Page 18 of Caught By the Bratva Boss

“How about you, Lily?” Daniil turned his attention to me. “Any riveting gossip? A new lover perhaps?” He stared pointedly down at where Clive’s leg brushed against mine.

Holy Christ, he was jealous. The great and powerful Daniil Popov was jealous because I was sitting next to another man.

“No, sir.” I reached for a drink and took an unhealthy swallow. “No gossip from me. My life is as boring and mundane as ever.”

“Is that so?”

Daniil’s hand came down on my knee and slid upwards.

Fuck.

I quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but everyone was purposely looking away, which meant, of course, that they were all aware of what was happening. Shit, shit, shit. There was nothing discreet about what he was doing, and now the office really would be full of gossip.

What was he thinking? The whole thing about riding up in the elevator together was easily explained away, but his seeking me out and inviting himself to drinks with us couldn’t be, especially with the way he was leaning in close to me.

Daniil seemed to have lost his damn mind, or maybe he just didn’t care about our discreet arrangement anymore.

“Am I going to find panties under this tight little skirt, Lily?” Daniil whispered in my ear. Wildly, I looked around, but everyone was too busy chatting amongst themselves to hear him. Everyone except Claire, who kept looking at us out of the corner of her eyes.

“Of course, I mean,” I blushed scarlet. “Why wouldn’t there be?”

Of course, I knew why he would think I wouldn’t be wearing any, but I didn’t want to have that particular conversation in front of my work friends.

“Oh, I don’t know.” His fingers crept up my thigh. But the tight material of my skirt stopped him from spreading my legs. “Because you’re here, and so am I. And my hands are on your body, and you are trying not to tremble.

Or maybe you are wearing this fucking skirt that shows off all of your curves for someone else. Maybe him.” He glared at Clive and lifted an eyebrow in a silent question, but didn’t say anything. “Maybe you snuck out of the office to be with him. Is that why you left without my permission?”

I balked. “Without your permission?” I hissed back. “My shift was over.”

“Out.” Daniil stood up so suddenly that his chair almost fell back. “Everyone out.”

“Wait, what?” Claire was the first one to speak. “You can’t be serious.”

“Deadly.” Daniil didn’t even look at her. “There’s a bar two blocks over that I own.” His voice rose. “Everyone can drink there, my treat.” He motioned with his hand, and three men appeared, moving from table to table and around the bar, they began to herd people out of the door.

And not one person argued with him. That was how powerful he was. Danill Popov wanted something, so he took it. It was a scary thought. Leaning down, I went to gather up my purse and follow my friends out.

“And where do you think you are going, Miss Ridgeway?” Daniil stepped into my path and blocked my escape.

“You wanted everyone out,” I whispered, keeping my eyes on my shoes and not looking at him directly.

“Yes, everyone but you,” he drawled. “You sit right there.” He pointed to my chair, and I fell into it with a sigh.

This was going to be bad. Really bad

“Lily?” Claire called out after me even as she was dragged away by one of Daniil’s suited goons. “I’ll be fine. “I said with a forced smile. “I will call you later.”

God, I hoped that was true. I really hoped that everything was fine, but I doubted it.

Daniil looked pissed. “Now.” He turned to me the moment the door was locked, and the last of the people had been escorted off the premises. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Chapter Eight

Lily

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

I stared at him open-mouthed. I wasn’t sure if I had heard him correctly.