Ruth clears her throat and shifts where she sits. She suddenly looks a hell of a lot more awkward perched on the corner of the desk, like a wannabe seductress. Her hands move over her lap, smoothing out wrinkles that aren’t there.
“Of course, she does,” she says.“You wouldn’t stand for less.”
I swallow the half-dozen things I want to say—none of them HR-approved—and hand Sasha the folder. Our fingers brush, and there’s a quick and electric rush of something I can’t quite name.
But I like it. A lot.
He glances down at the folder in his hands, bobs it up and down, as if getting a sense of how much it weighs. Then he lifts those obsidian slits to my eyes, and I’m locked in his gaze.
“Excellent,” he says. “We’ll discuss this after my meeting with Ms. O’Donnell.”
“Understood.”
Ruth flashes me a smug little look, as if to saythat’s right—it’s me first.“She’s very efficient,” she says. “I’ll give her that.”
Sasha doesn’t break his gaze from mine. “That’ll be all, Ms. Resse.”
“Thank you.”
I slip out of the office and let out awhooshof air as soon as the door’s shut behind me. I press my palms flat against my thighs until my hands stop sweating, then start back to my desk. The other employees I passed on the way to the office give me furtive little looks as I move past them.
Once I’m back at my desk, I practically collapse into my seat. The city’s glowing beyond the windows to my left, bright and calm.
For a second there, I’d managed to forget I’d almost gottenkilled earlier today. Not to mention, I’ve been uprooted from my home, put under watch, and pushed to my limit.
But I’m still here. Still standing. And I might’ve just turned in my magnum opus.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the sight of the two silhouettes in Sasha’s office. Too close for my comfort. What the hell is she doing in there?
And is Sasha going for it?
I push that out of my head. Right now, the only things that matter are my baby and my work. That’s it. Whatever Sasha wants to do in his personal life is none of my business.
I open my laptop again, going back to those emails, trying to forget the turmoil my life is in. I catch a glimpse of myself in the black of the screen before the laptop boots up. I look tired, wired, a little wild. The version of me that walked into this job three years ago wouldn’t recognize the woman staring back.
I crack my knuckles and get to work. I whisper something under my breath as I do, too quiet for anyone to hear. It’s half challenge, half promise.
“Go ahead. Underestimate me again. I dare you.”
CHAPTER 11
SASHA
Rage courses through me.
The door shuts softly behind Gabriella as she leaves, her scent lingering in the room. I keep my hands flat on my desk. The urge to follow her out is stupid and strong. I press it down.
“Your little protege has a bit of an attitude,” Ruth says. Her tone is light, amused. “It’s almost charming.Almost.”
I lift my gaze to her. “The way you conducted yourself with her was inappropriate.”
She arches her eyebrows, as if she has no idea what I’m talking about. Her feigned innocence pushes me further. “What do you mean? I was just making a little small talk.”
The fact that she would eventrysuch an excuse makes me want to toss her out on her ass. But I know Ruth too well. Pretending she doesn’t know what she did in order to get a rise out of me is precisely her angle.
I side-step it and speak coldly to her. “You will not speak that way to Gabriella ever again. And get off my desk.”
Ruth blinks, genuinely surprised for half a second, then smiles like I’ve told a joke. “Relax,” she purrs, sliding off the corner of my desk. “I’m just teasing.”
