Yet again, shame came creeping in. Though, he kept on telling himself that he was doing this to make sure he won the war with Eva, guilt had been dogging him for the last few days. The more she told him about Drummond and her life there, the shittier he felt about the fact that her reputation would probably going down in flames with her relationship, because of what he planned to do.
“You okay, man?” Emilio asked him. “You got quiet there all of a sudden. You sure you don’t want me to just look into this boyfriend of hers? It’d be way less convoluted than this plan, and maybe we could come up with something that would sit better with Eva.”
Alexei shoved his hands into the pockets of the linen suit he’d changed into for dinner. “Why should I care what sits better with Eva? This is revenge.”
“Yeah, that’s what you keep on saying,” Emilio said. He made a big deal of straightening out the contracts he’d set out for Alexei to sign, “But usually true revenge doesn’t involve signing an oil company over to a girl and then breaking up her relationship.”
“My intention is to destroy her relationship, not her reputation. This will ensure that she’s not shunned by the town of Drummond.” He paraphrased what Eva had told him. “Small towns are not like big cities.”
“Again, revenge usually doesn’t entail protecting the reputation of the person you’re getting back at.”
Alexei ignored him and skimmed over a copy of the contract. “This looks like it is all in order. I will let her know tonight. You can bring the papers up tomorrow morning and we will sign them then.”
Emilio just shrugged, not saying anything.
And Alexei slammed the contract back on the table, more irritated by Emilio’s unspoken judgment than he cared to admit. “By giving her Drummond Oil she will always know it is I who holds all the power where she is concerned and I who chooses how to wield it. Also, it will make it so she does not see my ultimate revenge coming.”
“That’s very romantic,” Emilio said.
“I am not wishing to be romantic. This is about revenge.”
Emilio screwed his face up and looked at the ceiling. “Okay, Lex. I want to be straight with you about a couple of things, but I need you to promise not to fire me first.”
Intrigued, Alexei turned to face his assistant. “Fine, I will not fire you for whatever you say. But only over the course of this meeting.”
Emilio shrugged, apparently deciding to take that. “You can deny it as much as you want, but I haven’t seen you this happy in years. And she might have a boyfriend back home, but when I see the two of you together, I can tell you’re the one she’s in love with.”
A mutinous flare of hope erupted in Alexei’s heart, but he smothered it as fast as he could. “I told you. We are both only pretending.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the way she looks at you, and I don’t think she’s pretending. I don’t think you are either. I think you’re in love with her and she I think she loves you back.”
Alexei wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. “It would never work out,” he said, instead. “She has this boyfriend, and there is too much between us from the past.”
Emilio shook his head, like his boss was being dumb as opposed to perfectly reasonable. “Look, I wasn’t a big fan of how Eva dumped you either. But I liked her before that, and I thought she was a decent human being. From what I can tell, she’s grown up and she’s made a lot of good changes in her life. She helps others for a living, she’s funny, and not to overstep my bounds, but she’s really easy on the eyes. I know this isn’t in your book of business tactics, but maybe you could think about letting what she did go. She was young, you were young. If forgiving her means you guys can stay together, then maybe it’s time to let go of the revenge plan.”
Alexei’s heart warred with his business senses. He wasn’t the kind of man who just let things go. He hadn’t gotten to where he was by letting his enemies go unchecked. But he could not deny he wanted more from Eva. Not just more vacation time, but more time with her. Despite his constant self-remonstrations not to do so, he could already see he was well on his way to falling ragingly, irrevocably, head over heels back in love with her. But…
“Even if I forgive her, how can I convince her to leave her current relationship for me?”
“Well, this is a pretty good start.” Emilio tapped on the contract. “Maybe just tell her about it tonight, and then just…I don’t know, be real with her, I guess.”
Alexei stroked his newly-grown beard, considering this advice, then he said, “You will continue to serve as my assistant for the next two weeks. During that time you will find your replacement.”
Emilio’s face fell. “You said you wouldn’t fire me for talking straight to you.”
“I am not firing you,” Alexei informed him. “I am promoting you. You are the first business associate other than my uncle who has given me his honest opinion in years. Also, if I end up green-lighting a Dallas off-shoot of Rustanov Enterprises in order to be closer to Eva, I will need to leave someone in charge of the New York offices.”
“Are you kidding me?” Emilio said, his mouth wide open.
“As you know, I do not kid.” But the sternness in his voice was betrayed by the smile on his face when he said, “Now, I must go convince Eva she should be with me.”
Chapter Seventeen
EVA liked The R’s flagship restaurant much more when it was dimly lit and filled with people. They were once again shown to the same table by the window, but this time the sun was setting, casting the beach beyond the window in a romantic orange light.
Also, this time, Alexei insisted on pulling out her chair himself, in yet another romantic gesture.
“Thanks,” she said as she sat down. “But you really don’t have to fuss over me.”
He sat across from her, and answered in his usual stern way. “I find I like fussing over you. Do not deny me the pleasure.”
She smiled. “Well, when you put it that way, I don’t want to be rude.”
They were interrupted by the waiter who told them the specials of the day before asking if they needed a few more minutes.
“Nah, I’m good with the best steak you have,” she answered, handing him back the menu.
“I will have the same,” Alexei said, handing him his menu as well.
After the waiter was gone, she took his hands in hers and leaned forward to whisper, “Um, why was I giving you such a hard time about bringing me back here, again? Because let me tell you, this sunset is gorgeous.”
“I have no idea,” he whispered back. “Maybe you should listen to me more often.”
Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Last I checked, I’ve been listening to you plenty this vacation. My back’s still hurting from listening to you in the shower, on the living room floor, and on that dang deck chair this morning.”
“Then after dinner, you may listen to me in a bed. It is the least I can do.”
Her lips twitched with the effort to keep from laughing. “Thank you, kind sir. You’re so good to me.”
But then the amused light faded from his eyes. “Eva, I could be good to you. Even better than now.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” she said. “But I’m looking forward to you proving me wrong before our vacation is over.”
He didn’t wink or even smile back. “I am transferring ownership of Drummond Oil over to you.”
Her heart thudded into her stomach. “What!?”
“I do not like the way you are treated in your small town. This will give you the leverage you need to demand respect without needing to run again.” He said this as if he were granting her a small favor as opposed to handing over ownership of a multi-million dollar company.
She blinked at him. “Are you pulling my leg?”
“I do not tell jokes ever, but this is the second time tonight I have had to tell someone I am not joking.”
Though she was curious about the first time, she stayed on topic. “I don’t know anything a
bout running a corporation.”
“I will help you,” he answered. “I have been thinking of building western quarters of Rustanov Enterprises, and Dallas is as good a city as any other. Of course, I will also retain a large percentage of stock in Drummond Oil and sit on your board.”
She sat back in her seat, already shaking her head. “Which means we’d be in business together permanently.” No, she couldn’t let that happen.
“Would that be so bad?” Something flashed in his eyes, something that looked a lot like hurt.
“This is so generous, but I don’t want to be in business with Rustanov Enterprises.”
His face hardened. “You mean you don’t want to be in business with me.”
She shook her head again. “It’s not a good idea for us to see each other after these two weeks.”
“Because of Aaron?”
“Because of Aaron, because I’m not cut out to run a business of this size even with you consulting, because we agreed this would only be for two weeks.”
His nostrils flared. “What spell has this man weaved over you?”
“Alexei…”
“That you would turn down this significant opportunity.”
“One I didn’t ask for,” she whispered fiercely, angry at him for putting her in this position.
“That you would run away with him rather than stand up to your father and more importantly for yourself.”
“I’m not running away—“
“That you would deny us—“
She couldn’t take it anymore. “There is no us. We’re just pretending, remember! We’re not together.”
“I am sick of pretending,” he said. “I want you in my life beyond Sunday.”
“Well, you can’t have me! I’m not some company you can just take over. I have a life and people I care about and you are pushing buttons so hard right now.”
In the furious silence that followed, the waiter arrived with their steaks. But perhaps sensing the tension at the table, he set their plates in front of them and made a hasty exit.
After the waiter left, Alexei picked up his fork and knife and said, “I am a man of my word. I will cease pushing your buttons now per our agreement.”
So she had won, but it sure didn’t feel like it when she picked up her own steak knife and fork. They proceeded to eat their dinner, neither of them offering words to fill the awful silence. And though she couldn’t say for sure that Alexei didn’t enjoy his steak, she knew hers tasted like rubber in her mouth.
Chapter Eighteen
THEY didn’t order dessert. Alexei had not been kidding when he said he didn’t want to pretend with her anymore and he had no desire to extend the awkwardness of their dinner. They rode back up to the room on opposite sides of the elevator, both of them keeping their eyes glued to the numbers lighting up on each floor until they finally hit the penthouse.
When they entered the suite, he said, “I have a business email to send. Meet me in the bedroom. I expect you to be naked when I arrive.”
He didn’t turn around to see her reaction to this order, but heard faint surprise in her voice when she said, “Okay.”
After she left, he pulled out his smart phone and sent a text message to Emilio. “Cancel my morning business calls. And make sure I’m not disturbed for the next twenty-four hours.”
He hesitated before typing the next bit. He didn’t want to break his promise, but if he was going to kill the Dallas Times story as he planned to do the next morning, he’d need a Plan B for going to battle with a man who had so far proven to be staunch competition. Also, he was no longer in the habit of not getting what he wanted, and it felt like Eva was leaving him no choice with this Aaron business. In the end, he sent a second text message:
“Also, get me everything you can on her boyfriend. I only have a first name. Aaron.”
With those messages sent, he powered the phone off and headed back to bedroom.
He found Eva on the bed, naked as commanded, but with her knees curled up to her chest and her chin pressed into the valley in between them.
He started to shrug out of his suit jacket, but then on second thought…. “You will take my clothes off for me now,” he told her.
He enjoyed the sight of her unfurling herself from her miserable position and crawling toward where he stood at the edge of the bed before situating herself in a seated position. The bed was just high enough that he could stand easily in the V of her legs, which sent a spike of heat up the shaft of his penis when her naked stomach rubbed against it as she pushed the white jacket off his shoulders.
But then she unbuttoned his shirt, so quickly and efficiently, that he bit out, “I see you’ve done this before.”
She looked away from, the sensual light in her eyes fading. “Since you seem intent on making this a pushing buttons sort of night, let me just say I’m sure there are things both of us have done before. And I’m sure your Ms. Threesome knows her way around a button-down shirt herself.”
He smiled, liking her show of jealousy, because at least it proved she cared a little bit, also because he couldn’t imagine commanding Caroline to undress him. With her, there was no back and forth. It was more like a business transaction, in which one party used all the tricks in her bag to satisfy the other. Their dynamic was nothing like his and Eva’s.
“Let us start over,” he said. He wrapped her arms around his waist. “Hello.”
“Hi,” she answered, the sensual light coming back on when she looked up at him.
“I am sorry about dinner,” he said.
She let out a short laugh, laced with relief. “I’m sorry, I’m not really laughing. It’s just I’m not used to hearing you apologize.”
“No, I suppose I have never apologized to you for anything before.” With slow deliberate movements, he stepped away from her to divest of his pants and underwear. And he could not help but smirk a little when her eyes went straight to his very erect cock.
He gently pushed her shoulders, so she was lying on her back. “I am apologizing now.”
In a punctuation of this statement, he bent and dipped his head between her thighs, giving her one long lick from the bottom of her vagina and raking his tongue across her clit on his way to the top. He lapped at her juices, reveling in the way she tasted, delving his tongue deep inside her and swirling it around. It felt like a triumph when she grasped him by the hair and arched her hips into his month.
“Baby,” he heard her whisper. “You are so forgiven.”
For a while there was only the sound of him licking up her liquid desire, which only caused her to release more of her wetness into his greedy mouth, until she began to buck forward with her climax. He placed his hands on her hips, holding her still, so he could continue administering the most intimate of kisses as she cried out with pleasure.
When she was done, he repositioned them on the bed, with him on top, bracing himself on his forearms above her. “Eva, put me inside of you.”
She reached down and wrapped her hand around his cock, guiding it into her slick passageway, opening her legs even further so he could sink in all the way to his balls.
“The way you let me all the way in makes me want to fuck you like this all night long,” he told her, before leaning down to take one of her hardened peaks into his mouth. He laved it at the same slow pace they were moving together on the bed. They both seemed to understand there was something different about tonight. Neither of them would rush, and they would take the time to feel and appreciate the sensations they were giving each other.
“The way you suck on my breasts makes me want to let you,” she told him.
He switched breasts and did the same to the other, before saying, “You like the way I handle you. I am glad.”
“Mmm, so good,” she said, like sex with him was a hedonistic form of the dessert they had just skipped.
He took a moment to admire her, feasting on her pretty face, on how sexy her dark body looked moving against his, before comin
g down to his elbows, which sent him into her even deeper.
She sucked in her breath and then moaned it out. “Oh, baby.”
He laid his forehead against hers, going even slower than before, just trying to make it last as long as possible. Forever if he could. “I’m not trying to take you over like a business,” he whispered against her ear, “I do not just want you. I need you in my life.”
“Alexei…” he heard her say, a sharp warning in her voice.
“You were young when you left, but what you said before is right. You have changed. I can see that now, and I love the person you have become.”
Now she began pushing at him, her hands shoving against his chest, “Alexei, no, don’t got there—“
“I am not giving you Drummond Oil because I want to own you but because I am in love with you. I love you, kotenok. I love you.”
“Drummond!” she said, gasping out the word. “Alexei, get off me. Drummond!”
It took a moment to realize she had just said the safe word he’d given her at the beginning of their two weeks. He immediately stopped moving above her, but she continued to shove at him.
“No, stop. Get all the way out. Let me go!”
She was almost hysterical now, yelling the words at him. And she continued to shove at him even as he pulled out and gave her enough room to sit up in bed.
He reached out, the need to comfort her greater than his confusion, but she slapped his hands away and screamed, “Don’t touch me!” Then she just sat there trembling while she clutched at her heart.
It looked like she was on verge of a heart attack, which made Alexei desperate to ease her pain.
“What did I do?” he asked. “Whatever is, I am sorry and I will fix it. Just let me help you.”
This time when he reached for her, she let him enfold her rigid body in his arms, and eventually she stopped trembling and her breathing gentled.
“I am sorry I upset you,” he said when her body relaxed from what he could only assume had been some kind of panic attack.
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