Page 263 of Legacy
He grabs Vasilisa’s hand.
“We’re leaving,” he says coldly. “No more business meetings disguised as family dinners.”
The elevator doors close behind them, cutting off the tension like a blade.
My jaw flexes once. Twice. My hands curl into fists against the table before I force them to relax.
Scarlet exhales, slow, sharp, and reaches for her glass, downing the wine in one long pull. The glass clinks against the table, a sharp punctuation.
Silence stretches for a breath. Then another.
“That went… alright,” she mutters at last, eyes meeting mine over the rim, the corner of her mouth twitching with that dangerous humor only she can pull off.
I raise a brow. “Are you okay?”
Her brows knit. “I should be asking you that,” she scoffs, setting the glass down a little too hard.
“Me? You’re the one who looked ready to kill Tiny.”
She chuckles, low, dangerous, a little wild.
“She’s got bite. I’ll give her that.”
“You were ready,” I say quietly.
She doesn’t answer right away.
Just lifts the glass again, though it’s empty now.
“Yeah,” she admits. “But I stopped.”
I nod. “No one else could’ve.”
Her lips twitch. “That’s why I’m not anyone else.”
She sets the glass down.
That look again—sharp and calculating, a blade dulled by exhaustion. She shouldn’t have to carry this weight, but she does. She always fucking does, and it makes me want to kneel.
I reach for her hand and tug her toward the couch.
“Sit with me,” I murmur, already settling down.
She doesn’t hesitate. Straddles my lap like it’s instinct, the tight skirt of her dress sliding high up her thighs. My hands go there first, can’t help it. Fingertips brushing over bare skin, slow, steady.Dio, she’s soft.
Her perfume drifts up, that dark cherry warmth I can’t get enough of, mixing with the clean bite of wine still clinging to her skin.
She exhales, lips barely parted, hips shifting to settle deeper into my lap. Then her voice comes, low and firm, all business.
“What do we do now?” she asks, arms draped over my shoulders. “They’re not on board. Maksim’s gone. We need the full force.”
I lean in, press a kiss to the curve of her neck. Her pulse jumps beneath my lips.
“Maksim will be back in a couple weeks,” I say quietly, letting my hands drift over her hips. “For now, we keep going. I’ll have Luca get Santo on board with NovaRael.”
She opens her mouth, ready to argue, but I kiss her again, just below her jaw, slow enough that she forgets her point for a breath. My hand slides to the inside of her thigh, the heat there like a promise I can’t help but chase.
“You,”I murmur, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes, “need to keep that brilliant fucking mind focused on your bar prep.”
