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“What would you like, Rayne?” The way he says my name is intimate, and I hate it.
“I’d like to be on good terms with my sister. I’d like to be a good aunt to my niece and nephew. And I can’t do any of that when I’m too busy driving across town in hopes I’ll run into you on a random Sunday.”
My cheeks flame as I make the admission out loud. Because deep down, that’s why I came here today.
“What I want,” I continue, “is for you to treat me like every other person on your staff. I want you to forget everything that has happened between us. I want a fresh start. That’s what I’d like.”
I back away from him slowly, nearly stumbling over my bare feet in the sand.
“Can you manage that?” I ask when he doesn’t respond. “Because if you can’t, then I’ll quit. I will.”
Kirill finally nods. “I can do anything I want.”
“Good.”
I turn around and walk to my car, trying to convince myself he gave me the answer I wanted. But deep down, I know the truth.
Kirill can do anything he wants. As for whatIwant? That won’t even be a consideration.
25
KIRILL
I can’t hear the water lapping against the shore, but I can see it from my spot on the couch. The constant ebb and flow. That’s all it takes to take me back to the weekend.
To Rayne in her red bikini. Her kiss. Her confessions.
I want this to be simple—physical. But I’m not sure that’s possible for me anymore. Not when you can draw me in like that.
In my head, things play out differently. She doesn’t leave. I pull her back and tell her—
“Hellooo.” German snaps his fingers in front of my face. When I look up he shakes his head. “This is a real role reversal. Usually, I’m the one zoning out. What’s up with you today?”
I shed the daydream and slap German’s hand away. “We’re planning a dinner party, not a bank heist. I don’t think this requires my full attention.”
“Everything always requires your full attention. It’s your most annoying quality.”
“Only because you’re clearly incapable of handling shit without me holding your hand the entire time,” I fire back. “Otherwise, you would have let me stare out the window in peace while you handled the fucking seating chart.”
“Hey,” he says, raising both hands in the air, “I’m happy to plan this party by myself. I just don’t think you’ll be happy when you show up and I’ve sat Viktoria, her mom, her dad, and his mistress all at your table.”
I narrow my eyes. “You didn’t actually invite Leonid’s wifeandmistress, did you?”
“No,” he admits. “But that would liven things up, wouldn’t it?”
I grimace at the thought. “I’m not sure the three of them would even survive the flight down from Vancouver together. On second thought, do invite them all. Maybe they’ll kill each other in the air and the dinner will be canceled.”
German snorts. “Nah, Leonid would shut it all down before it came to death. He’s a fuckin’ bore. My guess is Viktoria gets her cattiness from her mom. How Leonid has two women on his leash, I’ll never understand.”
“Money. It’s the only reason anyone in that family is worth a damn.”
German sighs. “That’s true. The only reason Leonid still has a Bratva with his name on it is because your father fought all of his battles.”
“Why else do you think he’s trying to marry his daughter off to me? It’s not in her best interest. He’s just willing to sacrifice his little princess for the noble cause of keeping himself in power.”
“A modern day love story,” German chuckles. “I actually can’t believe you’re agreeing to this at all. I thought you already told Viktoria you weren’t getting engaged.”
“What I tell Viktoria and what she hears are two very different things. I told her the marriage wasn’t going to happen and she showed up naked in my bed.”
