Page 46 of Gloves Off

“They? Who’sthey?” He folds his arms over his chest, his expression a dark cloud.

“He and Stefan.”

“Stefan?” Outrage flashes in his eyes. “There aretwoof them?”

“They’re a bonded pair.”

“What does that evenmean? No. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” He glowers down at my feet. “I bet you wear the shoes for them, don’t you?”

I pause. That’s a weird thing for him to care about. “I mean... I guess I try them on in front of them? But they don’t seem interested.”

He makes a noise of anguish, raking his hands through his hair, and I laugh. He’s so uptight and serious.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about them, but they’re so quiet, you won’t even notice they’re here. And the only place they’ll be is my room.”

His eyes widen with shock. “They’re not coming over to my house, and they’re sure as shit not going in your bedroom.”

“Where are theysupposedto live?”

“They’re living with us?!” His voice goes weirdly high. “What did I say, Georgia? I said no fucking other guys.”

Silence stretches as I stare up at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“No fucking other guys.”He leans in, inches from my face, glaring deep into my eyes. A shiver of anticipation runs through me. “I don’t share. This year, you’remywife. Mine.”

I like the way those words sound, and I like the brutal, furious, possessive way he says them. I shouldn’t, because I hate him, but I do.

There I go—thinking about our kiss again.

Wait. “Who do you think Stefan and Damon are?”

“Your boyfriends.”

A delighted choking noise scrapes out of my throat. I press my lips together so I don’t laugh. Oh, this is good. This issogood.

“Or fuck buddies,” he adds. “Whatever. It sounded pretty fuckingintimate,though, telling themit’s only temporaryandsoon it’ll just be us again.”

The laugh bursts out of me and I clap my hand over my mouth as his expression turns outraged again.

“It’s not funny, Georgia.”

I laugh again. I can’t help it. “You’re right, it’s not. It’shilarious.”

“Stop smiling.”

“Volkov, Volkov, Volkov.” I shake my head as victory fills my chest, warming me throughout. This must be what Olympians experience when they win the gold.

“What?” he bites out. Ooooh, he’s mad. He keeps glancing at my smile like it pisses him off more.

“After what you did to my shoes, I have half a mind to walk away from this conversation and let you keep believing this.” My smile turns wicked, and his eyes drop to my mouth again before he frowns harder. “But I pity you, because not only do you have such a bad personality,” my gaze roams the brutally handsome planes of his face, “you’re ugly, too. So ugly.”

He arches an unimpressed eyebrow. “Are you done?”

“For now.” I wink at him, heading to the stairs. “Come on, Volkov. It’s time you meet myboyfriends.”

CHAPTER 23

ALEXEI

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