Chapter 17
Dmitri
I almost lost control and made a pass at Cara right there in my office yesterday.
And I’m fairly confident that she would’ve been completely on board.
Why else would she pose for me after I told her what I’d do with the photos?
Nothing happened yesterday when we were together, but it felt…inevitable, like we were on the verge of finally colliding.
Still, I couldn’t make that final move. What if Annika decided to show up and caught us? What if Karly poked her head in at that moment and saw us?
The office is too risky. If I’m caught, I’m finished.
As hot as it would be to get swept up in the moment, I have to be smart about what I’m doing. If I’m caught, I’m fucked.
I want Cara so badly I came in my hand twice last night and again this morning.
Looking at those images of her beautiful face, remembering her sweet vanilla and cinnamon scent, that short sexy skirt, how could I not fantasize about all the dirty fucking things I want to do to her gorgeous body but never will?
Because business needs to come first. The reason I’m in Vegas must come first. Mikhail was a loyal man, a damn good Pakhan, and my best friend. It’s up to me to find out what happened to him.
“Give me an update,” I say as a small group of my men file into my office before opening hours—Gabe, Mark, Isaak, and Emil.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have much of one, Pak—I mean, sir,” Mark tells me, wincing after nearly saying the title out loud.
Gabe, Isaak, and Emil cast him a disappointed look for the stupid slip.
It’s not official yet, and even if it were, that’s not a word used in public.
“We can confirm that there was not one but two shooters who used long-range rifles.”
Two shooters instead of one. Not exactly helpful.
“We managed to pull some footage from security cameras nearby, but that was a bust. We only caught glimpses of the men dressed in black with masks on,” Isaak reports.
“What about the witnesses? Someone had to have seen something,” I question them, my eyes darting between the four of them.
“Nothing that helps us identify the shooters, sir,” Isaak says before glancing at Emil. “They might’ve seen a suspicious black van in the area, but we can’t confirm that it has anything to do with the shooters since we haven’t got any images of the license plate.”
I quietly grind my teeth together, shifting my eyes away from them as I rack my brain for an answer. I have my list of suspects, but we haven’t been able to tie any of the clues to them so far. We’re taking shots in the dark.
“We need to start talking to some of our greedier friends who keep their ears low to the ground,” I tell them as I sit up in my office chair.
I grab a couple of sticky notes and write down a few names on each before handing them out to my men.
“Talk to these people. Ask if they’ve heard word of an attack against us.
Offer to pay them well for any information they provide. ”
“Should I do this or stay with Ms. Reynolds today, sir?” Gabe asks me.
“I’ll keep an eye on her today,” I reply. “Go talk to those people. If you learn anything of interest, call me immediately. The more time we waste chasing this trail, the colder it gets.”
“Yes, sir,” Gabe replies with a firm nod.
We lost two good men that night. Men who devoted their lives to my family over years and years.
Death is a possible consequence of the job, but if they work for us, their loved ones will never be hungry.
They’ll never suffer from being without a roof over their head.
They’ll have all the support they could ever need.
Those men will be avenged in the end, but we need names first.
“Alright, that’s—”
Before I can finish my sentence, the doors to my office open, making all heads turn that way just as Cara steps inside. Every ounce of air in my lungs disappears as the smooth, bare skin of her lower thighs comes into view.
If I thought the skirt she had on yesterday was teasingly short, this one takes the whole damn cake.
It’s several inches above her knees. Gray. Tight. A little black belt to accentuate her waist.
Fuck.
I clench my jaw as she strides in with a cup of coffee in her hand and a half smile on her face that looks ridiculously sexy.
“Good morning, sir,” Cara greets me before nodding to my men. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
“Morning, Ms. Reynolds,” Gabe responds, while the other three dumbly nod without a word because they’ve probably forgotten how to speak.
“All of you, out,” I order. “Don’t come back until you have something of value to tell me. Expand the search area. I’m tired of you coming up empty-handed.”
All four men quickly leave the room, their eyes lingering on Cara as they pass by her.
When Isaak dares to sneak a look at her ass on his way out, I make a mental note to remind him who signs his paychecks.
“What an interesting choice of attire you’ve chosen today,” I comment as Cara comes closer. She has her auburn hair tied up into a ponytail, exposing the slope of her neck that I’ve been dying to move my lips over.
Instead of staying on her side of the desk like normal, she walks around it toward me, making me tighten my fingers around the arms of my chair in a death grip. She holds the large coffee cup out to me as her smile broadens.
“Do you like it?” Cara asks as her eyes lock with mine. “When I saw it, I thought of you.”
Heat moves throughout my entire body as every cell within me yearns for her. I love that little skirt on her, but all I want to do right now is rip it off. She knows exactly what it’s doing to me.
“It’s probably my favorite thing I’ve seen on you. Besides the red dress you wore to the gala,” I tell her honestly as I take my coffee from her, able to feel the heat of it through the cup.
“I like that one too,” Cara replies before perching on the edge of my desk, achingly close to me. She crosses her legs, making the skirt slide up her thighs even more.
My nails pierce the leather of my chair arms, my pulse thumping hard and fast. How the hell am I supposed to resist her?
I have a small window before the contract is signed. But what if we’re caught? Or Cara tells someone?
I can’t afford loose ends.
I want to trust her, but I can’t fully trust anyone in this world. I’ve been burned enough and have seen enough family members and friends get killed over “trust” to fall for that trick.
“We have a lot of work to do today,” I grit out, trying to focus on anything else but how enticing her soft thighs look.
Cara nods and reaches up to adjust her ponytail, making her nearly see-through white blouse tighten across her chest. “Tell me.”
I lose track of my thoughts for a second as a different image fills my mind. Her in my lap with that skirt bunched up around her waist. Her blouse ripped open. My lips on her bare skin. Her nails digging into my back.
“Dmitri?”
Fuck, just the sound of my name coming out of her mouth makes me spiral. I can’t remember ever wanting someone so badly.
Why does it have to be my assistant? Why does it have to be now when I’m on the cusp of marriage to another woman?
Clearing my throat, I tell her, “My carpenter is nearly finished modifying a few handcrafted pieces. He thinks that they’ll be good to go next week.
I have measurements for the furniture and a list of inventory to be shipped.
I need you to do an estimate of how much product I can move in those secret compartments. ”
Cara’s eyes widen a little. “You already went forward with my idea?”
I tilt my head at her as my brow furrows. “Yes, I said I was interested. You didn’t think I was serious?”
Cara lowers her gaze for a moment and shrugs, dropping the sexy act that she’s been putting on since the moment that she walked into my office this morning. “I guess I’m just used to having my ideas ignored.”
The disappointment in her voice prompts my mouth to wilt into a small frown. “Are you talking about old bosses you’ve had?”
“Yes. And family,” Cara admits before laughing stiffly and shaking her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just…thank you for believing in my idea.”
“There was a time when I felt like that. Ignored. Pushed to the side,” I say before I can stop myself.
I don’t know why I’m so insistent on making her feel better.
“I believed in my own ideas, but I wasn’t taken seriously.
Not until I started doing things myself and showing them why my ideas were better than the rest.”
Cara slowly nods as she listens to my words. “I hadn’t fully proven myself to you, and you still went along with it.”
“Because I’m not as close-minded as the rest,” I say. “I don’t care who the person is behind it or what status or rank they have. I care about the idea. And your idea is going to make us a lot of money.”
Cara smiles, lighting up her eyes. She’s already made me cash and saved me money in the long run thanks to all her help in my business matters. I can’t even imagine what we’ll be able to pull off together as more time passes.
She’s earned every dollar I’ve given her and more. She could have the damn world if she worked for it.
We gaze at each other silently, the air growing thick and heavy between us.
“Any other smart ideas up your sleeve?” I ask her.
Cara hums under her breath as she leans back on her hands, putting her figure even more on display for me. She might as well lie back on my desk at this point. I’m dying to wrap her legs around my waist and tell her what a good girl she is for taking every inch of me.
“I’ve been a little distracted lately,” Cara admits. “But I’ll think about it and get back to you. I’m interested in learning more about how you handle the real estate empire.”
“That’s a lot to teach,” I say as my thumb slowly rubs the leather of my chair arm. The thought of one particular Vegas real estate deal gone wrong cools my libido.
One way or another, I will find out what happened at that casino the night Mikhail disappeared.
The night he was murdered, his body disposed of without a trace.
I just have to keep looking for an inside man to get me access to the casino’s security footage.
It’s proven harder than I thought to tempt Sean O’Malley’s employees.
Despite the depressing direction of my thoughts, or maybe because I need a distraction from them, my aching cock has me making her an indecent offer. “We might have to stay late one night so that I can show you everything.”
“Everything?” Cara replies, her voice sounding breathier than before.
The heat in my body is boiling at this point. I’m already imagining what all we could do together after hours when no one is around.
“Whatever you want,” I tell her.
Cara’s eyes trail down my body to my lap, her teeth subtly catching her bottom lip in a faint bite. She’s trying to kill me.
No. She’s going to get me killed.
A knock on the door makes Cara slide off my desk and busy herself with some paperwork. Karly pokes her head in with a sheepish look on her face. “Ms. Suyunov would like you to answer your cell phone.”
I curl my fingers into a tight fist, resisting the urge to launch my phone out of the nearest window so that I don’t have to speak with Annika. I’ve told her countless times not to blow up my phone while I’m at work.
I nod to Karly, prompting her to quickly shut the door.
“I can give you some privacy,” Cara offers as she raises her eyes to mine.
I shake my head and stand from my seat, grabbing my coffee and my phone. “I need to take a walk, anyway.”
Cara’s gaze trails me as I walk past her to leave my office.
I need to make a move soon. Carefully.
If misery is waiting for me either way, I might as well choose my sin.