“That means risking his life if our enemy realizes we’re onto him.”
I study her face, noting the genuine concern for her brother’s welfare despite her suspicions about his involvement. Family loyalty, even in the face of betrayal. It’s something I understand, even if I don’t always put it into practice.
“We could try a different approach,” I suggest. “Instead of confronting Alexei, we draw out the man pulling his strings.”
Her eyes sharpen with interest. “What kind of trap?”
“The kind that uses his own methods against him.” I lean closer, close enough to catch that intoxicating scent again. “You said he gets into people’s heads? What if we get into his?”
“Explain.”
“We feed him information through Alexei, the accounts, and whatever channel he monitors. Make him think we’re closer to exposing him than we actually are. Force him to make a move that reveals his true position.”
A slow smile spreads across her face, the first genuinely pleased expression I’ve seen from her all night. “Psychological warfare through digital channels. I like it.”
“Thought you might.”
We’re close again, drawn together by shared purpose and something darker, more primal. This time, she doesn’t pull away immediately. Her eyes drop to my mouth for just a moment before meeting my gaze again.
“It’s late,” she says softly. “We should probably?—”
“Yeah,” I agree, not moving. “Probably.”
Neither of us stands. The air between us is charged, electric, with possibilities and dangers. I could kiss her again. I should kiss her again, given how she’s looking at me. But something holds me back. Maybe the knowledge that once I cross that line, there’s no pretending this is just about our investigation.
Finally, she breaks the moment by standing and moving toward the kitchen. “Coffee?” she asks, voice carefully neutral. “If we’re going to plan his downfall, we might as well do it properly.”
“Sure,” I manage, watching the graceful line of her body as she moves. “Coffee sounds good.”
As she busies herself with the machine, I remain at her workstation, ostensibly reviewing our findings but actually processing what happened. The easy collaboration, the growing tension, this is dangerous territory—more dangerous than anything I’ve encountered in my carefully controlled life.
But as I watch Kira Petrov prepare coffee at 2 AM in her kitchen, wearing civilian clothes and no makeup, her guard finally lowered enough to reveal glimpses of the woman beneath the ice princess facade, I realize something that should terrify me.
I don’t want to be anywhere else.
CHAPTER 14
Kira
I sitacross from Rafa at my workstation, trying to focus on the code scrolling across my screen. But my concentration keeps fracturing, splintering into dangerous territory whenever he leans close enough for me to catch his scent.
“This authorization sequence,” Rafa says, pointing to a section of code that requires me to lean toward him to see clearly. “Have you seen this pattern before?”
His question registers dimly, but my mind is elsewhere cataloging the way his shirt pulls slightly across his shoulders, the controlled strength in his hands as he manipulates the data streams, the way his voice drops when he’s concentrating.
“Kira?” he repeats, and I realize he’s been waiting for my response.
“What?” I blink, forcing myself back to the present.
“This code sequence. Have you encountered it before in your family’s systems?”
I stare at the screen, the characters blurring slightly as my treacherous mind conjures images unrelated to financial fraud. Images of those same hands navigating keyboards with such precision, exploring different territory entirely. Images of beinglifted onto this very desk, his mouth claiming mine with the hunger I saw glimpses of during our staged kiss.
Heat floods my cheeks as I realize where my thoughts have wandered.
“I...” I clear my throat, willing my voice to remain steady. “I thought I recognized it, but no. Must have been something similar.”
His dark eyes study my face with uncomfortable intensity. “Are you sure? You look like you’ve seen something concerning.”
