Page 49 of The Pakhan’s Hidden Heir

“I’ve got men in the house.” I pull free of her grip and stand, dragging my shirt up over my shoulders from where it lay on the foot of the bed. “Somebody has to see they’re putting that room together the way I told them to.”

Today the nursery will be furnished. Akim has the men installing security measures, and I’m sure Ingrid will have her thoughts on the bedding and child-safety measures.

I don’t need to be an active part of this process as much as I feel the need to know every step, to assure myself they’re doing a good job. I’ve become a bit of a control freak lately.

“The room will still be there in an hour.” She pushes up onto one elbow, the blanket sliding off her shoulder, and gives me a lazy once-over. “You weren’t in any hurry to be somewhere else a few hours ago.”

The faint lingering scent of her body on mine will hover for hours still, as it does every time she asserts her desire for me. It’s only fair that I continue to take care of her if I won’t allow her to sleep with someone else, which I won’t.

She’s carrying my child.

No way in hell that’s happening.

So I offer my body when she needs it, and I can’t say I don’t enjoy it too.

“That was a few hours ago.” I work the buttons of the shirt and reach for my belt off the chair, keeping my eyes on the buckle and not on her as I lace it through the beltloops on my slacks. “You should sleep while you can. You’re up half the night as it is.”

“Because your son won’t hold still for a minute.” She settles a hand on the top of her belly and rubs a slow circle over it. “He’s got your restlessness in him already, never content to lie still and let a person rest.”

“Well he’s my son and he’ll run my empire, so restlessness probably serves him well.” I pull the belt tight and turn to face her to see that smile fade and dissolve into a scowl.

She drops back against the pillows without another word, and I leave her and step into the hall, pulling the door shut behind me.

She wears that scowl often these days.

I follow the noise down the hallway to the room I set aside months ago for the boy, and my men have done just what I told them to. The crib’s half together, bars are up over the windows, and the camera is mounted in the corner. It’s not ideal for a nursery but I can never be too safe. I stand in the doorway a moment and take it in.

Ingrid notices me walking up and comes over to me, wiping her hands on her. “Good morning, Mr. Dravenko,” she says, smiling. “I’ve got three girls lined up for you this week for the nanny. Two of them come from families I’ve known half my life, and the third trained up in a proper house before she applied for the position. I think you’ll find them all suitable.”

“Thank you, Ingrid,” I sigh softly as I watch Demid struggle with the railing on the crib. “Bring the first one Thursday. I’ll talk to her myself.”

“A nanny?”

Raina’s in the doorway behind me, one of my shirts hanging off her shoulders and her hair still loose from bed. I hadn’t realized she followed me down here, though I’m sure she’s curious about the nursery too.

She’s as invested in this child’s future as I am at this point, ready to pop. She shuffles into the room with one hand resting on the swell of her belly, narrowing her eyes on me.

“You’re hiring a nanny,” she says, “for my son? And nobody thought to say a word to me about it.”

“For our son.” I turn to face her, knowing this will probably erupt into another fight. We’ve done nothing but fight ever since that day I told her who I really am. “And there’s nothing to say. Every house like this one has help for the child. It’s how things are done.”

“He doesn’t need a nanny when I’m right here. He has his mother.” She stops in front of me and lifts her chin the way in defiance, which has become more flagrant and open. Akim continues to point that out to me, and I continue to ignore him. What can I do? “A baby needs his mother, not a total stranger.”

“He’ll have you and he’ll have her both.” I hold her eyes and don’t give her an inch. “Most women relish having the freedom of not waking in the middle of the night for feedings and a nanny will give you that.”

We haven’t begun to discuss the post-pregnancy time period yet, but judging by her reaction I have a feeling I’m going to run into pushback again.

Raina hasn’t been at all what I expected.

I suppose that’s my fault for not being more firm with how I handle this agreement. It should’ve been my constant reminder, and it wasn’t. Now I’m paying for it, in so many ways.

She scowls at me but her eyes track up to where the security camera is blinking in the corner of the room, high above the window in the corner. And her eyes darken as her face scrunches up in confusion. “You put a camera in a nursery?”

“To watch over him.”

“To watch him—” She scoffs and shakes her head, gesturing at the window. “And bars on a window? Is this a prison cell or a bedroom? This is for an infant, not⁠—”

“I didn’t ask your opinion, Ms. Volina.” My comment stops her dead so I continue. “Every one of my enemies will want at him. Those bars keep men out.”