by Ava Walsh
“I got sick, I fainted. I just wanted to sit on the beach. I wasn’t trying to do anything,” she said, and she looked like she shivered.
“Get her a fresh robe and some towels. Go now,” Fedor barked and both the other men ran out of the room.
“You gave us a scare,” Fedor said, letting go of her neck and standing up. The look in Sylvia’s eyes changed, they hardened again. The sour note that they had parted ways in Puerto Rico returned.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him and Fedor took in a deep breath, pushing his hands deep into his pockets.
“I thought I’d come by and check on you. I’m on my way back to Chicago now,” he said as Pyotr came in with fresh towels and a robe. He handed them over to Sylvia who started dabbing her face and her hair with them.
“Boss?” Pyotr said but Fedor asked him to leave them alone.
Sylvia straightened herself and positioned her back against the back of the couch, while Fedor remained standing, a few feet away from her.
“I’m going to change into this new robe now,” she said, looking at him directly. Fedor gulped, nodded and looked away.
He had come here to check up on her, because as much as he trusted Petrov and Viktor, he didn’t trust them with Sylvia. That was all it was. He didn’t need any more temptation.
“I’m fine, Fedor. I didn’t need checking up on,” she said and he couldn’t help but turn his face to look.
The discarded robe was lying bunched up at her seat, but she hadn’t put on the new one either. Instead, she was sitting there with one of the towels in her hand, she was dabbing her damp skin with it. She was naked. Her nipples were puckered in the cold, there were goosebumps on her dark smooth skin. Her brown eyes glowed when she caught him looking.
“What are you really here for?” she asked him, and Fedor breathed in again. It was too late to pretend like he hadn’t seen.
She was sitting with her bare legs slightly parted so that he could see her pussy. Where he had slid into her six weeks ago, where he had burst into her.
“I came to check up on you,” he repeated himself and Sylvia smiled.
“You thought I was going to kill myself,” she said and Fedor licked his lips.
“I saw you walking into the water,” he replied and Sylvia laughed.
“And you immediately decided that I was too depressed to live anymore,” she said and to his surprise, Sylvia stood up from the couch.
Now she was standing directly in front of him, naked with her legs apart. She was so close to him and yet so far away, too far away to touch. Her breasts were perfect, her head was held high. She was challenging him to control himself. He could feel his dick move in his pants. She saw it too, his growing erection.
“I wanted to make sure you were safe,” Fedor said and turned away from her.
“I thought you trusted your friend, you trusted Viktor,” he heard her say, and he clenched his jaw. What did she want from him? Wasn’t it enough that she was torturing him? Did she want him to admit it too?
“I hope you feel better soon, Sylvia. It was a mistake coming here,” Fedor said and was about to walk towards the door, but she stopped him. Not physically, but with what she said to him.
“I’m pregnant, Fedor. I’m pregnant with your child,” Sylvia said, and Fedor had no other choice but to whip around and look at her.
She remained standing naked, her head held high and she challenged him with her eyes. She didn’t need him. She just wanted him to know.
Chapter Fifteen - Sylvia
She hadn’t meant to tell him, it just came tumbling out. And now Fedor was looking at her like he didn’t believe a word she had just said.
“You’re pregnant?” he thundered and rushed towards her, and yet kept his distance. Sylvia turned around and picked up the fresh robe and slid it over her shoulders, but she left it hanging, open so that he could still see a part of her naked.
“That’s why I’m sick. I’m not depressed. Just pregnant,” Sylvia said as calmly as possible. Fedor’s eyes were a dark blue now, she was witnessing a new side to him.
“Why didn’t you…” he began to say but she smiled, she knew what he was going to say.
“Tell you? Why would you want to know? You wanted to have nothing to do with me,” Sylvia said and finally tied the chord around her waist. He was breathing hard, his wide shoulders were shaking as she could see that he was trying to control his rage.
“If it’s my child, I would want to know,” Fedor said, taking a few threatening steps towards her. She didn’t move away from him, she wasn’t afraid.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. You don’t have to be a part of my baby’s life,” she said and Fedor suddenly grabbed her by the arms.
“Why? Because you don’t want a dirty criminal scoundrel to be your child’s father?” he yelled, louder than she had ever heard his voice. Then his hands relaxed on her arms and he let her go. Sylvia breathed in and gave it a few seconds before she spoke.
“I know you’re not like all the others. You won’t admit it, but you’re not a dirty criminal,” she said, unable to keep the desperation out of her voice. She wanted him to agree, she so badly wanted him to tell her the truth.
“You saw the tattoos,” he said gruffly.
“You’ve been to prison, so what? You’re nothing like my father. Nothing like the others,” Sylvia protested, throwing herself against his body. Fedor peeled her away from him and held her at arm’s length, looking her directly into her eyes.
“I’m in the mob, Sylvia, I’m just like them,” he said and she felt the tears bubbling up. She was in love with him, she was going to be the mother of his child. This was not what she wanted to hear, she knew it wasn’t the truth. She knew Fedor kept away from the rest. He was respected and feared in the mafia, but she had never heard stories of violence involving him. Why was he holding on to his past? Sylvia cried, struggled to be free of his grip but he wasn’t willing to let go.
“Sylvia, I’ve done things, I’ve seen things. I’m not proud of any of it,” he said, tightening his grip on her arms so that it started to pinch her skin.
“But that’s in the past,” she said, hopeful again. Fedor let go of her arms.
“Yes, in the past. But I still have a reputation. People still think the same of me,” he said, taking a few steps away from her.
“You did it to survive. You were born into this world, you didn’t know any better,” she said, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she watched him stepping away from her. He was going to leave again.
“A reformed criminal is still a criminal. All my money, all my power comes from the crimes I committed in the past,” he said, and he looked like he was suddenly afraid of himself. Sylvia followed him, walked towards him till his back was against the wall and he had nowhere else to go.
She was nearly half his size, and yet he was the one inching away from her.
“I told you before, Fedor, there is so much you can do with what you have. You can give back. Right the wrong. If you really want to,” she said, reaching out her hand to touch his face.
“I’m going to be a father…Sylvia, will you let me be a father?” he said and she bit down on her lip. She had never thought she would see him again, and here he was, asking her the one question she had wanted to hear all these days.
“If you want to,” she said and he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up to kiss her.
This kiss was gentle, giving and he licked her lips slowly.
“This is wrong. Your father will never forgive me,” he said as he held her up. Sylvia shook her head and smiled.
“He left me alone with you and I fell for you. We did nothing wrong,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Fedor Volkov was going to be the father of her child. There was nothing to stop them now. They could finally be together again.
“I’m sorry Sylvia, for putting you in this position, for sending you away. I didn’t want to lose control of myself again. You are i
rresistible,” he said and kissed her again. Sylvia kissed him back, running her hand down his large muscular back. She felt safe in his arms, happy with him. This was what she had been yearning for all these days alone in this house, just to be in his arms again.
“I know why you did it. But I thought you didn’t want me anymore either. Fedor, I wanted you from the moment I walked into your study,” she said laughing, unable to contain her happiness any longer.
“Are you crazy? How could I possibly not want you anymore?” he said and slid his hand down the front of her robe. Sylvia squealed and was laughing again, till his hand reached her breasts and she couldn’t laugh anymore. He was going to be inside her again.
Chapter Sixteen - Fedor
Will knocked on the door of his house, storming in without prior warning.
“Pyotr! I want to speak to your Boss!” He heard Will’s voice out in the front. Pyotr was probably holding him back.
Sylvia was lying on the couch in his office, her head was propped up by a cushion and she was reading a magazine held up above her face. She dropped it to the floor and turned her face to look at him. Fedor hung up the phone at the same time.
“That’s dad. Does he know I’m here?” Sylvia asked, shifting her body to sit up. She had gotten much bigger now, she was in her sixth month. Will hadn’t contacted his daughter in nearly seven months and had still not solved the problem with his rivaling gangs in New York.
“Someone might have tipped him off,” Fedor said, adjusting the tie at his neck. They had spent the past months in his holiday home in Puerto Rico and Sylvia had had a smooth pregnancy. They had taken the time to get to know each other.
Now that they were back in Chicago, it was time for him to start winding down his businesses, setting up trust funds and charities. He had made his decision, this life as he knew it was over. It was the beginning of a new phase of his life. He was going to give all this up and move permanently to Puerto Rico with Sylvia and baby. She was bursting with ideas of what to do with all the money he had laundered away to Swiss banks. It was time to give back to the community. It was time to retire.
“Honey?” Sylvia had walked over to his desk and now stood behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. She was in a tight black lycra dress, and her belly bulged out where his child was. Fedor smiled and placed a hand on her abdomen, he could feel his son kicking. He looked up at Sylvia, at the face of the woman who had made all this possible, who had inspired him to have a new life, and he was thankful. Nothing and nobody was going to keep them apart, especially not her father, no matter how close as friends they once were.
“I’ll do the talking. I owe him an explanation,” Fedor said, patting her hand on his shoulder and then standing up.
“I want to be here when you talk to him. I don’t want him accusing you of anything,” Sylvia said and accepted a kiss on the cheek from him. He touched her nose with his forefinger and smiled.
“Let him in, Pyotr,” Fedor yelled and the doors burst open. Will Stern was standing at the door to his office and couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Welcome to our home, father. It’s lovely to see you after so long,” Sylvia said and walked towards him with open arms.
Will hesitated, then opened his arms and hugged his daughter.
*****
THE END
The Rock Star's Pretend Girlfriend
Description
Live life, be daring. Take a chance. On me.
Mindy Cassidy owes her older brother big time. So when he asks her to be his best friend’s fake girlfriend while their band is on tour, she agrees. There’s no woman alive who wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.
The problem is that she spent her entire high school years daydreaming about Devon. How will this virgin hide her feelings when she has to kiss him for the cameras?
Devon Jennings is a world-class a**, his arrogance is incredible and his affairs are all over the newspaper. His record label gives him the choice. Either he settles down with a good girl, or they’re dropping the band and it’s back to playing in garages.
So he agrees to a fake romance with his best friend’s baby sister. Turns out she’s all grown up with some rocking curves. Being around her is like a slow sort of torture. Can he be a good enough guy to not take advantage of their forced close proximity?
What started as a fake romance soon has both Mindy and Devon questioning everything they stand for. Can Mindy protect her heart? Is there a way to dampen the fire between them? Do they even want to? And when a small present arrives, will Devon face his demons and do the right thing?
Chapter One - Mindy
Mindy Cassidy waited in a room off from the concert hall for the biggest new band in the country, August Doll. Her older brother had begged her to come, telling her he needed a “big favor” before she went back to school in the fall.
She’d come right away because she’d do anything for Bret. Her brother had always been there for her and, even now, he paid her tuition so she could attend school for her Bachelor’s in psychology.
She flipped her long auburn hair over her shoulder as she heard the band finish the last song of their set. She knew the set by heart, had heard it a million times since they were just a garage band, practicing at her parents’ house.
August Doll had hit it big with their first album, something even she could barely believe. She just hoped she didn’t have to run into Devon Jennings. He and her brother had been best friends since they were in middle school.
As a teen, she’d had the worst crush ever on the lead singer. She was certain she’d acted like a love-struck idiot, barely able to string together sentences whenever he was around.
She’d rush up to her room, certain the rest of the band was making fun of her because it was so obvious. All the same, she’d had torrid fantasies about losing her virginity to Devon. Sometimes, even now, she’d dream about him. And she still hadn’t found anyone who could compare to her feelings for Devon. Because of that, she still held onto her pesky V-card. It was humiliating to be twenty-one and still a virgin. She had lied to her friends that she had a summer fling last year and gone all the way with a boy from home.
Bret walked into the room and Mindy jumped up to give him a big hug. He grabbed her up and spun her around. “Min, it’s good to see you, kid.”
He ruffled her hair like she was twelve, not of proper drinking age.
Devon strolled in behind him, glowering at them both, and went straight for the makeshift bar set up in a corner.
The familiar shock went through Mindy, that strike of attraction straight to her core, and she cursed herself a dozen times over for still wanting the man when he’d shown her zero interest. Not to mention, Devon was not a “nice guy.” He’d recently been splashed all over the papers for his tumultuous affair with a supermodel, and the subsequent end when Devon had trashed a nightclub after a big fight with her ex.
Mindy turned her back on Devon as he poured himself a shot of vodka. “So, what’s this big favor you need?”
“It’s okay to say no,” Bret started, holding out his hands.
“No, it’s not. The label was pretty damn clear,” Devon said from behind her. Mindy turned to peer at him. What was he talking about?
“Say no to what, exactly?”
Bret huffed and put a hand on the back of his neck. This was obviously not coming easy for him.
Mindy took him by the hand and tugged him to the big sofa in the middle of the room. “Just say it, Bret. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
“All right. Devon needs a girlfriend.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flamed. Didn’t everyone know exactly how she felt about Devon? This was like her worst nightmare. Then again, Bret would never have asked if he had any clue she wanted Devon so badly.
“Why would you think of me? He’s never had any trouble finding women to bed.” She pretended like he wasn’t even in the room. It would make this conversation so much easier.
She squirmed under his dark-eyed gaze. He had long blonde hair, which he wore in a low ponytail when he wasn’t performing. Since they’d just come off the stage, it hung about his shoulders and, damn, long hair on a man should not look so freaking hot.
Trying to focus, she stammered, “Fake romance?”
Bret gave her hand a squeeze. “Our label says Devon has to clean up his act or we’re out on our asses. They suggested he rehab his image by settling down, at least for a couple of months, with a good girl. You’re the best, and we can trust you.”
“Of course you can.” She said it without thinking. Her mind raced. What would a fake romance consist of, anyway? A few dates? Going on the road with them? Being on his arm for big events? How, exactly, would it work?
She wished Devon would stop looking at her that way. His eyes half-lidded, as if he’d just climbed out of a big bed where he’d done dirty, exquisite things. With her.
She was at it again. Years had passed and she still wanted him, just as much. Being in the same room with him was torture. She couldn’t possibly pretend to be his girlfriend. That would involve touching, maybe even kissing.
Bret went on, oblivious to her state of mind. “Devon has given me his word, he won’t lay a hand on you.”
“She’s not exactly my type.”
Okay, ouch. He didn’t need to point it out. She was well aware that with her freckles and healthy figure she didn’t compare to some supermodel. “I bet I could keep you out of trouble, though.”
Bret gave Devon a hard stare. “We talked about this. She’s doing us a huge favor—don’t be an ass.”
“Right,” Devon said. “Hands to myself and not being an ass to your baby sister.”