acting like a fool, but on some level he still felt like she could be snatched from him at any moment.
They laughed over something before Ivan set her on her feet, then Dimitri stepped in and gave her a big hug. He held up a long strand of her hair and she batted his hand away, her giggle warming Alex’s heart.
When she turned to face their table again, her titled blue eyes, glowing like neon, caught his and he arched a brow at the anger that tightened her lips and narrowed her gaze. The look she was giving him was far from happy and he could practically see the flames of her Irish temper burning below the surface of her porcelain skin.
Confused by what the hell was going on with his mercurial wife, he moved quickly to her side. She saw him coming and stepped away from Dimitri, her shoulders going back and chin up before she marched in his direction. When they reached each other, she stopped and gave him that fake smile he hated. It was all teeth, no warmth. More like a snarl than a smile.
Her voice practically dripped ice as she gave him a sarcastic, “Hi, honey.”
Not even bothering to hide his concern he said, “What is wrong?”
“Nothing.” She spit the word out at him and he was pretty sure she was grinding her teeth.
“You are upset.”
“Not at all, darling .”
The way she said “darling” was far from endearing, more like a curse. “Jessica, you are not being honest with me.”
“No, I’m choosing not to discuss this right now because if I do I’ll end up screaming at you in your little club, and that wouldn’t look good in front of your friends. While we were apart, I brushed up on proper Bratva etiquette so when Krom came for me, I’d be ready to be a better wife to you.”
“You are already perfect wife for me.” He wanted to reach for her, but with her temper up she was apt to bite him. “Please, tell me what has upset you.”
“I told you, we’ll talk about it later. You say that to me all the time, how does it feel when I say it to you?”
Lowering his voice, he stepped close enough that he could smell the unfamiliar scent of the salon’s shampoo. “I do not speak of things in order to keep you safe.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not speaking of this in order to keep from kicking you in the balls in front of your company. I haven’t forgotten the lecture you gave me about the role I need to play in public. I’m not stupid and I’m pretty sure that us fighting would not be good for your image.”
She was correct, but he was having a very hard time giving a shit who was there. Something wasn’t right and she was going to tell him, now. Before he could respond, she unclenched her jaw and turned on her heel, her voice bright as she said, “Isn’t that Kostya Boldin? He’s much better looking in real life. Kinda has that rock-star vibe going for him with that hair and those piercings.”
Maks, who’d joined them at some point, grunted. “Dimitri, get our girl a couple shots.”
Turning her anger on her bodyguard, Jessica snarled out, “I’m fine.”
“Either you go and drink, or I spank you for not allowing me to take care of those blyads .”
She flinched as if struck, then glared at him. “I said I’m fine and you will not do anything to those women. I’m a big girl and I can handle myself. It’ll take more than a couple catty bitches to hurt me.”
Rage filled Alex as Jessica’s lower lip trembled.
Ivan stepped between them and looped his arms around Jessica’s neck while giving Alex a look that clearly said “back off”. “Come, is time to celebrate, to drink. My wife is out with Rya right now, buying things they claim are essential to any little girl’s bedroom. Like a four-story dollhouse or maybe a pony. They did mention going to Tusya’s estate to look at his Gypsy Vanner herd. Beautiful horses, intelligent. Would be good gift for little girl. You had horse growing up, yes?”
“What?” Jessica blinked. “Uh…yeah. But horses require a lot of
They laughed over something before Ivan set her on her feet, then Dimitri stepped in and gave her a big hug. He held up a long strand of her hair and she batted his hand away, her giggle warming Alex’s heart.
When she turned to face their table again, her titled blue eyes, glowing like neon, caught his and he arched a brow at the anger that tightened her lips and narrowed her gaze. The look she was giving him was far from happy and he could practically see the flames of her Irish temper burning below the surface of her porcelain skin.
Confused by what the hell was going on with his mercurial wife, he moved quickly to her side. She saw him coming and stepped away from Dimitri, her shoulders going back and chin up before she marched in his direction. When they reached each other, she stopped and gave him that fake smile he hated. It was all teeth, no warmth. More like a snarl than a smile.
Her voice practically dripped ice as she gave him a sarcastic, “Hi, honey.”
Not even bothering to hide his concern he said, “What is wrong?”
“Nothing.” She spit the word out at him and he was pretty sure she was grinding her teeth.
“You are upset.”
“Not at all, darling .”
The way she said “darling” was far from endearing, more like a curse. “Jessica, you are not being honest with me.”
“No, I’m choosing not to discuss this right now because if I do I’ll end up screaming at you in your little club, and that wouldn’t look good in front of your friends. While we were apart, I brushed up on proper Bratva etiquette so when Krom came for me, I’d be ready to be a better wife to you.”
“You are already perfect wife for me.” He wanted to reach for her, but with her temper up she was apt to bite him. “Please, tell me what has upset you.”
“I told you, we’ll talk about it later. You say that to me all the time, how does it feel when I say it to you?”
Lowering his voice, he stepped close enough that he could smell the unfamiliar scent of the salon’s shampoo. “I do not speak of things in order to keep you safe.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not speaking of this in order to keep from kicking you in the balls in front of your company. I haven’t forgotten the lecture you gave me about the role I need to play in public. I’m not stupid and I’m pretty sure that us fighting would not be good for your image.”
She was correct, but he was having a very hard time giving a shit who was there. Something wasn’t right and she was going to tell him, now. Before he could respond, she unclenched her jaw and turned on her heel, her voice bright as she said, “Isn’t that Kostya Boldin? He’s much better looking in real life. Kinda has that rock-star vibe going for him with that hair and those piercings.”
Maks, who’d joined them at some point, grunted. “Dimitri, get our girl a couple shots.”
Turning her anger on her bodyguard, Jessica snarled out, “I’m fine.”
“Either you go and drink, or I spank you for not allowing me to take care of those blyads .”
She flinched as if struck, then glared at him. “I said I’m fine and you will not do anything to those women. I’m a big girl and I can handle myself. It’ll take more than a couple catty bitches to hurt me.”
Rage filled Alex as Jessica’s lower lip trembled.
Ivan stepped between them and looped his arms around Jessica’s neck while giving Alex a look that clearly said “back off”. “Come, is time to celebrate, to drink. My wife is out with Rya right now, buying things they claim are essential to any little girl’s bedroom. Like a four-story dollhouse or maybe a pony. They did mention going to Tusya’s estate to look at his Gypsy Vanner herd. Beautiful horses, intelligent. Would be good gift for little girl. You had horse growing up, yes?”
“What?” Jessica blinked. “Uh…yeah. But horses require a lot of
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