by Tia Wylder
“I am marrying Lina. The engagement is going on, as planned. She overheard you breaking up with me, and I didn’t have a pot to piss in as far as stopping her,” he said coolly. Svetlana’s eyes widened, and she looked between him and the door where the frantic knocking persisted.
“Are you serious? You can’t be serious,” she spat. Jackson rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair.
“I’m as serious as a heart attack love, which you seem to be just short of. What’s got your panties in a twist? You turned me down, shouldn’t I be free to pursue other options?”
She slammed her hands down on his desk, and he jolted from the force of the impact.
“After all the work we put in? You’re so willing to give up? Just like that? Was the entire thing just a game to get into my pants? Were you planning to marry her all along?”
Jackson could scarcely contain his rage, lurching to his feet. He nearly upended his desk, but he couldn’t find it within him to care. “Are you being serious right now? You must be joking, because as far as I was aware, you were the one who broke things off,” he gritted out. She drew away as if she had been slapped, her expression wounded. “I wasn’t planning to marry her all along, no. But I decided that perhaps my parents were right. Maybe it is time for me to settle down.”
“But… Lina? You love her? Enough to marry her?” Svetlana murmured, sounding the most fragile he had ever heard her. He hesitated, wanting to snap out a cold response. She was the one who had broken his heart. It wasn’t the other way around. How could she have the nerve to act as if he had wronged her in some way? Still, his heart longed for her, and he knew he couldn’t be as harsh with her as she may have deserved.
“I don’t love Lina,” he managed after a moment, and Svetlana appeared inexplicably relieved. His heart clenched in his chest, and for a moment he could pretend she felt the same way as himself. She averted her eyes, drawing her hands up to her chest and fidgeting uncomfortably.
“That… that’s good,” she blurted, seeming to curse herself for allowing the words to slip out. Jackson quirked his lips in a smile that was far bitterer than he would like to admit. Svetlana inhaled shakily, meeting his gaze for a fleeting moment before looking away once more. “Why are you marrying her, then?” She said weakly, and he felt as if his heart might shatter in his chest. He couldn’t come out and confess how broken he felt, could he? He couldn’t tell her how his every waking moment had been spent longing for her. He couldn’t tell her that a life without her was one he didn’t want to consider, but that he found himself faced with no choice. He felt pathetic, and he certainly didn’t want her to suffer the same agony he felt. Despite how angry he might have been, he couldn’t find it in him to intentionally harm her. Though she would never love him like he loved her, he knew she would at the very least be wounded by causing such direct harm to another person. He couldn’t hurt her. It was the last thing he wanted to do.
Yet…
He couldn’t lie anymore either. This was likely the last chance he would have to confess his true feelings for the woman before him. The aching, tingling feelings of love and devotion that had developed over the course of their fraudulent relationship would not allow him to remain silent. His hand twitched, and he curled his hand in a fist as he tried to convince himself to remain silent. Svetlana watched his every move with rapt attention, and he could feel the concern flowing from her pores like a rushing river. He drew his fist towards himself, hating himself for how weak he felt. He’d never been one to feel weak, let alone acknowledge any feelings of weakness. It seemed change after change were washing over him, and he was beginning to wonder if it was as good of a thing as he had suggested when they first made love.
“Jackson…,” Svetlana implored, stepping closer to rest a gentle hand on his clenched fist. The anxiety that flooded his system ebbed out of his body, and he turned sad eyes upon the woman he so adored. She offered him a tentative smile, and he shifted his hand to grip hers.
“I decided that being alone wasn’t for me anymore. After you and I spent times together, the thought of returning to the playboy lifestyle left a bitter taste in my mouth. Granted, Lina isn’t the one I wanted. She never has been and never will be. It just seems that the one I adore is out of reach,” he murmured. Svetlana looked taken aback, her face flushing a bright shade of red. “I’ve never been one to feel as if I weren’t good enough. But when you wouldn’t even give me a chance to prove myself, I realized that I wasn’t the man you could ever want. It hasn’t stopped my heart from aching for you, however,” he continued hesitantly, eyes widening as Svetlana’s eyes filled with tears. He parted his lips to sputter out an apology, to assure her that he wasn’t worth her tears. Before he got a chance, however, she lurched across the desk and pressed their lips together in a passionate kiss. She tangled her hands desperately in his short hair, and he moaned against her lips. The salt of her tears was acrid on his lips, though he realized with a start that she was not the only one crying. She drew away moments later, hastily wiping her eyes as Jackson stared at her through wide and confused eyes.
“Jackson, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn’t think… I didn’t intend to make you feel this way. Of course I want you. I never wanted to break things off. I was just… afraid. I didn’t want to be a burden upon the lifestyle we’d worked so hard to salvage for you, and I couldn’t have asked you to play a role that you weren’t ready for. It was never that you weren’t good enough. It was never a doubt that you could be the man I’d need. It was a matter of not wanting you to sacrifice your life for some woman who was scarcely worth your time,” Svetlana uttered earnestly, reaching out to cup Jackson’s cheeks in her hands. His own tears spilled more freely in response to her words, and he leaned in once more, to capture her lips. She didn’t deny him, sweetly meeting him halfway and deepening the embrace. She abruptly drew away, however, as Lina began to pound on the door once more. The billionaire’s intended fiancée screamed from outside, demanding for Jackson to send Svetlana away. He met his beloved’s gaze, his heart aching in his chest.
“I screwed up. I screwed up any chance of us being together. My parents… Lina… they expect me to marry her. How can I tell them that I’ve changed my mind again?” He blurted, reaching out to caress Svetlana’s cheek. She chuckled, though it was a humorless sound.
“Seems like we both did our share of screwing up. I’m not willing to lose you to that… that harlot, though. I can’t ask you to go against your parents, but… can we really give up this easily? I feel like you and I are truly meant to be, Jackson. I’ve felt that way for some time though I never could have guessed you could feel the same,” she murmured. Jackson met her gaze and held it, his mind racing hundreds of miles per minute. While he was reluctant to let Svetlana go, he was also reluctant to turn against his parents. He knew they held the ability to take away everything he had held dear prior to that very moment. They could take his job, his riches. They could take away everything that made him appealing to the fairer sex, save his looks. He was growing older, however, and it wouldn’t take long before looks accounted for very little. What would he have to offer Svetlana if he didn’t have a dollar to his name? How would he support the woman he so adored, as well as spoiling the child he was welcoming into his life?
However, with the look of tenderness that Svetlana turned upon him, he was certain of one thing. The woman he loved would not leave him for something as petty as money or looks. She cared for him, not for his possessions, but who he truly was. In turn, he would do whatever it took to be with her. He would give up his lofty lifestyle and he would be willing to take a chance working even the least glamorous of jobs if it meant they could be together.
“We can’t give up. Not now, not ever. I’m willing to face the consequences if I will have you at my side. Are you willing to take those steps with me?” Jackson implored weakly. Svetlana smiled, reaching out to gingerly touch his cheek.
“Of course, Jackson. I’ve been relucta
nt to say as much, because I thought you could never feel the same. But the truth of the matter is… I love you. I’ve loved you for some time,” she confessed. For a moment, it was as if the world around them faded away. She looked troubled by her confession, as if she expected him to scorn her. He stepped towards her, cupping her face gently in his hands. Once more, before they had to confront his parents, he pressed their lips together in a tender kiss.
“I love you too. I never thought I’d be capable of such a thing, but… oh, Svetlana. I’d give you the world if it were my own to give,” he murmured. She smiled, resting her cheek against his chest.
“Having you is all I could ever ask for,” she said earnestly. They drew away from each other, considering each other with tender smiles. Then, steeling themselves, they turned to face the door.
It was now or never.
Chapter Nine
When Jackson emerged from his office, arm in arm with Svetlana, the pounding on the door had ceased some time ago. He could only wonder where Lina had wandered off too, but he knew she couldn’t be up to anything good. He tightened his grip on Svetlana, leading her through the upper floor of the building in hunt of the melodramatic latina. He could hear her in the distance, cursing frantically in a mixture of English and Spanish. He and Svetlana exchanged a look, and the blonde woman quirked a brow. Jackson was entirely prepared to face the other woman, had no qualms with telling her to hit the road. What stopped him in his tracks, however, was another familiar set of voices.
“Lina, honey, you’ll have to calm down. Tell us what Jackson has done this time,” he heard his mother loudly intone, and he hit the brakes before Svetlana could pull him any further ahead. She took the hint, allowing herself to be tugged to a halt as Jackson tried to avoid going into full blown panic mode. She seemed relatively sympathetic to his plight, looking rather troubled by the thought of immediately being faced by his parents. He gripped her hand tightly, meeting his love’s gaze with pure and unadulterated fear shining in his gaze. She rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand in slow, soothing circles
“You knew we would have to face them at some point,” she tried to reason, and he chuckled under his breath.
“So, you can tell me you’re entirely prepared to face my parents at this point? I expected to at least have a little time to pull myself together, but it seems likely I won’t get that chance. They’ll lay into both of us,” he muttered. Svetlana hesitated, bringing his hand to her plush lips and pressing a tender kiss to the back of his knuckles.
“I can handle your parents. You’ve laid into me for years, though that’s had a new meaning as of late,” she grinned toothily. Jackson bit back a laugh, rolling his eyes at the poorly placed joke.
“Please don’t let them hear you say that,” he managed, drawing her in close and bracing himself for a moment. “I can’t imagine this will go well. My parents have always been very picky about the women I see. Granted, I’ve never cared about their opinion before,” he grumbled. Svetlana chuckled, leaning in to kiss his cheek.
“What’s so different about this time?” She inquired softly. Jackson frowned, considering her for a long moment.
“I actually want them to like you. I don’t want you to just be some fling. I want… I want…,” he trailed off, cutting himself short as the voices of his parents and Lina grew nearer. “Act natural,” he muttered, moving to draw away from Svetlana. She tightened her grip on him, winking up at him in response to his confused expression. Before he could say anything further, his parents and Lina stepped into the room. The trio looked equally surprised to see the two of them, and he tried to sputter out an excuse. However, that notion was cut short as Svetlana pressed her lips to his in a searing embrace. He moaned against her, and for a moment, the world seemed to slip away. At least, until Lina’s shrill shrieking brought him back to reality.
“What the hell are you doing with my man?” Lina demanded, lurching towards them. Svetlana faced the woman fearlessly, narrowing her eyes upon Lina until the obnoxious latina took a well-placed step back. “What’s the big idea? You think you can just toss him out like garbage and come back whenever you want?” the bratty woman spat. Svetlana bared her teeth, nearly snarling at the implication.
“I would never treat him like trash. That is why I’d see him freed from your gnarled grip,” the blonde woman bit back. Jackson found himself grinning at the furious expression Lina turned upon them, though upon seeing the expression on his parents’ faces, he was certainly less amused.
“Jackson, what is the meaning of this? Lina told us that you were planning to marry her as we had arranged,” his father demanded, and Jackson hesitated, crossing his arms over his chest.
“That’s his whore of an assistant! She’s nothing but a man stealing, home wrecking skank,” Lina shouted, drawing the attention of everyone else on the floor. She stomped her foot, looking much like a child who had been deprived of their favorite toy.
“Hush now, girl. Don’t cause a scene,” Jackson’s mother hissed, looking between the obnoxious latina and her son. “She has a point, however. You and Svetlana do seem to be a bit… on again, off again. Deepest apologies, Miss Rhukov,” the older woman continued, and Svetlana obviously had to force a smile.
“Jackson and I have been getting a feel for our relationship. We broke up because of a tragedy within my family, but I realized what I was losing by giving him up. Your son is a wonderful man,” the blonde woman murmured. Lina snorted, glancing towards the elder Wethers and speaking in a stage whisper.
“If you ask me, I think they’re faking it just so Jackson can continue banging anyone he feels so inclined to. It’s not as if she’s someone worth writing home about. At the very least, you should have known your darling son held an interest in her, right?” Lina pressed, taking a brave step towards Svetlana. “Anyone could agree that she’s little more than a frumpy little cow. Jackson deserves someone at least on his level,” she whispered snidely. Svetlana smiled serenely for a moment, seeming nonplussed by the comment. However, in a split second she reared back and backhanded Lina as hard as she possibly could. Lina screamed as she stumbled back, clutching her cheek. Jackson had to swallow his desire to cheer, resting a hand on Svetlana’s shoulder and drawing her nearer to him once more.
“Miss Rhukov, we must ask you to be professional!” The elder Wethers male insisted, looking between the two young women with trepidation.
“Oh, Mark, you have to admit that Lina was crossing a line,” his wife muttered, looking at Lina with something akin to disdain. “I will ask both of you to behave professionally, and act like adults while we discuss this very serious matter. Now, Jackson, be honest with mommy. Did you start this whole affair with Svetlana as a means of getting us off your back?” She said seriously, though there were hints of compassion in her gaze. Jackson hesitated, looking between Svetlana and his parents. As much as he loved Svetlana, he couldn’t spend the rest of his life with such a heavy weight on his chest.
“Yes, mother. It started out that way,” he began. Lina laughed victoriously, lunging forward to jab a finger against Jackson’s chest.
“I knew it! I knew there was no way you could love her,” she grinned toothily. Svetlana took a step back, obviously unprepared for Jackson’s confession. Before he could continue, his father interrupted the scene.
“That’s it, Jackson! You’ve been playing this eligible bachelor for too long. You used your assistant as an excuse to get out of it, and I for one won’t stand for it any longer. You have one of two choices. Get married, and settle down for the sake of our company’s reputation. Or, continue living as you are, with one condition. You lose all stock in our company,” His father said coldly. Jackson’s eyes widened, and despite suspecting his father might suggest as much, he hadn’t been convinced the older man would truly go that far. Now, however, he was presented with very few options. It was to marry Lina and live unhappily, but well off, for the rest of his life. He could sacrifice his love for Svetlana,
and give up the only thing he had come to care about for the sake of keeping his parents happy. He could also sacrifice his stock in the company, just to be with the woman he loved so dearly. It should have been an easy choice. His father certainly expected it to be. His mother looked more troubled by the ultimatum, but said nothing. Feeling all their eyes upon him, stress washed over Jackson more than it ever had before. He drew his lip between his teeth, worrying it frantically as he considered his options. Svetlana drew near him, resting a hand on his cheek. He waited, eager for him to convince him that she was the right choice. However, there was a sad expression on her face that seemed to indicate she had no intentions of doing as much.
“Jackson… I love you. I really do. But… I can’t ask you to sacrifice your life for me. You’re not the sort to work a job like flipping burgers at the local fast food joint. You have your dignity. You have respect for yourself. Moreover, you have your family and your happiness,” she trailed off, drawing away from him. “I won’t ask you to sacrifice your wellbeing just to be with me. I won’t allow it. If your parents can’t see that we love each other, then… there’s little I can do to convince them. Just know that whatever you decide, I will always love and respect the man you’ve become,” she continued, smiling bitterly. His eyes widened, and he reached out to her. She seemed uncaring of his desire for her, continuing to step back, back and further away until she was out of reach.
“Svetlana…,” he called desperately, not knowing how to put his feelings properly into words; especially with such a large audience. Svetlana considered him for a moment longer, turning her back to walk away. “Svetlana, wait! I have something to ask you!” He blurted, fumbling in his pockets. She paused, turning to face him with a curious expression. Jackson darted away from his parents and Lina, managing to rip the velvet box out of his pocket just as he slid to his knees in front of the woman he loved. She watched him with wide eyed confusion, gasping in disbelief as he popped open the lid of the box. Jackson didn’t like to brag, but he was certain she had never seen such a large diamond in her life. At the very least, he had hoped not. He had spent a good chunk of his savings to ensure that the ring he chose was just right. Her mouth fell agape, stayed agape, and he smiled up at her with a tender expression.