you up at around seven tomorrow ? ”
“ Okay ,” she gave in.
As he drove out of the lot, she told herself that maybe trying to seduce Koltan was n’ t the best idea. Then there was Niki; she was the key to Harmon. Or at least one step closer to shaking him up a little. She wondered what would happen if Koltan and Nik i’ s marriage agreement should break permanently. It was time to take her seduction to the next level and see where it led, even if it meant sacrificing herself.
* * * *
He could n’ t stop thinking about her. He had no intention of using her to get to Niki, but there she was and he wanted to get rid of the girl his father was forcing him to marry. He knew she should have told Victoria beforehand, but the opportunity never arose.
Then, there was the kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, she tasted like cherry and he wanted to taste her again. He felt her resistance, which was normal. H e’ d known she was n’ t the kind to give in easily.
For the rest of the afternoon, he found himself losing focus, anxiously waiting to see her, though he knew she was angry with him. H e’ d waited until he knew she was leaving the office so he could have a chance encounter.
As he drove out of the parking lot, he chuckled, thinking of the elevator just a few minutes before. However, his smile would soon disappear as he got closer to home. What he discovered about his father was worrying him. Why did he keep his health a secret, knowing sooner or later the world would find out about it?
It seemed to Koltan that his father trusted no one, including him. In four days he was meeting with the board and would put his plan forward. If the company meant anything at all to them, they would vote with him.
Chapter Four
Another trip down to the basement got her the chance to take home a few more files. Sh e’ d only skimmed through them but she was certain that something of importance was among them somewhere; she just had to find it.
It was Wednesday. Koltan was picking her up at seven and she was running late. Sh e’ d spent too much time in the archives and now it was six thirty. She had exactly half hour to look stunning.
After asking Beth about the awards and who would be there, she concluded that Niki and her father would be there as well. This was a good opportunity for Victoria to make her presence felt by being by Kolta n’ s side. She had to make him pay attention to her and to her only.
She took a quick shower; she seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, then she slathered on her scented body oil. She spent seven minutes on her makeup, which was unlike her, after which she slipped into a burgundy evening dress that swept the floor as she walked. The dress hugged her curves provocatively while the color brought out the highlights in her hair.
By the time she was done, she hardly recognized herself. When Koltan rang the buzzer, she was touching her perfume to her temples. With one last look at her reflection, she took a deep breath and picked up her clutch.
“ Wow !” he exclaimed when she opened the door.
She smiled as her heart did that annoying flip she hated so much. She silently berated herself for letting him get to her, but he was looking so darn good in his tuxedo. His eyes looked like they were on fire when they looked at her and she felt a bit weak in the knees.
She gave herself a mental shake, reminding herself why she was doing this; for her father. That seemed to do the trick.
They arrived at the dinner with ten minutes to spare. She saw a few people she knew from Berkeley, including her former professor, the one who gave her an impeccable recommendation. Koltan never left her side for a minute. Every step she took he was there with her, warding off any eyes that may stray her way.
They were about to take their seats when she saw Niki with a man she could only assume to be her father. When the other woman saw