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That’s Alexi’s shirt.
Mia grabbed it and tossed it to him. Lifting her bra strap back in place, she reached behind herself to zip up the dress but couldn’t get the closure up completely. She struggled and jumped. Ouch. For heaven’s sake. She had zipped up some of her hair.
How close were the voices?
She turned around, shoved her hair out of the way as best she could, and looked over her shoulder at him with a plea. “Fix me,” she insisted and walked to the edge of the bed.
Alexi gently untangled her hair, and placed a kiss in the middle of her back.
Shiver.
Then, he pulled up the zipper.
Mia stepped two feet away from him, then turned back to shove at his shoulders so he’d get off the bed. “Look decent.”
Alexi slid off and watched her, groaning when she bent over to smooth the top blanket. She smiled at his expression. It wasn’t reverent at all. She liked it a lot.
“They’re joining us for movie night.”
“Alexi. Why did you bring me in your room if they were on their way up?”
“I wasn’t thinking. My mind stopped when you—”
“Shhh, don’t say it, people will hear.”
Alexi held out a hand. “Let’s go sit down.”
She still felt flustered. “I need a jacket.”
He went to the closet and grabbed a sweatshirt. “You want to wear this?”
Mia nodded.
He helped slide it on her and pull her hair out of the neckline. The sweatshirt was too big, but it was warm and modest. It said ready for a cold theater, not a hot night.
They moved into the recreation room, and shut his door behind them. Good. Everything was in place.
“When did your father get here?” Mia asked as they grabbed a seat on the couch. She poked through the media folder, preparing to debate tonight’s movie choice. “Let’s just download something.”
“Late last night. Niko and I were up watching American football. We had to record some of last Thursday’s games. We were busy planning to get you back.”
“You chose us over football? Forget what I ever said about Americanizing you. You are perfect just as you are,” Mia said, laughing and meaning it.
She gave him a kiss.
Chapter 36
Alexi’s father was tall like both his sons, but with darker hair and dark eyes. Mia was interested in making the right impression, but she wasn’t eager to meet his father. She found his indifference toward Alexi and Niko’s hatred for their stepmom difficult to understand. At least she wasn’t here. Plus, he’d moved Alexi out of a school to send him to Niko as a bargaining chip in a contract. Her parents would never have done any of the above. So, as her parents taught her, she planned to say nothing at all because she already knew she couldn’t say something nice.
Alexi’s father turned to Niko. “With Hope expecting, you certainly won’t need Sacha around. He’ll need to return to Europe. I spoke with the boarding school.”
Mia’s hands tightened in her lap, and her insides churned, somewhat sorry she ever learned Greek. Hope crossed her arms over her still flat belly. She must have picked up several Greek words recently, what with being exposed to so much of it.
“After the wedding in Greece, Sacha can stay in Europe.” Alexi’s father turned to Hope and continued in English. “Will your parents be able to make it to the wedding?” Hope looked perturbed at the question and bit her lip.
“Hope’s getting married in Texas,” Mia said.
Hope sent Mia a grateful wink. Alexi sat still and stiff beside her. Mia was startled by the change in his demeanor. It was like when he first had arrived here. She hadn’t realized how much he’d changed until she saw him with his dad. There was no way Alexi was returning to boarding school all alone to become more jaded and less happy. What was his father after? Was there a new contract in the works? Alexi was legally an adult in the U.S. and in Greece. He couldn’t make him go. Right?
