“I… Well… I don’t know. I mean, this happened all the time with Max, But he would choose the other girls over me every time. He’d disappear for a few weeks, then he’d be back once he broke up with them.” “I told you, Sephie. Your friend is not a smart man,” his smirk turning into a small smile.
Misha, sitting on one of the cabinets, lamented, “Ivan is gonna be so happy when they get back. He hated Tori. Even before her and Andrei got together.” He laughed. “He would purposely be extra grumpy around her because he knew she was terrified of him.”
Adrik smiled. “Ivan has always been a good judge of my previous girlfriends. He was always the first one to see their other sides.”
“His demons pull their demons out for the world to see. He’s very good at that. He just doesn’t always realize that his demons work for him now, instead of against him,” I said. Misha cursed under his breath. I looked at his shocked face. “What?” I asked.
“I’ve never heard him described that way. It’s perfect.”
“Shall we send for Vinny’s tonight? I have a meeting next week that you’re going to need to be present for. I need to make sure you’re paid up for it,” Adrik said, grinning.
“I think Andrei needs to pick his breakup dinner,” I said, laughing. It’s the least I can do for wrecking his relationship status.”
Adrik clicked his tongue. “You didn’t wreck anything, solnishko. You saved him.”
Andrei came to the office after almost an hour. I was still lying with my head in Adrik’s lap, his hands still running through my hair. Misha was still sitting on the cabinet. We were talking about fandom things, wondering aloud where exactly Viktor and Ivan were in their journey across the ocean, while listening for screaming from downstairs.
I was expecting him to look sad, but truthfully, he looked quite happy about his situation.
“Bubba, you don’t look as sad as I was expecting you to look.”
He sighed, as he sat in one of the chairs across from the couch. “I’m not sad at all, spider monkey. This has been building for a while. She’s always been jealous of you. Like, weirdly so.” Misha snapped his fingers, pointing at me. “Told you.”
“Why would she be jealous of me? I’m the one who got you two talking!”
“I don’t know. Like I said, it was weird. It never mattered how much I reassured her there was no reason to be jealous, she was still jealous. Like me telling her there was no reason to be jealous actually made her more jealous. I never understood,” Andrel said, rubbing his face with his hands.
“Why are women so complicated?” I groaned.
“I’m fairly sure if you could find the answer to that question, you would also be able to solve all of the world’s problems,” Andrei said laughing. “But first, let’s order takeout since we just got rid of our chef.” “Are you sure you don’t want some of that incredibly finely murdered…. chopped broccoli downstairs?” I asked, turning my head to smile at him.
He looked at me, astonished, “I have never seen vegetables so abused.”
Misha laughed, “Ivan, Viktor, and Stephen are going to be mad they missed this.”
I got up from the couch and walked over to Andrei. I leaned on his back, hugging his neck. “I still love you, Bubba. Even if she was pretending that head of broccoli was your face and my face.” He patted my arms, looking up at me. “Yeah, I’m not sure which one of us she hates the most right now.”
I went back to the couch. As my head rested on Adrik’s lap, I said, “Ivan. He’s still on top.”
Sephie
That night, Adrik was in the closet. I was lost in my thoughts, sitting on the edge of the bed. I didn’t notice him walk into the bedroom, shirtless. I felt his warm hand on my cheek, his thumb rubbing gently. “Wha are you thinking about, solnishko?”
“This whole thing with Tori. I feel bad she got fired. She probably thinks I told you to do it.” My eyebrows creased as I thought about how much she likely hated me now. Adrik clicked his tongue. “Persephone. You’re used to being tossed aside for a good lay.” He put his hands on either side of my face, leaning down to look me in the eyes. He had a devilish sparkle to his deep blue eyes. “You are my good lay. I’m choosing you over everyone. Every time. Until my last breath.” He smirked at me as he pressed his lips to mine.
I couldn’t help but smile against his kiss. “I must be a pretty da mn good lay, in that case,” I said, laughing.
“The best,” he said, kissing me once more. He stood up, walking to the bathroom. “So good, in fact, that it’s all I think about all day long.”
“You’re not the only one,” I mumbled under my breath. I remembered I had taken some very skimpy lingerie from Armando’s ex-girlfriend’s clothing shop in his house. I glanced toward the bathroom. He was brushing his teeth, so I ran to the closet as quietly as I could to change into it.
If he can’t stop thinking about me all day, I might as well give him something new to think about.
I waited in the closet until I heard him come out of the bathroom. I heard him turn on the lamp by the bed and saw the overhead light go off. I knew he’d be on his way back to the bed, st I walked slowly from the closet. My heart was racing like he’d never seen me na ked. He looked at me and stopped dead in his tracks. I heard him curse under his breath. He just stood in the same spot, looking me up and down as I walked toward him. I was trying to not limp as best I could, so slower was easier, which just so happened to add to the effect I was going for.
He looked down, then ran his hand through his hair. His eyes were back on me instantly. I smiled at him, chewing on my bottom lip to help calm my racing heartbeat. He closed the short distance between us in an instant. His arms were immediately around me, his lips on mine like he couldn’t get enough of me. I hope he never does.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.