Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Varlam
I gripped the back of Briony's neck and crushed my mouth to hers, cutting off that sharp tongue mid-taunt.
I pinned her against the elevator wall, palm sliding down the soft curve of her waist. She froze, then fisted my shirt and dragged me closer. She bit my lip, channeling all that fury written across her face. Her breath came hot, muffled gasps squeezed out between our locked mouths.
But it wasn't enough. I wanted to hike up her skirt, watch those stubborn eyes that always glared at me lose focus in desire. I could already picture the nights we'd shared—how she trembled in my arms, how she called me a bastard even as she refused to let go.
The elevator was perfectly narrow. No witnesses, no escape. She'd be trapped against my chest until she couldn't spit out another barbed word.
These fantasies burned fierce in my head, but in reality, I kept a step between us.
Briony didn't speak again either. Her chin stayed tilted up, stubborn. Every emotion she felt was written plain on her face, yet she pretended nothing could touch her. I stared at her lips again. If I'd kissed her just now, they'd be swollen and red.
Fuck, this was unreasonable.
Images from those past nights flooded back. Tangled blonde hair, burning skin, her hands gripping my shoulders. And that voice in the dark when she said my name—completely surrendered.
My body tightened fast. I looked away, yanked my tie loose, trying to let some air into the suffocating space.
I wasn't some horny kid thinking with his dick.
I hadn't forgotten why I'd left in the first place.
I focused on the floor display. The elevator would reach the ground soon.
The doors would open, fresh air would rush in, and everything would settle.
Then I'd take the clothes from Gleb and bring them up to Brinny.
But ten seconds, twenty seconds. The numbers didn't change. Two minutes ticked by on my watch, and the display stayed frozen.
No subtle vibration of mechanical motion, no chime announcing arrival. Just the hum from the ventilation.
"The elevator's stuck." I scanned the space, reaching the obvious conclusion.
Briony's eyebrow twitched. "You sure?"
"I don't think that's something I'd misjudge."
"Guess you don't inspect things before you buy them." Her gaze settled on the sealed doors.
"Not the best time to mock your boss."
I stepped to the control panel and hit the emergency call button.
"Maintenance center, please state the situation." A man's voice crackled through seconds later.
"Elevator's stopped on twenty. Car's not moving."
"Sir, please do not force the doors open. Monitors show the car is stationary, safety mechanisms haven't triggered. Maintenance is on the way." His voice pitched up urgently. "Personnel will arrive within ten minutes. Please remain calm."
I released the button. Silence filled the elevator again.
"Bad timing." Briony leaned against the opposite wall, offering me a cold smile. "Someone left a poor, helpless woman alone in his office. Now he can't get back to her."
She was openly gloating, this thorny girl.
"Such a worry." She blinked those wet eyes, continuing her act.
Her words compressed with the stale air in my lungs, then exploded in my chest. I ripped off my tie and dropped it on the floor.
Briony's eyes tracked the dark fabric down, then snapped back up. She finally realized I was closing in, with nowhere to retreat.
I braced one hand beside her, snatched the folder from her arms with the other. Papers scattered on the floor.
"What are you doing?" She sucked in a breath.
"Who said I'm going back?" I leaned close to her lips.
She had to tilt her face up to meet my eyes, nose nearly brushing my jaw. This distance finally cracked that aggressive expression, the overhead light exposing the gleam in her eyes.
"Aren't you?" She kept pushing. "Your ex-girlfriend's waiting for you."
"Since when does my assistant decide where I should be?"
"I'm just reminding you not to forget important people, Mr. Petrov."
"Important people." I echoed her words, thumb grazing her lower lip. "You seem very clear on who matters to me."
She turned her head, dodging my touch. Her resistance shredded what was left of my control. I cupped the back of her head and sealed my mouth over those flushed lips.
"Mmph!" Briony struggled, fists pounding my chest.
But I wasn't giving her an escape. I applied more pressure, pried her teeth apart, tongue invading her mouth to steal her breath. She bit down hard—my tongue stung with pain. Blood bloomed metallic between our lips.
I didn't pull away. I gripped her jaw, kissed her more viciously. Swallowed that blood along with her anger and resistance.
Her struggling weakened as oxygen ran out. This was the quiet I wanted. No sarcasm, no goddamn "Mr. Petrov," just her ragged breathing and sweet saliva.
When the kiss finally broke, she'd gone soft. I shoved her against the elevator wall, wedged my knee between her thighs. One hand slipped inside her blouse, kneading her breast through the bra, while the other slid up her skirt toward her panties.
She was wet. She shuddered when I touched her.
"Your body's honest, even if your mouth lies." I rubbed my thumb over the damp fabric. "You want this. So why the hell are you refusing me?"
"I'm not your toy." Her voice shook. "Someone you play with when you're bored, toss aside when you're done. Go back to Brinny. Do this to her."
"You're mine, Briony." I pressed harder, drawing a gasp from her throat. "Say it."
"I'm not—"
I clamped my hand over her mouth. My other hand kept working, rubbing her clit through the soaked fabric while my teeth closed on her nipple through the thin blouse. She got wetter with every stroke.
The heat of her soaked through the thin barrier of her panties, the fabric already clinging to her folds like a second skin.
I circled that swollen bud slowly at first, then harder, feeling the way her hips gave a helpless little jerk against my knee.
Her breath came hot and ragged against my palm; every time my thumb dragged over her clit she made a muffled sound that vibrated straight into my bones.
I shifted my weight, pinning her more firmly, and rolled the stiff peak of her nipple between my teeth until the silk of her blouse was damp from my mouth.
Her body arched, thighs clamping around my leg as if she could stop the friction—or maybe chase it.
I didn't give her the choice. My fingers pressed deeper into the wet cotton, spreading her open just enough to feel how slick she'd already become, then dragged back up to torment that sensitive spot again.
She couldn't take it—bit down on my palm. I didn't let go. My fingers hooked into the elastic of her panties, started pulling them down.
The overhead lights died.
"What the—" My words cut off as the floor vanished beneath my feet. The elevator plunged.
"Ah!" Briony's scream pierced the darkness. "What's happening?"
My body reacted before my brain caught up. I wrapped my arms around her and dropped into the corner, hand cradling her head, my back and shoulders shielding her. If the cables snapped, I'd hit the metal wall first. She'd be protected beneath me.
"Don't be scared, Briony," I called her name.
But she didn't seem to hear. Her fingers clawed into my shirt.
"Are we going to die? Varlam, the elevator keeps falling..." Briony shook violently.
Metal screeched from all sides, sharp as a blade scraping bone. Weightlessness yanked my stomach toward my throat.
"Briony!" I shouted over the mechanical roar. "Stay calm!"
The safety brake engaged with a heavy slam. The car jerked to a stop. Emergency lighting flickered twice, then held, casting her pale face in sickly yellow.
"It's over." I patted her gently.
"Sir, can you hear me?" The maintenance voice crackled from the speaker. "The control system malfunctioned. Safety brake has engaged. Please stay in the corner. Don't move."
"What the hell happened!" I stared at the chaotic flashing lines on the display.
"Unable to confirm at this time. The malfunction is more complex than estimated. We're locking down the car's position. Another drop is possible." He paused half a second before continuing.
The last trace of color drained from Briony's lips.
"Maintenance team has entered the external shaft area." He quickly added, "As long as the safety brake holds, the car is temporarily stable. Take care of yourselves. We'll maintain communication."
"We're finished. We're going to die here. Rory will cry. People will just pull two corpses out of this elevator." Her voice sounded torn.
"You're not going to die." I pressed her forehead to my chest, trying to calm her terror.
"You can't promise that." Her voice broke, tears soaking my shirt. "You can order employees around, buy companies, make everyone listen to you. But you can't command a broken elevator."
My heart clenched. She was right. This was reality. We could plummet at any moment and be crushed.
But Briony was terrified, and I had to do something. I cupped her jaw, made her look at me.
"Listen carefully." I held her lost gaze. "As long as I'm breathing, I won't let you die."
"Varlam—" She choked out a hoarse sound.
"I'm getting you out. You're going home. You're going to keep taking care of Rory. Nothing changes."
I watched the light slowly return to her eyes. But I knew she didn't fully believe me. Or rather, she didn't believe we'd survive this.
I lowered my head and captured her lips gently. Her cold mouth trembled beneath mine. I kissed her slowly, gave her air, gave her time, gave her something to hold onto.
Briony's arms circled my neck. When she began tentatively responding with her tongue, I felt like I'd come home.