Page 49 of Hostage of the Russian
“Any other questions?”
“Just one.” She stood, smoothing her skirt down and noting with satisfaction the way his eyes tracked the movement. “When do I start?”
“Confident, aren’t we?”
“I know my worth.”
“Yes, you do.” He moved closer, close enough that she could smell his cologne and see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes. “The position pays seventy-five thousand to start, with performance bonuses and full benefits. Are you interested?”
Her heart leaped. It was more than she’d dared hope for, enough to give her real independence. “Very interested.”
“Excellent.” He reached for something on his desk, but instead of the expected paperwork, he pressed a button on his phone. “Janet? Please hold all my calls for another few minutes.”
Before Azriel could ask what he was doing, he was moving toward a door she hadn’t noticed before, hidden behind a bookshelf.
“What are you doing?”
“Come here.”
“Kostya, this is your office. There are people right outside that door.”
“Which is why we’re going in here.” He opened the hidden door to reveal what appeared to be a small conference room, though it was currently empty. “Janet thinks we’re discussing salary negotiations.”
“We are discussing salary negotiations.”
“Are we?” He stepped inside and held the door open for her. “Then why do I suddenly care more about negotiating you out of that skirt than talking about compensation packages?”
Heat flared in her stomach, but she tried to maintain her professional facade. “Because you have no sense of appropriate workplace behavior?”
“Probably.” He closed the door behind them and immediately pressed her back against it. “Do you have any idea how incredible you look in that suit?”
“Kostya, we can’t do this here.”
“Can’t do what?” His hands braced on either side of her head, trapping her against the door. “Can’t tell my wife how beautiful she looks? Can’t appreciate the way that skirt hugs her curves?”
“Can’t kiss me in your office five minutes after interviewing me for a job.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s completely inappropriate and unprofessional and...” Her words died as he leaned closer, his lips barely an inch from hers.
“And?”
“And I really want you to do it anyway,” she whispered.
“Good.” His mouth crashed down on hers, hungry and demanding, and she melted into him immediately. Her hands fisted in his suit jacket, pulling him closer as he kissed her with the same intensity he’d shown her the night before.
“I’ve been thinking about this since you walked into my office,” he murmured against her lips. “About how professional you were trying to be when I could see the exact moment you started undressing me with your eyes.”
“I was not undressing you with my eyes.”
“Liar.” He nipped at her bottom lip. “You were checking out my ass when I went to the window.”
“Your suit fits very well.”
“Just the suit?”
“You’re fishing for compliments.”
