Page 19 of The Bratva's Innocent Pregnant Bride
He shrugged. “Well, we have to stay in shape,” he said, trailing off and drawing his brows together.
I still didn’t know exactly what they did to be so filthy rich, but I didn’t expect it would be anything physical. I was about to ask if they were in construction and still liked to get in there and build, but he asked me what kind of competitions I’d been in. He looked so genuinely interested, I found myself opening up about something I normally found a bit painful to talk about.
“And then you just decided being a nanny would be more fun than that?” he asked after I told him I’d been on the verge of snagging a spot on the national team and headed to the Olympics.
The question jarred me, making me recall the ruse. I couldn’t risk hurting the reputation of my best friend’s agency by admitting I was a last minute replacement and I normally hated talking about the accident.
“I love working with kids,” I said, which wasn’t exactly a lie.
I had babysat before and I was enjoying taking care of his cousins’ kids. I could have ended it there, but there was something about the sincere curiosity on Dan’s face. He hadn’t cracked a single joke at my expense since we headed down the mountain and I found myself enjoying his easy company.
“Yeah, but giving up the Olympics? Even if you didn’t make it all the way, why just quit altogether?”
I rubbed my knee, the sound of the bones cracking still reverberating in my memory years later. “There was an accident,” I said. “Sixteen surgeries, a year of rehab. I knew I’d never return to that elite level again. I did think about becoming an instructor, but acc—professional nannying pays more and it’s more stable.”
The same note of defensiveness crept into my voice as I barely caught my mistake in time. I’d had to make this same argument to my parents. No one could understand why I’d turn my back on my dream. No one understood the pain of having to let go of something I could never get back. Not to the level I’d once wanted.
“I get that,” he said.
“You do?”
“Sure. If something’s over, it’s over. You moved on and didn’t get mired in living in the past.”
“Not for too long, anyway,” I admitted. “I was definitely disappointed.”
Crushed, more like. He reached across and patted my hand. The touch inflamed me even though it was only meant in a friendly way. Dan Fokin being friendly? I didn’t hate it, and found myself smiling as I took in his words. Was I finally going to get one over on him?
“You could do the same, you know.” I looked meaningfully at his hand, still resting on mine. “Know when something’s over.”
I was mostly teasing, trying to tell him to knock it off with the innuendoes and accept we were only ever going to be that one night stand. But our eyes locked, and then he lowered his gaze to my lips while a small smile played out on his.
He leaned closer across the tiny table between us. “But it’s not over, Paisley.” I could feel his warmth, his mouth only an inch from mine. The certainty in his voice rattled me.
Then he was kissing me, his hand sliding up my arm to come to rest at the back of my head, his fingers tightening in my hair. It was tender, but blazing hot, his tongue darting out to sweep between my lips. A thrill washed over me. I was powerless to pull away. Didn’t want to. He understood me, he wanted me. That was headier than speeding down the mountain, as free as an eagle. I leaned closer, letting it happen, loving every second of it as if I’d never been the least bit annoyed by his constant stream of wisecracks since he arrived at the lodge.
He pulled away first, causing me to drag open my eyes, a protest on the tip of my tongue.Don’t stop.
But he was grinning at me from across the table, his arms crossed over his chest. The smile was much too wide, too full of victory. Just a few nights ago he’d said he would succeed in getting me back into bed with him. Everything since then was just part of that plan, even his kindness and understanding. And I had fallen right into his trap. Another second of that sizzling kiss and I would have been reaching for him, completely forgetting we were out in public where any one of my employers could wander past and see me acting unprofessional.
He wasn’t just playing with my emotions, he was messing with my safety. I could not lose this job and this place to hide. I flung myself backwards and grabbed my board from its resting place, slamming out the door and toward the car. If he followed me, I was fully prepared to run him over.
Thankfully he stayed behind, and was probably still grinning in triumph as he arranged another ride back to the lodge.
Chapter 13 - Daniil
Did she think I’d be mad about her leaving me at the bottom of the mountain? That morning was the most fun I’d had in a long time. The whole vacation that I thought was a waste of time was turning out to be the best idea my family ever had. The holiday mood was infectious, down to me agreeing to wear a bright red sweater and a hat with a big, fluffy ball on it.
Mistletoe was everywhere and it had turned into a game trying to trap Paisley under one of the beribboned clumps of leaves. Her rare smiles aimed at me were intoxicating, mostly brought on by one of the kids making me look like some kind of hero because I gave them a piggyback ride or pulled them on the sled. If only that stubborn woman could be as easy to please.
Instead of following her back in a cab, I ordered another coffee. It didn’t matter how hard she tried to hide it, she was constantly on the lookout for me. She could wonder why I didn’t chase her back, maybe even be disappointed when I didn’t spend the afternoon with her and the kids.
Sipping my drink, I stretched out my back again, hoping she wasn’t correct about the pain that awaited me after that intense trip down the mountain. I knew she was proficient at snowboarding, but that wild ride left me stunned at her abilities. I certainly learned a lot more than I bargained for during our much too short interlude.
She hadn’t offered any details about the accident that stole her shot at megastardom in the winter sports world, and I found myself wondering about it, among other things. She was fantastic with the kids, but she didn’t have that nanny aura that my cousins’ other babysitters often had. Paisley was a little toobrisk and business-like for me to believe she spent all her time around toddlers and preschoolers.
It wasn’t suspicion, just pure curiosity and a yearning to know everything about her. I had never once been curious about anyone I slept with before. Sometimes even names were optional.
With Paisley, I could interpret every look a different way. There seemed to be so much hidden depth to her, and I wanted to be able to know them all. I already recognized the heat, the way her lips pursed when I teased her. I should stop that if I wanted to get closer to uncovering more, but it was so much fun.
