body.
Frustration sawed into him. “I admire your loyalty to your boss, Paige, but does he also command your personal life? Is he allowed to tell you whom you may or may not see?”
A shadow crossed her face. “Of course not. But this is complicated. You’re the enemy.”
Alexei couldn’t contain a sharp laugh. He was indeed, but he didn’t want her to think so.
“You
are,”
she insisted, frowning. “To Chad, you are. And I work for him.” She took a deep breath, let it out in a long sigh. “Besides that, he’s asked my sister to marry him.”
Alexei stopped laughing. Paige swiped a hand beneath her nose and turned to the papers once more. Clearly she was hurt by this new development. And he didn’t like seeing her hurt. The change in her expression was like watching dark clouds blotting out the sun. It bothered him.
Watching her with Chad today, he could tell there was no relationship between them, no spark. It had made him absurdly happy. Yet now she was sad, and he didn’t like it.
“I’m sorry, Paige.”
She shrugged. “For what? This is a very good thing. My sister is very happy.”
“Are you?”
Her shoulders seemed to slump. Just as quickly, she straightened and turned to look at him with pride on her face. “Yes, I am. Emma is beautiful and amazing and she deserves a man like Chad.”
“And what do you deserve?”
Her lower lip trembled before her teeth stopped it. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” she said very softly.
“Do what? I am asking you a question, such as one friend asks another.”
“You aren’t my friend.”
He pressed his advantage. “Not yet. But I could be.”
She shook her head. “Don’t say things you don’t mean, Prince Voronov. It’s impossible, and you know it.”
“Call me Alexei. And I can tell you what you deserve,” he continued. He knew what she needed to hear. She was a woman who didn’t believe in herself, and he was a man who was very good at saying the right things. She looked at him hopefully. He wondered if she knew she’d done so.
“You deserve to laugh,” he said quietly, seriously. “You deserve to do something for yourself instead of always doing for others. You deserve happiness, Paige, and you deserve to stop worrying about everything and let someone else worry for you. You deserve flowers every day, candlelight dinners and a man who wants you very much. You deserve everything your sister has, and more.”
Her eyes glistened. Her mouth dropped open, shut again, and he knew he’d hit the mark. Another spear of guilt shot through him. He didn’t want to like her, didn’t want to feel pleased that he’d moved her. He did what was necessary to avenge his family; he had no room for remorse.
“What makes you think I don’t do anything for myself?A few hours acquaintance hardly qualifies you as an expert on me.”
She was defensive, and he didn’t blame her. He’d gone deep and it had to sting.
“You are an open book, Paige Barnes. I am simply reading what is written for all to see.”
Her dark eyes were wounded, as if he’d exposed the soft underbelly of her vulnerability with just a few words.
“I—I—” Whatever she was about to say was lost as her jaw snapped shut and she whirled away from him. Opening the briefcase, she shoved all the papers inside, no longer interested in order or neatness.
Alexei cursed inwardly as she jammed the lid shut and locked it. He’d gone too far, spooked her.
“I have to go,” she said without looking at him again. “Chad’s waiting for me.”
Before he could stop her, she bolted from the room. For the second time today, Paige Barnes had run away from him.
Paige threw down her pen and pushed back from the desk in her room. How could she work when all she could think of was Alexei Voronov telling her she deserved happiness and love?
Of course he hadn’t meant
he
was the man who was going to give her those things, but she’d felt as if she must look so pitifully grateful,
Frustration sawed into him. “I admire your loyalty to your boss, Paige, but does he also command your personal life? Is he allowed to tell you whom you may or may not see?”
A shadow crossed her face. “Of course not. But this is complicated. You’re the enemy.”
Alexei couldn’t contain a sharp laugh. He was indeed, but he didn’t want her to think so.
“You
are,”
she insisted, frowning. “To Chad, you are. And I work for him.” She took a deep breath, let it out in a long sigh. “Besides that, he’s asked my sister to marry him.”
Alexei stopped laughing. Paige swiped a hand beneath her nose and turned to the papers once more. Clearly she was hurt by this new development. And he didn’t like seeing her hurt. The change in her expression was like watching dark clouds blotting out the sun. It bothered him.
Watching her with Chad today, he could tell there was no relationship between them, no spark. It had made him absurdly happy. Yet now she was sad, and he didn’t like it.
“I’m sorry, Paige.”
She shrugged. “For what? This is a very good thing. My sister is very happy.”
“Are you?”
Her shoulders seemed to slump. Just as quickly, she straightened and turned to look at him with pride on her face. “Yes, I am. Emma is beautiful and amazing and she deserves a man like Chad.”
“And what do you deserve?”
Her lower lip trembled before her teeth stopped it. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” she said very softly.
“Do what? I am asking you a question, such as one friend asks another.”
“You aren’t my friend.”
He pressed his advantage. “Not yet. But I could be.”
She shook her head. “Don’t say things you don’t mean, Prince Voronov. It’s impossible, and you know it.”
“Call me Alexei. And I can tell you what you deserve,” he continued. He knew what she needed to hear. She was a woman who didn’t believe in herself, and he was a man who was very good at saying the right things. She looked at him hopefully. He wondered if she knew she’d done so.
“You deserve to laugh,” he said quietly, seriously. “You deserve to do something for yourself instead of always doing for others. You deserve happiness, Paige, and you deserve to stop worrying about everything and let someone else worry for you. You deserve flowers every day, candlelight dinners and a man who wants you very much. You deserve everything your sister has, and more.”
Her eyes glistened. Her mouth dropped open, shut again, and he knew he’d hit the mark. Another spear of guilt shot through him. He didn’t want to like her, didn’t want to feel pleased that he’d moved her. He did what was necessary to avenge his family; he had no room for remorse.
“What makes you think I don’t do anything for myself?A few hours acquaintance hardly qualifies you as an expert on me.”
She was defensive, and he didn’t blame her. He’d gone deep and it had to sting.
“You are an open book, Paige Barnes. I am simply reading what is written for all to see.”
Her dark eyes were wounded, as if he’d exposed the soft underbelly of her vulnerability with just a few words.
“I—I—” Whatever she was about to say was lost as her jaw snapped shut and she whirled away from him. Opening the briefcase, she shoved all the papers inside, no longer interested in order or neatness.
Alexei cursed inwardly as she jammed the lid shut and locked it. He’d gone too far, spooked her.
“I have to go,” she said without looking at him again. “Chad’s waiting for me.”
Before he could stop her, she bolted from the room. For the second time today, Paige Barnes had run away from him.
Paige threw down her pen and pushed back from the desk in her room. How could she work when all she could think of was Alexei Voronov telling her she deserved happiness and love?
Of course he hadn’t meant
he
was the man who was going to give her those things, but she’d felt as if she must look so pitifully grateful,
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