Page 30 of Bad Teammate
“Okay. Good.” Freed of his suspicions, Sasha gave a contented nod. “It sounds crazy, but I was a little nervous. Only because I know he’s a charming guy. I can’t understand what he’s saying, but I’ve seen the way women fall for him—it’s like he waves around a handful of catnip. But I know you’re way smarter than that. You’re not like those clubthots.”
“Definitely not,” I said with a gulp. My guts twisted with self-loathing. I wasn’t just a liar—I was no better than one of Derek’s silly clubthots. “But wait. Don’tyousleep around, too?”
He shrugged. “Well, yeah. Of course I do.”
“So how is Derek different?”
“He’s not.Allthe single guys sleep around, Katya. Duh. I just don’t want them to sleep withyou.”
My eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
“Because if you screw my teammate, everyone will find out that I have an easy sister, and that’ll make me the joke of the team.”
“Wow.” I tutted. “I can’t believe you, Sasha.”
“What?”
“For a minute, I truly believed that you wanted to protect me. But no, the only person you want to protect is yourself.”
He waved his hand at me. “Oh, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Of course I’m trying to protect you. You’re my sister and I love you.”
I think Sasha truly believed what he was saying, too. He lacked so much self-awareness I couldn’t even be mad at him.
In the end, it didn’t matter. He’d warned me and told me what I needed to hear—and now I felt relieved of a massive burden. Yes, Derek and I had shared a small kiss or two, but that was a secret that would remain forever buried in the past. All that mattered nowwas that Derek was not a good man. I banished him, and the tingles I’d felt during our late-night kiss, from my mind.
Completely.
“Forget it,” I said. “Can we talk about something else now?”
11
Derek
I broke into a light sweat making the last trip down to my car and back up to the penthouse. Inside, a vacuum cleaner wailed as last-minute party preparations were underway. A team of uniformed workers busily cleaned, scrubbing and fluffing pillows and polishing every last surface. Each breath filled the lungs with the bright, purifying scent of lemon.
They were almost done.
“Place looks great,” I said aloud as I carefully entered with the last few cases of beer and alcohol stacked high in my arms.
I was still stocking the fridge with booze when the front door swung open. The Russians staggered in, their arms weighed down by an assortment of brightly colored shopping bags that dangled from their wrists. Niko could manage his haul, but Katerina was struggling with hers.
“Hey, guys.” I shut the fridge and jumped into action. “Can I help you with that?”
“Yes, thank you,” Katerina said quietly.
Was it just me, or did she look even more beautiful than I remembered? I tried to catch her eyes as I reached for her bags, but she avoided my gaze. After last night, I guess I couldn’t blame her. My hand accidentally grazed her arm as I lightened her load, and the touch of her silk-smooth skin made my heart leap into my throat. The rush caught me by surprise.
What is this, a grade school crush? What’s wrong with me?
“Looks like you got some serious shopping done,” I said.
Katerina wore a belly shirt, exposing the bare flesh of her taut tummy. Every cell in my body demanded that I steal a peek, but with her brother standing right next to us,I didn’tdare.
“We did,” Katerina said, acting wholly disinterested. “It was Sasha’s idea. He wanted allnew clothes. He said he felt like he dressed too Russian and didn’t fit in with you guys.”
“Aw, hell.” I frowned and slugged Niko on the shoulder. “Sorry, bud. Wish I’d known. I would’ve helped you out.”
Katerina and I carried the shopping bags to her room and set them down on the bed. The three of us met again in the kitchen, where the workers were wrapping up their operation.
