Comfortable with the idea that Hope would cover her expenses, Mia went back to accepting the limo ride to and from school. On the way home, Mia asked the driver to stop by Hope’s art gallery. “Come in with me,” she said to Alexi.
Alexi scrunched his face, but he got out. She couldn’t tell if he didn’t like that they were going into an art gallery, or if he didn’t like that they were there to obtain a check to pay Niko. She didn’t care. She was getting that money; she was not mooching off his family. Mia squeezed his arm and bounced toward the building. She was thrilled to get this taken care of. While she went to the desk, Alexi walked around the gallery, staring at the paintings. They jumped off the walls, vivid and deep. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Do you like them?”
He shrugged.
“Barbarian.” Mia slapped his arm with the paper check she had retrieved. Hope’s gallery manager handled electronic transfers, but Hope gave her access to the accounting binder with blank checks.
They went from the gallery straight home to their recreation room.
“Why don’t you do my nails, like the first day?” Alexi asked from his half of the couch.
Mia drew in a breath, surprised, and could think of no excuse. Shifting back against the cushion, she stared at his beautiful hands and blurted out the truth. “You’re too hot, and you’re going to be my relative and you’re going to leave. So, it’s better if I keep my hands off.”
No. She hadn’t said that aloud.
From his expression, she had.
The sentiment was true, but she wanted to slap herself. Mia slid toward the edge of the couch, wanting to leave after that idiocy.
Alexi reached over and pulled her toward him. He pushed a throw pillow behind his back and tugged until she lay against his shoulder. Mia stiffened, breathed in his cologne, and then relaxed. Alexi lifted one of her hands and played with her fingers. “You’re right. Until Hope and Niko break up, but then…” His words were a whisper of promise. It was a delicious thought that he felt the connection too, but he was wrong. Hope and Niko would stay together. Mia closed her eyes.
***
The crowd at Mia’s lunch table had lessened considerably. While people were still drawn to Alexi’s looks, his lack of tact had thinned the herd. Mia tried restraining him most of the time, but she had to admit she was glad when he told Kristnaldo not to talk to him unless he’d showered. She never would have gotten away with that. But Alexi didn’t care who liked him and who didn’t. He was fascinatingly foreign, and that had some benefits.
Alexi shook his tray, examined the gelatin dessert’s movement, then looked over at Mia. Why did he insist on buying tray lunches? The food quality wasn’t going to improve.
Mia poked her finger at the top of Alexi’s lime gelatin, breathing in the fake citrus aroma. “See how it magnifies things?” She shoved her finger deeper into the bright green Jell-O, then pulled it out and waved it at him. Tiny crystals of gelatin clung to her fingertip. She tapped his mouth with it. “Yum.”
He opened his mouth, and Mia pulled back with a laugh, then tossed him a bagged lunch. She’d asked Cook to prepare two. Alexi dumped the contents out on the table with a pleased smile.
Willow strolled over and hopped up on the table beside Alexi’s lunch. He frowned and pushed his meal away from her short skirt.
Lauren rose to leave. She was on the outs with Willow, who had placed her on the back row at practice and told her she wasn’t bringing the energy. “See you guys at the bonfire.”
Mia waved at Lauren, but watched Alexi. How would he take Willow now that she’d decided to make her move? She’d yet to see a guy resist. Jake hadn’t. She would bet they’d be giving Willow a ride home after school.
Alexi ignored Willow and turned to face Mia. “That’s on the Americanization plan. We’ll go to the bonfire Lauren mentioned.”
“Okay.”
Alexi’s eyes widened a bit and he grinned. He hadn’t truly expected her to agree. She tried to say no rather often, for his own sake, because Alexi got his way far more frequently than was good for him.
She was glad he didn’t realize how seldom she ever wanted to say no.
“Bonfire’s going to rock,” Willow said. “I’ll show you around.” Extending a hand, she caressed his shoulder. She just put out her hand and touched him.
He leaned out of her reach. “I’m going with Mia.” He re-bagged his lunch. “What do you think Cook’s making for dinner?” he asked, excluding Willow.
Willow wasn’t one to be deterred. “Yeah, but Mia’s like your sister. I can show you the good parts. All the good parts.” Willow leaned forward to give him an extensive view of her cleavage. No water bra there.
Alexi wrinkled his nose. He rose and walked off, carrying his lunch toward the exit. While not Willow’s biggest fan, Mia winced on her behalf. She needed to control Alexi better. Mia got up to follow. She’d give him a lecture. She grabbed his hand instead, entwining her fingers through his and swinging his arm companionably.
He let her until a member of the teaching staff walked by and directed a pointed look at their hands, and then he relinquished her fingers with a squeeze.
***