Page 29 of The Billionaire Dating Game

Candice placed her hand on his back. She didn’t know if he registered her touch, but she wanted him to know that he was loved, even if she hadn’t said the words.

She loved him. Loved Alexei Popova with her whole heart.

“Not love, Jasmine. Respect. Loyalty. I thought we shared those values, but I discovered you’d hired a private investigator to rat me out.”

His body was so stiff that Candice ached for him. She hated this woman for hurting him, making him dredge up his past.

“Fuck, Jasmine, you convinced the poor schmuck detective I’d set the fire to cover up killing some fictitious person. I hope that discount detective was worth every penny now that you’re seeing the dividends.”

“Alexei.” Jasmine swallowed. “It didn’t matter. the detective didn’t have evidence—”

“Didn’t you think I would find out?” He talked over her interruption.

“I was loyal to you,” she said. “If we could talk privately—”

“Did you start fucking Rodriguez the moment the cuffs were on or was it before?”

Jasmine glanced around the room as some of the guests started paying attention to their less-than-civil conversation. Then her ice-cold gaze landed on Candice. “This is your fault!” Jasmine hissed. “You won’t always have his protection.”

“Ni!” His finger curled around Jasmine’s neck, yanking her closer.

“Alexei,” his sister and brother said in unison, flanking them.

They served to block what was happening from the dwindling guests. From Katya’s glare, Candice didn’t think she had any intention of stopping her brother unless Alexei decided to truly strangle the woman.

“You and you alone are the reason your company failed. You are faithless and greedy. If you ever step foot on my property again, your company will be the last of your worries. I’ll bury you.” He shoved her again. “Get her out of here,” he said to Dmitri. “Make sure she leaves the same way she came. I don’t want her sullying my chopper.”

“I have no way of getting to the mainland,” Jasmine shouted, yanking her arm and failing to lose Dmitri’s hold.

“Doggy paddle,” Alexei said, turning away from Jasmine.

The woman didn’t appear classy as Dmitri dragged her from the house, her anger unleashed. Jasmine looked disheveled, the opposite from the first time they’d met in Paris.

“Are you okay, Candice?” Alexei touched her cheek.

She nodded. “Are you?”

“She didn’t say anything I haven't heard before.”

Stretching to her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. Jasmine was a fool. Alexei was kind and generous to those he loved, protective, and if the woman hadn’t only been focused on money, she would have seen that.

“Meet me upstairs in fifteen minutes and I'll make you forget all about her,” she promised.

“I’ll stay long enough to say good night to Katya and Dmitri then I’m coming to find you.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Candice wanted to shower and put on the new lingerie Alexei had bought her.

Though he hadn’t spoken of returning to Wheelcaster, the end to their fake relationship would happen any day, and she wanted their last weekend together to be memorable. Not that she’d forget the likes of Alexei Popova and his imposing personality.

Her phone buzzed, alerting her to new voice messages the moment she sat in the chair to remove her heels. She pressed play, putting the phone on speaker. The first was from the superintendent at the apartment she’d applied for, asking for a return call.

Candice squealed.Finally!

It hadn’t taken this long to find a place since she’d first moved away from home with shoe-string funds and no credit to boot.

Her smile faltered when she played and replayed the remaining messages. They were from the same superintendent.

“Miss Harper, in reviewing your application there seems to be back rent owed to Oak Ridge Properties. If you can get that removed from your credit report or find a cosigner, I’d be willing to reconsider your application. I’ll give you until the end of the day to call me.”

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