“Alexei,” I whispered.
I eventually blinked and opened my mouth again for a proper greeting, but he beat me to it.
“How are you, Mila?”
I was glad he didn’t offer a handshake. If just a look from him could do this to my insides, I didn’t want to explore what his touch would do.
“Fine. Thanks for coming to our rescue.”
“Which I wouldn’t have had to do if you had maintained your car,” he answered, facing Anya.
“Really? How is this my fault?” she asked.
“Car checkups exist for a reason,” he said.
“What makes you so sure that this is about a missed checkup?”
“Waiting for something to go wrong before proper care. Typical you,” he remarked. “And now you put your life in danger as a result of it.”
He turned to the side and nodded at one of the men standing by the cars. The man was beside him in a second, and Alexei told him something in a low tone.
“Alexei, you’re overreacting,” she countered, chuckling.
I saw his lips move and heard him snap back with a Russian word, but I didn’t quite hear it.
“Let’s go,” he commanded.
As we walked to the second car, his hand hovered around her back, as if he was trying to make sure she was warm and safe. It was nothing, they were siblings.
But then again, it was everything. The thought of someone who seemed so unreachable, so invincible, being oft towards his sister made something tingle in my chest.
“Front seat, please,” Anya called, going ahead to the passenger door. “I have to stretch these feet, and my beloved brother won’t let me adjust the backseat. He’s addicted to working positions.”
I smiled despite the urge to ask her to stay with me in the back.
One of his men opened the front door while another opened the back door. Alexei stepped to the side, indicating for me to go in before him.
He got in beside me, and the space between us seemed too little. We drove off and I let out a shallow breath, hoping the ride would be as short as possible. I concentrated on the sophisticated interior design of the car instead.
“You know what I just thought of Mila? I should have told Mr. 50 that we were sisters-in-law, that my brother, your husband, was on his way to get us.” Anya twisted her neck to face me, grinning.
“What?” I gasped. “I mean, why would you say that?”
“Alexei and I look alike. If he had arrived earlier and they’d met, it could have been weird.”
“That’s true,” I agreed.
“Do I want to know who this Mr. Whatever is?” Alexei asked, looking up from his phone.
“Nope,” Anya answered, turning away from the back seat.
“Hm,” he muttered, back to typing away on his phone.
The subtle scent of his cologne tempted me to inch closer to him. Of course, I couldn’t. As we drove on in silence, I was hyper-aware of the rhythm of his breathing. Then we hit a bump, and I brushed against his sleeve. I could feel his taut arm and I would have done anything to see it in that moment.
I couldn’t possibly look his way anymore so I looked out the window instead.
**********
