Chapter 206

‘Maybe I just don’t think men should assume women are for touching whenever they see fit,’ I retort haughtily, aiming my remark at him, and that gets a smile from Mico this time. Dodging the real issue between us and going back to me answering Gino. Alexi frowns so deeply I’m sure a growl must accompany it.

Touching is a real sore point with him today.

‘I have to agree with her on that one,’ Mico laughs as Alexi throws him a foul glare too, and then hits the back of his hand into Mico’s abdomen, making him flinch. Childishly boyish and acting like a regular human being.

I think I must be high or something— this cannot be real.

‘No one asked you, asshole.’ Alexi mock snaps at him and Mico just shakes his head knowingly, seemingly on the ‘in’ about that detail between us. It’s weird knowing that he has confided the terms of our arrangement to Mico, but I guess being his second in command is a sign he may also be his closest friend and completely in his trust. More so than his twin in some cases it seems.

‘What have you been yelling at Red for this time?’ Gino saunters back to Alexi and shoves him backwards so he lands his butt back on the stool ungracefully and throws a swing at Gino with his foot. Gino dodges it expertly and tries for a palm slap at Alexi’s head; he’s faster and ducks out of range. It’s typical male aggressive carry-on between brothers but the fact that Alexi is in the midst of it has me feeling like I might be hallucinating. He just looks so … normal.

‘Piss off. She sometimes needs yelling at. She’s a walking disaster who has no concept of personal safety!’ He turns his back on me on the stool and grabs Gino in a headlock, pulling him with him and the pair burst into an immature wrestling match for a few minutes before Mico pulls them apart with a heavy sigh.

‘Stop being assholes, move. I want to sit down.’ Mico shoves Gino over and sits between them like some referee or father figure, and pushes Gino again when he leans back trying to take a flick at Alexi’s head. Alexi is faster and catches his hand, giving it a twist before Mico can stop them. Gino muffles a yelp and swats him off.

‘Will you two stop that! I swear sometimes you two need to be muzzled.’ Dad voice on and he aggressively shoves them both apart, to stop the shenanigans. I am guessing this is not new at all and Mico is used to acting as middleman between the two.

I can’t do anything but stare, weirdly out of my mind with the craziness of what I am watching. Alexi just regressed twenty years in the space of five minutes, and this guy sitting here … complete stranger to me. I feel like I don’t know him at all. Gino too … Mr smooth and smiley … both of them.

Juvenile little boys and I have to practically push my eyes back in from popping out of my head. I can guarantee no one outside of the Carrero inner circle gets to see this behaviour.

Who the hell is this person?

‘Dickhead.’ Both of them say it in the same tone at the same time, to each other, with the same unamused expression, as they glare across at one another behind Mico’s back; Completely identical bookends.

This time, without thought, just a simple reaction, I impulsively giggle out loud at the craziness of it … Twins for sure.

Alexi casts a glance back my way, his expression softening towards me as we connect intensely, a strange weird buzz of something in that look that makes my heart flutter unexpectedly across the room and then I look away quickly—suddenly engulfed in unexpected shyness, and my cheeks warm in a blush. Heart rate ups the ante and I forget how to breathe.

What the hell was that?

It's the sudden warmth after being stressed all day over him being mad at me. A stupid reaction to him letting it go a little.

It makes me pipe down and I hide my reaction by burying my face back in my file as heat envelops my entire body. Not wanting to draw any more attention from him.

‘Go kiss and make up. Stop giving her the Alexi cold shoulder. It’s obvious you want to,’ Gino goads him immaturely, not backing down, being his usual prick self and I glance up in annoyance, throwing him shade. Not sure I like him pushing this point. I know Alexi is still stewing over his anger at me, and Gino should leave it alone. I don’t appreciate his jokes, or him trying to cajole Alexi to do anything in relation to me, certainly not kissing … definitely not while I’m sensitive suddenly to his every move and response. I feel like everything inside of me just hit high alert.

‘Can’t … she doesn’t want me to touch her, so I’ll stay over here and piss you off instead.’ Alexi’s eyes run over me for a second time, slowly and deliberately, burning my entire body as though I was just scorched by the sun with that loaded look before turning away. I recognise that look. It’s what I feel every time he gets too close. The physical undressing with mind alone.

The attraction is still there for both of us; despite everything … it’s sobering in a way.

He actually sounded sarcastic mad rather than raging mad at that one. A haughty tone to his voice, hurt boy mood, and it was said loud enough that he wanted me to hear him.

Alexi is sulking, and I guess the touching rule is getting to him more than I gave it credit for. Makes sense if he is walking around horny, as much as I am.

Meanwhile, I am sat here sizzling inside with weird random emotions, high pulse rate and breathless for no apparent reason other than it has to be sex based. I feel like he just ravaged me with a look.

‘What she do?’

Gino again, and I feel like I might tear my hair out. I can’t stand it anymore. I get up causing chaos with my papers due to trembling hands and grab at them as they go flying in every direction; Making a show of leaving them to it as I evacuate clumsily. I’m not sticking around for this and I need to get away from him so I can stop acting like an overwrought oddball. BOB and I have a date tonight for sure. I am going to self-pleasure the Alexi right out of me.

‘None of your fucking business,’ Alexi snaps, seemingly aware of my impending departure as he glances my way again, eyes connecting once more and I almost feel my knees give out with the way we hit on contact … sizzling my blood to soaring levels. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I should get the hell away from him and the warning that Gino is pissing him off. Mico puts a hand on Gino’s shoulder and gives him a shake.

‘Enough. Don’t poke the bear.’

My sentiments exactly.

I don’t hang around to see where this is going and walk on, unsteady jelly legs, past all three of them perched along my marble bar, out of the club and into the lobby without looking their way. I would rather not witness him building to volcanic levels and planning my demise because of it, or show him that he has had some weird all-consuming effect on my nervous system that I cannot explain.

Sex has a lot to answer for!