Staking His Claim

by Tessa Radley

  * * *

  But before Ella got a chance to gather up her overnight bag and make her escape, Yevgeny and Nadiya returned—with the baby. Wheeling the cot into the middle of the room, Yevgeny bent forward to lift her out.

  Ella closed her eyes. Every muscle tensed. Don’t give her to me. Don’t give her to me. The frantic refrain echoed through her head. She hadn’t wanted to see the baby before she left. Ella had hoped that the next time she saw her, the baby would be securely in her new parents’ home.

  A gurgling sound broke into her desperation.

  “She’s grinning!”

  Ella opened her eyes. Yevgeny was holding the baby up, one big hand cradling the back of her neck. Face-to-face with the baby, his strong masculine profile provided a sharp contrast to the baby’s swaddled softness. She looked tiny against this big hulk. Ella tensed further. What if he dropped her?

  “Careful!”

  He didn’t even look at her; all his attention was focused on the baby.

  “Look, she’s laughing.”

  Nadiya leaned in toward the two of them, resting long slim fingers on Yevgeny’s arm, her silky sable hair spilling over his shoulder. “Babies that young don’t laugh. She’s yawning.”

  A jab pierced Ella’s heart at the sight of the three dark heads so close together. To her horror she felt her throat tighten. She swallowed. The tightness swelled more.

  She couldn’t have said anything even if she hadn’t felt so awful.

  “No, that’s not a yawn—it’s laughter,” the billionaire insisted.

  Nadiya moved even closer, and Ella was sure that Yevgeny and the baby would be asphyxiated by Nox Parfum fumes.

  “This is something I know a lot about,” Nadiya said. “I’ve handled many babies... I’ve got four sisters and about a dozen nieces and nephews.” Nadiya took the baby from him with an easy competence that Ella found herself envying.

  Maybe Yevgeny hadn’t made such a mistake in picking the supermodel to marry. Clearly Nadiya knew something about babies—despite her glamorous exterior.

  Loneliness swamped Ella, dismaying her. To ward it off, she said, “You’re happy to adopt her?”

  Startled eyes met hers. “Adopt her?”

  Yevgeny moved. All too soon he stood between Ella and his bewildered fiancée like some oversize sentinel. He shot Ella a fulminating look.

  “Nadiya and I have yet to discuss the specifics.”

  No...it wasn’t possible, he couldn’t have been that...arrogant...that dumb. Could he?

  Over the head of the oblivious baby, the supermodel’s attention shifted to her fiancé. “The specifics of what?”

  Yes, he’d been that dumb.

  He hadn’t told Nadiya.

  Now he looked hunted. Then he smiled at his fiancée—a slow, deliberate smile that oozed intimacy. “We will talk later. In private.”

  Ella watched as he gave the supermodel a slow once-over that was clearly intended to turn her legs to water. She knew she should’ve experienced distaste at the obvious sexual manipulation he was using on the young woman. Instead, to her utter dismay, her own stomach started to churn at the blatant sensuality in that hard-boned face. What would it feel like to be the object of this man’s desire? To have him gaze at her with such unwavering intensity?

  Heat, wanton—no, unwanted—blazed through her.

  To rid herself of the emotional storm she didn’t want, Ella said with a coolness she was far from feeling, “Yevgeny intends to adopt the baby.”

  Nadiya stared down at the wrapped infant in her arms. “This baby?” She lifted her head and turned her attention to her fiancé. “But why?”

  “He didn’t explain it to you—that I told him he needed a wife?”

  Ella couldn’t stem the words.

  Pity for the younger woman filled her. Yevgeny hadn’t taken Nadiya’s wishes into account. He’d simply assumed she would fall in with what he wanted. Once again he was putting what he wanted first, not thinking of anyone else. What arrogance! The dislike Ella already felt toward him escalated, not helped by that surge of awareness that he had unwittingly aroused.

  But to Ella’s surprise, Nadiya was glaring at him. “You asked me if I wanted children...” As her voice trailed away, the frown marring her forehead deepened. “You weren’t talking about the future, you were talking about now. About this baby.”

  “Nadiya—”

  But Nadiya held up a hand, interrupting whatever he’d been about to say. A couple of quick steps brought her to Ella’s side and she deposited the baby into Ella’s lap. The baby started to cry—a gruff, growly sound that caused Ella to freeze. She stared down at the crumpled, red face and panic pierced her.

  What the hell was she supposed to do now?

  From a distance she could hear Nadiya angrily saying something to Yevgeny, but Ella was in no state to listen. She stroked the baby with a tentative hand. The cries continued. Awkwardly she patted the baby’s back...then rocked her a little. There was a pause. The tightly pressed eyelids opened. The baby’s eyes were a dark shade of midnight. Ella stared, transfixed.

  “You need to support her neck.”

  The voice came from far off. The words were repeated and a hand with a flashing diamond appeared in Ella’s peripheral vision. It cupped her own.

  “There. Like that,” said Nadiya.

  Ella looked up. “Thank you.”

  But Nadiya had already spun to confront Yevgeny. Ella couldn’t look away as Nadiya hissed, “Why this child?” Her hands were on her hips. She shot a quick look over her shoulder at Ella, then moved her attention back to the Russian. “Is it your child?”

  “Nadiya—”

  “Answer me!”

  Holding the now quiet infant, Ella wanted to cheer.

  But before she could make any sound, Nadiya’s gaze arced to her “...and yours?”

  That was taking it too far. It was one thing to needle Yevgeny, but Ella didn’t want anyone thinking she’d slept with this bully.

  “No!” said Ella. “This is not his child—it’s Dmitri’s child!”

  Confusion misted Nadiya’s eyes. “So where is Dmitri?” Her attention swung to Yevgeny. “And why are you talking about adopting your brother’s child?”

  He really hadn’t told Nadiya anything at all.

  “Because my brother and his wife have decided they no longer want a baby. She’s of my blood. How can I let her go to strangers?”

  There lay the key to his behavior—he was prepared to sacrifice his own freedom for the baby’s sake to prevent a person he believed belonged to his family from going to strangers.

  Nadiya’s gaze moved back to Ella. “And you are the mother, right? Not your sister?”

  Why did Nadiya have to put it like that? Ella rocked the baby a little more. “I’m not the planned mother—Keira is. Or was supposed to be,” she amended. “I’m only a surrogate.”

  She couldn’t help feeling the stab of a traitor’s guilt.

  “You only carried the baby?”

  Ella wriggled uncomfortably before conceding, “The eggs are mine, too.”

  “So you are the mother.” Nadiya cut to the heart of it.

  Ella shifted again. The baby mewed. A quick glance revealed that the baby’s face had puckered up. Oh, no, she was about to cry again. Ella rocked harder; the puckers relaxed a little. She risked raising her head. “Biologically, yes. Legally, yes. Morally, no.”

  Over the baby’s head, Nadiya gave her a long, searching look. Then she turned to Yevgeny. “You should have told me. You knew I believed you were asking me to have my baby.”

  “It makes a difference?” Yevgeny’s gaze was hooded.

  “Yes. My career is demanding right now, but I would take time off for my baby. My baby—and yours.”r />
  “But not for this baby?”

  Nadiya looked tormented.

  “That’s not fair!” Unable to keep quiet at his hectoring, Ella rose to the younger woman’s defense. In her arms the soft body of the baby stiffened. Ella made a mental note to keep her voice level.

  “You’ve already caused enough trouble. You stay out of this,” he snarled.

  “But she’s right. You’re not being fair—and I’m not going to do this.” Nadiya was tugging the great glittering ring off her finger.

  “Wait—”

  “No, this isn’t going to work. I thought you loved me...that you were talking about us having a baby together. But you were using me!” Fury sparkled in her green eyes. She thrust the ring at him, her fingers shaking. “Take it.”

  The baby carefully cradled on her lap, Ella drew back into the chair and tried to make herself invisible. Some things deserved privacy. And it was uncomfortable to watch Nadiya’s pain as moisture glimmered in her eyes. There was hurt...and anger...and something else that made Ella wince.

  It startled her to realize that the model had loved the ruthless Russian. The revelation made Ella furious. Poor, hoodwinked Nadiya.

  A woman would have to be incredibly shortsighted to fall in love with him. Yet Nadiya clearly had. Being beautiful and successful hadn’t saved her from being devastated by his effortless manipulation.

  The tableau playing itself out in front of her brought back old hurts...humiliations...that Ella had hoped were long forgotten....

  She never intended to feel like that about any man ever again.

  Particularly not a man like Yevgeny Volkovoy.

  Nadiya tossed back her head, and her hair rippled like black silk in the light. “No one uses me.”

  Yevgeny didn’t respond. He simply stood there staring down at the woman he’d so recently announced was his fiancée.

  “Pah...you’re not even prepared to deny it. I feel sorry for you, Yevgeny. You don’t recognize the importance of love. But one day you’re going to fall in love with someone—real love—and she’s going to rip your heart out, just like you’ve ripped mine out.” Wiping the tears away, the supermodel straightened to her glamorous full height. “You’re not worth crying over.”

  * * *

  “You did that deliberately!” Yevgeny blew out a pent-up breath as the rapid tap-tap of Nadiya’s skyscraper heels receded down the corridor.

  Ella didn’t even flinch at his accusation. “What do you mean?”

  Her voice was softer than he expected.

  It gave him a strange feeling to see her holding the baby that he already adored. So he looked away from the infant and pinned the most irritating woman he’d ever met under his gaze. “You caused that scene you just witnessed.”

  “I caused it?” Her eyes widened. “I simply told the poor woman the truth. Don’t blame me. You should’ve explained things to her.”

  Perhaps Ella had a point.

  But he’d wanted to assess Nadiya’s reaction to the baby first—and it had been more than he’d hoped for. He and Nadiya had never talked much about family...or children. They hadn’t shared that kind of relationship. Yet when Nadiya had taken the baby into her arms like a woman created for motherhood, and revealed she was used to her sister’s children, Yevgeny had been overcome by relief. He couldn’t have gotten a better outcome if he’d planned it for a month. And he’d thought the baby would be safe....

  Then Ella had interfered.

  He stared blankly at the woman he despised as she moved the baby to and fro in small motions.

  Nadiya had made it clear she wasn’t prepared to raise someone else’s child. In seconds his plan had started to unravel and he could do nothing but watch impotently. It was all Ella’s fault. Yet she didn’t even want the baby. He could understand Nadiya’s stance. It was more acceptable than the distinct lack of warmth that Ella exhibited toward a child she’d carried for nine months. That coldness, that lack of feeling, he would never grasp.

  And Ella already had the next step planned—to identify a couple to adopt the child.

  Which raised another thought. He’d seen Jo Wells waiting at the elevator when he and Nadiya had arrived. Had the social worker been to see Ella to discuss prospective parents?

  Didn’t Ella realize it was a waste of time choosing other parents? He was going to adopt the baby. What Ella didn’t appear to get was that he was a man of immense financial reserves and infinite patience. Those attributes had made him into the mega-wealthy man he was today. He studied the fake Madonna-child tableau in front of him through narrowed eyes.

  From her hesitation, it was clear that Ella had had little to do with babies. She knew as little about them as he did. But he was willing to learn—she wasn’t. He wanted this baby...and he wasn’t about to let her win this round.

  The sooner she got that into her stubborn head, the better.

  “Well, I no longer have the prospective wife you considered I need. But I still intend to adopt the baby.” He was proud of the lack of emotion in his voice.

  Ella’s chin came up in a gesture he was starting to recognize. Instantly his muscles tensed.

  “I’ve been looking at portfolios of couples who’ve already been screened. You have not been interviewed or checked yet.”

  That answered his unasked question. Jo had been here to discuss the baby’s future parents. And it was equally obvious that his own proposal had not been on the agenda—because of Ella’s prejudice against him.

  “Then I’ll have to remedy that,” he said quietly. “This baby carries the blood of generations of Volkovoys in her veins—she is not leaving my family.”

  “Not even if it would be better for her?”

  “You don’t know that.” He glanced down at the baby. Her mouth was moving up and down, tempting him to smile. But now was not a time to smile. “You could be letting the baby in for a life of hell.”

  “That’s unlikely. The couples have been assessed and police checks carried out—”

  “Who really knows what happens in the privacy of a couple’s home? And do you really want to take that risk?”

  That silenced Ella.

  As color drained from her face, leaving it a pasty shade of white, Yevgeny realized he’d overdone it. Of course, he didn’t even believe his own alarmist statement—he and Dmitri might have been better off adopted by a loving couple than ordered by a bamboozled judge to stay with his mother after his parents’ divorce. But if his scaremongering changed Ella’s mind, then it would be worth it.

  The end justified the means; he’d always lived his life by that creed.

  Yet unexpectedly, shame lingered within him as unhappiness and worry clouded her eyes. Her fingers had clenched, whitening her knuckles against the Disney print of the baby’s swaddling wrap. He glanced away—and caught sight of Ella’s overnight bag.

  After a beat, he said, “Your bags are packed. You’re leaving.”

  Ella nodded.

  “The baby will be going with you.”

  He told himself she wouldn’t walk away now that she’d held...engaged with...the baby. He waited for her affirmation of what he hoped to hear.

  She shook her head. “No.”

  Ella intended to go through with her vow not to keep the baby. She would leave her daughter behind. What kind of woman would do that? Yevgeny still found it hard to believe she could be so callous. “You will leave the baby here?”

  “The baby will go to a specially trained foster mother who will look after her until I pick the right family out for her. Jo and I discussed the foster mother earlier—she knows the baby is coming.”

  Two thoughts filled his head. She was made of ice, and how could she not understand that he was the right family!

  Anger rose like a tidal wave.

&
nbsp; Yevgeny reached for his wallet to retrieve the business card Jo Wells had given him the day before. His hands trembled at the emotion swamping him. “That will not happen. I am taking the baby home with me. I will call your social worker and tell her so.”

  “No!” yelled Ella from behind him. “If you take her, I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping.”

  The baby started to cry.

  Yevgeny stopped in his tracks at the sound and whipped around to face them. Ella was frantically rocking the baby—even uttering hoarse hushing sounds.

  When the baby quieted, she met his gaze and said in a more even tone, “You need to think about the baby. It’s not fair on her to form an attachment with you if she’s going to be given to another family.”

  Angered and frustrated, he snapped, “If you would stop being so goddamned stubborn, you would know that she should stay with me—be my daughter.”

  “And how will that work?” A note he’d never heard from Ella before filled her voice. “You’re never home. You work like a demon—don’t deny it. Keira’s told me all about how Dmitri’s always exhausted.”

  He bit back the surge of irritation at his sister-in-law. “I’ll rearrange my schedule.”

  “You really believe that?” Ella gazed at him from pitying eyes. “You’re a type-A, high-achieving success junkie... You need your daily fix. Staying home with a baby will drive you crazy. You wouldn’t last more than two days.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because I know.” Her shoulders drooped as she blew out a breath, yet she didn’t lower the baby; she continued to rock the bundle back and forth. She gave him a sad smile. “I am exactly the same—and people like us are not made to have children. Babies should be placed in families where they will have a better chance of being loved and living fruitful lives. Taking the baby would be a selfish thing to do. Why not be selfless and allow her the chance to be happy?”

  The woman didn’t know what she was talking about. He and she were nothing alike. Yevgeny refused to listen to what she was saying.