A shower and change of clothes awaited her, and she knew with certainty that Nikolai would occupy her thoughts throughout.
He guided her back toward the main gardens where Antonio waited. The man offered her a friendly wave, which she acknowledged with a restrained gesture. Something about Antonio—and Marlo and Cash as well—had always made her uncomfortable. Their familiarity often bordered on inappropriate, prompting her to maintain her distance.
Returning to the house, Alex kept her gaze downcast, irrationally convinced that everyone who looked at her would somehow know what she and Nikolai had been doing. The feeling of exposure, of being transparent in her desires, followed her all the way to her bedroom.
She headed straight for the bathroom, humming softly as she adjusted the showe
