Page 59 of Dancing With Desire

I smirk. “Or yours,” I mutter under my breath as I watch him leave.

I’d arrangedfor Victoria to spend some time with Phoebe. After Marshall mentioned they were missing one another, it only seemed fair, especially as I was seeing my father. Plus, I have so much to catch up on with work after being away for a few days that her spending a few hours with her friend felt right. After all, she’ll need a support network around her once the baby arrives.

Once my father has left, I head over to Kat’s. It’s quiet during the day, with only the staff milling around to restock, so I should get plenty done. There is so much to be done before the wedding as I plan to whisk Victoria away for a relaxing honeymoon.

As I enter the office, perched against my desk is Vivian. I run my eyes down her half-naked body, taking in her red thong with matching stockings. Her bra pushes her breasts up so they’re practically spilling out of the lace cups, and when I finally meet her eyes, she looks at me like a dog in heat.

I quickly slam the door shut, praying no one saw her. “I called the house, but your staff said you were heading over to the office, so I thought I’d meet you here.” Her tongue runs seductively over her red-painted lower lip, and I almost shudder with repulsion. She reeks of desperation.

“What are you doing, Vivian?”

She pushes off the desk and closes the gap between us. She runs her nails down my tie, and I stare at her hand as she wraps it in her fist and gently tugs it. “I miss you, Dmitry.”

I bring my eyes to hers, and she inhales sharply, probably excited that I haven’t shoved her away from me. I press my body to hers, walking her back towards the desk, and her eyes ignite with heat. Once she’s trapped between me and the desk, I bring my hand to her cheek, gently cupping it and smiling. “I know what you did,moya shlyukha.” And then I brush my nose against her ear and whisper, “To Victoria.” I feel her stiffen, and she tries to step away. I take her chin between my thumb and finger and squeeze. “Nothing to say, Vivian?”

“I . . . I . . . I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stutters.

I sneer, sliding my hand to her throat and pushing her to lie back on the desk. I use my free hand to clear the papers, sending them flying across the floor before moving her farther up the desk. I push my face to hers. “You and my father must have really been laughing at me,” I hiss. “And Nik, fuck, I never saw that coming.”

She kicks her legs, losing her red heels as she tries to fight me off. “Please,” she cries, digging her nails into my wrists, trying to relieve the pressure on her throat.

“Did you make my fiancée beg, Vivian?” I growl. Tears slide from the corners of her eyes, disappearing into her hairline. “Did she ask you to spare my fucking child?”

“Dmitry,” she murmurs, gasping for breath. “It was your father’s idea.”

“I asked you a question,” I bellow, and she flinches. “Did you make her beg?”

She gives stiff nod, more tears flowing. “I’m sorry.”

“See, I had plans for you, Vivian. I wanted to really make you pay, but you’ve played my hand too early by showing up heredressed like a slut, trying to seduce me.” I look her up and down with contempt. “Like you would ever compare to her.”

“This is not you,” she murmurs, struggling to get her words out. “You won’t kill me.” I scoff at her audacity to act like she knows me. “It was your father,” she whispers. “It was his idea.”

“And you were so horrified by his plans, you came to tell me right away,” I say, my tone mocking. I pull the knife from my jacket and press it to her side. Her eyes widen in panic, but she suddenly stops thrashing and stills. “What you did was for your own selfish gain. Your jealousy drove you to make a stupid decision, Vivian, because my father is nothing. You backed the wrong Volkov.”

“You won’t get away with this, Dmitry,” she reasons. “When your father finds out, he’ll have you killed.”

I laugh. “My plans never go wrong, Vivian. And I’ve been planning to end you and my father for weeks.” I run the blade over her stomach, smiling as blood beads to the surface.

She grimaces, screwing her eyes closed tightly. “You’re making a mistake. Without me and Vladimir, you’ll be nothing, and that little witch will ruin you and everything we’ve worked for,” she spits.

I push the knife into her stomach, and she cries out, gripping my wrist tighter as her eyes widen in shock. “No one will ever touch what is mine, Vivian. I thought I’d taught you that.”

Placing the bloody knife to her throat, I lean down to her ear. “And now, your underwear matches your skin tone,” I whisper, pulling the blade across in one swift movement. “See you in hell,moya shlyukha.” She gasps, trying desperately to drag some air into her lungs. I release my hold on her, and her hands go to her throat in an attempt to stop the bleeding. I drop back into the chair and wait for her to draw her last breath, feeling satisfied. It’s been a long time coming.

TORI

Marshall pulls upoutside Kat’s and opens the door for me. I roll my eyes, and he laughs. It’s been a lovely morning spent with him and Phoebe. I know Dmitry probably wouldn’t approve of me classing Marshall as a friend, but I do, and he and Phoebe are so comfortable around each other, which warms my heart. She deserves a shot at happiness, and I think he might just give her that.

I practically skip into Kat’s and head for the office. I can’t wait to get Dmitry home so we can spend an evening together. Maybe I can convince him to take me into the dungeon again. I smile at the thought as I push the office door open.

I freeze, my eyes taking in the scene before me. Dmitry spins to face me, wincing when he sees it’s me. Vivian is lifeless and bleeding out all over the oak desk. The blood is soaking into her red underwear, and I frown, realising she’s half-naked.

Dmitry closes the gap between us, placing his bloody hands on my upper arms. “Mykrasota, what are you doing here?”

I arch a brow, dragging my eyes from her body to finally meet his. “What the fuck is going on?”

He takes me by the hand and leads me from the office, closing the door. “Why is she half-naked?” I hiss.

---