Page 121 of Gloves Off

When we were apart, I never thought about her. I can barely go five minutes without thinking about the woman next to me.

I frown. That’s not good.

Georgia pulls back to study me. “I’m still sorry.”

“I’m not cut out for marriage. Maybe that’s why this is working so well. We’re a good pair.” I give her a look, gripping the bar counter. “Your turn.”

She looks away, shrugs like it doesn’t matter. “He wanted a pretty little thing on his arm, taking care of his home, raising his kids. And being engaged to Hugo Greene’s granddaughter opens a lot of doors for a new doctor.”

“Was this Liam?”

She nods, and her mouth tips. “Thanks for not treating me like a piece of arm candy tonight, by the way.”

“How’d it end?”

“He unenrolled me from medical school.”

I stiffen. “What?” She’s still not looking at me, and my hand comes beneath her chin, tipping her face up. “Georgia.”

At the sharp edge to my voice, her eyes flare.

“Now who’s jealous?” she whispers, but I ignore it. I’m not jealous, I’m furious. No wonder she lost it when I got rid of her car.

“Explain.”

The delicate line of her throat works, and I feel the urge to kiss it. Kiss her better. Make her forget this asshole ever existed. I’m still holding her chin.

“We were here in Toronto, where his residency was, and I was about to start medical school back at UBC. He wanted me here, with him. He said he was doing me a favor. That it was for my own good, because medical school would be hard. I don’t have the right personality, I think he said.” She studies her nails. “He said we could get married, and I was so stupidly in love, which I now realize was infatuation, not love, that I almost let him convince me.”

I want to find this guy and kill him. I want to ruin his life for hurting her. Off the ice, I never fight, but I would knock this guy’s teeth out.

For your own good,I said when I bought her the car. Shit. “I’m sorry again about the car. I should have talked to you about it. We could have made the decision together.”

Her mouth curves into a humorless smile, and she shakes her head. “Forget it, Alexei. I have. I let old wounds get the best of me. You’re nothing like Liam.”

Hearing her say that does something to me, hooks my attention on her even harder. My fascination with my wife triples.

This isn’t supposed to happen. The more I learn about her, the less I’m supposed to think about her.

“That’s why you don’t want to get married.”

She shrugs like she doesn’t care. “I thought I wanted to marry him, but he just wanted to control me. Marriage doesn’t always mean the same thing to people.”

Emma viewed marriage as a way to move up in the world.What I now realize was infatuation,Georgia said about her ex. I never loved Emma, either. I was hurt and humiliated and protective of my family. I was angry I didn’t see it coming and ignored every red flag. Not heartbroken, though.

“Has there been anyone since?” I ask. “Since him? For the citizenship interview.”

“No one serious.” She looks away before her gaze darts to mine. “You?”

“Nope.”

We stand there in silence, every nerve ending aware of her so close to me. Before our agreement, I’d never admit those things to her. And I don’t know what I would have done with the information she told me about her past.

Used it against her, probably. Now I just want to know more. My attention catches on her mouth. That pretty, perfect mouth. Arousal trickles into my blood.

Standing next to her isn’t enough. My mind slides to the library, being buried deep inside her while I lost my mind.

I want her. It’s as simple as that. I can’t stop thinking about her, and I want more.

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