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He didn’t let go.
“Look, I thought you were a girl.” Alexi might be nice to look at, but he needed direction. She stiffened her resolve,
bracing as if to shove someone to the top of a pyramid. “Here’s how this is going to work. You forget that message. You forgive the tackle. And I’ll forgive you for your gender confusion and for not being able to hold my weight without collapsing.”
Alexi’s voice thinned. “I can lift you.” He eyed her from head to toe without letting go.
Of course he could. She was a flyer, if a tall one. She got lifted every week. “Nope, I’m a cheerleader, I know a stable base when I feel one, and you have very little lifting experience.”
The apple landed on the carpet with a muffled thud. Alexi bent and scooped her up, one arm behind her knees, the other her hips.
Delight rushed through her. Mia laughed and clutched at his shoulders without letting go of the poster. “Drop me once, shame on you. Drop me twice, shame on me.”
One of the maids, Ms. Joellen, the one with the dark auburn hair, came around the doorway carrying a piece of his luggage. The case was gray, like her uniform. Alexi quickly set Mia on her feet and composed his expression. Like Ms. Joellen would tell on them. He took a step away, but reached out and gripped the poster in one hand so she couldn’t escape with it. They were sharing custody.
Mia pulled.
Alexi yanked back.
Hope entered behind two more gray-uniformed servants carrying more luggage and frowned; she clearly spotted the tug of war. Mia relinquished her hold and shoved the poster toward Alexi. She didn’t want Hope to pay any attention to the poster. It would be bad if Hope read it. If she saw Mia’s plans, even lenient Hope might develop some rules. Rules meant restraint. Think. Think. She needed a distraction. “How happy is Niko—now that Alexi’s here?”
Looking back toward the hallway with a smile, Hope shook her head indulgently in the direction of the dining room. “So happy,” she said softly.
Alexi’s blue-gray eyes held hers for a moment. He stepped forward and passed the poster back. He knew when to evade capture. Mia eased toward her room. One step, two steps later, and she cleared the doorway and shoved the poster under her bed. It was safe now; she’d minimized her humiliation.
When she returned, both their gazes were on her, Alexi with a small smile, and Hope with a tilted head and pursed lips. “Everything okay?” Hope’s persistence was a surprise. Niko must be rubbing off on her, or maybe tackling a guest in the foyer was enough to make even the most distracted guardian take note.
“It’s fine,” Alexi answered with a firm tone and a frown. His expression was just shy of, How dare you question me?
“Before you came up here, I was telling Alexi about your art,” Mia lied with a big smile. She brushed at the prickly glitter on her top. She’d handled that all very well, considering.
“Niko said you hate art. I’m so glad he’s mistaken,” Hope said.
Mia gave Alexi the evil eye. Hurt Hope’s feelings and prepare to get crushed.
“Niko’s right,” Alexi said.
Clearly, Alexi didn’t know to obey the evil eye. He’d learn. “You haven’t seen my sister’s work yet.”
Alexi’s lips tightened like a kid faced with taking his vitamins. “I’ll be very busy, but thank you anyway.” He eyed the glitter glue on her top. “Mia’s also been telling me about her American assimilation plan. We start tomorrow. Isn’t that right?”
Manipulative beast. “Can’t wait.” She grinned big. “You’re going to love the mall.”
Alexi flinched. “That’s not on my schedule.”
He didn’t like malls—Yep, he’s straight. “You promised.”
Alexi’s mouth pinched and he gave a slight nod. A guy who honors commitments, even when he doesn’t want to, wow, love that. She turned to Ms. Joellen, who was toting in another bag. “Alexi and I are going shopping for new American clothes, so please shove those to the back of his closet.”
Ms. Joellen nodded.
The clothes Alexi wore now looked expensive, tailored from beautiful fabric, but something marked them as foreign. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. The color? The narrow cut? She’d help him blend in. Walking nearer, she reached for his cuff. Alexi glanced around at the others and moved his arm out of reach. Was he shy or circumspect?
“The mall.” Hope’s mouth twisted. “That’ll be nice.” She wasn’t a mall fan herself. Mia took care of most of her shopping.
“Not today,” Alexi said. “Mia promised me an evening to recover from jet lag.”
Mia closed her eyes for a second. She’d promised Sacha a movie and a manicure while clad in their pajamas.
