Page 41 of Ruthless Daddies

Alice crosses her arms, her green eyes steady and unflinching. “I’m serious.”

She can’t possibly be serious. I’ve handled cartel leaders with guns pointed at my head with more confidence than I feel right now. Dmitri, on the other hand, looks like a cat who just stumbled into a room full of cream.

“Well,” Dmitri drawls, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed, “this just got interesting.”

“Shut up,” I snap, glaring at him before turning my attention back to Alice. “You’re not thinking clearly. This is ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous?” she echoes, her brow arching. “Because I’m trying to stop you two from constantly fighting and disruptingeverything? You’ve been at each other’s throats for the last few days, and it’s exhausting.”

I clench my fists at my sides, heat rising in my chest. “This isn’t the way to fix it.”

“Oh?” Dmitri cuts in, his voice smooth. “And what exactly is the way? More shouting matches in the hallways? Maybe a fistfight in the garden?”

I whip around to glare at him. “Don’t test me.”

He shrugs, entirely unbothered, and I can see the flicker of amusement in his eyes. He’s enjoying this. Of course he is.

“Enough,” Alice says, her voice firm. “If neither of you can handle it, then forget I said anything.”

The dismissal in her tone grates against my nerves, and for a moment, I can’t respond. Dmitri, however, doesn’t hesitate.

“Handle it?” he says, pushing off the wall and stepping closer to her. “Oh, I can handle it, Parker.”

My stomach tightens as I watch him close the distance between them.

“Dmitri,” I warn, my voice low.

He ignores me, his gaze locked on Alice as he lifts a hand to her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin. “You wanted a kiss,” he murmurs, his voice dropping. “I’m happy to oblige.”

Before I can say another word, he leans in, capturing her lips with his. The sight hits me like a punch to the gut, and I freeze, my body tense as I watch them. She doesn’t pull away—in fact, she responds, her hands sliding up to grip his shoulders as the kiss deepens.

My chest tightens, anger flaring as Dmitri pulls her closer, his hand sliding to her waist. He shifts, lifting her effortlessly into his arms as her legs wrap around his waist, and he presses her back against the wall. His hips grind against hers, and I see the way her fingers tangle in his hair, the soft moans muffled by his lips.

“Enough,” I growl, stepping forward, my fists clenched.

Dmitri doesn’t stop, his lips trailing down her neck as he mutters something too low for me to hear. The possessive way he holds her, the way she melts into him—it’s too much. My restraint snaps, and I shove him back hard enough that he stumbles, setting Alice back down on her feet.

He turns to me, his smirk returning as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “What’s the matter,brat? Jealous?”

“You’re a bastard,” I bite out, my voice thick with anger.

“True,” he says easily, stepping aside and gesturing toward Alice. “But I’m not the one pretending I don’t want her.”

I glare at him, but I don’t argue. I can’t. Because he’s right.

When I turn back to Alice, she’s watching me, her lips swollen, her cheeks flushed. Something shifts in her expression, a flicker of uncertainty, and it pushes me over the edge.

I close the distance between us in two steps, my hand cupping her jaw as I tilt her face up to mine. I kiss her, hard and desperate, my other hand gripping her waist as if she might disappear if I let go. She gasps against my mouth, and I take the opportunity to deepen the kiss, my tongue sweeping past her lips as my body presses against hers.

My hand slides to her hip, pulling her closer as I pour every ounce of my frustration, my desire, my everything into the kiss.

When I finally pull back, both of us are breathing heavily, her lips swollen and her eyes wide. I glance over my shoulder at Dmitri, who’s leaning against the wall again, his smirk wider than ever.

“Finally,” he says, his tone smug. “Took you long enough.”

I ignore him, focusing my attention on Alice.

I shift, leaning over her as I tug the strap of her top down her shoulder, exposing more of her soft, perfect skin. My lips follow, kissing her shoulder, her collarbone, until I reach her breast.

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