Page 33 of Venom and Velvet

“Cut the La Roux crap and call me Nova already, Moose.”

We both laughed and he helped me get into the back of the SUV. I had him stop at Jules so I could drop off her treats, which she held tight against her chest.

“We’re still not even, you thief.”

I had barely spoken a word to Ryzen all morning, and that wasn’t good. I had to keep up appearances, make him believe I couldn’t get him off of my mind. Delove’s words echoed in my ears.

Get closer. Get the evidence so you can go back to living a normal life.

I would bring up the wedding again. And Covington. Sweeten the pot a little bit. If he thought that I was ready to tie the knot and help him secure his deal, maybe he would open up more. It was stupid, and something I didn’t want to do, but it was my best option. But first, I had to plant the camera in his office.

I had Valik drop me off in front of Goodacre Corporation, and when he tried to get out and follow me upstairs, I shook my head and held my hands up. “No, no. You go take care of your business. I’m here with Ryzen. In a completely secure building. Absolutely nothing is going to happen to me here.”

He hesitated, and I could tell he would need more convincing. “You said you needed to get your niece a birthday present. So go take care of it. Or I’ll tell Ryzen you saw me naked.” I put my hands on my hips and tilted my head to the side.

“You don’t play fair, Miss La… Nova.”

“Go.” I pointed down the road and smiled.

After he drove off, I took the elevator to Ryzen’s floor. Memories flooded my brain as I thought back to the first time Juliet and I had walked into this office together. We’d had no idea that we were stepping into a lion’s den. Well, more like a snake’s den, as Cian liked to call it.

Ryzen’s secretary’s jaw practically hit the floor when I strolled in, but she quickly recovered and greeted me with a smile. “Miss La Roux, I haven’t seen you since… the wedding.” Her voice trailed off, and I couldn’t tell if she was trying to take a jab at me or was being sincere.

“Yeah, those darn cold feet really got to me. Is he in?” I tugged on the glass door and gave her a pointed look when it wouldn’t open.

“Oh, um, he’s in a meeting, but you can wait in his office. He should be done shortly.”

She buzzed the door, and I walked down the hall, my heart slamming against my chest as I got closer to his office. I knocked once, twice, and when nobody answered I went in and shut the door. I had to be quick. He could come back at any moment. My mind still felt scrambled after that weird incident in the park. Something was weird about that situation, but hell, I had my own problems to worry about. Like prison.

I tossed my purse on the chair and glanced around his office, looking for the perfect spot to place the camera. There was an abstract sculpture behind his desk to the side, and excitement coursed through me as I realized it was the perfect spot. You could see anyone who came and went, and also see his computer screen.

There was a deep nook at the top of it; it was one of those pieces that had a lot of mounds and sharp edges, so the camera would blend in perfectly. I pulled the camera out of my pocket and it fell to the ground, rolling under his desk.

“What are you doing here, Nova?” I jumped at Ryzen’s voice, my hand flying to my chest as I turned and saw him in the doorway.

“Hey, you.” I smiled from ear to ear, willing my heart to slow down. “I missed you last night, so thought we could grab lunch.”

Crap. Crap. Crap. I glanced down and saw the camera had fallen next to his wastebasket. He came closer and I rushed over to him before he could pass his desk, throwing my arms around him and squeezing.

He chuckled and pulled back, puckering his lips and lowering his head. I turned my head slightly so his lips grazed the side of my mouth. “How about it then? You’ve probably been working hard all day.”

He checked his watch and sighed. “I have a meeting with Riddick in two minutes. How about dinner?” His hands roamed down my back and I bit the inside of my cheek.

“Sounds lovely.” I grinned and tapped the tip of his nose.

I didn’t know how many times I was going to get away with love taps on the nose, or side-mouth kisses, but I hoped he wouldn’t try to take it any further. I shuddered at the thought.

He squeezed my hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing my knuckles.

“Walk me out?” I asked.

He nodded, his hand on my back as he led me back down the hallway. Halfway down, I stopped and slapped my forehead. “I forgot my purse in your office. Go to your meeting, I’ll grab it and see you tonight.”

“Sounds lovely.” He kissed my cheek and left me in the hallway.

I pushed my hair behind my ear and speed-walked back to his office, shutting the door behind me. That had been close. Too close. The anxiety of sneaking around like this was going to give me wrinkles.

Maybe he had more incriminating documents in his office, but I decided against trying my luck and grabbed the camera from the floor. I reached up high and placed it in the nook. It blended in perfectly and couldn’t be seen from any angles that I could tell.

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