“Viktor is my oldest and dearest friend. I’m glad he is helping Leo. One day he will have to run the business. I could not entrust my son with someone better.”
Or more corrupt.
“What are we discussing?” Leo asked, coming into the room and taking the seat opposite from Zoe.
“Dinner tonight with Viktor.”
Leo’s eyes lit up. Zoe knew what this opportunity meant for him, even if he didn’t realize he was making a deal with the devil to get it. She’d worked with Viktor for almost a year. Knew his ethics—he didn’t have any. He wanted something, and he was using Leo to get it. She just didn’t know what. “Is Diego coming as well?”
“Nyet,” Maxim spat the word as if it were poison. His disdain for the man was evident for all to see. Maxim didn’t trust anyone who wasn’t Russian and inside his inner circle. It wasn’t a horrible trait, but that made deceit from the inside even worse. “We never had a chance to talk last night. You didn’t seem surprised Viktor was in town. And now you are asking about Diego when he were just talking about it.” Maxim eyed his son with suspicion.
Leo had the grace to look sheepish. Zoe should have warned Maxim that he was here and that Leo was probably behind it, but she’d been a bit preoccupied.
“I called Viktor and told him my plan a while ago. I told you that.”
“So you told him before me?”
“It wasn’t like that, Papa,” Leo tried to defend, though knew it was a losing battle.
“How long have the two of you been planning this?” his voice boomed. “We had only just discussed the possibility the other night, and now Viktor is here. What else are you doing behind my back?”
“I talked to him about wanting to strike out on my own. He suggested Diego and offered to help set up the meeting so things would go smoothly. He has more confidence in me than you do.”
Zoe so did not want to get in the middle of one of their power squabbles. She was trying to think of an excuse when a servant walked in. “Mr. Logan is here, sir.”
“Show him to my office. I’ll meet with him and go over the routes as discussed.”
“Zhdat.”Zoe had already set her napkin down and was in the process of scooting her chair back when Maxim spoke. She didn’t know a lot of Russian words but had learned a few from working with him and Viktor. She remained in her chair and waited to see what Maxim was going to say. “We still have dinner to plan.”
Now that Maxim had command again, he took his time taking a bite of food before wiping his mouth with his cloth napkin. Zoe was always impressed that he never got food in his perfectly manicured beard. “We’ll need to pull up a good bottle of vodka from the cellar.”
“How about salted herring, piroshki, and borscht as a must, and honey cake for dessert?” Zoe suggested. Viktor had a sweet tooth.
Maxim nodded.
“I’ll see it done.” Zoe was happy when Maxim didn’t try to stop her again. After a quick trip to the kitchen to relay the menu for tonight, she headed for her office. Her heels clicked as she hastened across the marble floors. Everyone was used to her fast pace, so no one seemed to notice.
Zoe sucked in a breath when she entered her office and there was Greg. He stood near the fireplace, his hands folded behind his back as he stared into the flames. He looked up at her entrance. His eyes turned molten, or maybe that was the reflection from the fire.
He wore snug jeans and a short-sleeved blue and red plaid button-up shirt. He looked like a lumberjack. A sexy lumberjack. That could be a fun role play.
Her body still ached from the last time he’d taken her. He’d been gentle, his strokes deep, making her curl her toes and her body weep. She’d been hard pressed to leave the bed after that. His dominance the first time was hot, but it had been years since she had allowed herself sweet and tender.
Now she didn’t know which she liked better.
Focus.
“Logan,” she greeted coolly as she entered the room and shut the door.
“Zoe.” He dipped his head.
“Maxim said he sent for you. Apparently, he wants your opinion on the next drive.”
“I’d be happy to take a look.”
“I have the plans on my desk.” She headed there, trying not to watch him out of the corner of her eye but failing. She was hyper-aware of him. Being in a small, enclosed space she felt the energetic charge of his nearness.
“Did you have any trouble getting back in last night?” he asked, coming up beside her. Their arms were just brushing, but it still sent electric currents through her veins.
