Chapter 3

I'm still stunned by what he has done, but the offering looks appetizing enough, and I can't manage to ignore Ruslan.

But even after pulling the cup of tea toward me, I keep looking at the laptop so I don't notice his bare torso almost under my nose, athletic and lean. And hot even from a distance, judging by the heat still burning in my cheeks.

"I hear you. Thank you."

"Really, it's nothing. It wasn't hard."

"Are you going to keep standing there? I can't eat when someone is watching me."

"I can sit, but you won't like that. I'll be even closer."

"No, I'm working."

"That's what I thought."

He looks around and moves away from the table. Going to the stove, he lifts the lid on the small pot and peers inside, poking the meat with a spoon.

"Damn, how do you cook this? I mean, how do I not ruin anything?"

"Don't," I answer. "I'll do it myself."

"No, I'll try. It's nothing. Google to the rescue, and off we go! The main thing is to remember what your brother and I haven't already eaten in this kitchen and find it all. Oh, spaghetti... Found it! And rice! Alis, which do you rather have? Pick one of the two. There's nothing else!"

I can't even imagine what Ruslan plans to cook or how, but I'm already ready to tell him I don't care when Romka suddenly comes into the kitchen, barging in barefoot and in a tank top, tearing apart the tense atmosphere I can feel and finally letting me exhale calmly.

"Hey, man! Where'd you disappear to?" he asks his friend. "I already loaded everything without you. All that's left is to update the drivers, they're downloading now, and we can launch the program. You going to try it?"

"Later. I'm hungry," Ruslan answers. "See? I'm making soup. Or something like that," he mutters under his breath.

"Marjanov." Romka's eyes go round, and I understand why. "Have you lost your mind? What soup? In real life, no one can make you slice bread, let alone peel potatoes. You were the one sitting on your ass today while I fried eggs and sausage."

"I was," Ruslan says with a shrug of his bare shoulders, not even thinking of arguing, "but don't compare, Snowman. Your sister could make anyone do what she needs. I started whining that I was starving, and she was like, take it yourself and cook it. Are you a man, Marjanov, or what? So now I can't leave until I make the soup. You install whatever needs installing. I'll come by."

"Alice?" my brother says in surprise, looking at me, but immediately agrees. "Well, actually, she could. Why are you naked?"

Hearing the question, I tense, and Ruslan answers calmly:

"Wanted to seduce your sister, but she thinks I'm an underage idiot whose diaper still hasn't fallen off his ass. Basically, she shot me down."

Romka appreciates the joke and smiles. I, however, swallow a bite of toast with difficulty.

"She's right to," I hear my brother answer. "Seriously, though?"

That's enough. The last thing I need is to be the center of a conversation between two guys while I'm in the same room with them.

I get up and snap my laptop shut. Tucking it under my arm, I take the plate with my toast, my cup, and head for the door.

"Seriously, Rom, I accidentally poured hot tea on Ruslan, burned him, and ruined his T-shirt. Please give him one of yours. When you leave, turn everything off in here. I'm going to my room to work."

"Alice, what about the soup?" Ruslan calls after me, and I force myself to stop and look at him.

"I'm sure that, as a man, you can handle it. I will absolutely appreciate your efforts... in the morning! For now, you'll have much more fun without me."

But when I fall asleep in my bedroom two hours later, I still can't get rid of the heat inside me, and I don't feel cold. Strange sensations, and definitely dangerous. I have to take medicine to calm my heart and rest.