Prince Voronov's Virgin by Lynn Raye Harris Page B

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 dressed—in different clothes, naturally, which made her feel rather cheap and, well, transitory. He did not look up when she walked into the room, and her heart squeezed into a painful knot.
    What had she expected? She’d known what she was getting into when she’d said yes.
    He finally glanced over at her, something flashing across his face before he looked away again. She picked up her coat and stood waiting. He motioned her to the door, opening it for her, then following once she’d gone through. She stepped back to let him take the lead. He didn’t look at her while he walked down the hallway and descended the stairs.
    Paige’s skin was hot, but for a different reason than when they’d burst up these steps earlier. Then, she’d been giddy with excitement. Now, she felt like a prostitute he’d picked up on the street. He’d brought her home for a quick screw and now he was done with her.
    She lifted her chin, determined not to let him see how much his indifference hurt and confused her. She hadn’t expected a declaration of true love, but she’d thought they would at least act like two people who’d shared something intimate together.
    They stopped at the door they’d entered earlier. Alexei put his phone away and donned the coat he’d been carrying. Paige did the same, settling the hat into place and wrapping the scarf around her neck. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she realized she’d forgotten the gloves. But she wasn’t going back for them.
    There was no time anyway.
    The man who’d greeted them earlier stood by the ornately carved door. He and Alexei spoke briefly, and then he was opening the door as Alexei turned and took her by the elbow.
    “Watch your step,” Alexei said as they emerged into the frigid