vivian rests her hand on my father’s arm, and I watch as he relaxes under her touch. “Vladamir,” she says softly, “give him a break. He’s had a tough few weeks. At least he’s focusing all his attention on work. It’s what you wanted, remember?” She smiles up at him as his frame towers over her.

“Sort your shit out. I need to get back to Russia before the families start breathing down my neck about cleaning up your mess,” he spits before dragging Vivian from the office.

I flop back in my chair, satisfied that I’m slowly piercing his armour. And today, I’ve witnessed that he has feelings for Vivian, something I can use to my advantage.

TORI

“We should celebrate,” Phoebe announces.

I glance up from the magazine I’m pretending to read. I can’t focus on anything lately. “Huh?”

“The baby. Let’s celebrate.”

“How?” I ask, frowning. “I can hardly down the cocktails now.”

She laughs. “Not every celebration has to involve alcohol.”

I wince. “Really? That sounds pretty boring.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun to get out of this place.”

I picture Vivian and shake my head. “I’d rather not.”

“What are you going to do, hide in here forever? And what are the chances of you bumping into those crazy pricks?”

The front door opens and closes, and Marshall strolls into the living room. “Let’s ask him,” I suggest, arching a brow and knowing full well he’ll say no. “Phoebe wants us to celebrate the baby.”

“It’s not even here yet,” he mutters, taking a seat beside me.

“She can’t hide in here forever. It’s not good for her,” Phoebe argues. “We can book a nice restaurant with the girls. You haven’t seen everyone in ages.”

“It’s not gonna happen,” says Marshall, and I give Phoebe a knowing smile and shrug. Case closed.

“Since when do you take orders from Dmitry’s yes man?” she challenges, and I smirk at how quick Marshall’s head spins to face her. “Because let’s face it, it’s not Marshall saying no, it’s Dmitry, and you two aren’t together anymore.”

I stare back down at the magazine in my lap. I’ve not read a single word of it since I opened it half an hour ago. My mind is full of babies and Dmitry. But I know what Phoebe is doing by planting a seed to get me to rebel, which feels odd seeing as it’s usually me talking her into these sorts of things.

“I am not Dmitry’s yes man,” argues Marshall. “But we need to keep Tori safe, hence why she’s here.”

“Don’t use that tone with me,yes man. I am thinking of Tori’s mental health. How long can you keep her imprisoned?”

“She’s not in a prison,” he mutters.

“Good,” I interject, standing and letting my impulsiveness take over. “Let’s go and eat then.”

Marshall stares wide-eyed. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Just the three of us,” I add. “A quick dinner out to see how I feel about it.”

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