Page 114 of Taken By My Grumpy Pakhan

I took a snapshot of her laptop screen, downloaded the information on them, and hurriedly made my way out before I made a stupid mistake.

I’d concluded the task, went to get his second dose of coffee when the barista told me Kazimir instructed that his coffee be directly sent to his office and that his assistant wasn’t a server.

I walked back in shock. From my start as an employee here, Kazimir made his coffee requirements clear and how I was supposed to always have one ready.

Being relieved of the duty was not something I saw coming. There’s a part of me that would’ve giggled at the recent development if the picture on Rose’s phone was not already haunting me.

Within these walls, it was easy to forget that Kazimir was not just a rich, powerful man, he was also a public sensation who attracted paparazzi and press like any other celebrity.

The only difference was, they knew to take their shots from a concealed distance more than they did with regular celebrities.

“Get your coat.” Kazimir suddenly appeared in my office a little after one, sleeves rolled to his forearms, looking like he had nowhere else to be. “We’re getting lunch.”

“We?” I peeked into his office through the slightly parted door. “I thought the clients had already left?”

“They did,” he replied monotonously, and when I didn’t give a response, he added. “There’s something I need to go over with you.”

“And it can’t be done here?” I knew I probably sounded irrational, but that picture was still in my mind. I couldn’t afford to be photographed with him and be added to his growing harem.

He shrugged, shutting the door and walking into my space. “If you'd prefer to spend lunchtime here, be my guest.”

“I don’t have to work during lunch.”

He gave me a look. “Are you getting paid to be stubborn?”

“I’m not being stubborn. I’m simply trying to understand why we cannot discuss what has to be discussed here.”

Kazimir let out a deep breath. “Because I’ve been holed up in here since six in the morning and I need fresh air. Is that reason enough for my assistant to join me for lunch?”

The word assistant jogged my paranoid brain, reminding me that I had the perfect excuse to be seen out with him without raising suspicion.

I grabbed my coat, turned off my laptop and followed him out of the office.

We ended up at a small café two blocks over, mismatched chairs and a chalkboard menu, and he ordered without even glancing at it.

“You’ve been here before?”

“Once or twice.”

“With who?”

“Does it matter?”

“No.” I stole a fry off his plate just to watch his jaw tighten. “I’m just wondering if I’m about to get ambushed with work during lunch. You know that’s against employee rights?”

“I said it was to go over a few details and get fresh air, Genevieve, and I am a man of my word. I don’t have to resort to silly tactics to take a woman to lunch.”

He reached across the table and stole the fry back out of my fingers before I could eat it, which was somehow more intimate than if he’d let me have it, and I was still trying to figure out why my pulse had picked up over a French fry when a voice cut through the sidewalk noise on our walk back.

“Kazimir.”

I felt him go still beside me before I even turned around.

Svetlana stood behind us with a shopping bag looped over one arm, dressed like she’d planned to be seen from three blocks away.

Her eyes swept over me first, slow and assessing, before landing on him with a warmth that made my skin prickle.

“Svetlana.” His voice dropped into something flat and careful.