more than she’d thought it would.
Paige hadn’t changed out of her suit earlier, so she grabbed her jacket and took the elevator down to the lobby. Fifteen minutes later, she was seated in a corner booth and contemplating the English menu a waiter had brought.
“Don’t order the borscht,” a deep voice said. Her head snapped up, her gaze colliding with icy gray eyes. Her pulse shot skyward.
He slid into the booth seat opposite her. “Everyone who comes to Russia orders borscht, but there is far more to our cuisine than cabbage.”
“What are you doing here?” Paige demanded. “Go away before you get me in trouble!”
“Do not worry, Paige. No one will see you talking to me.”
“You don’t know that,” she insisted. “What if Chad gets hungry? What if he comes in here?”
He shrugged. It infuriated her the way he so casually dismissed her fears. He was rich, and he didn’t have to worry about losing his job. But she had so much more to worry about than her job now that Chad was planning to marry her sister. She would not cause problems between them.
“You should have agreed to come to dinner with me. Then we would not be here, but elsewhere.”
Paige gritted her teeth. “Go away.”
He leaned back against the cushions and shot her an arrogant grin. “Only if you go with me.”
Her heart leaped into double time. “I’m not going with you, Alexei.”
“Then I will stay with you,” he said, reaching for the menu.
She held it tight, refusing to let go.
“This is a nice hotel,” he said, “but it caters to tourists. Wouldn’t you like to try real Russian food? See more than the inside of your room and the airport?”
“I’ve already been to Red Square,” she said primly.
His grin could have melted an iceberg. “I have fond memories of your trip to Red Square.”
Paige tried not to blush, though she could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks. For once in her life, she wished she’d slept around more. Then she wouldn’t be so affected by Alexei Voronov’s wicked grin.
“You didn’t really come here to make me go to dinner with you,” she said, trying to interject some reality back into the situation.
“No. I had to meet with someone. But I saw you enter the restaurant, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see you again.”
“Stop saying things like that.”
“Why not? You are a beautiful woman, and I wanted to see you.”
No one had ever called her beautiful. She was passably pretty, but she was too plain to be beautiful. Fashion confused her, makeup was a mystery that she’d only partially solved—blush, lipgloss and mascara usage were pretty simple—and her hair was so long and thick that she usually just ended up with a ponytail. Emma tried to get her to wear trendier clothes, but she never felt quite right in them. Emma’s style was wrong for Paige, and since she didn’t really know how to find her own, she settled for business suits and jeans. It was a safe wardrobe. Conservative.
“I can see you do not believe me,” Alexei continued. “This shocks me, Paige.”
She lifted her chin a notch while she clutched the menu between her hands. “I don’t trust you, Prince Voronov. You have an ulterior motive.”
His face split into another of those jaw-dropping grins. “How well you know me already,” he purred. “I do have an ulterior motive.” Then he leaned forward and caught one of her hands in his. “The motive is that I want you to come with me now. I promise Chad will never know. He may speak Russian, but he does not know this place like I do. He will not venture beyond the more trendy districts.”
“And you want to take me somewhere that isn’t trendy?” She pulled her hand away, though her heart continued to beat overtime. “I’m not sure if I should be insulted or relieved.”
Oh my God, she was bantering with him.
His sensual mouth curved, showing impossibly white teeth. “I would take you to the finest restaurant in the city,
Paige hadn’t changed out of her suit earlier, so she grabbed her jacket and took the elevator down to the lobby. Fifteen minutes later, she was seated in a corner booth and contemplating the English menu a waiter had brought.
“Don’t order the borscht,” a deep voice said. Her head snapped up, her gaze colliding with icy gray eyes. Her pulse shot skyward.
He slid into the booth seat opposite her. “Everyone who comes to Russia orders borscht, but there is far more to our cuisine than cabbage.”
“What are you doing here?” Paige demanded. “Go away before you get me in trouble!”
“Do not worry, Paige. No one will see you talking to me.”
“You don’t know that,” she insisted. “What if Chad gets hungry? What if he comes in here?”
He shrugged. It infuriated her the way he so casually dismissed her fears. He was rich, and he didn’t have to worry about losing his job. But she had so much more to worry about than her job now that Chad was planning to marry her sister. She would not cause problems between them.
“You should have agreed to come to dinner with me. Then we would not be here, but elsewhere.”
Paige gritted her teeth. “Go away.”
He leaned back against the cushions and shot her an arrogant grin. “Only if you go with me.”
Her heart leaped into double time. “I’m not going with you, Alexei.”
“Then I will stay with you,” he said, reaching for the menu.
She held it tight, refusing to let go.
“This is a nice hotel,” he said, “but it caters to tourists. Wouldn’t you like to try real Russian food? See more than the inside of your room and the airport?”
“I’ve already been to Red Square,” she said primly.
His grin could have melted an iceberg. “I have fond memories of your trip to Red Square.”
Paige tried not to blush, though she could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks. For once in her life, she wished she’d slept around more. Then she wouldn’t be so affected by Alexei Voronov’s wicked grin.
“You didn’t really come here to make me go to dinner with you,” she said, trying to interject some reality back into the situation.
“No. I had to meet with someone. But I saw you enter the restaurant, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see you again.”
“Stop saying things like that.”
“Why not? You are a beautiful woman, and I wanted to see you.”
No one had ever called her beautiful. She was passably pretty, but she was too plain to be beautiful. Fashion confused her, makeup was a mystery that she’d only partially solved—blush, lipgloss and mascara usage were pretty simple—and her hair was so long and thick that she usually just ended up with a ponytail. Emma tried to get her to wear trendier clothes, but she never felt quite right in them. Emma’s style was wrong for Paige, and since she didn’t really know how to find her own, she settled for business suits and jeans. It was a safe wardrobe. Conservative.
“I can see you do not believe me,” Alexei continued. “This shocks me, Paige.”
She lifted her chin a notch while she clutched the menu between her hands. “I don’t trust you, Prince Voronov. You have an ulterior motive.”
His face split into another of those jaw-dropping grins. “How well you know me already,” he purred. “I do have an ulterior motive.” Then he leaned forward and caught one of her hands in his. “The motive is that I want you to come with me now. I promise Chad will never know. He may speak Russian, but he does not know this place like I do. He will not venture beyond the more trendy districts.”
“And you want to take me somewhere that isn’t trendy?” She pulled her hand away, though her heart continued to beat overtime. “I’m not sure if I should be insulted or relieved.”
Oh my God, she was bantering with him.
His sensual mouth curved, showing impossibly white teeth. “I would take you to the finest restaurant in the city,
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