Page 91 of Play Your Part

He might have upped his gesture game, but his offense was far greater.

I didn’t take his hand.

“I see you’re still with him.” Justin nodded in the direction Alexei retreated.

I refused to look, not wanting to see Alexei’s face. He shouldn’t have to watch us talk after our argument. Our breakup of sorts.

“That’s none of your business.” I walked toward the door to the outside of the property. Snow blanketed the expansive outdoor space, but the venue had cleared its patio. It did nothing to protect me against a sharp chill permeating my bones.

Justin closed the door behind us, then shrugged off his jacket. At my simple “No,” he wordlessly slipped it back on.

“You’ve put it all over the internet. It’s not like you, to be that showy. That’s why I don’t believe it.”

“Believe what?” I asked.

“That you’re legitimately together.”

Shit.Even if Alexei and I ended our charade, anyone finding out would lead to disastrous PR. Another strike against Alexei and an embarrassment for the entire organization.

And for the rest of my life, people would call me the fake former girlfriend of Alexei Volkov. Excuse me if I wanted more for myself.

“Well, I had sex with him last night, so I’d say we’re pretty together.”

The look of pure shock on Justin’s face almost felt worth the stab of pain in my chest at the reminder that less than twenty-four hours ago, Alexei and I went back to our room together. That he kissed me slowly, as if he wanted to make time stop, to preserve the moment. That even though I tried to resist it, I felt more for him than pure lust last night. Something I’d now have to shove down deep and wait for it to go away.

Justin laughed with no humor, only a sharp angry edge. “I’m gone for three months, and you open your legs to just anyone? It’s not only your hair color that’s changed.”

Adrenaline flew through my blood, lighting every limb, urging me to strike him. “I’ve also miraculously developed the ability to come without having to take care of it myself.”

His nostrils flared, both hands clenching into fists. He took one deep breath, then expelled it along with the visible anger in his posture.

I blew out a breath. “What is the point of this? Why are you here?”

“You and Volkov spun this entire story in your favor. You waited less than four hours before hooking up with my old teammate, and everyone is on your side. I look like the jackass.”

Of course. The point was to paint himself as the victim in this situation.

“That’s because youarethe jackass. You left me behind like I didn’t matter. All you cared about was making sure I returned the keys to your realtor.”

“Kennedy, I was mad. You knew I would get over it.”

“And what? You’d send for me when you were ready?”

Justin moved a step closer and lowered his voice. “I would have, if you hadn’t taken up with my enemy.”

“So instead, you told the whole world I wasleftovers?” The word still stung. “And this is the part where you tell me you didn’t mean it.”

He reached for my face, but I took a step back before he could connect.

“I was angry,” he repeated, dropping his hand to his side. “Of course I didn’t mean it.”

“What about when you told me I wasn’t the same person you fell in love with? That too?”

“It was a shitty thing to say.”

“But you meant it,” I pressed. “So why are you here now? To prove you can take me away from Alexei?”

He made a clicking sound out of the side of his mouth. “He told you about that, huh?”

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