by Tia Wylder
“Svetlana, sweetheart, don’t you worry one bit. I would never come between you and your familial duties,” Jackson said gently, brushing a bit of hair away from the woman’s eyes. Her eyes widened significantly, and she began to giggle softly. She pressed her face against the older man’s shoulder, and he tensed slightly, no longer sure whether they were acting.
“You actually got my name right,” she murmured, and he could feel her lips quirk against him. “Have you been practicing?” She whispered, drawing away and smiling up at him. He smiled tentatively, shrugging a shoulder.
“Not practicing per se, I suppose we’ve just been spending so much time together,” he murmured. Svetlana chuckled, wiping away a stray tear that had trickled down her cheek.
“Jackson, we’ve spent every moment of work together for years now. What’s changed, so suddenly?” She inquired. He hesitated, meeting her gaze and holding it for a long moment. He longed to confess so many feelings and say so many things... It certainly wasn’t the time to burden his gorgeous assistant with his hidden feelings, however. Not when she was currently bearing her heart to him. It could call his motives into question, something he never wanted the woman before him to have to do. He forced an easy smile, though his insides churned with anxiety.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just becoming a better guy,” he replied carefully. Svetlana considered him for a long moment, drawing away and crossing her arms over her chest.
“You’ve always been a good guy. I just don’t think you’ve ever realized it,” she murmured. He felt his cheeks grow warm, and he averted his eyes to hide how flustered the woman was making him. Never had a woman set his insides alight in such a way before, to the very extents that he was the one flustered. He had always been the one to push women off their game, knock even the haughtiest off their metaphorical pedestals. Still, she wasn’t like any other woman he had met before. He cleared his throat, trying to change the subject off himself for once.
“How is your sister doing, now? Have they stabilized her?” He inquired softly, and Svetlana’s expression broke for the briefest of moments.
“She’s… stable, yes. I must admit, part of the reason I was so eager to accept this job as your… girlfriend of sorts was because I’m currently covering my sister’s hospital bills. She ran out of money to cover treatment some time ago, and since then I’ve taken over,” the woman admitted softly, wrapping her arms around herself. Jackson felt his eyes widen, his heart reaching out to his blonde assistant. Never had he met someone so generous, so pure of heart and genuine. Well, perhaps pure of heart was a bit of a stretch. He had caught her scrutinizing his erection during their little misstep, but… he was getting off track.
“I never knew you were paying for your sister’s treatment. Are they expecting her to make a recovery?” Jackson asked, reaching out to cup Svetlana’s cheek. If she objected to the tender touches, she didn’t say as much, pressing into his hand.
“She’s terminal. There’s zero chance of recovery at this point. I just… I want to give her as much time with her son as I’m able. She’s been sick for years, but it’s getting progressively worse. I know I’m simply delaying the inevitable at any rate, but I can’t find it within me to let her go. For my sake, but for her son’s sake as well,” she muttered. Tears began to pool in her eyes once more, and Jackson hesitated before drawing her firmly back into his arms once more. He rested his chin atop her head, and she simply relaxed in his grip, seeming content to receive his comfort for the time being.
“I’m so… sorry. What hospital is she being treated in?” He continued, rubbing a hand up and down his assistant’s back. She hummed, drawing away to consider him with a small smile.
“What, are you wanting to send get well balloons?” Svetlana teased. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.
“No, miss smarty pants. I’d like to meet your sister. I’ve never had the honor of meeting any of your family, and I would hate to miss my chance,” Jackson explained, feeling his face redden once more as she scrutinized him with a curious expression.
“It’s not as if we’re really dating, Jackson. Why on earth would you want to meet my family?” She retorted. He balked at the question, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot as he considered how he would answer her question.
“Because I care about you,” he finally settled upon, intent to go into no deeper detail than that. Svetlana didn’t seem content with the dismissal, however, stepping back and matching his tense posture.
“But… why? You’ve never cared before,” she riposted somewhat bitterly. Caught off guard by her tone, Jackson drew away, tempted to lash out defensively. However, he remained silent for a long moment, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. Svetlana swiftly deflated, and it was evident she was ready to apologize for her harsh words. Before she could get the apology out, however, Jackson cut her off.
“Isn’t it enough that I just… do? Does one need a reason to care about a coworker? A… a friend?” He breathed. Svetlana looked more than vaguely taken aback, her cheeks set alight this time.
“No, I suppose not,” she acquiesced. He smiled gently, to show there were no hard feelings. She returned the expression hesitantly, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. “I should get to work. I’ll see you in a bit, Jackson,” she murmured, turning to slip away. He watched her go with a faint smile, and though he had not been able to weasel her sister’s hospital information out of her yet, he was a man on a mission. A man who would not be easily dissuaded.
With that thought firmly in mind, he returned to work.
Chapter Five
He did his share of research, though others may have been more inclined to call it snooping. He took comfort in the fact that he was at least trying to do a good deed, and he wasn’t going to use his assistant’s personal information against her. Truly, all he wanted to do was help. He didn’t even have the ulterior motive of trying to win Svetlana’s heart with his actions, though he supposed it would have been a good effort in that sense. He wondered where his sleazy intentions had gone, though he couldn’t complain about their absence. He supposed he truly was changing for Svetlana, even though he understood that was not his assistant’s intent. She had no way of knowing the effect she had on him, and at the rate things were going, it seemed unlikely he would ever reveal his feelings. He could only hope said feelings were as fleeting as his feelings for women tended to be. He’d never been one to ‘catch feelings’ as kids say, tending to treat women as little more than the play things he used on them. While he was caught in these feelings, however, he was determined to do some small bit of good.
Which was why, when he found out what hospital Natalia Rhukov was staying in, he immediately broke into a toothy grin. He planned what he would say to Svetlana all day, shaking with the anticipation of a plan well executed. He would spring his idea on her, she would reject him of course, but that wouldn’t stop him. He’d sweep her off to the hospital, charm her sister, be the kid son’s hero, and then… he wasn’t sure where he’d go from there. He honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead. He liked to think Svetlana would plant a nice big smooch on him, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop at a simple chaste kiss and he wasn’t sure making out in the hospital was exactly respectable behavior. While he couldn’t care less about being respectable, he didn’t want to have his wonderful assistant tarnished.
He rose to his feet in a flourish, slipping out of his office to seek the woman who danced through his thoughts. Jackson bore a brilliant smile, offering his cheeky grin to whoever passed him in the halls of the office. It must have been a rather startling sight, seeing the no nonsense boss all full of cheer. It had gotten to the point that his employees had given up on greeting him in the halls, prior to that day. He wasn’t surly by any means, he just never had time to dilly dally. Today marked a new day, however.
His new day was knocked slightly off track when he found Svetlana in her office, cursing someone loudly in Russian. Her teeth w
ere nearly bared in a snarl, her face flushed a pretty shade of pink. Jackson was certain he felt his heart stop in his chest, and despite how obviously irate she was, he couldn’t help but feeling the vaguest tug of attraction. She noticed his presence a moment after he stepped into her office, and she bit out one parting line that he couldn’t understand before hanging up the phone.
“What’s going on, there?” Jackson inquired with a faint quirk of his lips. Svetlana brushed her hair away from her eyes, looking the most irate that he’d ever seen her.
“My parents in Russia. They’re trying to challenge me for custody of Klaus, should anything happen to Natalia. They don’t have a pot to piss in, as I’ve been declared his godmother by my sister, but you… well, you don’t understand, but Russian parents can be very… aggressive,” she sighed, flopping back in her office chair. He quirked a brow, smiling despite himself.
“I know how parents can be across all regions, sweetheart,” he murmured. He stepped closer, and she stiffened as she realized her boss had caught her in the middle of a fight with her parents.
“I’m sorry, that was awfully unprofessional,” she blurted. Jackson couldn’t swallow a bark of laughter, waving her off.
“Unprofessional is getting your personal assistant to be your pretend girlfriend,” he chuckled. She rolled her eyes, flipping through the messages on her cell phone. “In any case, I came to check in and see if you were up to taking a break with me,” he offered, bouncing on his heels. She quirked a brow at him, looking curious but quite interested.
“Alright, alright. I’ll bite. What’s on the agenda, honey?” She grinned coyly, crossing her legs at the ankles. He resisted the desire to lunge towards her and ravish her with his mouth on the spot, instead returning her smile with a mischievous one of his own.
“Well, you’ll just have to see when we get there,” he hummed, offering the gorgeous blonde his arm. She looked him up and down, seeming to consider her options. Seeming to decide there was little harm in humoring him, she took him by the arm and allowed herself to be led out of her office. Jackson’s excitement only grew as they stepped into the bright and sunny day. Svetlana’s curiosity seemed to be piqued further and further, especially as he led her to the parking lot and his black sports car. She quirked a brow at him, drawing away and crossing her arms over her chest.
“How can I be sure you won’t take me out to some field and have your way with me?” She inquired, quirking her lips in a wry smile to show she was only teasing. Jackson could only smirk, leaning against the side of his car.
“I could always make a change of plans,” he hummed. Svetlana blushed prettily, averting her eyes and clearing her throat.
“I’m sure whatever you have prepared will be just fine,” she murmured dismissively. His expression warmed, and he took her gently by the hand and led her to the passenger side of the vehicle. He pulled the door open, allowing her to slip inside before easing the door shut. He circled back to the driver’s side, slipping inside and cranking on the vehicle. He revved it, smirking at the look of wonder on Svetlana’s face.
“You ready to roll in style, sweetheart?” He murmured, shifting into reverse. She hesitantly nodded, fastening her seatbelt before gripping the seat’s armrests. He grinned wildly, speeding out of the parking lot and onto the main street towards the hospital. Svetlana’s eyes were wide and almost fearful, and she glanced over at him before speaking.
“You are aware that there is a speed limit, correct?” She inquired loudly, over the revving of the car’s engine.
“What’s a little fine when it comes to impressing your pretend girlfriend?” He hummed. She rolled her eyes good naturedly, sinking back into the plush passenger seat. Jackson idly reached down, shifting on the warming and massaging function of Svetlana’s seat. She whimpered softly at the sensations, and when he glanced over to her, her face was beet-red. “Just making sure you have a fun ride,” he murmured huskily. She said nothing, simply gripping the armrests more tightly and shifting her hips subtly. He could only imagine the sensations going through her body, and while it may have been a bit inappropriate to get her all hot and bothered considered their destination, he could only hope he could butter her up enough to keep her from getting angry. He had been snooping in her files, after all.
She didn’t seem to recognize the direction they were going in, until they passed the hospital sign and they could make out the looming building just off the highway. She pressed her lips in a thin line, looking at him with an exasperated expression.
“You really are eager to meet my sister, aren’t you?” She inquired sardonically. He shrugged, offering her a hesitant smile.
“Like I said. I care about you. By association, I care about your family,” he said with a shrug. She smiled despite herself, and he felt the butterflies that seemed ever present in his stomach growing excited. Despite how self-assured he was presenting himself as being, he was nervous to meet the other members of the Rhukov family. At least, those in the United States. He was especially nervous to meet the little boy that would someday be in his assistant’s custody. He could only wonder what sort of strain her sudden shift to motherhood would put on a potential relationship. He knew the child wasn’t to blame, nor was anyone to blame. It was simply that terrible disease that was sweeping through Natalia’s body. He pulled into a parking spot, and the two slipped out of the car. Jackson slipped around to the back of the car, popping open the trunk and removing a large cooler as well as a stuffed tiger that was nearly too large to carry.
“What on Earth,” Svetlana began, and he offered her a nervous look.
“I figured that the hospital food couldn’t have been particularly appetizing to begin with, let alone after being here for months. I stopped by and picked up some takeout from my favorite cafe, and a chocolate cake for us to share,” he managed, hoping she didn’t think him foolish. She smiled tenderly at him, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. He felt his own skin grow warm, and she moved to take the stuffed tiger out of his arms to help him carry the load.
“And this…?” She inquired, her eyes sparkling with delight. He hesitated, feeling rather silly now that he thought about it.
“I just thought her son might like it. Obviously, it’s not going to take away the pain of losing his mother, but…,” he trailed off, and she nudged him in the side, bubbling with laughter.
“You want them to like you! You’re really going all out, here, Jackson. A girl could get the idea that you’re genuinely interested in her,” she teased. He simply chuckled, swallowing any awkward feelings he may have had. The two made the short trek to the hospital doors, stepping inside. Svetlana took the lead, guiding him to a set of elevators and summoning one to the ground floor. They stepped inside, managing to catch one without a plethora of people joining them. She pressed the button for the fifth floor, and the two stood silently together as the elevator began to rise. “They’ll ask what your interest is, with me. My sister will, at least. What are you planning to tell her?” Svetlana murmured. Jackson’s face flushed, and he averted eyes, muttering under his breath for a moment. “Pardon?” She prompted.
“I’m simply going to tell her that I’m a friend who cares very deeply about you,” he explained. She smiled, and the expression was so bright it could bring to light a dark and cloudy day. He struggled to ignore the warmth in his gut, the growing adoration for the woman who stood eagerly at his side. He had expected her to be angry, and he supposed she would have had every right to be. However, she simply seemed thrilled that he had taken an interest in her, as well as her family. He couldn’t deny his growing enchantment with the woman, and it was only a matter of time before his feelings came spewing forth. He could only contain it for so long. Just as he was sure he was going to blurt out his feelings, the elevator dinged to indicate they were on the proper floor. She led him out of the elevator, seeming to have a bit of a skip in her step as she led him down the hallways. The nurses recognized her immediately, greeting the blon
de-haired woman warmly as she and Jackson made their way through the floor. He couldn’t help feeling as if their collective gaze upon him was mildly suspicious, but he managed to swallow the feeling as they stopped outside of Svetlana’s sister’s room. Svetlana knocked out a pattern; ‘Shave and a haircut’. Two knocks answered as well as an excited giggle. The door was pulled open by a young boy with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His eyes widened dramatically upon seeing the tiger clutched in his aunt’s arms, and he scarcely seemed to even notice Jackson.
“Auntie, did you buy that for me?” He asked with excitement resonating from every bone in his body.
“My friend bought it for you, Klaus. Can you let us inside?” Svetlana murmured warmly, pressing the tiger into the young boy’s arms. It was nearly twice his size, but he managed to drag it deeper into the room, heaving it up and sitting it on a hospital chair. Jackson and Svetlana filed into the room, and Jackson was startled to see Natalia immediately scrutinizing him.
“Your friend, huh?” She asked, her accent much thicker than Svetlana’s. His blonde-haired assistant laughed airily, taking Jackson by the arm and drawing him in closer. Natalia narrowed her eyes, looking between the two suspiciously. “That is no friend. That is your boss,” the gaunt woman commented with an authoritative tone. Svetlana laughed, and Jackson managed a nervous chuckle, setting the cooler of food beside the bed and offering his hand.
“We’ve discovered as of late that it can be both,” he grinned nervously. Natalia narrowed her eyes upon him, reaching out to grip his hand with a surprisingly firm grip.
“It has taken you long enough,” the older sibling said in a huff. Jackson chuckled, drawing away and opening the cooler of food. Natalia glanced over the side of the bed, eyes widening at the sight of the appetizing cold cut sandwiches. “Is this… for us?” The sickly woman inquired softly. Jackson smiled, grabbing one of the subs and handing it to the woman. She unwrapped it from its plastic, taking a tentative bite and moaning appreciatively.