“I’m not trying to.” He leaned back in his chair, watching me. “Open the box, Eva.”
I tugged the ribbon loose and lifted the lid. Inside was deep grey wool, thick and soft—a winter coat.
My throat closed. “Alek,” I gasped, astounded.
“Show me,” he growled.
My hands shook as I took the deep grey coat from the box, letting the cardboard tumble to the floor. It was thick, brushed wool that would keep me warm in any weather, with a hood that fell down the back lined with satin so it wouldn’t catch on my hair.
An envelope fluttered to the ground.
“Read it,” Alek said.
E—
Refusal = Punishment
—C
Heat flooded through me—andanger and arousal and relief. Oh, fuck him, fuck them—all three of them—but I didn’t mean it quite as much as I wanted to.
I should be furious. Why wasn’t I?
“What does it say?” Alek asked.
I handed him the card without a word.
He read it, his jaw tightening. Then, surprisingly, he smiled. “Cole always did have a way with words.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Should it?” He set the card down. “They’re not my rivals, Eva. They’re—” He paused. “They’re family. And we all want the same thing.”
“Which is?”
“You. Safe. Taken care of.” His eyes met mine. “Ours.”
Not his. Not theirs.Ours.
“I’m not—” I started.
“You are.” He stood, pulling his wallet from his pocket and leaving cash on the table. “Put on the coat, Eva.”
“Accepting the coat doesn’t mean forgiveness,” I said finally, my voice harder than I felt. “And it definitely doesn’t mean I’m interested in letting you control me again.”
“Noted.” He gestured to the coat. “Put it on anyway.”
I stood on shaky legs and slipped my arms into the sleeves. The weight of it settled over my shoulders like an embrace. The lining was silk, soft against my skin, and the hood fell perfectly to frame my face.
It fit like it had been made for me.
Alek stepped closer, his hand coming up to adjust the collar, his fingers sending electricity sparking through me when he touched my neck. “Perfect.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, giving in and accepting the gift.
He waited, his eyes dark and patient.
My throat was tight. My chest ached. Everything in me rebelled against what I knew he was waiting for.
