and he would wake her—though part of him wanted to keep her in his bed all night, to slide into her body in the dark hours before dawn, to lose himself.
But he would not. The sooner he returned her to Moscow, the better.
The sharp, insistent ringing of a cell phone startled Paige into wakefulness. Beside her, Alexei whipped back the covers and shot from the bed. His phone was still clipped onto his trousers, but he managed to grab it before it stopped ringing.
“Da?” he barked.
Paige sat up, her body protesting the movement. Though she wanted to stay snuggled into bed, where it was warm, it was time to return to reality.
Reality for her was not a naked billionaire pacing the room and barking into his phone in a language she didn’t understand.
She took the opportunity, while he wasn’t paying attention, to slip from the bed and start collecting her clothes. It took a few moments to locate her underwear, but when she had everything she darted into the attached bathroom.
Paige leaned back against the closed door, blinking in disbelief. Yet another beautiful, fairy-tale room. Though at least there were modern fixtures—a shower, toilet and claw-foot bathtub with jets. Clearly Alexei had upgraded a few things.
She wondered why he and his mother and sister had been sent away from this place, but she’d hardly been able to ask. What must it have been like to be so young and to not only lose your father, but to also find yourself thrown out of your home? How had his poor mother handled everything with two young children to look after?
Paige felt a pang of emotion for the woman lying in the church crypt. And for the man who seemed so in control and detached when he spoke of his family, yet who was so alive and full of fire. A fire that had nearly incinerated them both when he’d focused it on her.
She set her clothes on a tufted bench and turned on the water in the sink so she could wash her face.
And did a double take at the woman staring at her in the mirror. My God, was that her?
Her hair was mussed, of course, but it was her face that shocked her. Her lips were red, swollen from kissing, and her eyes were lazy, sensual. Her mascara had smeared, but instead of looking like a Gothic vampire, it made her look tousled. Like she was a sex goddess who’d been making love all night long.
She took a step back, let her gaze wander down her body. Her skin glowed. She looked happy. Pretty. Was that what sexual satisfaction did to a person?
If so, she’d certainly missed out on a lot. She could barely process that she’d technically still been a virgin. She was slightly sore, but not so much so that her body didn’t leap at the idea of doing it all again.
A sharp rap sounded on the door and she jumped. “Yes?”
“We must go, Paige,” Alexei said. “The helicopter is waiting.”
His voice was impersonal, sharp, and her stomach dropped. Whatever she’d expected after tonight, the indifference in his voice hadn’t been it. Hadn’t they just shared something beautiful? And, more than their bodies, hadn’t they shared a bit of their souls with each other?
It had certainly felt like it, especially when he’d insisted on pointing out to her that she’d been living for Emma and it was time to stop. Or when he’d told her with such stark pain in his gaze that his family was buried in the crypt.
“I’m coming,” she said, stiffening her resolve. She would not let him know how far out of her depth she was, how much this night meant to her. He was already behaving as if it was over, so she would do the same. Time to return to their proper roles as wary strangers.
She could do that. She would do that.
Paige hurriedly washed her face and got dressed. She hadn’t been able to find the elastic that she’d held her ponytail back with, so she did the best she could with her unruly hair before opening the door.
Alexei stood in the middle of the room, talking on his phone once more. He was fully
But he would not. The sooner he returned her to Moscow, the better.
The sharp, insistent ringing of a cell phone startled Paige into wakefulness. Beside her, Alexei whipped back the covers and shot from the bed. His phone was still clipped onto his trousers, but he managed to grab it before it stopped ringing.
“Da?” he barked.
Paige sat up, her body protesting the movement. Though she wanted to stay snuggled into bed, where it was warm, it was time to return to reality.
Reality for her was not a naked billionaire pacing the room and barking into his phone in a language she didn’t understand.
She took the opportunity, while he wasn’t paying attention, to slip from the bed and start collecting her clothes. It took a few moments to locate her underwear, but when she had everything she darted into the attached bathroom.
Paige leaned back against the closed door, blinking in disbelief. Yet another beautiful, fairy-tale room. Though at least there were modern fixtures—a shower, toilet and claw-foot bathtub with jets. Clearly Alexei had upgraded a few things.
She wondered why he and his mother and sister had been sent away from this place, but she’d hardly been able to ask. What must it have been like to be so young and to not only lose your father, but to also find yourself thrown out of your home? How had his poor mother handled everything with two young children to look after?
Paige felt a pang of emotion for the woman lying in the church crypt. And for the man who seemed so in control and detached when he spoke of his family, yet who was so alive and full of fire. A fire that had nearly incinerated them both when he’d focused it on her.
She set her clothes on a tufted bench and turned on the water in the sink so she could wash her face.
And did a double take at the woman staring at her in the mirror. My God, was that her?
Her hair was mussed, of course, but it was her face that shocked her. Her lips were red, swollen from kissing, and her eyes were lazy, sensual. Her mascara had smeared, but instead of looking like a Gothic vampire, it made her look tousled. Like she was a sex goddess who’d been making love all night long.
She took a step back, let her gaze wander down her body. Her skin glowed. She looked happy. Pretty. Was that what sexual satisfaction did to a person?
If so, she’d certainly missed out on a lot. She could barely process that she’d technically still been a virgin. She was slightly sore, but not so much so that her body didn’t leap at the idea of doing it all again.
A sharp rap sounded on the door and she jumped. “Yes?”
“We must go, Paige,” Alexei said. “The helicopter is waiting.”
His voice was impersonal, sharp, and her stomach dropped. Whatever she’d expected after tonight, the indifference in his voice hadn’t been it. Hadn’t they just shared something beautiful? And, more than their bodies, hadn’t they shared a bit of their souls with each other?
It had certainly felt like it, especially when he’d insisted on pointing out to her that she’d been living for Emma and it was time to stop. Or when he’d told her with such stark pain in his gaze that his family was buried in the crypt.
“I’m coming,” she said, stiffening her resolve. She would not let him know how far out of her depth she was, how much this night meant to her. He was already behaving as if it was over, so she would do the same. Time to return to their proper roles as wary strangers.
She could do that. She would do that.
Paige hurriedly washed her face and got dressed. She hadn’t been able to find the elastic that she’d held her ponytail back with, so she did the best she could with her unruly hair before opening the door.
Alexei stood in the middle of the room, talking on his phone once more. He was fully
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