there others working in the building, putting in the hours? Who would know?
‘Fifteen minutes should wrap it up for the night.’
Refuse or comply? The reality being comply...which she did, with a measure of reluctance. ‘Fifteen. Not a minute more.’
Natalya caught his studied appraisal, met it briefly, checked her watch, then she returned to her office.
Precisely fifteen minutes later she shut down her laptop, pushed it into her satchel, gathered her bag, closed her office, stepped along the corridor...and found Alexei waiting in Reception.
‘Thank you.’
It was an unexpected courtesy, and she found herself examining his tone for any hint of an edge, discovered none apparent, and merely inclined her head as she proceeded through the entry foyer to summon the elevator...which, despite a silent prayer, failed to appear within seconds, and left her little option but to share as Alexei appeared at her side.
Fate chose that precise second for the lift doors to open. Of course...what else?
Alexei stepped into the electronic cubicle and indicated the instrument panel. ‘Which basement level?’
‘Three.’
The small confines merely emphasised their isolation, and she hated his close proximity, the subtle aftershave which, unbidden and unwanted, succeeded in heightening her senses.
Nothing more than a temporary madness, she dismissed, more relieved than she was prepared to admit when the elevator slid to a halt.
The level was well lit and almost empty, given most of the building’s staff had vacated hours ago.
With a brief goodnight, Natalya moved quickly towards her BMW, aware he remained at her side, and she pressed the remote button to deactivate the car’s locking system, heard the resultant chirp and leant forward to open the door at the same time as Alexei did.
The touch of his hand on her own sent heat searing through her veins, and she quickly snatched her hand free, shaken by her reaction.
Worse, the unwanted flare of emotion deep within.
Get real. You have every reason to hate him, remember?
And she did, really she did.
So why was she temporarily locked into immobility?
Without a word she slid in behind the wheel, inclined her head in silent thanks as he closed her door, and she ignited the engine, eased the car out of the parking bay and resisted the desire to speed.
‘Idiot,’ she muttered beneath her breath, unsure whether the castigation was against Alexei or herself.
Both, she decided as she reached street level and joined the stream of traffic.
Ollie offered a plaintive miaow as Natalya unlocked the front door, and she scooped up his furry body, ran a gentle finger down his throat, sensed rather than heard his responsive purr, latched the door, then entered the kitchen, checked his dry food feeder and water bowl.
Stilettos off, briefcase deposited in her home office, then she headed through her bedroom to the adjoining en suite bathroom.
A leisurely shower, pyjamas, channel-surfing the TV, then hitting the bed were all on her agenda.
It had been a long day...not so much in hours, per se, but the pace. Achieving in one day what would have taken a minimum of several days during her father’s regime, interrupted by over-long lunches, time out for one innocuous reason or another.
With hindsight it had been she who’d attempted to adopt a more businesslike attitude in preceding months leading towards the forced sale of Montgomery Electronics.
Takeover, she mentally corrected. Engineered by Alexei via an agent.
Payback. Undoubtedly justifiable revenge on Alexei’s part...from his perspective.
How many nights had she lain awake wondering how their lives might have been if she’d been able to reach him when she first discovered her pregnancy?
Five years had passed, time during which she’d carried on with her life, and managed just fine, she added silently...until Alexei reappeared on the scene.
Disturbing her peace of mind, her emotions.
In a deliberate ploy to unsettle her? Subtly remind her of what they’d once shared? The passion...the love.
A time when she could read him so well. The teasing gleam in his eyes, the curve of his mouth when he smiled. The barely disguised passion...a reminder of what they’d shared, and would again. Soon.
The light touch of his fingers as he trailed them down her cheek to cup her jaw, the slight pressure as his eyes darkened with passion...the light brush of his lips as they teased her own. The moment teasing became more...so much more there was no sense of time or place. Only pleasure of the senses, escalating until clothes became an unwanted restriction to be discarded at will...slowly, tortuously. Or almost torn with urgent hands until they each stood naked, exulting in the magic freedom of skin against skin and the mutual delight of touch to explore, tantalise and exult in mutual passion.
Natalya closed her eyes in a bid to dispense the memory, only to fail miserably.
Alexei’s image was there, embedded in her mind, surfacing from a past for which there could be no return. Even now...especially now, there was a part of her that ached for what they had shared.
A past where she could read him so well, aware of the simplicity of curling her hand into his, the subtle trail of his fingers as they brushed her cheek.
Dear heaven, the quiet promise of how their day would end, the love they’d shared—so deep and all-consuming neither had any doubt it was the for ever kind.
Only for Alexei to suddenly disappear...and her world turned upside down, when hope died, together with the fact she needed to get on with her life.
During the past four years Natalya had studied advancement potential in existing technology—projecting how it could and would aid production. Increasing her knowledge in the field of electronics, creating ideas for media attention, publicity via donations to worthy charities...in each of which Roman showed little interest.
Her suggestion she join the directorial board had been dismissed out of hand. Reason being Roman was inured in the theory he had everything under control, and when he chose to retire, the lead role would justifiably be filled by a man.
Women, while delightful creatures, inevitably became tied up in relationships and/or marriage and children. Ergo, their attention became divided.
Natalya’s rebuttal in naming women with high profiles worldwide who successfully managed both with admirable acclaim had been airily dismissed, followed by a reassuring pat on her shoulder and the words...together we make a good team. Why change?
Because if you don’t, the firm will become vulnerable.
Words she had uttered at the time, to no effect whatsoever.
Never going to
