LOGINAnnaI glance at the clock for the twentieth time in the last ten minutes and silently beg it to go faster. Shockingly, it does not comply.“Oh, my, I’m so sorry, Anna.” Mack taps a stack of papers on the table in front of him. “Are we keeping you from something more important?”Yes, asshole—actually, you are. “Of course not,” I dismiss with a wave of my hand. “I want to make sure we get this show smoothed over, but I—”“You’re damn right, you need to smooth this over!” Hermes shoots his assistant a hard glance before turning his impatience on me. “We’re already wasting thousands of dollars on adjusting the advertising campaign. Not to mention the hours of humiliation explaining to our investors why their favorite actor will not be featured.”Blair’s grin reaches her ears, but not her eyes. She’s juuust this side of shredding both men with her bare hands. “I’m sure they all understood why you’re not supporting the work of a sexual predator.” She gasps like she was just struck with in
ViktorArlo and I knock back our shots at the same time. "Well, since you've come such a long way," I offer, "it's only right I give you a tour myself."Arlo gestures for me to lead the way. His men don't speak a word as they follow close behind, so neither do my siblings."We're processing an import shipment right now." I nod at the cargo plane currently being unloaded by our warehouse team. "I'm working on obtaining a new government contract that will allow for more domestic manufacturing. More revenue, guaranteed.""Government?" He frowns. "That sounds risky.""It is. But that's why it's brilliant: there's no way a guy running illegal weapons imports would invite the feds into his operation.""Hiding in plain sight. I like it.""By the time anyone catches on—if they ever catch on—we'll have more than enough legitimate transactions between Ivanov International and the United States military to throw significant weight around. Who wants to explain to the general public why they armed
ViktorThe new imports arrive without issue. I don't know if Irina had to threaten to castrate a few pilots, but whatever she did, it seems to be working. Business is good.I just wish I could shake this unsettled feeling in my bones."He's here," Rina announces as she joins me in my perch over the hangar. "Waiting in the office.""We're absolutely sure about him?"She frowns. "You know how I feel about absolutes.""That does not inspire confidence.""It also allows for a tiny margin of error. And I do mean tiny. Nikolai ran background checks, even sent out a few of his own men to the motherland for on-site intel. Not to mention my own vetting process, which you know is thorough."My grip on the railing tightens. "A perfect background means he's got something to hide.""Everyone has something to hide." Rina sighs and pulls out her phone. "But if it makes you feel any better, he's not all cologne and rose petals. He grew up with Kostya. Difficult to say if they were friends, but... he'
AnnaWithout waiting for an answer, Viktor steers me away from the slack-jawed senator. He finds a chair against a nearby wall just as the lights dim. I yelp when he pulls me into his lap, but his hands clamped on my waist say he's not letting me go anytime soon.And honestly, I'm not upset about it. My old etiquette teacher would have a heart attack if she could see me now—I'm pretty sure "Don't sit in your date's lap while his massive dick gets harder and harder beneath you" is on, like, page one of the cotillion rulebook—but after that shiver-inducing interaction with the senator, I don't mind if Viktor's wandering hands help me forget being called a "pregnant whore.""You look beautiful tonight." Viktor eases me closer to him, pulling me back until my head lays against his chest. His warm breath fans over my skin as he whispers lightly in my ear.My skirts shift. They've billowed out over most of the chair to the point where we're both pretty much hidden behind them, so I think Vi
AnnaI hate this.Some senator's wife flutters her fake lashes at Viktor and giggles so incessantly, her turkey neck wobbles. "Oh, stop! You're too much!"You're too much, lady. Too much surgery, not enough moisturizer.I almost slap myself for the thought. I cannot stoop to their level. It's too easy, though, especially when half the table is making eyes at Viktor like he belongs on the fucking menu.The other half is eyeing me like I belong in the dumpster.Viktor leans back in his chair and makes a show of wrapping his arm around the back of mine. "If you'll excuse us..." he says while standing. He offers me his arm. "It's been a pleasure."With all the charm and grace of a practiced socialite, Viktor sweeps us away from the table and into the flow of conversationalists eagerly looking for new connections to schmooze."Who was that old guy sitting next to you?" I whisper to him out of pure curiosity. "He looked like he'd seen a ghost.""When you're that close to death's door, you s
AnnaI'm in nothing but my bra and panties when Viktor waltzes into the bedroom an hour later."Excuse you!" I gasp, automatically trying to cover myself.He sighs at me. "Did you just forget all about the baby growing inside you? The one I put there?""There's still a door to knock on!""That would ruin the surprise." He sets the box he's holding on the bed and pulls the lid off. "See? Surprise."My eyes feel like they're about to pop out of my head. "Surprise" is one way to word it.Stunning is another.Viktor lifts the gown by the beaded shoulder straps and draws it out of the box. The straps and bust are completely beaded over a backdrop of taupe satin, a deep V-neck that ends at an empire waist. The rest of the gown is a cloud of chiffon silk. Beneath the dress, still in the box, is a pair of matching beaded flats.With memory foam padding for my aching feet.Bless this man."Here," Viktor says, holding the dress low for me to step into."I can manage myself, you know. Been getti
AnnaAn hour later, Asya and I are busting up laughing while I utterly fail at stuffing the dough for meaty pierogies. I’m either overfilling or rolling the dough too thin, because the membrane keeps breaking no matter how delicately I handle it.“You’re doing much better than I did when I first le
AnnaAnother day, another trudge through the muck of a job I used to love. More and more, I wonder if I ever actually loved it, or if I just loved the freedom away from Collins and my parents and their never-ending attempts to control every last aspect of my life.When the day ends, my afternoon gu
Anna“Ma’am, please. You know I have orders.”“I know.” I take another sip from my travel mug and offer Viktor’s driver a sweet smile. “But as I’ve shared with you before, I’d rather drive myself.”Lev sighs and keeps his hand outstretched as if I’m going to give up and finally return him the car k
ViktorOne would think I’d be in a far better mood.I should be. Anna blushed hard when she saw me at breakfast. As if she knew that I knew, though there’s no way in hell that could be true. She doesn’t have to worry; her secret’s safe with me. For now.What’s killed my good mood is the fact that S







