“No, I won’t do it. You can’t make me sign anything. I’m not taking the money and if you keep pushing this, then I’m walking away from all of this.”
His jaw tightens.
“I am serious as a heart attack. There isn’t a single thing you can say to make me change my mind. You put a contact in front of me and you’ll never see me again. I promise you that.”
The elevator doors open. Ivan hits a button and they close, but we don’t move. He takes a breath so deep his massive chest bulges with it, then stares me down. I lose track of time, neither of us move. Closing his eyes, he lowers his head to mine. I wonder if he will let me go. Those bees are back and frantic with fear.
He opens his eyes, only inches away from mine. I get lost in their depth. “You do not tell a soul.”
I nod a fraction of an inch.
“Until Mishka is no longer an issue, you keep up the pretense.”
Another nod.
“You belong to me.”
I smile this time as I nod.
“One warning, love: if I am crossed, I am relentless in ensuring a deep and abiding regret in the person who did it.”
“I have no doubt about that,” I whisper. I think I manage to hide the shiver the threat sends down my spine.
His kiss is deep, drugging, and doesn’t last nearly long enough. “Fine, no contract on paper.”
Letting me go, he hits the button and the doors open. People are standing outside staring curiously. Ivan doesn’t even notice them, just takes my arm and steers me through the crowd. In the car, he makes a call, letting his lawyer know he is cancelling the appointment, it is no longer necessary.
Once we’re in the elevator at work, I admit I’m worried about what Tim will say, or think of me.
“No worries, Tim is professional. He has already sent me a text of congratulations after asking if there was anything further I would be willing to comment once the press reached out to the office. At the same time, he expressed how it was not a surprise at all.”
Ivan shakes his head, with a smile. “I was sure I managed to hide my attraction to you. It would appear I was wrong. Speaking of, I have an interview today. Hopefully, this person will be the one to get you back downstairs.”
I flash him a hurt look.
He pinches my ass. “Having you around is painful for my cock, my love. It is about self-preservation.”
I laugh. “You’re so dirty.”
“And you love it.” The elevator opens and we both sober as we step out.
***
Christina
The day passes like any other, except I’m kept on a low hum of need as Ivan succeeds on every level. Every step I take I feel him inside me; if for a moment I lose focus, the bites on my ass taunt me. It’s a little bit of heaven and hell. Every time I think of it, awe fills me at how much Ivan wants me, how voracious he was for not just my body but me. Mr. He-Only-Fucks, One-Night-and-Done. Ivan isn’t a liar; all of that might have been what he thought he wanted, but it isn’t what’s happening right now.
My ring catches the light and I glance at Tim to make sure he doesn’t see me run a finger over it. I still can’t believe Ivan bought it. It’s not the price of it, it’s that he cared enough to get it.
He could have splashed out on some big, fancy, boring diamond, but he hacked my damn account and went looking through my boards. I’m not even mad about the hacking, at this point nothing he does surprises me anymore. It does make me wonder if...okay, stop it. Stop now, get back to work.
It’s almost odd how normal the day is, as if it were any other Tuesday. I see the interview Ivan has for the applicant is at four thirty. Out of curiosity I look through the file compiled on her, sent from the Valdez security company Ivan uses. Huh, she seems perfect for the job.
Right now, she’s the personal assistant for another CEO of a fortune 500 company here in Chicago. A position she’s held for four years. Indications are she’s leaving because she was denied a raise she felt she was owed. Checking her pay rate, I understand her feelings: she’s making almost twenty grand less than what she will earn working for Ivan. Then I get to the last page, it’s a badge picture. Motherfucker, she’s gorgeous and only thirty-two years old.
My stomach twists at the idea of her working with Ivan. I go back through her file because I could have sworn I saw it, and damn it. She’s single, after a divorce two years ago.
Stop it, Christina, he’s moved you into his home after never even having a woman spend the night. I take a deep breath. There’s no guarantee he will even like her. The man is incredibly picky when it came to assistants. I would have thought he would have chosen at least one from the three who have interviewed so far. An email comes through from Ivan asking for research. I close out of the f