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Heads turn our way. A ripple of low talk moves through the guests nearest us, and I catch a few of them trading knowing looks about Vanessa. Her polished little mask cracks straight down the middle.

“Stop this right now,” she hisses, dropping her voice.

“You are jealous,” I say simply. “You always have been. It’s why you took Maksim. You couldn’t bear for me to have a single good thing, so you crawled over here tonight only to check that I’m still doing worse than you.”

Across the floor, Maksim is watching me with a hungry look I cannot name and don’t want to.

“Go back to your fiancé, Vanessa. He has been staring at me all evening. Everyone here can see that you still think he wants me.”

She whips around to check Maksim so fast her pearls swing. Whatever she finds on his face brings her back furious and empty-handed. She glares at me, then stalks off toward him on her heels.

Years of quiet pressure lift off my chest by a few degrees. Then the worry lands. I’ve just made a scene at Lev’s event, in front of his people, and that could reflect badly on him and the company.

“You have no idea how you looked just then.”

Cedar and whiskey and pure male heat arrive at my side before he does. Lev looks down at me, and there’s open approval in his face.

“Did you hear all of that?” I ask, guilt souring the small victory. “I didn’t mean to cause a scene at your party.”

“You looked more beautiful ripping her apart than I believed was possible.” His gaze flicks toward Vanessa and Maksim. “And that’s saying a great deal.”

His approval spreads through me and pulls a smile out before I can stop it, foolish and warm.

Across the room Vanessa’s voice climbs. “You just stood there. You didn’t defend me even once.”

“You went after her first,” Maksim snaps. “In front of everyone.”

“That’s enough.” His face is tight with impatience. “Shut your mouth before you embarrass me any further.”

Vanessa freezes, then swings straight into a wheedling coo. “I only wanted to say hello to her, baby, that is all it was.” She reaches for his arm.

He steps out of reach and walks off, leaving her stranded in the middle of the floor. She stamps one foot like a spoiled, furious child.

The whole thing has gotten boring, and the champagne is making urgent demands, so I excuse myself and go looking for the restroom.

When I come out, I stop short. Maksim is in the hallway, leaning against the wall as though he’s been waiting there for me.

In the half-light, quiet and still, he looks exactly like Lev, and I hate that my treacherous body trips over itself for half a second before my brain catches up and reminds me which brother this actually is.

Maybe he’s waiting for Vanessa, I tell myself. I drop my gaze and aim to slip past without being noticed.

His hand closes around my arm as I pass. “Delaney. We need to talk.”

“We have nothing to talk about.” I try to pull free of him.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “For the things Vanessa said to you tonight.”

I nearly laugh out loud. Maksim, who has never once in his life been wrong about anything, is standing here apologizing to me.

“You have a strange way of apologizing,” I say, “grabbing me in a hallway.”

He lets go at once. “I only want to talk. That’s all I want.” His eyes crawl down my body and back up, slow and greedy. “You look beautiful tonight, you know.”

The words turn my stomach over hard. In five months together Maksim never once called me beautiful. He told me to eat less. He told me the camera added weight. Now his sticky, drunk gaze crawls over my tits and he calls it a compliment.

“Thanks,” I say flatly, and move to leave. “I should get back inside.”

He steps into my path, crowding me back. “Come on. You still like me. I can tell that you do.”