“Oh, God, they’re back, huh?” she asks, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Don’t worry about this. I’ve got it handled.”
She sighs and crosses her hands over her chest. She looks so much like Mom when she does that. “Of course I’m gonna worry, Uri. He’s my brother. And so are you.”
“Me? Why the hell are you wasting time worrying about me?”
She raises her eyebrows. “Because you can’t be everything for everyone all the time. You need something of your own. Something that feeds your soul.”
“I feed my soul plenty.”
“I’m not talking about the parade of women you bring through here.”
“Excuse me?”
She gives me a withering scowl. “I’m fourteen. I’m not stupid.”
“There’s no way you know about that unless—”
“People talk, big brother.”
“I’m gonna have to have a chat with the staff.”
She punches me again. “Aw, come on. Don’t be a killjoy. Gossip is the one thing they have. Hell, it’s the one thing I have. How else am I supposed to get the tea about what goes on here while I’m away?”
She wags her eyebrows at me and I shake my head, trying to control my expression. But all I’m thinking is, How much does she actually know?
“What else are they filling your head with?”
Polly laughs. “That the parade of women you bring through here has come to a grinding halt recently.”
“I’ve been too busy to focus on my personal life.”
“Oh, sure, your ‘personal life.’” She snorts and folds her arms over her chest. “Come on—you don’t have a personal life. What you have is a sex life. There’s a difference.”
I shake my head at her. “When did you get to be so grown up?”
Polina grins from ear to ear. “I’m looking forward to summer. And I’m really looking forward to spending more time with Lev. He seems to be doing… better.” She says it tentatively, like she’s afraid to hope too hard. “Well, better in some ways. Like…” She glances back over her shoulder into the house as though she’s worried he might be skulking around, listening in on us. “Yeah, just more open to suggestions. He even let me play a couple of video games with him. And I was able to take him outside a couple of times! Can you believe it?”
“He’s been making strides lately.”
“I wonder why?” she muses thoughtfully.
Alyssa, comes the obvious answer in my head. Out loud, I say, “George is pushing his limits a little.”
Polly frowns. “I spoke to George. He’s not doing anything new.”
Yeah, I’m definitely gonna have to come up with an alternate plan. Polly is too damn perceptive for her own good. She also happens to be interested, which is very inconvenient. For once, I wish she was less aware and more self-involved with typical teenage girl bullshit.
“Let’s not question a good thing,” I say diplomatically.
She nods. “You’re right. I’ll see you soon, Uri. Thanks for taking care of me this weekend.”
She drops a kiss on my cheek and saunters towards the SUV. I wave her off and duck back inside, making a beeline to my office.
I had hoped to sort out the situation with Sobakin faster but it’s turning out to be trickier than I anticipated. For one, the bastard is reclusive. For another, the long game generally requires time. Which means Alyssa is gonna be here for at least part of the summer.
I glance out my office window and spot the very corner of the pool house. That would be an option. Pol wouldn’t mind her own space when she’s here—but I don’t like the idea of having her so far from the main building.
Maybe I could move Alyssa there? But I’m hit with the same roadblock—too damn far for my liking.
Gritting my teeth, I reach out instinctively and flip on the cameras that connect to the basement. It’s become such a habit now to watch her that I don’t even realize I’m doing it until after I’m already engrossed.
She’s lying in bed with a book. My pulse quickens and my cock twitches to life instantly. She’s wearing a thin silver slip that barely reaches her knees, but she’s stroking her right leg absentmindedly which means the silky fabric has ridden up high enough that I can see that creamy thigh of hers.
Goddammit.
It makes me wonder what I’m going to do when she’s no longer in my home and on my property. How am I going to deal with never seeing her again, never touching her again?