Page 56

56

SUTTON

It’s become like second nature to me.

Reaching for him. Touching him. Leaning into his quiet strength.

The moment I sink into the chaise couch, his arm curls around me protectively.

Every time I feel that prickling edge start to trickle in, the terror of floating alone against choppy waves, the panic of seeing nothing but fire and ruin and water… I grip Oleg a little tighter.

As if he can sense what I need, he engulfs me in an embrace without a word. But the silent promise echoes deep inside me.

I will never let you go.

I will never let you down.

And three, four, five breaths later, I can feel myself break the surface of that dark, turbulent trauma. My body relaxes, humming with pleasure at the proximity to Oleg.

It’s one of those perfect evenings on the terrace. Light breeze in the air, the stirring of the trees, the chirp of insects and birds as they whir around the gardens.

“Sleepy?”

“No,” I lie. “Just resting my eyes.”

“We really should take it easy now that you’re entering your second trimester,” he says.

I pull back and squint up at him. “Where was that ‘take it easy’ energy when you wanted to go for a third round last night?”

He smirks. “I’ll admit that the third time was one too many.”

“Never thought I’d hear you say that.”

He hooks a finger underneath my chin and forces my gaze up to meet his. “Baby, if I could take you ten times a day, I would. But you’re still recovering from the explosion.”

The truth is, apart from a little PTSD here and there, I’ve all but completely recovered from our ocean ordeal. But it serves me to play it up a little.

I barely feel guilty about milking the situation.

Especially since it means that Oleg has been working faithfully from home now for two whole weeks, with no signs of stopping.

He’s kept his word. Rarely does he leave my side, and even when he does, he doesn’t leave the house. It’s been the two of us, breathing each other’s air for a fortnight.

So far, it’s been bliss.

Paradise.

Without the teeth.

“I have a little work to do,” he murmurs into my hair.

I groan, digging my nails into his back and pulling him closer to me. “Can’t it wait?”

Oleg chuckles. “Possessive little minx,” he says affectionately. “Don’t worry, I only plan on moving to that table.”

He points to the patio table sitting a few feet away from the chaise lounge.

“Hm. I suppose I can deal with that.”

With a kiss on my forehead, he extricates himself gently and settles himself at the table with his laptop.

I give the screen a little peek over his shoulder, but I can’t understand a damn thing on the spreadsheet he’s looking at.

Still, I can read the header at the top of the page.

Pavlov Industries Board Directives

“I thought you resigned from the board?”

“Kicked out, more like,” Oleg corrects. “But when they asked me to come back, I resigned. Oksana still sends me details of every board meeting, though.”

“How’s she doing… running the whole company I mean?”

Oleg scoffs. “Please. She was born to run Pavlov Industries. The woman is a shark. And she has help. She knows that keeping me in the loop is necessary for the survival of Pavlov Industries. They’re going to need a bailout soon enough.”

“A bailout?” I ask, sitting up.

He nods triumphantly. “The decisions Boris made just before he kicked the bucket have come close to bankrupting the company. They’re going to need a wealthy investor to save their asses.”

“Enter… Oleg Pavlov?” He laughs in confirmation and it dawns on me. “ That’s why you resigned when they asked you to join the board again. You have bargaining power now.”

“Precisely,” he says. “I took my surveillance tech public a mere ten days ago and already, I’ve made billions.” He points to the spreadsheet on his screen. “These are the list of clients who have already purchased their own surveillance systems from Oriana Tech.”

My jaw drops as I scan through the numbers. “Oh my God… Oleg… that is insane !”

“Like I said, I have the power now to save or sink Pavlov Industries.”

“What will you do?” I ask, admiring the gleam in Oleg’s eyes.

I love how he loves me. I love how kind and gentle and tender he can be in quiet moments with me.

But I also love the beast in him. The ruthless businessman, the hibernating pakhan who lies in wait, poised to strike.

“I will give them a choice,” he declares. “If I’m going to bail out the company, I want fifty-one percent controlling shares. I want to be reinstated as CEO and I will have unilateral veto power when it comes to any board decision.”

My eyes go wide. “So basically, you will have all the power.”

“Well, we will have all the power.”

“What do you mean?” I frown.

“My first action as CEO of Pavlov Industries will be to appoint new members. One of whom will be Artem. The other will be you.”

“ Me ?!” I squeak.

“Yes. You will also get twenty-one percent of the shares. That will give you a sizable income every month.”

“Oleg, that’s really not necessary.”

“It most definitely is. Furthermore, in the event of my premature demise?—”

“God forbid!” I say.

“—my shares in the company will revert to you.”

For the second time in as many minutes, my jaw drops. “Oleg… are you serious?”

“Don’t worry—if it comes to that, Artem will help you run the company. That’s why he’s being appointed to the board as well. He’s my right-hand man and he’ll be yours, too.”

“I don’t like this hypothetical.”

“I just want to make sure you’re taken care of in every eventuality.”

“You made me a promise, Oleg Pavlov,” I remind, springing off the chaise sofa and walking over to him. I plant myself on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. “You will always be there for me. I expect you to keep that promise—body and soul.”

He kisses my nose. “I’ll do my best.”

“What makes you think the board will accept your terms, though?” I wonder.

“Because if they don’t, they’re all out of jobs. Pavlov Industries will have to declare bankruptcy and the company will be liquidated. No one will allow that to happen, least of all my mother.”

“Is she aware of your plan?”

“Every bit of it.”

“And?” I ask tentatively. “Is she mad?”

Oleg smiles. “On the contrary, I think she’s kind of proud.”

“She would be a fool not to be proud of a son like you,” I remark, curling my fingers through his hair.

“You’re slightly biased.”

“Without a doubt.” I lean in and kiss him until I can taste the coffee he had this morning. I pull back breathlessly, another thought taking hold. “So… you’re going to be incredibly busy soon.”

“I suppose so. Running a company isn’t easy. But I will always make the time for you—” He places his hand on my stomach. “—and our family.”

“I know. But still… it is a lot of work. You’ll need an assistant, won’t you?” I ask, wagging my eyebrows at him.

He laughs, catching my drift. “Only if she’s beautiful. And likes dressing in inappropriate princess costumes to work.”

I give him a playful punch on the arm as he chuckles at my expense. “I’m serious,” I say. “I can help you.”

“I know you can,” Oleg says readily. “Which is why I want to put you in charge of the daycare.”

My eyes go wide and I freeze in his arms. “Seriously?”

“You’ll have other duties, too of course—many that involve intimate contact with the boss—” He winks at me. “—but your main duty will be to run the day care. It needs expansion and new staff and I think you’re the perfect person for the job.”

My excitement stalls in its tracks. “B-but… what about the parents? I mean… they weren’t too thrilled about my boudoir shoot. They might not want me around their kids, let alone running the whole daycare.”

Oleg’s eyes narrow into slits. “If they have a problem with it, they can find alternate arrangements for childcare. In fact, they can go ahead and find themselves new jobs while they’re at it.”

“Oleg!”

“I’m serious,” he snarls. Then eh eases up. “But regardless, I don’t think it’ll be a problem. You are the boss’s wife now, after all.”

“Urgh.” I cringe. “I hate nepotism.”

“This is a family business, baby,” he points out. “Nepotism is part of the package. And if anyone has a problem with that, they can?—”

“Find a new job?”

“I was gonna say, ‘Kiss my ass.’ But that works, too.”

Laughing, I kiss him again. I can’t help myself. I’m an addict when it comes to Oleg and I have no intention of ever getting clean.

“I have one more little surprise for you,” he reveals when I pull back.

“Another one?”

“I think this will trump everything else.”

Frowning, I shake my head. “I doubt it.”

“I want you to choose one of the empty guest rooms upstairs and redecorate it.”

“Because you want me to move into it?”

He smiles. “Because I want your sister to move into it.” His hands massage my hip as he speaks, his voice soft and gentle. “I know you’ve been counting down the days until her rehab is complete. With a month to go, it’s time to start thinking of the next chapter. She’ll need a place to go and what better place to go than right here, with her family?”

My nose is itching. So are my eyes.

“Oleg… you’re serious?”

“Deadly. She should be here, with you. It’s probably the fastest way to rehabilitate her properly anyway.”

“B-but I have no idea how long she’ll stay for.”

“She can stay for six months, a year, a decade, or her entire lifetime if you want. It doesn’t matter to me. I just want you to be happy and I know that having your sister here will make you happy.”

I throw my arms around him, my tears staining the back of his shirt. “Why are you doing all this?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks. “I love you.”

Those words fall easily from his lips now. No hesitation. No reservations. They’ve become daily treasures instead of rare gems.

Who says happily ever afters are idealistic?

Who says dreams can’t come true?

The trick is realizing that happily ever after is not an ending—it’s a beginning. This is only the first chapter.

I lean into him, sealing the moment with a kiss that tastes like forever.