Page 42 of Forbidden Boss

“Yes,” I say shortly, already knowing where he’s headed with this.

“And she didn’t argue with you about it?” he probes, knowing more than most how stubborn she can be.

“No.She accepted it pretty well,” I say.

He nods once. The silence stretches.

“And that has nothing to do with where we found her yesterday?” he asks, far more observant than most.

Maybe not more observant, actually. Maybe just bolder in his line of questioning. The other men wouldn’t dare wonder why we found Mari at an OB-GYN when she was supposed to be at the dentist. They either don’t care, or they don’t want to incur my wrath by asking.

Yuri has no qualms about this. He tilts his head, like he already knows the answer.

“Mari’s pregnant,” I finally breathe out.

He blinks at me, waiting for me to continue. When I don’t, he asks, “Is it yours?”

I don’t think. I hit him square in the mouth. I don’t wind it up, so there’s not much force behind it, but there’s enough to make a point. Blood beads at the corner of his mouth. He wipes it with his thumb and lets out a short, low laugh.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he says.

“What the hell kind of question is that?” I snap.

“A reasonable one,” he answers. “You don’t do domestic. You don’t usually sleep with a woman more than once. So either she’s someone very special or you were dumb enough not to use protection.”

“I’m not having this conversation,” I say.

“You already are,” he says. “So let’s talk about what’s really important here. You’re in love with her.”

I stare at him blankly, refusing to process his words.

“I protect what’s mine,” I growl. “She’s carrying my child. My heir. That makes her invaluable to me.”

“You just punched me because the idea that she’d be with someone else made you see red,” he observes. “That’s not about protection or honor or an heir. You’re so crazy about her, it’s sending you into a blind rage.”

“Get back to work,” I grumble. “Find me the traitor so I can deal with him.”

“I’m on it.” He smiles. “The sooner we find the threat, the sooner you can admit your feelings for Mari.”

He leaves. I sit alone for a minute. I pull out my phone and check the feed from the penthouse. She’s at the table in my kitchen, laptop open, papers in a neat stack. There’s ginger ale beside her and a bowl of crackers. She’s in sweats and a T-shirt. Her hair is up. I feel the ache for her hit me in the chest. I hate the feeling, and I want more of it.

At six, I’m in the elevator going up to the penthouse. The guards at the door immediately step aside when they see me. I walk into the kitchen and stop.

She’s exactly where the camera showed her. Crackers and a ginger ale on the table next to her, her laptop open, one bare foot tucked under her. She’s clever and brave in a way that knocks me off my feet. I was desperate to get home to her, but now that I’m here, I’m afraid to trust the feeling building in my chest. I can’t love her. Love is deadly in my world. Love is weakness.

She looks up and blinks like she wasn’t expecting me this early.

“You’re home,” she says, a grin breaking across her face. It instantly melts away all my stress and fear, and I have to stop myself from overanalyzing it.

“I am,” I say, keeping it casual.

Her eyes move over my face like she’s taking inventory. “Did you have a bad day?”

“Same old, same old.” I shrug. “What about you?”

She shrugs back. “I just reconciled some old reports for you,” she says. “Nothing very exciting.”

I nod, just drinking her in. Even in sweats and a T-shirt, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. It’s impulsive and stupid, but I’m struck with a sudden urge to scoop her up and carry her back to my bed again. I want to feel her underneath me, to hear the sounds of pleasure roll through her.