Boxed Set: Dominated by a Billionaire - Part 10-12: Irresistible Billionaire by Emma M. Green

drinking abundantly and gobbling down the hors d’oeuvres. Vadim and Alistair gave their speeches, raised a toast in Sophie’s honor, gave her a generous gift card to a round of applause, then started talking shop again between the two of them. That’s when I decided to slip out. I catch a glimpse of them from time to time, furtively, pacing in the room, and see them laugh several times.
    Lunatics, both of them…
    As for Clarence, he sulks in the corner. Even though he likes his colleague wholeheartedly, he can’t get used to the idea of her leaving and refuses to join in the general cheerfulness. I’m watching him on the sly when Sophie comes up from behind me and pulls me by the arm and drags me towards Grumpy:
    “I need you to help me make him crack a smile,” she tells me, on the way.
    “I heard that,” Clarence says, seeing her headed his way. “No sense trying. I don’t plan on rejoicing about you leaving, you traitor.”
    Sophie smiles sadly, makes her good girl’s face for him, blinking her eyes exaggeratedly. That alone is enough to make her favorite sidekick giggle.
    “No means no. Sophie, you don’t realize what you are doing to me! You are my Lois Lane, here!”
    “You’ll survive without me, Clark.”
    “I’ll make do, I don’t have a choice,” he grumbles again. “You had better annoy your mother as much as possible for the next nine months!” he mumbles, talking to his coworker’s belly which is – for the time being – flat.
    “So long as he sticks it out nine months, he can torture me as much as he likes.”
    “Everything’s going to be OK, Sof. I’m happy for you, you know… And for Clovis. At least he’ll have a pal or a girlfriend!” Clarence says, finally softening up.
    “They’ll be inseparable, like us!” she shouts, taking him in her arms.
    “Inseparable? You’re moving 500 miles away, damn it!”
    “I’m going to St-Tropez, Miller, not to the Moon! Boy you sure are touchy, sometimes…” she laughs, rolling her eyes.
    We ended the evening in private, just the three of us, holed up in Sophie’s office. That is, her former office. I tell her that the HR department didn’t have to find a replacement for her: Alistair has just hired one of his old colleagues, supposedly a “production ace.” Clarence doesn’t fail to make slimy jokes about him. Then we take off down memory lane – both good and bad – before collapsing into an uncontrollable laughing fit. Around 9 p.m., all the employees have jumped ship. Our diabolical trio accounts for the only ones left in the building , apart from Vadim, holed up in his den.
    Being too serious can kill you, King…
    After unending outpourings of emotion and promises, Sophie, Clarence and I split up in the big lobby. A few tears flow, then smiles reappear, more sincere than ever. Our pretty blonde leaves first, then it is the young daddy’s turn to leave me standing alone. Vadim is supposed to be meeting me down here. I pace back and forth as I wait for him.
    Need comforting in his arms…
    “You were incredibly beautiful back there in that crowd,” he says in his gravelly voice, making me jump.
    His lips find their way onto the nape of my neck and plant a long, languorous kiss there. While his hands take hold of my waist, I bite my lip, savoring the thought of the next few hours. Go home. Now.
    “Adrian won’t be long. I’ll meet up with you as soon as I can,” my lover announces.
    “You aren’t coming home with me? Vadim, we never see each other for more that two seconds at a time!” I sigh, feeling upset and disappointed.
    “I’m doing my best, Alma. I have urgent things to settle. I can’t cut myself in two! Go home, order a nice dinner and I’ll be there in a few hours,” he says, his face suddenly gloomier.
    “I’m not four years old, you know! You can’t give me orders and expect me to obey without some kind of understanding!”
    We face each other, at a standstill, our eyes glaring relentlessly