Page 29 of Triplet Babies
My phone buzzes, but when I check it, it’s just a routine update from our legal team about contract reviews. Nothing that requires immediate attention.
I return to my analysis and finally text Valentin the verdict:Just cut him loose and ensure he doesn’t work for any of our allies or rivals in future. Spread the word he can’t be trusted.
He texts back:Does he deserve such leniency?
I don’t like to be questioned, but I let it slide. Maybe I’d be more inclined to handle it the way my father and his generation would have if I didn’t truly believe Viktor made a bad judgment call. Not bad enough to warrant death, but certainly serious enough to make me lose trust in his abilities. I reply:I’ve decided. Let him go.I’m also in a better mood than most mornings after last night, so that slightly colors my decision to bar him from working for us instead of killing him.
He doesn’t text back other than a few minutes later to let me know Viktor is driving away now in his sedan.
The morning’s security breach weighs on my mind as I handle the rest of my business. If someone can convince a trusted employee to compromise dormant accounts, we need better verification procedures and clearer consequences for unauthorized access. The Nikitins are clearly testing ourdefenses, and I won’t give them any more opportunities. Katya isn’t setting the right note for starting out in marital bliss, but I’d rather she play these games. It frees me from committing to the engagement if I can be sure she and her family did this.
Around two o’clockin the afternoon, I’m walking through the main house when I see Sarah in the hallway outside the supply room, gathering files and office materials. She’s wearing a different dress today, a charcoal gray that brings out the green in her eyes, and she looks professional and composed.
Until she sees me approaching. Then her cheeks flush slightly, and she fumbles with the papers in her hands. “Mr. Barinov.” Her voice is professional, but I catch the slight breathlessness that tells me she’s remembering last night as clearly as I am.
“Sarah.” I move closer, noting the way she straightens against the wall as I approach. “How was your day?”
“Productive. I finished reviewing the quarterly reports and identified several discrepancies that need attention.”
“Good.” I step close enough that she has to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact, and I see her pulse fluttering at the base of her throat. “Very good.”
She glances toward the main corridor. “Someone might see.”
“Let them see.” I brace one hand against the wall beside her head, effectively caging her in place. “I’m talking to my assistant about work.”
Her lips twitch in spite of nervousness. “This doesn’t feel like talking about work.”
“Doesn’t it?” I brush a strand of hair back from her face, enjoying the way her breath pauses at the simple touch. “Maybe I’m discussing your performance review.”
“My performance review?”
“Exceptional marks across all categories.” I lower my head until my mouth is inches from hers. “Particularly your attention to detail.”
“Yarik—”
I silence her with a kiss, tasting her surprised response before she melts against me. She grips my shirt, and I feel her heart racing where our bodies press together. When I break the kiss, her pupils are dilated and her breathing is unsteady. “Someone could walk by.”
“The hallway’s been empty for the past ten minutes.” I slide my hands beneath the hem of her blouse, finding the warm skin of her waist. “I’ve been watching.”
“That doesn’t mean—” Her protest dies when I find the sensitive spot just below her ribs that made her arch beneath me last night.
“What doesn’t it mean?” I trace slow circles on her skin, enjoying the way she shivers at my touch.
She tries to form a coherent response, but I see her resolve weakening. “We agreed to keep this separate from work.”
“Did we?” I lean down to kiss the sensitive spot where her neck meets her shoulder. “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”
She tightens her hands on my shirt. “Yarik, this is dangerous.”
“I know.” I pull back to look at her, noting the way her lips are swollen from my kiss, and her eyes are dark with desire. “Do you want me to stop?”
She stares at me for a long moment, waging an internal war between logic and desire that plays out across her face. Finally, she shakes her head.
“Good.” I take her hand and pull her toward the nearest door, which leads to a small conference room that’s rarely used. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.” I lock the door behind us and turn to find her standing in the middle of the room, looking nervous and excited and beautiful.
“Here?” She glances around the conference room with its polished table and formal chairs.
“Here.” I move toward her slowly, giving her time to object or change her mind. “Unless you’d rather wait until tonight?”
