Page 168 of Gloves Off

CHAPTER 78

GEORGIA

“Snow is falling on the trees,”I tell Alexei on Christmas Eve morning, staring out the window at the forest behind the house as the soft flurries drift, coating the emerald trees in white.

Everything is pretty and quiet. It’s my favorite time of year. At night, under the streetlights, the snow sparkles.

I wish you were here,I don’t say.I miss you. I wear your T-shirt every night to bed because it makes me feel close to you.

Alexei has been away for weeks and I’m losing my mind. We leave for our fake honeymoon in Silver Falls the day after Christmas—if Alexei ever gets home. His flight has been delayed two days in a row.

Time apart was supposed to bring these feelings down, but I can’t seem to get the guy out of my head, and he isn’t helping. Every few days, flowers arrive at my office, at the hospital, at home.

Camellia (white)—you’re adorable.

Red fuchsia—I like your taste. That one made me blush every time I looked at it.

Calla lily—beauty.

Honeysuckle—devoted affection.

Salvia (red)—forever mine.

I think about that last one a lot. I snipped off a bloom and pressed it between the pages of an old medical text like some wartime damsel pining for her beloved.

Who even am I anymore? If he ever found it, I’d die of humiliation.

“The money hit my bank account yesterday,” I say offhand, like my balance increasing by ten million isn’t a big deal. “Heather and I met with the bank yesterday to arrange the transfer.”

On the other end, Alexei’s quiet. “That’s good, right?” he says, finally, a strange note to his voice.

“Yes,” I lie. “It’s great. It’s a relief.”

I’m thrilled to secure our research program for the next decade, but it’s also one less reason to stay married to Alexei Volkov. Once his and his parents’ citizenship comes through, there’s nothing keeping me here. Nothing keeping me with him.

I hate the thought of this ending. Three weeks without him has been hard enough. It’s not just that I miss the sex. A few nights ago in his hotel room after their game, Alexei demanded I use my toy while he watched on FaceTime, murmuring low encouragement in my ear as he stroked himself.

I miss having him around. Without him, the house feels empty and cold. Life feels a little more dull. Even the bunnies are bored and listless. Despite sleeping in his bed, with his scent surrounding me, my sleep is restless and uneasy.

“Hellfire, I have some bad news for you.”

“Don’t tell me your flight is delayed again.” I keep my voice light and teasing. When he doesn’t answer, my heart sinks, but I sigh with exaggeration. “How will I ever stay warm tonight? I’ll have to borrow that man-chest doll Hayden got Darcy for Valentine’s Day.”

He gifted it to her as a joke after she broke up with her boyfriend. They bring it out at parties. Last time, they put a Storm jersey and sunglasses on it and brought it with us to the Filthy Flamingo.

There’s a knock at the door.

My pulse leaps before I curse myself. It’s probably just anotherdelivery. I hurry to the door, though, almost tripping over my own feet to open it.

Alexei’s standing on the doorstep, holding a bouquet, taller and broader than I remember. His gaze sears me, intense and determined.

“You’re going to have to hold off on cuddling with that doll,” he says, tucking his phone in his back pocket.

I light up, and when my gaze drops to the flowers in his hand, I feel that sharp, pleasant tug again.

Soft, pretty white petals, like a cross between a dogwood and a rose.

I clear my throat. “Gardenia?”

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