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"You can see yourself out,” the woman had said in a heavy Russian accent. “Viktor is going to be busy for the rest of the day and has no more need of you."
The housekeeper had spoken with authority to Emerson, as if she were nothing more than an inconvenience, a fleeting distraction that had overstayed her welcome. The implication that she was just another temporary amusement for Viktor cut deeply, leaving her feeling humiliated, used, and stupid. She didn’t like any of those feelings.
The elevator took her straight to a private parking lot—it didn’t even slow down as it passed the floor with Viktor’s office. She drove out of the lot and was surprised to find herself in a sudden storm of hot, muggy rain. By the time she reached home, the rain had begun to clear. When she parked in front of the house, she stepped out into what felt like a very uncomfortable sauna, leaving her clothes clinging to her skin. She fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking with a mix of sweat and frustration, finally managing to push the door open.
Inside, the familiar grace and comfort of her home did little to settle her nerves. She made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, waving her sisters off without a word. Once inside her room, she leaned back against the door for a moment to catch her breath.
“Get it together,” she muttered to herself as she kicked off her shoes and stripped off her damp clothes, tossing them into her laundry basket as she made her way into the bath.
She started her shower, shoving away the vivid imagery of taking a shower with Viktor. She needed to scrub his scent off her skin. As she dried herself off, she realized she could still smell his essence. Perhaps it was her imagination; perhaps not. It didn’t matter. He didn’t matter. She re-entered her bedroom, the antique rug luxurious under her bare feet, a stark contrast to the growing feeling of cold hardness she felt inside.
Pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater that was soft against her sensitive nipples, she tied her hair back into a messy bun. She headed downstairs to the office, moved behind her desk, and booted up her computer system. Emerson sat down heavily in her chair, the leather cool and firm beneath her. She stared at the screen, the blank document reflecting her blank mind.
At first, Kendra and Tegan said nothing, just watched their eldest sister as she tried to focus on anything other than Viktor. How had he gotten under her skin so quickly? She never let men get past her defenses, and yet he’d breached her walls as easily as he’d breached her pussy. God, had anything ever felt that good?
Kendra and Tegan waited, watching her with concern, trying several times to engage her in some kind of casual conversation, but Emerson refused to be brought out of the shell she was trying to construct around herself. But they would not be denied, and Emerson knew that. Besides no one had ever come between her and her sisters, and Viktor Romanov would not be the first.
"Hey, Em," Kendra began gently, getting up and coming to sit on the edge of Emerson’s desk. “Are you okay? You don’t seem right."
Emerson forced a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m fine. Just busy with work, you know how it is."
Tegan rolled her office chair over to join them. "I call bullshit. It’s more than that, and you know it. You saw something this morning that set you off, and you ran out of here like a bat out of hell. Now you come back; you’re upset, and you want us to believe you’re fine? Bullshit.”
Emerson looked at Kendra, who nodded. “What she said. Did something happen with Viktor?"
Emerson’s expression tightened at the mention of Viktor's name. She looked away, biting her lip. "Nothing. We had a little fun, but that’s all it was. A little taste of the dark side, as it were, but at least I know where you two go at night and think if that’s what you want, you should go for it.” She hoped her tone didn’t sound as judgmental to them as it did to her.
Kendra and Tegan exchanged glances.
"What happened?" asked Kendra, more gently this time.
Emerson sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It’s stupid. Viktor sent his housekeeper to throw me out of his place.”
“Wait, his place? As in where he lives?”
“Yes. He couldn’t even be bothered to do it himself. It’s not like I’m some clingy female that’s going to stalk him…”
“Viktor doesn’t take women up to his place. Ever,” said Kendra. “Very few—and I mean very few—people have ever seen it. Sterling has, but he’s known Viktor for years. I think they may have worked together for British intelligence at one point, but that is pure supposition on my part.”
“Well, it’s gorgeous and has an amazing view of the harbor. I don’t know why I’m so upset, but that woman treated me like I didn’t belong there. Like I was just some... hooker he’d gotten his rocks off with. She made me feel like I was lower than the dirt she’d vacuumed up from the carpet."
Tegan’s eyes flashed with anger. "That’s not okay, Em. You deserve to be treated better than that. Are you sure he sent her?" Emerson shot her a look that said she was. “I only ask because he made sure we knew you wouldn’t be home tonight.”
“How the fuck did he do that?” Emerson asked angrily.
“The guys that were here installing the upgrades to our security system let us know so we wouldn’t worry,” said Kendra. “That doesn’t sound to me like some guy who wanted to boot you out of his bed.”
Tegan nodded in agreement. "Niall, that’s the guy who came with the techs, was really nice about it. They need to do something else tomorrow but wanted us to know they’d be on patrol. And if Viktor really did that, shame on him. You deserve better than that."
Emerson’s hand came up to tug at the collar that now lay so heavily around her neck. “I don’t know. I kind of thought things were different with him. Maybe I was just fooling myself."
Kendra reached down and squeezed Emerson’s hand. "Viktor Romanov is a gorgeous, sexy billionaire and is reputed to be an uber Dom and great in the sack. But if he couldn’t see what was right in front of him, then fuck him. He doesn’t deserve you."
Tegan grinned. “What she said. We’re here for you, no matter what. You don’t have to go through this alone."
A tear slipped down Emerson’s cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. "Thanks, guys. I really needed to hear that."
"We’re always here for you," Tegan said firmly. "And we’ll get through this together."
