Big Bad Rancher: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance by Tia Siren (17)

“I don’t understand,” I said.

“He took bribes, loaned his services out for favors, and even kidnapped public officials. He’s dirty.”

I thought for a moment. “Wait, you stayed his partner while knowing all this?”

“I’ve done some things I’m not entirely proud of to keep my country safe. For doing so, I have been rewarded with great success.”

A shock of horror crept upon the back of my mind as I tried to understand the man before me. I had only known him for the last few months when he would come into my gallery and buy pieces for his own collection. To imagine the sweet man that I met as a thug and a gangster was becoming unbearable.

I stood up and walked to the door, unthinkingly. It was still locked. I felt Viktor’s arms around me again, and I lingered for a moment.

“Where’s the key?”

He didn’t appear to be in a talking mood, but I wasn’t in the mood for intimacy. I pushed him off and searched around for the key, which I spotted on the floor.

“Don’t go.”

I looked him in the eyes as he begged me to stay. It was a soulful look, a look of longing, and it was difficult to say goodbye.

“Goodbye, Viktor.”

I twisted the key in the lock, while replacing my mask, and made quickly for the front door. I could hear Viktor coming from behind, but he was too late.

I pulled myself into the car I had arrived in, which wasn’t too far from the entrance, and my driver knew I was ready to leave.

I removed my mask and turned to Viktor, who stood at the end of the red carpet, in an attempt to get my attention.

I couldn’t tell if it was my imagination or not, but I could make out the appearance of the same masked man from before, this time, it seemed he was staring at my car. If I weren’t in such a foul mood, I might have found myself more than a little unnerved.

My phone began buzzing before I reached the end of the driveway, it was Viktor calling me. I couldn’t think of anything he could say that might calm me down right now. I’m not a person who gets involved with gangsters, but now that I had was it really so bad?

Viktor was still a good man, in my eyes. I had never seen him treat anyone with disrespect, and that included the few times I met his personal driver.

The odd part of the night was that I couldn’t help but find his new persona, the dangerous and wild gangster, as a serious turn on. I could feel my chest grow heavier as I thought about it more, and my brain was alight with possibility. I slept with a gangster, and I was having his baby.

I tried my best to think of something else, but the more I denied myself the pleasure, the stronger it became. I could feel myself becoming more aroused by the second. The yearning I had for his touch took over my hands, giving them a mind of their own as they caressed my gentle curves.

I was snapped from my fantasy by the car coming to a stop in front of my apartment. The driver was already walking around to my door, so I tried my best to hide my excitement.

I have a suspicion that he knew what was on my mind, considering the cheeky smile that seemed plastered on his face. My cheeks were flush with embarrassment as I half sprinted up the stairs toward my room.

Once inside my apartment I stripped the elegant gown off and felt the need for a cold shower. It was my own impulses that got me into this mess, and now I wondered how I would get out of them.

I can’t say I enjoy cold showers, but they always help kill the mood. I wondered if perhaps it was my own hormones starting to affect my mood in some fashion.

2.

I was still a little angry when I woke up. My phone had still not been turned on, and I deigned to do so. Still, I had a business that needed to be run, so begrudgingly clicked on the device.

It flashed to life and delivered several text messages and voice mails that I could already tell weren’t from prospective clients. I wasn’t interested in reading anything from Viktor, today. So, I crammed the phone in my purse.

The wind blew cold through the window I had forgotten to close; which was odd, as I rarely opened that window, but I have been known to forget my own actions in the past. The rush of cold air perked up goosebumps on my naked skin, and I relented to putting clothes on.

My dress lay on the floor, still in a heap, waiting for me to take proper care of it. I wasn’t too keen on having so expensive a thing get destroyed so soon, so I plucked it from its rest and hung it in the closet.

I wasn’t sure what it was that I saw, but I know I saw something out of place once again. My shoes, which I normally keep in proper order, had somehow found themselves disheveled. A few of my dresses as well were shoved to the wrong side of the closet, as well.

It only took a moment to put them back, but still frustrating to have even a minor amount of cleaning that need be done so early in the morning.

I kept having a nagging feeling in the back of my brain; it kept telling me to get out of there; just put everything down and leave, go see Viktor. Still, my anger at him for being what he was denied me the comfort of that possibility.

However, just because I didn’t want to go to Viktor for help didn’t mean I wouldn’t find some sort of safe haven to assuage my mounting nerves.

I dressed for work in a flash, even taking a minute to enjoy my outfit in the mirror before leaving. I always did look good in darker red clothing; it mixed well with my darker skin tone.

A creak from the hallway snapped me from my mindless admiring, and I felt a greater urgency to leave.

I took a quick peek into the hallway of my building, which was thankfully empty, and figuring it safe enough, left my apartment.

The safest place I knew was my gallery, I knew every nook and cranny, every sight and sound; it was home. It sat a fairly close two blocks away from my apartment, which was as far as I really would consider walking in the city.

I could already make out the familiar glass viewing windows, and spectacular pieces I had arranged for all to see.

I whipped out my keys and tore open the door, immediately shutting and relocking the heavy glass portal behind me. I figured the glass would, at least, let me see people coming.

My phone buzzed again, and I once again ignored it. I knew it was still Viktor trying to get my attention. With a sigh of relief, I made way for my office in the back room of the gallery, and a twist of the key brought me into the inviting cubby that was my office.

It truly was a cozy place, as I had enough room to sit at my desk for paperwork when the need arose, or to stretch when too much work needed to be done. Familiar receipts and documents littered the walls and the desk, still demanding my attention. A fresh piece sat against the wall, still wrapped in butcher paper while it waited for a spot in the gallery.

I plopped down on the chair and shut the door behind me, and enjoyed the solitude. I knew I would have a few people visiting today to possibly purchase some of the work I had displayed and I readily awaited their calls.

I figured now was the best time to go through the mountain of messages that I had received. I retrieved my phone, yet again, from my purse and began to scroll through my missed messages. More than twenty from Viktor, and another three voice messages from him as well. However, there was a single message from an unknown number.

Knowing that it may be a client I decided to tap on it, and doing so I let out a scream of fright. It was a photo of me, getting into the car at the party last night. I could even make out Viktor’s silhouette in the foreground chasing after the car.

The phone flashed again, and another photo popped up on the screen from the same number. It frightened me to find another photo of me, but this time, I was lying in bed, naked. I could tell the photo had been taken last night, as the dress I had worn the previous night was still crumpled on the floor in the photo.

I dropped my phone, hoping this was some kind of prank that was being played, but then I remembered what Viktor was talking about last night and began to have a panic attack. My breathing became incredibly shallow as I lowered myself to the floor with my back against the door.

The phone vibrated on the floor again, and I felt the urge to leave and find the police. But, I hesitantly reached for it and examined the caller. It was Viktor.

I hastily answered the phone.

“Viktor, what the hell is going on,” I screamed, “why am I receiving photos of myself from last night?

“Brandy, this is very important, you need to delete all the messages I sent you from last night as quickly as possible. I’m on my way to your apartment right now.”

“I’m at the gallery,” I said.

“Okay, stay right there and I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t open the door for anyone.”

The phone went silent, and I did as I was told. I scurried through my phone and removed all the messages I had received.

Then I heard a knock on the window out front. I was scared to even look out the back room door, let alone open the front door. Still, I did my best to keep my composure as I stepped out from my office.

I recognized the man at the front door, it was Ivan. He was a client I had scheduled a meet with. I let out a sigh, which did little to calm my nerves, and straightened my dress. I had known Ivan for more than half a year, and he was one of my better customers. I knew I could trust him with in my situation.

I unlocked the door, and he inched it open from the outside.

“Ivan, so good to see you, could we perhaps reschedule for another day? This is not a good time.

I choked out the words and I think he could tell I was nervous.

“Is something wrong,” he asked, “I know it’s short notice but I really need a gift for my friend. Vodka is a great gift for a friend, but it shouldn’t be the only gift. Let me buy something quickly, eh?”

I relented. He had a nice smile, and I couldn’t see him as anything more than harmless. He strolled in, and I locked the two of us in the gallery to make sure nobody would try to enter that I didn’t know.

With a quickened pace he walked along the walls of paintings and took a quick glance at many of them he hadn’t seen before. I followed, with one eye watching him, and the other watching the door.

He paused in front of a piece, a blotchy red design. It was a painting I had received from a newer artist in the area, and the style wasn’t incredibly popular, but I couldn’t help it, the art spoke to me.

“How much for this?”

“$10,000,” I replied.

He tilted his head and nodded.

“I like this, and I believe he will too, write it up, and I’ll be on my way.”

He produced his checkbook from his pocket, and I walked toward the back room. I rummaged for the paperwork he would need to sign, but as I searched I felt a pair of hands grabbing me from behind.

My mouth was covered in a handkerchief, and my abdomen was being squeezed so tight it was hard to breathe. I struggled for a breath of fresh air, but in moments, I could feel myself drift off to sleep.

3.

The light spilled in through the windows in the bedroom, the shadows from the curtains danced across the floor, and Viktor, in all his glory, stood still in front of me.

I could feel his eyes burning through me, melting what little inhibitions I had. His tough and scarred skin barely contained the muscle flexing beneath as he held his arms open, waiting for an embrace.

I stepped slowly, as though floating, in the darkened room. I felt my long black hair waving in the breeze that filtered in, and I realized my own nakedness.

A burning was building deep inside me, and it needed release.

I threw my arms around Viktor, planting my head into his masculine chest, and he, in turn, held me tight. He craned his neck and leaned in for a kiss; I accepted thoroughly. Our tongues locked in a duel for more as he grabbed me by the back of my head, pulling me in for a deeper kiss.

My breath was becoming short as he released me from his grasp, and threw me upon the bed that waited patiently for our arrival.

The silken sheets spilled to the floor, and I could feel myself sinking, falling into the comfortable bed. I was becoming hot with anticipation as I awaited my lover to join me.

He crawled on the overly large mattress toward me, as a blue halo of moonlight silhouetted his form. I couldn’t hold back my excitement as I began to rub my hands all over myself.

He leaned in for a kiss, which I provided eagerly, before letting his tongue wander over my body.

He kissed down my neck, and I could feel my chest becoming flush as my nipples perked up. He lingered his tongue on my nipple for a while. Flicking and sucking, and it tickled me in all the right places.

His hands caressed my curves, up and down my hips. He continued with his tongue, moving to my other breast.

I reached one arm around to hold onto his back, and with my other hand, I brushed along his strong chest. Working my way down slowly, until I met his throbbing member. I began to stroke up and down his shaft, and I couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like.

He reached his hand down to my clit and began to massage it in a circle. Every little sensation shot feelings of ecstasy to my head. I arched my back when he would find just the right place to touch.

My moans were becoming louder, and I could feel myself dripping with desire. He must have noticed because he brought his mouth back to my own and brought me in for another kiss.

I could feel the tip of his manhood begging to enter, and I was not in a place where I could deny the pleasure.

He eased it in, at first, slowly inching its way deeper and deeper. It felt almost too big to fit, and I let out a whine, but it didn’t stifle his advance. It opened me more and more, unceasing until I had finally taken it all.

He breathed heavily in my ear, as I continued to moan with pleasure, enjoying every inch of him. He didn’t move just yet. Instead he started kissing me all over again.

It only lasted for a moment, though, as I could feel him slide out and then slide back in. He started slowly at first, and then he started to speed up. Every time his pelvis would meet mine I would feel a shock shooting up my nerves.

He continued to bore into me, and I was starting to lose myself to the rhythm. Then suddenly I could feel wave after wave of pleasure shooting down all my muscles. I couldn’t even let out a moan to signal his success.

Every muscle inside me was tensed from the orgasms, but he was showing no signs of stopping. He pushed me into the bed and grabbed my butt tightly. I could feel him pumping his fluid into my welcoming body, and I shuddered from the feeling.

Everything was wet, I was wet, the bed was wet, and then I finally woke up.

4.

“Sounds like you were having a good dream,” Ivan said as he picked up the bucket of water.

I sputtered and spat, trying to flip my wet hair from my face. I was tied to a chair. While I had been tied down before, I usually preferred it in a more intimate setting.

“Ivan, what the hell is going on,” I asked.

He tossed the bucket aside and let out a chortle.

“You can call me Anton,” he said, “Considering you know our mutual friend, I thought you might be willing to answer a few questions for me.”

“You’re Anton?”

“In the flesh,” he replied, “I suppose my reputation precedes me.”

I nodded.

“What do you want with me,” I asked.

“I want what every slighted man wants, revenge.”

He turned and went to a nearby work bench, and continued to sharpen a rather large knife.

“If you want revenge, why are you taking me, I didn’t do anything to you.”

He stopped sharpening the blade and turned to me.

“My dear, revenge is a beautiful thing. If I were to stab him in the hand I would have my revenge but once, but if I stab him in the heart, I would have my revenge as many times as he is willing to bare it.”

He turned back to the bench again and continued his busy work. I began to panic, my breathing became short, and I started to test the strength of the ropes.

“Don’t bother, that rope won’t burst for an elephant, let alone a small girl.”

The hopelessness of my situation was palpable. Then I heard a familiar ringtone.

My phone was perched on a tabletop nearby, having spilled from my purse. I jumped up and down in the chair to inch my way closer to it, but before I could get to it, Anton was already answering.

“Here, I’ll put it on speaker for you,” he said answering the phone.

“Brandy! Are you there?” answered Viktor.

“Help! Viktor! Anton is holding me,” I shouted at the phone.

“She’s right, Viktor, I’m holding her just outside of town. If you’d like to enjoy her company again, I must suggest that you come alone.”

“Anton. Fine, I’ll come alone. I’ll do what you want. Just don’t hurt her.” Viktor said.

Anton smiled a wicked smile and ended the call.

“Looks like we won’t have much longer to be together, Brandy,” he said, tossing my phone into my lap.

I sat there, mulling over my day. It only made me more depressed to think that I might have been saved had I just listened to Viktor a little longer at his party, rather than return home so quickly.

This whole mess was my fault, he was just trying to do the right thing, and I did nothing but get upset, which led to my own capture. I had a bad feeling about ‘Ivan’ from the first time I met him, but he was so nice and inviting, there was no way I could have seen this.

I heard a knock on the door. It seemed that Anton wasn’t really expecting anything, either, as the door tore open as he approached it.

I could see soldiers pushing their way past the entryway, surrounding and apprehending Anton.

“Sorry, Anton, my old friend, I don’t think I’m incredibly interested in the deal you proposed,” Viktor said casually while strolling in through the smoky door entrance.

“How did you get here so fast?!” shouted Anton.

Viktor walked over to me and snatched the knife from the workbench to free me from my bonds.

“We both know people, Anton. Your people helped you find Brandy. My people watched Brandy and waited until they knew you were alone. The phone call I made just proved it for certain.”

Anton clenched his teeth as the armed men yanked him from the floor.

“This isn’t over yet, Viktor. Blood for blood!”

He wasn’t able to put up much of a fight against the men restraining him; it almost seemed that he didn’t want to.

With my bonds now free, I jumped into Viktor’s welcoming arms.

“Ah, so does this mean I’m forgiven, then?”

I pondered for a moment and returned with a smirk.

“Only as long as you’re as good in real life as you are in my dreams,” I replied.

He gave me a quizzical expression, but just as quickly he shook it off.

“Let’s get you home, Brandy, and out of those wet clothes.”

He led me outside where his car and driver waited. The cool air sent shivers down my spine, as my wet clothes made the air more frigid. Inside the car I was met with a blanket that I wrapped around myself with earnest.

The car lurched forward as we went on our way. I nestled myself into the crook of Viktor’s arm and absorbed what little heat I could. The blanket was helping, but Viktor was helping more.

It didn’t take long before I decided was done with the wet clothes entirely and began to strip off the dress and my underwear. I was met with absolutely zero reservations from Viktor but was still feeling a bit embarrassed with the driver nearby.

I nuzzled my back into Viktor’s side and kept the blanket wrapped tight. Viktor threw his arm around me and pulled me in closer. I admired him again; he was my protector today.

I pulled his arm under the blanket and let him hold my bare skin. He seemed to enjoy it, and I enjoyed the sentiment. Then I started pushing his hand a little lower, and lower still until his hand was resting on my hot sex.

I manipulated his hand in circles around my womanhood, and after a moment of practice, he seemed to be quite good at it. With every circle, I edged closer and closer to orgasm.

Before I could get there, though, the car pulled to a stop in front of my apartment. I paused for a moment.

“Perhaps we should go back to your place,” I said.

He let out a laugh and nodded to the driver who started on his way, again.

Viktor could feel the wetness that I was dripping onto his blanket and slipped his finger inside. The sudden action made my heart skip a beat, but he pulled it out just as quick and went back to his rubbing.

His practiced fingers continued to dance circles, and my breath grew short. I had to hold my hand over my mouth to stifle a moan more than a few times.

I pushed the blanket over his lap and plunged my hand down his pants. I could feel his rock hard erection waiting for me, pressing against pants. I unzipped his fly and removed it from its cage.

Just like in my dream I stroked his shaft while he rubbed my clit. I was getting very close and could feel my muscles tighten and release.

Then it started. I bit down hard on the blanket and breathed deeply as I tensed from ecstasy. He didn’t let up with his massaging, but I could no longer think of anything else.

Before I could finish another orgasm, the car came to another stop all too soon. The driver stepped from the car, walking towards the back to open the door. I straightened myself as much as possible, attempting my best to look presentable.

He popped the door open and offered me a hand. I accepted, with weary legs, and tried to step out. Viktor caught me from behind and nodded the driver away.

The two of us paced up the stone stairway that I walked up the previous night. Attendants were about the grounds, cleaning and fixing what the Masquerade had broken.

I paid them little mind as I followed Viktor up the staircase with all due haste. When we reached the first landing of the sprawling staircase, I could see in Viktor’s eyes that he regretted having a house so large.

He did most of the walking for me, as I was still a bit weary from the ride, and from being kidnapped.

His bedroom was larger than my apartment. I was only able to take in the scenery for a moment as Viktor was already grabbing me from behind and throwing me on the bed.

I lost my grip on the blanket as I flew and landed naked on the pillows. Viktor was struggling with parts of his suit, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I yanked the covers of the bed over me to cover up, at least, a little. Viktor joined me, but not before he took a large swig of champagne from a nearby bottle.

I laid my head down on the pillow, and felt a sense of peace I hadn’t really felt in a long while, and then sadly fell asleep.

5.

I woke up in the middle of the night. Viktor lay beside me, wrapped in blankets and still naked. I didn’t want to disturb his sleep; he looked so happy at rest.

I felt this as a great opportunity to have a look around. The blanket I wore in the car was splayed on the ground, so I plucked it up and wrapped it around myself again.

As I looked around the simply adorned space, I got a better sense of Viktor. I saw a few of his medals sitting in a pile on a dresser nearby; I rifled through the bronze wondering what stories they had to tell.

Under the pile of medals, I could feel something else, a gun. It was old and worn, with secret service markings bearing the side of it. I couldn’t make out the words exactly. Another item that had a story that needed to be heard.

The curtains fluttered, providing me with an open door to a balcony. I gazed out upon the grounds, rolling hills of green with small bundles of bushes pushing up here and there. A game court rested behind a massive outdoor pool, and a large gazebo with enough space for twenty sat beside that.

Off in the distance, light flickered from the city. It seemed so far away. Yet, it mirrored the night sky so perfectly. The grounds were just far enough from the city to allow me to see the stars and in their vastness, I felt struck with awe.

This truly was a palace if I had ever seen one.

Viktor stepped up behind me without a word, embracing me while he gazed.

“It was difficult finding something this far outside the city,” he said.

“You made a great choice,” I replied. “Sorry I fell asleep in the heat of the moment, it’s been a long day.”

He laughed it off.

“Not to worry, your resilience astounds me.”

I sighed and leaned on the railing, my mind beginning to wander to other things.

“Tell me,” I said, “what do you think of becoming a father?”

He leaned over the railing next to me and smiled.

“I would like to be a father,” he said. “I could tell you stories about my own father, but none of them would be good.”

“Were you and your father close?”

“He was a busy man,” Viktor replied. “I barely knew him until I turned 14 years of age. Then he took a greater interest in my political career.”

“Political career?”

“Yes, he wanted someone he could exploit for favors. I’m willing to help people that are good to me, but I won’t simply turn myself into a puppet to be controlled.”

“I thought you were in the secret service,” I asked solemnly.

“I was. If you wish to move up, in this country, you serve your country as a protector. I lost interest in politics after I saw my fair share of shady deals.”

I walked back inside, stepping lightly on the cold floor. “I wouldn’t mind hearing some stories about these medals, if you would like to tell some.”

He joined me indoors and plucked a medal from the dresser.

“This medal instills the title ‘Hero of Russia.’ It might be simple, but it’s one of the grandest honors you can receive.”

I took the simple painted gold star and examined it closely. “How did you get this one?”

“I doubt you’d believe me, even if I told you.”

“Try me,” I said with a grin.

“I stopped a terrorist threat against the state and had to disarm a bomb beneath the Kremlin while being shot at by radicals. They say I saved around 5,000 lives that day. Anton received one as well. He held the enemy at bay, which gave me enough time to disarm the bomb. I will give it to our child someday.”

Then I heard something I didn’t think I would hear ever again.

“Viktor, are a congratulations in order?”

I turned, only to see Anton sitting in a chair in the corner of the bedroom, gun in hand. He clicked the light on, illuminating several cuts and bandages covering most of the exposed skin.

“The bandages are new. I’d thank the men who gave them to me, but they won’t be hearing much ever again.”

“You killed them,” I uttered.

“How else do you escape that many armed guards?”

“Anton, I should have just had them kill you.”

I leaned over the dresser as they talked, covering it slightly with my blanket, and edged the gun out from under the medals, staying as silently as I could.

Viktor’s fists were clenched so tight that they were beginning to turn white.

“So, what’s this I hear about a child?” Anton stood from the corner and began to move closer. I stepped back, hoping to avoid having him touch me again.

“It was nothing, just a bit of speculative talk,” Viktor said, his voice cracking a bit as he spoke.

“Viktor, we worked together long enough, I always know when you’re lying.”

Viktor lost his temper and attempted a charge at Anton, but Anton was too quick. He pointed his raised gun at Viktor and pulled the trigger, piercing his shoulder.

“Tsk, tsk, Viktor. Unless you want to lose your progeny,” Anton said, pointing his gun at me, and it wasn’t just me; it was pointed at my unborn child.

“Anton, don’t. Whatever anger you have, take it out on me. Don’t touch her.”

Anton let out another chortle.

“Viktor, you always did know how to make me laugh. Considering the position you’re in, you shouldn’t be demanding anything.”

Anton reached out a hand toward me.

“Hand me the medal. I would like to see Viktor’s reward.”

I dropped the brass star into his waiting palm and took another step back. I felt the gun in my hand getting heavier as I was becoming increasingly nervous and worried about the life of my child. I knew I only had one shot to do anything, and I had to make it count.

“Viktor told you he got this from disarming a bomb. Which is true, but do you think he would tell you that he knew the person that planted it?”

I shook my head ‘no’.

“His own father did it. He was a true Russian, through and through. Always wanted everything back to the old way, and was willing to go to any lengths to get it.”

It was shocking to think that Viktor’s father was capable of doing such a thing. I could see fear in Viktor’s eyes as the story was being revealed.

“I wonder if Viktor would have told you about what happened after he stopped that bomb.”

I once again shook my head.

“I drove to his father’s house, walked in the front door, and shot him straight through the skull.”

Anton was beginning to tremble while telling the story.

“Of course, seeing as how his old man was still quite high up in government, his death would mean a trip to the gulag for anyone that took the blame. Your wonderful man, Viktor, my partner, decided that his guilt was too much to bear. Not even a month after we received our medals and he turned me in.”

He threw the medal at Viktor. Viktor looked toward the ground defeated.

“You murdered my father,” Viktor said.

“And, you destroyed my life!” Anton shouted back.

I continued to back away. It might not be much, but it was something to keep me from going mad from being so close to his rage.

“Viktor, have you ever spent a winter in a Gulag? There is no heat; you hope that the next day will be your last, while simultaneously planning your revenge, holding out for the slim chance you might have it.”

Anton leaned against the dresser and sighed deeply.

“I’m not a bad person, everything I’ve done has been for my country. I am here for my one piece of respite, and it’s almost too perfect. I killed your father, and now I get to kill your child.”

Anton raised the gun again to fire; I was shaking from fear so much, and tears were streaming down my cheeks.

Viktor stood up, holding his shoulder to staunch the blood loss.

“Anton,” he said.

Anton wheeled around and looked back at Viktor.

“Viktor, there’s nothing you can say that will change my mind now. I need this.”

“Anton, I will pay you anything, I will give you whatever you want, but leave Brandy and my child out of our feud.”

Anton lowered the gun for a moment, but I caught a gleam of sudden rage in his eye as I saw him quickly turn toward me.

I was ready for it, though. As he began to turn, I whipped off the blanket I was wearing and threw it at him as quickly as possible.

A gunshot rang out and deafened the room. I whipped the gun in my hand up and pointed it at Anton. My hand shook so much I didn’t think I’d hit anything.

My thoughts flooded into my head all at once. This wasn’t just for me; this was for the future and for my child. I found a sense of calm in the depth of my being that I never felt, and suddenly everything seemed so easy.

I aimed the gun and pulled the trigger. A shot echoed around the room again, then another, and another. I kept pulling the trigger, over and over, until Anton fell to the floor. I kept the gun trained on him and kept pulling the trigger for everything that had gone wrong over the course of my entire life. I kept pulling the trigger for every time I felt weak and for every time my nerves got the better of me. I pulled the trigger. I killed him, and a piece of me died there with him.

I dropped the gun while tears flowed from my eyes; while pain wracked every last inch of my body. I didn’t want to open my eyes again and see the sight that would be forever burned into my memory.

Viktor was on me, quickly. He covered me with kisses and checked every inch of me to make sure I was alright. Thankfully I was unharmed, not a single scratch showed itself.

“You’re alright!” he shouted at me, I could hear him crying out of joy or sadness I couldn’t tell.

“I killed him,” I said.

“Yes, yes you did.”

“I killed him,” I repeated.

Viktor nodded and hugged me closer. I heard the doors to the room open and a couple of security men stormed in with guns at the ready.

“We’re alright,” Viktor proclaimed.

The men lowered their weapons. I still stared at the blanket, now covered in blood.

“I killed him,” I repeated again, sobbing into my hands.

Viktor picked me up and carried me from the room. One of his guards handed him another blanket that he took and threw over me.

He took me down the hall to another room, quite a bit smaller, but still quite cozy. He sat me in a chair just inside the entrance and got down on his knees in front of me.

I finally realized how badly he was bleeding, running my hand over his wound on his shoulder.

“Viktor, you’re hurt. You need to see a medic.”

He tensed in pain and pulled my hand away from his shoulder.

“I’ll see one soon. There’s an ambulance on the way.”

“Viktor, I killed Anton.”

“I know,” he replied.

Viktor took my head between his hands, grasping it hard and staring directly into my eyes. I could feel his intensity again.

“You saved our child,” he said.

All thought left me, I hadn’t considered that.

“With your actions, you have given our child the chance to live, to grow, to love. You made that happen, and you will make that happen.”

I could feel my tears beginning to dry up. Thinking about saving a life, rather than taking one was helping. I stared back into Viktor’s eyes and smiled. Not all my anger and frustration was gone, but I could feel them dulling.

The medics found us inside the building briefly afterward. And, it took a bit of coercing to pry Viktor from me for a while so they would be able to have a look at his shoulder wound. With their examination they discovered that it was a deep wound but didn’t hit anything major, expecting him to make a full recovery.

I looked up at the wall in the room we were in and noticed something familiar.

“Viktor, is that the painting you bought from me when we first met?”

Viktor sheepishly nodded.

“It is. I hid it in here during the party to keep it from drunken guests. I prefer it to be hung in my bedroom.”

It was a pale blue piece, with concentric circles flowing in and around each other in so many colors; it was impossible to keep track of them all.

“I remember when I sold it to you I thought it was hideous, but now I might be turning around on it.”

Viktor laughed.

“It’s a funny thing, that, how our opinions can change so quickly.”

We bought plenty of art over the years, but that first picture never left our collection. And, we never met anyone else like Anton.

*****

THE END

A Dangerous Game – A BWWM Football Romance

“He’s lookin’ a bit rough today, Angie,” I heard Jim saying behind me.

“Everyone has their off-days, Jim,” I replied.

“It seems it’s been more of an off-season. The kid threw three interceptions this game alone. If he keeps this up, he won’t be on the roster next season.”

He was right; this was a rough situation that Jake got himself into. His numbers were really low, and it was going to set me into a difficult position for negotiating his contract for next season.

Monica was here watching as well; I use the word watching very loosely because she preferred to spend her time nursing a glass of wine and talking to the other wives.

She was quite gorgeous, slim-figured and tiny; just the way Jake seemed to like them. I never really cared, quite honestly. She was the kind of girl I avoided; easy to look at and hard to please. The only real conversation we had was about money, and how much her boyfriend was going to make her.

They were talking so loud that I couldn’t help but overhear a bit of their conversation.

“He’s making good money, are you going to make him put a ring on it?”

Monica replied, “There’s only one sure way to get him to ask me, and I don’t know if I should talk to him about it, or just surprise him.”

“You’re not thinking about having kids, already.”

“I always wanted a family, and I don’t want to have to wait to start one. He’s taking his sweet time proposing. I thought maybe if I had a bun in the oven he might man up and ask.”

“You’re terrible, Monica.”

Monica giggled along with her friends. I couldn’t figure out how someone could talk about having kids in such a cavalier attitude.

I tossed back the rest of the scotch in my glass and made for the bar nearby. This game was beginning to look like another loss, and I knew that my boss would probably be ready to yell at me on Monday, and I didn’t want to be sober for that.

Monica gave me looks as I walked by, and I could feel the disgust coming from her friends as well. It seemed like they’d never seen a hard working black woman before; as though all they wanted me to do was bring them a serving tray.

“Another Scotch, Angie?” asked Devlin, the barman.

I nodded, and he poured me another.

“You better make that a double, Devlin. It’s going to be a long night.”

He added more caramel liquor to the glass while I reached for my wallet.

“I think this one is on the house. Maybe it’s high time to start buying something to eat before you make yourself sick.”

“Thanks, Dev. It’s going to be another one of those nights. Are you going to be working tonight, again? I can swing by and give you a hefty tip.”

He smiled.

“If you’re drinking then I know I won’t starve for the next month. I got a few rumors flying around, though.”

“What have you heard, Dev,” I asked.

He leaned over the bar to whisper.

“Some of the players are planning a night out. A couple of ‘em just fired their agents, and might be on the market; If you come with a straight head, then you might just bag one.”

I pulled out a large tip and shoved it into Devlin’s hand. He tipped his hat, and I returned to the game.

There was almost no shock at all from me when I noticed that we were behind in the scoreboard. I plopped down in my chair and nursed my drink. It was going to be a long afternoon.

2.

I’m a classy dresser when I want to be, and for a night on the town, it was rare. If you’re going to be dropping it on the bedroom floor anyway, it’s best just to dress light and wear as little as possible.

I didn’t have that intention tonight, but I still wanted to drink to forget Jake’s abysmal performance today. Devlin was right, though, it would be a great opportunity to cheer my boss up by signing a new client.

Working with athletes and spending so much time around attractive people was an amazing inspiration to eat right and exercise regularly. The last thing you want to be is the ugly person in the corner trying to sign a new client.

Still, no amount of exercise will cure genetics. And, as it was, I was stuck being curvier than most. I did enjoy the compliments from men that I slept with. They said I had nice breasts, not too big, not too small. But, I always thought my best feature was my legs, they were long and toned. To compliment my figure, I wore a long black gown that scooped low in the back and showed off my small amount of muscle.

Upon arriving at the trendy little club I made sure to tip the bouncer well, he always let me in when I came by, now.

You can get anything in life if you’re willing to spend the right amount of money. But, sometimes, a friendly smile is worth more. I walked towards the bar after I got in, and I could already see a couple of players that I recognized from today’s game. One of the players was celebrating victory over our local team with some women of the evening. I rolled my eyes at how easy some of these players were.

“Devlin, I think I’ll have another drink. Send one over to that player with the girls as well, would you?”

Devlin nodded and started pouring. Once the drink was delivered, it was easy enough to ingratiate myself into the group of women.

I worked my subtle charms for about an hour before the player agreed to come in for a visit tomorrow before returning home. I handed him my card and got his number before buying his group another drink and walking off.

I tend to get tunnel vision when I see something I want, and it becomes easy to trip over things you didn’t see coming. This thing happened to be a man. My drink slipped from my hands and covered his shirt in my third drink of the evening.

“Oh, excuse me. I can get clumsy after a few drinks.”

I could already see the bouncer looking at me, hoping that I wouldn’t make a scene.

“It’s fine,” he said.

I grabbed a nearby cocktail napkin and started doing my best to clean him off. He did the same. His shirt didn’t look cheaply made in the slightest, and I didn’t think that any amount of dry cleaning would take out the stain I’d just caused.

“Angie?” he said.

I looked up; it was Jake. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t recognized him earlier.

“Oh wow. Hi Jake,” I responded.

He took the napkin out of my hands threw it on the table. Then yanked the button-up over his head; revealing a tight white shirt underneath. He was rippling with muscle, and I rather lost my train of thought.

“What are you doing at this hole in the wall?” he started. He tossed the shirt to the table, and I took a second to compose myself.

“I come here pretty often; my place is a block away. I got a good tip on some talent looking for representation. What about you; I thought you never went out after a game.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Oh yeah, that,” he said.

“I guess, there’s only one way to celebrate a loss,” I replied.

He shuffled back into his seat.

“You know, you owe me a drink. How about you get me a Jack and Coke, and I’ll tell you about it.”

I sighed, I would have preferred meeting the other player instead of listening to Jake talk about how sad he is about losing some game. But, when it comes to being an agent, your time is client time.

I ordered a drink for the two of us, and Devlin shot me a look of empathy, I think he knew what I was in for, so he made my drink extra strong.

“Alright, what’s on your mind, Jake, I know it’s a tough loss,” I said, pushing the beverage across the table.

“Loss I can deal with, its women that drive me crazy,” he replied before taking a large sip of his drink.

“Women? I’d think you’d be more concerned about your prospects for next season. If you throw up another loss this season, there’s a good chance you won’t be back next year. And, we’re only half way in.”

“I know. It’s Monica. She’s driving me crazy. She came to me with an ultimatum after the game. It was either get married to her so she can start a family or she was going to leave.”

“That’s rough, what did you do?” I asked.

“I opened the door for her,” he laughed, “she just walked out and said she’d be back for her things.”

I giggled. “Wow, that’s rough, pal.”

“She’s been harping on my since the beginning of the season, it’s driving me insane, it’s been all I could think about. I don’t want kids, not right now.”

I took another sip from my drink. He did the same.

“So, what are we going to do about it,” I asked.

“I’ll probably meet up with some random girl and fuck her brains out tonight,”

I spat out more scotch, soaking his shirt for the second time tonight.

“This is going to make it difficult to meet someone. Thanks, Angie.”

He sighed and wiped what he could off the shirt. I leaned back, and could tell the alcohol was starting to affect my judgment, but I was drunk so what did I know.

“Give me one minute.” I walked to the bar and paid my bill. Devlin shot me a wink; I think he knew what was going to happen. I gestured for him to keep his lips sealed. He nodded, but I knew that there were plenty of other people that came to him for gossip. I tipped him well, hoping that it would give me a day before any word got around.

Upon returning to the table, Jake was taking his other shirt off.

I swooned. He had that V-shaped chest that got me wet just thinking about. I bent over and leaned in close to him. It must have caught him by surprise because he leaned back, trying to avoid me doing more damage.

“If you want discreet and fun, I already said my place was just down the block.”

I rubbed along the length of his leg, and I could see a smile devilishly form on the edges of his mouth.

“Come to my address in ten minutes. Don’t get up until after I leave.”

I wrote my address down on the back of a business card, slipped it into his hand, and left.

3.

It was a busy night out for a Sunday. Being a block away made getting home pretty easy, even though my heels weren’t helping in the slightest.

I was on the 12th floor, it was the second highest floor of the building, and my neighbors liked to constantly remind me of that. The view was still excellent.

I always liked to keep things tidy, but it was rare for me to spend more than a couple hours at home, so being messy was difficult anyway. Once inside, and with the door shut, I sloughed my dress. I hadn’t expected to be this excited.

Jake was one of my first clients, which was probably why my boss always had me watching out for him. He was always so intimidating to stand next to, his large and well-built frame made me feel so small. That was part of the allure, though.

I picked up my dress and hung it nicely in the closet, taking the chance to throw my heels in there as well. I had barely closed the closet door when I heard a knock at the door.

I hopped my way across the cool floor, only realizing I was topless when I came to a stop in front of the door. I threw a hand over my exposed chest and pulled the door open enough to see who was outside.

Jake was wearing his soiled shirt, now a little wrinkled, but I didn’t care. The person under it was gorgeous, and he was all mine tonight. I gestured him in, and he entered.

He took a moment to look around the apartment while I shut the door. With him distracted I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“I don’t want to be the only one topless for long,” I whispered in his ear.

I had never seen a man take off his shirt faster, as he nearly knocked me to the floor in his efforts. I couldn’t help my laughter; he was so eager that it was hard for me to keep a straight face.

When he turned around and saw me standing there in my tiniest panties, I could almost see him salivate. He pulled me close for a passionate kiss, and I returned in kind; massaging up and down his muscular back as I did.

He had to lift me off the ground so that I could reach up to his height, and I liked it. It felt like he could throw me around, and I wanted him to.

I reached down and started undoing his pants. I could already feel his throbbing member waiting for release from beneath. He pulled me away for a second and set me back upon the floor. I giddily slid his pants down and was greeted by his erect beast.

Without a thought, I began to stroke his shaft with my hand. I looked up at him with lust in my eyes as I licked the head. He let out a moan of pleasure, and I couldn’t help myself anymore. I took him into my mouth and began to slide it in and out.

He quivered with delight as I continued my task. I could taste some of his juice coming out of the tip.

“Oh, you are a bad girl,” he said.

I smiled and felt him beginning to tense up. He leaned on my couch to hold himself up and it felt like he was close.

It only took another moment before he exploded in my mouth. Globs of his juice shot down the back of my throat as I could feel him starting to get softer.

“Hey, it’s my turn now, you know,” I said. I pulled off my panties and maneuvered myself to the kitchen counter, opening up my legs to give him a good view. The sight almost instantly made him hard again. I pulled apart my lips to show him how soaked I was, and it made him even more excited.

He kicked off the remains of his clothing and sauntered over to me. With his powerful arms, he grabbed my sides and pulled me in for another kiss. I could feel him lining his member up to my welcoming slit. I was dripping over him while he slid up and down along my opening.

Then with a powerful thrust, he pushed himself into me, opening me up all the way. He filled me up more than I thought possible and still had more to give. I welcomed him in as he inched his way inside. I tensed up with the sensation, wishing it would never end, and hungry for more.

Then he started moving his hips around, tickling my mound with his pelvis. He was the first to work his hips like that, and it felt amazing. Sensations shot through my spine, hitting every nerve along the way.

I moaned in ecstasy, and this only seemed to fuel his desire. He began thrusting, slowly. He was driving me crazy, and he knew it. Then he started thrusting faster and faster; driving his manhood deep inside.

Then he picked me up, holding onto my legs and back. He lifted me and lowered me along his shaft. As he did so, I could feel him flexing inside, pulling me apart just a little more with each thrust.

I couldn’t hold myself up anymore, and collapsed over his shoulder, holding onto his back as best I could. He walked me over to the wall and threw me up against it. Then began driving into me harder, I couldn’t take it anymore, I could feel my muscles starting to tense up as the orgasm started welling up.

Then came the most powerful release I had ever felt. I shivered as the waves of pleasure washed over me. I wasn’t alone, it seemed, I could feel him spurting inside me.

The both of us collapsed on the cool kitchen floor, covered in sweat from head to toe. I threw an arm over Jake and hugged him close.

“Maybe I should call out of work tomorrow,” I said.

4.

“Are you kidding me with this, Angie?!” Martin, my boss, said, with what almost seemed like fire shooting out of his ears.

“Who I keep company at nights is no business of yours,” I replied.

“It matters when that company is a client. What the hell were you thinking? This is going to be all over the papers by tomorrow,” he continued.

I sat there and listened to his objections to my relations with Jake for more than half an hour. Martin always had a way of blowing things way out of proportion, and he always made me laugh a little when he did.

I tried calling out of work this morning, but he said that my presence was mandatory, and he’d send a car over. I don’t think he’s ever sent a car over for anyone, except potential clients.

My phone buzzed, and I received a text message from Jake.

‘Let’s try my place tonight,’ it said.

I hadn’t thought that he’d want to go two nights in a row. But, after a night like that, it’s easy to want to go back for seconds.

“Are we done here, Martin,” I asked.

“We’re done. Just keep in mind that the last agent that dated her client is flipping burgers somewhere, now. I don’t want that to end up with you, things like this always end poorly.”

I stood up and made for the door, then remembered my real goal from last night.

“I might have pulled in another client. He should be in later today. I told him to talk to you if I were unavailable.”

Martin nodded. “At least you managed that much before your escapade.”

“I’m taking the rest of the day off; I have some thinking to do.”

He understood, and I walked out of the building. This is the first day I had taken off in more than a year. I informed my secretary of my absence, and she understood.

I was already giddy at meeting up tonight, and nothing was going to bring down my excitement now. Before I left the building, I made my way to the bathroom.

It was thankfully empty, so I locked the door. I peeled myself out of my clothing and took a picture of my best sexy look for Jake. I knew he would enjoy it. Then I got dressed and left.

I wasn’t more than five steps down the road when my phone started ringing.

“Hey Jake, I see you got my photo,” I said with a smile.

“I don’t think I can wait for tonight. What are you doing right now,” he asked.

I giggled; he was acting like a schoolboy that just at chocolate for the first time, and then I laughed at the analogy.

“I thought I might take a bath, but I can use some company.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he replied and clicked the phone.

It was a good afternoon.

5.

It became a nightly affair; we both wanted it a lot. I would work hard all day at work helping clients, and sending him some of the juiciest photos he would ever see. And, he told me that he would get so worked up during practice that he would stay longer to work off sexual aggression.

He must have been doing something right because the game the following week was a spectacle.

I sat in my usual box watching the game, the player’s wives still stood nearby, chatting their heads off as usual. I avoided their gaze but could tell that they were eyeing me the entire game. I really paid them no mind.

The most interesting thing to me was that Monica was still in the room with the players wives.

“So, Monica, how’s the new man? I hear he’s getting a lot of press about a possible trade.”

“I wouldn’t mind moving on. This team isn’t good enough for my man,” Monica said.

Even though I was trying to avoid their gaze, I couldn’t help but let out a snarky laugh. I’m pretty sure they could tell I was listening in.

“Did you hear about Jake, I hear he’s sleeping with some new tramp, now,” Monica added.

I let them talk while I drank. Their words weren’t hurting me at all. I just wish I could yell at them who was sleeping with her ex-boyfriend because I was sure she would have been quite surprised.

Jake went on the warpath; the other team didn’t even see it coming as he easily was the best player in the game. He was starting to seem like the player I had recruited years ago. I think he was beginning to feel like it again as well.

After the game we partied hard. I went over to his place, and I gave him a victory dance that he wouldn’t soon regret.

“I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest,” he said.

I lied my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat as we relaxed and enjoyed our evening.

“You have a string of away games coming up, will you be okay without me,” I asked.

“I’m not sure, will you be okay without me,” he said between laughs. “What brings this on?”

“I just like this; I don’t want this to change anytime soon,” I replied. “You know how players get when they’re on the road.”

“How are players on the road?”

I rolled my eyes, wondering why he even needed to ask.

“Players like to hook up with girls on the road, it’s obvious. I like how this is right now, but I don’t want to end up sharing you with some tramp you meet.”

He pushed me off.

“What do you really think this is?” he asked.

I sat up, a bit surprised.

“I think this is two attractive people spending their nights together. But, I want to spend time with someone that doesn’t need to sleep with a bunch of hookers.”

He stood up out of bed.

“Do you know why I broke it off with Monica? Because she hounded me about this crap all the time when I would leave town.”

“Yeah, well I’m not Monica, but I sure as hell don’t feel like sharing.”

He started picking my things off the floor.

“What, are you kicking me out, now?”

He tossed a bundle of clothes on the bed. I took the hint and started getting dressed.

“If you’re going to start pushing me into a relationship like Monica then you can just get out now. I don’t need this.”

“You know what, fine, go off and screw all the hookers you want. Don’t come crying back to me when you get back.”

I threw on the last of my things and pushed towards the door. He didn’t say anything as I left, just silence followed me. I could already feel some tears starting to well up behind my eyes, but I was too proud to let them show.

6.

I buried myself in work. The stress of living was taking over, and I was barely interested in going out when the weekend finally came. I stayed in and spent time catching up on work.

Then the tabloids started filling me in about what Jake was up to while he was on the road.

He made the cover of a magazine with his latest girl; she looked just like Monica. I felt disheartened at how fast he went back to skinny white girls. That didn’t seem to take long at all.

The first away game that hit was terrible to watch. His head just wasn’t in it, and it was plainly obvious. Served him right, he deserved to lose a game after losing me. Get used to feeling loss, Jake; you’ll be more used to it when contract negotiations are up this year.

My phone rang after the game was over, it was Jake. He must have wanted to say something because he left me enough messages afterward. I didn’t care; I had no interest in talking or hearing from him at all. I deleted the messages before bothering to listen.

Then my phone went silent for a while.

Another away game dominated the television, and despite my anger at Jake having not subsided, I was still rooting for them. Jake made an impressive showing, barely getting away with a win. His head might not have really been in the game, but the team managed to shore up his lack of ability to play.

My phone started ringing again; it was Jake again. I picked up the phone this time.

“Hello,” I said.

“Did you see the game?”

“Yeah,” I sighed, “these are some rough away games.”

The phone was silent for a moment, even though I could hear the guys cheering in the background.

“I’ll be home in two weeks, can I see you?”

I was surprised he said so this soon.

“Fine,” I said, “but don’t expect me to be in a good mood.”

“That’s okay; I just wanted to talk and maybe get a drink.”

“You’re buying,” I said as I ended the call.

I could feel my mood beginning to improve.

7.

It wasn’t until Wednesday that I went to see my doctor. I’d had morning sickness for the last few days and was getting really tired of it. She walked back into the room with a cheesy smile on her face, and I started to laugh uncomfortably.

“I suppose congratulations are in order,” she said.

“Congratulations for what,” I asked.

“You’re going to be a mother.”

I almost started choking on my own saliva when she said it.

“No, really? I don’t want to be a mother,” I said.

Her smile dissipated a bit.

“Well, if you’d like, we can discuss options for terminating the pregnancy,” she said.

“I don’t want that either,” I said, shaking my head, “I don’t know what I want. Give me some time to think about this before I do anything, would you?”

She nodded and handed me some pamphlets. I stuffed them into my purse and just walked out.

I was pregnant, and here I thought I was doing so well with birth control. I contemplated calling Jake right away, but then I didn’t. I had a feeling that he had little to no interest in starting a family, especially considering his situation with Monica.

I stayed silent for the next couple of weeks. We still talked a few times, and it seemed that he was interested in rekindling our romance. I was interested in doing so as well; it had been long enough without him.

I was the first person he called when the team plane landed at the airport. He wanted to see me right away. So I decided to indulge him.

I went to the bathroom at work again, being careful to lock it behind me. I stripped off my top and leaned towards the mirror, giving my best ‘fuck-me’ face, and sent the photo.

Before I started putting my top back on, I heard the stall behind me click open, and I froze. Monica, of all people, was in the bathroom with me. I reached down and grabbed my top as she started washing her hands.

“Don’t feel so embarrassed, we’ve all done it at some point,” she said.

“What brings you to the agency, I didn’t think you were a client,” I said.

She pulled a lipstick out of her handbag and began to draw a line over her lip.

“I’m not, but my soon to be husband is. He’s talking to Martin right now.”

“Ah, that makes a lot more sense now.”

“So, who’s the man on the receiving end of that photo? He must be pretty eager if you’re sending him something like that.”

I held back a laugh as I thought about the coincidence.

“I don’t think I can say, Agent client confidentiality and all,” I said with a smile and a wink.

With the worst timing possible, my phone started to vibrate. Jake’s photo popped up on the screen in full view of my current company.

I tried to snag it before she saw but the damage was done.

“Jake? Why is he texting you?”

“He’s my client, why wouldn’t he be texting me,” I said, trying my best to deflect her suspicion.

A click of realization shot across her face, then a scowl took its place.

“How long were you sleeping with him, you little slut. You must be the reason he wasn’t interested in marrying me.”

I picked up my bag and started backing towards the door, but she advanced on me quickly.

“Tell me! You piece of trash,” she said while grabbing my hair. She wasn’t very strong, which was good for me. I grabbed a hold of my hair and put a foot to her stomach and pushed her away.

She fell to the floor and looked up at me with rage in her face.

“I’ll have your job for this! I know the owner, and he won’t let you stay here after I’ve had a chat with him!”

I was already unlocking the door and making my way out as quickly as I could. She followed me, trying her best to catch up, but I was quicker.

I hopped in a taxi and headed straight to Jake’s apartment. He hadn’t arrived back from the airport yet, so I waited in the lobby downstairs.

I twisted my phone through my hands, nervous. I waited for a call from Martin, thinking he’d be furious with me. My head was starting to feel a little woozy when the door opened.

Jake stood there with his bag in tow. I stood up and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him in a big hug.

It must have been unexpected to him, but he still held me back.

“I need to take my mind off today, think you can do it?”

He just picked me up and cradled me in his arms as we rode the elevator up. I leaned in and kissed him as though it were the first time. It felt like my heart would burst out of my chest.

Inside his apartment, I could hardly contain myself. I was already clawing at his back trying to take his shirt off. He threw me down on the couch and dropped his bag.

I undid my blouse, regretting wearing something with so many buttons on it today. He threw his shirt to the floor and walked towards me while I was still trying to unbutton. It didn’t look like he cared; he just pulled the shirt away and lifted my chest up to face. I tugged my bra off and tossed it aside.

He was like a hungry dog ready to eat, and I didn’t mind feeling like his meal. He took my nipples into his tongue as I worked at the zipper on my pants.

He kept pulling me in closer so he could devour me. His passion turned me on more, and in his impatience, he yanked my pants off. I had almost soaked my underwear through, thinking about his sweaty shape on top of me again.

I shoved my hand down the front of his pants to feel his manhood again. He was bigger than I remembered, and I thought about it inside me again.

He grabbed my ass and lifted me into the air until I was sitting on his shoulders. With his mouth, he pulled aside my panties and started to lick along my slit. With every flick of his tongue, I felt sensations shoot into my legs. I held onto his head for dear life and pulled his tongue into my sex further.

He lapped up my juices and kept begging for more; I hadn’t been aroused this much before that I can remember. I felt my muscles start to tense up as an orgasm wracked me with ecstasy.

Jake could tell as I let out a loud moan. Then he started lowering me back down. Once I was finally face to face with him, I leaned in and kissed him hard on the mouth. I could taste my sex on his breath. I wrapped my legs around his lower body, trying to hold myself in place.

He walked, while we kissed, towards the bedroom. He continued to fondle my ass as we walked, holding on tight. I don’t think he could see too well because we kept knocking things over as we went. I didn’t want to wait till we got to the bedroom but I had no say in the matter.

With a push, he shoved me to the bed, and I peeled off the soaked panties. He tore off his pants, and I could see his throbbing erection, as a monster about to consume me completely. I urged him closer.

He fell to the bed and crawled to me on all fours.

“I have been waiting for this for too long,” he said.

He pushed me into the silk sheets and started kissing me up and down. Then I started feeling his manhood waiting at my entrance. I took the initiative, this time, wrapping my legs around him and pulling myself onto him. With what felt like a pop, I could feel the entirety of his member tear me open. I winced in pain, but it subsided just as fast.

For a moment we just lied there, feeling each-others most intimate of places and enjoying each second. But, he wanted more. I gave it to him.

I leaned up, forcing him to his back, straddling him with my legs. Then I started to ride, up and down. Letting him almost come all the way out before thrusting him back inside. He felt so big, and each thrust sent shivers down my spine, and to my toes.

The two of us moaned as I strode along the length of his shaft. It didn’t feel like a slow build today; it just felt like an explosion in my head that traveled down to my private parts. The muscles inside me clenched and started to choke his manhood.

He exploded inside me, and I still wanted more.

I kept riding up and down, as our juices mixed together on the bed. I felt another orgasm take hold of me, and I shuddered but still I kept going. By now I wasn’t pulling in and out but was just moving my hips around in circles.

It didn’t last long though as I didn’t have any energy left to continue, so I laid myself down on his bare chest; collapsing into this perfect moment.

8.

We both woke up at about the same time. My legs felt like dead weight, so I rolled over on the pillows. He laughed, and I did the same.

“What’s the plan for today?” I asked.

“Breakfast, I think,” he replied.

He stood up and turned to see me still laid out on the bed, and something stirred inside him. He joined me again, and we enjoyed ourselves again in the morning.

After the last night, though, I had almost nothing left. He had worn me out in entirety. It was another couple hours before we were dressed and sitting at a breakfast table just down the block.

“Tell me, what kept you occupied while I was in the away games,” he asked.

I stared at the menu and couldn’t think of what to tell him.

“I worked,” I replied, “it seems there’s always something that needs to be done at the agency.”

“Seems reasonable,” he replied.

“How was the girl at your first away game,” I asked, with more than a little resentment.

“She wasn’t,” he said, “she was ready and able, and she wanted to do some really kinky stuff, but she wasn’t you.”

I blushed and did my best to hide myself behind the menu.

“After our fight from before, I wanted to do something crazy to prove to myself that I could, but when the time came I just didn’t have the interest.”

I couldn’t hide the truth from him any longer; he needed to know.

“Jake, I have something rather important to tell you,” I started.

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“I visited the doctor about two weeks ago; I was having morning sickness and didn’t know what was going on. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I’m pregnant.”

He pulled the menu out of my hand to see my face.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked.

I nodded.

He leaned back in his chair and set the menu back on the table.

“Well, no big deal, you’re going to terminate it, right?” he said with a casual attitude.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; he wanted to tell me what I should do with my pregnancy, maybe I should tell him where he can put his opinions.

“Now that you bring it up, I think I’ll just keep it. It’s not like you wanted to be a father. I’m not ready to be a mother, but I’m willing to try. If you want to go off and fuck cheerleaders, go ahead. I’ll just be taking care of your illegitimate child.”

I stood up and grabbed my things. I think more than enough people could hear what was going on, and I knew I had made a mistake by talking about it so cavalier over breakfast. I did my best to hide my face as I walked out of the restaurant.

At least, he’d helped me make the decision. I didn’t know if I wanted to keep it to begin with, but the idea of being a mother sounded like a great adventure. I was feeling more confident now than I ever did when I was drinking.

I plucked the pamphlet from my purse that I’d never taken a chance to look at in the past. The mothers looked so happy in the photographs, and I wanted that. Jake would have been a great father, not that I expected him to become one.

I called in to work and took the day off. I had a lot of thinking to do and work was the worst place for it.

My phone began to vibrate; Jake was calling. I cooled my head for a moment and answered the phone.

“What,” I said angrily.

“Can we, at least, talk about this?”

“I thought we talked about it. I know what your opinion is on the matter, and I’m going to choose what I want.”

“Angie, I always told myself that I would have a family someday, but not like this. I want a proper family, where you get married, and settle down, get a dog and a house; all that stuff.”

“And you think I don’t?” I replied. “I didn’t want to have kids, but I can’t imagine giving up a child that we made. You do what you want, but I’m done talking about this right now.”

I clicked off the phone and noticed a missed call from Martin, so I quickly dialed him back.

“Angie, where the hell are you,” he said.

“I was out on a date,” I replied.

“You called out today, but I need to talk to you right now, and in person.”

The line went dead; I guess he was serious again.

I hopped a cab uptown while pondering what was in store for me at the agency.

The office was mostly empty today, just a few personal assistants running about and grabbing one thing or another. I strode into Martin’s office, hoping not to be noticed.

“Angie, this is a real mess I’m in now,” he said, “and you know why?”

I shook my head no.

“I got a hot tip from a waiter at a breakfast bar about twenty minutes ago that says you’re having a kid. And, not just anyone’s, you’re having the quarterbacks kid.”

I felt a little timid about responding, so I waited for him to continue.

He plopped himself in his old leather roll chair and reached to the bottom floor of his desk and drew out a bottle of bourbon and a glass.

“I’d offer you some, but I had a feeling you’d say ‘no’.”

He gave himself a healthy pour and belted it back in one gulp.

“I knew this thing would start getting messy. Hell, I got some half-assed threat from Bob upstairs that says he wants you gone. What did I do? I laughed at him. He’s got about as much control of my staff as you do.”

“Martin,” I started.

“Don’t start tryin’ to talk sense to me now. You gotta bury this thing, Angie. I can’t tell you what to do right now, but the way I see it is that you got a choice. Either you have the baby, or you have your job. I won’t let this place become a media circus over your torrid love affair. Get out, and don’t come back until you’ve decided.”

I stood up sheepishly, starting my way toward the exit. How could I choose between one and the other, at this point I wanted both.

Unfortunately, it looked like the media had gotten their hands on my work address, as I exited the building I saw a small crowd of reporters.

One of them in the group looked at me and started scampering my direction. I was too shocked and confused to talk to reporters right now. I scurried to the rear of the tower, to a small service exit, and ran out and around the corner to avoid them.

I had a feeling that it would be just as packed at my apartment, but I felt the need to check anyway.

The short ride back had me feeling incredibly nervous. I had never been the center of attention like this. Normally I was the one on the sidelines pulling my clients out of view, or doing a small announcement for the agency. But, I had never been the center of something so big.

Rounding the corner, I saw a crowd gathered, larger than the one at work. I couldn’t dream of dealing with them right now, either.

I could use a drink.

9.

I had the driver drop me off in an empty alley near Devlin’s bar down the street. Upon entering the bar, I found it nice and empty, save for the usual barfly that sat on the back stool. I meandered to the closest table and sat, waiting for service, and partially hiding my face with my jacket.

The air was full of cigarette smoke, and I let out a cough to clear my lungs. I looked at my phone; it was dead silent. A loud crack from the back room and out popped Devlin; tossing the server door open and carrying a case full beer, only stopping for a moment to hand one to the barfly. With a quick look around the bar, I could tell he noticed me at the table. So, he sat his goods on the nearest countertop and walked over my way.

“Congratulations, girlie. Looks like you bagged a winner,” he said with a smile.

I pushed myself lower into the booth.

“Oh, don’t be so shy. I’m sure everyone will stop caring by tomorrow,” he took a seat opposite me.

“What am I going to do this time, Dev? If I have the kid, then I’ll be jobless, and homeless. Jake doesn’t want a kid, and I don’t want to make him be a father. But, if I terminate then I keep my job and everything goes back to the way it was.”

Devlin pulled off a shoe and started to massage his foot through his sock. I tried my best to pay little attention to it.

“You know, Angie. Being forced to do something that you don’t want to do is little fun,” he said.

“I know,” I replied.

“What do you want to do?”

I thought about it for a moment.

“I want not to think about this, that’s what I want to do.”

He nodded.

“We all have things we don’t want to think about. See the barfly in the back? He’s avoiding talking to his son about becoming a dad for the first time. His son is barely out of high school and already starting a family.

“He doesn’t want to do it, but at some point he’ll have to put away the liquor and deal with the problem, or it just won’t go away. You have an interesting choice ahead of you, and you’re the only one that can make it.

“Still, though. I’d fancy you a mother. I think you could be one of the greats, cause I’ve seen how you handle the people that come through my bar.”

I smiled at the compliment.

“Thanks Devlin,” I said.

Then my phone started vibrating. It was Jake again. I picked up the phone and answered.

“Jake-“

“Angie, I need to talk to you, as soon as possible. Where are you?”

“Devlin’s bar where we first met,” I replied.

“Just wait there, I’ll be right down.”

Devlin gave me an approving wink and returned to getting the bar ready for the evening. Ten minutes passed and the door flew open.

Jake walked in, and I could see that he had some reporters with him. But, before they could enter he turned around and locked the door.

“Hey, that door needs to remain unlocked during business hours,” shouted Devlin from across the bar.

“Just ten minutes,” replied Jake.

He came over to me and pushed his way into the booth next to me. At least, his shirt wasn’t covered in scotch this time.

“Angie, I know it’s only been a couple of hours since we last talked, but I can’t get this out of my head,” he said.

“How do you think I feel, Jake? This decision is driving me insane. And with all the reporters outside, I can’t say no. But, I can’t say yes either. If I have this baby, then my career is over.”

“Angie, I can’t stand the thought of being without you,” he said, “and I can’t stand the idea of you losing the baby, either.”

It pricked my ears up.

“What are you trying to say?” I asked.

He pulled himself away from the booth and knelt down on his knee, producing a ring box from his pocket.

“Angie, I’ve been all over downtown in the last two hours, once you walked out I realized that I couldn’t say goodbye to you again, not like this.”

He creaked opened the small box and showed off a gorgeous and simple ring.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. The burden in the back of my mind dissipated instantly as I looked into his soulful eyes.

“Yes, Jake. Let’s get married,” I said.

I stood up from the booth, and he picked me up triumphantly.

Devlin, the sneaky bastard, had taken the chance to come up behind us and unlock the front door. I had never been in the center of such a media affair.

The next week was nothing but my face in the paper next to his in that silly booth at Devlin’s.

The marriage got him so excited that Jake went on a winning streak, and became much more popular. With us getting married, Martin had nothing left to say.

I could still remember the last game of the season, sitting in the box seat not as an agent, but as a wife. The other players wives had started to accept me. Monica ended up moving across the country, last I heard, she hated every second with her new husband.

We had each other, and in the end, that was all that mattered.

*****

THE END

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

Chapter 1

Cambry didn't want to out with her friend that evening. They'd been going to clubs for the past three weekends in a row and she just wanted to rest. However, her best friend Jenae was begging her to go. They were in Cambry's room while Jenae was trying on her friend's clothing. "Please, Cambry?" Jenae whined as she admired herself on the full-length mirror that hung on the closet door.

Sighing, Cambry stood and handed Jenae a pair of heels. "Fine," she said. "But next weekend we're staying in. Or, at the least, I'm staying home."

Jenae nodded, an excited smile spreading across her face. "It's a deal. Now, what do you think about this outfit?" She had chosen a black dress with a low v-cut and had on the black heels that Cambry had handed her.

Cambry nodded approvingly. "You look hot."

"Great! Let's figure out what you're going to wear," Jenae said, digging into Cambry's closet. After a moment she pulled out a sleeveless, sparkling silver dress. "What about this?" she asked.

Shrugging, Cambry took the dress from Jenae and pulled it on over her black lace panties and matching strapless bra. The sparkling silver complemented Cambry's cocoa-colored skin. Jenae gasped. "You look incredible in that!" she exclaimed.

With a smile Cambry said, "Thanks." She put a pair of silver hoops in her ears and a silver necklace around her neck. She fluffed her curly hair into an afro and added to her make-up while Jenae curled her red hair. Once they were ready, the women grabbed their clutches and called a cab to take them to the club.

Twenty minutes later the bouncer had let them inside where a crowd of people danced on a hardwood floor. Behind them was a raised section with tables so that the customers could sit and drink their drinks. Opposite from the tables was the bar, behind which stood several men pouring drinks. The soft blue lighting created a classy but still party-type atmosphere.

Across from the entrance a DJ stood on an elevated platform, providing the music. Immediately Cambry began to sway her body in time to the song. She and Jenae moved into the crowd and began to dance. After several songs they decided they needed a drink and the two made their way to the bar.

While they waited for one of the bartenders to approach them, Jenae struck up a conversation with a handsome man standing next to them. He flashed his pearly-white teeth at her as they talked and Cambry found herself rolling her eyes. He told them he was a male model. His tan skin and bleach-blonde hair certainly helped that image, but Cambry figured he was probably just trying to impress them. It certainly seemed to have done the trick for Jenae, but Cambry quickly lost interest.

Finally a bartender approached them. His dark hair and light eyes caught her attention and she found herself captivated by him. "What can I get for you?" he asked, flashing her a smile.

Returning his smile, Cambry asked, "What's your specialty?"

"Well, that depends on how drunk you want to get," he replied with a wink.

Cambry laughed. "Let's say I want a good buzz but to still maintain my inhibitions."

"Well, now, that's no fun," the man said.

She shrugged. "Depends on your type of fun."

"For a lady like you, then, I would suggest my Blue Mango Breeze," he told her.

"Sounds delicious," Cambry said. "I'll take it."

He smiled. "Great. I'm Brooks by the way." Brooks held his hand out for her to shake.

Cambry accepted, noticing how soft his hand was. "I'm Cambry."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cambry," he said before he walked away to make her drink.

Jenae turned to her as the man she had been talking to walked away. "He's hot," she said.

"Who?" Cambry asked, her eyes still on Brooks. He laughed at something with the other bartenders and she smiled, enjoying the sound.

"Um, that hunk of meat you're devouring with your eyes," Jenae said.

Cambry quickly turned her head to her friend. "I wasn't," she protested.

Jenae laughed. "Right. And I'm the queen of England. You should ask him for his number. I bet he would give it to you in a heartbeat."

"Whatever. He's not into me," Cambry replied. Brooks returned and set a glass of blue liquid in front of her. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, opening her clutch and pulling out a ten.

"It's on the house," Brooks said with a wink.

"No, I'll pay for it," Cambry protested, ignoring Jenae's nudge in her side.

"Let me re-phrase that," Brooks said. "It's on me. If I wasn't working, I'd be buying you a drink. So instead, I'm giving you one."

Cambry couldn't help but smile. "And what makes you so certain that I'd let you buy me a drink?" she asked.

"The smile on your face tells me," he replied.

Jenae purposely cleared her throat and Cambry shot her a glare before looking back to Brooks. "Well, you've caught me. I have a feeling if you asked, my answer would be 'Yes.'"

"Why don't we settle for this?" Brooks asked. "I give you this drink and you give me your number."

"I think that's a good deal," Cambry said. She picked up the drink and took a sip. "Mmm, that's good."

"I know," Brooks said. "So how about that number?"

"So humble and patient. We have a winner, ladies," Cambry said, still smiling.

Brooks laughed. "I'm anxious for a pretty woman's number. Can you blame me?"

Cambry had pulled a small piece of paper out of her clutch. "I guess not. Do you have a pen?"

Nodding, Brooks pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. "Are you ladies going to be here for a while?"

"Yes," Cambry said, nodding. "We plan to dance the night away."

"Guess it's my lucky night, then," Brooks said. "I'm off at midnight. Maybe I can find you two in the crowd afterward."

Cambry smiled and handed him the piece of paper with the pen. "Maybe I'll be waiting."

Brooks mouth widened into a smile that made his eyes sparkle. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment until someone yelled, "Hey! Can I get some service down here?" making him look in that direction.

He turned back to Cambry. "Gotta get back to work. I'll see you later."

When he had walked away, Cambry turned to Jenae. Her friend had a very smug look on her face. "What?" she asked innocently.

Jenae just shook her head and began to laugh. "Oh nothing. Except for I told you so!"

Cambry shrugged. "You're right. He is hot."

"And he's clearly into you!" Jenae said. She took Cambry's drink out of her hands and took a sip through the black straw. "Oh my. That is good."

"Yes it is," Cambry replied. "I believe it's also mine." Chuckling, she took the drink back and sipped on it. Once they had finished it, the women headed back to the dance floor and began to sway their bodies once more.

About an hour and a half later, Cambry felt someone's hands on her hips. She turned to tell the man off who was touching her without her permission when she realized it was Brooks. Instead, she said nothing and began to dance with him, enjoying the way his hands slid over her body as she swayed with the music.

Looking into his eyes, she pressed herself against him so that her breasts were pushed up, making her cleavage look fuller. She watched as his eyes roamed over them and he bit the side of his lip. His hands wrapped around her waist and her arms wrapped around his neck. He guided her body to match his as they moved together.

After a few moments, Cambry turned in his arms so that her back pressed against his front. Her ass rested against his crotch and she could feel his cock pressing into her. He was slightly hard and she smiled, knowing that he was hard for her. His hands slid down her sides and rested on her hips as she stuck her hands in the air.

Brooks leaned in and whispered into her ear, "You are beautiful."

Cambry smiled. "You're not too shabby yourself, cowboy," she replied.

Laughing, the two continued to move their bodies in time to the music, keeping them close to each other. For the next several hours they danced, occasionally grabbing drinks from the bar. Cambry stuck with her goal to not grow too drunk, but to have just a light buzz for the night. Brooks seemed to follow the same plan, as he didn't drink too much either. She liked that he maintained control over himself.

For several hours they danced together until the club was ready to close. For having not wanted to go out with Jenae, Cambry realized she'd had quite a bit of fun and was excited that she had met a guy who seemed to be really into her. Jenae had left them to be, disappearing to a table on the raised platform where she talked with the man who had first approached her at the bar.

Eventually, though, it was time for them to go home. Jenae had to make her way onto the dance floor, which had cleared quite a bit, and pull on Cambry's elbow to convince her to leave. Brooks walked with them out into the night air and waited while the girls hailed a cab. The driver pulled up and Jenae climbed in right away, but Cambry hung back to say goodbye.

"Are you going to call me tomorrow?" she asked.

Brooks leaned in toward her, his arm resting on the open car door. "Do you want me to?"

Cambry pushed herself against him so that her cleavage showed well. "What do you think?"

He leaned in even more so that his lips and her lips brushed against each other. "I think you want me...to call," he said, pausing to place emphasis on what exactly he thought she wanted.

"Well, then you'd be right," she whispered.

She could feel his smile against her lips and also see it as it reached his eyes. Then she pushed her lips against his, sliding her tongue along the bottom lip. He opened his mouth slightly and pushed her tongue inside. She loved the way he tasted and found herself moaning as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

After a moment she heard Jenae clear her throat and pulled away. Smiling shyly, Cambry said, "Goodbye," and climbed into the cab. Brooks closed the door for her and waved as the cab drove away.

"Wow," Jenae said as they turned a corner. "You must really like him."

Cambry shrugged, trying not to show how much she did. "He's hot," she said, digging into her clutch for her chap stick. "And he's a good dancer. And a really great kisser."

Jenae giggled. "Well, it seems like it was a good thing that you decided to agree to go out with me tonight."

"Yeah. Just think! I could have missed out on meeting him!" Cambry replied. She could still feel his lips against hers and she pressed a finger to her mouth.

"I don't want to say 'I told you so...'" Jenae said, trailing off.

"But you told me so," Cambry finished for her. "I know. I know. It's just been a while since I've had a calm weekend that I was tired. Well, I am tired. But I'm glad we went out tonight."

Sitting back with a satisfied smile on her face, Jenae nodded. "Next time you protest to going out, I'm going to remind you about this."

"Next time you want to go out, I may not need to protest," Cambry pointed out as the cab pulled in front of their apartment. "If everything works out with Brooks the way I'm hoping, then I'll be glad to go out with him."

Jenae paid the cab driver, giving him a generous tip, and the two climbed out of their cab and took the elevator to their floor. As soon as Cambry had taken her dress off and hung it in her closet, she collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 2

The next day Cambry slept until noon. She hadn't planned on staying out so late the night before, but because she did, she was tired and needed to get her sleep. Luckily it was a Saturday and she didn't have any plans, other than to read her book. Ever since she learned how to read she had loved to lose herself in a good book. First it started out with Dr. Seuss and now she found that she loved just about anything that was suggested to her. She spent most of her down time devouring any book she could lay her hands on.

Jenae had managed to get up before her, so there was already a full pot of coffee ready. As Cambry walked into the kitchen, Jenae handed her a full mug. Cambry accepted it gratefully, wrapping her hands around it to warm them. "Thank you," she said after she had taken her first sip.

"I figured we could both use it," Jenae said. She sat at the counter flipping through a fashion magazine, circling the information about the clothing that she liked.

"So who was that guy you spent most of the night with?" Cambry asked as she grabbed a yogurt out of the fridge.

"Oh you noticed him, huh?" Jenae said, raising one eyebrow.

Cambry stuck her tongue out before she replied. "Yes, I noticed him. And how you were hanging all over him. I was just too distracted to ask about him."

Jenae laughed. "I guess I can't blame you. Brooks is definitely a fine piece of ass."

"Yes, he certainly is," Cambry replied. She took her yogurt into the living room and plopped down on the couch, resting her feet on the arm. "Think he's going to call me today?"

Jenae sat in the arm chair next to the couch with her own yogurt in hand. "I can't imagine he wouldn't after that sickening display on the street."

"Like you've not done anything like that before," Cambry said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jenae replied, digging her spoon into the yogurt cup.

Cambry chuckled. "Let's see, I remember that time with Jason," she said, ticking the names off on her fingers. "Carl, Alec, Nathan, and a certain Jeremy, all of which you did something similar with."

"Whatever," Jenae said, her face turning red.

Before Cambry could reply, she heard her phone ringing from her bedroom. She practically leapt off of the couch and sprinted down the hall to her bedroom so that she could answer it. She saw that it was a number she didn't recognize and swiped her finger over the "Answer" button. "Hello?" she asked, trying not to sound as though she was out of breath.

"Hey, is this Cambry?" came the voice from the other end.

She smiled. "Who wants to know?"

"Well you see," the man said, "I was given this number by this really crazy chick last night, but for some reason she intrigued me. I thought I'd give her a call."

"Hey!" Cambry protested.

Brooks chuckled. "I'm kidding. It's Brooks."

"I know," she said and laid back on her bed. "I don't give my number out to just anybody."

"Well don't I feel special then?" he said.

"You should," Cambry told him with a smile. "So what's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd want to go out with me tonight," Brooks said.

Cambry pumped her hand into the air in excitement. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, trying to sound calm.

"I'd like to take you to dinner at this great restaurant I know of," he told her.

"What is it?" Cambry asked him.

"I'd like to surprise you," Brooks replied. "If you don't mind."

"Hmmm," Cambry said, hesitating for a moment. "That sounds great. What kind of restaurant is it? How fancy do I need to dress? And what time should I be ready?"

She could hear him laughing on the other end of the line. "It's not really fancy. Tennis shoes wouldn't be out of place there. But trust me, the food is fantastic."

Cambry was surprised to hear that. Most of the men she had dated always wanted to take her somewhere fancy where they could show off their class. "Okay," she finally said. "I'm fine with that. What time should I be ready?"

"I'll pick you up around seven?" he said.

Cambry nodded even though Brooks couldn't see. "That's perfect."

"Great," Brooks said. "I can't wait."

They hung up and Cambry squealed. Jenae stood at her bedroom door, waiting to hear a report about the conversation. "What did he say?" she asked.

"He asked me out for dinner," Cambry told her. A large smile crossed her face as she stood and began to rummage in her closet for what she should wear.

"And where is he going to take you?" Jenae asked. "That way I'll know what to help you pick out to wear."

"Well he wouldn't tell me," Cambry said as she pulled out a pair of her skinny jeans that showed off her ass. "When I asked how fancy I should dress, he said tennis shoes would be fine."

"Tennis shoes?" Jenae said, helping her dig in the closest. "We're not doing that."

Cambry shook her head. "No, I'm not wearing tennis shoes on a first date."

Jenae moved out of the closet with a pair of red pumps and a sparkly, red top. "You should wear this," she said, laying the top above the pants on the bed. "And these red heels to match."

Seven o'clock rolled around and Cambry was reading and waiting for Brooks. He showed up right on time, knocking on their apartment door in a pattern. Cambry was excited and felt butterflies flutter through her stomach. "This is it," she whispered to Jenae before she opened the door.

Brooks stood on the other side, one hand in one of the pockets on his dark blue jeans. He wore a darker grey, button-up shirt that emphasized his muscular arms and chest. "Wow," he said when he saw her. "You look stunning."

A smile broke across Cambry's face. "Thank you," she replied. "You look nice as well."

He held his arm out for her to wrap hers through and she accepted, shutting the door behind her. Brooks led her out of the apartment building to a dark blue sports car that was parked out front. "Is this your car?" she asked. Nodding, Brooks opened the door for her. Once she was seated, he closed the door and walked to the driver's side before climbing in. She waited until he was on the road before saying, "How does a bartender afford a car like this?"

He chuckled. "The truth is, I'm not just a bartender. During the day, I work with my father as a senior partner in his company."

Cambry's jaw dropped. She had assumed that his only job was at the club. "What is your father's company?"

"We own several different clubs, the one we met at last night being one of them," Brooks said, shifting his manual shifter in the car.

She was in shock. Cambry certainly hadn't realized that Brooks was wealthy, but it turned out he was, in fact, very wealthy. A few moments later, he pulled the car up in front of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that resided in between two larger companies. Having never heard of it, she felt nervous about what the food would taste like, but she decided to try to have a positive attitude about it.

They walked in and she saw that there were only about ten tables, but only one of them was being used. Brooks led her to one in the corner and a moment later a man came over and set two waters and two menus on the table before them. "Brooks!" he exclaimed, holding his arms out to the side.

Brooks stood and wrapped his arms around the man, pulling him into a hug. They clapped each other on their backs for a second. "It's good to see you again," Brooks said when he pulled away.

"It's been far too long!" the man said. "And who is this lovely young woman?" he leaned over and placed a kiss on the back of Cambry's hand.

"This is Cambry," Brooks told him, smiling. "Cambry, this is an old family friend, Nicola. He owns this restaurant."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Cambry said with a smile.

Brooks sat back at the table. "We'd like a few moments to order," he told Nicola. "Cambry has never been here before."

"Of course, of course. Welcome to my restaurant, Miss Cambry. I shall return," Nicola said before returning to the kitchen.

Turning to Cambry, Brooks held out one of the menus. "So," he said. "This is a Thai food restaurant, run by an Italian family, in America, which is probably why it's not very well known. But it is delicious."

Cambry laughed and accepted the menu. "Well, that would explain why I've never heard of it." She studied the menu for a few moments before deciding on a Thai chicken salad with a curried dressing. Just as she set the menu down on the table, Nicola returned. She figured he must have been watching them, waiting for when they were ready to order.

"What can I get you?" he asked, pulling a notepad and a pen out of his back pocket.

The rest of the evening flowed well and Cambry found that she really enjoyed Brooks' company. Not only was he handsome and funny, but she found that he was also charming and kind toward others; all of those were characteristics that she found attractive in a man. When they were done eating, Brooks drove them to an ice cream shop where they both ordered strawberry ice cream on sugar cones. As the evening wore to an end, Cambry realized that she hadn't enjoyed herself as much as she had with Brooks in a long time.

Eventually, though, he drove her to her apartment and walked her to her door. As she pulled her keys out of her purse, Brooks took them from her and unlocked the door and opened it for her. "I really enjoyed myself tonight," he said, before she walked into the apartment.

Cambry shyly looked down at her hands, which she held clasped in front of her. "I did too."

Brooks smiled and placed Cambry's keys back into her hand. However, instead of letting go, he wrapped both hands around hers. "I would like to see you again, if you're okay with that," he told her.

She looked into his eyes and nodded. "I'd love that." In her head, she was debating whether or not she should invite him in for a drink. Inviting him inside would imply that she wanted to take him to her bedroom. While that was certainly the truth, she didn't want him to think that she was the kind of girl who slept with guys on the first date on a regular basis. Jenae had told her she would make herself sparse that night in case Cambry wanted to invite him in, so at least she didn't have that to worry about.

While she argued with herself about what to do, Brooks leaned in, pausing inches from her mouth. Cambry pushed herself to him, meeting his lips. Her stomach was a bundle of nerves, but the way he kissed her made her melt. She immediately made up her mind. When they pulled away from each other, she looked into his eyes and said, "Would you like to come in?"

"Only if you're sure that's what you want," Brooks said, but the desire in his eyes told her that he wanted to as much as she wanted him to. Smiling, she took a hold of his hand and pulled him through her front door.

Chapter 3

Before she showed Brooks where her room was, Cambry headed into the kitchen and poured them each a drink. Knowing that she was about to put the moves on Brooks had her stomach doing flips, but not in a bad way. She was nervously excited and she wanted the alcohol to help calm her down.

Immediately she drained her cup, keeping her eyes on Brooks. He noticed and set his glass on her coffee table. "Are you all right?" he asked, placing both of his hands on her shoulders.

Cambry nodded. "Yes, I just don't normally invite a man into my apartment on the first date."

He nodded understandingly. "I can go if you want. We don't have to do this."

She met his eyes and saw that they were filled with concern. "I want to," she whispered after a moment.

Brooks smiled and took her cup, setting it next to his. He pressed his lips against hers, slowly parting them so that he could slip his tongue inside her mouth. She wrapped her hands around his neck and he placed his hands on her ass, lifting her up. As Cambry wrapped her legs around Brooks' waist, he carried her down the hallway. He broke away long enough to ask, "Which one is your room?"

"First one on the left," she said and he carried her into it. After he shut the door with his feet, Brooks walked to her bed and laid her down on it. She watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor by his feet. He reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt, then pulled it up over her head. He growled in the back of his throat when he saw that she wore a white lace bra.

Smiling, Cambry sat up and reached behind herself so that she could unhook her bra. She watched Brooks' reaction as she pulled it off, revealing her breasts. Before she could drop it on the floor, he leaned over and began to lick one of her nipples. Cambry gasped and wrapped her hands into his hair.

He slowly began to close his lips around her areola, lightly sucking. She moaned as his tongue swirled in circles. She slowly sat up so that she could reach down and pull open the button on his pants and pulled them down, along with his boxers. Her eyes widened as his cock was revealed, standing upright before her. "Oh my god," she whispered, taking all of him in. "It's so big."

Lifting the corner of his mouth up, Brooks flashed her a half smile. "And it's all for you," he said.

He straightened and pulled her pants down. Once they were off, Cambry moved herself further onto the bed and Brooks followed her. He placed the tip of his cock at her opening and paused. "Take me," Cambry whispered and he pushed himself inside of her.

Brooks moaned as she moved in her hips in motion with his. He pushed in and out of her and she could feel every inch of him inside of her. After a few moments, she pushed him away and moved so that she kneeled on the bed. "Lie down," she instructed and he smiled, enjoying her taking charge.

Lying down, Brooks positioned himself so that his head was at the end of the bed and his feet were at the top. Cambry placed her legs on either side of him so that she straddled him. As she pushed herself onto his hard cock, Brooks reached his hands up and began to massage her breasts. She moved her hips forward and back. Brooks moaned as he matched her motions, thrusting himself in and out. As they moved in tandem, Cambry felt her clit rubbing against his pelvic bone. She knew that if she continued, she would soon orgasm.

Cambry placed her hands on Brooks' chest to help support herself. Brooks began to moan more loudly and she smiled, listening to him enjoy their intimate time together. "I'm close," he moaned after a moment.

"Me too," she replied. She hoped that he could hold out long enough for them to orgasm together, as that always helped hers last longer. She began to moan loudly as the tension built inside of her. Just a moment later, she felt the tension break as the orgasm swept across her body. She cried out in pleasure at the same time that Brooks did too. She felt him push harder into her with each spasm of his orgasm, pumping his load inside of her.

Once they were done, Cambry pulled away and collapsed on the bed next to him. Brooks immediately jumped up and grabbed a towel that he found on the chair next to her bed so that he could clean her up. He gently wiped her opening and her thighs before he cleaned himself. Then he laid on the bed next to her, still naked. "That was incredible," he told her.

Giggling, Cambry rolled and laid her head on his chest. "Yeah, it was."

"This probably isn't the most romantic thing to say afterward, but are you okay with it?" he asked.

She tilted her head so that she could look into his eyes and nodded. "Yeah," she replied with a smile. "I am. Are you?"

He nodded as well. "Yes. I was just worried about you. Especially with this being our first date and all."

Cambry shrugged. "I don't normally invite the guy in on our first date, but there was something about you that I just couldn't resist."

Brooks smiled and kissed her nose. "Well, for that I am glad."

They laid in silence for a while and eventually Cambry could hear Brooks' even breaths, signaling that he had fallen asleep. She closed her eyes and soon enough she was also asleep.

In the morning, Cambry's eyes popped open in surprise. She had realized the night before she hadn't even thought about the fact that she was no longer on birth control. She had just stopped taking it about a month before because she decided she didn't like the way it made her feel. Because she was still so used to being on it, she didn't even think about the fact that they would need some alternate form.

Trying not to wake Brooks, who still slept peacefully next to her, she crawled out of the bed and pulled on her robe so that she could go into the bathroom across the hall. Once she was finished, she quietly opened the door to Jenae's room and saw that she was sleeping peacefully in her bed.

Cambry quietly went back to her own room and got dressed. She wanted to hurry to a pharmacy she knew of that was a few blocks away so that she could get a day-after pill. As she dressed, she heard Brooks stirring in her bed and turned to see if she had woke him up. His eyes were open and he watched her with curiosity. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

She nodded, pulling on her pants. "Yes. Sort of. I need to get to a pharmacy."

Brooks sat up quickly, allowing the blanket to fall so that his bare chest showed. "A pharmacy?"

"Yes," Cambry said. "I have a small problem."

Realization dawned in Brooks' eyes. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't even think about that last night. I assumed if it was a problem, you'd tell me."

Cambry nodded. "Normally it wouldn't be, but I just stopped taking my birth control about a month ago and I've been so used to not having to worry about it."

Brooks climbed out of the bed and began to pull his clothes on. "I'll drive you over."

She looked at him, grateful that he immediately stepped up to help her. "You don't have to do that," she said. "I can just walk."

He shook his head. "Nonsense. I have a car and it's here. There's no point in you walking."

"Thank you," she replied.

Once they were dressed, they left the apartment and Brooks drove her to a nearby pharmacy. After she got the pill, he asked, "Since we're out, would you like to grab some breakfast?"

"Sure, that would be great," she replied.

They went to a local breakfast diner that was known for its pancakes. Cambry expected there to be tension in between them, or at the very least awkwardness, but Brooks didn't seem to be bothered at all by the situation. Instead, he had stepped up to help her take care of everything and she was incredibly impressed. "Thank you for your help this morning," she said after they had told the waitress their order.

Brooks took a sip of coffee before replying. "It's not a problem. We did this together, I figured we should help solve it together."

"Well I certainly appreciate it," Cambry told him. "Not every man would have been willing to help."

"Then that's not a man," Brooks said, flashing her a smile. "It is my belief that you see everything through, whether you want to or not. I'm not saying I didn't want to help with this, but there are times when I don't want to have to deal with something, but I still do. That's just how I was raised."

"Your father must be proud of you, if that's how you see life," Cambry told him. The waitress returned and placed their food before them.

Brooks shrugged. "I don't know about that. My parents and I have an odd relationship."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Cambry said after swallowing the bite of food she'd had in her mouth.

"Thanks," Brooks replied. "So, do you know how effective that pill is?"

Cambry pursed her lips, thinking about the numbers she had floating around in her head. "I've heard it's something like eighty-five percent effective, or somewhere around there, but I'm not one-hundred percent sure."

He nodded. "Well, I guess we can only wait and see where you fit in."

After they'd eaten, Brooks dropped her back off at her apartment. "Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked as they stood at her door.

"Yes," Cambry nodded. "I'd love that."

Smiling, Brooks pressed his lips against hers before we walked away. As Cambry's stomach fluttered with nerves, she prepared herself to go inside her apartment and tell Jenae about everything that had happened.

Chapter 4

Six weeks later, Cambry sat at the table at Brooks' parent’s house. He sat next to her and his mother sat across from him. On Brooks left side, his father sat at the head of the table. Dinner had just been set on the table and they were preparing to eat. Brooks plan was to tell his parents that evening that Cambry was pregnant with his child and that they had decided to get married.

He knew his parents wouldn't be thrilled, especially since they had hoped he would marry their business partner's daughter, Ashley, but he didn't care. Even though it had only been a little more than a month he knew he was in love with Cambry and since they were going to be having a baby he figured they might as well get married.

Cambry and Brooks had discussed this ahead of time. He told her he would do most of the talking, but that she was welcome to jump in if she wanted or needed. As she dug into her chicken and rice, Brooks mom, Connie, began talking. "It's so lovely to meet you, Cambry," she said. "Of course I'd heard him talk about you, but I didn't realize how serious you two were until he mentioned bringing you to dinner."

Smiling, Cambry replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Brooks speaks only positively about you." Inwardly she sighed, hoping that Connie and her husband Benjamin would take the news well.

While they ate, Benjamin opened a bottle of wine and poured some into each of their glasses. When he reached Cambry's, she held her hand up. "I'd actually rather have water," she told him politely.

"Oh, of course," he said, sitting. She poured herself some water from the pitcher on the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Connie staring at her and wondered if her soon-to-be mother-in-law was guessing the reason that Cambry had turned down the wine.

She chose not to meet her eye, but instead kept her eyes on the food in front of her. Connie waited until Cambry had taken a bite before she said, "I was going to have our chef cook some fish tonight, but then Benjamin decided he'd rather have this dish. It's one of his favorites. Do you eat fish, Cambry?"

Cambry shot Brooks a look before answering Connie. "Normally I do, yes," she replied, trying to maintain as vague an answer as possible.

"Tell me, when is your birthday?" Connie asked, abruptly changing the topic.

"Oh, it's in January," Cambry told her, wondering where she was going with her thinking.

"Well," Connie said, clapping her hands together. "That's only two months away. If you two are together, we'll have to throw you a big party. What's your favorite cocktail? I'm sure you know Brooks has an incredible talent for making drinks. We'll have him and some of his friends there to make it for everyone."

Brooks jumped in at that point, hoping to save Cambry from his mother's obvious attempt to get information. "Mom, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. We've only been dating a month. I'm sure Cambry doesn't want a birthday party with all of our family friends there."

A disappointed look crossed Connie's face for a moment, but it was brief and she quickly brushed it aside. "Well you know how I love to throw a party. I'd love to do this for her."

"Thank you, but that's not necessary," Cambry said.

Connie turned to her. "You do drink, don't you?"

"I sometimes do, yes," Connie said, slowly nodding her head.

"Mom, do you have something you want to ask?" Brooks said.

Benjamin had silently watched the interaction between the three of them and still remained quiet when his wife spoke. "Have you gotten that girl pregnant?" Connie asked, pointing a finger at Cambry.

Brooks sighed and passed his hand over his face. "Well, this isn't how I wanted to tell you, but yes. Cambry is pregnant with my child."

Connie gasped, dropping her fork and knife onto her plate. Benjamin's face had a stunned look on it and he opened and closed his mouth a few times. Cambry watched as his face turned from a pale white to a bright red in a matter of seconds. Neither one spoke, so Brook began again. "I know we've not been together long, but I've fallen madly in love with Cambry," he said, taking her hand in his. "We want to get married, with just a few family members and friends."

Benjamin finally spoke. "Absolutely not. We were willing to put up with you seeing other girls for some time, but you are not marrying anybody but Ashley. That's all there is to it." His voice was well controlled, but underneath the surface there was a seething anger that scared Cambry.

"Dad," Brooks said. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice. Cambry and I will be married."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Benjamin said, pounding his clenched fist onto the table.

"Well you don't have anything to say about it," Brooks told him, standing. He placed his hands on the table. "Cambry and I are going to be married and you're either going to have to accept that or disown me. We'll leave now and when I come in to work tomorrow, we will discuss this like adults." He gently pulled Cambry up and led her out of the house.

Brooks drove to his apartment in silence. Cambry could tell he was seething with anger, but she didn't know what to say. When they were settled on his couch, she looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry to have messed up your life," she whispered.

He jerked his head in her direction. "Don't say that," he told her gently. "You didn't mess anything up. For whatever reason, my parents want me to marry Ashley, but they really don't get a say in it. They never have had a say in it; I just didn't let them know that until now. I love you and I want to be with you."

"Are you sure you're not just saying that because I'm pregnant?" she asked, concerned. Even though she had taken the day after pill six weeks before, she had still gotten pregnant and she felt as though she was a problem for him to solve.

Brooks placed his hand underneath her chin and lifted her head so that she looked into his eyes. "I'm positive," he whispered and placed his lips against hers. She immediately melted and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Their kiss grew heated as Brooks' hand wandered down her stomach and underneath her shirt where he reached up and began to massage her breast. Immediately desire shot through Cambry's loins as his fingers teased her nipple until it was taut. She forgot about all of her concerns for some time while his hands worked over body.

As his tongue licked her nipples, Cambry reached down and pulled open the button on his pants. He pulled away for just a moment to take his pants off and help her remove hers before he placed himself back in between her legs. Brooks kept his eyes on Cambry's while he lowered his head and began to lick her clit with his tongue.

For a moment he moved down and swirled circles around her opening before returning his attention to her clit. She moaned, placing her hands in his hair as he stuck his fingers inside of her. Brooks moved them in a "come hither" motion so that he rubbed them against her g-spot.

"Oh god," she cried as he sucked on her clit at the same time. An orgasm began to build and within moments she was practically screaming in pleasure as waves of the orgasm wracked over her body. Brooks kept going until she her screams had quieted and she pulled him up by his arms.

With a smile on his face, he pressed his lips against hers. Cambry eagerly opened her mouth. She could taste herself on him as he swept his tongue inside her mouth, which turned her on even more. "I want your cock inside me. Now," she told him between kisses.

She didn't have to tell him twice. Brooks thrust himself inside of her and she moaned as she felt every inch of him filling her. She moved her hips in motion with his as he pushed in and out of her, wrapping her legs around him and clasping her ankles together.

Cambry trailed kisses from his ear down to his collarbone, lightly nibbling on his neck. He groaned in pleasure. Each of his thrusts grew rougher and harder until she could feel him slapping against her groin. "God it feels so good," he whispered.

She smiled and smacked him once on the ass. Brooks raised one eyebrow. "Is that how you want it?" he asked.

She nodded and he immediately pulled away. Placing his hands on her waist he flipped her over. Cambry stuck her ass out and leaned over the arm of the couch. He placed himself against her opening and thrust inside of her once more, still rough and hard. With each thrust, he smacked her ass. She gasped in pain and pleasure and felt another orgasm building. "Don't stop!" she cried as he spanked her repeatedly.

Finally, with one last slap, she came again, crying out loud. Her pleasure was Brooks' pleasure and he joined her in an orgasm, pushing himself into her with each spasm. Once he was done, he pulled away and used a towel from the closet to clean them both. Cambry laid on the couch, arms above her head, a satisfied smile crossing her face.

For the next two weeks, Cambry and Brooks planned their small wedding. His parents seemed to have accepted that they couldn't do anything about it, so Connie helped them with their plans, although a bit reluctantly. It was a Wednesday morning that she was driving to her job as a receptionist at an office building when her brakes went out on her car. She pumped her foot on the pedal, trying to get the car to stop, but it was to no avail. She screamed and blocked her face with her arms as her car slammed into another car in front of her.

When she came to, she found herself in a hospital room. Brooks slept in the chair to her left and a machine beeped to her right. She remembered what happened and immediately panicked, hoping the baby was all right. "Brooks!" she said, shaking his shoulder. "Brooks! Wake up!"

His eyes popped open and he leaned forward. "Oh thank god you're all right," he said, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on it.

"Is the baby okay?" she asked, unconcerned about anything else.

Brooks nodded, a smile on his face. "Yes, the baby is fine. You, on the other hand, have been out for hours."

Cambry adjusted her position in her bed and winced at the pain. Her neck and back were stiff and her right shoulder throbbed. Other than that, though, she felt okay considering she had been in an accident. "Do you know what happened?" she asked.

He shrugged. "The paramedics said that when they arrived at the scene, you were in your car crying. They got you out and into the ambulance, but you couldn't tell them what hurt. You just kept mumbling, 'They wouldn't work.' You passed out on the way to the hospital and you've been out ever since."

She shook her head. "I don't remember any of that."

"Do you know what you meant when you said 'They wouldn't work'?" he asked.

"No," she replied, thinking. "Oh! Maybe my brakes. That's what caused the accident. My brakes wouldn't work. The car wouldn't stop."

Brooks furrowed his eyebrows. "That's strange. I'll tell the police that, though they'll probably want to talk to you."

After Cambry had talked to the police and told them everything she knew, the doctor came and evaluated her. He told her he wanted to keep her overnight, just to be safe. Before they left, one of them received a call on his cell phone. Cambry watched the look on his face as he glanced at her with worry and then quickly glanced away. When he hung up the phone, he walked over to her and Brooks.

"Is everything all right, Officer?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I've received some bad news. It looks like your brake lines were cut. Do you know anyone who would want to hurt you?"

Cambry looked at Brooks and they both shook their heads. "No, not that I can think of," she told him.

The cop pulled a business card out of his pocket. "If you think of anyone, call me on my cell. In the meantime, we'll be considering this a homicide attempt and an investigation will be opened."

"A homicide attempt?" Cambry exclaimed, sitting up straight.

Nodding, the officer said, "I'm afraid so. Cutting someone's brake line is serious business. You're lucky you weren't injured more. Try to get some rest and I'll contact you tomorrow."

He left and Cambry took a hold of Brooks' hand. "Somebody was trying to kill me," she said, her voice shaking. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

"We'll figure this out," Brooks said calmingly. "I'll spend every minute with you until they figure it out so that you're safe. For now, just try to get some rest, okay?"

Cambry nodded and closed her eyes. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep for a while, but she at least wanted to try. In the meantime, she was going to wrack her brain to figure out who it was that wanted to hurt her.

Chapter 5

The next evening, Cambry and Brooks were at his parent's house discussing plans for the wedding. Connie kept trying to get them to have a bigger reception but neither of them wanted that. She was putting together a guest list for the invitations that were to go out at the end of the week. "We'll of course be inviting Peter, Jessica, and Ashley," Connie said, writing their names down on a legal notepad.

Brooks shook his head. "Don't you think it might be a bit awkward to have the woman whom both you and her parents wanted me to marry at my wedding to another woman?"

Connie waved her hand dismissively. "Oh don't worry about that," she said. "It will be fine."

"Have you known Ashley for long?" Cambry asked as Connie left the room, muttering to herself.

Brooks nodded. "Most of my life."

"Were you two ever close?" she prompted. She had been curious about Ashley since the first time Brooks had brought her up, but he had seemed fairly reluctant to talk about her.

"Not really," he told her, looking at her out of the side of his eye. "We dated for a short time, trying to get things to work for our parents, but neither one of us were really into each other."

"Is she pretty?" Cambry asked.

Brooks laughed. "There's probably a picture of her here somewhere, if you'd like to see it. Our families often went on vacations together."

Cambry nodded eagerly so Brooks pulled a few photo albums from the book shelf in the room. He sat down on the couch with her and flipped through the first album without finding anything. The second album was much thicker and it took a moment to find a picture. "Ah, there she is," he said, pointing to a blonde-haired woman standing next to him in front of a cabin.

Cambry leaned in studying the picture. Brooks' parents were also in the picture, along with two other people that she assumed were Ashley's parents. Her eyes skimmed across them and then back to Ashley. However, she realized she recognized the man and quickly looked at him again. "Who is that?" she asked, pointing to him.

"Oh that's Ashley's Dad, Peter," Brooks told her.

Cambry's stomach dropped. She had stopped at a gas station the morning before on her way to work. She knew she had seen that man at the gas station, because when she came out with her coffee she thought she saw him quickly moving away from her car. She had assumed she was wrong and moved on, but now she wasn't so certain.

"What?" Brooks asked. He had seen her face turn pale white and was concerned.

"I saw him yesterday morning at the gas station," she said quietly. "I thought he was hanging around my car, but he moved away when I came out so I decided I was imagining things."

Brooks inhaled quickly. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Cambry nodded. "Yes. He stuck out to me because of the way he reacted."

They stared at the picture for a moment before Brooks set his jaw. "If he tried to kill you, I will kill him," he said.

Placing a hand on Brooks' shoulder, Cambry said, "Honey, calm down. You don't know that he did. And even if it was him that cut my brake line, we need to let the law take care of it. I'd rather have you around for the future of our child."

Grimly, Brooks nodded. "Okay. I'm going to call the officer we talked to in the hospital and let him know what you've just realized."

Two days after that, Cambry and Brooks heard from the policeman. "We've arrested Peter. After we questioned him, we felt like he was acting suspiciously. A judge gave us a court order to check the security cameras at the gas station that Cambry had seen him at. After reviewing the tapes, it was clear that Peter was the one who cut her brake lines. We've arrested him and charged him with attempted homicide."

"Well that's a relief," Cambry said, placing her hand on her heart. "Did he say why he wanted to get rid of me?"

She heard the policeman sigh. "These cases are always difficult, but yes, he did. He told us that he needed his daughter to marry your fiancé in order to save his family. I guess they are broke and he was hoping that her marriage to Brooks would save them. When he found out that Brooks was engaged, he thought up the plan to kill you off. Then he was going to send in his daughter to comfort Brooks and get in good with him."

Cambry almost laughed out loud. She couldn't believe how outrageous Peter's motive was. There were tons of other ways that he could have made money, besides marrying his daughter off to Brooks! When she told him what the officer had told her, he did laugh out loud. "I would never have married Ashley. Your death would ruin me."

She smiled. "I can't wait to start our lives together."

Placing his hand on her stomach, Brooks said, "And bring this one in the world together." He pressed his lips against hers and she happily wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling her love for Brooks sweep across her body.

****

THE END

The Billionaire’s Secret Love Child: Nia’s Story

A BWWM Secret Baby Billionaire Romance

I knew there was the possibility that I would have to manage personal matters for Mr. Ellis, but this was becoming a daily chore of which I had no interest.

“Ahem…” I coughed.

This woman was pretty, a tall leggy blonde with gorgeous skin. Her full figure was sprawled out over the rich silk bedspread, and I couldn’t help but compare her likeness to the girl from the previous night. Mr. Ellis seemed to have a thing for tall blondes. But, then again, there was the redhead last week that stayed for the weekend.

The girl in the bed stirred and snapped awake after noticing me at the end of the bed.

“It’s 10:30 am and Mr. Ellis has left for business. Breakfast is available whenever you’d like it and a car is ready to take you wherever you need to go,” I said.

“Thank you, but I think I’ll stay here until he returns,” she responded condescendingly.

I picked up a few of her things from the floor and tossed them to the bed.

“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible as Mr. Ellis will be busy the remainder of the day. We have your number should he fancy your company again.”

I couldn’t help but feel disdainful of the woman lying comfortably on the bed. She probably hadn’t done much with her life outside of looking attractive. It seemed that she wasn’t enjoying my ogling.

“Give me a minute to get dressed, and keep your tongue in your mouth. I only prefer men … most of the time.” She said while biting her lip.

The idea of sleeping with a woman like that seemed reprehensible.

“Whatever the case, I have business that needs attending. I’ll take my leave.”

She gave me a snarl while picking up her things. I paid her no mind and left the room.

The rich marble walls reflected the light passing through the skylight in the main lobby and illuminated the vast entry space. Brent, my driver for the day, stood by the front door with his crisp black suit and driving gloves at the ready.

I can’t say that I’m incredibly used to being driven around just yet, but it’s something I could grow to enjoy.

I snatched my briefcase from the entryway table, and Brent threw open the front doors for my exit.

“Thank you,” I muttered.

He ushered me into the black sedan, and I took a moment to look at today’s schedule on my phone. I was running a little late and was hoping that Mr. Ellis wouldn’t be too upset over my tardiness.

Brent was a safe driver and quite quick as well. Before long. we had left the grand estate of Mr. Ellis’ and were downtown. Perhaps I wouldn’t be late after all.

We arrived at a new dig site that was to be christened today. It was a notably large site in the downtown area and currently a parking lot. However, the location was excellent for what he was planning to build.

After exiting the car, I walked with purpose to meet with my newest employer. He stood beside a reasonably large stage where several members of the media were setting up for today’s announcement. I could tell he wasn’t nervous in the slightest and actually looked more excited than anything else.

If only people knew what his nightlife was like.

“Good Morning, Mr. Ellis,” I said as I approached.

He waved and continued to talk on his phone. I couldn’t tell incredibly well, but it sounded like he was speaking Italian. He held up a hand for silence as I approached and I waited for a moment taking the small amount of time I had to look over the day’s schedule.

I couldn’t help but look up from the schedule a couple times to admire the man who gave me such an auspicious position. He was quite handsome, if you’re into tall, clean shaven men. His short, cropped hairstyle eschewed his professional businessman persona, but his slightly unkempt tie and unbuttoned white dress shirt belayed what little professionalism he tried to exude. His dark brown eyes were piercing when he looked at me as I looked at him. And, as I distracted him he finished his call, and I produced a portfolio with some particulars he needed to look over.

“Mr. Ellis, this was faxed over from legal this morning. They need you to look it over before they make final arrangements.”

He looked down at the folder, opened it for a moment and folded it closed.

“What do you think, Nia?” he asked.

I made it a point to look over all legal documents; it was good practice for my business degree.

“They want to close it out at 15%, a 4% increase from the last proposal. You’d make an estimated 4 million from signing, and that’s before ground is struck,” I said confidently.

He opened it back up and sifted through a few of the papers. “What do you think? I want your opinion.”

I paused and thought. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was testing me, or if he really did just value my opinion. I considered a lie and thought I should agree with the numbers on the page but had a distinct feeling he wouldn’t enjoy his personal aide lying to him.

“The numbers are a little rough, but it’s a good deal. I think we could come up 3% on the back end but it’ll be a good investment either way, Mr. Ellis.”

He handed back the portfolio, and I stuffed it inside my briefcase. “Tell them to come up 3% or I won’t sign.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy that he’d taken my advice and I also couldn’t help the shallow feeling that I may be wrong and might have cost him the deal.

“Mr. Ell-“

“Nia, I know you haven’t been working here long, but, after a month, you’d think that you’d get over the formalities with me. Just call me Tom like everyone else does.”

“Of course Mr. El-.” He shot me a look and I realized my mistake again. “Tom”

Another well-dressed man approached from the other side of the stage. “We’re just about ready for you. Another five minutes and we’ll be set.”

“Good, good. I have to get back to the office as soon as possible,” Tom replied.

The stranger disappeared into the small crowd that began to swell.

“Tom,” I said, feeling a little more personal, “come a little closer.”

He leaned in, smiling, and I took the opportunity to straighten up his collar. I couldn’t avoid the amazing smell that wafted from him; the cologne he wore must have cost more than my old apartment. He seemed not to be paying much attention to his clothing as he lingered a little longer than was needed.

“You’re all set,” I said. “I’ll have the documents drawn up again for the meeting later.”

“Nia, what would I do without you?” he asked with a smile.

“You’d find another personal assistant capable of making a slob like you look good.” I said with a wink.

He couldn’t help but laugh for a moment. His laughter was stopped by the man from before tapping him on the shoulder. Tom nodded, flashed me another smile, turned around and joined the rest of the suits on stage.

I took a moment to send an e-mail to the lawyers to draw up the new documentation, and, before long there was applause on stage as Tom stood behind the podium.

“Today, we are here for an historic occasion. What used to be an open parking lot will soon become low-rent housing for so many citizens that need it.

“I wish I could provide a home for every man, woman, and child in need, but one man can only do so much. I would like everyone to know that this will not be the last development project in this area as I am in the process of creating new places for people both young and old to relax and play.

“We are building a new park and a new community center that will be free for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

“Today is the dawn of a beautiful and bright future for us all. Thank you.”

The crowd cheered at his comments, and I felt proud of my boss. So much money in the world sat in banks, but he wasn’t afraid to spend it to improve the city in which he lived.

I knew this area well as I had grown up not far away. I can remember staying indoors to study while avoiding the gangs. I couldn’t forget playing on the street during the summer with my friends and wishing I had a real place nearby to play. To be honest, it really did make me into the person I am today and I wouldn’t have changed a thing when I look back.

Tom stepped off the stage and shook a few hands. There were a few people that I recognized in the crowd, but I didn’t try to presume that they’d want to sit around and talk. I had no time for reminiscing anyway.

I sent Brent a message to start the car and joined up with Tom once again. He had finally managed to clear himself from the crowd of people.

He took a novelty shovel from another fellow and walked to the middle of the parking lot where a patch of dirt had already been cleared. He shoved the shovel into the loose dirt and paused waiting for all the photo’s to be taken before ripping the dirt from its rest.

After more hand shaking had finished, we made for the nearby waiting car. Brent held the door as the two of us entered.

“I find it odd, Tom. You could probably take a helicopter instead of waiting in downtown traffic.”

“I like being driven,” he replied before taking a moment to think. He continued, “Flying makes me feel like I’m looking down on people, driving makes me feel like one of the people.”

I enjoyed that sentiment; feeling like a normal person and not looking down your nose at everyone else. I felt attracted to his honesty and tried to push back any romantic feelings I had. It was easier to do this morning as I knew what his previous night was like.

It wasn’t long before we reached his corporate headquarters in the heart of the city. The massive glass structure loomed over most of downtown and housed nearly all of his employees.

It was quite intimidating to look at every time we came.

Exiting the car, I was greeted by a courier holding a small stack of papers. The lawyers had already redrawn the agreement and I briefly checked for the changes which appeared in order.

“Here you are, sir. The new agreement, as requested,” I said, handing him the stack of papers.

He glanced over them as we walked through the lobby to be joined by many other finely dressed men ready to petition Tom for business approvals.

As we entered the elevator, I shooed the incoming crowd away and was met with harsh stares of disappointment. It honestly made me feel a little important.

We zoomed to the top of the tower. I had to break the silence. “Your private box is being readied for the game later today, sir. Any special requests?”

He pondered briefly before replying. “It would be nice if my assistant could come as well.” A coy smile crossed his lips.

I stifled a laugh and continued. “It’s supposed to be a private event with your brother and his family.”

“What’s the name of his youngest son?” he asked.

“Jonathan, sir. He’ll be two years old in March. Their oldest is a girl named Isabel she just turned five last month. His wife, if you can’t remember her name, is Lydia.”

“Oh, I remember her name. I was just testing you, is all. Send my brother an e-mail and let him know I’m excited to see him and his family again. And request to have some toys brought there as well. I don’t know what kids like anymore.”

I couldn’t picture him around kids and what I could imagine made me fear for his future wife.

“I’ll send a runner to make a selection.” The elevator shimmied open and he went on ahead while I fussed about sending more messages here and there.

I tried my best to look professional, but, in a world full of old men, it was hard being a young woman.

Tom entered a glass walled meeting room and sat at the head as he always had. I got a lot of rough looks from one of elder statesman in the room; it was easy to see he didn’t like me at all. I didn’t have the heart to ask whether it was my sex or my race that angered him the most. Racial diversity nearly seemed an afterthought in the office building.

I plucked the water carafe from the stand and poured Tom some water while he finished looking over all the papers.

“Tom, why the devil did you bring that sales mark up 3%? You’re making them nervous; it’s going to blow the whole thing!” chimed in the elder statesman.

“George, I did it because the deal wasn’t solid enough as they offered. On the will of my personal assistant I increased the price and I trust her judgement.”

“You trust her judgement,” he restated. “I wouldn’t trust her with a serving tray let alone a multi-million dollar deal. You should’ve left this one where you found her.”

My anger was tugging at me and draining what little patience I had.

“If I cared for your point-of-view I’d ask for it, Mr. Dibney. But, your opinion is worth about as much as the dirt I stepped in on the way over.”

Mr. Dibney looked obviously distraught having his opinion so carelessly negated. “Listen here, Tom. Your dad and I were running this company before you were in diapers! My opinion should be the only one that matters!”

Tom sat in his chair with his face resting in his hand and listened. “You know, you used to run this company before I bought it, Mr. Dibney. I only kept you around out of respect for my father that helped build it. And, let me emphasize that I bought it. I didn’t have it handed to me on a platter like many sons do. I didn’t spend my days doing nothing but driving fast cars and meeting loose women. I spent them studying and investing so that I could one day make something of myself.” Tom paused and grinned. “If you’d like, I would happily give you Nia’s job. She could take yours.”

Mr. Dibney sat back in his chair and didn’t pursue his thought any further. But it was obvious that he had a lot more he wanted to say.

I grew a bit more fascinated by my boss when he talked like that. He was shrewd when he needed to be and never minded using the stick instead of the carrot. His powerful words gave me a new sense of accomplishment and I wanted to live up to them.

“Mr. Dibney, you’ve given me a great idea. I’m going to add a provision that any money accrued on the 3% figure, that you so obviously hate, will be deposited in a trust for my personal assistant to do with as she pleases,” Tom said.

I quickly did the math in my head and nearly fainted thinking about the numbers. The amount of money would be nearly 1.2 million dollars.

“Now see here, Tom. Throwing money around doesn’t do any good for this company. You’re going to cost a lot of jobs if this deal doesn’t go through. Are you prepared to deal with that?” Mr. Dibney spouted.

“If a deal is to cost jobs, I should make it yours. The amount of money in bonuses you make at years end would shore up the loss quite readily. So, I should hope for your sake that this deal goes through.” Spat Tom.

I couldn’t tell if Tom was interested in this conversation or not. He had a stake in the outcome of this deal, but treating an old businessman like this felt a little harsh, even by my standards.

I leaned in and whispered in Tom’s ear. “You don’t have to keep fighting for me, if that’s what this is about. I get annoyed by racist rhetoric but I’m professional enough to deal with it.”

Tom turned and whispered back. “I like watching him squirm, he knows it’s a good deal, he just wants more money for his pet projects. Besides, you’ll need some seed money when you start your own business and I want to be an investor.”

I felt giddy again knowing that he was being serious about giving me a percentage.

It was around then that another group of people entered the meeting room. They looked like penguins lined up in a row as they sat on the opposite side of the table.

“Mr. Ellis,” began one of the men; it was Mr. Benjamin Riley a lawyer whom we’d had favorable dealings with in the past. “I see you wanted to increase the margin by 3%? I don’t think my client is able to go that high with the economy as it stands. We can go as high as 16%.”

Tom stood up, and looked over the crowd of new people at the table.

“Need I remind you all what this deal is for?” Tom started. “We’re here to change the lives of so many people.” He walked down the line of chairs while he spoke. “This is to secure the land rights for the park. Are you really trying to profit off the backs of subjugated minorities? I know I’m not. That’s why I’m waiving my usual fees to make this deal happen.” He stopped and leaned against Mr. Dibney’s chair, which continued to fluster the old man.

“You might be waiving your fee, but you stand to make a lot of money from this deal, hiring people from your own company to build a project that the city is commissioning from you.” Mr. Riley leaned back in his chair. “You also will own the land rights for any businesses that build on the site meaning that we couldn’t go near it with any franchise we own. You’re asking a lot, even though you know we need to sell, the deal is still raw.”

“I’ll not have any franchises mucking up this community center, nor will they tarnish the parks. This is to be a place for small local business to thrive and build up. The only way for people to care about their community is to be active members of it. I’ll build the buildings, I’ll handle the rent check, but you’ll still get paid a fair share, and more than a fair share. I could give you less than twenty percent, but instead I’m giving you more than eighty.”

Tom was right and they knew it.

The group of men talked amongst themselves for a moment and returned. “We’ll sign and we hope you might reconsider the option at a later date.”

Tom had received his increase in price, which was great for him and great for the people. Hands were shaken, papers were signed, and I couldn’t help but respect him just a little more.

The room cleared quickly, and Tom stared out the 60th floor window looking out at the expanse of the city. He may like to keep his feet on the ground, but it was obvious that he loved surveying his domain.

“Did I make a change, today?” he asked suddenly.

It took me a moment to piece together an answer. “You are improving the lives of a community in which I used to live. Of course you made a change today.”

I cleaned the space a bit, replacing water glasses and readying papers to be filed or shredded.

“Really, Nia, I made a promise to improve lives and create jobs for as many as I could. I feel like it takes so long to make things happen that I won’t have really done a thing by the end.”

“Nonsense, sir. You are young and bold. Rocks are only hard to drag when going up a hill, not down one. I think you’ve carried this rock to the top of the mountain, and all it needs to do now is roll down into place.”

He laughed and sighed.

“Thank you, Nia. I’ll be sure to add your provision to the document when legal is done going over the final particulars.”

The way he stood seemed so introspective and lonely. I wanted to give him a hug and assure him it would be alright. I wanted to give him the strength to continue with the fight that I knew he would win. Then I stymied the thought, knowing that I shouldn’t be thinking of my boss that way.

He handed me his now empty glass and walked out. The rest of the day continued as usual, but it would be shorter than normal as he had to leave for his game today.

****

I took the opportunity to make some time for myself that I hadn’t had in quite a while. I invited my friend Denise out to drinks and to catch up, and she was more than willing. It wasn’t long until we were more than a couple drinks into our evening and chatting like we were schoolgirls again.

“Okay, okay, tell me. Is he cute?” she said through slurs.

“I don’t want to think like that. He’s my boss!” I replied.

“Yeah, but he’s gotta be cute, otherwise you wouldn’t still be working there, right?”

“I can’t confirm nor deny his cuteness.”

“Spoken like a businessman. I want details, details!” she replied.

She wouldn’t let me go until I said something.

“He’s cute for a white guy; I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. But, he’s my boss!” I said for what felt like the millionth time.

“Nia, you are barely out of college and this gorgeous rich boy picks you up and makes you his assistant? Sure, you might be some smarty businesswoman, but deep down he’s gotta be thinkin’ about that sweet backside you know you like showin’ off.”

She was half-right. It came off as odd now that I spent time thinking about it. He hired me, from thousands of candidates, to handle his personal affairs.

“Where are you living these days, hun?” she continued.

“Well … I’m a live-in personal assistant. He requires near constant help with his affairs so, per my contract, I live in his mansion.”

Her eyes lit up. “You live with him? Girl, you might as well be married already.” She continued to sip at her drink while making eyes at nearly every man in the room.

I laughed at her off beat comment; she always had a way of making me laugh at myself. “I doubt he’d want to marry someone who wasn’t white. You should see the models I have to throw out almost daily. He wouldn’t be interested in someone like me.”

“Hun, he might sleep with a bunch of white chicks, but that boy is all over you, trust me.”

I continued my laughter. “Girl, don’t preach like that. I’m doing this job until I figure out what I want out of life. And, I hope I can figure it out soon because it has been exhausting.”

The night continued on and soon my friend would leave my company for a man. She knew what she wanted out of life, and it made me a little envious. Her cavalier attitude towards meeting men was a sight to behold; not ten minutes later she was dancing with a completely different man.

I finished my drink and called Brent who readily drove by and picked me up. It had started raining, and I had a feeling the evening was only getting started.

A few minutes passed, and we were back on the estate. I sheltered my hair from the rain with a file from earlier in the day, but it did little to help me from getting drenched in the short walk to the entrance. Brent didn’t seem to be having much of a time of it either as he trudged into the house.

“Alright Miss, I’ll be in the servants quarters till you need me. Have a good evening.” He said before retiring to the back rooms.

I made my way upstairs, stumbling and a little weak on the way. The bannister was my best friend as I made my way which was slow going.

I slammed open the doors to my room which happily shut behind me as I entered. I kicked my heels to the bedside and plopped to the bed trying to avoid moving as much as possible. It didn’t last long as my clothes were sopping wet and irritating to wear.

I removed my blazer and unzipped my slim yet professional black dress. I slid it down my shoulder and it clumped into a wet pile on the floor.

I caught sight of myself in the mirror and gave in to my vanity. I might not enjoy every part of myself, but the parts I saw I liked. I may not have model-level skin but I thought it looked quite smooth with its rich chocolate color. I started doing model poses and came to the conclusion that it wasn’t as hard as it looked. My black lace panties did an amazing job of accentuating my hips and went well with my black bra that squeezed me in just the right ways. But, there were few things better than taking it off at the end of the day.

I removed what little of my clothing remained and examined myself further. Shoulder length black hair flowed over my shoulders and frizzed up because of the rain. My soft features and high cheekbones gave my face a thin profile. I pursed my lips and laughed at my silly poses before settling back on the bed. I felt too lazy to put anything on at all and started to settle under the covers.

Then I heard the front door slam open and a raucous laughter filled the entryway. Considering how thick my door was, I couldn’t help but be interested in what was going on.

I pressed my ear to the door to try to hear, and the first voice I heard was Tom’s.

“Deborah, tell me, am I striking out here?”

“I don’t think you can strike out. I think you’re about to hit a home-run tonight,” the woman said.

And then another woman spoke. “Come on, Tom I wanna see what the pool looks like, I brought my swimsuit just for you.”

“Jen, I don’t see how you can fit a swimsuit in that tiny purse,” Resounded Tom’s voice again.

“Trust me, you’ll like what you see.”

I had to see what was going on as I had never been up while he was in the middle of one of his trysts. I cracked open the door to my room which let out a small creak as it slid and started to tip-toe down the hall.

Looking out over the foyer, I saw one girl already hoisting her incredibly small dress off her tiny frame showing off her model sized assets. I sneered at her skinny frame and wished I could at least have a slimmer physique.

The other girl was leading Tom towards the back of the house and out of sight. Tom didn’t really show much trepidation as they went and seemed quite excited.

I knew I should stop but my curiosity and intoxication led me forward still. I crept down the stairs while trying my best to keep an eye on the trio. Tom pointed them towards the pool that waited in the wing and I continued to follow just a corridor behind them and trying my best to keep out of sight.

The women, now naked, climbed into the pool, and Tom grabbed another drink from the decanter nearby. He looked down the hall and I ducked behind a doorway. As I turned to look back to the pool room my gaze was met by Tom, who was now standing right beside me.

I was spellbound by his stare, and he had a drunken smile on his face. He gave me a look up and down.

“Nia, are you aware that you’re naked.” He asked.

You could probably have boiled water on my cheeks I was so incredibly embarrassed after he said so. I did my best to cover myself up, but it wasn’t much of a relief.

“If you want to go for a swim, the pool is open and it’s apparently clothing optional,” he said while stripping off his shirt.

I didn’t have any response; I just wanted to be back in bed and forget this happened.

“Okay, I can see I’ve embarrassed you. Let’s just say that I’m too drunk to remember anything and you can head off to bed. Does that sound okay?” he said.

I nodded and started backing away down the hall. His eyes never left me nor my body and I wanted to slap him for staring, but, at the same time it was my mistake.

I nearly lost my footing on a carpet and caught myself with my hands; giving him another eyeful. While I was incredibly embarrassed, I did feel at least a little flattered that he wanted to stare at me instead of the women in the other room. So I slowed my pace and let him stare as I walked off with the sexiest walk I could muster.

I heard his footsteps follow me for a moment before stopping as I made my way upstairs. I felt a little flush when I closed the door to my room; I felt like being naughty.

The alcohol was catching up with me and I sprawled out in bed. The silk sheets I had grown accustomed to would be my only comfort of the night. Still, I felt much better about myself.

****

I dressed sensibly the next morning, throwing my wet things over the shower in my bathroom and feeling much better after the rest. I journeyed through the halls toward the kitchen downstairs and it felt oddly empty this morning.

The chef was nowhere to be found nor was Brent nor was Magda, the maid. I hunted through the house to see where everyone was and only found Tom sitting in a deck chair in the pool room. The room was empty, save for him. The girls who were here last night left no trace.

“Tom?” I said.

He lifted his head and squinted his eyes. “Ah, it’s just you Nia,” he said laying his head back down. “I gave everyone the day off. Clear my schedule for the afternoon if you don’t mind.”

I started looking over his schedule for the day on my phone and it was to be a light work day anyway. I sent a few e-mails and texts to make sure his staff would be abreast of the matter.

He stood up and stretched his muscles a bit. “What would you say to dinner?”

I looked at my watch, wondering if I was up late.

“It’s barely eight, why are you asking me to dinner?” I replied curiously.

“It takes about seven hours to get to Paris from here, Nia,” he said as he casually strolled closer.

“Paris?” I asked with astonishment. “You want to fly to Paris for dinner?”

“Isn’t that generally what you do when you have a personal jet and a day off?” he replied.

I couldn’t find fault in his logic, and it helped that I didn’t want to find fault in his logic.

“I would be happy to join you, if that’s what you wish,” I said.

He clapped his hands in a cheer and gave me a hug.

“I own a restaurant that’ll open a table up for me tonight. Have my tuxedo pressed and take the car out and buy something dressy. If you’re going to be holding onto my arm you need to look the part.”

I tried my hardest to hold in my excitement. Not only would I get to go to Paris, but I’d get to play dress up and feel rich for the evening.

“I’ve arranged a limousine for you today since Brent has the day off. Flight leaves in 2 hours so don’t take long,” Tom poured himself a drink from the whiskey stored nearby and sat back down in the deck chair.

I lingered a moment trying to understand his motivation. He could have done anything on his day off, but, instead, he’s taking me to Paris. I had to think this had something to do with last night.

No matter, I could use the day off. I left him to his vices and joined with the driver that waited outside by the limo. A few minutes later I was being shown some of the most beautiful and incredibly expensive dresses I had seen; and I wanted them all. I settled for a skin tight black dress that ended just above the knee. The low back and deep neck line accentuated my curves and I looked amazing. Twenty-five thousand dollars later, and I had my dress for the evening.

It wasn’t long before Tom and I were sitting a few thousand feet above sea level in his private jet, sipping on wine. I kept seeing him glance at meet from the corner of his eye. I pretended not to notice.

“Nia, I hope my attitude last night wasn’t off putting,” he said.

“Off putting in what way?” I asked.

He swiveled his chair toward me kicked a leg over his knee.

“I might enjoy the company of many women but I didn’t mean to do so in front of you. I would prefer to stay professional when possible.”

I swept the hair out of my eyes and gave him a big smile. “I’m not put off by sex, Tom.”

“That may be so, but watching your boss have sex must be strange.”

“The only reason I would’ve been watching is if you hadn’t noticed me. I didn’t see anything except two young trollops showing what god gave them.” I said.

Tom gave me another insightful glare. “Don’t you mean three?”

I blushed a little thinking about it and crossed my arms trying to cover myself more than I already was. “You didn’t have to stare, you know.”

“And you didn’t have to walk that slowly and sensually, but you did.”

I suppose someone as perceptive as him would notice something like that.

“Okay, okay. I was out drinking, and my best friend told me in no uncertain terms to pursue you as more than just a boss. But, I stand by my professional work. I’m not interested in being arm candy to some rich man.”

Tom sat back in his chair partially pleased with himself. “I didn’t do anything with them last night and you can blame yourself for that.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“I called Brent and told him to take them home,” he said. “They didn’t seem that interesting anymore after I caught you.”

I was feeling a bit light headed as the blood rushed to my face. I couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or an insult so I prodded further.

“You gave up a night with two beautiful women because you saw my bare ass? Am I that much of a turn off?” I asked.

“Just the opposite,” Tom said. “It’s like living in a world full of cabbage, you eat it and it’s familiar; it keeps you full and satiated and happy. But, then you have your first taste of cake.”

“So, you’re saying that I’m ‘cake’ now?” I asked.

“No, I’m saying that you’re a beautiful woman and deserve more praise than you’re probably afforded.”

I was gushing with pride as he said that. I felt as light as air and that felt a bit ironic as we were in a jet. I could see something was holding him back from saying anything else.

“Is that all you wanted to say?” I asked.

His face twisted as though he had something to say but didn’t know how to say it. I had a feeling I knew what he was attempting to vocalize.

“You’re afraid I’ll call a lawyer and claim you’re sexually harassing me; something along those lines?” I asked.

He nodded and sighed, taking another large sip from his glass. I slipped a piece of paper from a nearby notepad and, with the pen from my purse wrote a quick note; on it I absolved him of all sexual misconduct that may happen aboard this plane. Adding my signature to the bottom, I handed it to him for perusal.

He took it and read over it quickly. “You know this isn’t legally binding,” he said. Before he could finish I had already slunk into his chair.

He tossed the note over his shoulder and gripped my back with his soft hands taking me into a deep kiss. My knees weakened while he pet along my curves. I shuddered in anticipation while hooking my arm under his shirt and feeling his chest.

He stood up and lifted my top from my chest. I did the same to him and as it came off I gave him a kiss on the chest. He threw the garment behind him and reached around to unhook my bra.

My breath grew heavier as he pulled it from me. I pulled him in close for another kiss and he obliged. Feeling a little naughty, I shoved him back into the chair.

I looked around for a moment and found the remote for the stereo; clicking it on and turning to music I could dance to. I started to dance for him; letting him stare all he wanted as I swayed back and forth to the music.

His eyes lit up as a hungry dog staring at a freshly cooked steak. I liked feeling his stare on my topless body. The music bellowed deeply, with a steady beat and my hips gyrated as I undid the pants I wore. I turned around and let him watch as I inched them down my legs; giving him a full view of my dark skin.

I threw the pants aside and could feel my panties getting soaked as I continued to dance. I could see the bulge in his pants bursting to get out and I wanted to help it, but not yet.

I lowered myself into his chair and rubbed my swollen pussy up and around his throbbing member. Dancing and swaying up and down to the music it felt like he was near ready to burst.

I faced and straddled him and then undid his pants. He grabbed my hips as I continued to grind. I stood back to my feet and pulled what remained of his clothing off him.

I lowered my own underwear down my legs and let him admire my sex from behind while continuing my dance. I backed towards him again. Once again I began to grind in his lap, letting him feel me with his skin. And I could feel his penis pushing against me. It drove me wild.