Read Online Innocent in the Ivory Tower by Lucy Ellis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lucy Ellis
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I’d just let you in the door without a background check? Give me a break.’
‘You could have asked me,’ she said, with no little dignity.
‘Yes, but would I believe you,’ he replied silkily.
The unfairness of his accusation hurt. ‘Probably not. You seem to think I’m a liar, but to what purpose I have no idea.’
He was looking at her as if she had done something unforgivable—as if she’d crawled out from under a rock somewhere. It would have been easier to make up some story, she realised sadly, tell him the same lies everybody else had expected from her: Leo and Anais were a super couple, with a super life and a super baby. But the truth was—like everyone—they had been flawed, and because they’d been larger than life their flaws had enlarged accordingly.
‘Tell me,’ said Alexei with deceptive calm, ‘why do you think I invited you to have dinner with me tonight?’
Maisy knew she was walking into a trap. She would answer and he would say something clever and she would look a bigger fool. So she didn’t say anything. She stared endlessly at her half-empty champagne glass as the seconds ticked by.
‘Did you think, Maisy, we were going to talk about your employment contract? With you in your strapless frock and me pouring you champagne?’
Don’t say it
, she willed him.
Please don’t say it.
‘Or did you think I was going to take you to bed and keep you in the style to which you’ve become accustomed?’
His words stripped her of cover. She had nowhere to hide from them because it was true. She had wanted to go to bed with him. She had worn her best dress and her laciest knickers. She had drunk some of the champagne for Dutch courage.
Kostya’s future had come second to her desire to draw Alexei to her.
For the first time she had put the little boy second and herself first, and now she was going to pay for it. He’d set her up. She wasn’t fit to look after the needs of a young child. She was a sex-crazed bimbo.
Swallowing hard, she lifted guilty eyes to meet his icy scorn. Her dignity lay in shreds around her. She felt the same way she had when huddled behind the bathroom door at Lantern Square. He
did
this to her.
‘Are you going to send me away?’ she asked hollowly.
Their eyes locked.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
There was a fraught silence.
Alexei suddenly wanted to smash the last five minutes and go back to where they’d been before. She was looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights—that same lost look he remembered from London. It made him want to gather her up and shelter her from the harsher realities of life, including his own. But she’d pushed all his buttons with that crack about Leo. It was absurd and it was wrong, he told himself.
‘Kostya needs you.’
Maisy frowned. He said it as if the idea was distasteful to him. As if she was everything he said she was. It gave her the nerve to push out her chair and get up.
‘If your stupid investigator had done a better job he would know I never
worked
for the Kulikovs. I went to school with Anais. We were best friends. I would have done anything for her. And I won’t let you wreck her little boy’s life. I’m one hundred per cent sure if Anais had known the future she would have named
me
Kostya’s guardian. You’re Leo’s work.
Leo
made the mistake. Kostya shouldn’t have to pay for it.’
She took a deep sustaining breath, taking some satisfaction that he looked pale and tense, but also horribly aware she had said some cruel things. But he had too. He had said she wanted to go to bed with him for
money
. He had
hurt
her.
‘You lucked out, Alexei. I don’t want anything from you. I thought I wanted to make love with you, but now I’ve never wanted anything less.’
Swaying a bit on her heels, she didn’t look at him. She just walked away. He didn’t try to stop her. Lust didn’t override loyalty. Family came first. And Maisy, however inviting, was just a woman. Women were everywhere,
‘You could have asked me,’ she said, with no little dignity.
‘Yes, but would I believe you,’ he replied silkily.
The unfairness of his accusation hurt. ‘Probably not. You seem to think I’m a liar, but to what purpose I have no idea.’
He was looking at her as if she had done something unforgivable—as if she’d crawled out from under a rock somewhere. It would have been easier to make up some story, she realised sadly, tell him the same lies everybody else had expected from her: Leo and Anais were a super couple, with a super life and a super baby. But the truth was—like everyone—they had been flawed, and because they’d been larger than life their flaws had enlarged accordingly.
‘Tell me,’ said Alexei with deceptive calm, ‘why do you think I invited you to have dinner with me tonight?’
Maisy knew she was walking into a trap. She would answer and he would say something clever and she would look a bigger fool. So she didn’t say anything. She stared endlessly at her half-empty champagne glass as the seconds ticked by.
‘Did you think, Maisy, we were going to talk about your employment contract? With you in your strapless frock and me pouring you champagne?’
Don’t say it
, she willed him.
Please don’t say it.
‘Or did you think I was going to take you to bed and keep you in the style to which you’ve become accustomed?’
His words stripped her of cover. She had nowhere to hide from them because it was true. She had wanted to go to bed with him. She had worn her best dress and her laciest knickers. She had drunk some of the champagne for Dutch courage.
Kostya’s future had come second to her desire to draw Alexei to her.
For the first time she had put the little boy second and herself first, and now she was going to pay for it. He’d set her up. She wasn’t fit to look after the needs of a young child. She was a sex-crazed bimbo.
Swallowing hard, she lifted guilty eyes to meet his icy scorn. Her dignity lay in shreds around her. She felt the same way she had when huddled behind the bathroom door at Lantern Square. He
did
this to her.
‘Are you going to send me away?’ she asked hollowly.
Their eyes locked.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
There was a fraught silence.
Alexei suddenly wanted to smash the last five minutes and go back to where they’d been before. She was looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights—that same lost look he remembered from London. It made him want to gather her up and shelter her from the harsher realities of life, including his own. But she’d pushed all his buttons with that crack about Leo. It was absurd and it was wrong, he told himself.
‘Kostya needs you.’
Maisy frowned. He said it as if the idea was distasteful to him. As if she was everything he said she was. It gave her the nerve to push out her chair and get up.
‘If your stupid investigator had done a better job he would know I never
worked
for the Kulikovs. I went to school with Anais. We were best friends. I would have done anything for her. And I won’t let you wreck her little boy’s life. I’m one hundred per cent sure if Anais had known the future she would have named
me
Kostya’s guardian. You’re Leo’s work.
Leo
made the mistake. Kostya shouldn’t have to pay for it.’
She took a deep sustaining breath, taking some satisfaction that he looked pale and tense, but also horribly aware she had said some cruel things. But he had too. He had said she wanted to go to bed with him for
money
. He had
hurt
her.
‘You lucked out, Alexei. I don’t want anything from you. I thought I wanted to make love with you, but now I’ve never wanted anything less.’
Swaying a bit on her heels, she didn’t look at him. She just walked away. He didn’t try to stop her. Lust didn’t override loyalty. Family came first. And Maisy, however inviting, was just a woman. Women were everywhere,
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