“Idon't need a reason to be concerned, but if you must know, I do care about my employees. I’m not sure if you've noticed, but I treat them with respect, and in turn, they work hard for me. It's the way to run a business if you want to get anywhere in life.”
“Yeah, a legitimate business unlike?—”
“I’d appreciate it if you kept those words out of your mouth in this office,”Dmitri snaps, his voice a low warning.
I feel slightly bad because he was showing concern and offering an apology.“Sorry,” I mutter.
The single word pacifies Dmitri, the coldnessdisappearing from his eyes.
“Youcalled me in here for something. What did you need? I'm not done with the mining contract yet. The field trip down to the police precinct put me behind.”
“No, it’s not that.”Dmitriwaves away my question, leaning back on his desk before crossing his arms.
I watch him for a moment, noticing the way the light catches theblue and grayin his eyes, the color of ice on a frozen lake. My gaze trailsalong his sharpjawline andthe light golden stubble there to the hair on his head, that perfectly tousled mass that I suddenlylongto run my fingers through. I can smell his cologne, my eyes taking in the lines and planes of his face, tracing the tattoos just visibleabovethe collar of his shirt…
“Ms. Benson?”
My eyes go to his mouth, to thelipsthat hadtraveledover every inch of my body the night before last. They're curled in a slight smile that tells me he knows the thoughts going through my head. I clear my throat hastily and flick my eyes to the city view behind him, the Manhattan skyline under a heavy grey sky, the plumes ofsteamfrom exhaustventsblooming into the air like winter flowers.
“Icalled you in to talk about what happened at the police station the other day.”His voice is a warm, rich sound that blankets me and pulls me in. I know he's doing it on purpose. I can see the gleam in his eye, the tell that he's enjoying my reaction. I force a glare and meet his gaze.
“What exactly do you want to know?”
“Iwant to know whatthe police said to those on my staff whom they questioned. I want to see if we can find out what they were drilling for. If we ask around, maybe we'll find a pattern.”
“Wouldn'tyou rather have Ms. Medford orMr. Hansondo that?”
“DidI say their names?”
“No,”I lick my lips, “butthey have seniority.They head up the legal team. Howdo you think it’s going tolook if you're assigning me such a big job?”
Dmitri moves closer, one slow step at a time, his gaze never leaving mine. “Itwill look like the brilliant newadditionto our legal team saved all of ourassesduring an illegal raid of our headquarters while other members of the team were in a different state taking care of a business dealandin court defending us against peoplewhowant to take us down. You were, by the way, absolutely incredible in the interrogation room against the captain and the DA.”
“You'rejust saying that.”I swallow, licking my lips again as he comes to stand in front of me,lookingdown into my face. My gaze darts to the side to make sure the blinds are drawn across the windows looking out on the executive floor.
“Idon't say anything I don't mean.”The words have a spark of warning to them. Dmitri doesn't like to be questioned. He's made that much very clear.
I think about what he said to Dean before we walked out of the police station:You lost one hell of a woman.
Dmitri’s too close for me to think about anything beyond that. His hands come up to grip my waist and?—
I spin away at the knock on the door, my fingers touching my lips that he managed to brush with his own before the interruption. Damn it. How does he put me under a spell like that? How does he manage to make me feel like I have no brain power left when he's that close? Am I so attracted to him that I become a bumbling idiot whenever he's around, like somehornyteenager? I thought I was far past that.
Dmitri glances at me, a flash ofannoyancebefore he turns to face the door and says, “Comein.”
A woman bustles in, bringing an almost manic energy with her. She's wrapped in a thick wool coat. Her blonde hair is swept up into an elegant bun, an expensive handbag clutched in her fingers..
It takes me a moment, but I recognize the woman, her high cheekbones so perfect they look like they've been carved. She has full plush lips andSlavicfeatures. I've seen that face on the cover of gossip rags and society pages at checkout counters andnewsstands.
She hurries across the roomto Dmitri, stretching out her arms to take hold of him in an embrace that looks intimate.
“Dimochka,”she says as she looks into his face, her expression one of emotional anxiety. “Iheard what happened yesterday. How awful. They can't possibly have anything on you, can they?”
“I'mfine, Natasha.” Dmitri'svoice is pleasant but cool. Not at all what I would have expected for the familiarity with which the woman greeted him.“Everythingis fine. It's been taken careof. It was merely a fishing expedition. You know they're always trying to take me down.”
“I'mso glad to hear that.”The woman seems genuinely concerned, further relief in her expression as she gazes upat Dmitri'sface. And then, right in front of me, she reaches up and kisses him on the lips.
My heart jumps to my throat, my chest clenching tightly as my hand unconsciously travels to my stomach and what I know is there. I'm not supposed to be seeing this. This is none of my business. Did he cheat on her? With me? AmIthe other woman?
