Big Bad Rancher: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance by Tia Siren (19)

THE END

The Rockstar’s Love Child – A BWWM Billionaire Pregnancy Romance

“Lela, why aren’t you taking this more seriously?!” Liddy was already working on her makeup for the show, and I had barely decided if I was going to go.

“It’s just a concert, with a bunch of loud girls screaming. I’m pretty sure that wearing a slutty skirt and layers of makeup won’t help me enjoy the concert more.”

I still slipped into the skirt, though. I thought I looked good in it, and I think Liddy felt the same way.

“That look is perfect for you. I wish I had your model figure.”

I gave her a sheepish look. More people have told me that I’m lucky for my figure, but just as many people have told me to eat more. I think I eat too much, honestly.

“Thanks,” I replied, “why are you tryin’ so hard to look good for this, I’ve never seen you work so hard before a concert.”

She gave me a half smile and a wink.

“I may have a little surprise for after the show.”

I rolled my eyes, the last time she said she had a surprise I was stuck driving her while she had awkward sex in the backseat.

“I hope this time your underwear stays on,” I said.

“Trust me, this time, neither of us will be wearing anything afterward.”

She bit her lip.

I didn’t talk much after that, but the ideas I had about what she wanted to do after the show were mortifying. She was the kind of person that was interested in driving to Mexico at two in the morning.

It really didn’t take long for me to get ready, and soon enough we were in a cab with three of our other friends headed toward the show.

‘The Sell-outs’ were the newest and most popular rock band, and their tickets sold out in minutes. I was actually surprised that Liddy managed to get tickets.

Even more surprising is how good the seats were, not that anyone ever really sat in their seats at these concerts. I figured that would be best explained later.

When they began the entire audience lit up, screaming and dancing, some even began to sing along off-key. I didn’t mind, though, I just enjoyed the music and danced along.

The four members of the band played so hard that they started taking their shirts off part way through the show. And, when the lead singer Aiden threw his shirt to the crowd, I thought there would be a riot.

For some reason it felt like he made eye contact with me a few times, perhaps it was how close we were seated towards the stage, or it might even be that Liddy felt the need to flash the singer a few times. But, to me, it felt like a moment, and before too long the concert was over and the moment had passed. I could already feel sick thinking about the hangover I would probably have tomorrow morning.

However, as everyone filed out of the stadium, Liddy grabbed me by the arm. She gave me a wink, and with that, I could tell that this night might only be getting started. Pushing past the exiting crowd, we found ourselves standing in front of two of the beefiest men I’d ever seen in person.

“Passes?”

The larger one asked. Liddy reached into her small handbag and held out two ID badges, and after a quick look, the guard ushered us toward backstage.

I’d never been backstage at a concert before, and the suspense was getting to me. My hands were starting to sweat, and I could feel myself getting a little dizzy when I looked around. But, Liddy kept pulling me along on this ride, and I just followed.

Walking through busy corridors and hallways, even a staircase or two, Liddy kept flashing her badges and would be met with people pointing one direction or another. Before long we had found the holy-grail, the coveted green room where the band was enjoying some much-needed refreshment.

2.

It wasn’t a terribly large room, but it was large enough for the band and a few other girls to wander around. Along the far side sat a table, covered in drinks and food. A couple of couches and chairs occupied the center of the room where the band sat, as well as most of their female company. The longest wall had a large balcony stretching out towards the stadium field. A few roadies, drinks in hand, were chatting with a couple of the other girls on the balcony.

Liddy shot from my grasp as soon as she made contact. This was her element; she always was a bit of an attention hog. I never minded at all. I wasn’t interested in being stared at by a bunch of gawkers, but she was a professional.

“Lela, get over here!”

She waved at me, attempting to bring me in closer but I just waved her off and made for the table in the back. All that dancing had me feeling relaxed but too drained. I could already tell that my muscles would be regretting my workout from tonight.

I put together a small plate of snacks, as well as some water, and sauntered off to the balcony. It was quite a nice night actually; the cool air off the water staunched the summer heat.

As I stood, leaning against the railing, it became a bit lonely as the couples filtered back inside, leaving me to my thoughts.

I couldn’t help but feel like I was wasting the gift from my friend. She probably worked hard to get these passes, and here I was just leaning against a railing eating meager snack foods. I peeked on Liddy; she was laughing and chatting with the lead singer.

I had to admit, I did think Aiden was gorgeous. His long blond hair was tied back behind his head, and it showed off his sharp, and high, cheek bones. Being a rock singer, he definitely took care of himself, and while he was quite skinny, it looked like he still enjoyed his time at the gym.

He was out of my league; he was only really paying attention to the fairer skinned girls at the party, so I could tell right away that his eye wouldn’t stray too far my direction.

Still, as imaginative as I was, I tried my best to tamp down any thoughts of Aiden coming my way. Besides, Liddy was more interested anyway, it would probably be best that she is given the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Excuse me, is this balcony taken?”

The voice sounded familiar, I turned my neck and saw him standing there, long hair and all.

“Err… um … no. It’s open to everyone,” I squeaked out.

I turned back to my empty plate of snacks, but now I couldn’t remember what I had just been thinking about.

“Lovely night,” he said.

I nodded, trying to hide my excitement.

“You’re missing out on the party, were you planning on staying out here all night?”

I nodded again.

“You certainly are a woman of few words,” he laughed.

I smiled and giggled to myself a bit.

“Well, that’s quite a nice smile.”

I was happy for the compliment, as much as he was happy to have given it.

“Since this doesn’t seem like your kind of party, I doubt you came here alone, who dragged you here?”

I turned and pointed at my friend Liddy, who was chatting up their bassist at this point. I was quite surprised that none of the other girls were trampling the balcony, hoping for another minute or two with Aiden.

“She seems nice. Bit of a talker, though.”

I giggled again. He was right. She had quite a mouth on her.

“Why didn’t anyone follow you out,” I asked meekly.

Aiden let out a surprised expression, as though he’d just seen lead turn to gold.

“So you can speak!”

He laughed, almost as much as I did.

“To answer that question, how many people in that room do you think would follow me out here right now?”

I turned and counted, there must’ve been about fifteen girls in there ready to swoon all night.

“Looks like fifteen?”

“Sounds about right; how many of them look available enough to chat on this balcony.”

I looked again, and after examining, I saw that most of them were already talking to other band members or strong looking roadies. Except maybe one or two that just sat chatting with each other about who knows what.

“Maybe two of them would come out?” I asked.

“This happens after nearly every concert. I’m not really interested in groupies, they get boring. Sex is great and all, but it feels like I’m exploiting my fans. I just get a dirty feeling after it’s all over, so I just don’t sleep with them. I respect my fans too much to exploit them as bad as my record label does.”

“So you just told them all you weren’t interested, and they backed off? That doesn’t sound like Liddy at all.”

“Ah, Liddy is your friends name,” he said. “She was the hardest pressed to get close to me tonight. She told me she knew the manager, which was strike one right there. Anyone that knows our manager knows what a total creep he is. He’d have to sleep with all the girls in that room before he’d even think of giving any of them a backstage pass.”

That explained quite a lot in my mind, Liddy didn’t mind using herself to get what she wanted, and I suppose this was no different.

“So how did you get yours,” he asked.

“Liddy had two, so she gave me one. We’ve been best friends since 2nd grade, so she didn’t even have a second thought about whom to give it to.”

“She got two from that scumbag manager? She must’ve done some pretty crazy things to get a second one.”

I giggled, but I also felt a little sad about how badly she must’ve wanted to get a second pass, and here I was wasting it on this balcony. But, I couldn’t help but wonder what she did to get it.

“Okay, I need to change the subject. Thinking about Greg sleeping with anyone is killing my brain.”

I giggled.

“What do you do when you’re not performing,” I asked.

“Oh, that,” he said, flashing me a big smile, “I like a lot of things. But, the thing I like to do most is photography. It’s really convenient for me since I can take my camera with me anywhere, and I get to visit some places that most people only dream of.”

He looked really excited.

“I suppose you probably knew that from the fan club website, though.”

I shook my head no.

“Back to not talking again, eh?”

“Sorry, I don’t really talk to a lot of new people, let alone rock stars. You’re a bit out of my league.”

He laughed at the thought.

“You think you feel overwhelmed by me? I’m just amazed that 20,000 people want to show up and listen to me play, that’s overwhelming. I’m not out of your league. If anything, I’m in just the right place.”

“No way, I’m sure you’ve been hit by the celebrity bug. Haven’t you met some other people that you admire and felt awestruck? Don’t say it never happened.”

He bellowed a laugh. But, his moment of silence that followed let me know that I was right.

“I’ve been bitten by the bug, alright. You don’t grow up in the middle of nowhere expecting to meet your inspiration. I must admit that I melted a bit when I met Robert Plant and James Hetfield.”

I gasped at the name dropping; those were a couple of my celebrity crushes as well, although they were still a bit too old for me to consider anything dirty.

“So, if you were to go out for a walk with them now, would they still be out of your league? You’re probably just as famous.”

He thought about it for a second before he answered.

“I guess fans spending time with their idols will always be overwhelming, but you shouldn’t feel that way with me. Sure, I might get paid doing what I love, but I’m nothing too special. You’d be able to tell that if you spent a day with me.”

A sudden flash of interest flashed into my head, and I didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to prove someone wrong.

“Well then prove it; I want to see a humble rock star walking around town and being normal. Let’s take a walk around the town and you can photograph all the sights, and I’ll even show you some you won’t see in a travel book. I’ll even be your model for the day,” I said with a sudden surge of boldness and my cutest smile.

I wondered why I said it; it seemed so out of character. Here I was, asking a rockstar out of on date in a rather odd way. I hardly recognized myself.

Aiden looked taken aback, as though he’d never been talked to in such a manner, at least in recent memory. He stood up tall, straightened his shirt, and held out his hand.

“Very well, miss-“

“Lela,” I added.

He nodded.

“Very well, Miss Lela, I have a concert tomorrow evening so we’ll make a morning of it. I’ll send a cab for you in the morning, and you can be my model.”

I took his hand and shook it, my palms were sweating, and that feeling of faintness rushed back to the forefront of my head. I had a date with Aiden.

3.

“You must be joking,” Liddy said in the cab ride home, “you’re going on a date with the lead singer? That’s the best news I’ve ever heard! I’m super jealous.”

She really did like to talk.

“This is perfect! You can get him to set me up with his bassist, that dark hair of his gets me wet all over, Ooh and those muscles are screaming for some lovin’.”

I felt incredibly embarrassed being in the same cab as her; I could tell the driver was getting a good laugh out of it, as well. Thankfully we were near our apartment, and I could do my best to forget my embarrassment.

Dragging Liddy up the stairs, while she continued working her mouth, was a tedious chore. But, I loved her like a sister and wanted nothing but the best for her. So, even after she spent another twenty minutes making sure her stomach was empty; I made sure she found herself asleep in her bed.

I slept lightly that night; my head was alight with the possibility of tomorrow. Aiden seemed much nicer than I thought, he seemed to cultivate a bad boy image, and every girl wanted him, and I didn’t really feel that much different.

It was a short evening before tomorrow, and the sleep I didn’t get was already taking its toll on me. My muscles felt fatigued, and my head was pounding with a headache. Since I was awake before Liddy I thought it best that I make her some food, she always had horrible hangovers after long nights.

The one thing I would say I was good at was multitasking. While preparing the food I also found ample time to put together a bag full of fun outfits to change into if my photographer needed it.

Most of the clothes Liddy had helped me pick out, she knew what looked good on me, not that I lacked fashion sense, but I spent a lot of time in hoodies and leggings. There’s nothing wrong with being comfy, but Liddy always liked playing dress up with me, like I was her private model.

“Morning sleepy,” I said to Liddy as she stumbled out of her room, still wearing the dress she wore last night.

“Ugh,” she managed before plopping down at the table.

I was already handing her the pain medication we kept for just such emergencies.

“I have no idea what I’m doing today.”

She looked up from her bacon and realized that I wouldn’t be here long.

“You’re doing the Aiden thing, today!” she shouted, apparently forgetting for a moment that she had a killer headache.

I nodded.

Liddy sighed and held her head.

“You know, if you don’t talk much to the guy he might just run off and find someone else to play with.”

I giggled, she didn’t know what we were doing today, and then again, neither did I.

My phone rang, there was a taxi waiting for me downstairs. I started getting butterflies while thinking about meeting up with Aiden again.

“Go, GO! And don’t forget to ask about the bassist,” urged Liddy.

I nodded, took my bag full of clothes, and rushed down the stairs. I still felt it necessary to take it a bit slow, as I found myself a bit clumsy in situations like this.

The ride in the taxi was a bit longer than I thought it would be. I lived in an odd neighborhood. It was the furthest area from anywhere really interesting; so we drove downtown towards the more luxurious part of the city.

As we pulled up in the cab, I managed to make out a small gathering of people, huddled in a circle. I had a feeling that my goal was in the middle of the group.

I pressed past a few onlookers before Aiden caught my eye. He was currently taking a few selfies with some jealous fans, who made me feel more than a little uncomfortable.

“Lela!” he managed.

The crowd turned toward me as he waved, beckoning me closer.

“Hey everyone, this is my friend Lela. She’s going to be showing me around town today. Thanks for finding me out and about, just for you guys I’ll have a special signing at the coffee shop just over there in about three hours. Thank you all!”

The gathered people let out a collective sigh and a groan. He really didn’t have to do that, but it seemed to help as the crowd started to funnel away from the two of us. Of course, a few people stuck around to take last minute photographs and get an autograph or two. And soon, we were finally alone enough to talk.

“I suppose it would’ve been better if I’d worn a disguise or something,” he laughed.

I nodded with a large grin on my face. He still made me flutter a bit.

“Okay, you promised to be my model for the day, let’s see if we can get a few photos before I need to meet back here.”

He started walking in random directions through the street, stopping here and there to take a photo of an interesting contrast on the side of a building, or a photograph of some people playing in the street.

He liked to show me his shots after he took them, and I was pleased to say he had quite an eye for framing up his pictures. The only problem is that I wasn’t in any of them.

“So, where would you like me to model for you,” I asked.

“I’m still looking for the right spot. I know there’s a beach nearby, maybe there’s a nice scenic shot, there.”

I think I understood what he was looking for. I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him through the street towards the beach. I knew a great spot that was gorgeous but barely anyone could get to.

For a Saturday, the beach was surprisingly empty. It was rather odd to see it so empty, but there was a hint of drum music in the air that was quite faint at first, but as we turned I could make out a street fair off in the distance.

The street fair could wait; I wanted to show off my favorite spot.

I pulled Aiden through a broken wire fence, ducking behind a series of rocks that jutted out into the ocean before coming back upon a pack of sand that looked perfectly undisturbed.

To our left was a large concrete and brick wall that couldn’t be looked over, and to our right was an outcropping of jagged boulders that were much larger than I was, but right in the middle was a sandy beach-head that looked out into the horizon.

I tossed off my shoes and ran out to the water playfully.

I could hear a few clicking sounds from Aiden’s camera; he must’ve liked the view as well.

“Okay, you got me. This is a nice view.”

He set his bag down in the sand near my shoes.

“Hey, come over here and let’s take a few of you with these rocks, I like the shape.”

I complied, and walked over, giving my best model stare. He took another few pictures.

“I don’t suppose you have something a little more beach-worthy in your bag, those skinny jeans look great, but it doesn’t look right for the shot.”

I nodded again; I was prepared for this. I started unbuttoning my jeans and slipped them off my slim legs. I was smart enough to wear my bathing suit underneath.

“Okay, that is a truly gorgeous sight. Were you going to tell me about this? Or just make me guess?”

He kept snapping more photos as I took off my top to reveal my underwhelming bust size. I was wondering if he was thinking about his model for the day if he was trying to get me at angles that wouldn’t show off my hips that were too big, or my boobs that were too small.

It didn’t seem to matter to him, though; he continued to click away, never taking his eye off the viewfinder on the camera.

“You are a stunning woman,” he said, “I can barely take my eyes off you.

I decided a change was in order. I popped over to my bag and put on my skirt from the night before, and a really slinky top that I rarely ever wear.

He looked like he was about to lose it, as he kept taking more and more photographs. Before I realized, it had been a couple of hours. Being the center of his attention was getting me a little turned on.

I walked over to Aiden and decided to make the first move. I leaned in close to him and waited for him to lean in. He greeted me almost instantly, tenderly pressing against mine.

I could feel his passion as he pulled me in closer for more kisses. He was a little rough, but I liked it. He stripped off his camera as I began to unbutton his shirt. His chest was thin but powerful as I rubbed my hand along his abs.

He cupped my butt and lifted me off the ground a little, only to throw me back down onto the sand. I laid there while he awkwardly stripped off his tight jeans. I couldn’t help but giggle while he did it.

He was rock hard and had an almost animalistic lust in his eyes. He fell to the sand in front of me and stripped me of my clothing, and his roughness just made me wetter.

He started kissing me all over, starting with my neck while he undid my bikini top, then down to my uncovered nipples, until he started kissing my thighs.

He flicked his tongue up and down my little clit while massaging my leg with his hand. I could feel surges of ecstasy start to build inside my stomach. He was pulling the animal out of me.

I gripped his upper back and pulled him up towards me; I wanted him inside me so bad. He got the hint and lifted himself higher until his member was tickling my nether region.

I enjoyed the sensation for a moment before he pushed himself inside, pulling me open with his girth. I let out a long drawn out gasp in between moans of pleasure as he took me.

He thrust powerfully, and I could feel him filling me to the maximum while I tried my best to stay at least a little quiet. I hoped nobody was watching, but at the same time, I wish they did.

The public setting and the idea that we might get caught was turning me on even more, and I think he could tell. He slid in and out even easier with each thrust, even as my womanhood grasp on to him and tried to keep him inside as much as possible.

Then I could feel it building up, a sudden and powerful explosion shattered my thoughts and expelled itself down my spine as the orgasm took hold. I couldn’t breathe for a moment as I was wracked with wave after wave of pleasure.

He must have enjoyed himself, too. I could feel his hot manhood spurting into me. I wanted it to fill me up, so that I wouldn’t forget this perfect moment on my favorite beach, with someone I never wanted to forget.

He pulled out slowly and laid himself next to me.

“Can we just stay here until tomorrow,” he asked.

I wanted to scream, ‘yes’ as loud as I could, but the words never found me.

He let out a long, drawn out sigh.

“You’re right, I have a show tonight.

He stood up, covered in sand from head to toe, and started cleaning himself off. I didn’t want to move, and I could barely feel my legs.

“Aiden, you wouldn’t happen to have some extra tickets for tonight’s show, would you?” I asked.

“You didn’t need to sleep with me to ask me for tickets,” he said, in a more serious tone than I should have liked.

“No, I slept with you because I like you, and you’re the first person that let me be the center of attention for once. I asked for tickets because I thought we could meet up afterward and do this again,” I smiled in a coy manner.

“I think I have just the thing,” he said.

“Oh, and is the bassist available,” I asked.

4.

He seemed to be showing off; he got Liddy and me into his private box along with his managers. I felt incredibly out of place; I wore something a little bit slinky while everyone else seemed to be wearing suits or nice dresses.

While the concert progressed, I made polite conversation with many of the people. They were all quite nice, and wished me well, asking me how I knew Aiden and the band. While I wasn’t entirely honest with how I knew Aiden, I was still nice and answered all the questions they had.

It was another fantastic show, just like last night, and I made my way backstage with Liddy in tow as soon as it was all over. I was starting to come out of my shell a little.

“Lela, you made it!” I heard, as soon as we entered the green room backstage.

It was the same as it was the previous night, but now, there were more unfamiliar faces contending for the affection of the band members. I don’t think any of the guys minded in the slightest.

“You remember Liddy, I hope,” I said.

“Bruce, do you remember Liddy,” Aiden said, looking over at his bassist.

“How could I forget,” Bruce replied.

I had never seen it before, but Liddy blushed. I giggled as she hopped away.

Aiden excused himself from the girls that surrounded him and met me back on the balcony again. It wasn’t as empty as it was yesterday but it was quiet compared to the cramped room.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Aiden asked.

I nodded.

He laughed.

“Still staying so quiet today. Well, you weren’t so quiet earlier today.”

I smiled and beckoned him closer.

“I’d be louder if we could find somewhere private,” I said while biting my lip.

He perked up.

“I’m ready to leave. I’ll call the driver-“

“Aiden!?”

A shout echoed through the backstage room; it was somewhat unfamiliar.

“Aiden, get your ass out here, we need to talk.”

I could see Greg, his manager filtering into view. Aiden excused himself and went back inside to greet him.

They had chatted for a moment before Aiden pointed toward the balcony. When they came out, I could feel Greg’s rage. He was a gruff and professional looking man. His slick hair and trendy suit were hiding a prudent businessman.

“Everyone off the balcony except her,” he shouted.

Even the bigger roadies looked scared of him, and they pushed past to get inside in a hurry.

“Are you going to explain this, Aiden,” Greg said, holding up Aiden’s camera.

“I was out and about taking photos today, I do that in every town, how is it any different this time?” he replied.

I stayed silent, watching the two of them, and wondering why they might need me here.

“This, right here, this is why it’s different,” he turned on the camera and started playing a video. It was the two of us, making love on the beach. The camera must have accidently turned on when he dropped it in the sand, and it captured everything.

I backed away a bit, trying to avoid being seen, but there was nowhere to hide.

“What are you trying to say, Greg? Did we do something wrong or are you just here to give tips,” Aiden added with a chuckle.

Greg wasn’t having any of it.

“Listen, Aiden, have you ever seen a celebrity sex tape get leaked to the public? A person in your station shouldn’t be seen having sex with someone like her. This would drag you down if it got out.”

Aiden wasn’t laughing anymore.

“What do you mean, ‘someone like her’?” he asked.

It looked like he was about to mention my skin tone, I was used to people talking down at me because of my darker skin, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

“I’m talking about some local slut that is just after you for your money. I bet she set this up to record you two so she could blackmail you for it.”

Aiden clenched his teeth, attempting to hold back his frustration.

“Greg, you’re a good manager. You helped make me famous, and I think you for that.” Aiden said. “But don’t think for one second that you can talk about the company that I keep like that.”

That shut him up; Greg might have been the brains, but he certainly wasn’t the face, and he knew that he wouldn’t make a dime if he got fired.

“Take your damn camera, and get rid of that video. We’re on the road again tomorrow morning; I just want to put this behind us.”

He left, still in a ball of rage. All interest I had in being close with Aiden tonight fled from me. I wanted to run out of there and not stop till I got home; I was so embarrassed.

Aiden just pushed a few buttons on the camera, pulled out the memory card, and handed it to me.

“You mean a lot to me, I know we’ve only spent one afternoon together, but hopefully, this helps you trust me. If you wanted to destroy my career, you could. But, I don’t think you want that. So, I’m entrusting this with you.”

I took the memory card and tucked it into my cleavage.

“Listen, I need to get some sleep tonight. I wanted you to come with me, but I don’t know if I could make it happen. At least, Bruce and Liddy are having a good time.”

I looked inside; they were making out already, and I had a feeling that I would be going home alone.

“We’ll be back through here in about two months. But, that doesn’t mean that I want to wait two months before I see you again.”

I nodded.

“Do you want to visit me on the road?”

I thought about it for a minute. Of course, I want to visit that biggest rock star on the road. But, I had too much to do.

“I can’t, Aiden, I’m in school and this next week is finals. If I pass my classes, then I’ll be graduating with a degree in journalism.”

He laughed again.

“You’re telling me that I just gave the biggest story of the year to an up and coming journalist? Wow, do I know how to make decisions.”

I giggled as well.

“Your secret is safe with me; I don’t want to see my face in some tabloid magazine anytime soon.”

“Well, if you can’t visit me on the road, then you should know that we’ll be back through this way in about two months. I want you to come see me then.”

I nodded again; this was becoming an odd habit.

“I will be there,” was all I could say.

We hugged, and he went on his way.

It was a lonely car ride home.

5.

I started getting phone calls the following day.

It was Aiden; he wanted to know more about me. We would spend hours on the phone chatting when he wasn’t at rehearsal, and I wasn’t in class.

Hardly a day passed where we didn’t actually talk for a little while, and some nights I would fall asleep with my phone on while we fell asleep together.

I learned a few things, like how his name wasn’t really Aiden, it was Chris. But, I kept calling him Aiden because that was the name I got to know him by, and he barely answered to his real name anymore.

I spent many happy moments watching our love making session on the beach over again. I would play with myself while watching and would still feel his powerful body on top of mine, driving me into the sand.

Things got a little more interesting after a few weeks, my period was late, and a quick trip to the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant. It tied my stomach in knots, and I tried my best to keep my secret, but I couldn’t help myself, so I told Liddy.

She freaked out, as I assumed. I didn’t really mind someone making a big deal about it. But, I needed her to keep it a secret because I didn’t want to impact Aiden’s career.

I had to tell him, though, and I had to tell him in person.

I booked a flight to the city he played in and let him know I would be on the way. He was more excited than I thought he would be.

I met him backstage before the show.

“Aiden,” I said.

“Lela,” he replied.

I couldn’t get out the words; I was choking on them.

“Lela, maybe we could find somewhere a little private and have some fun before the show,” he said.

I honestly felt the same way, and maybe I would grow more of a backbone afterward. We rushed backstage to his dressing room, which he locked and propped a chair against the knob.

I was practically undressed before the door was closed, and he was in a rush to do the same.

I stripped his pants off him and buried my face in his manhood. I slid his long, thick member down my throat as far as I could. I could hear his moans of pleasure as I bobbed up and down.

It surprised me how long he lasted, but he stopped me before I could finish him off, and he pressed me against a wall. I could feel my sex dripping all over him as he pushed himself into me.

I tried my best to avoid screaming with pleasure, but it was difficult. I had to bite down on a pillow to avoid making too much noise.

I felt it again, almost like everything from the last month was leading up to this moment and the excitement and pleasure gave me an intense, earth-shattering orgasm. I felt him releasing inside me. I didn’t mind at all, this time; I had nothing to be scared of anymore.

The post-sex high that followed left my body relaxed, and I didn’t mind talking.

“Aiden, there’s something you need to know,” I started.

“What is that, Lela?” he replied.

“I’m pregnant, and you’re the only person I’ve slept with in months,” I said.

He was dumbfounded for a minute; I could see an elated expression become dulled over by realization.

“I’m excited to be a father, but this can’t go public. Just like our video from before. We can’t let anyone know.”

“Why not? Don’t you want people to know? Aren’t you excited?”

“Of course, I’m excited, Lela. But, if the public got hold of this it wouldn’t just damage my relationship, it would damage the bands. I can’t let them down right now.”

I understood what he wanted; I didn’t need to make it a public thing. I don’t want people staring at me, or wondering what we’re going to name the baby.

I just nodded.

“Lela, you’re welcome to stay here for a while. We’re going back to your hometown in a couple of weeks, and you can stay with me till then.”

“I need to go home,” I said, “I still have school to finish, and I don’t want to distract you from your show.”

“Lela, you’re not a distraction, but if you need to go then that’s fine.”

I couldn’t stay there; I needed to be home. I needed something normal in my life to hold onto.

6.

“So, what did he say?” asked Liddy.

I just shrugged, and she knew what that meant. Being friends for so long meant that she could decipher just about all my odd quirks.

“I don’t know if I can do it, though,” I said.

“Aren’t you used to it,” she asked, “I mean, you’ve always pulled yourself out of the crowd. I never tried to change you, and I can’t think of anyone who could.”

“I know,” I replied, “but this is different. This is an acknowledgment that we’re something more. I like him, I really do. I might not know him all that long, but I was hoping that he would, at least, call me his girlfriend.”

“Lela, Aiden is a good guy, but can’t you understand that this isn’t something he can do so easily?”

I nodded.

“He has worked his entire life to get to the top, and he gets there by being the single and attractive man that he is. Men want to be him, and women want to be with him.

“If you take away his image, then you’re stuck with something that he can’t be, and that’s a normal person.”

She was right, and I knew it as well, Aiden couldn’t say anything because it could cost him the love of many of his fans. I didn’t want to hear it, but I really wanted to be special.

“I don’t know if I can do this anymore,” I said.

Liddy came over and sat down beside me.

“You can’t force something to happen; the best you can do is sit by and wait.”

I looked her back in the eye, and she could see how sad I really was.

“I’m tired of waiting, Liddy.”

She knew I was going to do something that I might regret, but there was no way she was stopping it.

I picked up my phone and dialed Aiden. It had taken a while before he picked up.

“Hey, Lela, just finished our show tonight, good to hear from you.”

I was silent for a moment, trying not to give in to emotion as best I could.

“Aiden, I can’t do this anymore. I really do love you. But, I can’t do this. I want more than to be a backstage booty call before a show. I want to feel like your girlfriend and tell people that you mean a lot to me.”

I could already feel some tears starting to flow.

“I won’t hold this baby over your head; you don’t have to worry about us. But, I need to find someone that isn’t ashamed to have their arm around me.”

I was about to hang up, but he jumped in.

“Lela, wait! You can’t leave, not yet. I just can’t let people know about you right now. Come on, Hun, I love you too. I want to talk about this with the band, but I don’t think they want to hear it.”

“Aiden, do what you need to do. I’ll always be here to talk, but it’s pointless for me to sit around and wait for you to be ready. Goodbye, Aiden.”

The other end of the line was silent as I hung up. Liddy sat nearby; a bit flustered from having listened to me break off any real connection I had with Aiden.

“It hasn’t been that long, Hun. Maybe something will change.”

7.

The weeks flew by in almost no time, Aiden and I barely talked, and before long I got word that Aiden was playing at a venue nearby. I received a couple of tickets in the mail, but I wasn’t incredibly interested in going.

“Lela, you better not blow that boy off. He sent you tickets to his most recent show and you better, at least, make an appearance.”

I sighed.

“Liddy, I know you still want to see Aiden and me together again, but it’s just not going to happen, not as long as he wants to keep me stuck under the rug.”

“You can’t deny that this is going to be the show of the year. The stadium is packed, and these tickets are front row!”

She was right, again, I might not be incredibly interested in seeing Aiden, but his band was really good, and these were excellent seats.

“Alright, I’ll go. But, for obvious reason, I can’t drink.”

Liddy nodded and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to put together an outfit for me. I was surprised when the outfit she liked most was a little less revealing than usual. I guess I didn’t have any reason to show off anymore.

Liddy was more ready than usual; she was wearing the least amount of clothing I had ever seen.

“Bruce has kept in touch. I thought I’d give him something good to look at tonight while he’s on stage,” she said while beaming a smile.

I hadn’t ever really thought about Liddy and Bruce. She was spending an awful lot of time on her phone with him lately. At least one of us was happy, and I felt happy for her.

Once we got to the show, I found myself wondering what Aiden was up to before the show. I hadn’t seen him nervous before, and I doubted I ever really would.

The doors opened, and we pushed our way to the front of the crowd. While we walked up, I could tell we were getting a lot of foul looks from people further back.

I had never seen the stadium this packed. It must have been around 35,000 seats all filled up and I was in the best seats in the house. I stood up and screamed along with the crowd for the band.

I really was hoping that everything was okay.

Then, the lights went down, and the cheering grew louder. Glow sticks and cell phones illuminated the arena. Then a single spotlight hit center stage.

Aiden walked out; he looked a little nervous as he did so. Even though he wasn’t looking my direction I could feel his gaze.

“Hey everyone,” he said as the crowd erupted, “Before we start tonight, I need to do something special.”

I had a feeling I knew what he was about to do, and I felt both nervous and embarrassed.

“There’s someone here tonight that means a lot to me. I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching and I need to get this off my chest.”

He looked right at me.

“Lela, would you come up on stage for just a second.”

The crowd cheered, still. I looked around, and all the fans around me kept pointing me towards the staircase to go up on stage. I wearily took step after step, pushed on by Liddy standing behind me.

Aiden came over and helped me up the stairs. My heart was beating strongly in my chest. I stepped up on the stage and looked out into the blinding light and the ocean of fans screaming. This truly was intimidating.

“This is Lela. Would you like to say hello, Lela?” he asked.

I shook my head and pushed the mic away.

“She’s a bit shy, so I’ll do the talking.”

He leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“Please don’t hate me after this.”

Then he turned back to the crowd.

“I’m in love with this beautiful woman, right here. Not a day has gone by that she hasn’t been in my thoughts and not a day goes by that I don’t think about our baby.”

The crowd seemed especially surprised, as was I. I was trying my best not to faint under the scrutiny of so many people. But, after only a moment of silent chatter, they started yelling again.

“Lela is my heart and my soul, and I hope that she’ll be able to forgive me for being such a terrible person. I tried to hide this wonderful woman from the world, but I couldn’t keep doing it. I wanted you all to know the truth.”

I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I kept trying to leave the stage, but I wanted to be close to Aiden. I didn’t want to leave his side.

Aiden pulled me in close again to whisper in my ear.

“Lela, I want you to stay out here for the show, but I think you’d be more comfortable sitting in the box upstairs.”

I nodded.

“I’m going to be right back, but in the meantime here’s the opening act!”

Another band came out and took the stage, but I didn’t pay them much attention. As soon as we were off stage and out of earshot of many people Aiden pulled me aside.

“Lela, I didn’t believe in love at first sight before. I think things need to be tested and worked through. Then I met you. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you while you were standing on the balcony when we first met. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to sound like some sort of creep.

“After you decided to break it off, I felt something leave me. It was like losing a part of me, and I couldn’t bear it. The shows I did, between then and now, were terrible, and I just haven’t really been myself.

“I want you and this baby in my life. It means a lot to me, Lela. Please stay with me.”

I couldn’t say no to his face, I just nodded.

He smiled and gave me the roughest hug I had ever felt.

“Aiden, you’re on in ten, get ready,” I heard Greg say from behind while sneering at me.

“Liddy should be here to take you backstage in a moment or two.”

He was right, Liddy was already waiting nearby, and she snapped a photo of the two of us mid-kiss.

“I guess I have my first news story,” I said.

“Surely not your last,” he replied.

Then he left, to get made up for the show. Liddy and I walked slowly up the stairs and through the back halls of the stadium.

“I talked to Bruce about the whole thing. He said that Aiden was in a slump. Then I told Bruce what you had said to Aiden and Bruce took it upon himself to talk to the rest of the group. They all wanted him to be happy.”

I wiped a tear off my cheek.

“You’re a good friend, Liddy.”

“Hey, you set me up with the greatest bassist in history. A girl’s gotta watch out for her own.”

I laughed, as did Liddy. I was lucky to have such a great friend.

*****

THE END

The Billionaire’s Secret Love Child – Aisha’s Story – A BWWM Billionaire Romance

1

Aisha had been working for Mr. Conner for a week when she first met Sandy. Of course, she had no way of knowing just how Sandy would affect her life then, but there was something about the woman that made Aisha take notice.

Aisha was just out of college, and it had been her dream to become a sports agent. She had moved to New York after graduating from Boston, though she had been born and raised in Michigan, twenty miles outside of Detroit. Boston had been something of a culture shock, but nothing had prepared her for New York. The massive buildings themselves seemed overpowering at first, oppressive even. Going out on the street, the throngs of people on the sidewalks, the unending stream of yellow cabs in the streets. It was all too much at first. But if she wanted to make it as a sports agent, she needed to be there. The Big City, practically trademarked.

When Anthony Conner was younger, he had been a hot shot agent with the largest sports agency in the world. A decade ago he had left to open his own agency, CSA. Now it was the largest sports agency in the world, and Aisha’s top marks in her classes at Boston had been enough to land her a job as his assistant. Of course, getting coffee and making copies wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do, but she knew you had to start somewhere.

And so she had been sitting at a small desk outside of Mr. Conner’s large corner office when someone approached her. She had been typing up a contract Anthony had needed quickly, and she only glanced up, at first, to see if she knew who it was who was tapping their foot impatiently in front of her desk. She hadn’t recognized the woman, so Aisha had gone on typing as the spoke.

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

“I need to see Anthony,” the woman said.

“I’m sorry, do you have an appointment?”

“I don’t need an appointment,” the woman snapped, and Aisha stifled a sigh and looked up. The woman was Aisha’s opposite it just about every way. Aisha was black, her skin dark, like coffee with just a splash of milk mixed in. The woman in front of her was pale, with high cheekbones and strawberry blonde hair while Aisha had a round face and hair as black as coal. The woman was tall, almost as tall as Mr. Connor himself, and Aisha had always been short, but it worked for her, and added to her feminine qualities, like a curvaceous hourglass figure made up of wide hips and an ample bosom, she looked like something straight out of most men's fantasies. The white woman was angular and sharp, beautiful to be sure, but simply in a different way than Aisha was.

“I’m sorry,” Aisha went on. “He’s booked completely today.”

“Shut up,” the woman snapped, and then she marched past Aisha’s desk and into Mr. Conner’s office.

Aisha was up on her feet in a flash, but she was too slow to stop the white woman, so all she could do was march in after her, and call to Mr. Conner over the woman’s shoulder.

The man sat at his richly lacquered mahogany desk, typing on his laptop. She was glad he wasn’t on his phone, she knew he would be annoyed to be interrupted, but he would have been furious to be pulled off of a call with one of his clients.

“This woman just barged in,” Aisha said, feeling foolish. Of course, she had, and she knew Mr. Conner would be able to tell that since the woman was in the process of barging in. Her boss looked up, and his eyes widened a bit when he saw the white woman.

“It’s fine,” Mr. Conner said to Aisha, holding his hand up, indicating she should leave. Aisha felt anger swell inside of her for a moment, an anger that confused her, and she left silently, thinking about it. Why had she gotten angry? A woman barged in, and her boss was letting her stay. So what? Why would that make Aisha angry?

As she sat at her desk once more, she realized it had not been anger, not exactly, but more so jealous. Mr. Conner was a powerful man, and one that Aisha was simultaneously attracted to, and respectful of. She had wanted him to send the lady out, to get mad, to rise from his chair and point to the door, and tell her to leave. Instead, he had held up his hand to her, and Aisha had been the one sent away.

Mr. Conner was a nice man and a great boss. Aisha was sure he was attracted to her, the same way she was attracted to him, and he paid her the same attention most men did. She was gorgeous, and she knew it, and she wasn’t the type of woman to be ashamed by that. Nor did she have a problem flaunting some aspects of her body. To put it simply, it made life easier sometimes. The job with Mr. Conner was an important first step to a career in her field, and it had been sought after by quite a few applicants. Men and women alike. So she had interviewed in professional but somewhat sexual clothes. Low cut tops, short skirts. She knew some women would balk at such tactics, but Aisha thought it was foolish not to use whatever you could to get ahead, and she knew thinking like that would only help her in her chosen field, one that was filled with backstabbing and people looking to do nothing but further themselves.

Of course, Aisha drew the line in places too. She would never sleep with anyone for a job. That wasn’t the kind of thing she was comfortable with, and it wasn’t the sort of thing she respected. Of course showing off her tits and her legs, and her ass in a tight skirt was different. She wouldn’t sleep with Mr. Conner for her career, but she didn’t mind if he wanted to fuck her. If he did, that was only good for her. He was a man who had everything. Making him want something he couldn’t have would be good for him as well.

The hard thing was Aisha wanted to fuck him too. Badly. But she had dealt with crushes before. Having them, being wanted, it was no big deal, and she was going to control herself, and she was going to keep teasing her boss, and make it on her own.

She got back to typing up the contract Mr. Conner needed, but she couldn’t help but overhear the woman and her boss in his office. Overhear wasn’t the right word, not exactly. She couldn’t tell what was being said; she could only make out that the woman was speaking very loudly, almost yelling. She didn’t hear her boss raise his voice at all, but due to the pauses between the screeching woman’s words, she was sure he was trying to speak to her.

After ten minutes or so, the door to Mr. Conner’s office swung open and banged loudly against the wall. The tall woman stormed out, her face red and pulled into an angry scowl. “Of course,” she said as she stopped just long enough to look at Aisha, and then she was going again. As she stomped on sky-high heels towards the elevator that would lead down to the lobby, heads turned in cubicles to watch her go.

Aisha swiveled in her chair to see that her boss was standing in his doorway. She smiled and cracked a joke. “Another satisfied client?”

Anthony Conner laughed. “Something like that,” he said, and then he wiped his forehead, feigning exasperation. “I need a drink.”

“It’s only ten in the morning,” Aisha said.

“Well, tell me when it’s noon. I’ll take you to lunch. As long as you don’t mind if I drink mine.”

Aisha giggled and shook her head. “Fine by me,” she said, and Anthony turned into his office and shut the door.

Mr. Connor had never asked her to lunch, but she had been hoping he would. Any time spent with her boss, so she could impress him with her natural talent when it came to their very specific work, was good. Great in fact. She typed up the contract and took it into his office, and then went back and watched the clock on the corner of her computer screen slowly click upwards towards twelve.

Right at noon, she went into her boss's office and waited until he got off the phone. She leaned against the wall next to the door, listening as he spoke to a very famous baseball player who was nearing the end of his contract, and who desperately wanted off of the small market team he played for. When the conversation was done, Anthony looked to his gorgeous assistant and let his head tilt to the side.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Well, it’s time for-” Aisha started, but Anthony spoke over her, cutting her off. “Do you always listen in on people’s conversations?”

“Oh, I should have waited out-” Aisha started again, but once more she was cut off, this time by Mr. Conner’s infectious laugh. It was booming and loud, and it made Aisha laugh every time she heard it, but, this time, she fought her own laughter away and remained stone-faced.

“I’m kidding,” Anthony said. “I like messing with new people,” he said.

“Well I don’t like it at all,” the young woman snapped.

“I’m sorry,” Anthony said, holding his hands up, suddenly taken aback.

“I don’t care if you're sorry,” Aisha said, she then stormed forward and slapped her palms down on his desk, leaning over, so he would surely get a nice view of her supple cleavage. “I quit.”

“Aisha!” Anthony stammered, trying to keep his eyes on hers, but failing spectacularly in the face of her large, perfect, breasts.

“Kidding,” Aisha said, standing upright and laughing. “And my eyes are up here,” she added before she laughed harder. Anthony sat wide eyed for a moment, and then he too burst into infectious laughter.

“Are you busting my chops?” he asked as he stood and grabbed the suit jacket he had draped over the back of his chair and pulled it on over his very expensive shirt and tie.

“I think so,” Aisha said, and they walked out of his office together.

She paused for a moment to gather her things, a coat to fight off the oncoming autumn air, and her purse, and then they walked together down the row of cubicles and to the elevator. Aisha couldn’t help but notice a number of people watched as they walked by, and she wondered if they thought Mr. Connor, who was her boss and theirs, of course, was taking her to lunch or is she was going to sit in the backseat of his car with her and suck him off. She knew what some women did to get ahead, and she admitted to herself she would be wondering the same thing if she saw Anthony and another pretty young woman walk by together at noon.

She knew tongues would be wagging as soon as they were out of earshot, and she stole a glance at her boss. If he was thinking the same thing, his impassive face didn’t show it. They got to the elevator, and Mr. Conner pressed the button to call it up to their floor. As they waited, Aisha let her mind run wild some more. First she thought about going down to the parking garage and indeed slipping into the backseat. Would he slip in with her? If she just sat back there, and held the door open for him, leaning out of the car to do so and affording him another great view of her tits, would he get in with her? Would he be hard? Would he object if she pulled his engorged member out of his pants and went to town on it? She bet he would get in with her, but he wouldn’t object.

And then she thought again of her co-workers, and she had to hide a smile. She liked the idea of them wondering. She knew that there was a whole other level, with her being black, as sad as that was in the modern age. He was a successful white man, almost double her age. She was a young black girl. She wondered if he had ever been with a black girl. He didn’t seem like the type who would discriminate, but most people felt more comfortable with lovers of their own race, even if they weren’t discriminatory. You were just drawn to people like you. And it was true for Aisha as well. She had never dated anything other than black men though in college she had spent one wild night with her Asian roommate, who was a woman.

In the elevator Aisha felt something, standing so close to her boss, alone with him in the small box. It felt as though there was an attraction there, something tangible in the air though Aisha was sure she could just be imagining it.

Down in the parking garage, Mr. Conner led the way to his car. Aisha paused as he unlocked the doors, and tried to keep from gaping. She had never seen what he drove, but she should have known it would be something expensive. And it was. It was a Ferrari, Aisha didn’t know more than that, but she recognized the little emblem on the front of the car. It was as black as midnight, with shining silver hubcaps. Her boss opened her door for her, and it swung out slightly and then lifted straight up, and she dropped down onto the passenger seat.

As they pulled out of the garage, she could tell Anthony was yearning to push the pedal down to the floorboard and speed off, but the insane traffic of New York kept him from doing that.

“This car is amazing,” Aisha said, and her boss smiled.

“Thanks,” he said. “I love taking it upstate; it’s a nice car to actually drive. This city is not built for driving, but I hate cabs.”

“How long have you lived here?” Aisha asked. She craned her neck and looked at the skyscrapers as they drove slowly by them, as she always did. She still couldn’t get over some of the buildings in New York. How massively tall they were, and how packed into a small area they all seemed.

They stopped at a red light, the massive engine of the expensive car purring like a jungle cat. Mr. Conner looked over to Aisha, and she noticed his eyes dipped, following the long line of her crossed legs, down to her knee and then back to her dark thigh, where they disappeared under her skirt.

“All my life,” Anthony answered finally. “Born and raised.”

“Wow. I still can’t get used to this place.”

“It’s nuts, and it’s a crazy way to grow up. My dad wanted something for us, for his family, so he and my mother and my older brother moved here just before I was born. He never made it, always worked a couple of jobs, just managed to get by, but there’s something about living here, right here in the city, and it inspired me.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Aisha said.

“He moved away as soon as he could. He didn’t take to the city like I did. I don’t see him much.”

“I’m sorry.”

The light turned green, and the car pulled forward, and Aisha’s boss shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Aisha laughed. “My grandmother used to say that. I thought it sounded good. When I was in highschool I wrecked my mom’s car. He was yelling at me, and I said it is what it is. He didn’t find it funny, or profound.”

Anthony Conner laughed. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Three. Well, three half-siblings. That’s typical, right? My mom had me first, and then two with her second husband. The third is only six, and she doesn’t know who the dad is exactly. She had just gotten divorced again.”

“What do you mean that’s typical? Mr. Connor asked as they pulled into a small parking lot, next to a very expensive Italian restaurant that had a name Aisha didn’t quite know how to pronounce.

“Black girl with a bunch of half-siblings,” Aisha said, wondering if Anthony was that sheltered, or trying to spare her feelings. She wasn’t ashamed of where she came from, but she was proud of herself from getting away from that sort of life.

Anthony parked and looked to his assistant. “Who cares about that shit, right?”

Aisha smiled and nodded, and her boss reached over and put his hand on her leg. It seemed friendly, just a little touch between a man trying to make sure a woman knew he didn’t care about things like that, but his hand wasn’t on her knee, it was closer to her thigh, his pinkie finger touching the hem of her short skirt. The touch was like electricity, sending a shock of pleasure through Aisha’s body. His hand was strong and warm, and she found herself wishing the older man would slide it under her skirt.

But then he took his hand away, and opened his door, and it was time for lunch.

2

Inside there was a small line of well-dressed business men and a few women waiting for a table, but Mr. Conner didn’t have to wait at all. He led her past the line, right to a smartly dressed maitre d’ who stood next to an oak podium. He was a tall man, older than Aisha but younger than her boss. He had slicked back hair and a thin mustache.

“Mr. Conner,” he said with a smile as he motioned them both back towards the dining room with his hands. “Glad to see you.”

“Thanks, Tom,” Anthony said, pulling a crisp bill from his pocket and palming it, so after they were shown to their table, and when Tom shook his hand, he could discreetly take the tip. It was hard to be sure, but it looked to Aisha like her boss had handed the man a hundred dollar bill.

The restaurant was small and dimly lit, with the tables and chairs and other furnishings looking more expensive than anything the young black girl owned. She had worked hard to get where she was, but there, at the table with her boss, she felt out of place. She shoved the thoughts from her mind, though and smiled across the table to Anthony.

“I’ve never been here before,” she said. “What’s good?”

“The wine,” Anthony Conner said, and they both laughed. “Really, though, you can’t go wrong with anything. Do you like seafood? They have a great pasta with shellfish. I always add an order of crab cakes as well.”

Aisha nodded. “I’ll have whatever you recommend,” she said, and her boss nodded and ended up ordering for both of them. Each dish had a complicated Italian name, and Aisha found herself wondering if her boss was saving her a bit of embarrassment. Soon after ordering their waitress, who was a thin white blonde girl with a massive chest and an even bigger butt, clad in a crisp white shirt and tight black pants, brought a bottle of wine which Aisha was pretty sure cost more than she made in a month.

“Bring another, will you?” Mr. Connor said with a smile, and the waitress nodded.

“That woman must be a Hell of a client,” Aisha said wryly.

“She’s a Hell of a pain in the ass, I’ll tell you that much,” Anthony said, as he poured two glasses of wine.

Lunch wore on, for an hour, and then another, and Aisha and her boss slowly got drunk. When they left the restaurant, there was a cab waiting for them. Anthony had called and asked for one twenty minutes before they had left.

“I’ll come back after work for my car. Hopefully I’ll be sober by then.”

Aisha was drunk as well, and she felt light headed, and she stumbled a bit as she made her way to the cab, so that her boss had to catch her and steady her.

“I didn’t think you could get drunk at work,” she said after they were both in the backseat.

“Hey, we aren’t at work,” Anthony said, which made Aisha giggle. “And I’m the boss, so what I say goes.”

The cab driver pulled into the busy traffic, and Aisha closed her eyes for a moment, fighting to sober up before they got back to work. When she opened her soft brown eyes, she was surprised to see her boss was looking at her.

“What?” she asked.

“You have beautiful eyes,” he said, and Aisha felt warmth flood her cheeks.

“Thank you,” she said. “You’re drunk.”

“You’re beautiful,” her boss added, and this time, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she leaned towards the man and kissed him. She pressed her full, pouty lips to his, and their lips parted, and their tongues danced together. He tasted of the wine, and the mint he had after. She pulled away.

“I’m sorry. I’m drunk,” she said, and once again, they both laughed.

When Aisha and her boss returned to the office, they both managed to get through the long walk to the back of the floor, where her desk was, and his office sat, the door closed, without stumbling or looking drunk. People watched them pass of course, but they were trying to find any sign of sexual dalliances, not the fact that they had polished off two bottles of wine. But despite the kiss, there was no sign of romance. No clothes on backward, no lipstick marks on his collar and Aisha’s co-workers were disappointed, and went about their jobs.

An hour after returning, the phone on Aisha’s desk beeped, indicating a call from Mr. Conner. She lifted the receiver to her ear.

“Yes sir?” she asked.

“Can you work late tonight?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said.

“Good, come in here.”

Aisha stood and went into her boss’ office. He sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples with the pads of his fingers. “Wine at lunch was a bad idea.”

“What’s going on?”

“Tommy Wilson just got arrested for drunk driving,” Mr. Conner said. Tommy Wilson was a football running back, one of Anthony Conner’s more famous, and infamous clients. He was also a lot of trouble.

“Alright, let’s spin,” Aisha said, nodding. Mr. Conner smiled to her, and they got to work. It was a long day, trying to track Wilson down first, and then speaking with him on the phone, and then emailing his lawyer. A statement had to be drafted, and then Mr. Conner sent it to ESPN, and the NFL Network, and other appropriate outlets. The long day slowly turned into a long night.

Finally, with an empty and dark office space beyond Mr. Conner’s door, and a black sky that was starless due to the light pollution from New York City, Aisha’s boss let her off the hook.

“Go get some sleep,” he said. Come in an hour late tomorrow.”

Aisha looked at the handsome man. “What about you?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, waving her off. “I’m going to wrap a few things up.”

Aisha was sitting at his desk, but across from Anthony. They had been like that for hours. Now she stood, and something was taking a hold of her. The day had turned out to be stressful, but she was working so closely with the man who was considered one of the best, at exactly what she yearned to do, and it had injected her with adrenalin. The work was writing, and talking, and sending emails, but somehow it had been exciting. And Anthony Conner had known Aisha was up for it. He told her to do something, and she did it. He didn’t check up on her; he trusted her.

Her attraction for the man, and admiration for him had grown in the hours since she had sat across from him and gotten to work. Now she stood and moved around the desk. She sat there, perching her round ass on the edge of his desk, crossing one dark skinned leg over the other. He looked at her legs. “I’m not drunk now,” she said, looking at him. He glanced up at her.

Aisha didn’t know why she was doing it, but she knew she wasn’t going to stop herself. He might stop her; he might know it wasn’t appropriate, but she almost always got what she wanted, especially when it came to men. Anthony Conner didn’t disappoint.

He reached up, placed his hands on her legs, her thighs, and he stood. She uncrossed her legs, spread them, and he stepped over and forward, positioning himself in between them.

“Miss Davis,” Anthony said, using her last name. “You’re being rather forward.”

Aisha grinned. “I just told you I wasn’t drunk. You came up here.”

“I did.”

“For what?”

“To kiss you.”

“Is that a good idea?” Aisha asked. Her boss grinned.

“Let’s find out,” he said, and then he leaned forward, and they kissed. It was long, sensual. Finally, he pulled away, and they both opened their eyes.

“It’s a good idea,” Aisha said, and then they were kissing again.

His hands went down to her legs once more, strong fingers on her thighs, his hands riding up, taking her skirt up with them. He leaned forward, and she slipped her arms around him, her hands on the back of his expensive shirt. Their kissing was hot and heavy, their tongues exploring each other’s mouth. Anthony moved his hands up from her legs, pushing up and over her hips, and then along her ribcage on either side.

Soon his hands were at her breasts, where he groped her from outside of her shirt. Her nipples were hard, pushing against the material of her bra, and suddenly she could think of nothing other than him touching her there, so she slid her own hands between their bodies and began unbuttoning her shirt.

Mr. Conner wasn’t a patient man, however. He pushed her hands away and then ripped her shirt open, sending two buttons flying off to clatter against the wall behind the desk before falling to the floor. Aisha sucked in a lungful of air, shocked by the man's actions. Of course, buying new clothing was nothing for him, but she was just out of college, and while Anthony Conner paid well, he didn’t pay that well. She thought for a moment about it, wondering if it was his way of dominating her. If he knew that ruining a shirt like that meant something to her, meant a little extra money where she didn’t have much extra. But then his hands were at her breasts again, feeling her through the bra, and her mind could go nowhere else but that office, and his body.

His lips tore from hers, and then planted themselves on her jawline before moving down, trailing tiny kisses and nips down her neck, and then across her collarbone. Strong fingers hooked into the cups of her bra and pulled them down, freeing her heaving tits with her brown areolas, hard and eager for his mouth. He didn’t disappoint, taking each nipple into his mouth in turn, and sucking on them softly. He nipped with his teeth, and Aisha moaned aloud.

She reached down with one hand and gripped her boss’ hard cock through his pants. He throbbed in her fist, and she teased him a bit, gripping and sliding her hand along his member, but making no effort to free it from his pants. She should have known that he wouldn’t wait for her, being a take charge kind of guy. He stepped back and undid his fly, letting his pants fall to his ankles. His cock was big and thick, and a small drop of precum shone in the light of his office on the end of his dick.

“Suck it,” he said to her, gripping himself at the base of his cock. She opened her mouth to argue, but he was reaching forward, gripping her short and straight black hair behind her head, forcing her forward off of the edge of the desk. Then she was going to her knees, half on her own power, and half because he was directing her, and she found herself just inches from his penis, and she saw how it twitched and throbbed, waiting for her, and she decided Mr. Conner wasn’t a man you wanted to keep waiting.

Aisha opened her lips and took Anthony’s dick into her mouth. There was no teasing, no sensual swirls of the tip of her tongue on the tip of his cock, she just parted her lips, and he thrust forward, burying his cock in her mouth until his swollen head hit the back of her throat.

“Fuck,” Anthony said, tilting his head back. His hand remained at the back of her head, gripping her hair, and his hips stayed in motion, pulling back, so his cock almost slipped out of her mouth, and then pushing back in.

Aisha had sucked cock before, had always been told how well she did it, but the men she had been with had always seemed content to let her do the heavy lifting so to speak. They would lay back, hands behind their head, and she would bob on their dick, sucking and licking, until they shot their hot, sticky loads down her throat. Her boss was not like that. He was actively fucking her, using her mouth like other men used her pussy, and she found she was enjoying it immensely. He choked her, gagged her with his massive member, and tears formed at her eyes, but she wouldn’t tell him to stop, she didn’t want to let him down. He was using her, but that was alright, she knew she would use him in that office when she got the chance.

Her pussy was wet, soaking her panties, and as her boss rocked back and forth, his swollen cock sliding in and out of her mouth, she reached down between her legs and slid the crotch of her panties to the side, so she could slide two fingers into herself.

She was nearing orgasm when her boss pulled his erect dick fully from her mouth and let go of her hair.

“Stand up,” he demanded.

“Shut up and sit down,” Aisha said, pulling her fingers from her own pussy and standing before the powerful man. He looked surprised, but he did what she said, stepping back in an awkward shuffle due to his pants still being around his ankles, and then sitting in his office chair. Aisha held her fingers to his lips, the sheen of her own juices catching the light from overhead. He sucked on her fingers, tasting her.

Then Aisha turned away from him, and slowly she reached down, taking the hem of her short skirt, and pulled it up. She teased him, knowing his eyes were on her full figured ass, making him wait as slowly the bottom of her cheeks appeared, and then the material of the red boy shorts she was wearing. Then her skirt was up over her hips, and she felt his fingers grabbing the waistband of her panties and tugging them down. She stepped over them, careful to keep her heels on; she would need the added height to make the position work.

She bent a bit, reaching down between her legs to grip Anthony’s cock, and then she sat, letting his dick slide up into her hot, wet pussy. “Shit,” she breathed, taken by just how big his cock was. She had only been with black men, and most of them had been well endowed, but no one had been able to match Anthony Conner. The man really had everything.

As she slid all the way down, taking his cock completely into her tight pussy, he put his hands on her hips. She went up and down, her fat ass cheeks slapping against his lap. Soon she was coming, an orgasm rushing from the core of her loins to spread throughout her body, helped along by the time she spent fingering herself while her boss had fucked her face. She leaned forward further as she came, putting her hands on the carpeted floor behind Anthony’s desk. He moved his hands from her hips to her ass, squeezing her cheeks as she moaned aloud.

“Come,” he said simply, saying it over and over as she did. Her pussy tightened on his cock as the last of the orgasm took her, and then it was his turn.

He wasn’t far behind. Aisha set the pace, keeping her hands on the floor. He put his hands on her hips again, and as she rocked down each time, he would pull her down, so she slammed down with his cock deep inside of her.

“I’m coming,” Anthony said, and it occurred to Aisha that he hadn’t ever put a condom on, so she lifted off of his cock and spun quickly, putting a hand at the base of his penis as she sucked on the head just as it jumped and exploded in her mouth. His cum was hot, and strand after strand filled her mouth until some was leaking out past the corner of her lips and running back down his member.

Aisha leaned back and swallowed what she could, and then laughed. “I didn’t think working late would be that fun,” she said.

3

Over the next week, Aisha and her boss fucked in his office twice more after everyone else had gone home, and then once on a lunch break where they never actually made it to a restaurant. Their relationship was hot and heavy, and very physical. But as the first week stretched into the next, and the one after that, it became something else altogether. They still fucked like rabbits, but there were the lunches too, and the small gifts, given secretly at the office.

Aisha opened a small box one Thursday to find a beautiful bracelet that she was sure cost more than her yearly salary. They stood in Anthony’s office. She didn’t think of him as Mr. Conner anymore though she still called him that at work. He watched her put it on and smiled.

“You like it?” he asked.

“I love it,” she said truthfully, but something must have shown in her face because he reached out and put a hand on hers.

“What is it?”

“I don’t want people to think I make it in this business because I’m fucking you,” Aisha said, truthfully and bluntly.

“Is that what this is? Fucking?”

Aisha sighed and shook her head. “Not to me Anthony, but to them,” she said, motioning towards the closed door which led to the rest of the office.

Her boss and lover nodded. “Forget them,” he said. “No one even knows.”

“And what if they find out? If they find out, and I get promoted, it’s just going to take it away from me. Take my accomplishments away.”

“Do you want to stop? Stop this? Break up?” Anthony asked her, his voice even, his eyes serious.

“No,” Aisha said.

“Want me to fire you?”

The young woman laughed. “Definitely not.”

“Alright then. Hey, I was thinking, you should come over for dinner tonight.”

“To your place?”

“Yeah.”

It was a big deal. In almost three weeks, Aisha hadn’t been to his place yet. They had been to her small apartment, but he had yet to invite her to his. She had to imagine his home was a bit more spacious and luxurious than hers.

“Alright,” she said, and he smiled and swept her up in his arms, and they kissed.

That evening Aisha left work before her boss, and she took a cab home and showered and changed. She didn’t know what to wear, but she settled on a dress, a deep blood red color with a slit to her thigh, despite the cold weather. She could stand to be cold if it knocked Anthony off his feet. Red heels and makeup went on after, and then she was going down to the street to catch a cab, but she was surprised by a limousine waiting by the sidewalk. The driver stood by the rear passenger door.

“Aisha?” he asked, and the young woman nodded.

“Mr. Conner is anxious to see you,” the driver added as he opened the door and the way his eyes swept up and down her body rather blatantly let Aisha know she had indeed chosen the right dress. She got into the limousine and couldn’t help but smile when she saw a dozen roses waiting for her. She took the bouquet in her hands and sniffed it. Then she saw the bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and poured herself a glass.

The limo moved slowly through the city and finally pulled into an underground parking garage under a massive and sleek looking skyscraper. The driver opened her door and offered his hand. She took it and got out.

“Right into there,” the man said, pointing to an elevator that sat across from a bank of them. “The code is five, three, two, three.”

Aisha didn’t have any idea what he was talking about, and she didn’t have any idea why there was a single elevator across from the rest of them. There was a sign next to it which said private, and as she stepped inside, she wondered if Anthony was so rich he really owned his own elevator. There was just one button inside the elevator, and she pressed it. When she did so, a small screen above the button woke, shining a soft blue. It was a touch screen, and it showed a set of numbers, zero through nine. She typed in the code the driver had told her, and the door shut, and the elevator moved up.

It rose for a long while, and Aisha found herself wondering what floor her boss lived on. Finally, the elevator stopped, and with a ding the door opened. Aisha found herself in a long hallway, lit by lights that ran down either side of the hall. At the end of the hall was a door, and as Aisha made her way towards it, it opened, and she saw Anthony standing in the doorway.

“Wow,” he said, and she would have said the same. He was dressed in a tailored suit, which wasn’t rare for him, but there was just something about him, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

When she reached him they embraced and kissed, and then he gave her a tour.

His apartment was massive, mostly open space. One corner had a kitchen, one corner was a walled off bath, with a stone shower with glass walls and a hot tub caddy corner to it. In the middle of the floor space was a living room and in another corner his bedroom. She could have fit four of her apartments in his, and maybe with some space left over.

The dining room was open most of the rest of the apartment, with a long table made of dark wood. Candles burned on the table, and the rest of the apartment was dimly lit. Two places had been set, one at the end of the table and then at the chair directly to the left of that. She sat there, with Anthony pulling her chair out for her, and then he sat at the end of the table. An older woman, named Mary, came out from the kitchen and began serving them. She was Anthony’s private cook, and she found herself wondering if she worked there every day, or only for special occasions. Something told her it was every day.

Mary was a hell of a cook, and the meal was one of the best Aisha ever had. After dinner, she was full and a bit drunk since they had made their way through a couple of bottles of wine. Mary was excused after clearing the table, and she left through the front door.

“You have a cook,” Aisha laughed.

“In fairness, she doesn’t usually serve me like that. I paid her extra.”

Aisha laughed. “I don’t even understand this lifestyle,” she said.

“I work hard for it,” Anthony said somewhat defensively.

“I’m not making fun of you,” Aisha said, touching her hand upon his. “It’s amazing.”

Anthony leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. “You’re amazing.”

Aisha smiled, and they kissed some more.

Soon they were rising from the table, their hands exploring each others body, and her dress, so carefully picked out was lifted over her head, and dropped to the floor. She wore no underwear, a fact that Anthony appreciated with a grunt as he groped at her breasts with both hands. They kissed and fondled as they made their way to his king sized bed in the corner of the apartment. He pushed her back on the bed and began unbuttoning his own shirt, but Aisha sat up and ripped it open, sending the buttons flying. She bit her lip and grinned up at her lover. Her fingers went to his zipper, pulling it down and then she slid a hand inside his fly, pulling his already engorged cock out through the flap, without taking off his pants.

She gripped him tightly and began jerking him, sliding her hand back and forth over his member.

“Suck my cock,” he said in the dim light, his voice husky and breathless.

“Shut the fuck up,” Aisha said, and then she pushed him away and stood in front of him. She pulled his ruined shirt from his shoulders after undoing his tie. “Turn around,” she demanded, and he did so. She was completely in charge, and he wasn’t fighting her on that point. She took his tie and slipped it over his head, resting it across his eyes before tightening it so it would stay and function as a blindfold. She reached down and undid the button on his pants, and then bent slowly, planting kisses down his back while she lowered them. When he was nude she guided him to lie on the bed, and after he did, he reached for her, but she stepped away.

“Hold on,” she said. “Jerk your own cock for once.”

She turned and made her way back to the dining room, taking the purse that she had brought from it’ place on the back of the chair where she had sat. When she returned to the bedroom, she stood for a moment and watched him. Anthony had a hold on his hard cock, and he was pleasuring himself, moving his hand slowly along his member.

“Stop,” she said, and he did. Aisha opened her purse and pulled out two pairs of handcuffs. They weren’t fuzzy, they weren't pink, they were steel and cold, and she slipped one locking hoop on each wrist in turn, and then attached the other end of each pair to his headboard. He wouldn’t have been able to move if he wanted to.

“This is surprising,” Anthony grinned, and Aisha didn’t say anything. Instead, she climbed onto the bed and shifted, so she was kneeling over his face. Her pussy was moist and warm, and when she lowered herself onto his lips, he began lapping at her wet slit, happily and eagerly. She was facing his feet, and she leaned forward, pressing her large breasts against the bottom of his toned stomach as she brought herself level with his cock. She held herself up a bit with one hand, and gripped his throbbing member with the other, and then took him into her mouth.

She teased him, feeling empowered by having him cuffed to his bed. Her tongue traced tiny circles around the head of his cock, and she left his shaft to her hand. He tried to arch his hips up, to force his cock deep within her mouth, but she didn’t let him. He was tonguing her with skill that came from age and experience, and she came suddenly after ten minutes, his tongue buried inside her, his chin rubbing against her clit as he probed her pussy.

When she was done, she climbed off of him, and then, without speaking, she left the bed. She went out to the kitchen, wanting to torture him, wanting to make him want her even more. She filled a glass with water from the tap and drank it slowly. She heard him calling for her, but she ignored him. When she finally returned his cock was still hard, angry and red and yearning and he was pumping his hips up and forth in a display of desire gone unfulfilled.

“You came back,” he said.

“I guess I should make you come,” she said. She climbed on top of him, facing him, and used her hand to guide him inside of her. Aisha controlled the pace, rocking slowly on top of him. She bent forward, kissed him. When she moved up, so her brown nipple rubbed his lips he parted them and sucked on her.

It was long and slow and tender, but finally, he was coming, grunting aloud and thrusting upward as his cock dumped his load in her tight pussy. She waited until his dick had stopped jumping and thrusting, and then she pulled herself off of him, and laid down beside him.

“Are you going to uncuff me?” he panted.

“Maybe,” Aisha said with a wicked grin.

“At least take the blindfold off,” her boss pleaded.

“I will. Eventually.”

“You’re evil,” Anthony said.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Okay.”

Aisha left him blindfolded because she felt like an idiot bringing all of this up, after only a month or so of dating. But still, it had been weighing on her mind of late, and she didn’t want just to let it go.

“Are you ashamed to be dating me?”

“What? No. Why would you ask that?” Anthony asked.

“I’m your secretary. I just… I noticed we only go out during lunch when it would be normal for us to go out. And you’ve never introduced me to any of your friends.”

“You haven’t introduced me to any of yours.”

Aisha laughed. “I don’t have any here. If you want to fly to Michigan, I will.”

“I introduced you to Mary tonight,” Anthony argued.

“She’s your cook.”

“Well look, I was going to ask you… I always take some time off around now, and I spend a week at this cabin in Colorado. Great place. I like to ski. Do you ski?”

“I’ve never tried,” Aisha said truthfully.

“Well, I can teach you. Will you come with me?”

Aisha grinned and reached over, using one finger to pull the blindfold down. “Okay,” she said when he looked to her.

4

Three weeks after he asked her to go, Aisha was boarding a private plane, on her way to Colorado. After landing at the Denver airport, they were driven three hours away to a remote and snow-covered mountain. There was a small town at the foot of the small jagged peak, and up the side, a bit was Anthony’s private cabin. It wasn’t a cabin like Aisha had ever seen. It was huge, with two stories and a wrap around porch, all made of logs. The inside was furnished as extravagantly as the outside would make it seem. They spent days on the mountain, skiing, and when Aisha didn’t take to that, sledding. Their meals were prepared by Mary, who was staying down in the nearby town, but came up every morning and cooked a quick lunch and a more substantial dinner.

On their fourth night, after steamy sex, when they both lay panting and shining in the soft moonlight, Anthony looked over to her. “You’re still mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“You think I’m hiding you.”

“I don’t,” Aisha said, but that was a lie.

“I just… I didn’t want people to know… I thought that’s what you wanted. You’re good at your job, and you can make it on your own merits. That’s what I thought you wanted.”

“I do,” Aisha said, and then she sighed. “But I really like you. I don’t want to be your secret.”

Anthony smiled. “Then you won’t be.”

Aisha had something else weighing on her mind, and she knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. “I’m pregnant,” she said.

Anthony looked at her for a long while, without speaking. When he did his voice was tight, and didn’t betray a single thought. “It’s mine?”

A fury rose up in Aisha. “Of course it is!” she snapped, and then she rose from the bed, still nude and sweaty.

“I’m sorry, I was just making sure!”

“How many women are you fucking besides me?”

“No one!” Anthony claimed, holding his hands up. “It came out wrong.”

“I’m going to go take a shower,” Aisha said, and she left the bedroom. That night it was awkward and tense, and neither she nor Anthony seemed keen on arguing further, so they stayed quiet. In the morning Aisha rose first, going downstairs and making coffee. She had just poured herself a big mug when there was a pounding on the cabin's door.

When she went to the door, she could see a woman standing there in a heavy coat and a fur hat. She looked familiar, and as Aisha pulled the door open, she realized it was the tall white woman who had stormed into Anthony’s office that first week.

“You slut!” the woman said as she came in, and her hand went across Aisha’s face in a stunning slap.

“Stop it, Kathleen,” a voice called, and both women turned to see Anthony coming down the stairs.

“Who is this bitch?” Aisha asked him, ready to fight.

“Bitch?” the white woman asked. “I’m his wife!”

“Hey now!” Anthony said, but Aisha had heard enough. It all made sense now, why he seemed as though he wanted to keep her his little secret. She made the two steps over to where Anthony stood, and the foot of the staircase, and splashed the hot coffee in his face. It wasn’t scalding, but she hoped it at least hurt. Without a word she turned and stormed outside.

There wasn’t anywhere to go but into town, and Aisha was lucky enough to have thought to grab her coat from the hook just inside the door. Her snowboots were on the porch, and she pulled them on, and she was down into the snow as the door opened behind her.

“We’re separated!” Anthony called after her, but Aisha raised a middle finger to him without looking back. She walked down into town, taking half an hour in the snow, tears sliding from her eyes and freezing on her cheeks the whole way. She didn’t know where to go, so she found Mary at the hotel and told the old woman what had happened.

“Did you know he was married?” Aisha asked the cook.

“Yes, but he’s been trying to divorce her for years. She won’t sign.”

That made Aisha feel a bit better, but she was still hurt and shocked that he hadn’t told her. And she was pregnant, with his child, and still no one knew about them, and the whole thing filled her with bitterness and sadness. Mary helped her get home, and she had quit and cleaned out her desk before Anthony got back.

He sent message after message to her, emails, phone calls, but she didn’t speak to him. She found a new job with a smaller firm and had settled in. Two weeks after she started Anthony came to see her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

He just smiled, and then clapped his hands. A group of men came into the office, and they each had an instrument. They began to play a song, and Aisha recognized it as the first song they had ever danced to, laughing and drunk in her apartment one night. Tears stung her face.

“I love you,” Anthony said as he went to her. Everyone heard him. “I want to marry you, and I want to raise this baby together,” he added. He took her hands, and pulled her close, and they started to dance. “I’m working overtime to get my ex out of my life. She’s asking for too much, but you’re worth it. I’ll give it to her. The money, the cars, all of it, nothing matters. I want to be with you. Just you.”

Aisha could hardly speak, so she didn’t even try. She simply closed her eyes and laid her head on Anthony’s chest, and they danced slowly to the music while all of Aisha’s new co-workers looked on. She didn’t care if they saw her, and neither did Anthony.

*****

THE END

The Russian’s Secret Love Child – A BWWM Billionaire Romance

Flashback

“Papa, no more… please!” Anton pleaded as his father swung his leather belt against his soft young face.

“What did I tell you? Ha?” His father yelled, continuing whipping his delicate and frail body.

“I’m sorry. I’m not gonna do it again. Please, stop…..”

“No. You have to learn. And I’m gonna teach you how to discipline yourself….”

Neighbors were filled with terror as they heard him screaming for help. He was the only child, and since his mother died to Malaria, his father had never treated him as his own child. Alcohol became his best buddy.

Anton had not eaten yet since morning. How could he if no one brought him food to quench his hunger with? His father’s beating seemed to be his only meal of the day.

“Stop. Stop. Please, papa… Stop.” Those were the only words he could utter as the belt penetrated into his flesh, ripping the layers of his skin, exposing every tissue of his muscles.

“Your mother, whom you killed, didn’t tell you to steal! How could you disrespect her?” He asked in a very strong tone, deafening Anton’s fragile ears.

Since Anton’s mother passed away, his father had been hostile to him. Unable to blame anyone, he focused his anger on his son, who knew nothing but to obey every word he spoke in great fear.

But desperation pushed him to disregard his father’s command and follow the craving of his hunger. This morning, when no one was looking, he stole a piece of bread from a small bakery. He was caught. A child like him was inexperienced when it came to crime. It was survival instinct that taught him how to misbehave.

“I’m sorry….” He cried out, eating his own mucus while drinking his own tears.

Finally, his father got tired of beating him up and decided to call it for the day. Tomorrow was another day. It seemed he was his father’s punching bag, an object he used to dissipate his fury and disappointment in life.

The floor was his mattress as he laid resting, feeling the pain of his father’s abomination. Is it my fault that mama died? He thought as tears streamed out of his eyes. He did not seem to feel the cold of the bare floor where dust fell and covered the slippery surface.

“Why? Why Am I so unlucky? It’s not my fault to be born poor.” He cried out.

Those same words he spoke as a child kept on repeating whenever he was alone. The memory of the past kept haunting him down. Deep. Painful. Miserable. Those words described his childhood.

“Enough! Enough…….” He screamed as his hands clenched his hair, trying to get rid of a headache created by the trauma of his father’s beating.

Down to the floor, he laid almost in the same position as he was the night after he stole the piece of bread.

Head against the carpeted floor, his gaze was fixed on the huge mirror sitting on the floor, giving him the reflection of his soul.

“Who are you?” He asked himself, still staring in the mirror.

“I’m Anton Belinsky. A famous billionaire. A leader of the notorious and most feared mafia in the world. That child was dead, long time ago. I’m alive. Free. Successful. No one could beat me down anymore. No one. No one.”

However hard he tried to forget his past, it would always grab hold of his foot, pulling him down. Unless he learned to forgive. Only then he would find an inner remission that would set him free eternally from the bondage of his oppressed childhood.

Chapter One

Ripping the envelope, the sound of tearing paper increased her blood pressure. As she pulled the letter from its shelter, her hands quaked in great fear. She knew what it was. Something she foresaw coming. Something she’d been praying not to happen.

“Oh, please….” She cried out as she saw the Eviction Letter with her mother’s name on it.

“Mama…..” She called out. Her voice’s wavelength echoed all over the street.

Drinking coffee while watching her favorite program on T.V, she was perplexed to hear her daughter’s ear-splitting scream. What happened? She thought, alarmed that something was not right in the kitchen.

“What? Did you burn the patties I told you to cook for breakfast?” She asked, eyes wide open.

“No!” She replied, annoyed that she was oblivious to what was happening. “Did you know about this?”

Her mother knew exactly what she was talking about – it was fairly obvious. “Tasia. Look…..” She tried to explain, but Tasia cut in, exasperated that anytime soon, she might find her mother residing with other inmates.

“No. You know all about this, don’t you? Don’t lie to me.” Tears began to escape her eyes.

“Have a sit-down dear. I know you’re disappointed in me, but let me explain everything.”

“No! I don’t wanna hear your lies again. I’ve had enough of it. You told me you were not gonna gamble again. And yet, you did. How could you?” She cried in complete sadness as she imagined her mother being in jail.

“Please, sit down.”

Not knowing what to do, she was forced to sit down and hear her mother’s plea.

“Since your father died, I’ve been really lonely. Gambling is my only therapy, and you know that. I didn’t know what to do. I gambled what was left to us in hope to make it grow, and it did. That’s why I got you through to college.”

“I know that. But you told me you’re gonna stop.” Tasia cut in.

“Darling, you must understand that I’ve been really depressed lately when you were gone doing you studies. I couldn’t stay home. I’d go mad. Is that what you want? Tell me?”

Tasia felt what her mother was going through. She’d been there. She knew how it felt to be left out and abandoned. Of course, it was miserable. Who would want to be in that position? “So, what do we do now?”

“We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry about it so much. It’s my problem. It’s not yours to solve.”

Really? How could you say that? Tasia asked her mother in her thoughts. She was everything to her. And she would do almost anything to protect her. That was the promise she had made before her father died. A promise she had to keep.

****

Anton was wiping his .30 Carbine pistol when the brothers arrived from hunting. Raising his gun up slightly, he mirrored what they were doing through the shiny surface of his silver pistol.

“So how many did you manage to hunt?” He asked, wondering how much money they would earn out of the illegal weapons his brothers managed to trade.

“A couple.” One of them spoke.

“Give me the details.”

“20,000 pistols. 30,000 armalites. 15,000 shotguns. And 10,000 missiles.”

“Is that all?” He asked. His voice sounded like he was angry.

“Yes… We couldn’t convince the idiots to give us more shotguns. Instead, they gave us missiles.”

Turning around to face them, his face expressed a hint of danger. The brothers felt the sting of his stare.

“What are you gonna do with those freaking missiles? You all know not many wanted that crap. I told you to get shotguns, as many as you possibly can.”

“That’s the thing. They’ve run out. Oh, well. At least, that’s what they’ve said.”

“Assholes…. You should’ve blown their heads off.”

He turned again to put his pistol away.

“Go. Find our clients. Make sure you don’t mess up this time. Or otherwise, I’ll definitely blow all your heads off.”

The brothers were shocked. Fear clouded the atmosphere. They knew he was serious. A powerful and candid person like him could do almost anything with his money. They knew they were no match for him. One word – they might breathe their last.

Thinking about not having enough shotguns to provide his clients’ requests triggered his fury. Damn cunts, he thought. He walked back and forth repeatedly, trying to calm himself down. But the hatred pre-conceived as a kid always got the best of him.

He threw his pistol against the huge mirror. The sound of the mirror shattering into tiny pieces irritated him even more, inclining his already flaming temper. He wanted everything to be perfect. He was very organized. One mistake could turn him into a monstrous creature that everyone feared. He believed he could obtain everything through violence. At least, that was what he learned as he grew up.

He looked at his wristwatch for the time before dialing a number on the telephone.

“Hello? Sam, are you there?”

Sam was the old fellow who introduced him to the industry of mafia. He was an American man who traveled to Russia for illegal trading. Learning Anton’s crestfallen childhood forced him to help him reach his ambitious dream.

“Oh, hello there Anton. What brought you here?” He asked.

“I’m still in Russia. I’m coming over to talk about important stuff. If you know what I mean.”

He did not want to be so specific about the topic. He knew there might be FBI spies listening on the line. He’d seen it happened before to one of his brothers, and he was too wise to be fooled.

“Yeah, I know what you’re talking about. Just pop in. You know where I live, right?”

“Alright. Thanks!” Then he hung up the phone without even saying goodbye.

Chapter Two

Under a tree, Tasia sat on one of the benches in the park close to her house in Chicago, waiting for her cousin to arrive. The sun was in its full glory as it cast its tentacles all over the place. Thank goodness, a southerly breeze came in and whispered to her, drying the droplets of sweat all over her face.

As she gulped the last drop of water, she heard someone slam their car’s door with a mighty bang. She had a suspicion it was him. He liked a loud entourage to grab ladies’ attention.

“I knew it was you,” Tasia said as she turned her gaze to Nigel.

His X-Large yellow hoody shone brightly against the rays of the sun. His jewelry spoke that he was rich, not just pretending, pure 18 karat gold. His original NY hat covered his patchy, severely curled hair. But his outfit did not quite compliment his dark and shiny skin.

“Hello there, cousin. How have you been?” He gave her a hug and kissed Tasia’s cheeks as a token of his appreciation to see her after years of without.

“I’ve been well. What about you?” She asked, although she already knew the answer.

“Can’t you see?” He spanned his arms, showing off his expensive attire.

“Yeah, I see….” She agreed as her head bowed repeatedly.

They sat together, letting the heat of the moment calm down. After a couple of minutes, he noticed she became quiet.

“Tasia, you’re ok?”

“Ha? Ah, yeah… I’m ok, Nigel. I’m just thinking of Mama.”

“By the way, how’s Aunt Tonya?”

“Yeah… she’s fine.” Tasia’s voice hinted resignation, which he quickly read. She could not lie to him. They grew up together, and he knew exactly that she had something in mind. Or otherwise, she would not have called him to meet up.

He was aware this was not just a casual meeting. She needed something.

“Tasia.” Nigel’s voice was stern.

“Yeah?” She lazily replied.

“Tell me the truth. Is everything fine with you and Aunt Tonya?”

“Ha?” She was shocked. Did he know already?

“Don’t lie to me. I knew something was up. What is it? Is it money?”

“Ummm… Actually, you’re right. It’s money. I don’t know if you already know but –“ She paused, thinking whether she should tell the truth or not.

“But?” Nigel extended his neck, waiting for her to continue.

“Mama is going to jail, and we’ll be evicted soon.” Tasia looked away, trying to restrain the tears welling up in her eyes.

“What?” He asked in disbelief. He’d never imagined them being destitute. As a young lad, he remembered her father giving him money just to attend school. His death was hard for him to accept, but ascertaining his beloved aunt would be imprisoned was even harder to take in.

“What happened?” He continued.

“Don’t ask!” Tasia said rudely, turning her back on him.

“Look, I don’t mean to offend you in any way, but I need to know how I could help you.”

“I need money. And I-I don't know where to get it. I don’t earn as much as you probably do, and all my wages go towards the bills. Oooh…. I don’t know what to do.” She cried silently, not wanting to attract anyone’s attention.

Nigel felt guilty. While he was earning tons of money by illegal trading on the Black Market, his cousin was problematic about her mother’s debts.

“Look. I know of something that could help you pay off your mom’s debts.”

Tasia’s countenance brightened. A glimpse of hope lightened her heavy laden.

“Really? Oh, thank goodness. What is it?”

“Before that, I just wanna ask you something.”

“Yeah, sure. Tell me.”

“Whatever you heard in this place, stays in this place alone, ok?”

Suspicion dimmed her mind.

“Ok?”

“Ummm… Not sure. Tell me first.”

“No. Deal or No Deal? Choose one.”

Sighing, she could not say anything but to agree.

“Deal.”

“Alright. Here it goes.” Then he paused and looked at her in the eyes.

Please, just say it. She thought.

“I work as a trader in the Black Market.” He began.

“What?” His words drummed against her ears. She couldn’t believe it.

“Remember what you said.” He reminded her, making sure her tongue wouldn’t slip off and put him in tremendous trouble.

“Right. Continue.” Tasia inhaled deeply.

“That’s why I get a lot of money to buy these.” He pointed at his jewelry.

“So… if you want to earn a lot of money in an instant, I would introduce you to my boss. He’s black too like us, so I think you’d be fine. Just make sure you dress properly. No skirt. No tight-fitting blouses. And most of all, no stripping naked.” He laughed.

“Hey…. I ain’t a whore.” She laughed as well, sharing her cousin’s humorous jokes.

“So, what do you think?” He whispered, making sure no one was listening.

“Ummm… Let me think.”

“You can’t prolong this opportunity. There’s many out there who’re waiting to get in. So what? Yes, or no?”

“Oh, man… I don’t know….”

Fist clenching her arms, Nigel wanted an instant answer. “Tasia. Look, you’re doing this for your mother. Think of her first.”

Drawing a deep breath from within, Tasia finally said, “Yes.”

Although against her will, she had no choice. Family first before herself.

Sorry, Papa. I’m not doing this for myself, but for Mama. She’s going to jail, and you don’t want that, right?

Her eyes fixed on the cloudy sky.

Chapter Three

Ivories from Africa lay on the floor, perfectly aligned, allowing the traders to choose the best ones with the best prices. Guns. Armalites. Bombs. All sorts of stuff were laid out for everyone to choose from.

“Welcome back to the Black Market, Anton.” Sam placed his left arm around his shoulder as they discussed the matter intimately.

“I’ve told you already about the shotguns that you’ve ordered, right?” Anton spoke.

“Yes, son. Don’t worry about it too much now. Let me do the talking to our other brothers. I know they’d understand. If they don’t, they know what’s gonna happen.”

“Make it sure!” Anton replied.

Just around the corner, Tasia was standing still, letting everything sink into her head. She couldn’t believe she was actually taking part in illegal trading in a notorious market that the majority of average people did not know about.

She had been in the industry for a week now. But it felt like she was in a dream. A dream she hoped to be unreal with real money. It did not make sense. Nothing made sense. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. What am I doing here?

“Hey, don’t just stand there. Look for customers!” The other traders in her group yelled at her as if they were the boss.

Trembling. She opened her mouth to respond. “Yes, sir.”

“Hello everyone….. Come and see our cheap products here…. Yooohooo….” She tried her best, but it was not enough. In fact, it was not good at all. This was not a normal market. Professionalism was highly required in this field.

“What are you doing? That’s not how you call for customers. You’re booing them away.” Nigel told her in a quiet voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I-I just don’t know if I can do this any longer. It’s hard.”

“It’s just in the beginning. You’ll get used to it. Keep on trying.”

Anton noticed their muttering. It intrigued him. But what got his attention was Tasia. He had never seen her before, and he knew by experience and the way she acted, she was new to this field.

“Alright. I’ll try again.” She inhaled as she bravely spoke, not wanting to put her cousin in trouble.

“I’m gonna go now,” Nigel said. “They need me inside. We’re having a meeting.”

As soon as Anton saw him leave, he raised his foot towards Tasia’s direction. Hands in his pocket, he kept walking as his shoes made ticking noises of a clock. Approaching, she noticed him coming. Her heart gladdened. Finally, a customer who would purchase their products.

“Hello there, sir. How are you today?” She smiled as if she were a sales lady in a department store.

He was impressed by her attitude. In his mind, she had a place that could help his business grow. He could use her.

“What are you selling?” He asked.

Hearing his voice, she knew he was not an American. His accent was so strong that made her wonder which country he came from. Whenever he spoke a word, she found it cute. His golden brown hair that gleamed by the light of the yellow bulb made him so attractive. She liked brown-headed guys. They were sexy.

“Are you, ok?” He asked as he noticed her staring at him continuously, following his every move.

“Ha? Oh, yes. Of course. Sorry.” She stuttered.

He smiled. Seeing her freak out put a smile on his face. He liked whenever a woman was in a hurry. Her true self came out.

“We’re selling electronics, sir. The brand new IPhone 6 and 6S are here, look.” She pointed at the mobile phones on the left-hand side.

He was not genuinely interested in the stuff she was offering. He was more interested in her. He saw a potential in her – something that could benefit him.

“Let me ask you something. How much do you earn?”

“Come again?” She asked, surprised to be questioned such a private matter.

“I didn’t know you’re a bit deaf. I said, how much do you earn?”

“Sorry, sir. But in this country, privacy matters the most. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to answer your question.”

Smart woman. He thought. Instead of being annoyed by her rude response, his interest in her grew even larger.

Recognizing his voice, Nigel came out just to see what was going on. Eyes widened. Heart pumped wildly. He could not believe it.

“Anton Belinsky?” He was astonished. He’d only seen his photo on T.V as one of the most wanted mafia leaders in the world.

Anton looked up in wonder of who called his name.

“It’s you. Oh, goodness gracious me. Is this real?” Nigel asked himself as if he’d seen a celebrity.

“Who are you?” Anton asked in annoyance. He knew he was popular, but not with guys. He was a straight male.

“Oh, let me introduce myself. I’m Nigel Smith, from Chicago. I’m her cousin.” He pointed at Tasia.

She was shocked. What’s going on here?

Teleporting to her direction, Nigel pulled her in to whisper something that would change Tasia’s life forever. Something that would make her regret about what she said.

“He’s one of Sekret Rynka’s leaders. He’s from Russia and he’s freaking rich.”

Her eyes bulged out. Yes, she was convinced she was in a dream. Everything that was happening was unreal and fabricated by the figment of her imagination.

She laughed. Her white teeth exposed. Her eyes twinkled.

Anton smiled, finding her reaction amusing. Whatever the boy said to her, it did not matter to him.

Hearing something funny was going on, every member of Nigel’s team went out to join the conversation, including Big Boy, the boss who was a member of a rival mafia group.

“What’s going on here?” Big Boy asked.

After recognizing each other, Anton and Big Boy’s expressions fell in great dismay. Their mafias were not in harmony with each other. In the industry, everyone was so competitive. Greed. Hatred. Fear were the words to describe accurately their memberships.

“What are you doing here?” Big Boy asked again.

“I want to buy her. How much?”

Buy me? Tasia looked around for any woman. She tried her best but found none. Her heart beat raced. Every sprint made her gasp for air. Were they selling her?

“I don’t sell anything that I own.” Big Boy spat.

How dare you! I’m not even yours, asshole!

“$1 Million. Cash.” Anton said stoically.

“No Deal.”

Tasia cut in. She couldn’t help but to break her silence. She needed to make sure she was not being sold. Human trafficking was illegal. But in this industry everything was legal. No law. No rule and regulation. Nothing at all. They did as they pleased.

“Wait….” Before she could even say the next word, one man grabbed her aside by the mouth to keep her from talking.

“I’m not going to make this any longer. $3 Million. Fixed. Take it or leave it.”

Big Boy knew that a mafia leader like him never made any joke. They were always serious. Covetousness took over.

“Deal.”

What? She thought she was going to pass out. After he had announced that she was sold, every word she heard was like a loud cymbal. What could she do? Just before she started working for Big Boy, she signed a contract allowing him to govern parts of her life in exchange for a large amount of cash. She was heedless that it was going to be this big.

Mama and Papa, forgive me. I didn’t know what I was doing. Please, help me! She cried.

Chapter Four

A bolt of pain struck Tasia’s head. Every nerve in her brain must have been shaken up as she felt so dizzy. Oh, I think I drank too much. She thought.

As she opened her eyes, she found out she was not in a dream. Not at all.

Casting the duvet cover away, a cold breeze touched her delicate skin. She looked down. Sure enough, she was naked. She had neither clothes nor underwear.

“Aaaah…..” She screamed at the top of her voice. She almost reached the dolphin note.

She heard someone running to her direction. Quickly, she grabbed the duvet back and covered her voluptuous body. Her breasts were quintessentially round. And her nipples were a little darker than her skin tone. Her vagina was impeccably flawless.

“What’s the matter, ma’am?” The housekeeper asked.

By the look on her visage, Tasia knew she was a few years older than her. She was twenty-six. The housekeeper must have been in her late twenties to early thirties. She had a great body like her. Only, she was lighter.

“Where am I?” Taskia asked.

“You don’t know?”

“Just tell me!” Tasia yelled.

She was heedless Anton was just outside listening to their conversation. Before the housekeeper could even open her mouth to explain, he appeared from behind. In an instant, she recognized him from the Black Market.

“You –“ Tasia accused. Anger and frustration clouded her perception. She could no longer think straight whenever she saw him.

“Ostavit’ nas v pokoye.” Anton commanded his servant. It was a Russian phrase for leave us alone.

Tasia hurled the pillows at him without thinking of what he might do. “You’re a godless man. You’re an animal! How dare you to purchase me, you’re an asshole!”

“Listen. Please, listen to me.”

Anton’s words did not pierce through her eardrums. Her ears were shut, disallowing his deception to enter her head. Once was enough.

“You’re an animal! You’re an animal……” She kept on screaming the same words over and over again.

Anton must have had enough of her big mouth. He approached her and then grabbed her wrist as he pulled her up, forcing her to stand up.

Slipping down, the duvet sheet no longer hid her shame as her nakedness revealed itself to his eyes. He’d forgotten she was naked.

“Hands off me!” She screamed at him while at the same time spat at his face.

He was shocked. He remembered the day when his father spat in his face for being so weak to endure his oppression. He was a child back then. Now, he was a full grown man.

“How dare you!” His fist met her face. She was thrown back to the bed.

Her round bottom faced him. He could see the gap in between her legs that led to her vagina. He felt lecherous to rape her, but he allowed his morals to take over. He did not want to prove to her he was a godless man. If she only knew what he’d been through, maybe then she might have retained her anger a little bit.

“Look. I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to lay my hands on you. I-I was just so… so carried away. Please, forgive me.” He kneeled down.

She continued sobbing.

“Please, face me,” He begged. As he stared at her, an unexplainable sadness pinched his heart. Perhaps, he could see himself in her. He was now starting to realize that he was becoming like his father, if not worse.

Warm. Comfortable. Cosy. It was Anton’s bear coat that curtained her back, preventing her from catching a cold. All of a sudden, she stopped crying.

On the brink of going far from her room, he heard her voice.

“Wait,” She said.

“Yes?”

“Why? Why did you buy me? Don’t you know my mother is in debt, and she’s going to jail? Maybe she is already.” Her voice croaked.

“I know.”

His words hit her ears. It was painful. How did he know?

“Before I took you here to Russia, I made sure I cleared everything up. Don’t you worry, your mom is fine. She’s no longer in debts. It’s been paid. You can relax now.”

Russia. Am I in freaking Russia? That was her initial worry. She was miles away from home. But when she heard her mother was fine and no longer in debt, she began to calm down and breathe smoothly.

She stood up. As her legs stretched out, she made up her mind. It was now time to change. She needed to put her old self away. That girl who was so naïve of her surroundings was dead. She was now a new creature. Bulletproof – nothing to lose. She thought she’d already lost her virginity, so what else could be taken away from her? Her life? She was no longer afraid to die, especially now that she knew her mother was in the good situation.

“What do you want from me? How could I repay you?” Tasia turned to face him. Hands against her waist as if she was a black wonder woman. Still naked. But fierce.

“Aren’t you gonna cover your body? Use the duvet, perhaps?” Anton asked.

“You’ve already taken my virginity. So, what’s the point?”

“Oh…. No, you’re wrong. I-I didn’t…..”

Tasia cut in. “Do you have woman’s clothes in your wardrobe? I’m sure you do. You’re a billionaire, right. You could do everything.”

All of a sudden, Anton felt afraid of what he’d made her become. Who is she?

Chapter Five

Hours became days. Days became weeks. Weeks became months. And since then, Anton had never seen the sweet Tasia he once adored. She was a fast learner. Within weeks of watching, she’d mastered everything about the mafia. She became their new rookie. An asset in case their operation failed.

“Tasia, go and get Anton. Tell him we’re having a meeting within thirty minutes.” Java commanded her.

Java was the big boss of Sekret rynka. He was the founder and the most flagrant leader. He would spare no one if found guilty of breaching the rules and regulations. He’d done it before, and he would do it again.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Tasia slammed her fist against Anton’s door.

No one answered.

What is he doing? She thought, intrigued by what he was up to. “Hey, dirty monkey. Come out.”

The longer Tasia stayed with them, the more she became like them. She was beginning to lose her manners.

Ten minutes of seeking Anton worried her. Although she hated him beyond measure, an inevitable attraction was prominent. Over the past few months, he’d proven himself to be a gentleman. Losing him still scared her. Indeed, she hated him but cared for him at the same time. She was confused. She was in a crazy world of criminals.

“This is not a good joke, Anton. I command you to come out in this instance!” Tasia said with authority in her voice.

Realizing the situation was getting serious. She ran out to tell Java. But a mournful voice grabbed her attention. She listened carefully to where it was coming from.

Is he underneath the bed? But why? She asked herself in great wonder of what he was doing in there.

“Tasia?” Anton said weakly.

Pink roses sprung up on her cheeks as she blushed. She couldn’t help herself but to wrap her arms around him and keep him warm. He hugged her back, feeling the tenderness of her body. How he’d wished to do this before.

“Are you alright?” She asked softly as if she was talking to a child.

He nodded, assuring her he was fine.

“Just wait ok. I’m just gonna tell Java that you’re sick. I know he’d understand.”

But Anton refused to let go of her.

“Anton, I’m coming back. I promise.”

Before leaving, she put him first in bed, assuring he was comfortable and well wrapped to trap the hit in his body. Then she went to see Java in the meeting room.

“I’m going to stand proxy for Anton. He’s sick.”

“What? Tell him to stop being a pussy and get his ass over here.” Java yelled.

Everyone was tamed. Except, of course, Tasia.

“No! He’s sick and under the rules and regulations of Sekret rynka, I commit myself as Anton’s proxy.”

Everyone laughed. But at the same time, they found her really bold to speak up against the big boss.

“Just this time, Tasia. You’ve used your luck already. You only get one chance.” Java eyed her creepily, patronizing every nerve of her body.

But she was not afraid. Not at all.

“The reason I’ve gathered every leader in this meeting is because…. a member in this table breached a decree. He knows who he is, and he better prepare himself.”

A man beside Tasia was sweating heavily. Every drop was counted. One by one.

“Everyone knows that a leader must be committed. And that commitment means putting your life in service. That commitment means giving up ever marrying and having a family.” Java paused and glanced around the table. “But one brave and rather an audacious man tried to raise his foot against us. We all know what the outcome is, right Albert?”

He was the person beside her.

“Please, let me explain. I broke up with her long time ago, and she aborted the baby already, so, so ….” He stuttered, trying to find the right words.

Tassia was getting petrified. She’d never seen this before. Was she regretful of her decision of being his proxy?

“So, so….? You’re dead.” Java pulled the trigger right through his head.

Everything happened quickly. It was clean. She did not even realize he was dead already. She was traumatized.

Java noticed her shaking.

“Tasia. Get used to this. This is normal. It’s part of your life now. So get over it.”

****

“Tasia? Hey, Tasia. Are you awake?” Anton was trying to wake her up. She was sitting beside his bed, asleep.

He was now in good condition after she took care of him. It turned out he caught Malaria, the same disease that killed her mother. Without her, he might have lost his life as well. Outsiders were not allowed to enter the warehouse where they stayed. It was a perilous move – something to be taken seriously. They never knew, a medical operator might be a spy, disguised in a white uniform.

Anton shoved her hair away from her face gently, exposing his naturally tanned face. What he loved the most was her bone structured face. She could be a supermodel, but, for now, she was his role model.

“I’m so sorry, Tasia. I never meant to take you away from home. I admit I planned to use you to smuggle stuff from America to here, in Russia. But you gave me more than what I wanted. So thank you!”

With teary eyes, he imparted a mellifluous kiss on her forehead. How he wished to see the soft side of him. A tear fell. It touched her cheek that woke her up.

“What’s that?” She thought there was a leak in the ceiling.

Still not in her normal senses, she rose up to see how Anton was doing. Touching his forehead, his hand traveled on top of hers. A chill swam in her spine to her neck. She had goose bumps.

“Anton?”

“Tasia…”

“Oh, thank goodness you’re alright. Are you feeling well now?”

“Yes. Thanks, Tasia.”

Dropping down, she embraced him tightly, showing that she had grown to love him.

They stared at each other in disbelief. Who would have thought that enemies, in the beginning, became lovers at the end?

Unable to hold back, he pulled her closer to him. Their lips intertwined, sharing their long awaited oneness. Placing his hands on both sides of her face, he kept on devouring her lips. As they exchanged saliva, he began sliding her blouse away.

She took her blouse off completely. He rose up to help her undo her bra. Sitting on his lap, she offered her neck to be kissed. To her invitation, he helped himself do so. He ran his tongue around her scruff, tasting every flavor of her skin. It was salty, but at the same time sweet and sour. The sensual sensation must have made him imagine all sorts of relishes.

Pulling his shirt off, the smell of his manliness was so addictive. Russian smell was by far stronger and nicer. She lowered her head down to his neck and began kissing. Running her wet tongue along his ears made him moan in pleasure, instead of tingling away.

She leaned back, supported by his hands. Arms were wrapped around his neck as she swirled her head as if she was being exorcised. Feeling his mouth roaming around her breasts, she moaned and moaned as her body wriggled in excitement.

“Oooh… Yeah. More. More….” She pleaded.

He bit on her nipples. He lifted her up, and then put her down again. Then they stopped.

Feet stomping outside their room. Who could it be? Did they know they were making love?

“Don’t worry about them. Please, continue.” She said, annoyed to be interrupted.

So he did.

Pulling her panties down, her vagina smiled at him with great delight. It was perfectly hairless – virgin to shave. As he touched it and started rubbing it with his sandy hands, she moaned even louder.

Inserting his middle finger into her pussy, Tasia spread her legs wide open. As his finger slid in, she clenched the mattress at both sides. Her body tingling repetitively as his finger sprinted faster and faster.

Moaning veiled the room. Its sound’s spectra echoed in every corner. Hope no one was outside listening to their adulterous love.

Before bringing his face down to her vulva, he looked up first to see how she was coping. Noticing he was looking at her, she brought her gaze to him. Seeing his blazing green eyes that shimmered in anticipation made her love him even more. It seemed the bad memories she’d had about him was starting to fade away now. One flake at a time, like the snow outside.

After munching on her front bottom, he lifted his body up and then unzipped his zipper before pulling his pants down. He motioned his hand for her to suck his penis. But she seemed to be refusing the opportunity to taste it. The size must have overwhelmed her.

“You don’t want to?” He asked, wondering whether she’d ever had any experience like this.

“No. I’ve never done that before,” She replied, explaining herself.

“Just try.”

To his persuasion, she was compelled to give a go.

Wrapping her hand around it made her heart drive 100KM. She was freaking out. This is huge, she thought as she put it in her mouth. His shaft was around eight inches in length and five-centimeter in diameter. It was humongous.

Leaning his head back, he felt her warm and luscious tongue playing around his penis like a lollypop. So good…. He moaned.

After a minute or so, he decided it was the right time for intimate pounding. He pushed her down back to the bed against the soft and fluffy pillows. She was surprised. But at the same time, she felt elevated to feel him filling her up from flesh to soul.

Thrusting his shaft into her deepest hole, a sensitive part of a woman where they felt vulnerable, he could feel her vagina tightening up, gripping his dick. But he was persistent to reach her end, and so he did. As he kept on sliding it back and forth, slowly at first, she felt eased and relaxed, but as he continued pounding her – it became a sprint rather than a marathon.

Anton did not care about the journey. He liked being rough and dominant when it came to sex. He liked it hard.

“Aaaah…” Tasia screamed.

But he quickly covered her mouth worried the other brothers would find out what they were up to. They were cruel and without mercy. One mistake was equivalent to the death penalty. Life was cheap.

“Don’t make much noise. They might hear us.” He hushed her up.

“Sorry!”

Little did they know someone was outside the door – listening.

Chapter Six

Everything went normally between Tasia and Anton. They treated each other no different as before. They did not want to make the brothers suspect them too much. It was dangerous. One snare, everything could go wrong.

“Hey, Tasia,” Anton called her from afar.

She was busy monitoring the surveillance cameras around the warehouse’s perimeter. She was in charge of it when Albert, whom Java shot in the head, died. The pressure was on.

“Hey…. Tasia. Here….” He hissed as he noticed her looking around, trying to find out where the sound was coming from.

The excitement came into her. She loved seeing him now, especially after the night they spent together. It had been three months, and, since then, they had never been able to meet up one on one. There were plenty of eyes roaming around.

The brothers were starting to be suspicious of their relationship.

“Hey, what are you doing in here? This is not your department. We might get in trouble if we get caught.”

Tasia smacked Anton’s shoulder, signifying she wanted his presence. She was flirting.

“Do you want to take a walk outside?” He asked as he pulled something from his pocket.

“What? Are you insane? It’s cold out there. Can’t you see?”

“Look. I bought two tickets for the cinema. One for you and one for me. Yah?”

“Ummm… I-I don’t know. He might see us.”

“Don’t worry, Java is out of the country. He’s in Ukraine and won’t be back until tomorrow night.”

“Are you sure?”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“Have you?” She frowned her brows, thinking of the moments he lied to her.

He laughed. He knew what she was talking about.

Ten millimeters of snow covered the face of roads around Ablina Ulitsa Street where the warehouse was located. Withered trees were clothed with white blankets. Although the sun was blazing in its full glory, its heat barely touched Tasia and Anton’s faces as they walked to the cinema.

He looked at his watch.

“Why do you keep looking at your watch?” She asked.

“Ah, that… I’m just making sure I keep track of the time. Just for some private reasons.”

“Private reasons?” Her eyebrows met in wonder.

“Yeah….”

He promised to her he was not going to lie ever again, but it seemed deception was sewed in his mouth. As he finished talking, he remembered his father who kept looking at his watch when his mother was in the hospital – on the edge of death. That stuck in his mind.

Every time he looked at his wristwatch he remembered him, wondering whether he was still alive or already resting underground.

“Hey, let’s help the lady.” Tasia yelled as she saw a black lady slip over, caused by the slippery snow.

“What?” He asked, back to his senses again.

Following her, he was astonished to see her gentle side. That side of her that he fell in love with.

“Are you alright, lady?”

“Are you from America?” The old lady asked, noticing Tasia’s appearance.

“Yes. What about you?”

“Me too. Hey –“ She pulled her closer, aware that Anton was fast approaching.

“Be careful around here. I know there’s something going on in that huge factory over there. Take care of yourself!”

She was talking about the warehouse where she worked. All of a sudden her poor mother came to her mind. How’s she doing? She wondered as loneliness crept into her.

“Hey, are you ok?” Anton asked Tasia with deep concern in his voice.

“My mom… I miss my Mama. I want to go back home, Anton. Please help me!”

Beads of tears began to take shape around her eyes. He could feel how she missed her mother. Because he experienced it himself.

“What? I-I can’t. You know why, don’t you?”

He took her hands and placed them over his shoulders as he drew her into him.

She kept sobbing. Tears wetted his coat, but he did not mind.

She pushed him away as she felt her stomach turning. Spewing out, she released the cereals she’d eaten for breakfast out of her mouth. To her aid, he wrapped his own coat around her for extra warmth, despising the chilling wind. He thought it was just a simple cold. But it was far greater and risky.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I must have eaten –“ She paused as she continued vomiting.

Arriving back to the warehouse, Java was by the door waiting. His weight was as heavy as his anger. He was pissed off. The rest of the brothers who flew to Ukraine with him were arrested. Now, he needed to dissipate his anger to someone.

“Where you been? Both of you?” He interrogated.

“We’ve just gone for a walk,” She replied as her voice trembled.

Touch her and you’ll see what will happen. Anton said to himself as he noticed she was terrified.

“I told you not to leave your department, didn’t I?” He shouted at her as his saliva spat at her face. Disgusting.

Then, Java grabbed Tasia’s arm.

But before he could pull her in, Anton grabbed her back as quick as lightning. “Don’t touch her!” He said in a very stern and candid tone, indicating he was serious.

“Anton! What are you doing?”

“She’s my rookie. I brought her here. She’s under my supervision. Let go of her!”

Anton’s eyes flamed in vexation. Java knew when he was serious. Out of respect to the rules and regulations, he pushed her away back to him.

“You better take care of your rookie. She’s used every luck she has.” He said as he spat to the floor.

As they walked away, he called one of his slaves by finger sign, a code of quiet calling.

Eyes must be vigilant.

“I want you to spy those two. I smell something fishy is going on between those two monkeys. Find out what it is.”

“Yes, sir.” The servant saluted.

It was him, the person who was outside their door that night.

Chapter Seven

Why do my breasts hurt so much?

Tasia was looking in the bathroom’s mirror, examining her growing body. She had been sick for the past few days with severe nausea and cold. She thought it was because of the changing weather, but she was heedless of something that was springing up within her.

“Hey, Tasia. We’re having a fitness check-up in a couple of minutes. So hurry up!” One of the brothers must have been told by Java to call her.

“Yeah… I’ll be there in a minute.”

Getting to the assembly area, she saw Anton standing opposite her where the leaders sat along with the huge monster.

Fitness in Sekret rynka mafia was taken seriously. They had to be extremely fit to perform important tasks. There was no room for any lanky member.

One. Two. Three….. Fifty-four had gone through the check-up, and now it was her turn.

As soon as she stepped on the scale, the red arrow quickly swayed to the right.

“You need to reduce your diet. You’re too unfit and heavy. Watch your weight!” The checker said to her with contempt in his voice.

Java cut in.

“I thought you don’t have any appetite, Tasia? Why are you getting fatter and fatter every day?”

She couldn’t breathe. His words stung.

She laughed, instead, purchasing time to make up a convincing lie to cover up her mischievousness.

“Hahaha….. Sorry, but I’ve been eating chocolates lately. I have a sweet tooth, so I love candies.”

Java’s squinted eyes narrowed. He knew something was not right. He was just waiting for her to confess. But he knew she would not sing as quick as she could find a way to get away with it.

“Very well. You may continue your work.”

“Thanks!”

****

“Hey, tell me. Is there something that I need to know about?” Anton asked as he followed Tassia everywhere she went. From the kitchen, even to the bathroom.

“Nothing. I’ve already told you I’m fine. I’m good as a cow.” She giggled pretentiously.

“Don’t lie to me. I know you’re keeping something. What is it? Do you have cancer, or bulimia, perhaps?”

“Don’t be stupid! How many times do I need to repeat myself – I’m freaking fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Although he knew she was getting extremely annoyed now, he still kept asking to find out what was bugging her.

“Why’s your stomach getting bigger and bigger every week? Is it true you’ve been eating chocolates?”

Her silence responded to his question. Why did he need to ask?

“Hey, answer me. I feel like I don’t exist in your life anymore.”

She finally broke her silence. “Do you really want to know?”

The way she said it struck him. He knew something was not right.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“I-I don’t know if I can –“ She turned away as she embraced herself, trying to comfort her own sadness.

“Trust me. I’ll never judge you.”

“Anton. I-I….. I’m pregnant.”

Chapter Eight

Java had known it before Anton did.

He and his henchmen were out to hunt them down.

They would track every corner of the globe just to kill them.

Anton knew it.

For that reason, he decided to fly her back to America. But not to Chicago, but Pennsylvania where no one knew who she was.

“Time is running out! It’s almost daylight. Sooner or later he’ll be here to shoot us all down. Hurry up!” The pilot shouted in anxiousness.

Anton managed to convince his pilot friend to return her to where she came from. It was a costly move. Millions were spent just to keep her and their baby safe. He must have used a quarter of his fortune to ensure his family was taken care of.

Rain of tears kept on pouring down her face as he wiped her cheeks in shared agony with her.

“Why? Why does it need to end like this? Anton…. Please, please… come with me.”

As she let her words fall, his heart was being torn in half. No one foresaw this coming. Neither him nor her. As in no one. Everything could happen in a blink of an eye.

“I-I can’t….” He sobbed.

“But why? We can live far away from here. In Alaska? Or even…..” She paused thinking of a place they could hide.

“Antarctica? What? Say something!” She cried out.

“No matter how hard we try you know he’ll track us down. You don’t know him, Tasia. He’s a nefarious man.”

“I don’t care. If you’re gonna stay here, I’m gonna stay too. We’ll die together.”

“Are you insane? What about the child in your womb? Our child. Don’t you care about it? Your mom? Please, don’t make it hard for yourself and me. Go now. I beg you!”

As soon as he dropped the last word, a tumultuous sound of roaring cars dominated the quiet atmosphere in the private airport’s runway where the airplane was waiting. Her tears dried up as her heart quickened beating. She was alarmed.

What would she do now?

“Go now….” He pushed her toward his friend.

She screamed and screamed. The veins in her neck almost ripped out of her skin.

His pilot friend seized her as he pulled her into the airplane.

“Let go of me! Anton….” She squealed.

The plug door slammed. She could not see him anymore.

Whirling in a circle, the propeller whistled loudly as it was about to take off. Gun shots fired in the mid-air, aiming at the airplane for it to stop. Bullets made out of bronze were no match against the steeled surface of the flying fish, specifically designed for heavy duty.

“You betrayed us! How dare you –“ Java’s fist crashed against Anton’s jaw.

He blocked out.

****

Damped. Cold. Filthy.

Anton’s hands were tied on a thick plumbing steel pipe under the warehouse. Mice were licking his wounds as they squeaked and squealed in delight. He was still unconscious.

“What are we gonna with this mongrel? He’s a traitor. He deserves to be killed. He breached the rules and regulations of Sekret rynka.” One of the brothers said.

“Just wait. We need to find out where she’s gone first.” Java spoke.

Cold and dirty water from the drainage splattered all over Anton’s face, forcing him to wake up.

“Hey, traitor. Wake up!”

“Ha?” Anton weakly replied.

“Where is she?” Java yelled.

A sudden worry crept into Anton. Tasia?

“Hey, I’m talking to you. Answer me!”

A horse’s riding crop whipped against his face, head, neck, chest – anywhere it hit. It was painful like his father’s beating when he was just a kid. His most feared nightmare came to life. He hated pain. He’d had his fair of it since he was a boy. But, would he give in?

“I-I don’t know,” He replied weakly.

“Liar!” Another whip struck his face.

Flesh split in half, his wound kept oozing blood. He was determined to keep his family safe. Although he never wished to leave his unborn child fatherless, he could not afford to lose them either. One way or the other, someone had to make a sacrifice.

He already made a decision. And he was adamant to stick with it. Death’s grip had no power over him.

“Tell me, or else I’m gonna tear you and your slut girl into pieces.”

Slut? How dare you! Fury boiled in Anton’s blood. “Be careful with your mouth, you fat cunt!”

Java stepped back slightly, frightened to see him turned red in wrath.

“What would you do now? You’re bound and helpless. No one can help you. She’s not here, and she’ll be gone forever when I find the cave she’s hiding in.”

“Don’t you dare lay your hands on her. I have many tentacles, Java. I could easily kill you in this instance.”

“Oh, really? What about if I cut one off?”

He whipped his left leg repeatedly to the point where Anton could no longer bear the pain in silence. He screamed in an agonizing cry, calling Tasia’s name for help. He kept on struggling, and at one point the rusty plumbing pipe broke where he was tied on.

Java fell over by the pipe’s impact. It hit his right thigh, pushing him away.

Realizing luck was on his side for the first time, he stood up in relief. A shadow in the drainage caught his attention. Papa? He thought as he saw his father’s reflection in the dirty water.

It must have been his own hallucination created by his initial insensibility during the time he was unconscious.

It as it gave him the strength to face Java.

“I told you I have many tentacles. Bad grass is hard to die. Say your last prayer.”

No one was left in the underground, except Anton alone.

It was now Java’s turn to taste the dose of his own medicine.

Chapter Nine

Sitting by the window, Tasia’s mother, Tonya, was thinking about her daughter. She was regretful of gambling their house for the sake of her entertainment. Tasia had not come back home for over a year now. She spent Christmas alone. No gifts. No Christmas trees. Just a simple meal.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Someone was outside the entrance door.

“Who’s that?” Tonya yelled.

No one answered. Instead, the knock kept on going, louder and louder.

For goodness’ sake. Who’s that? “I’ll be right there. Hang on minute….”

As she opened the door, a slim black woman stood before her with a baby girl clutched in her arm. She did not recognize her. She had changed so much. That little girl she had once taken care of was now a full grown woman.

“Tasia? Is that you?” Tears welled up in Tonya’s eyes. Disbelief clouded her mind.

“Mama?” Tasia began to cry.

“It’s you. Thank goodness, you’re alive. Oh, my daughter…”

Lifting her arms up, Tonya let them rest on her daughter’s shoulders as she pulled her in closer, savoring the moment. Every second of it was more precious than diamonds. It was a gold that can never be purchased, its value beyond a price one could afford.

The baby smiled at her grandmother sweetly, entertained by her reaction.

“Is that my granddaughter, Tasia?”

“Yes, Mama. Her name is Alexis.”

“Oh, sweet heaven. She’s beautiful!”

“Like mother, like daughter.” She laughed.

“Where’s your husband?”

“Ummm… Let’s talk about that inside Mama. I don’t think this is a good place for that topic.”

“Yes, of course. Sorry, darling. Come on in.” Tonya shut the door.

****

It had been days since Tasia had arrived back in Chicago. Since then, she had been praying that her mother would not ask about Alexis’ father. She thought Anton was already dead, and she did not want to keep her hope up, afraid to be hurt again.

Since he was gone, Alexis had been her source of strength. She was the reason she found the courage to visit her mother again. Without her child, she would have gone insane by now.

“Alright, Alexis, mommy and grandma will take you to the park. You like that, don’t yah?”

Alexis giggled, exposing her toothless gums.

“Mama…”

“Yes, Tasia?”

“Are you ready? I’m gonna take Alexis to the car, alright?”

“Yes, darling. Just make sure you put her in the car-seat. She’s not allowed in the front passenger seat.”

“Cool. Thanks!” Tasia made her way down the stairs to the carport where the car was parked.

Driving to the park, Anton came to her remembrance as she noticed Alexis was sleeping. She really looks like her dad when she’s asleep.

As they came to stop at the intersection, Tonya noticed her agitated face. “Is there something bothering you?”

“Ha? Ah, no… I’m alright, Mama. I’m just thinking of what we should feed Alexis when she wakes up.” She lied.

Truth be told. She was thinking of Anton.

Sitting on a red picnic mantle, she watched her baby crawl around. How she wished Anton was there to see their daughter’s growth. But he was not. He was dead. As least that was what she thought.

Not far off, Anton stood under a tree, trying to find the courage to approach his family. Papa, if you ever hear me, please help me be a father that I should be to my daughter.

Since the time Anton saw his father’s reflection during the fight with Java, he was convinced his father had long desired his forgiveness. As Anton allowed himself to forgive, a sense of relief followed him all the time. It was the power of forgiveness that had taught him healing.

A cold breeze hissed at him. Goosebumps stood up on his skin. Was it his father’s spirit who was helping him out?

“Alexis, don’t go that far,” Tasia told her daughter.

Oblivious to who was behind her, a hand grabbed Tasia’s shoulder. She recognized his smell and the texture of his palm. Don’t tell me his ghost is haunting me?

Every doubt was abolished when she heard him speak.

“Tasia?”

She could not get it wrong. His strong, but soft Russian accent was remarkable.

“Anton?” She excitedly turned.

Gems of precious tears began to roll down involuntarily from their eyes. They were both speechless – tamed with surprise and gladness that miracles really do happen. And a happy ending was possible.

“How did you find us?” She asked with thankfulness in her voice.

“I’d do everything to find you and our daughter.”

He shifted his gaze at Alexis while she was crawling around, exploring her skills. She got her golden brown hair from her father. Her eyes were Hazel, a little bit lighter than her mother’s eyes. But her skin tone was mixed. A little lighter than Tasia’s. And a little darker than Anton’s.

“She’s beautiful. She looks just like you, Tasia. Can I hold her?”

“Yes, of course. She’s your daughter, you know. Our child.” Tasia blushed.

Taking her up from the ground, she wiggled her hands as she played with her father’s nose and eyes. Her smile was priceless. Suddenly Anton felt that same sensation of love that his father must have felt when he had held Anton for the first time.

Watching, Tasia was crying. The tears of pain and sorrow were replaced with tears of joy and thanksgiving. Finally, they could now live in peace and harmony without worrying about tomorrow.

She stood up, and then approached them. As she did, Anton wrapped his arm around her while the other was holding Alexis – the chain that interlocked them together.

****

THE END