Page 28 of The Billionaire Dating Game

He remained silent, letting her words sink in and his chest tightened.She didn’t betray him.

“He offered to pay double to have me once you were done.” She looked away.

Alexei sat at the edge of the sofa and gripped her chin until she looked at him again. “You’re not some pawn to be passed around. You are my light.” The words left his mouth before he could catch them. Yet, they were the truth. The wild possessive drumming in his veins told him so.

“Jasmine told him about our arrangement. I don’t know how she knew.” She steadied her breathing. “That’s not all. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you deserve to know Rodriguez slept with Jasmine while you were together.”

Alexei clenched his teeth. Before he beat Rodriguez to a bloody pulp, the man was going to tell him everything. Then he was going to finish what he started and publicly burn Dalyi Enterprises to the ground. Nobody fucks with his light.

“We’re leaving for my island tonight.”

The party his family organized to introduce the new tech start-up was a week away. There was no reason for them to remain in Wheelcaster, and he wanted Candice kept far away from the spotlight or what he was about to do.

“We’re good?” she asked, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

“Not until you’ve cried my name a hundred times. Maybe not even then.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Candice

Katya knew how to throw a party. After closing the deal with a new tech company, the investors and partners were ready to let loose, and they did. Everyone was on the island, including the McCreaths and the investors that had managed to sell their Dalyi Enterprises shares before Alexei appeared on Money-Sense to discuss investment trends. The illusion was that the talks helped poor folks make better investment choices, but it was a platform for the rich to tout their latest interest. Or disinterest.

Candice was almost sorry for Jasmine’s company. After Alexei found out she had investigated Candice and was behind Rodriguez’s kiss, he was furious. He might have been willing to let his ex’s past transgressions slide, but not when she targeted someone he cared about. Her pulse raced each time his careless admission played through her mind—he cared about her.

Warm fuzzy goodness blanketed her skin. They’d spent the entire week butt-naked on every surface of the mansion. He hadn’t cared if the servants saw, heard, or knew they’d fucked as the staff polished away the evidence of their orgasms. If he wanted to make sure all traces of Rodriguez were gone from memory, he’d accomplished that over and over. Alexei accomplished that ten minutes ago when he’d pulled her into a room and hiked up the specially made dress by Bermuda designer, Ms. Bailey. When he’d bent her over the back of a chair and sunk into her, she was more than ready.

She laughed in delight as he pulled her onto the dance floor and twirled to Lizzo. The man had dance moves. She showed him a few of her own. If these were their last days together, why not enjoy herself? There’d be plenty of time for heartache later.

There was music for everyone’s taste—from slow jams to foreign jams, and lots more Lizzo! The drinks flowed and Alexei kept her glass full. She trusted him and looked forward to the night he promised when they were alone.

It was close to midnight when Jasmine showed up. More than half the guests had already taken the chopper ride back to the mainland, some strolled the beach waiting for their choppers to land, and a few were still dancing.

“You son of a bitch!” Jasmine hissed.

Alexei stopped dancing but instead of facing the angry woman, he kissed Candice, pissing Jasmine off further. He reveled in making Jasmine wait, and it was a side of him Candice hadn’t seen until he’d gone after his ex full throttle. Not even when he’d thought she betrayed him had he exuded this vindictive calm. Candice preferred his angry passion to his cold stoicism

“Careful, Jasmine. I adored my mother.”

The woman blanched when he faced her, and Candice guessed her reaction was due to the icy stare he leveled her way.

“Don’t tell me you used the last of your money to fly here and call me names?” He tsked.

“You destroyed the company I worked hard to build.” Her fist clenched. “My father is devastated.”

“You should have thought of that before you touched what was mine. Looking into Candice was one thing, but I will never forgive you for convincing Rodriguez she was for hire.”

“Is this about your whor—”

Alexei growled and Candice shivered at his fury.

She was used to being overlooked…until Alexei and the mantra he routinely made her repeat. Jasmine’s snide comment didn’t have the same power over her. She’d accepted her position with Alexei and that their time would come to an end.

“The board would have let you back in. We were waiting for the scandal—”

“The scandal you started because you wanted me out. All I was to you was a paycheck, and your petty jealousy got in the way.”

“Don’t tell me you were in love, Alexei.” Jasmine laughed. “Our relationship was business.”

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