Page 181 of Gloves Off

“Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?” he asks, and I smile, turning away and pressing my face into his shoulder.

Of course I’m in love with him. I was always going to fall in love with this guy, the only man who ever made me feel something.

“Tell me it’s real, sweetheart.”

Does he mean this marriage, or what we’re doing right now? I don’t care. The answer’s the same for both. For me, at least. “It’s real.”

He stops, breathing hard, gazing down at me. My heart pounds in my ears, my skin is hot, and my head spins. I can’t believe I admitted that.

“I know about the flowers,” I say against him.

He pulls back to meet my eyes, unsurprised and unfazed, his mouth slanting into that affectionate half smile.

“I know what they mean. I know that—” I break off.

“What, Georgia?” His deep voice is low and gentle. More gentle than I ever thought he was capable of. “What do they mean?”

My throat works but I hold his gaze, heart pounding. “That you love me.”

His chin dips. “Mhm. And I think you love me, too.”

My heart stops. He sees right through me. I’m stripped bare, naked and exposed, with no defenses left. Even if I don’t say it, he can see it in my eyes. What’s the point of hiding? This is going to decimate me regardless of whether I say it or not.

“I do love you.” The words fall from my lips. After all this time, fighting it so hard, telling Alexei I love him is like breathing. It feels right.

He kisses me once, twice, three times. “I was trying to give you time and space. I didn’t want to rush you.”

“Rush me.” My heart beats harder than ever, and my hands thread into his hair, tugging him down to me for another kiss.

“Okay.” His breath tickles my lips. “I love you, then. I want you. This is real for me, Georgia.”

Relief slams into me, so hard it makes me give a short laugh. “It’s real for me, too.” Him getting hurt, though. “But?—”

“I know.” He clutches me harder to him, his big hand moving over my back in calming strokes. “But maybe we save that for later. We can find a solution together.” His mouth comes to my ear. “Let go for me. I’ll be there to catch you.”

I’m tired of fighting this. I’m tired of trying to not be in love with him, so I nod. Letting go of control had never felt so easy, so I lean against my husband, sway to the last verses of the love song, and give him my heart.

The hesitant, worried part of me demands attention, but I shove her down, so far down I can’t hear her anymore. I want to be in love. I want it to be easy.

I want Alexei.

The song ends and he leans down to kiss me, a soft, slow kiss that warms me to my toes, blanks out every thought from my head.

“You want to get out of here, Hellfire?”

I smile against his neck and nod before he takes my hand and pulls me off the dance floor.

CHAPTER 84

GEORGIA

Waitingfor the elevator to our suite, Alexei leans down and kisses my neck. The lobby is quiet, just a few employees, a couple of wedding guests passing through, but with one touch, we’re the only people on the planet. Goosebumps scatter across my skin, and he presses another kiss to the sensitive spot beneath my ear.

Inside the elevator, he backs me up to the wall and presses more soft, sweet, slow kisses along my skin. My stomach flutters every time we touch. It’s torture. The corner of his mouth twitches up like he knows what he’s doing to me.

The elevator doors open but we don’t break apart, don’t stop kissing for one second, as we move to the door of our suite.

I stumble—he catches me with an arm around my waist. I laugh—he gives me the handsome half smile that’s just for me. I nip his earlobe while he tries to use his keycard to open the door—he drops it, pushes me against the wall, and kisses me senseless.

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