Page 159 of Gloves Off

He lands a kiss and grins down at me. My heart jolts hard, racing, spinning, careening through me like I’ve never felt before. I’m smiling up at him, swooning and dizzy.

Deep in my mind, I’m aware that this is one of those moments I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Every time I see a piece of chocolate cake, I’m going to think about standing in his kitchen,covered in raspberry sauce, breathless with laughter as I gaze up at my pretend husband.

I don’t want to be married, but maybe I could be married to someone like Alexei.

Someone clears their throat and we freeze. Everyone is standing at the edge of the kitchen, watching us with a mix of amused and knowing expressions.

“We heard a scream,” Rory says, grinning.

My face starts to go red. I feel like I’ve been caught with my skirt tucked into my underwear. I try to move away, wiping at my face, but Alexei keeps me close.

“We’re fine.” I can’t meet anyone’s eyes.

I excuse myself to go clean up, he lets me go, and when I return to the front room, Alexei pulls me onto his lap. Thankfully, Jordan, Darcy, Hazel, and Pippa take mercy on me and don’t give thetold you soeyes.

CHAPTER 73

ALEXEI

“I’m not goingto run away,” my wife says as she takes her makeup off in my en suite.

I’m leaning on the doorframe, arms folded across my bare chest, fascinated. I watched her get ready this morning and now I’m watching her get ready for bed.

I like it. I like it all. I like seeing her first thing in the morning with bedhead and a grumpy frown because I woke her up. I like having people over to our home for dinner, I like cooking for her, and I definitely like overhearing her friends tease her about our relationship.

Best sex of her life? Damn fucking right. Pride beats through me.

“What’s that look?” She arches an eyebrow at me, gaze snagging on my black boxer briefs.

“Just interested in this process.”

My thoughts slide to the other night, when I tried to go down on her and she wouldn’t let me. I keep seeing the flash of worry and self-consciousness in her eyes, so rare for her.

It’s something to do with that fucking ex of hers, the one who unenrolled her from medical school.

She leans up on her tiptoes to reach something in the cabinet, one of the bottles I moved over from her bathroom, and my gaze goes to the long line of her legs, her toned calves, the teasing curveof her ass beneath the hem of those silk shorts. Her wild hair is tied up into a knot on top of her head. The sight of her like this, something almost no one else gets to see, sends arousal through me.

In an instant, I want her so badly I can’t stand it.

I come behind her, hands sliding up her sides, my lips pressing to where the tiny, delicate strap sits on her shoulder. With care, I pull the elastic from her hair, watching it cascade in soft waves around her shoulders.

“I’m not done,” she says, but she sets the bottle on the counter, hands clutching the marble edge as my teeth scrape her soft skin.

“Yes, you are.”

I open a drawer, pull out a condom, and her breath catches when she sees where this is going. Against her ass, I’m already hard. Another breath catch.

Our eyes meet in the mirror. “Impatient asshole.”

“Mhm.” My mouth slants. “I’ll make it up to you.”

Holding her against me, I reach into the front of her shorts, where my fingers find wet, slick heat.

“No panties.”

Those defiant eyes flash. “I didn’t do it for you.”

I swirl my fingertips over her clit and her eyelids dip. Fuck, I love how ready she is for me. I love that this works for her as much as it works for me.

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