Chapter Fourteen
Nikolai
It’s almost two in the afternoon when I enter the building of Watson & Co.
Lauren sits across from her father in the boardroom, nodding at something and jotting down some notes. I watch through the glass window, smirking over the fact that she has no idea that I’m about to enter. I already anticipate her expression. I just hope she keeps it subtle for both of our sakes.
But I’m not here just to piss her off.
After finding out from my conversation with Timur earlier that Charles is associated with my arch enemy, I know that Lauren is in serious trouble. She must not leave my sight, especially now that she’s carrying my child.
Warning her doesn’t seem to be working.
So, it’s time for me to change my approach.
“Thank you,” I say to Danielle as a subtle indicator that I’ll take it from here.
She stares into my eyes and smiles. “You’re welcome, Mr. Rogov.” She takes her leave.
I return to the window, needing to admire Lauren a moment more.
There’s something about watching her when she has no clue I’m there.
Bozhe moy, she looks fucking sensational, even when she’s working.
Just like when she’s sliding up and down my cock.
She handles herself well in the office, sleek, elegant, and maintaining a professional composure.
Today, her brown hair has been twisted back into a clip.
She looks elegant, French even, with her red lips and minimal eye makeup.
She wears a dress, a long one—I see it fall to her ankles underneath the table where a pair of black stiletto heels take up space.
They arch high on her feet, suiting her well.
Blyad.
Why was I here again?
Back to business, mudak!
I straighten my shoulders and give a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
I step inside, and her eyes immediately widen. I see the shock spread across her features, almost making it to her mouth before she shuts it all down and faces the other direction.
Good girl.
“Mr. Rogov,” says Charles, delighted. “Welcome. Please, take a seat.”
“Thank you.” I make sure to take a chair opposite Lauren. Now that I know she can handle herself well, I might as well make some light entertainment out of this, as long as Charles thinks we’ve never met.
“And who is your lovely associate?”
“Ah, yes, this is Lauren. She will be taking care of your portfolio.”
Lauren keeps her eyes focused on the laptop screen. Her old man has no idea that we’ve already… acquainted.
“Pleased to meet you.” I offer her my hand.
She looks up, meeting my gaze directly before glancing at my outstretched hand. No, I will not shake it, is what she’s thinking, but to avoid raising suspicion in front of her father, she knows she has no choice.
She shakes my hand firmly. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rogov.” She smiles but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. As soon as she gets the chance, she drops her hand and returns to her laptop.
I cover my smirk, settling back into my seat. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
“So, Mr. Rogov,” she begins, cutting me off short. “I hear that you’re interested in having us manage some of your investments?”
“Correct.”
She returns to the laptop, her frown deepening. “Horizon Capital is your business?”
“Yes.”
Well, a business front. The investments are clean, the portfolio is respectable. It doesn’t tie to who I really am. That makes it the perfect cover. But they don’t need to know that, especially not Charles.
“Okay,” says Lauren, pushing the laptop away to leaf through some paperwork. “Let’s go over some of the basics.”
She keeps asking me questions. The right ones. She knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s smart, and I can’t help but be impressed.
I watch her turn the documents over in her hand, scanning the text.
What a fucking woman. She’s brilliant. Good at her job.
And let’s not forget about the way she carries herself, too.
Considering she has recently just found out that she’s pregnant, she puts on quite the front.
Also, she hid her surprise well when I made my unexpected entrance.
Why is that? Why is she so good at putting on masks and pretending things are great when they’re not?
I guess part of the reason is that she has her job to distract herself with. She enjoys it—I can tell from the look in her eyes. Passionate people tend to have good posture and keen eyes. It’s a shame she’s under her father’s shadow—I think she’d do much better with a business of her own.
I watch her face and she knows I’m looking because her eyes do that thing where they stare at an inanimate object more intensely. It’s normally the ceiling or the floor, but today it’s the paperwork in her hand.
She’s uncomfortable. It’s entertaining. She sits rigid, her chin tense. Her nose tends to flare too, when I look at her for long periods of time.
I wonder if I’ll get a telling off for this.
I fucking hope so.
“Okay, Mr. Rogov, if you can sign and date here for me, please.” She hands me a pen, and I make sure to brush my fingers over hers as I take it.
Her eyes snap up to me in warning.
Clicking the pen, I scribble out my signature on the dotted line and hand back the document.
She forces a smile. “Okay, that’s all done.”
“Great,” says Charles, standing up to shake hands. “Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Rogov.”
I head to the door when Lauren pushes past me, opening it for me as a way to whisper something in my ear.
Dirty, I hope.
“In my office,” she hisses. “Now.”
I follow her down the corridor until we’re outside. She sneaks me into her office, looking around before she locks the door behind us and draws the blinds.
“I can be quiet if you can.” I grin, leaning against her desk.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demands, her voice low but sharp as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Is this a joke to you? Because I’m not laughing.” There’s steel in her voice.
“It’s called business, lapochka. You’re in the trade. You know how it goes.”
Of course, I’m not going to tell her the real reason I’m here—to figure out how the fuck her old man is involved in Aslanov’s business and to protect her and our baby from whatever’s coming.
She’ll probably make herself even more of a liability if she knows that her father is connected to a rival Bratva organization.
And we can’t be having that.
Her arms hitch higher up her chest. “You know I work here.”
“Which is why I trust you with my investments.” It’s not entirely a lie. She is brilliant at what she does.
This brings a tight smile to her face. “Investments? You mean blood money?”
“All legitimate, I assure you.”
She studies my face, clearly weighing whether to believe me. Her skepticism is written in every line of her expression.
I step away from the desk towards her. “How’s the baby?”
She keeps her back to me, her spine rigid with tension. “Good.”
I take another step in, close enough to feel her back against my chest. I could fuck her like this. Press her up against the desk—she seems to take a liking to flat, horizontal surfaces.
We could have a quickie.
I could roll up her dress to her hips, move her panties aside and stick it in. My cock rises at the thought. I get closer and gently press myself against her back.
She tenses.
I know that she can feel it too. But she steps aside. Quick, deliberate—she’s not running, she’s repositioning.
I bring my arm out, slamming the palm against the cabinet, caging her. I lean in, my mouth getting closer to her ear. Then, remembering my conversation with Timur in Horizon about how to get her to trust me, I pull away.
She spins around, backing into the cabinet.
“Look,” I say, exhaling. “I want to be a part of this. I’ll behave.” One glance at her swollen breasts has me hot and heavy again. “Unless you don’t want me to…”
Her eyes linger on mine.
Then she places both hands on my chest and pushes me back—not frantic, but firm and decisive. Fire flashes across her eyes, turning them a wicked shade of green. They’re still beautiful, nonetheless.
“You have no right to bother me, Nikolai. Showing up at my place, my office. I’m a grown woman. I can do whatever I want.”
I grin. Which only makes her jaw clench tighter.
“Ugh!” She shoves my chest. It’s nothing. I stand the same as before. She could never hurt me, even if she tried. "Don’t." She presses against my chest again, this time holding me at arm’s length. "I’m serious, Nikolai."
"Serious about what?" It’s a rhetorical question. I know what she means. She’s sick of this pull we have. But she cannot stop it.
She stops pushing, staring into my eyes, breathless. The anger fades into something else. Something hot and heavy that causes her pupils to dilate. So, I pull her against my chest and kiss her hard. Fervent.
She seems shocked at first, mouth tensed and not opening all the way. But then she gives in and melts into my kiss.
She moans.
It’s hungry.
Violent, even.
Our tongues battle inside each other’s mouths. The strap of her dress falls off one of her shoulders, revealing her collarbone.
Gripping her waist, I lift her up onto my hips and carry her over to her desk where I set her down.
She spreads her legs and I stand between them, kissing her again.
Something crashes to the ground, a stack of pens, I think.
The room edges out of my vision. Nothing exists.
Just me, her, and this burning ball of energy.
Why won’t she admit that she wants me?
It’s clear that she does.
But it doesn’t matter. It will make her submission that much sweeter. With my balls starting to ache, I drop my hands and wrestle off my belt. She claws her nails into my back. And then she’s pushing me off.
I stand back.
She stares at me, her breath uneven. Her chest heaves as she catches her breath, and her cheeks are flushed.
Before, her hair was all gathered back into the clip, but the accessory has now slid down to the nape of her neck, loose pieces of hair tousled around her face.
Red lipstick smears around her mouth. She looks as disheveled as ever, but beautiful.
“Out. Now.”
Is she fucking joking? It’s bad form to tease when a man has reached a full erection. This must be payback for the other night in her apartment.
She continues watching me like she’s anticipating my next move. I know what she’s thinking. Will I actually leave or will I force myself upon her?
It hurts me that she’s even considering the latter, but I know she is. I see it in her eyes, how they challenge me. She wants me to do something terrible so that she will have a reason to stay away from me.
“Have it your way.” I nod once and take my leave.
I exit her office, smoothing my hair on the way out in case Charles or his secretary happen to catch me.
I’ll go, but not too far away. I hope she knows that.
She’s in trouble, and she still hasn’t realized it. Or maybe she has, she just doesn’t understand the full extent of it. Because as soon as Aslanov makes a move, me, Lauren, maybe even her father will be in a world of shit.
But it’s not just about that anymore. There’s one more reason why I must stay close to her, and it has nothing to do with getting any of us in trouble. She’s pregnant. With my child. And there’s a force between us. A force I’ve never experienced with anyone. Something even stronger than my will.
And it’s pulling me to her, and her to me.