Page 22 of The Bratva's Innocent Pregnant Bride
“She’s got you wrapped around her little finger,” Paisley answered with a less stiff smile.
“Of course. Don’t tell me this is something you don’t know how to do?”
The kids had been so enamored with sledding and snowboarding we hadn’t once utilized the small rink outside the lodge. With a sniff, Paisley bent down to unlace her own boots.
“We’ll see who ends up on their backside first,” she said.
It was me, and I was glad to lose that little bet just to hear Paisley’s delighted laugh when I went down faster than a house of cards in a gust of wind. We dragged Alina around and around, chasing the snowman mascot and humming along with the catchy Christmas tunes blasting over the speakers. I wondered if anyone else mistook us for a family like the sales clerk in the toy shop did.
With Alina’s mittened hand clasped around mine and Paisley laughing on the other side of her as we made another turn around the rink, I was completely free of any thoughts of the Collective, or any other threat. Just the sound of Paisley’s musical laughter did that.
What the hell was happening to me?
A very gentle snow began to fall, and everyone slowed down, turning their faces up to the darkening sky.
“We should have been back by now,” Paisley said.
“We never even got the wallet for Papa,” Alina whined, cut off by a huge yawn.
“We can come back, Munchkin,” I said.
By the time we had our boots back on, Alina was swaying on her feet. I scooped her up and when we reached the car she was half asleep, nestled against my shoulder. Paisley opened the door and helped me get her into her seat, both of us reaching for the seatbelt at the same time. That crackle of electricity was back when our hands touched, heat blazing between us when our eyes met over the sleeping child. Paisley’s hair fell across her face, the tiara still perched on her head. I lifted my hand to move the soft strands behind her ear, searching her eyes.
She licked her lips nervously but didn’t look away. I could see everything I needed to know in those baby blue depths. Herbarrier was coming down. I would risk getting murdered by Katie to spend another night with Paisley.
“I’ve got it,” I said, taking the seatbelt from her and locking it in, needing to get back to the lodge so we could continue this, whatever this was.
She nodded, seeming to realize where we were, hurrying to get into the car. We rode home in silence to not disturb Alina, or maybe because we were both too preoccupied with what came next. Because something was going to happen between us or we’d both combust.
Once we got back to the lodge, Paisley grabbed her packages and fled, and I didn’t see her again that night, left to smolder on my own.
Chapter 14 - Paisley
What was happening? The shopping trip was way too fun. Dan was much too cute and sweet with Alina. As young as I was, the main reason I eventually wanted my own accounting business was because I wanted to be able to spend time with my family—if I ever had one.
It was odd, because the whole time I was out, I hadn’t once thought about the threat hanging over my head. Shadowy figures from Axon might be after me, the FBI was hounding me for nonexistent information, but it just never crossed my mind while I was out that afternoon. Whatever else I thought about Dan, I felt completely safe around him and he’d been utterly adorable with his cousin’s daughter.
It seemed like a vision of what things could be. Heck, the salesperson at the toy shop even mistook us for a family. That was when I knew I had to get away from him and put some space between us again. I had to forget about our one night and get over these silly fantasies about families.
Despite being an angel with little kids, and mostly perfectly pleasant that afternoon, he was still no different than the sexist pigs at work. He was already shooting me bedroom eyes in the car.
And I’d given them right back.
With a sigh, I sat down and looked in the mirror. I still had the silly plastic tiara on and swept it off, scowling. I looked meaner than a junkyard dog and felt about as ornery. Good, I needed to get my guard back up and start snarling at Dan again instead of giggling at his dumb jokes.
A brisk knock at my door had me stiffening my spine, ready to fight. Did he really think I’d fall into his arms as soonas I opened the door? And what the hell was he thinking, coming here while everyone else was still awake.
It was only Katie, and I felt an odd rush of disappointment. All the more reason to avoid Dan if I’d secretly been hoping he was trying something.
“You’re off for the night,” she said with a smile. “Alina is zonked and the other kids are going to have an early night too since we’re taking them into town first thing tomorrow for a breakfast with Santa at one of the resorts.”
I promised I’d be ready in time and she told me to take the morning off. Pretty much everyone was going, eager to get pictures with Santa and the elves. I was glad to have a rigorous snowboarding outing to look forward to the next day, and continued to hide out in my room, jumpy and not at all tired enough to sleep.
There was another knock only a half an hour later and I swung the door open, certain it was Dan. Once again it wasn’t and I had to push aside the same disappointment.
“Hi Lilia,” I said, forcing my face to relax.
“You look like you could use some grownup fun,” she said. “I’m going into town with Rurik for a caroling contest. Do you want to join us?”
