Russian Billionaire’s Reclaimed Lover

(Chekov Billionaire Series #2)

By: Leona Lee

All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2014 Leona Lee, J. Starr

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Note: This book is part two of a three part Chekov Billionaire series. It ends on a cliffhanger.
Part 3 coming soon!

Part 1: Russian Billionaire’s Virgin Secretary

Click here to read now for FREE on amazon!

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Authors Note:

Chapter 1

Ivan exited the elevator to the sound of breaking glass. The tenth floor at VIC Enterprises had become
Vitaly Chekov’s own personal war zone after his intern Sarah Jenkins quit. When he hired her to
work for him over the summer, their working relationship rapidly developed into a sexual one, as he
became obsessed with her.

Surprised at how quickly she understood his various projects, she became indispensable as she
helped to secure contracts with two port authorities on the east coast. When she quit, she disappeared
and if it wasn’t for the help of one of her friends, he would have no idea where she went.

It had been a month and Vitaly had been unable to tear himself away from work to drive down to her
family’s cattle ranch. The longer he waited to do this, the more his temper flared. He had been
impossible to deal with for the past week.

Smiling at Laurel and Susan as he walked past reception, Ivan sighed. Serving as Chief of Security
should not mean having to talk his boss down off his angry ledge every day. He was just glad that he
was significantly bigger than his boss was, although he hoped that he wouldn’t have to restrain him.
Well known for his bad temper and controlling behavior, the boss wasn’t taking having his hands tied
well.

Adjusting his gait and relaxing his shoulders, Ivan strolled into Vitaly’s office and shut the door, as he
sent the contents of the top of his desk flying to the floor.

“Afternoon, boss. While it’s good to do some redecorating, your efforts have gotten a bit…how shall
I put it…loud. We can hear you three floors down and you’re freaking people out.”

Sighing, Vitaly rubbed his face as he looked at him. Since Sarah left, he hadn’t slept. She was
ignoring his calls and he was desperate to speak with her to explain. When she had called him, it was
his ex-wife, or soon to be ex-wife who answered the phone. They had been celebrating their divorce.
Never anticipating that he would ever fall for another woman, they had remained legally separated so
that Nadia would still receive benefits, but since Sarah came to work for him as his personal
assistant, he knew that he had to make things right. He just didn’t have the chance to tell her and now
she was gone.

“You aren’t doing anyone any good as you are. Why don’t you drive out to her parents’ ranch, talk to
her and tell her how you feel?”

“I can’t leave right now. There’s too much going on.”

“Of course you can. You have able employees in place who can handle everything that is going on.
This isn’t a one-man team anymore. Delegate and get out before you start losing people!”

Nodding his head, “You’re right. As always.”

Standing up, he headed for the door with Ivan on his heel. As they walked past reception, he stopped

to tell Laurel that he would be out of town for the next few days. Smiling tightly, he apologized for the
mess in his office. As they reached the elevator, Ivan joined him in the car as they rode down.

“Following me?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Ivan leaned back. “Well, I could remind you that my office is on the main
floor and I’m simply hitching a ride. Or…I could be honest and tell you that I’m escorting you to your
car to keep you from causing any further damage. Pick one.”

Barking out a laugh, Vitaly stuffed his hands in his pockets as he waited for the elevator to stop. “Fair
enough, my friend.”

* * * * *

As Vitaly drove out of the parking lot, he contemplated jumping immediately on the highway and
driving south, as he had long ago memorized the directions to the Jenkins Cattle Ranch. But first, he
knew that he would need clothes. A quick stop to his home to throw a bag together and issue
instructions to his housekeeper had him back on the road in less than an hour. The drive would take
him approximately four hours and he hoped to arrive in the early afternoon.

He contemplated the delectable young woman that he had grown so fond of in such a short time. She
was as smart as she was passionate, that combination mixed with her lovely blonde hair, and equally
desirable curves had her constantly on his mind. He should have listened to Ivan when he first hired
her and either sent her down to marketing or let her go, but in the time she had worked for him, she
had proven herself to be quite an asset both professionally and personally.

He groaned when he remembered the private dance she had given him in his living room. It still
amazed him that someone as passionate as she was had been a virgin. He liked to think that he let out
the vixen that had been smoldering under the surface.

He had been so lost in thought that he almost missed the turn off. After driving for more than an hour
on a dusty two-lane road, he came up over a crest. He pulled off to the side of the road and got out.
Looking down into the valley, the land was dotted with cattle, as far as the eye could see. He thought
he detected riders on horseback, but at that distance, it was too hard to tell. Getting back in the car, he
made the remainder of the trip before pulling up outside the Jenkins’ ranch. Spotting an office, he
pulled up outside and walked in.

An elderly wolfhound lay sprawled in front of a heater, as a matronly woman who appeared to be in
her mid-sixties walked out from the inner office.

“May I help you?”

“I hope so. I’m looking for Sarah Jenkins.”

“And you would be?”

“Vitaly. Vitaly Chekov. I-”

“I know who you are Mr. Chekov. You’re the one who broke my niece’s heart. Now why should I tell
you anything about her?”

Fisting his hands, Vitaly dug his nails into his palms as he took a ragged breath. “I can understand
your concern. But it is imperative that I speak with your niece. There has been a huge
misunderstanding.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Hannah Jenkins looked at Vitaly over the top rim of her glasses, as
she tapped her foot. “She should be returning shortly from delivering food out to the ranch hands. If
you wait by the barn, she’s driving an old red pick-up.”

Vitaly nodded his head in thanks and prepared to leave. “But if I find out that you hurt my niece again,
you will not only be dealing with me. We presently have thirty employees on staff, all of whom would
do anything for her. Have I made myself clear, Mr. Chekov?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As Vitaly exited the office, he looked toward the barn. No red truck. Deciding to walk over so Sarah
wouldn’t see his car, he heard the rumble of a diesel engine, as a truck came around the corner.
Parking in front of the barn, a spry figure jumped out clad in jeans, boots and a sweatshirt with the
ranch logo on it. Spotting blonde hair peeking out from behind an oversized cowboy hat, Vitaly
quickened his pace.

When he was about a dozen feet from her, he called out her name. Sarah froze. She had been crying on
the way back in the truck and she knew that her eyes and nose where bright red. Rubbing her face, she
turned around to face him with a guarded look.

“Vitaly,” she finally managed to say in recognition.

Smiling in relief, he took a step toward her, but she took an immediate step back. And with each step
he took, she put equal distance back between them. Pausing, he looked at her.

“You’ve been crying,” he stated flatly. Closing her eyes, Sarah counted in her head before
responding.

“Is there something you wanted?”

“I’ve been trying to reach you, but you haven’t been answering your phone.”

“I changed my number.”

“I…oh. We have things to discuss.”

Holding her hand up, “Oh, I think that I’ve heard all that I want to hear. Now if you’ll excuse me, I
still have chores to complete.”

Sarah turned and walked toward the barn as he stood there watching her go. Unsure how to proceed,

he thought quickly, but every potential scenario seemed to have her moving farther away from him.
Refusing to give up, he followed her into the barn. He found her unpacking supplies and placing them
on shelves.

Sarah paused as she heard him walk into the tack room. Closing her eyes, she took a ragged breath.
What was he doing here? Hadn’t he caused enough grief for her? When she had walked away from
VIC Enterprises and Vitaly, she was determined never to have anything to do with him again. As far
as she was concerned, she had made a huge mistake falling for him and she knew that the only way
she would get over her heartbreak was not to see him again.

So, why did he have to come here now? What could he possibly say that would make any difference?
Shaking her head, she ignored him as she continued to unpack the boxes. A shuffle to her left caught
her attention as she turned to look. Vitaly was squatting quietly beside her as he shifted boxes closer
to her. Reaching inside, he pulled out the contents as he silently handed them to her. Shrugging her
shoulders, Sarah took them and between the two of them, they made short work of replenishing the
inventory.

As Sarah stood up, Vitaly followed.

“Thank you,” she said simply before turning to leave. His hand shot out to stop her as he grabbed her
arm. Closing her eyes, Sarah wavered slightly on her feet. It bothered her that he had such power over
her. Rubbing her arm, Vitaly could sense her shift in emotion.

“Sarah, look at me.” At her stubborn shake of the head, he grasped her chin and turned her toward
him.

“That woman who answered the phone was my wife, Nadia. We’ve been legally separated for years
but never divorced. I didn’t see the point as I never anticipated meeting someone worth…”

Vitaly’s voice trailed off as Sarah gave him her full attention. Smiling gently, he looked down at her.
“We were celebrating making our divorce official.” Seeing tears well in her eyes, he groaned as he
pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’ve been going crazy without you. I was shocked when I came back and you were gone. I had no
idea what was going on or where you were. And when I found out, I couldn’t simply leave; there was
too much going on.”

Tilting her head up, “So, why are you here now?”

“Ivan kicked me out. He said that I was frightening the staff.” At Sarah’s chuckle, he pulled her back
into a hug.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you, kotyonok. My little kitten with the great big claws,” he told her as he
rubbed her back. He wanted to kiss her, but at that moment, male voices were heard outside. Stepping
away from him, Sarah left the tack room as he followed. Walking toward them were two older men
who stopped when they saw Vitaly.

“Daddy. Uncle Max. This is Mr. Vitaly Chekov. He owns the logistics company I was interning for.”
Turning toward Vitaly, she introduced everybody.

“This is my father, Bill Jenkins, and my uncle, Max Jenkins,” Sarah said as she introduced them.

Pulling his right work glove off and slapping it on his pants, Bill held out his hand.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Chekov. What brings you by?”

Shaking his hand, “Well, sir, I was hoping to speak to your daughter about returning to VIC
Enterprises on a full-time basis.”

“That your little bitty car out front?” Max asked, as he shook his hand.

“Ah, yes, that’s my car, why?”

As the brothers looked at each other and nodded, Bill replied.

“Well, looks like you’ll have plenty of time to discuss the matter with my daughter. Rain is coming
and the road washes out. You won’t make it back to the highway in that car, so looks like you’ll be
bunking here.”

Looking at his daughter, “Sarah, honey, why don’t you take our guest to a guest cottage and get him
situated. Dinner is at six whether you are there or not.”

At that, the brothers left the barn, as Sarah stood there digging a hole in the hay with her toe.

Sighing, she headed out of the barn. “Well, come on then,” she called over her shoulder. “If you have
anything to get out of the car, you should get it now and I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

As Vitaly followed her out, he couldn’t help but be amused at how casual everyone was. It was clear
that Sarah hadn’t spoken about him, other than to her aunt, for which he was relieved. He couldn’t
imagine what they would have done if they had known about their sexual activities.

Grabbing his bag from the seat of his car, he followed Sarah out to a cluster of small cabins. Heading
toward the farthest one, Sarah opened the door and walked inside. Vitaly was surprised at how
charming it was. Inside the one-room cabin was a small kitchenette, dining table with bench seating, a
small living space and a queen-sized bed covered in what looked to be handmade quilts. There was a
door off the kitchen that looked like a bathroom and a large potbelly stove took center stage in the
cabin.

Pointing to the kitchen, Sarah explained the layout of the place.

“There’s a selection of snacks and coffee in the cabinets, in case you get hungry. The stove heats the
entire cabin and the hot water runs on propane. We do have Wi-Fi, if you need to work, so long as the
power stays on.”

“This is great. Thank you, Sarah.” Shrugging her shoulders, Sarah turned to leave, but Vitaly stepped
in front of her. “We haven’t finished talking.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked up at him. “I heard what you said, but it doesn’t change
anything. I’m not going back.”

“Don’t you even want to hear my offer?”

Stubbornly shaking her head no, Sarah tried to scoot past him to get out the door, but he kicked it shut
with his foot. Standing in front of her, he rubbed her arms as he looked down at her.

“I’ve missed you, Sarah. You have no idea how much. It hasn’t been the same without you. Please,
give me a chance to explain.”

Taking a deep breath, Sarah placed her hands on his and stepped back. “As I’ve said before, there
isn’t anything more to say. I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing but I’ve made my decision.”

Reaching for the door, she opened it enough to slide out, shutting it behind her. Moving quickly, she
put some distance between them before stopping to catch her breath.

Why did he have to come, she asked herself as she fought back tears. Shaking her head, she refused to
cry. She had cried over him enough already. While she realized that she was naïve in many ways and
she was as much to blame for allowing their relationship to spiral out of control so quickly, she
wasn’t going to allow herself to be sucked back in again. The things he did to her. They things she
did with him. Sarah groaned as she felt herself growing wet at the mere thought of him.

After Vitaly’s betrayal, she had dropped everything, packed her belongings and headed for home
hoping to put as much distance between them as possible. Her Aunt Hannah was the only one who had
an idea as to what went on as she rubbed her head while she sobbed. Sarah had to smile at what
would happen should her male family members get wind of exactly what went on.

Her daddy and brothers would not approve of the youngest member of the family strutting around and
having sex in limos and airplanes. Well, almost an airplane. If she hadn’t had too much champagne
and fallen asleep..

Chapter 2

Vitaly headed toward the main house a few minutes before six. After Sarah had stormed out, he
contemplated leaving and taking his chances on the road, but a look to the sky told him that it was
better if he stayed put. At least this way, he might have another chance to speak with her. He knew
that he had to tread lightly with her. While she may be a vixen in the bedroom, he understood that he
did hurt her and he was determined to make things right.

He smiled to himself as he wondered what those who knew him would think of him taking a more
passive route with a woman. He was so used to getting what he wanted that if the woman wasn’t
already falling at his feet, sufficient cash would always do the trick. This was unchartered territory
for him and he didn’t want to screw it up.

The sound of children snapped him out of his thoughts as several children ran past him and up the
stairs to the back of the house. The screen door slammed shut as several adults shouted out, “Don’t
slam the door.” Walking up the steps, he walked inside to witness what appeared to be controlled
mayhem.

Looking around, he had walked into a large kitchen and dining room. An over-sized long table
dwarfed the room with place settings for at least twenty people. Assuming the other adults to be
Sarah’s brothers and their spouses, he smiled and nodded, unsure what to say. Stepping away from
the stove, Hannah came to greet him as her husband, Max, joined her.

“Don’t mind the chaos,” Max told him as he slapped him on the back. “Takes a bit of getting used to,
but the house is still standing.”

Max turned as Sarah came down the stairs. Dressed in hip-hugging jeans and a short-waisted sweater,
and her hair in a ponytail, Vitaly closed his eyes as he was reminded of how beautiful she was naked.
Her hair had grown out more and he couldn’t wait to run his fingers through it or wrap it in his fist as
he pulled her back toward him, as he took her from behind.

“Ah, there she is,” Max said. “Sarah, come see to your guest,” he told her as she walked toward them.
“He seems to have a bit of a deer in the headlights look,” he added chuckling. As Sarah nodded to
Vitaly, Max shouted for everyone to sit down.

As everyone sat down to dinner, the roar soon quieted down as the children became immersed in their
food. It had been a long time since Vitaly had a home-cooked meal and he found that he enjoyed the
pot roast and potatoes smothered in gravy. Keeping the conversation light, he discovered that the two
other males were indeed Sarah’s brothers along with their wives and four children each. The other
woman at the table was married to Sarah’s youngest brother who was in the military and her oldest
brother was in Montana on family business and had brought his family with him. The remaining
members at the table were the Jenkins’ two foremen.

As they dined and laughed, it became obvious to Vitaly how important family was to the Jenkins. All
of the brothers lived on the vast property in their own homes and everyone worked on the ranch. The
apparent love the siblings had for one another made him feel nostalgic for a family life he never had.

Losing his sister at a young age, his mother never quite recovered and his father sent him off to
apprentice for an uncle. It was through him that he became fascinated with the import-export business
and eventually set up his own enterprise. As his contracts grew, his business soared as his logistics
company became internationally known.

After dinner, the mayhem renewed as the children stormed out of the house and went running down the
back steps. The rain was just starting to fall and a milieu of puddle stomping was taking place as the
children squealed in delight. As Vitaly waited for the children to move on, Hannah stopped him and
handed him a basket.

“Since we’re expecting a heavy storm, I thought that you might want to have some extra food in case
you don’t feel like getting wet coming out to the house.”

“Thank you,” Vitaly said simply.

“Oh, that’s not all. Sarah, honey, come help Mr. Chekov carry all this to his cabin so it doesn’t get
soaked.”

Reaching for an over-sized umbrella by the door, Sarah grabbed a smaller basket as she led the way
out the door. As they headed toward the cabin, they could hear thunder in the distance. Moving
quickly, they made it to his cabin just as the storm broke.

Rushing inside, Vitaly set the basket on the counter as Sarah turned on lights. Lifting the latch on the
stove, she tossed in some fire starter and lit the wood already inside. Adjusting the flue, she turned
around to see Vitaly watching her. The light from the lamps cast her in a warm glow, as she blushed
uncomfortably.

Just as she was about to make her excuses to leave, another clap of thunder sounded directly overhead
and a deluge came down upon them. Stepping toward her, “Well it looks as if you may be here for a
while; I think that your aunt packed some wine, are you interested?” Shaking her head no, Sarah
moved toward the door.

“It isn’t that bad yet, I can make it…” Sarah paused as she looked outside. In a matter of minutes,
small floods were flowing along the property. Sighing, she shut the door and turned to face him. “It’s
mulled wine, which will taste better hot. Shall I heat it?”

At his nod, she moved to the kitchen and pulled out a saucepan to heat the wine. Unsure what to do
with herself; she unpacked the baskets noting that her aunt had provided him with enough food to feed
two people. She shook her head at her aunt’s not so subtle attempt at matchmaking.

When the wine was ready, she poured it into two mugs and brought it over to the couch along with a
bag of shortbread cookies. Setting it all down, she joined him as he finished stoking the fire. They sat
comfortably in silence, as they sipped the wine.

“This is delicious,” he said, breaking the silence.

Sarah nodded her head in agreement.

“It’s my Aunt Hannah’s special recipe. It has seen me through numerous colds through the years,” she
said smiling in remembrance.

As the rain continued to fall, the air in the room became increasingly tense. What had started as a
companionable silence grew to discomfort as both became aware of each other sexually. Unable to
tolerate it, Sarah stood to pour more wine, but he stopped her as she attempted to walk past. Taking
the mug from her hand, he set it down before pulling her between his legs. Holding her hips, he lifted
her sweater as he kissed her stomach.

“I have dreamt of you lying beneath me helpless, kotyonok. I should spank you for running away,” he
told her as Sarah moaned. Her hands found their way to his shoulders as she dug her fingers in,
kneading his flesh. Popping the button on her jeans, he drew the zipper down and pushed them below
her hips. He smiled when he saw the lace panties. It pleased him to see that she wore the lingerie he
bought for her.

Tugging at her, he pulled her onto his lap as he cradled her in his arms. Cupping her face, he captured
her lips as he easily plundered her mouth.

Moaning, Sarah tried to wrap her arms around his neck, but he stopped her, pulling her wrists behind
her back and holding them immobile. He continued to kiss her as he groaned in appreciation. She still
tasted of strawberries, he thought to himself as he drank her in. Pulling her wrists down toward the
couch, he forced Sarah to arch her back as he lifted her sweater above her breasts. Already flushed
with arousal, he kissed her rosy mounds as he massaged them. Finding her nipples taut with
anticipation, he flicked at them, as she moaned his name.

Kissing her belly, he helped her to her feet. “Strip,” he ordered as Sarah stepped away from the
couch.

Turning sideways, she reached for the hem of her sweater as she drew it over her head. The band on
her hair came loose as she shook her blonde mane before tossing the sweater aside. The glow from
the fire in the stove made her skin glow. Kicking off her shoes, she turned her back on him as she
slowly pulled her jeans down. Bending at the waist, she stuck her ass out as she stepped out of her
jeans. Rising back up slowly, she arched her back enticingly as she looked at him over her shoulder.

She was a vision in lace boy shorts and matching demi bra. Turning around to face him, he caught his
breath as she cupped her breasts, rubbing her thumbs over her straining nipples. Closing her eyes in
obvious enjoyment, Sarah licked her lips as she relished in the sensations she was creating. Reaching
behind her, she unclasped her bra, as her breasts sprang free. Moaning, she massaged them as she felt
herself growing increasingly wet. The scent of her arousal reached him as Vitaly smiled in
appreciation.

Unable to wait any longer, Vitaly rose and moved toward her. Scooping her up, Sarah wrapped her
legs around his waist as he walked toward the bed. Throwing her onto the mattress, she watched in
anticipation as he quickly shed his clothes. His cock already glistened with precum as she rolled to
her knees and crawled toward him across the bed. He couldn’t help but smile at her predatory look.

His little kotyonok looked more like a lioness on the prowl as her hair cascaded around her.

Reaching her right hand out, she cupped his balls as she pulled him toward her. Using her other hand,
she smeared his pre-cum on his cock before looking up at him. Not breaking eye contact, she licked
the head as she felt his cock twitch in her hand. Rolling his balls in her hand, she slowly slid his cock
in her mouth, deep throating it before drawing it back out. Vitaly closed his eyes at the exquisite
torture she was wielding upon him, as he succumbed to her mouth.

Setting an easy pace, Sarah pumped her mouth up and down his cock as she continued to knead his
balls. Sliding one finger below, she rubbed his perineum as he hissed in pleasure. Grabbing her hair,
he tightened his grasp as he began to control her head movements. Not one to be denied, Sarah
tightened the suction around his cock as he moved her head up and down. Groaning, Vitaly didn’t
want to come too soon and stilled her movements as she continued to suck. Pushing her away, he
grabbed her legs and flipped her onto her back before following her onto the bed.

Reaching down, he gripped the side of her panties and with a hard yank, ripped the seam pulling them
free. Grabbing her hips, he buried his face between her legs as he lapped at her juices. Moaning,
Sarah pushed at his head as he licked and sucked her as if he were starved. He’d forgotten how good
she tasted as his tongue found her clit. Sucking on it, he held tight to her hips as Sarah began to buck
beneath him. Holding her still, he continued to suck at her clit as she thrashed beneath him. As Sarah’s
first orgasm struck, she arched up hooking her heels on his shoulders and digging in. His answering
chuckle had her gasping as the vibration he created intensified her pleasure.

Not giving her a chance to come down, he lifted his head and rose to his knees. Lifting her hips, he
slammed into her all the way to the hilt as they both groaned in appreciation. Pumping in and out,
Vitaly set a punishing pace as he slammed into her rocking Sarah back and forth.

He was angry at her for not speaking to him first. He was angry at her for running. He was angry at
himself for falling for her. Thrusting in and out, he continued to fuck her as Sarah thrashed beneath
him. She knew this was an angry fuck and she didn’t care. She had missed him and he was doing
things to her insides that no other man had ever done. If anything, this last month had taught her that
her body and soul craved this man, and she was going to enjoy every minute.

As the storm continued to rage outside, Sarah kept screaming out his name as orgasm after orgasm
flowed through her. Shortening his thrusts, he slammed into her one last time before he came. The
convulsing of her muscles around his cock quickly milked him dry as he spent his rage deep inside
her. Collapsing on top of her, he rolled to his side taking her with him. Holding her tight, he stroked
her back as she continued to tremble with aftershocks. Reaching for a blanket at the end of the bed, he
covered them both up before pulling her back into his arms.

Stroking her hair, Vitaly smiled at her. “I really want you to come back to San Jose and work for me.”

Lifting her head, she looked at him sleepily. “What about Diane? She’s your personal assistant.”

When I hired you as my intern, I told you that I normally have a staff of four. There’s still one position
open and I have need for a project assistant who can work with the New York office. You’ve already

met everyone and it will be easy to get up to speed on what’s taken place since you left. Please say
that you’ll return. If for no other reason than to keep Ivan from quitting. He’s grown tired of calming
down frightened employees.”

Sarah snorted in amusement as she looked at him. “We still have much to talk about.”

Rubbing her cheek, he smiled down at her. “And I agree. But know that I care about you and I want
you by my side.”

“Well, Mia still hasn’t rented out my room and I’m sure she’d love to have me back.”

“No, I want you with me. You will move into my house.”

Sitting up, Sarah looked down at him. He could tell that she was angry and about to let loose, but he
didn’t care. Her body was still flush with desire and her lovely blonde hair cascaded down her
shoulder as it tickled his chest.

Poking him in the chest, “Now listen here, Mr. Chekov. I already told you that I will not give up my
friends. And I am not moving in with you. I’ll move back into my old apartment or I’m staying here.
You decide.”

Grabbing her finger, he sucked it into his mouth as he watched her eyes darken. Releasing it, he
smiled seductively.

“Yes, Miss Jenkins. At least for now. Now where were we?” Before Sarah could protest, he rolled
on top of her as she squealed in surprise.

Chapter 3

Sarah had to admit that it felt good to be back in San Jose. She had only been gone for a few weeks,
but the way her best friends greeted her, it seemed like years. Her roommate, Mia, and her friend,
Lisa, helped her unload boxes and carry them up to the apartment. Lisa had texted her roommate,
Chloe, that Sarah had arrived, but she was unable to get off work early to help. She promised to pick
up food at their favorite Italian restaurant on her way home.

As the girls finished with the last of the boxes, Chloe arrived with food and wine. Hugging Sarah,
they settled quickly around the living room to hear the story. As Sarah talked, Lisa couldn’t help but
smile. She was the one who had told Vitaly how to reach her after Sarah left for home. If it hadn’t
been for her, perhaps their reunion would not have happened.

“So, when do you start work?” Mia asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“Gee, doesn’t give you much time to unpack,” Chloe added.

“I think that he simply doesn’t want her out of his sight,” Lisa said with a smirk.

“I still don’t know what to think,” Sarah answered as Lisa poured more wine.

“I like him. I really do. And the sex. Well, the sex is fantastic. And when he isn’t being a
condescending control freak, he’s really fun to be around. And there are few logistics companies near
here, let alone ones with his contracts. I have the opportunity to learn so much that I couldn’t possibly
ask for better on the job training.”

“And the pay?” Lisa asked.

“Better than I could have imagined. Especially considering this is my first non-family job.”

As the girls toasted to Sarah’s job and return to an active sex life, they ended the evening indulging in
tiramisu and cannolis.

* * * * *

Sarah walked into VIC Enterprises early the next morning. While she had not anticipated returning,
she had to admit that she had missed her job. Entering the security office, she saw Ivan talking with
two of his officers. Excusing them, he walked toward her before enfolding her in a giant bear hug.

“Welcome back Sarah,” he told her as he hugged her.

“Thank you,” she replied. She had not expected such a warm greeting from him. Reaching into his
desk, he pulled out her new badge and handed it to her.

“They’re waiting for you upstairs.”

As she rode up in the elevator, she clutched the handle on her bag. Stepping out on the tenth floor, she
was surprised to see Laurel, Susan and Diane waiting for her. Clapping her hands in delight, Laurel
rushed forward to hug her followed by Susan. As she had yet to meet her formally, Diane hung back
waiting. As the two women let her go, Sarah stepped forward with a smile.

“You must be Diane. Thank you for coming back early.”

Diane shook her hand, “Not a problem. I can’t tell you how happy I was to find out how organized
you are. You made my return so much easier.” The women chatted briefly, before Susan interrupted.

“Let’s get you situated in your office so you can get up to speed on the east coast projects.”

When they walked into her new office, Sarah gasped as she walked to the window. Situated on the
same wall as the conference room and Vitaly’s office, she had a sweeping view of the Santa Cruz
Mountains. Staring out over the vista, she didn’t realize that Susan had left until she turned around.
Moving to her desk, she sat down and flipped open her laptop. Logging in, she pulled up the recent
files and read through the most recent additions.

She jumped when she heard a throat clearing. Looking up, she saw Vitaly standing there with a tray of
coffees. Walking in, he set one down on her desk before leaving.

“My office, fifteen minutes,” he told her before striding out. Sarah shook her head as he left. Clearly,
it was business as usual.

Chapter 4

Sarah was soaking in the tub in Vitaly’s Manhattan apartment after a busy six weeks. The latest east
coast logistics contract had everyone busy, as the client expected certain demands be in place before
he would sign a contract. She’d had to travel back and forth to New York twice now and while she
didn’t mind flying commercial, Vitaly had insisted that she use the company jet.

In fact, he made a point of going with her claiming that he needed to take care of some business
personally, which could have easily been handled over the phone or by his Director of Business
Development, Simon.

As she bathed in the tub, she blushed when she thought about how they had spent their time on the jet.
Since her return to work, he had been far more forthcoming and attentive. While it was still easy for
him to be swept up in work, he had become far less dismissive and they were spending more time
together. So much so, that she rarely slept at home. Something he pointed out to her every time she
woke up in his bed.

Their latest flight to New York still gave Sarah warm pleasurable feelings at the mere thought of it.
He’d been unusually aggressive lately, which she generally enjoyed and admittedly, she was the
instigator this time. From the moment they’d boarded the plane, he had his head buried in files as he
alternated between the phone and his laptop. This particular client was a large supplier from Russia
and he was anxious to make sure everything was in place.

A couple hours into their flight, Sarah slithered to the floor as she crawled toward him. He didn’t
realize that she was there until he felt her light touch on his legs. Looking down, he caught her
mischievous grin as she slid her hands up his pant legs before running her nails back down. Sitting
back, he had watched her as she reached for his belt clasp. Sliding his zipper down, he lifted his hips
so she could pull his pants away from his glorious cock, which sprang free. She still couldn’t believe
that he went commando and wondered if he wore anything during winter.

Spitting in her hand, she gave him her best sultry look at she began to stroke her hand up and down his
shaft. Since she still considered herself so much more inexperienced than he was, given their ten
years difference in age, she had been reading up on giving blowjobs and wanted to try something
new. Up until then, he had been her teacher, but she was hoping to show him something new. Kissing
along his groin, she licked along the base of his hardness as he slid down in his seat to give her better
access.

Cupping his balls with the palm of her hand, she held them against his cock, as she squeezed lightly
before working the shaft in an up and down motion. With each upward slide, she would apply
pressure with the palm of her hand as she massaged both at the same time. Vitaly pushed his head
back against the seat as he closed his eyes. Sarah smiled as she watched him tense up his hands with
each upward stroke.

Leaning over, she blew warm air on the tip before boldly licking it like a lollipop. Swirling her
tongue around the head, she sucked it into her mouth as she put pressure with her lips against the base.
His moan of approval gave her the incentive to continue as she pumped her hand up and down.

With each downward stroke of her hand, her mouth followed as they met at the base before sliding
back up. The closer she got to the tip, the more pressure she applied with her lower lip, as she
massaged his more sensitive spots with her mouth. As his moans increased, she felt his body begin to
tighten. Increasing the pressure with her hand, she applied more suction with her mouth as he began to
hiss at the intensity.

As she dragged her mouth back up, she grazed the shaft with her teeth as he arched up against her
mouth. Not expecting him to come so quickly, she sped up her strokes, as she tightened her grasp on
each upward stroke. Maintaining pressure with her mouth, she continued to suck hard as she drank
him down.

As she sat back on her heels, she was surprised when her head bumped against something hard.
Sitting up, Sarah realized that she was still in the tub as she shivered. She was only dreaming.
Reaching for the plug, she let some of the cold water out before kicking on the hot, not quite ready to
get out.

Relaxing back against the tub, she reached for a washcloth. Using the dry cloth, she began to rub it
over her arms, enjoying the slightly abrasive friction on her sensitive skin. Arching her back up, she
dragged the cloth over her breasts, paying extra attention to her nipples, which were throbbing with
need. Closing her eyes, Sarah was back into her private jet fantasy, as she dragged the cloth under the
water to rub her stomach in slow lazy circles.

As Vitaly sat up straight, he reached for Sarah who sat smugly on the floor.

“Someone has learned a few new tricks,” he said as she licked her lips. Nodding her head in
agreement, she couldn’t help but grin as he looked at her wondering where she picked up that
move up.

“The internet is an amazing resource for all sorts of useful information,” she told him as she
continued to grin at him.

“Indeed it is,” he told her as the pilot announced that they would be landing soon.

As Sarah ran the washcloth along the inside of her legs, she wondered what would have happened
had they more time before landing. Running the cloth back up her body, she swiped it along her neck
as she created a new ending to their flight east.

Reaching for her, Vitaly pulled her to her feet, as he captured her lips. The taste of his cum was
still in her mouth and he groaned, as their lips danced together. Holding her tightly against him,
his hands roved across her body possessively as Sarah trembled at his touch. Turning her around,
he bent her over a seat as he lifted the hem on her skirt to her waist. Her ass cheeks beckoned for
his touch and he couldn’t resist smacking both sides as she yelped in protest. The scent of her
arousal met him as he chuckled.

“I think the lady doth protest too much,” he told her as he smacked her cheeks again.

Sarah’s hand drifted down her body as she began to writhe in the tub. Dragging the cloth up and down
her slit, she parted her mons with her fingers, as she rubbed the washcloth along the inside of her slit.
Finding her clit, she pushed against it with her finger while she continued to stroke herself with the
cloth.

Reaching under her blouse, Vitaly released her breasts from her bra as he massaged them heavily.
Moaning, Sarah held tight to the back of the seat, lost to the sensations he was creating inside her.
Increasing the pressure, his fingers found her nipples as he alternated between rubbing and
pinching them.

Sitting down opposite her, he pushed her thong to the side as he stopped to admire the view. She
was so lovely kneeling there so exposed to him, and he loved the red marks his hand had left on
her cheeks. Pressing his lips to her ass, he kissed her lightly before biting down. Sarah’s yelp
quickly shifted to a groan as his tongue found her soaking wet center and began to lick at what she
had to offer. Sarah’s moans grew louder as she pushed her legs farther apart.

Pushing his tongue between her mons, he was surprised at how wet she was as he lapped at her
juices. She wiggled, as his fingers found their way down and he easily slipped two inside. Two
quickly became three, as his fingers soon found a steady rhythm that easily matched Sarah’s
moans.

Arching her back, she met him thrust for thrust, as her orgasm built. Moving his hand faster, he
could feel the telltale sign of her growing pleasure as her muscles began to contract around him.

Alternating his speed, he switched between long slow strokes and faster short ones that smacked
hard against her reddened ass. Sarah cried out his name as her orgasm hit.

Keeping her eyes tightly closed, Sarah sped up her clit rubs as she continued to slide the washcloth
along the inside of her slit. Feeling her own orgasm close in, she pinched her clit as she rubbed the
cloth faster. Moaning, she arched her back as pleasure flowed through her body. The washcloth
became slippery as she continued to rub it along her increasingly sensitive skin.

Sighing, she stretched in the water, which had grown tepid, before standing up. Releasing the plug,
she reached for her towel to wrap around her body. She looked at herself in the mirror as she took
note of her flushed skin as she smiled. She wished that Vitaly could be there, but he had left for
Russia to deal directly with the client and wasn’t expected back until next week.

Chapter 5

Sarah twirled around in the conference chair to stretch her aching muscles. Both Chloe and Mia had
started taking yoga and Mia showed her a couple yoga stretches that she could do at her desk. As she
twisted in the chair, she determined that if she was going to spend so much time in New York, she
was going to need a more comfortable place to work other than the conference table.

Standing up, she walked around as she eased her tight muscles. Sitting back down, she noticed that
she had an instant message notification. Since it was only meant to be used for business, she was
curious as to who was contacting her. Clicking on it, she had a message from an unknown contact.

I have something you want. Meet me at Downtown Café in thirty minutes.

Who are you? she typed back but there was no response.

Curious, she entered “Downtown Café” into an internet search and saw that it was just down the
street. Looking at the time, she decided to break for lunch and appease her curiosity. Turning off her
computer, she packed it away in her bag and stowed it under the credenza by the window before
heading to the elevator. She saw Betty, their office manager sitting at her desk and she waved as she
entered the car. As she exited the building, she was glad that she didn’t run into any other employees
as she wouldn’t know what to say if they asked her where she was going.

Walking the four blocks, she found the café and walked inside. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone
she knew, so she found an empty booth toward the back and sat down. Unsure what to expect, she
ordered tea but held off on opening the menu. Within minutes, Dimitri Nardiv sat down across from
her, as she looked up startled.

“Mr. Nardiv, what’s with all the subterfuge?” Sarah asked as she looked at him.

“Dmitri, please, Sarah. I think we are past those formalities,” he stated as he looked at her.

Unsure what to say, Sarah sat there looking at him. From what she had been able to find out, Vitaly
and Dmitri were boyhood friends who had been apprenticed to the same man as teens. As they got
older, they had decided to go into a logistics business together, but it had all gone horribly wrong
when Vitaly found out that Dmitri had been smuggling contraband into the country.

Deciding to part ways, Vitaly headed out to the west coast and only recently returned to the east coast
when his business began rapidly expanding. Until several weeks ago, when they saw each other at a
fundraiser neither had seen each other in almost a decade.

“What can I do for you, Dmitri?” Sarah asked him.

“Oh, my dear, Sarah. It’s what I can do for you.”

“And that would be?”

“Money, of course. Lots of it. Something I’m sure a woman your age would enjoy.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, Sarah crossed her arms. “And in return, you would want…what?”

“Information on your contract negotiations with your Russian clients, of course.”

Shaking her head, Sarah grabbed her purse as she started to slide out from the booth. “I don’t know
who you think I am, Mr. Nardiv, but I am not for sale.”

“Oh please. Everyone is for sale; it’s merely a matter of finding what they want most. You are set to
graduate soon. You must have student loans. Credit cards. Wouldn’t it feel good to pay those off and
buy a nice car for yourself instead of that ten year old model you’ve been driving?”

Sarah couldn’t prevent the surprise from showing on her face at the mention of her car. Standing up,
she slammed her bag onto her shoulder.

“For the record, Mr. Nardiv, I don’t have any student loans nor do I have credit card debt. And while
yes, my car may be more than ten years old, it works just fine and when I’m ready to buy another one,
I will do so with the money I earned honestly. Now, good day, sir.”

“He can never love you, you know.”

Sarah stopped to look at him. “What did you say?”

“Chekov. If he is the reason for your loyalty, know that he can never love you. He doesn’t have it in
him.”

Shaking her head, Sarah stormed out of the restaurant and walked for several blocks before she
stopped to take a few breaths. She couldn’t believe that he tried to bribe her for information. Of all
the nerve. Deciding that she was done for the day, she hailed a cab to take her back to the apartment.
As she let herself inside, she realized that she had forgotten her laptop at the office, but she was too
angry to go back. Tomorrow was Saturday. She planned to go to the Museum of Modern Art with
Cindy and Clara, from the office. She would stop by when they were done to pick it up.

* * * * *

The girls ended up spending the entire day at MOMA and were enjoying dinner and cocktails when
Sarah remembered her laptop. Cindy waved her off assuring her that it would be fine where it was
until Monday. If anything emergent came up, she could handle it on her smart phone or then go to the
office. Agreeing with her, the girls toasted to a long hard week, as they made plans to go to a day spa
the next day.

While Sarah missed her best friends back home, she was glad for the friendship Cindy and Clara
readily offered, which made her days spent in New York that much easier.

When Sarah arrived at the office on Monday, she immediately went to retrieve her laptop. Several
members of the procurement team were meeting in the conference room, so she slipped quietly in the

back and found her bag on the floor against the wall. Grabbing it, she waved before leaving to find
another place to set up.

As she unzipped her bag, she noticed that the contents appeared to have been moved around.
Assuming that it was shifted when they moved her bag, she shrugged her shoulders and got to work.
Because this office was so small, it wasn’t uncommon for computers and bags to be moved to make
room for impromptu meetings. The day progressed quickly as she worked on the project plans for the
new clients.

Before she knew it, it was after two and her stomach was grumbling. Stretching, she grabbed her
wallet and went downstairs to get some lunch. Deciding to eat out, she munched on a burrito as she
wandered around looking in windows. California department stores simply didn’t have the
magnificent window displays that Manhattan stores did. Realizing that she’d been out for more than
thirty minutes, she hurried back to the office.

As she exited the elevator, she heard loud voices coming from down the hall. Unsure if she should
check it out, she headed to her improvised work area. She stopped short when she saw that her laptop
was missing. Following the voices, she found Vitaly, Marcus and Simon in a heated discussion while
her laptop sat open on the desk.

She was surprised to see Vitaly, as he wasn’t due back from Russia for another two days. Wondering
what could have brought him back early, she paused in the doorway, unsure what to do as she waited
for one of them to notice her. As Vitaly looked up, the other two turned to look at her. She could tell
by the looks on their faces that both Vitaly and Marcus were angry while Simon looked concerned.

“Sarah, come in. We need to talk,” Vitaly said flatly. Walking in, Sarah looked at the men, before
sitting down in the vacant chair. Turning her laptop toward her, “Is this yours?”

Looking at him, “You know it is. What’s going on?”

“Vital information regarding our negotiations with the Russian prospects has been leaked to a
competitor and we have lost two of the contracts. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“What do you mean, what do I have to say for myself? What does that have to do with me?” Sarah
questioned.

Reaching for her laptop, Marcus clicked on a folder. “You had access to all the information and the
leaked files appear to have been sent from your computer.”

Staring at the computer, Sarah kicked herself for not taking it with her on Friday. She shook her head
in disbelief.

“There must be some mistake. I left my laptop here when I left on Friday and only just retrieved it
today.”

“Ah yes, that’s another point. Would you care to explain why you met with Dmitri Nardiv?” Marcus
asked.

“How?” Closing her eyes, Sarah took a deep breath. “As I’m sure you know, since you’ve been on my
laptop, I received a cryptic instant message on Friday about someone having something I would want.
Curious, I went to the designated meeting place. I was surprised that it was Mr. Nardiv.”

“And what did he offer you in exchange for selling me out?” Vitaly demanded.

“An undisclosed amount of money. I can’t tell you anymore because I turned him down and didn’t
bother to stick around to find out exactly how much he was offering,” Sarah replied hotly.

She was shocked at the angry look on Vitaly’s face. He couldn’t possibly believe that after everything
that’s happened that she would betray him? Looking at Marcus, he too seemed to believe that it was
true while Simon looked as if he didn’t want to be in the room.

“And I’m supposed to believe you?”

Sarah willed herself not to cry. Not now. Not yet. “Of course you are. After everything that has gone
on between us? Do you honestly believe that I would betray you?”

Tapping the laptop, he sighed. “The evidence says otherwise, Sarah. If it was simply about money,
you could have come to me.”

“Stop.” Sarah stood up and faced all three men, but directed her reply to Vitaly.

“If you genuinely think that I would put money before someone I care…cared about let alone commit
espionage, then you don’t know me at all. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Sarah turned to leave.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Vitaly demanded.

“Away from here,” she answered hotly.

“We aren’t done yet.”

“Oh. Yes. We. Are.”

“We are still investigating,” Marcus interjected.

Turning to look at him, “Well, if that were the case, then don’t you think that these accusations were
premature? Looks to me as if you’ve already made your decision. So, what’s it going to be? Are you
going to be reasonable or continue to jump to conclusions, because if it’s the latter, I quit.”

“You can’t quit, because you’re fired,” Vitaly shot back.

“As you wish,” she replied. As Sarah headed to the door, she turned to look back at Vitaly. “Oh, and
when you discover that you’re wrong. Don’t bother to come looking for me.”

Sarah retrieved her personal belongings and headed to the elevator, as Simon caught up with her.

“Sarah, wait. You have to understand how important this is.”

“Of course, I understand. Someone who works for Vitaly is stealing secrets. But it isn’t me. It
wouldn’t even occur to me to do so and he should know better. He was too quick to judge and if it
wasn’t this, it might be something else. I’m just glad I found out the measure of the man before I made
the mistake of telling him that I-” Sarah stopped herself from saying too much. “Before I invested
more time in…him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to leave. Now.”

As Simon stepped back, he squeezed Sarah’s arm. “He’s a fool.” No longer able to talk, Sarah
nodded her head as she stepped onto the elevator. Crossing her arms tightly over her chest, she willed
herself not to cry. Not yet. Rushing out of the building, she hailed a cab and went straight back to the
apartment. Throwing her clothes into her bag, she looked around the room one last time to make sure
that she didn’t forget anything.

As she walked out, she left her keys on the table by the door.

* * * * *

Sarah asked the cab driver to take her to the nearest hotel. When he dropped her off, she waited until
she could no longer see him and then crossed the street and headed down the block. If anyone was
going to be looking for her, she wasn’t going to make it easy. Finding a smaller hotel a couple blocks
down, she checked in.

When she walked into her room, she dropped her bags on the floor as she followed them down.
Unable to keep them at bay any longer, Sarah began to sob. After everything that happened between
them, for him to assume the worst so quickly…Sarah was shocked that he thought so little of her. She
felt as if her heart had broken as she grieved for the loss of Vitaly, their relationship and a job she
loved.

It was stupid of her to get involved with her boss. If she were smart, she would have maintained the
relationship with him but not returned to work. Or returned to work, but kept it platonic. Not that she
could have kept up that façade for long.

She didn’t know how long she lay there crying before she realized that her phone was ringing. Sitting
up, she reached for it to see that it was her friend, Lisa, calling.

As soon as Lisa heard her voice, “Oh no, what did he do this time?” she asked her friend. As Sarah
filled her in on what happened, she could hear noises in the background. Both Chloe and Mia had
come in to hear the story.

“Oh, hun, I’m so sorry,” Lisa told her.

“When are you coming home?” Mia asked her.

“Just as soon as I can get a flight out.”

“But you can’t go just yet,” Lisa replied.

“Why not?”

“Aren’t you even a little curious as to who set you up?”

“Well, of course, but I’m no detective.”

“No, you aren’t,” Chloe replied. “Just come home.”

As Sarah continued to talk to her friends, she felt better. While they may be more than two thousand
miles away, she always knew that she could count on them for moral support. After she got off the
phone, she called the airlines to make a reservation. There was a redeye out that night. Swearing to
herself, she realized that she still had clothes at the dry cleaners.

Walking into the bathroom, she looked in the mirror. Her face was red and puffy from crying. After
scrubbing her face, she didn’t look much better so she jumped in the shower. Donning a pair of jeans,
sweater and a coat, she went downstairs to hail a cab.

The dry cleaners was less than a block from VIC Enterprises and Sarah hoped that she wouldn’t run
into anyone as she headed to the door. Just as she was about to enter, she spotted Marcus jogging
across the street. Turning around, she watched him look over his shoulder repeatedly before heading
toward an alley. Curious as to where he was going, she crossed the street and peered down the alley,
which was empty except for some large dumpsters and a sign indicating a back entrance to a bar.
Walking down the alley, she went into the bar. Not particularly crowded at this time, she hugged the
wall as she looked around.

She found Marcus sitting in a corner booth talking to someone. Walking toward the main entrance,
Sarah worked her way down the aisle careful not to let Marcus see her. Grabbing a menu, she slid
into the booth next to them and pressed her back to the wall. Holding the menu up in front of her, she
leaned her head against the booth hoping to hear what was going on.

“It was smart of you to frame that little bitch.”

“Sarah isn’t a bitch.”

“She refused to take money from me. No one turns me down. Ever.”

Sarah realized that Marcus was talking to Dmitri, as she began to fume. He was the leak! Marcus had
worked for Vitaly for years; she couldn’t believe that he would betray him like that. She wondered
how much money it would take for someone to destroy a friendship like that. Grabbing her phone,
Sarah hit the record app and hoped that they talked loud enough for her to pick up part of their
conversation. Lisa would be so proud of her detective work.

“At any rate, it’s done. I’ve managed to manufacture the necessary digital footprints to point
everything at her. That little meeting you had with her tipped it against her and Vitaly is fuming. He
won’t bother looking elsewhere as he’s convinced it’s her, which is a good thing, as I’m not sure how
well those footprints I left will hold up to heavier scrutiny.”

As the men continued to talk, Sarah held the phone toward them. As their conversation drew to a
close, she realized that they were getting ready to leave. Quickly sitting upright, she pulled her hood
tight against her collar to hide her hair length as she kept her head down pretending to text.

Chapter 6

Sarah had been home for a week when human resources contacted her. She needed to stop by security
to drop off her badge and sign some paperwork. Sighing, she agreed to come by that afternoon. As she
pulled into the parking lot, she checked Vitaly’s parking space and was relieved to see it empty.
Walking into the lobby, she headed toward Ivan’s office. Finding it empty, she prepared to drop her
badge on his desk when he walked in.

“Sarah,” Ivan said cautiously as he looked at her.

“Ivan,” she mimicked. “I understand that you have something for me to sign?”

Nodding his head, Ivan handed her exit paperwork as she quickly scanned it. Grabbing a pen, she
signed it before handing it back along with her badge. As she prepared to walk out the door, she
turned and handed him a thumb drive.

“What’s this?”

“A recording of a conversation between Marcus and Dmitri Nardiv. It’s a bit hard to hear, but maybe
someone in IT can clean it up.”

“And how did you come by it?” Ivan asked.

Shrugging her shoulders. “I had to run some errands before I left New York and I saw Marcus acting
suspicious so I followed him into a bar. He was sitting in the back talking to Dmitri, so I tried to
record the conversation. Maybe you’ll find something helpful on it.”

Ivan held the thumb drive in his hand as he watched Sarah leave. He had never once thought that she
was guilty. While he didn’t approve of his boss getting into a relationship with her, he’d had enough
interactions with her to know that she wasn’t the type to commit espionage. Of course, it helped that
her background check produced nothing out of the ordinary.

Curious as to the contents, he sat down at his desk and inserted the drive. The conversation was
garbled and difficult to hear. Picking up the phone, he called up to IT to have someone come down to
assist with cleaning it up. As he waited, he contemplated what he might find. While he had always
considered Marcus opportunistic, he never imagined that he would commit espionage. Vitaly paid
him too well.

* * * * *

It took the better part of two days, but when they finished cleaning up the audio file, there was no
question as to who the leak was and that Sarah had been intentionally framed. More than once, Dmitri
Nardiv expressed his displeasure at Sarah’s adamant refusal to accept his offer, which he considered
quite generous. Not that she would know since she refused to hear it.

Since Vitaly was still in New York, Ivan texted him to contact him on video chat when he had a

private moment. Two hours later, Ivan’s chat notification beeped indicating that Vitaly was waiting.

“Hey, boss,” Ivan said as Vitaly turned toward the monitor. “How goes New York?”

“Difficult. We’ve been cleaning up the mess Sarah made and it looks like we lost both contracts.
Marcus has been working to bring in another client.”

“So, you are certain that it was Sarah, then.”

“Of course, it was her laptop….”

“Which she said that she had left at the office. Did you ever stop to think that maybe she was
framed?”

“Why would I? All the evidence pointed to her.”

“But yet, you didn’t bring her up on charges. Why is that?”

“Marcus didn’t think it was a good idea.”

Maybe because the evidence would collapse, Ivan mumbled to himself.

“Ivan, what is all this about?”

“I am in receipt of an audio file that I think might be of interest to you.” As Ivan played it, he watched
Vitaly’s emotions shift across his face from shock to outrage.

“Where did you get it?”

“Sarah dropped it off when she came in to sign her exit paperwork. She saw Marcus behaving
suspiciously and followed him into a bar. She managed to record part of his conversation with
Nardiv. It was garbled and it took some doing, but as you heard, we were able to clean it up.”

Putting his head in his hands, Vitaly rubbed his cheeks. “My god, I’ve been such a fool. After
everything it took to bring Sarah back, I completely fucked it up by jumping to conclusions. How will
she ever forgive me?”

“I don’t think that she will. But the bigger question is, what are you going to do about Marcus?”

“Oh, I have an idea that will not only take care of Marcus, but possibly generate a shift in contracts
from Nardiv over to me, but I’m going to need help and I don’t know whom I can trust.”

“I’m all ears.”

As Vitaly laid out his idea to catch Marcus and Nardiv, Ivan couldn’t help but think about Sarah.
Despite everything, she had still stepped up and did the right thing. She was all right in his book, but
maybe it was best that she stayed away from Vitaly. While he respected his boss and everything that

he built for himself, he was clueless when it came to having a good thing standing right there in front
of him.

Chapter 7

Rather than looking for another job, Sarah elected to apply to graduate school. She had managed to
save up enough money, plus the unemployment that HR approved would allow her to take a couple
months off before starting in a Master’s program. While normally, the MBA program would already
be full, her graduate supervisor called her immediately when a student had to drop out due to a family
emergency. Sarah planned to start in Spring and her professor had already emailed her several links
to articles to give her a jump start.

As the holidays approached, Sarah and her friends were excited to drive down to the central valley to
spend it with her family. The Jenkins family was well known for their holiday extravaganzas and
Christmas was her father’s favorite holiday. Her aunt had already sent her several pictures of the
various Christmas trees that had been erected in the different buildings, each with their own theme.

As Sarah put the last of her things in a bag, her phone rang. Without looking at the caller id, she
answered the phone.

“Sarah, it’s Ivan.”

“Ivan? What can I do for you?”

“There’s been an accident. Vitaly is in intensive care at Mountain View hospital.”

“Oh my god, what happened?”

“He appears to have been driving too fast and missed a curve. When they found his car, the EMTs
were surprised that anyone was still alive. I just thought that you should know.”

“Thank you, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

As Sarah got off the phone, she looked up to see Mia standing in her doorway. She had heard her side
of the conversation. “So, what are you waiting for? Go!”

Driving to the hospital, Sarah had to force herself not to speed. She was frantic to get there as quickly
as possible. An accident? How could that be? Despite his tendency to speed, he was always a careful
driver. She couldn’t believe that he was in an accident.

While she hadn’t seen or heard from him since that day in New York, her feelings for him hadn’t
changed. She had just come to accept that she was indeed in love with him when he accused her of
espionage. At the time, she was glad that she hadn’t told him as she didn’t think she could handle the
added humiliation of having her love thrown back in her face, but now she wished she had. Clearly,
life was too short to spend it worrying about pride.

Pulling into the hospital parking lot, she found a space and ran inside. Not even bothering to ask for a
room number, she looked at the map and headed up to the ICU. When she got off the elevator, she was
faced with a large closed door. Turning the other way, she started walking toward a nurses’ station.

Before she got there, she heard her name. She turned to see Ivan walking out of the ICU as Sarah ran
toward him.

“Ivan, is he?” Sarah couldn’t quite finish the question as she looked at him.

Grabbing her arms, he hugged her. “So far, yes, he’s still alive. Come, we need to talk.” Taking Sarah
by the hand, he pulled her into an empty family room. Sitting her down, he joined her as he rubbed the
back of his head.

“Much has happened since you gave me that thumb drive.”

“Were you able to clean it up?”

“Oh yes. And it launched an investigation that included every member of Marcus’ team. It seems that
they were all on Nardiv’s payroll.”

“But how could that be? I spent the weekend with Cindy. She couldn’t possibly.”

Nodding his head, “You leaving your laptop at the office was a bonus for Marcus and when he found
it, it was her job to keep you busy that weekend.”

“So the dinner and the spa day?”

“Were all to keep you from going to the office.”

“What about Clara?”

Shaking his head, “As far as we could tell, she wasn’t involved, but we didn’t take any chances and
she has been released from her internship.”

Sarah sat there as Ivan detailed what happened since cleaning up the audio file she gave him. He told
her about Vitaly’s idea to catch Marcus and Nardiv in the act and his surprise at finding out how far
the corruption went in his organization. With the help of the Union representative with the New Jersey
Port Authority, they were able to cast a wide net, which snared Nardiv as well as several members of
the NJPA.

This caught the attention of the federal government. As of now, Nardiv was shut down pending
investigation into all aspects of his business. This opened the door for VIC Enterprises and Vitaly
swept in securing most of Nardiv’s clients as new business.

“Which brings us to the last couple of days,” Ivan stated as he sighed. “Vitaly thought that he might
have been followed on more than one occasion, so he started varying his transportation. Sometimes
he would use his driver, other times, he would drive himself.”

Grabbing Ivan’s hand, Sarah looked at him. “So, you think that this wasn’t an accident?”

Shaking his head, “I spoke with the responding officer at the accident site. He said that there were no

skid marks on the road.”

“What does that mean?”

“That his brakes may have been cut.” Sarah gasped, as she covered her mouth. Jumping up, she
started to run out the door, but Ivan stopped her.

Tugging at his grip, “Ivan! Let me go! I have to see him. I have to tell him-”

“Sarah, sit down. I have to finish.” Perching on the edge of the seat, Sarah stared at Ivan willing him
to hurry up.

“I never believed that you had anything to do with this. And it was that audio file that set the ball
rolling. If it wasn’t for you, there’s no telling how long this could have gone on.”

At Sarah’s impatient look, he held up his hand.

“Vitaly felt like a real horse’s ass when he found out that it was you who broke all this open. But he’s
a prideful man and after how he treated you, he didn’t see how you would ever forgive him. He has a
terrible history with women and Marcus linking you to the leak made it really easy for him to jump to
the wrong conclusions. And while that doesn’t excuse his behavior, you were both played.”

Taking a deep breath, he took both of Sarah’s hands as he looked at her.

“The accident was bad. As I said, when the EMTs responded to the scene, no one expected anyone to
be alive and I think that was the point. Whether it was one of Nardiv’s people or possibly someone
from the NJPA, Vitaly was not expected to walk away. And he hasn’t.”

Sarah began to tremble, as he tightened his grip on her hands. “He has massive internal injuries,
several broken bones, as well as some burns. For his safety, the doctors have him in a medically-
induced coma to give his body time to recover. We won’t know anything anytime soon. You need to
understand that before you go in.”

“So. So, he might not recover?”

Nodding his head. “The doctors have hope. He’s young and healthy and at least he was wearing his
seatbelt. But this will be a long process and should he wake up, he may not be the same person. The
injuries to his head were extensive.”

Swallowing hard, Sarah squeezed his hands. “May I see him?”

Releasing her hands, Ivan stood up as he helped her to stand. Walking with her toward the ICU, he
punched in a code that would give her entrance.

“Visiting hours is over, but given the gravity of his condition, we’ve been told that so long as we are
quiet, we may visit.”

Sarah went up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

“Thank you, Ivan. Thank you for everything.” Turning, she walked inside as the door closed behind
her.

Unsure which way to go, she looked around. There were twelve beds in semi-private rooms enclosed
on three sides with the fourth open to a nurses’ station. About to ask which room he was in, she
spotted an overly dressed woman exit one of the rooms.

Walking toward her, Sarah noticed how tall she was. With platinum blonde hair and far too much
makeup, her leather pants and silk blouse did not seem that out of place in comparison. As the woman
was about to walk past her, she paused.

In a thick Russian accent, “You are Sarah?”

Nodding her head, Sarah put her hand out to shake. “Yes, I’m Sarah Jenkins.”

Pinching Sarah’s fingers lightly in a mock handshake, “I am Nadia Chekov. You have come to see my
Vitaly?”

Nodding her head, Sarah was unsure how to respond as Vitaly had told her that they were divorcing.
Smiling tightly, Nadia picked up on her thoughts.

“Do not worry. We are not married now. But we have known each other for so long that a part of me
will always care for him.”

As Nadia headed toward the exit, she turned back to Sarah. “We both love him, but it is your love that
he needs now. Take care of him,” she said as she pushed the exit button and walked out.

Sarah turned toward the room Nadia had come out of and walked toward it. She resisted the urge to
run. She would have loved this to be some sort of elaborate ruse and desperately hoped that what she
would see wouldn’t be as bad as she was made to expect. As she got to the entrance, she paused.
Closing her eyes, she pictured him on their last plane ride to New York. Smiling. Laughing. Taking a
deep breath, she parted the curtain and stepped inside.

Since it was late, the room was dimly lit, as a lone body laid cast in the glow of the lights from
several machines. Sarah was surprised at the amount of noise coming from the machines, as she
wondered how anyone could sleep through all that clicking and beeping.

Walking toward him, Sarah looked down at him. He had more bandages than skin showing, as tubes
and wires connected to various parts of his body in an intricate pattern that only a doctor could
appreciate. Seeing the empty chair, she moved it to the far side of the bed before sitting down. His
right hand had an IV tube running from it, but other than that, it appeared relatively uninjured. Rubbing
his hand, she covered her mouth to keep from screaming. This was all too much.

A voice clearing announced the arrival of a nurse, as Sarah quickly stood up. Waving at her to sit
back down, the nurse checked codes on the machines and took vitals. Before she left, she looked at

Sarah.

“I know that it looks bad and we can’t make any guarantees, but give him time. Sometimes people pull
through. Don’t give up hope just yet.”

As she turned to walk away, she paused. “And talk to him.”

“Can he hear me?”

Shrugging her shoulders, “No one knows, but hey, it couldn’t hurt.”

After the nurse left, Sarah reached for his hand.

“Oh Vitaly, I do hope that you can hear me. Not that I’d want you to know what’s going on because,
well, this is horrific, but if you can hear me, then you would know that Nadia was here. And Ivan.
And others will come. You’re a good man, Vitaly. Despite what you think about yourself. What
happened here…it’s criminal. It’s worse than that. But Ivan will find them. He’s good at that. And just
so you know, I’m unfiring myself and going back to work. You need all the help that you can get and I
know those accounts. We’ll keep VIC Enterprises running. And when you wake up, you’ll see. Your
company will continue to flourish and you can relax and concentrate on getting better.”

Rubbing his hand, Sarah wiped angry tears from her eyes. “Oh, and Vitaly? I agree with Ivan. You
really are a horse’s ass. A controlling one. But I love you. Did you hear me, Vitaly Chekov? I love
you. Now get better and wake up so I can say it again. And again. And again.”

**End of Part 2**

Authors Note:

Hello Lovely readers! If you enjoyed Part 2 of Vitaly and Sarah, please leave me a positive review!

Apologize for this installment being short. I promise Part 3 will be longer!

Thank you so much for reading! Would love to hear from you! Love all of my fans!

-Leona Lee

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