Behind the Palace Walls Read online

  Twenty minutes later, after she read the instructions twice, Paige peed in a cup and inserted the stick—she didn’t want any mistakes—and then removed it after the appropriate amount of time. While the stick did its magic, she crossed to the kitchen and peered inside the fridge. Her stomach was growling now, and she felt like she could eat something without getting sick.

  Grabbing a yogurt, she popped the top and dipped her spoon inside before returning to where she’d laid the stick on the bathroom counter. It hadn’t been more than a minute, but the digital window had an answer.

  The spoon clattered into the sink as her fingers lost the ability to hold it.

  Pregnant.

  Paige snatched up the test and held it closer. Maybe there was a glare on her glasses that was obscuring the not. But the window was very clear.

  Oh, God, she was pregnant! With a Russian prince’s baby. It didn’t seem real, didn’t seem possible.

  Yet the test did not lie. Paige made it to the couch before she sank into a boneless heap. What now?

  She pressed her hand to her abdomen. Was there really a little life in there? A baby who was half her and half Alexei?

  Her mind threw out possibilities in dizzying succession. She could terminate the pregnancy and no one would ever know. She could carry the baby to term and give it up for adoption. Or she could keep her baby.

  Her fingers clenched reflexively. Already, she felt protective. And she knew what she was going to do. She wanted this baby with a fierceness that surprised her. She would keep her child, and she would raise him or her alone. It would be tough, especially now, but she knew what tough was. She already had experience with working herself to the bone to provide for a child.

  So this would be a new experience, starting from the earliest moments of life, but she would adapt.

  What about Alexei?

  Paige chewed her lip. Should she try to get in contact with him? Tell him about his child? Her mind rebelled at the thought. He was a cold, cruel man who’d pretended to be something he was not.

  He’d pretended to be kind and solicitous, and he’d pretended an interest in her for the sole purpose of using her for information. When he no longer needed that information, he’d discarded her like yesterday’s garbage. And he’d made no effort to get in contact since. He’d managed to find Emma when she was in Chad’s hotel room, so Paige had no illusions about his ability to find her in Dallas if he so chose. He just didn’t want to find her.

  In fact, though it hurt to know, he probably gave her no thought whatsoever. Since the second he’d dropped her off at her hotel, he’d erased her from his mind.

  She knew because she’d seen a photo of him at a Hollywood movie premiere recently. He’d been escorting a gorgeous starlet who’d clung to his arm and smiled at him as if he were the center of the universe.

  Paige had quickly shoved aside the pang of jealousy she’d felt. The starlet would find out soon enough how cruel Alexei could be. He might seem like a prize to be coveted, but he certainly was not.

  She thought of her sister, and her hatred for Alexei simmered.

  No, she would not try to contact him. He’d made it clear what his feelings about their night together had been. It was one night that he’d already forgotten, and she was the one who would have to deal with the consequences.

  Alexei told himself that he simply wanted to return the gloves she’d left behind. And the coat, scarf and hat that she’d posted to him before she left Russia. He’d been angry when he’d opened the box and realized what was inside.

  Yet he should have expected it. Paige was proud and stubborn and it would be just like her to try to have the last word.

  He’d wondered why she’d only kept the gloves, but it wasn’t until he’d returned to St. Petersburg the following weekend that he’d found them lying neatly on the nightstand and realized what had happened. A maid must have put them there, because he remembered quite vividly how Paige had stripped them off and thrown them aside so she could touch him.

  Alexei closed his eyes. So she could touch him.

  He could remember, even now, the sizzle of her skin against his, the heat and passion that had threatened to incinerate him. He remembered wanting to be inside her with an urgency that had surprised him with its intensity.

  He hadn’t been with a woman since that night. He’d thought about it. He’d even gone out with a beautiful actress recently, but the night ended when he took her back to her apartment and left her at the door with a chaste kiss.

  She simply hadn’t excited him.

  Paige had. Paige Barnes, who wore dull suits and glasses and who’d kissed him like she needed his touch in order to survive.

  He’d wanted to see her again, but he’d resisted the impulse. Now that he was in Dallas to explore his latest acquisition, he didn’t have to wait. He would see her and he would return the damn coat he’d bought her.

  Russell Tech was finally his, and though he’d thought he would take great pleasure in entering those hallowed offices as the owner rather than as a supplicant begging for his sister’s life, it hadn’t been as sweet as he’d thought it would be. For a moment, as he’d stood in that office where Tim Russell had refused to help him and gazed out on the Dallas skyline, he’d felt emptier inside than he ever had before.

  Why?

  The limo he’d hired drove him from his hotel through the outskirts of Dallas and into a suburban neighborhood with small bungalows and green lawns. Paige had kept her word and left Russell Tech, but he knew she worked at a law firm and he knew she would be home by now. He’d thought about going to her office, but decided it was better they see each other in private.

  What would she say when she saw him again? Would he see a flash of that sweet desire she’d never quite been able to hide? Or would she now look at him with abject hatred? He wanted the former and hoped, for her sake, it was the latter.

  Because, though he shouldn’t still want her, he did. As much as he would find the experience of bedding her pleasurable, he had nothing else to give her. He’d already taken enough from her. He would not take more, even if he couldn’t quite stop himself from delivering the coat in person.

  Finally the car pulled to a halt in front of a brown house with a covered porch. It was a cute home. Cozy. The grass was manicured, but not too much so. The flower beds weren’t overflowing with plants, though they were neat and clean. It was as if someone cared about the garden, but didn’t have a lot of time to fuss over it.

  Alexei grabbed the garment bag he’d brought and strode to the door. He rang the bell and waited. A gray-haired woman in a pink housedress stood on the front porch next door, staring at him. He gave her a smile, which only seemed to fluster her. She hurried inside, but he didn’t miss the curtain inching back on the window facing Paige’s house.

  Finally the mint-green door swung open. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected to happen when he saw her again, but the immediate rush of blood to his groin was certainly not it.

  “Hello, Paige,” he said softly, his gaze slipping down her body. She was dressed in a pair of shorts that showed her lovely long legs, and a tank top that clung to her generous breasts. Her dark hair was pulled back in the usual ponytail. But her face did not look happy at all. Her eyes shot daggers at him and her lips were pinched at the corners. “Nice to see you, too.”

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  He held up the garment bag. “Returning your coat.”

  Her fingers were bloodless where they clamped the door. “I don’t want it, Prince Voronov. Thank you for coming by, but please leave.”

  “Ah, so we are back to that now. How formal and polite you are, Paige, considering what we’ve done to each other.”

  He loved the blush staining her cheeks. So innocent, and so sensual all at once. That’s what he remembered, what he craved.

  “I—” She turned green. If he hadn’t been looking at her, he wouldn’t have believed it. “Excuse me,” she said, turning a
nd bolting into the house.

  Alexei walked into the entry and closed the door behind him. He tossed the garment bag on a chair and followed the sounds of retching to the small bath in the hall.

  “Paige? What is wrong? Do you need a doctor?”

  “No,” she said miserably, her voice loud and clear through the closed door. “I’ll feel better when you leave. So get out. And take the coat with you!”

  “As you wish,” he said, though he had no intention of doing so. Instead he retreated to the tiny kitchen nearby and sat on a bar stool to wait. The kitchen opened into a small living room furnished with an oversize couch, a couple of chairs, and a television. It wasn’t sumptuous by any stretch, and yet he found himself drawn to the homey feel.

  After his father had died, he’d lived in a house not much bigger than this. His mother had tried to make it homey, but they didn’t have much to live on. All she’d gotten when his father died was a small sum of money and some land everyone had thought was worthless. He’d loved their land as a child. They might not have had much money, but he and Katerina had played for hours in the woods and creeks. They’d fished, hunted and climbed the trees like monkeys.

  They’d been happy, in spite of their lack. Kids didn’t care, so long as they were loved and had enough food to eat.

  More than anything, he’d wanted to give his mother back the lifestyle she’d had when she’d been a princess in a fairytale palace. He’d worked tirelessly, but his true success came too late.

  Now that he had his family palace back, and homes in several countries, none of them gave him that feeling of comfort he wanted, that feeling he remembered from his childhood. This house had that feeling. Two minutes inside its interior and he knew the feeling was here.

  Home. It was more than simply furniture or belongings. It was an indefinable feeling. His heart longed for it, and yet it was something he’d been denied for many years now.

  And would continue to be denied. He was accustomed to it, even if he sometimes longed for it more than anything else. When you didn’t care for anyone or anything, didn’t have that feeling of home, it couldn’t be taken away from you. He knew from bitter experience it was better that way.

  The bathroom door opened and Paige staggered out. When she saw him, she froze.

  “You said you were leaving.”

  “I lied.”

  She came into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. After she’d twisted off the top and took a gulp, she speared him with a glare. “You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

  “I never lied to you, Paige.”

  “No, you just didn’t tell me the truth,” she snapped. Leaning against the counter, she took another sip of water as she eyed him.

  “Actually I did,” he said coolly. “I told you why I would keep you close if you worked for me.”

  She snorted. “I understood what you meant, but it wasn’t the truth exactly. The truth would have been, ‘Paige, I’m not really attracted to you, but I’d like you to think I am so you’ll spill secrets about Chad’s business. Then I’ll steal his company and put you all out of work.’”

  Her dark eyes were full of emotion. The anger and hatred he expected. But the fear?

  Why should she fear him?

  “I did not steal anything, Paige. What I did was acquire a failing company. And my attraction to you was not a lie.”

  She put a hand to her head, massaging her right temple. “Fine, you didn’t steal anything and you really were attracted to me. I believe you. Now will you please go?”

  He frowned as he watched her. “You need to sit down.”

  “I will once you’ve left.”

  “I’m not leaving just yet. Come, sit on the couch.”

  Her eyes were wide. “It’s a way of life for you, isn’t it? You just show up, snap your fingers and expect people to do your bidding. Well, I have news for you, mister—this is my home and no one jumps to your tune here. If you don’t get out, I’m calling the police.”

  “If you sit down, I’ll go.” Her threat to call the police meant nothing to him, but clearly his presence agitated her. He’d done what he came to do. His body hummed with frustrated desire, but he tamped it down and ignored it. There was no reason to stay any longer than he already had. There was nothing for him here. Nothing for either of them.

  “Fine,” she said, coming around the counter and shuffling into the living room. She sank onto the couch, sighing almost wearily.

  “You need a doctor,” Alexei said, frowning. She still looked green and she was shaking.

  “No, I’m fine.” She bit her lip as she looked away. “I had the flu recently and I’m still recovering.”

  “Very well,” he said. “Then I will leave you now. I left the coat on the chair in your foyer. Do what you wish with it, but do not send it back to me.”

  The phone on the counter began to ring, but Paige ignored it. Her head was tilted back, her eyes closed. She had a hand over her abdomen, and her skin was pale. He didn’t want to go when she seemed sick, but she did not want him here.

  He turned and strode down the small hallway. The answering machine kicked on. Paige’s breathy voice asked the caller to leave a message. Did the woman have any idea she sounded like a phone sex advertisement?

  The instant a cheery voice began to speak, Paige made a sound he’d never heard before. A sound of sheer panic. He could hear her lever herself up off the couch.

  But she wasn’t quite fast enough.

  “This is Dr. Fitzgerald’s office calling to confirm Paige Barnes’s first ultrasound appointment for tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. You’ll need to bring—”

  Paige felt light-headed as she finished the call and put the receiver down. When the phone started ringing, she’d just been too tired to get up and answer it. All she wanted was for Alexei to go. She hadn’t thought of her OB-GYN’s office calling to remind her about an appointment she’d only made yesterday afternoon. Did they really think she could forget it in so short a time?

  She looked up, knowing what she would see and afraid at the same time.

  Alexei had come back down the hall. No, he had loomed back down the hall and now stood hulking nearby. His ice-gray eyes gleamed, his brows drawing down, his nostrils flaring as he stared at her.

  “Why do you need an ultrasound, Paige?” He sounded cool, deadly, and a shiver dripped down her spine.

  She thought about lying. But she couldn’t think of a single reason anyone got an ultrasound other than pregnancy. She knew there had to be other reasons, but they escaped her.

  She thrust her chin higher. Time to brazen it out. “Why do women usually get ultrasounds, Prince Voronov?”

  What did it matter if she told him? He’d been cold enough to stage an elaborate seduction for the possibility of information that could benefit his precious company—and to hell with other people’s lives and feelings—so why would he care about one tiny baby?

  His eyes narrowed and she knew he was remembering, scrolling through the events of that night like it was a film he could view frame by frame. “You cannot be pregnant.”

  Oh, the arrogant bastard! “Why not? Because it wasn’t part of the plan?” She tossed her head. “I assure you I can. But don’t worry, I don’t expect anything from you.”

  He didn’t say anything for a full minute. Then he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close, his face twisting in rage. And something else?

  “You’re lying. You cannot be pregnant with my child. We used protection.”

  Paige stared at him defiantly. “Of course I can’t, because the great Prince Alexei Voronov has declared it impossible. So let me go and get the hell out of my house. We don’t need you.”

  A wave of nausea hit her like a rogue wave storming the shore. She tried not to show it, tried so hard to be fierce and strong so he would just go away. But if the expression on his face was any indication, it didn’t work.

  “Paige, what’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong.”


  She tried to jerk away, but it was like trying to escape iron manacles. “I’m pregnant, damn you, and if you don’t let me go right this instant I’ll throw up on your nice suit!”

  He released her and she turned to dash for the bathroom, barely reaching the toilet in time. She could hear him behind her. She wanted to shut the door, shut him out, but she didn’t have the strength.

  Her hair lifted away and she realized he was holding her ponytail, keeping it out of the way while she retched. She was thankful for the gesture, and scared at the same time. Because it made her remember the Alexei who’d taken her for a troika ride, the haunted man who’d told her about his family lying in the crypt with such sadness in his eyes. The kind Alexei. The one she could have loved if he were real and not a careful construct.

  But wasn’t part of that construct really him?

  Stop.

  She just wanted him to leave her and never come back again. Seeing him hurt. It made her think of every moment they’d ever spent together, of that incredible few hours in his bed when she’d felt so alive and so feminine. He’d been her first real lover, and everything about it had been magical and beautiful.

  But it had all been a lie. He’d ruined Chad, ruined Emma’s happiness in the process, and she hated him for it. How could she ever let herself think of him with anything but contempt?

  Because he was the father of her child and she felt a connection to him through the child they shared. A deep, mysterious connection that would forever be between them.

  Dear God, why him of all people?

  When she finished throwing up, when he helped her up and swooped her into his arms and carried her to the couch, she had no idea what would happen next. She expected nothing, yet she had to admit that she was relieved he’d come and relieved she’d told him the truth. She’d done the right thing. Mama would be proud of her for that, at least.

  Emma was likely to never speak to her again, however. Since Paige had learned she was pregnant yesterday, she’d been dreading telling her sister. She’d certainly never intended to reveal who the father was, but she was afraid that choice had now been taken away.