by Rebel Fox
It’s intimate, laying here like this as he strokes my hair in his hand. Being connected for long minutes afterward. He isn’t in any hurry to leave, and I’m surprised to find that I don’t want him to either. It feels natural, but I know that it’s a false sense of comfort.
Aleks has already established that he can’t have a meaningful relationship, and I am not special to him as much as in this moment it feels like I am. I have to remember that. I have to protect my heart.
“I should go get cleaned up,” I whisper, breaking the spell between us.
“Oh, right.”
He pulls himself off me and glances down at my thighs, smeared with his seed. A feral gleam flashes in his eyes as he scoops up some of the come with his finger and pushes it back inside of me.
“You look beautiful like this,” he murmurs.
I don’t know what to say to that, so I give him a weak smile. “Thank you.”
Aleks wipes his dick off with a tissue and tucks it back into his pants, zipping himself up and fixing his hair. “How about dinner tonight?”
“I can’t,” I lie. “I promised my sister we’d do movie night. It’s our weekly thing.”
He narrows his eyes like he doesn’t believe me, but says nothing more on the subject, opting to give me a stiff nod as he moves for the door.
“I’ll be in contact, Ella.”
“Okay.”
He shuts the door behind him, and I sigh, wishing more than anything I never let him go.
10
Aleks
“I spoke to your father today and let him know that you initiated contact with Ella,” Charles informs me as he stares at the checklist in front of him.
“Good to know,” I mumble.
“He would like to schedule your first joint appearance together this weekend. There’s a charity event in the city that would be the perfect photo opportunity.”
I shift in my seat, adjusting my tie. The car feels stifling, and I have no desire to discuss this with Charles right now or mark off my time with Ella as ‘media milestones’.
It all feels too forced, and I don’t like it. This is the way my life has always been, so I should be used to it by now. But Ella isn’t a hired date or a mutually beneficial acquaintance. She’s a puzzle I can’t seem to figure out.
I would be deluded to believe that she wants my money when she has gone out of her way to make it abundantly clear that she does not. She wants no part of the title, or the fame, or the media exposure it would seem because if that were the case she would have jumped at the opportunity to have dinner tonight.
Instead, she turned me down.
“You can stop here.” I signal to the driver in front.
Charles looks out the window, glancing at the donut shop. “I made you a reservation at the hotel for dinner.”
“I won’t be needing it,” I inform him as I get out of the car.
Five minutes later, I return with a box of donuts in hand. He gives me a questioning glance as the driver waits for instructions. I rattle off the address and respond to emails on my phone while Charles carries on with his attempt at scheduling every minute detail of my life.
When the car comes to a stop, he asks me when I will return to the hotel so we can go over the plan for the week. I sigh and scrub a hand through my hair, tired of this. Tired of him and the whole charade.
“I don’t know, Charles,” I tell him. “Why don’t you take my reservation for dinner. Go enjoy yourself.”
“Me, sir?”
“Yes, you. I won’t be needing your services or the driver for the rest of the night.”
After three soft raps on the door, Emily answers with a small, secretive smile and lets me in.
“What are you doing here?” Ella squeaks.
She’s perched on the sofa in a pair of soft pink pajamas with a bag of crackers in her lap and a ginger ale in her hand.
“Emily invited me to movie night,” I say. “Are you not feeling well?”
She glances at the crackers and her cheeks turn pink as she shakes her head and sets them aside, brushing crumbs off her pajamas.
“I’m fine,” she insists. “This is just what I like to eat while I watch a movie.”
I glance at the television, but it isn’t on.
“We were just getting ready to start it,” she says. “Right, Em? You got the DVD, didn’t you?”
Emily is suddenly engrossed in her phone and barely glances at her sister. “Oh, yeah of course, it’s on the kitchen counter. But something just came up. I’m so sorry Ella, I have to bail.”
Ella scowls at her sister and I smile.
“What could you possibly have to do?” Ella asks.
“Hey.” Emily crosses her arms and shoots her sister a glare. “I have a life too you know.”
“We are supposed to have movie night.”
“I’m sure you won’t be too lonely,” Emily declares as she heads towards the door. “Aleks is here and he brought donuts. Isn’t that nice of him?”
Before Ella can answer, Emily slips out the door and shuts it behind her, leaving the two of us alone. The little spitfire’s eyes find mine and she narrows them. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you, Emily invited me to movie night.”
“Well, movie night is canceled as you can see.”
I set the box of donuts on the table in front of her. “Look, we have a movie to watch, so we might as well watch it together. I’m here and I already sent my driver away.”
Ella shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “But isn’t that breaking the rules?”
“What rules?” I ask.
“It was supposed to be just sex,” she whispers.
There’s a pang of sadness in her voice, and I don’t like it. I don’t like seeing her sad, and that’s a problem. I can feel myself getting too emotionally invested in this woman, and it’s entirely foreign to me. I feel unsure of myself, but I know that I couldn’t leave her right now even if I wanted to. I’m drawn to Ella in a way that I’ve never been drawn to anyone else before. I need to see it through. I need to know why.
“I could fuck you again,” I offer. “But I was trying to be a gentleman, considering that you were probably sore from today.”
She smirks. “I am sore. I don’t think another round is on the table right now.”
I gesture to the donuts in front of her. “So, a movie night it is?”
She hesitates but I don’t give her any additional opportunities to come up with an excuse to make me leave. It seems that Ella is just as skilled as I am at pushing people away, she just doesn’t know it.
I grab the DVD from the counter and pop it in, and when I return to the sofa, she has a donut in hand, obviously accepting her fate.
“This can’t be a regular thing,” she says between bites. “I thought the whole point was to make appearances with you or whatever. Not to have intimate dates.”
“This isn’t a date,” I clarify. “Just a movie. And we can make an appearance together. How about this weekend?”
Ella gives me a sideways glance and swallows. “Sure.”
11
Ella
The movie that sounded good when I put the request in to Emily seems absolutely ridiculous now. Aleks and I are watching Fifty Shades of Grey and my loins are on fire and the room is hot and he keeps shifting uncomfortably beside me and I don’t know what to say.
“Emily picked it,” I blurt finally.
He throws his head back and laughs, and then oddly enough, I do too.
“I was wondering when you were going to explain. I had a notion I might need to start buying some whips and chains.”
“Absolutely not.” My cheeks heat.
Aleks surprises me by pulling me closer and wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we settle back into the movie. It’s official. We are cuddling now.
This is getting out of hand. I know that, but at the same time, I can’t think of one logical reason why I should move. I rest my head agains
t his chest and breathe him in. He smells like expensive cologne. Spicy and sweet and masculine. I could inhale that scent all day. But I can’t take my eyes off the thick flesh straining against his black trousers. And when he leans in to kiss me, I can’t stop the ache from building in my core.
He tries to keep it soft and gentle, but I push back, desperate for more.
“I thought you were sore,” he murmurs.
“I am. But I want you.”
He releases a possessive growl and pulls me into his lap, kissing me hard and fierce. And I like it. I like this man who is probably all kinds of wrong for me and in the end might break my heart. I like him for Aleks. His scent and his sounds and his words. Not his title or power and money.
I want to tell him so, but the words get lost between our lips. He kisses me for what feels like forever before he carries me back to the bedroom and lays me out on the bed, carefully undressing me while he worships every part of my body.
For the first time, Aleks removes his clothes too, allowing me to witness him in all his glory. He settles on top of me, and this time, we make love. There’s no denying that’s what it is. We can’t take our hands off each other. We can’t stop kissing or touching or whispering admissions into the dark of night.
He may be a beast, but he does have a heart, and he’s showing it to me now. With every soft thrust. Every caress. Every last touch.
He makes me come and then he shudders out his own release inside of me. It’s long and agonizing and when we are done I really am sore, but Aleks carries me to the shower and cleans me, massaging every last ounce of tension from my body.
“I’m so tired,” I murmur as he towels me off. “I think I have to go to sleep now.”
“I know.” He smiles. “Don’t worry, Ella. I’ve got you.”
He scoops me into his arms again and carries me back to the bed. And when he climbs in beside me and pulls my body against his, I can’t find a single reason in my sleepy brain that I should protest.
12
Ella
“Wow,” Aleks hums.
“Does it look okay?” I ask nervously.
He laughs and shakes his head. “For such a beautiful woman, Ella, you seem to be oblivious to how much power you have.”
I give him a small smile and stroke my fingers over the silky gold ballgown. “It’s the dress. I still can’t believe you picked it. And I don’t even want to know how much it cost.”
His lips tilt at the corners as he closes the distance between us. “No, you don’t.”
“Is this what you do for all your dates?”
“Why do you ask?” He adjusts his tie stiffly, as if my question bothers him somehow.
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I was just curious how many expensive dresses you’ve purchased before me. Women do think about these things you know.”
His eyes move over my face, tracking every detail. There is a flare of suspicion in his features again, and I can’t figure out why. For a man who claims he only wants a financially motivated relationship with a woman, he doesn’t seem to trust that my motivations are different.
“Someone really screwed you up,” I mutter under my breath. “Didn’t they?”
“What?” He blinks.
“Nothing.” I reach for my shawl and wrap it around me. “Are we ready?”
He nods and leads the way downstairs to the waiting car. I can only imagine living this way. Having cars and people at your disposal whenever you need them. I’m sure it’s nice, but it doesn’t come without its baggage. And as we make the journey to the event center, my nerves are getting the best of me.
I don’t know why I agreed to this. There will be photographers. And those photos will be splashed all over the internet for eternity. They don’t go away. The articles won’t go away. I don’t owe Aleks anything and I’m not naïve enough to believe that he isn’t doing this to recover his reputation after he got caught with me in the first place. If he hadn’t, I probably would have never seen him again. And ultimately, when he leaves, I’ll be left to deal with the fallout by myself.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I blurt as the car comes to a stop.
Aleks turns to me with curious eyes. “Why not?”
“I just… I don’t know if I want to be painted as your ‘American Fling’ in all the papers.”
Aleks sighs, his foot tapping against the floorboard anxiously. “So, you do want the money then?”
“God, are you serious right now?” I glare. “Is everything about money to you?”
He doesn’t respond. We are at a deadlock, and I know I need to make a decision. Maybe it wasn’t fair of me to do this now. But my nerves are shot, and I need him to reassure me that it’s going to be okay. So far, he’s doing anything but.
“Maybe it was too soon.” Aleks scrapes a hand through his hair. “Maybe you’re right. This whole thing is ridiculous.”
It’s clear he’s shutting down on me again. But before I can respond or talk it out further, he looks to his assistant in the front.
“Charles, will you ensure that Ella gets home safely?”
“Of course, sir,” Charles answers.
I look at Aleks, but he won’t meet my eyes.
“Aleks—”
“Good evening, Ella.”
The door shuts behind him, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. I hate this.
“May I have a word with you?” Charles asks from the front seat.
I look up at him and shrug. “I don’t see why not.”
“There is something about Aleksandr that you should know. He is a very strong man. A proud man. His entire life he has been groomed for his position, and with that position comes an enormous amount of responsibilities.”
“I get that,” I answer. “But he always suspects the worst. I don’t know if I can handle that. I don’t know if I can handle any of this.”
“Wouldn’t you be the same?” Charles challenges. “If the worst was all you ever saw in people?”
“What do you mean?”
“Aleks has never had the luxury of dating someone for the simple pleasure of dating. Everyone wants something from him, and they are determined to get it. The women in his life don’t see the man, they see the title. The money. The power. And they want those things. I am sure a woman in your position can understand how difficult it must be to trust when every kiss, every smile, every kind word has been a lie designed to win your favor.”
I swallow, and it hurts. My heart throbs with the memory of past betrayals from boys I thought I could trust. They only wanted one thing from me too, and when I turned them down, they left.
“Sometimes,” Charles says. “You must find a way through the barriers people erect around themselves before you can see the true person inside. And I can tell you this, Ella. I have worked for Aleks since he was a young boy, and there is no better man than him. He has a heart of gold, he just doesn’t let it show.”
I clasp my fingers in my lap and glance out the window. Cameras flash and hoards of people shout and clap in excitement with each celebrity guest that arrives. I don’t want to face them, but I do want to see Aleks. If nothing else, I need him to see that I’m not like the other women that came before me. Every second between us has been real. As real as it gets for me. It’s a terrifying notion.
“Is it too late to go inside?” I ask.
Charles smiles. “It’s never too late. Just give them your name at the door. They’ll be expecting you.”
“Thank you,” I tell him.
The ballroom is grand, and it’s easy to see that no expense has been spared for this event. From the chandeliers to the tapestries, champagne and hors d’oeuvres, everything screams luxury. Women walk past me in floor length ball gowns, and men don their best tailored suits.
It’s beautiful and over the top, and I admittedly feel out of place. But I put those feelings aside as I seek out Aleks. He will be the easiest man to find in the room. Undoubtedly the most handsome. And undoubt
edly surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. But when I find him across the room, I am somewhat perturbed to find that many of those onlookers are women.
My gown swishes as I make my way across the beautifully tiled floor. It’s not easy to break through the crowd, but the minute his eyes find mine, he gestures for me and the crowd parts on his command.
“What are you doing?” he asks as I take my place at his side.
“I’m sorry.” I lean up to whisper in his ear. “It was just a little overwhelming, but I want to be here with you.”
He seems surprised by my words and more so when my hand slips down to find his. Our fingers unite, and he gives mine a little squeeze before returning his attention to the crowd.
Already, the photographers are snapping pictures and asking questions. And already, I can feel the fiery gazes of the women around us. They are taking notes, dissecting me with their eyes. It’s uncomfortable, but with Aleks at my side, I realize it doesn’t matter. He hasn’t noticed any of them. And as the evening progresses and the mingling continues, he only has eyes for me.
The hours pass by in a blur as dinner is served and dancing ensues. Aleks questions me on more than one occasion when a waiter walks by offering champagne and I turn it down. I explain that I don’t drink, and Aleks accepts my reasoning without second thought.
Part of me feels guilty for not telling him. There are so many unknowns. A man in his position would undoubtedly feel the need to step up and take care of me out of obligation, but I don’t want that to be the case for Aleks.
I want it to be his choice, and right now the only thing we’ve both agreed on is that situation is temporary. It’s always looming on my mind and as the evening wears on, it weighs heavy on my shoulders.
I can’t help but think about what his reaction will be if he does find out. Will he be disappointed? Angry?