Carry My Baby

by Shanade White

  Amanda put the last of the newspaper into the recycling bin and dusted her hands off. After living in this apartment for almost seven years it was definitely time to go. Stripped of everything but the old furniture it looked shabby and old, but she could remember when that had thrilled her, when it had been a challenge to make the old place look brand new. Now she wanted a fresh start, a new life in a new place, and the truth was that she wasn’t leaving much behind.

  Picking up the last box and setting it by the door, she stretched her back thinking how good it felt to be able to move freely again, but then a stab of longing took her breath away. It had been the hardest thing she’d ever done or would ever do to walk away from Theo and the baby after his mother had given her that note. She’d arrived in Juneau still sore and exhausted from giving birth, rented a hotel room, and stayed there for three days, only coming out to get food once a day, trying to understand how he’d been able to fool her so completely.

  From there she’d ridden a bus to Anchorage, still sick at heart and missing Theo. She’d almost talked herself into calling him and begging to see him, but then she read his note again and moved on. Somewhere between Anchorage and Seattle, she’d managed to tuck her pain and grief away deep in the back of her mind, but occasionally it would find her, a stab of pain so deep it made her dizzy. But she was determined to move on with her life, she had to otherwise all her pain and suffering would have been for nothing.

  Not everything in her life was in shambles, in fact for the first time in her life, she knew what she wanted to write and it wasn’t going to be the great novel she’d always thought it would be. No, now she realized that what she wanted was to write children’s books, the kind of books that taught a lesson, books that made people laugh like the stories she told about her brothers. In fact, the first series was going to feature four brothers who manage to get themselves into all kinds of trouble, and the sister who saves them time and time again.

  Just thinking about it made her smile as did the fact that the first book was finished and on its way to several publishers. It would have been a much sweeter victory if Theo and the baby had been there to share it with her, but someday she’d see them again, of that she was sure. But for now, she was going to travel for a while, explore some different places and different cultures. She had the money and the freedom to do as she pleased for a while, and if her books hadn’t been picked up when the money was gone, she’d find a job.

  She was standing by the window looking out at the street trying to decide where she wanted to go first when a knock at the door startled her. Going to the door, she opened it a crack and peered out into the hallway, then slammed the door when she saw Theo standing there. Rooted to the spot, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe for a second, then she closed her eyes and opened the door again. When she opened them, Theo was standing there, a huge bouquet of roses in his hands.

  Before she could say a word, he shoved the flowers into her hands and began to speak. “I once told you that I wasn’t a storyteller, but I have a story that I’d like to tell you now,” he said, then pushed past her into the apartment when she nodded her head too shocked to speak.

  “It’s about a handsome prince and his princess who share a wonder gift but are ripped apart by the wicked witch,” he began.

  Ten minutes later, tears were streaming down Amanda’s cheeks as Theo finished the story. “So the handsome prince found the princess and told her what the wicked witch had done, and that he loved her, that he couldn’t live without her. He told her that nothing would ever separate them again, that their love was strong enough to weather any storm that the wicked witch could throw at them. He told her that without her in his life the blessing she’d given him would never be enough, that only if she was with them would his world be complete.”

  Amanda didn’t know what to say. “Oh, Theo, I thought you didn’t want me, I thought that you had just used me,” she said, stepping closer to him.

  “I thought that your writing was more important to you than Faith and I were, that you’d changed your mind and didn’t want to be a mother after all,” Theo said, stepping closer to Amanda.

  “I miss her so much it hurts,” Amanda said, tears running down her face. “And I miss you, Theo.”

  Theo closed the distance between them and took her into his arms. “I missed you too, Amanda, life isn’t the same without you, I feel like a piece of me is missing,” he said, his eyes locked on hers, the love so plain to see it left her breathless.

  “I love you, Theo, I love you so much it hurts sometimes,” she sobbed into his chest.

  “Shhh, don’t cry. I love you too,” he said, lifting her chin and kissing her, his love coming through loud and clear.

  When they finally came up for air, Amanda couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s the baby?”

  “Oh, you mean the last part of our happily ever after? She’s in the car with Julien…” But Amanda didn’t let him finish, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the apartment and down the stairs.

  When she hit the street, Theo was laughing. “Slow down, they’re over there,” Theo said, pulling her in the opposite direction from the one she’d headed.

  By that time, Julien had stepped out of the car with the baby in his arms. Amanda rushed over and looked down at the baby. “Oh, she’s grown so much,” she said, suddenly nervous.

  “Here, take her, she’s getting heavy,” Julien said, and thrust the baby into her arms.

  The minute the baby was in her arms, Amanda felt such an overwhelming sense of relief that she couldn’t help but sigh. Theo came up behind them and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s good to see my two favorite girls together finally. Looks like this story really is going to have a happy ending,” he said, then kissed Amanda on the top of the head and hugged her tightly to him.

  The end.

  The Billionaire's Russian Mail Order Husband

  A unique and sexy love story for adults...

  A complete story, brought to you by popular romance author Kiana Campbell.

  If you asked anyone who knows her, they’d say Virginia Maxwell has it all.

  A successful billionaire fashion designer, she could have any man she wants.

  The only problem is, all the men she meets are only hoping to get a piece of her money and fame - something that was unfortunately true of her now-ex model boyfriend.

  But when Virginia travels to Russia for a fashion show and takes a tour around the city, she finds herself surprisingly attracted to her knowledgeable and handsome tour guide Dmitri, who seems to have no interest in her money or fame.

  After their meeting and Virginia going back to New York, the two can’t stop thinking about each other.

  They want to see if they can become anything, but the only way she can get him to come to her without breaking his contracts is for them to get married!

  But is she ready to practically mail order herself a Russian husband?

  Find out in this sexy new romance that crosses international borders, penned by top selling author Kiana Campbell.

  Suitable for over 18s only due to sex scenes so hot, you'll want your own Russian tour guide to sweep you off your feet.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 1

  Knock knock knock.

  “Just a minute,” Virginia Maxwell said with a groan. The young fashion designer was pacing all over her office; tablet in one hand, and a few papers in the other. She was chewing on her bottom lip and perusing one of her older collections. She wanted to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, or worse, had a new idea that was too similar to her previous work.

  Virginia said she needed a minute, but she needed much more than that. She needed twenty minutes or more. Hell, she needed to take the rest of the afternoon off.


  This was one of the busiest times of the year. There were people knocking on her door almost every half hour, and if she heard ‘I need you to sign this Ms. Maxwell’ one more time she was gonna drown herself at the bottom of a half caff soy latte.

  “V, it’s me.”

  Virginia recognized the voice and smiled.

  “Oh thank God. Nancy, get in here.”

  Virginia’s mousy assistant walked into the office and shut the door behind her. Nancy’s high ponytail bounced when she walked. Half of her face was covered by her bangs. Her lips were her most striking feature. She had a perfectly heart shaped Cupid’s bow, and her bottom lip always looked pouty. Nancy could switch between fiery and adorable in no time.

  “Nanc, please tell me today’s gonna get easier,” Virginia groaned again. She set the papers and tablet she had been looking through on a glass side table next to one of her many sofas. She finally stopped pacing. The heels of her Manolo Blahniks were so pointed she was sure her pacing was going to start leaving a trail on the hardwood floor of her office. Virginia unbuttoned her jacket in an attempt to breathe better. It didn’t help.

  “Not even close. I need you to look through and finalize at least 28 more designs. You have a call from Vivienne about having a joint show she wants to plan for the fall. You have a meeting upstairs with a potential client to design a series of prom dresses that he wants specially made for like a million clients he’s already confirmed with,” Nancy was talking too fast. She was jabbering on and on, and Virginia just wanted to sink into the floor. “You still need to choose the final cuts for the Parker wedding bridesmaid dresses; Stella loved the ideas for the wedding dress, and she wants the corset with the sweetheart neckline from dress one, the beading on the corset from dress 6, the ruching on the top half of the mermaid tail from dress 4, and the sleeves, veil, and train from dress 3.”

  “What about dress 2?” Virginia joked.

  “No, she hated dress 2,” Nancy said with a smile. The only way Virginia could get rid of her stressful feelings was by joking. That was part of how they started to become friends. Nancy was smart, loyal, funny, and after 3 years of working together, Virginia trusted her with her entire life. “Now, about that meeting upstairs…”

  Virginia put the back of one of her hands on her forehead and collapsed onto the nearest sofa. She didn’t remember her job always being this arduous or demanding. And Nancy hadn’t even said anything about Paris Fashion Week, or the launch of her Spring collection in Moscow. She probably realized how swamped Virginia was, and wanted to ease her suffering a bit…if you’d call this easing.

  “What about PFW and Russia?” Virginia winced when she asked. She was expecting a long explanation of things that needed to be done, or signed, or shipped, or designed. Nancy met Virginia’s grimace with a reassuring look.

  “Paris is good to go. You have ages before you need to start panicking about that. You have a few calls to make as far as Moscow is concerned, but you’re mostly set. Some of the fittings need to be redone, and you need 9 back-up models. Aside from that…” Nancy paused to take a look at her phone, “…Nothing. You leave for Russia on the thirteenth. You excited? I know it’s your first time going. Can’t believe we didn’t think of launching something there sooner.”

  “Kinda excited, but definitely more curious. I want to know the market, and what the people are like. It’ll give me a better sense of what styles to go with for that collection. And the thirteenth? That’s in 2 weeks, right? Working so much makes me forget the date sometimes.”

  Nancy confirmed with a single nod of her head. Her ponytail bounced on her shoulders. She was so on top of things. Virginia had no idea where she’d be if it weren’t for Nancy. Probably pacing and crying, but she didn’t want to think of that. Paris Fashion Week was far enough away not to worry about, and she had done enough pre-planning to be set for her first trip to Russia already. Her future was set, but her present was swamped.

  “Can you cancel my meeting upstairs? My mind is just buzzing about too many things today. And I have to get reservations at Del Posto tonight for 7. Julian and I are having dinner tonight,” Virginia pouted. Sometimes she could be spoiled, she knew, but Nancy was the only person who understood just how hard she worked. The only one who realized what needed to be done in order to keep this industry going.

  “I’m not gonna cancel for you! Virginia Shania Maxwell, get up!” Nancy plopped down on the sofa beside her best friend and started shaking her.

  “Give me one good reason.”

  “I’ll give you a bunch, sour puss,” she held her hand up, and put a finger up in the air for every time she made a point. “You have a whole ton of people counting on you. You’re probably the best and hottest designer alive right now. I mean, Vivienne Westwood wants to collab with you, girl! You’ve been on the cover of 7 magazines…and not random ass ones like GLASSbook; I mean magazines that everyone knows about…”

  Virginia stopped her for a second to laugh. Nancy could tell she was picking up Virginia’s spirits and kept going. “You are the richest and most powerful black woman in New York; probably the entire east coast. And you have employees to pay; including me. Because I have no idea how I’d eat or have such nice clothes without this job.”

  Nancy grinned with all of her teeth exposed. Virginia smacked her on the arm and laughed. That made her feel tons better.

  “Thanks,” Virginia said. She sat up and gave Nancy a hug. That was the encouragement she needed. This was the third summer in this business full of panic and worry, but it was getting easier over time. She thanked Nancy again, but she still hadn’t finished her embrace.

  “You’re welcome. Plus, I don’t like when you’re frustrated,” Nancy said. “I’m your friend first, but right after that I’m your assistant. I know you like the back of my hand. It’s ok to need help sometimes.”

  Virginia nodded her head in agreement and sighed. Her arms were still wrapped around her friend, and they were both steadily rocking back and forth. Nancy, as usual, was right. Virginia had been through worse and come out on top. She had handled more situations and clients in the past, and no matter what, she always found a way to get through as if it were nothing. And all of those times she had her friend by her side.

  “Ok, I’m done complaining. Time to show all these people who’s boss,” Virginia said as she rose from her couch. She adjusted her crisp white jacket and shook her wrist to listen to the sounds of her bracelets. They were all gold, and each encrusted with a different jewel. She had one for each month’s birthstone. Virginia was always trendy like that.

  She swung her wide hips as she walked, and she took long confident strides. She walked as if someone was watching her at all times. It was regal and beautiful, with her long neck, and her head held high. Her thick curls bounced when she moved.

  “Oh V. One more thing,” Nancy said when she got up from the sofa. Virginia turned slightly and raised an eyebrow. “Wendy Williams wants to schedule you for next week Thursday’s show.”

  Virginia made a face.

  “Tell Wendy to call me when she magically turns into Oprah. I don’t do petty gossip shows. I’m a serious designer,” she flipped her hair and wiggled her eyebrows at Nancy, and then she turned and stepped out of her office. Nancy was still giggling when the door shut behind her.

  *****

  With a new found confidence within herself, Nancy strut all the way upstairs and into her main boardroom. She ignored anyone who asked her to sign anything. She didn’t bat an eye when one of her employees told her she needed to be at different fittings throughout the day. She’d take care of it. She always did. But right now she had to wow a potential client who needed an entire line of prom dresses before spring; none of which could have been used or seen before in her collections.

  Virginia sighed and adjusted her jacket before strutting into the boardroom. Like everything pertaining to Virginia Maxwell, this room was pristine. She wasn’t just a brilliant fashion designer; she had a keen
eye for interior decorating as well. There was a mahogany table in the center of the room lined with chairs. The chairs were the same frame and height, but all with a different color or pattern on the cushion. There was a projector at the other end of the room where the largest and most plush chair was. The floors were black quartz, and the rug underneath the table was thick and turquoise.

  Virginia noticed that the gentleman who she was meeting with was sitting at the head of the table. His assistant was to his right and looking rather fragile. The man at the head of the table was drumming the fingers of his left hand impatiently. The fact that he chose to sit where he did made Virginia raise her eyebrow.

  That was her plush chair. She knew better than to say anything. Sometimes it was all about kissing ass in this industry, even if she was a world renowned young designer herself.

  “Mr. Grantspen, sorry for keeping you,” Virginia said. She smiled wide and swung her hips as she walked towards him. Her thick black curls bounced in rhythm with her motions. She was gorgeous, and she knew it. He met her with a look of pure boredom, and didn’t even stand to greet her. He held out a hand. Virginia took it and shook it graciously.

  “You’re Virginia?” he asked looking her up and down. Virginia couldn’t help but be taken aback. She wasn’t conceited…much…but she was used to people knowing who she was. Had this man been living under a rock? Maybe he didn’t watch the news, or read any magazines, or the newspaper. She had been everywhere and in everything; especially during this time of year. Her name made headlines. She had graced at least 7 magazine covers in 3 years.

  Virginia blinked rapidly and nodded. That made Mr. Grantspen smirk a bit. He eyed her when she sat in the chair opposite his assistant. Virginia pretended not to notice, and kept the smile on her face.

  “So, the famous Ms. Maxwell,” Mr. Grantspen started, leaning forward. “I was wondering what ideas you had in mind for my clients. I’d need 42 designs in about 8 months.”