Read Online Prince Voronov's Virgin by Lynn Raye Harris - Free Book Online
Authors: Lynn Raye Harris
Ads: Link
than that.
Besides, what had happened to her vow to live for herself, to do what Paige wanted for a change?
“Yes,” she breathed before she could change her mind. “I’ll go to dinner with you.”
“Speciba,”
Alexei said as he slid from the seat and grabbed her hand. He tossed some bills down on the table, though she’d ordered nothing yet, and tugged her toward the exit.
“Wait, I need my coat,” she said, pulling against him. She hadn’t expected them to move so fast once she’d agreed. She’d thought she would have time to run up to her room and get her coat at the very least.
“I will buy you a coat,” he replied.
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Of course you can.” He dragged her into one of the shops in the lobby, picked out a long white coat made of the finest cashmere and wrapped her in it while the shopgirl oohed and ahhed.
“Alexei—”
“Quiet, Paige.”
Next he selected a fur cap, like the one he’d worn last night, though in white, a snowy scarf and matching gloves made of the finest kid. Then he took a credit card from the breast pocket of his jacket and handed it to the cashier before Paige could insist on paying for it herself.
A moment later and he was hustling her out the lobby doors and into a long black limousine.
“I want to pay you for everything,” she said as the car started to roll down the driveway.
“I will not take your money. Consider it a gift.”
“I insist, Alexei.” She folded her arms and stared at him, daring him to argue. How could she accept a gift so fine? She could not be indebted to him. Dinner was one thing, but a cashmere coat that must have cost at least five hundred dollars?
“Very well,” he said easily. “We will set up a payment plan. One hundred of your U.S. dollars a month for the next sixty months…”
Paige blinked. “Six thousand dollars? You spent six thousand dollars?”
He reached out and tipped a finger under her chin. Her mouth snapped closed as she realized her jaw had been hanging open.
“Da,
but you needed a coat.”
She started to shrug out of the garment, but he stopped her.
“Don’t be a fool, Paige. It pleases me to buy this for you. You do not need to pay me.”
She looked away as, ridiculously, her eyes filled with tears. When was the last time she’d gotten a gift for no reason whatsoever? Not since before her mother died. Mama had loved surprising her daughters with small trinkets—until she had the accident and every penny they had went toward her care.
Paige couldn’t accept such an extravagant gift from this man. It wasn’t right. “I’ll give everything back when you return me to the hotel.”
Alexei swore in Russian. Or so she assumed by the expression on his face. “Very well,” he said, stony-faced. “Whatever pleases you, Paige Barnes.”
And now she felt ungrateful. She’d hurt his feelings, and it bothered her. She was Southern—and like all Southernwomen, she’d been inculcated with graciousness and sensitivity to others’ feelings from birth. She’d failed miserably just now.
Paige touched his sleeve. “Thank you for the coat, Alexei. It was kind of you.”
He swung around to look at her, his brows drawn down over his remarkable eyes. Why did he have to be so breathtaking?
“I do not understand you, Paige.”
She blew out a breath. The air in the car was warm, and she was feeling toasty and comfortable. “I’m not sure I understand myself,” she said with a shaky smile. “But I’m sorry I was rude.”
He waved a hand, as if dismissing the last few minutes from his mind. “And I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It was not my intention.”
Paige’s gaze dropped. She twisted her fingers together in her lap. “I have to admit I’m uncomfortable simply being with you,” she said. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“There will be no trouble.”
“If I were your employee, and you saw me with Chad, would you be angry?”
“Truthfully? Yes.
Besides, what had happened to her vow to live for herself, to do what Paige wanted for a change?
“Yes,” she breathed before she could change her mind. “I’ll go to dinner with you.”
“Speciba,”
Alexei said as he slid from the seat and grabbed her hand. He tossed some bills down on the table, though she’d ordered nothing yet, and tugged her toward the exit.
“Wait, I need my coat,” she said, pulling against him. She hadn’t expected them to move so fast once she’d agreed. She’d thought she would have time to run up to her room and get her coat at the very least.
“I will buy you a coat,” he replied.
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Of course you can.” He dragged her into one of the shops in the lobby, picked out a long white coat made of the finest cashmere and wrapped her in it while the shopgirl oohed and ahhed.
“Alexei—”
“Quiet, Paige.”
Next he selected a fur cap, like the one he’d worn last night, though in white, a snowy scarf and matching gloves made of the finest kid. Then he took a credit card from the breast pocket of his jacket and handed it to the cashier before Paige could insist on paying for it herself.
A moment later and he was hustling her out the lobby doors and into a long black limousine.
“I want to pay you for everything,” she said as the car started to roll down the driveway.
“I will not take your money. Consider it a gift.”
“I insist, Alexei.” She folded her arms and stared at him, daring him to argue. How could she accept a gift so fine? She could not be indebted to him. Dinner was one thing, but a cashmere coat that must have cost at least five hundred dollars?
“Very well,” he said easily. “We will set up a payment plan. One hundred of your U.S. dollars a month for the next sixty months…”
Paige blinked. “Six thousand dollars? You spent six thousand dollars?”
He reached out and tipped a finger under her chin. Her mouth snapped closed as she realized her jaw had been hanging open.
“Da,
but you needed a coat.”
She started to shrug out of the garment, but he stopped her.
“Don’t be a fool, Paige. It pleases me to buy this for you. You do not need to pay me.”
She looked away as, ridiculously, her eyes filled with tears. When was the last time she’d gotten a gift for no reason whatsoever? Not since before her mother died. Mama had loved surprising her daughters with small trinkets—until she had the accident and every penny they had went toward her care.
Paige couldn’t accept such an extravagant gift from this man. It wasn’t right. “I’ll give everything back when you return me to the hotel.”
Alexei swore in Russian. Or so she assumed by the expression on his face. “Very well,” he said, stony-faced. “Whatever pleases you, Paige Barnes.”
And now she felt ungrateful. She’d hurt his feelings, and it bothered her. She was Southern—and like all Southernwomen, she’d been inculcated with graciousness and sensitivity to others’ feelings from birth. She’d failed miserably just now.
Paige touched his sleeve. “Thank you for the coat, Alexei. It was kind of you.”
He swung around to look at her, his brows drawn down over his remarkable eyes. Why did he have to be so breathtaking?
“I do not understand you, Paige.”
She blew out a breath. The air in the car was warm, and she was feeling toasty and comfortable. “I’m not sure I understand myself,” she said with a shaky smile. “But I’m sorry I was rude.”
He waved a hand, as if dismissing the last few minutes from his mind. “And I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It was not my intention.”
Paige’s gaze dropped. She twisted her fingers together in her lap. “I have to admit I’m uncomfortable simply being with you,” she said. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“There will be no trouble.”
“If I were your employee, and you saw me with Chad, would you be angry?”
“Truthfully? Yes.
Similar Books
