He leaned forward, holding himself up with one hand on the back of the chair and the other on the armrest, right up against my arm. He was so close, and I liked it.
Loved it.
I might have leaned forward to kiss him if he was not threatening me to take away my property.
The desire to do it was almost blinding…until he spoke.
“I have done it before, and I will again, Katya. You are a tiny kitten trying to play with a tiger. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
The smile on my lips died. This was a joke, that he genuinely thought I was just a little girl stumbling around in the dark.
I stood up, not caring that he was basically leaning over me. He eased back because there was almost no space between us, my chair being shuffled back by my legs.
My hands rested on the table on either side of his hips, and I leaned forward, only a breath away from him. His warm breath was right on my lips.
“First thing Alessandro,” I said, enunciating each word, so he got everything, “I am not a tiny kitten. I am Katya Petrenko, heir to the Petrenko family. And even though you managed to get one over me that one time, I swear there will not be a second time, not unless I allow it. I know how to play dirty too.”
His blue eyes became even darker and staring into them felt like swimming in the sea.
“Secondly, I know exactly what I’m doing, and on my say so, I will have it if I want it. Know this.”
Chapter 9 - Alessandro
Life was full of lessons. I think a teacher might have said that to me once. You always learned, even up to the time you died.
“Of course, Yuri,” I smiled, chatting over the phone with the head of the Petrenko family.
Clearly, I had underestimated Katya. She was a deceptively wrapped present. Every layer I discovered only made me want her more.
Her breath had been hot on my lips, and the last of my imperfect patience had nearly frayed from the effort it had taken to not flip us around and have her back against the table.
Especially when she had said that she knew precisely what she was doing.
She knew.
And had made it clear she could have it if she wished. I chuckled to myself.
Because she could, I was already at the end of how much temptation I could resist. If she walked into my office right now and demanded I fucked her, goodness knew I’d have her against the wall before the end of the fucking sentence.
“You’re laughing, unexpectedly happy for somebody surrounded by mountains of problems.”
It was almost wrong the thoughts I was having about his daughter when we were just forming a kind of friendship.
Almost.
“Exactly why. The small victories should be enjoyed, no? You’ve just solved one out of my mountains of problems.”
Yuri laughed as well. “I agree perfectly. You are a very persuasive man.”
“I have been accused of that on enough occasions.”
Katya had been clear that I wouldn’t be able to pull the shit I’d pulled before, so there was only one solution.
Yuri Petrenko.
That determined look had been compelling, but there would be little she would do against her father.
I buzzed my secretary on the phone. “Get a bouquet of white roses to Katya Petrenko at Blue Range in….” I glanced down at my watch, “an hour. I am inviting her to lunch at Nova, an attempt to appease her. Make sure to mention it in the card.”