Page 49

“Now, about the magic thing,” I say.

He nods. “If you would be so kind.” He holds out his hand.

I swallow. “I want to be clear on something.” My eyes slide up from his outstretched hand to his face. “I don’t date.”

“You don’t. . .” He frowns.

“I have never had a boyfriend. I don’t want one. I’m not romantically interested in anyone, and I never will be. That’s not a challenge, either.” Some men get a little crazy when I say that, like Nojus. “Got it?”

Alexei’s brow furrows. “You’ve never been involved with a man. That’s what you’re saying.”

I nod.

“I’m just asking you to touch me, and holding my hand seemed the most expedient way.”

Heat rises in my cheeks. “Right. I know. It’s just that earlier, you said you’d never allow me to—”

“I apologized for that,” he says.

“You did.” I nod. “I just wanted to make sure. Aleksandr and Kristiana, and Mirdza and Grigoriy. . .I didn’t want there to be any confusion.”

“You’re going to help me get settled, and then as soon as possible, you’re going back to Latvia. Without me.”

“Exactly. You understand.”

“I do.”

“Perfect.”

He’s still holding out his hand, and he wiggles his fingers.

I draw in a deep breath—reminding myself that this is no big deal. So I’ve never held a man’s hand before. So what? It’s not like this is significant. I’m just helping the rightful Czar of Russia to use his magical powers.

My life is so weird.

What’s a little skin-to-skin?

I tighten my hand into a fist, and then I stretch it out and wiggle my fingers. “Okay.” I lift my hand, but for some reason it’s moving really, really slowly. My eyes shoot upward, meeting his.

He’s staring at me with curiosity. Like, the kind I might have while I evaluate a new horse. One I really, really want to ride.

No. That’s crazy. He’s just waiting for me, because I’m the one being weird. I shove my hand forward, knocking my fingers against his. His hand’s strong, warm, and very big. He shifts as my fingers crash over his, and slides his hand against mine, entwining our fingers.

Then he squeezes my hand tightly, gently tugging me closer. “There.”

Nothing explains the shiver that starts in my stomach and rolls outward, like something really, really exciting just happened to me.

Like I took first in a stakes race. Or I won my bet at twenty to one odds. Or I dipped my toe in a hot tub on a freezing cold night. While someone who looked like Alexei watched me with intense eyes. Something is definitely wrong with me.

He tugs me again, and I take a step, moving even closer to him, my shoulder far below his, my head barely reaching his shoulder, my eyes staring right at his very solid, very well-sculpted chest muscles.

Alexandr’s t-shirt looks way too good on Alexei.

“So, what exactly are we doing?” I lick my lips and look up.

His lip’s twisted a bit, and his head’s cocked sideways. “You’ve never been involved with a man. Right?”

I shake my head.