Page 58 of Ice Block

“You know what? I think you and Vladi need to have some non-bedroom fun today,” Kara says as we all return to the group to grab our things. She pauses, looking back and forth between me and Vladi. “I have an idea! Wait here.”

Kara walks over to Zack and whispers something in his ear. His eyes go wide, his brows raise, and his jaw drops to the floor.What the hell is she saying to him? And do I even want to know?He pulls her into an embrace, the kind that implies her words were probably dirtier than the martinis she drinks. She gives him a quick kiss, thencomes back to us, pulling a piece of paper out of her bag and handing it to me.

“Here. Zack and I were going to go on this buggy tour of the island today, but I suggested…another activity…and he’d rather do that. We want you and Vladi to go instead. Go hang out, spend some alone time together outside your hotel room, and just…have fun. Let loose!”

My heart swells at the thought, but nervousness still swirls in my gut.Will he even want to do this? Be with me outside of our room?“Kara, you don’t have to do th–”

“Maggie,trust me.You guys will have much more fun than us. And Zack is more than happy with my other suggestion,” she says with a wink.

“I agree!” Olivia chimes in, “You two need to just hang out. Also, Kara, do I even want to know what you two are doing today?”

The wicked grin on Kara’s face is all I need to see. “Let’s just say if you hear screaming from our room, keep on walking.”

“KARA!” Liv whisper-screams as she smacks her lovingly on the arm.

“Oh, for God’s sake, Olivia. You’re a married woman. Trust me, in ten years you’ll be itching to get away with Hayes for a week and try out all your wildest fantasies.”

And where will I be in ten years? With Vladi? Still alone?Why is this so damn difficult?

“Magdalina, are you ready to go?” his husky voice pulls me out of my what-ifs.

I hold up the paper, waving it like a white flag between us. “Zack and Kara gave us their reservation for an island buggy tour. You up for a little exploring today, Wolfie?” He looks at me with a slight wince, and I know he’d rather be somewhere air-conditionedto sixty-five degrees. “Come on…it’ll be fun! We’re only here a few more days—let’s make the most of it.”

He grabs the piece of paper out of my hand to look it over, then he does what I never imagined would happen in front of all of our friends. He grabs my hand. “Let’s go have some fun Magdalina.” We walk hand-in-hand out of the restaurant, my heart soaring like the damn seagulls overhead.

Okay, Melissa, just for today, you can take the lead.

36

vladi

Speeding through puddles on mud-covered roads in a buggy is actually better than it sounded. I’m used to players flying down the rink, spraying me with ice, and pelting me with pucks, but the mud adds an extra layer of filth to the chaos, and listening to her voice shrieking and screaming outside of the bedroom is a welcome change of pace. I catch myself grinning, the stiff muscles in my shoulders that are always on guard are looser today. When she’s around, I feellighter. Dare I say this is even…fun.

Not to mentionher. The usual glares of annoyance are gone, replaced by a wide smile that sends a rush of warmth through my chest. Sitting next to me, her hand gripping the side of the vehicle, the wind wildly blowing through her hair, and the joy radiating from her face. It serves as a sweet reminder of my mother, who lit up the world like a firecracker everywhere she went. The way she would laugh and smile when we would go to the park. The way she would sing and dance in the kitchen while making us dinner. The way she got a feisty look on her face when accusing my father of breaking the rules when we played board games. Growing up, Iknew he did it on purpose. He knew the rules, but I never understood why he pushed them right to the edge. And now, riding down scenic roads with my Magdalina, I see it.He did it to fluster her. He did it because it made her happy.Seeing her like this, being with me, sets my heart on fire. It burns through the chambers like a spark ignited after years in the dark, just waiting for a chance to glow.

“Vladimir Volkov, are you…smiling?” she yells across the open-air jeep. “You’re not having fun,are you? You have a broody image to maintain!”

A roaring laugh rumbles through me. “I’m simply enjoying the view,lisichka.”

“God, it’s so beautiful here, isn’t it!?”

I smile and nod as we fly through another puddle of mud.It is beautiful here, but the view in the seat next to me is even more exquisite.

After the tour guide leads our caravan to the first stop, we park at a small organic farm to sample coffee, chocolates, Mama Juana, and cigars. I rush around the car to help her down, but she’s already beaten me to it.

“I could have helped you out,” I say, narrowing my brows.

“I’m quite capable of getting in and out of a vehicle, Wolfie, thank you very much. I’m a strong, independent woman—you don’t need to help me or open the door for me or do any of that shit.”

I shake my head at the stubbornness she can’t seem to let go of. It causes my pulse to race and my eyes to roll all at the same time, yet somehow the mix is everything I’ve ever needed. “I know you are strong, but can I just be a gentleman? You called me that earlier today, and I’d like to live up to the name.”

She looks up to the sky and lets out a defeated grunt. “IsupposeI could be treated like a queen every once in a while. That doesn’t sound half bad,” she says, flashing me that snarky, smile thatmakes my heart, and my cock, swell. She grabs my hand and intertwines her fingers with mine, her cherry vanilla scent providing a comfort I didn’t know I needed. “Come on, let’s go sample some free shit.”

After tasting and purchasing a shit ton of Dominican specialties, we head back with the rest of our group to drive to our next destination.

“I cannot believe you drink that, Vladi. That is like…death in liquid form.”

With my hand on the small of her back, I glance out of my peripheral vision to see her nose wrinkled and her lip curled in disgust. “Magdalina, it’s coffee. That’s what it’ssupposedto taste like. It was actually quite elevated, with a lower acidity than my normal blend, which is why I bought so much of it.”

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