Page 27 of Gloves Off

“Aw.” Darcy melts. “Alexei. Who knew you were such a teddy bear?”

“Yes.” My eyes narrow. “Who knew?”

His eyes glint with dark amusement. He’s not smiling, his mouth is still a cruel slash across his face, but he looks pleased with himself.

Too pleased.

I don’t believe him, but I’ve already forgotten the words he used so I can’t look them up later.

Darcy gasps, like she just thought of something. “Hawaii.”

The trip to Hawaii this summer with her, Hayden, Hazel, Rory, Pippa, Jamie, and Volkov. The one Darcy pleaded with me to join.

“Oh yeah.” Hayden gives us a cheeky grin, shaking his head. “You guys were hooking up the whole time?”

More like, Volkov glared at me in my swimsuit while I attempted to read fashion magazines at the pool.

I wait, giving Volkov a look like,your turn. He can take a turn being humiliated.

He stares me down. “Yes. Georgia kept sneaking into my bed at night.”

My face burns hot. He wishes.

Darcy gets pulled into a conversation with Rory and Hayden, leaving me alone with Volkov.

“Nice work,” he mutters. “This is going to be more believable if you don’t ramble incoherently.”

My temper flares, hot and angry. “Shut up, Volkov. At least I’m trying. You’re just standing there and letting me do all the work. It’s probably what you’re like in bed.”

“You sure seem interested in what I do in bed. You keep bringing it up.”

Heat washes through me again, and I take a deep, calming breath so my head doesn’t explode. Why does he get under my skin so easily?

Later, when I can’t stand beside my new silent, brooding husband any longer, I pay my tab with Jordan and pull my jacket on.

“You weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?” he says at my side, eyes cruel and mocking.

That’s exactly what I was going to do.

“I’ll walk you out.” He grabs his jacket. “I’m leaving, too. Darcy. Owens.” He nods at them. “Congratulations.”

“You too, buddy.” Hayden claps him on the back.

I give them both a hug, whisper my congratulations in Darcy’s ear, before I walk outside, Volkov’s looming presence right behind me.

In the cool autumn air, I can breathe again.

“Hold on,” he says as I start to walk away without a word. He reaches into his pocket and hands me something. “Here.”

It’s a key. Right. We agreed I’d move in on Saturday. I’m already dreading it.

“Did you decide to stow me in the dungeon or the rotting garden shed?” I ask, studying the key.

When my gaze shifts to him, he yanks his gaze up from my mouth. “I could give you the master bedroom and you’d still turn your nose up at it.”

I roll my eyes, tuck the key in my coat pocket, and start to walk away but he catches my sleeve, frowning.

“Where are you going?”

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