‘No, neither does the hair.’

I shrug at that, unwilling to admit that funds forced that more than animosity, and catch Alexi watching me from the other room, watching us silently.

He’s leaning against the far wall with one foot propped up behind him, his phone in his hand as though he’s texting, yet his eyes are on me. When he catches me looking back, he gives me a small smile, enough to freak me out completely. It’s a half-smile, not his usual smirk, and somehow ...