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There’s only one person in this country who outranks him—his father.
“Will Johanna be at the cocktail party?” The question falls from my lips before I can stop it.
Alek glances up with raised eyebrows. “Why?”
I fold my arms and lean against the wall, watching him. As much as I’d like to take it back, I need to get some clarity on the nature of his relationship with Johanna.
“Have you dated her in the past because your father wanted you to?”
“No, I’ve never dated her,” he says. “My father likes the idea of a match due to the history between our families, but he hasn’t pushed it.”
“And you’ve never slept with her?”
“No, I haven’t.”
I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse. While I’m glad he’s never been with Johanna, the fact that his father considers her a better candidate for his son is a blow to my ego.
“Are you jealous, malishka?”
“No,” I answer.
He smirks at me, and I roll my eyes.
Alek reaches his hand out for mine. When I step forward to take it, he brings me in and burrows his face against my stomach. His arms wrap around my middle, pulling me closer to him, and I comb my fingers through his sandy hair.
I’ve imagined running my hands through his hair so many times, and it’s better than I imagined. It’s thick and soft to the touch.
“You are mine,” he whispers against my shirt. “Which means I belong to you, too. If I ever betray you, I want you to carve my beating heart from my chest, because it belongs to you and only you.”
His words convey the depth of his emotion, touching my soul on a level I wasn’t prepared for. The intensity of our new relationship should frighten me, but instead, I’m drawn to it. I yearn for his love.
Until yesterday, Alek was my tormentor, but somewhere along the way, he managed to crawl deep under my skin.
Maybe I always belonged to Alek, and my heart knew it before I did.
“Is that why you chopped Johanna’s hair off?”
He peers up at me, and an unhinged grin shadows his face. “Believe me, malishka, she has only begun to pay for what she’s done.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
But he just continues to smile, staring at me a moment longer before lifting my shirt. It’s enough to expose my belly button, where he presses a longing kiss.
“I need to go.” He stands up and touches my chin. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow. And I expect you to leave your panties at home again.”
My face grows hot. “Yes, Prince Alek.”
He chuckles and crosses toward the door. I follow him down the stairs, but as we reach the bottom step, the front door opens into the foyer.
My dad usually gets home from the embassy much later. He stops on the threshold, glancing between Alek and me with raised eyebrows. “Aleksandr? This is an unexpected visit.”
“Willow left her bookbag at school yesterday. I was returning it, along with the homework she missed today. I was on my way out.”
Alek strides past my dad and out the door with a calm demeanor—like he wasn’t just getting hot and heavy with me under my father’s roof.
My dad closes the door behind him, but when I turn around to head up the stairs, he stops me.
“You and Aleksandr seem to be getting pretty close.”
