All too soon the limousine slid to a halt in the forecourt of their office block, where within minutes they reached the bank of elevators to take the first available one to their designated floor.
‘Have Louise send in coffee, and arrange for food to be delivered here at six,’ Alexei instructed, shooting her a glance as they approached his office. ‘If you’ve made arrangements for tonight...cancel them. We’ll be working late.’
‘Tonight isn’t convenient for me.’ It was a retaliatory answer, despite being politely couched. More than anything she wanted to finish what was left of the working day, drive home, soak in a hot bath, then crawl into bed.
‘Make it convenient.’ Without a further word he moved to his desk and opened his laptop.
She was so tempted to utter a comeback, and almost did. Instead she turned away, effected an expressive eye-roll, stepped into her office and summoned Louise, who raised an eyebrow and offered, ‘You look ready to slay dragons.’
For a few seconds she contemplated her weapon of choice...not that it changed anything, but the image of winning provided momentary satisfaction.
‘The CEO requests coffee asap.’
‘Hot, black, strong. Got it. Anything else?’
‘Dinner for two, to be delivered here at six p.m.’
Louise glanced up, pen poised over her iPad. ‘Sourced from where? Preferences?’
Natalya named a nearby restaurant, specified orders, and waited until Louise retreated before allowing herself a faint smile.
Choosing Alexei’s least favourite food would afford a slight victory of sorts...and if challenged, she had the perfect answer.
Meanwhile she compiled notes on an extensive report, and transferred it to Alexei’s laptop.
Dedication was key, and it said much for her stoicism that she achieved an enviable workload. What was more, she managed cool...albeit polite cool.
By five-thirty most of the office staff had departed for the day, and promptly at six an alert came through announcing their dinner delivery.
Natalya checked the foyer camera onscreen, cleared the delivery, then went to Reception. Minutes later she collected two containers of food, paid the delivery guy, returned to her office and alerted Alexei.
‘Take it through to the staff room. We’ll eat there.’
Not if she could help it. ‘I’ll take a half-hour break at my desk.’ Plus strong coffee and more painkillers.
Alexei spared her a brief glance as she deposited his food within reach, inclined his head in acknowledgment, and returned his attention to the screen.
Witnessing his reaction when he checked his meal would have been a plus. Although the visual aspect was less important than the deed itself.
The evening ran longer than anticipated, the pace full on...so much so, she began to suspect deliberate payback. Yet she refused to bend, achieving everything he threw at her until enough was enough.
With care she closed her laptop, stood to her feet and extracted her bag.
‘You have a problem?’ His voice was pure silk. ‘We’re not finished.’
Her gaze met his, fearless, unequivocal. ‘I am.’
The air appeared to chill a little, and she stiffened her shoulders against the icy finger feathering down her spine.
‘Angling for dismissal?’ Alexei posed quietly as she stepped towards the door.
‘Be my guest.’ A foolhardy response, but right at that precise moment she didn’t care.
‘We both know that isn’t going to happen.’
Natalya swung round to face him, and for an infinitesimal instant the atmosphere became electric. Her eyes met his in open defiance, silently daring him to react.
His eyes hardened, and a muscle bunched at the edge of his jaw. ‘Think before you indulge in a war of words.’
‘Really? Why?’
He waited a beat. ‘Give it up, Natalya.’
‘And if I don’t?’
He didn’t answer. There was no need.
She could plead exhaustion, a throbbing headache...she should probably apologise.
Instead she did neither, supremely conscious with every passing second of being alone with him in an empty suite of offices...no phones ringing, smartphones chirping or the buzz of background noise.
Were there others working in the building, putting in the hours? Who would know?
‘Fifteen minutes should wrap it up for the night.’
Refuse or comply? The reality being comply...which she did, with a measure of reluctance. ‘Fifteen. Not a minute more.’
Natalya caught his studied appraisal, met it briefly, checked her watch, then she returned to her office.
Precisely fifteen minutes later she shut down her laptop, pushed it into her satchel, gathered her bag, closed her office, stepped along the corridor...and found Alexei waiting in Reception.
‘Thank you.’
It was an unexpected courtesy, and she found herself examining his tone for any hint of an edge, discovered none apparent, and merely inclined her head as she proceeded through the entry foyer to summon the elevator...which, despite a silent prayer, failed to appear within seconds, and left her little option but to share as Alexei appeared at her side.
Fate chose that precise second for the lift doors to open. Of course...what else?
Alexei stepped into the electronic cubicle and indicated the instrument panel. ‘Which basement level?’
‘Three.’
The small confines merely emphasised their isolation, and she hated his close proximity, the subtle aftershave which, unbidden and unwanted, succeeded in heightening her senses.
Nothing more than a temporary madness, she dismissed, more relieved than she was prepared to admit when the elevator slid to a halt.
The level was well lit and almost empty, given most of the building’s staff had vacated hours ago.
With a brief goodnight, Natalya moved quickly towards her BMW, aware he remained at her side, and she pressed the remote button to deactivate the car’s locking system, heard the resultant chirp and leant forward to open the door at the same time as Alexei did.
The touch of his hand on her own sent heat searing through her veins, and she quickly snatched her hand free, shaken by her reaction.
Worse, the unwanted flare of emotion deep within.
Get real. You have every reason to hate him, remember?
And she did, really she did.
So why was she temporarily locked into immobility?
Without a word she slid in behind the wheel, inclined her head in silent thanks as he closed her door, and she ignited the engine, eased the car out of the parking bay and resisted the desire to speed.
‘Idiot,’ she muttered beneath her breath, unsure whether the castigation was against Alexei or herself.
Both, she decided as she reached street level and joined the stream of traffic.
Ollie offered a plaintive miaow as Natalya unlocked the front door, and she scooped up his furry body, ran a gentle finger down his throat, sensed rather than heard his responsive purr, latched the door, then entered the kitchen, checked his dry food feeder and water bowl.
Stilettos off, briefcase deposited in her home office, then she headed through her bedroom to the adjoining en suite bathroom.
A leisurely shower, pyjamas, channel-surfing the TV, then hitting the bed were all on her agenda.
It had been a long day...not so much in hours, per se, but the pace. Achieving in one day what would have taken a minimum of several days during her father’s regime, interrupted by over-long lunches, time out for one innocuous reason or another.
With hindsight it had been she who’d attempted to adopt a more businesslike attitude in preceding months leading towards the forced sale of Montgomery Electronics.
/> Takeover, she mentally corrected. Engineered by Alexei via an agent.
Payback. Undoubtedly justifiable revenge on Alexei’s part...from his perspective.
How many nights had she lain awake wondering how their lives might have been if she’d been able to reach him when she first discovered her pregnancy?
Five years had passed, time during which she’d carried on with her life, and managed just fine, she added silently...until Alexei reappeared on the scene.
Disturbing her peace of mind, her emotions.
In a deliberate ploy to unsettle her? Subtly remind her of what they’d once shared? The passion...the love.
A time when she could read him so well. The teasing gleam in his eyes, the curve of his mouth when he smiled. The barely disguised passion...a reminder of what they’d shared, and would again. Soon.
The light touch of his fingers as he trailed them down her cheek to cup her jaw, the slight pressure as his eyes darkened with passion...the light brush of his lips as they teased her own. The moment teasing became more...so much more there was no sense of time or place. Only pleasure of the senses, escalating until clothes became an unwanted restriction to be discarded at will...slowly, tortuously. Or almost torn with urgent hands until they each stood naked, exulting in the magic freedom of skin against skin and the mutual delight of touch to explore, tantalise and exult in mutual passion.
Natalya closed her eyes in a bid to dispense the memory, only to fail miserably.
Alexei’s image was there, embedded in her mind, surfacing from a past for which there could be no return. Even now...especially now, there was a part of her that ached for what they had shared.
A past where she could read him so well, aware of the simplicity of curling her hand into his, the subtle trail of his fingers as they brushed her cheek.
Dear heaven, the quiet promise of how their day would end, the love they’d shared—so deep and all-consuming neither had any doubt it was the for ever kind.
Only for Alexei to suddenly disappear...and her world turned upside down, when hope died, together with the fact she needed to get on with her life.
During the past four years Natalya had studied advancement potential in existing technology—projecting how it could and would aid production. Increasing her knowledge in the field of electronics, creating ideas for media attention, publicity via donations to worthy charities...in each of which Roman showed little interest.
Her suggestion she join the directorial board had been dismissed out of hand. Reason being Roman was inured in the theory he had everything under control, and when he chose to retire, the lead role would justifiably be filled by a man.
Women, while delightful creatures, inevitably became tied up in relationships and/or marriage and children. Ergo, their attention became divided.
Natalya’s rebuttal in naming women with high profiles worldwide who successfully managed both with admirable acclaim had been airily dismissed, followed by a reassuring pat on her shoulder and the words...together we make a good team. Why change?
Because if you don’t, the firm will become vulnerable.
Words she had uttered at the time, to no effect whatsoever.
Never going to happen, Roman had assured her.
How wrong her father had been, Natalya reflected as weariness won and sleep provided a blissful escape.
* * *
Reflection served no purpose, Natalya decided as she guided the BMW through heavy traffic clogging main arterial roads leading from the city at another day’s end.
A day fraught with action, demands which tested her ability to keep up with Alexei’s instructions...so much so, tense didn’t begin to cover it.
The man was a machine, geared into top form and take no prisoners mode. So chillingly calm, it sent figurative ice tricking down her spine...together with a degree of sympathy for whoever was his target.
If Alexei’s motive had been an exercise in trialling the limits of her professional endurance...he’d positively nailed it.
There was the need for distraction, preferably something physical, where she could don boxing gloves and rid some excess anger against a punching ball...replacing the ball with a figurative image of him. There was a gym bag packed with clean gear in the boot of her car in readiness for a spontaneous workout should the mood take her...as it did now.
A flyer for a new women’s only gym in a relatively new complex not far from her home had recently popped into her mailbox, and on the spur of the moment she decided to give it a trial.
Attractive signage, she acknowledged as she parked the car and retrieved her gym bag. Uncluttered reception area, boutique style with strategically placed mirrors, an attractive receptionist who took details, offered a friendly spiel, and alerted an attendant to escort Natalya on a explanatory tour of the premises.
Great state-of-the-art equipment, where a few participants played...the only word Natalya could think of, wearing the latest design in imported gym wear, full make-up, hair artfully tied back, at a pace aimed deliberately to avoid a sweat.
Seriously?
Her own dark grey sweat pants and matching sports top would stand out like a sore thumb.
Then she spotted a woman with a camera, and realised an infomercial was in progress.
‘They’re nearly done,’ the attendant relayed quietly as she indicated a passage. ‘The change rooms are accessed to the left. Each cubicle has an individual lock, a cabinet for your personal effects and an adjoining shower.’ She handed over a key, offered a friendly smile. ‘Enjoy your time here. Any questions, just ask.’
Feminine and functional...a pleasant combination, Natalya approved and she donned gym wear, executed a set of warm-up exercises before hitting the gym itself, initially setting a moderate pace before gradually increasing to near professional speed, maintaining it, then easing off. Taking time to hydrate, before moving on to a rowing machine.
Physical exercise, endorphins helped ease stress and tension...a clinical fact, Natalya acknowledged with gratitude as she took a leisurely shower more than an hour later, emerging refreshed, equilibrium somewhat restored by provided liquid lotions, clean casual clothes.
Natalya offered the receptionist a brief smile as she handed in the locker key.
‘That was some workout,’ the attractive blonde relayed with a degree of admiration. ‘I hope you’ll decide to take advantage of our membership.’
Maybe. The venue had high-end equipment, the facilities were fine, and it was close to home. There was no reason why she couldn’t split her exercise regime between her regular gym and this one.
She was almost out of the door when her smartphone beeped with an incoming text, and she checked the screen, recognised the sender’s number, and muttered something unprintable as she reached her car, aimed the remote, heard the resultant chirp, then slid in behind the wheel to check the message.
Current Passport USA Visa departure next week, destination NY. A.
Okay, she got it. Business, with scheduling details to follow.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE REMAINDER OF the week progressed without a hitch as Natalya dealt with work, meetings, together with Alexei’s seemingly incessant instructions. If, as she suspected, he sought to see her fall in a heap as he ramped up the pressure, she took satisfaction in being one step ahead of him by coping admirably...and then some.
The weekend loomed, with nothing planned other than her usual routine, and maybe a call to her close friend, Anja, suggesting they take in a movie currently gaining rave reviews.
Pleasant, low-key, enjoyable.
So why this sudden feeling of restlessness? As if there should be more to her life than a predictable pattern with little, if any variation.
She was happy with the status quo...wasn’t she?
Because it’
s safe, a silent voice taunted.
A conscious choice, she determined. One with which she’d been perfectly content...until now.
The cause, she reluctantly admitted, was Alexei.
There. In her face. Invading her mind...her sleep, as a reminder of what they’d once shared together.
Like she wanted to be caught up in an emotional maelstrom? Alternately dismissing the secret yearning deep in her heart, and the need to rail against him for causing it.
The electric fire of his touch when their hands met on the door clasp of her car in the bowels of the basement car park, when for one wild unprincipled moment she hadn’t been able to think, let alone move.
Had he felt it, too?
For heaven’s sake, take a reality check.
Alexei’s sole motivation was revenge. Hadn’t he gone to exceptional lengths to ensure he’d covered every possible angle?
So why waste time trying to search for that elusive something that didn’t quite gel?
Worse, why was it she who was paying the price for her father’s indiscretions and financial misdeeds?
Enough already.
Except her weekend plans were felled in one swift stroke with a text message received at ten fifty-three Saturday morning from Alexei demanding she contact him asap.
A soft imprecation escaped from her lips, followed by, ‘Who the hell does he think he is?’
Natalya thrust the phone back into her bag and zipped the compartment.
He could wait.
She was hot, sweaty, in need of a shower and change of clothes following a vigorous hour of squash. There was a sense of satisfaction in taking her time, and she emerged into the reception area to find Aaron waiting for her.
‘Problem?’
‘Is it that obvious?’
‘Uh-huh. You have the look.’
Natalya rolled her eyes.
‘Alexei,’ he concluded. ‘What does he want?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘And you’re not exactly in a hurry to find out.’
Alexei's Passionate Revenge Page 6
