Prima

I felt confident in my speech. I was pretty sure that everyone had been completely and utterly turned around by my words. I couldn’t stop the big grin from spreading across my face. I’d done my best, and I’d make things work no matter how hard it was.

“Yuri,” Jason snapped, completely looking away from me. “If… and I mean if we decide to give Volkov a spot, I’ll expect you to keep a strict eye on the woman. I don’t trust her, and I need someone to ensure she doesn’t fuck up. In fact, if you suspect she might be up to anything unsavory, then I’ll pull her ass off stage so fast her head will spin.” He shot me a dirty look, before continuing, “Forget second chances, I promise you if we offer her this, it will be the only chance she’s going to get. I don’t want any short-term financial gain to have negative long-term effects. I’m not about to have the one special performance allocated this year turn into a shit show. You keep assuring us this isn’t a mistake, and you’d better be right. Your ballerina better not fuck this up.”

I could have left it there, yet I didn’t. I’d listened to Baker and had absolutely no doubt his findings were indisputable. Planting my palms on the table, I leaned forward, pinning the man to his seat with my glare. “I’m only going to say this once, so I suggest you listen and listen well. Threaten me all you want, but I’d better never hear you so much as mention Clara’s name in any disparaging way again. It’s time to set the record straight, which Clara won’t do for herself, but which the entire ballet world should be doing for her. Clara had nothing to do with Lara’s injury, and I believe that everyone in this room agrees or you wouldn’t fucking be here. All Clara is guilty of is dating a man who is a known mobster and then walking away from the one thing she truly loved in order to make damn sure no other ‘accidents’ occurred. She should be given a fucking medal instead of being dragged through that shit you seem so worried about,” I said, each word ringing with the weight of my full belief behind them.

I didn’t move until the ass gave a short, single bob of his head. Only then did I push up and allow Yuri to step forward, shaking hands with everyone as they joined him to stand, smiling as if nothing but sunshine and roses had been discussed.

I was just glad it was over… at least for the time being. I wasn’t fool enough to think all it would take would be a single meeting for the past to be brushed away like some sort of annoying bug. What I knew was the future of Volkov Ballet really did all rest on my shoulders. We wouldn’t be able to bounce back from a scandal as big as Clara being involved in another incident, accident or not, or doing even the slightest thing to bring us bad press.

I really hoped I was right in trusting Clara not to fuck up. Not only did I want to maintain the reputation of Volkov Ballet, I didn’t want to think I’d felt something so deep for someone, was willing to fight to the death for that someone, who was nothing more than a liar and a cheat.15AlekIf I’d not seen much of Clara before, Yuri was making damn sure I saw even less of her now. I was just starting to get used to the idea of not getting any one-on-one time with her. My mind was even almost at the point of accepting that fate might be stating what we had was a one-time thing that would never become anything more. But my body wasn’t buying that lie — not when every time I did catch her eye, I felt that jolt of electricity snapping between us. It was a good surprise when I glanced into the break room as I walked back toward my office after tipping the Uber driver for delivering my lunch to find her standing before the open refrigerator and staring inside.

“Hey,” I said, walking forward and pushing the door closed before lifting the sack I was carrying. “Trust me, there is nothing in there that will match this. Come with me and I’ll share my lunch with you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll have to join me to find out,” I said, bringing the sack to my nose and inhaling deeply before giving a long, exaggerated groan.

“You’re ridiculous,” she said, shaking her head, sending that sexy-as-shit ponytail swishing against a neck I remembered running my tongue along. I had to fight back an almost irresistible urge to nip at the spot where I could see her pulse ticking beneath pale skin.