“Alexei.” She had to break the silence. “What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
He took her hand in his and stared into her eyes. “You know I care about you more than you can imagine. You know that I would never do anything or ask you to do anything that would even remotely put you or Amelia in danger, right?”
She nodded wordlessly. She was definitely scared now.
“Alright. When I talked to Stone yesterday, we agreed that things had calmed down significantly. We both think that it’s time for life to go back to normal.”
“What are you saying?”
He let out a breath. “I’m saying we should go back to New York.”
The blood drained from her face. She opened her mouth but the words got trapped in her throat. So did the air and for a moment she was certain that she wasn’t breathing. She had heard what he said, but her mind still hadn’t caught up.
He was joking, right?
He must’ve been!
But the look on his face – filled with pity, regret and melancholy – told her otherwise.
Her brain finally comprehended what he had said. Stone had suggested it. Which meant that Saylor knew about it, as well. And now, Alexei. All telling her to go back home. But she didn’t feel like she could.
One by one, the tears poured down her eyes. She tried to stop them, to hold them back, to be the strong woman she wanted to be for her daughter, but she just couldn’t. And when Alexei softly whispered her name and cupped her face in his hands, the dam broke and the tears gushed out in torrents.
Her lips quivered and she hated how her voice shook. “How could you say that? It’s only been a month! For-for all we know, they’re just regrouping!”
“Kaelyn, baby, I know how he works. He never waits. He’s probably just seen that we’re not a threat, and that we won’t interfere with his business.”
“‘Probably’?” She pushed his hands away angrily. “You want me to risk my daughter’s life because of a ‘probably’?”
“Kaelyn.” he tried to reach out to her again, but she moved away. “Stone will be there. He has an enormous amount of security. You’ll be safe.”
“Safe? There’s no safe! Safe is a myth as long as those bastards are out there! I can’t believe you’re even suggesting getting out of hiding. That’ll just paint a target on our backs!”
“I know it’s a risk! You think I haven’t thought this through a million times, going through every single way this could go wrong? You think I care so little that I would throw you into a situation that I wasn’t a hundred percent sure was your best option? Do you really think so little of me?”
That last question was whispered gravely, Alexei’s voice going low the way it did when he got emotional. The sound broke her heart. Of course, she trusted him. Of course, she knew he would do everything in his power to give them the world. And that was why they couldn’t go back to New York.
Kaelyn continued to cry as she sank down onto the couch. Alexei looked back to her and whispered again in that gut-wrenching tone,
“Baby, I love you. And I know you’ll be happy back in New York. You won’t want for anything. You’ll have security. You’ll even be with your sister again! And I promise I will never let anyone come in between you two and your happy ending.”
“Besides.” he cupped her face again. “You’d finally be able to get Amelia back in school, the way you’ve been wanting to. She’d make friends and have a normal life. No one is going to hurt her.”
She knew he was sincere. There was no one she trusted more in the world. No one else she believed would rather rip out his own heart than see Amelia cry. No one she loved like this more.
And that was the problem. She knew those people weren’t after her or Amelia.
They were after him.
That meant they would do anything to get their hands on him. She didn’t want to think about that. Couldn’t think about what horrible pain they would inflict upon him for leaving. Or for eluding them all this time.
He would gladly take the pain. She knew it. He would accept the misery and torture, without blinking twice, if it would save her, Amelia, Stone, or even Saylor. He’d say he deserved it for all the terrible shit he’s done.
To hell with all that shit!
She wanted to scream at him. To hell with your past! To hell with those sons of bitches! To hell with the entire fucking Russian population!
She was not going to sit there quietly while he gave his life and sanity for them. If those bastards wanted him, they’d go through her. But the second that thought entered her mind, another interjected. A little, innocent thought that wore her hair in two braids and had an unquenchable love for princesses who turned into toads.
Amelia.
What if they decided the best way to get to Alexei was through her? Or what if they attacked the house and she got caught in the crossfire? Just the thought of Amelia even hearing a gunshot sent a fresh wave of tears down her face. Alexei scooted himself closer and began rubbing her back but it was no use. The thoughts were in her head now.
Amelia, as a shot rang out and her face twisted in fear. Amelia, a bullet piercing her skin and blood spreading across her chest. Amelia, bleeding out onto her mother’s lap, the red staining her hands. Amelia, her lifeless body lying on the ground as chaos leaped around her and she stared at Kaelyn with eyes that have been drained of life. Amelia, dead, dead, DEAD.
Kaelyn was sure she wasn’t breathing now. Her chest was concave. Her heart was gone – ripped out of from between her ribs. All that was left was an abyss. A nothingness. Because that was exactly what her life would be like if anything were to happen to her Amelia.
Her Amelia, who had no idea what was going on. Her Amelia, who thought the worst thing in this world was when they were out of double-stuffed Oreos. Her Amelia, who still believed that the world was a fairy tale and that things could all be fixed by a magical voodoo woman in the woods.
Kaelyn wanted that belief to stay.
She didn’t want Amelia’s belief in the power of goodness, and hope, and happily-ever-afters to fade. She needed them.. But unfortunately, the world did not agree. It was cruel and vicious, and would take Amelia’s fairy tales and crumble them into ash.
That was the cold, harsh truth of reality. And here was Alexei asking her to plunge head-first into the chasm. She knew he was being realistic, that everything he was saying was true and smart. That didn’t change the fear gnawing at every corner of her heart, eating her from the inside out.
It was all too much for her. Just too much.
She wanted to scream that she didn’t want his reasonable suggestions. Didn’t want his well-thought plans. She wanted to scream that their life here in London had been one of the few things most akin to a fairy tale in her entire life. London, where they laughed and cried and loved and dreamed in their little bubble of isolation and the world stopped existing for just one perfect moment. She wanted to scream at the world that couldn’t seem to leave them alone and had to rear its ugly head at them. Wanted to scream about how unfair it all was, but knew that it was absolutely pointless to ask the world to not be cruel. She wanted to scream at…at…at…Everything.
She just wanted to scream.
The tears were still coming, and Alexei continued to rub her back. He made soft, soothing noises, assuring her that they’ll be alright, that everything was going to be just fine.
“But what if it’s not?” she sniffled. “What if we think it will, but then something happens? To you? Or to-to-to Am-Amelia? I don’t know what I’d do, Alex. I-I don’t know what I’d do if-if anything happened t-to either of you.”
“Hey, hey, baby.” He took her into his arms, practically pulling her onto his lap. “I promise, on my life, that I will never let anything happen to you or Amelia.”
He pulled her face to his and kissed away every salty tear that had fallen, showing her was she’d already known; he would always do anything to take her sadness away.
&nbs
p; 5
Alexei
“Okay, I’m going to explain this one more time.” Amelia looked like she was trying to teach Alexei rocket science. “Kacey doesn’t like Laura because they were best friends but then she didn’t help her in the bake sale, so they had a big fight. Macy isn’t their friend because she wants the bubble kingdom to herself. And the Queen of the bubble kingdom made Kacey her princess. Now, do you get it?”
Alexei did not get it. For the past fifteen minutes Amelia had been trying to explain the dynamics of her ‘bubble kingdom’ to him and he was completely spacing out.
I know the complexities of almost every system of government out there. And I can’t figure out Amelia’s dolls’ kingdom.
They were trying to pass the time while Kaelyn was out looking for a new job. They’d been back for a few weeks, and she still wasn’t having any luck. He hoped she would find one soon; he wanted her life to get back to normal.
Not that they needed the money, or anything. Stone was more than generous in obtaining an apartment for them in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in New York. It had a top-of-the-line alarm system, and Stone’s men positioned all around the block.
But Kaelyn insisted. She wanted to feel like she was taking their lives into her hands, and actually doing something with her time. Alexei tried to talk her out of it, told her that they didn’t need it. Stone didn’t mind providing for them. Not only was he in love with her sister, but the little they needed to live was barely a dent for him. Kaelyn wouldn’t hear it though. She argued that, with Amelia going to school soon, she’d have so much free time on her hands that she wouldn’t know what to do with.
Alexei had suggested what they could do with that free time. Kaelyn had not been amused. She wanted to be productive and set an example for her daughter. Alexei hadn’t known what to say to that.
Amelia clapped her hands to get his attention. “Focus! If you get anything wrong, they could lose the bubble kingdom forever!”
“Right, of course. So, I’m playing with Laura, who is going to make her own bake sale?”
“Yes! Finally! You got it!”
“And…” He was excited that he’d finally gotten the hang of it. “She’d be wearing the red dress to annoy Macy, who thinks she looks best in red?”
Amelia squealed and hugged him, looking as though her life’s work was complete that he now was a competent member of the bubble kingdom. They continued exploring the inside circles of her world, before Kaelyn came home.
“Mommy!” Amelia ran up to her mother and gave her a huge hug.
“Hey! How’s my little Mia?”
“We’re playing bubble kingdom. I’m Laura.” Alexei gave her a quick peck on the lips. She chuckled and threw her bag and coat onto the couch. She was looking more and more relaxed every day.
When they’d first arrived, she was a wreck. Anxious, paranoid, and wouldn’t even let Amelia go out of the house. It took her some time, but she’s finally come around to the idea that coming back home was the best option for them. She took Amelia to Central Park the other day, where she played with a couple of other kids her age. She went shopping with Saylor for new clothes to go on interviews. She’d even let Alexei take her out on a date.
That last one had been tricky, though. She hadn’t wanted to hire a babysitter, so she’d needed Saylor to watch Amelia. But she didn’t want Saylor to know that it was because she was going out with Alexei. She ended concocting this weird lie about a job interview at night.
Alexei didn’t want to admit it, but he was glad that Kaelyn hadn’t told Saylor about them. There was always the chance she’d try to break them up, and he was just too selfish to let her go. With every passing day, he felt like he was falling more and more for her. And with every moment spent with Amelia increased the amount of love and devotion he felt towards her.
He knew it was ridiculous, but Amelia felt like his. It was completely crazy, but every time he looked at her, his chest constricted. His heart grew too big for his ribs and there was this warmth spread throughout his body. He wanted to see her grow up. Wanted to be there for all the birthdays, bike rides, summer camps and SATs. Wanted to be there for the friendships, and heartbreaks, and intimidating every guy she brought home.
Alexei didn’t know where this had come from. He’d never thought about having children before. Well, he had never been in love before. Never thought he’d get the chance. But now he had it. Not only the chance at love, but at a family.
He hadn’t told Stone either about the two of them. Not only because he might tell Saylor, but he might also not approve. Alexei knew that he had supported him always in his pursuit of the straight and narrow, but that didn’t mean he’d be all for dragging Kaelyn into it. All these secrets could not have been good, but they were necessary.
And lying had always been second-nature to Alexei.
Amelia had gone back to playing and he went to sit by Kaelyn on the couch. She looked exhausted.
“Any luck?”
He knew the answer before she answered.
“Nope. Apparently, no one wants to hire a community college dropout. Shocker.”
“Hey, don’t lose hope. You’ll find something. I’m sure of it.”
She gave him a small grateful smile.
“Hello? Laura’s not going to bake cupcakes by herself!”
They both laughed. Amelia was looking at them sternly with her hands on her hips.
“Of course, what was I thinking?” Alexei turned to Kaelyn. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a very important bake sale to attend.”
After the bake sale, there was the ball, and the party. Alexei had wanted to know why they needed to have both, but thought better of it and didn’t ask. Kaelyn later joined them, after she’d rested, and played the Queen of the bubble kingdom. They ended up ordering Chinese for lunch and eating all snuggled up in bed.
They were watching some cartoon about a ladybug girl or something. Alexei wasn’t really paying attention. He couldn’t help but stare at Amelia lying on Kaelyn’s chest with her little arms wrapped around her waist. They were both so beautiful and mesmerizing, he could practically look at them all day.
Kaelyn looked up at him and whispered, “I think it’s nap time.”
That was when he noticed Amelia had dozed off. He took her from Kaelyn’s arms and carried her off to her room. Gently, he laid her in bed and tucked her in. He kissed her forehead and whispered a soft ‘sweet dreams’.
He got back to the room and crawled back into bed next to Kaelyn.
“You know,” he said kissing her shoulder. “She’ll just be up all night if you let her nap too long.”
“Oh, well then you’ll just have to continue going to balls and bake sales and parades.” She cocked her head, exposing more of her neck for him to kiss.
“The bubble kingdom doesn’t have parades. I’m surprised you don’t know that.” He continued laying wet, open-mouthed kisses along her neck.
She merely chuckled and turned around, capturing his lips with hers. The kiss was sweet and gentle at first. The soft press of her lips on his was slowly driving him mad. He cupped the back of her neck and tilted her head, deepening the kiss. His other hand went around her waist and pulled her close so she was sitting on his lap. He then continued exploring her body, running his hand over the curve of her back, the smoothness of her thigh, the softness of her breasts.
God, she was perfect.
He wanted to worship her. Wanted to touch her every day, convincing himself that she was real. Feeling every inch of her body and watching her lips part breathlessly as she sighed in pleasure. Satisfying her the way only he knew how.
His tongue darted out and licked her lips, before she opened them, inviting him in. Welcoming him. Their tongues intertwined in a delicate dance, feeling out the other.
His hand moved to her hair and made a fist, tugging her face even closer to him. They were barely drawing any breaths between kisses. He didn’t care. She was his breath. The only a
ir he needed was her.
They were caught in a passionate embrace. Less like fire and more like a smoldering ember. Intense and glowing just enough to give off warmth. He held her, and she held him and nothing had ever felt more fucking perfect.
This was the first time they’d been together ever since they’d gotten back to New York. She’d been always tired after her job search, or Amelia couldn’t sleep, or she was out with Saylor. But now, there wasn’t anything holding them back. And being here, in her home, for the past weeks caring for Amelia, making dinner, holding her every night; something had changed.
It felt more than just love. It was commitment, intimacy, growth. He didn’t just want to fuck her; he wanted to make love to her. Join their bodies and hearts together and make her feel like there was nobody else on this planet but them.
He’d never thought he could feel this way about someone, and it had terrified him. But with her kissing him like that and running her hands down his back, there was absolutely nothing that could scare him.
In one move, Alexei pulled his shirt over his head and she followed suit. He took a moment to admire her breasts before he leaned down and sucked her nipple into his mouth. She threw her head back and let out a loud moan.
That sound drove him insane.
He continued his vigorous assault on her breasts, taking the soft flesh into his mouth and nibbling on it just a bit to make her body tremble. She pulled him back up to her and smashed her mouth to his. The kiss went on as he pushed up her skirt around her hips.
His hand went between her legs and he rubbed her through her panties. He moved his fingers in circles, eliciting one moan after another that made him feel strained in his pants. He loved the sweet way she moaned with a faint whisper of his name. Knowing that he was the one making driving her to the brink of pleasure made him crazy. Made him want her right then and there.
Alexei tugged and ripped her panties off. She didn’t have time to protest before he pulled his pants down and thrust into her, making her let out a loud gasp. He could feel her tighten around him and slowly began moving inside her. He didn’t want to go fast this time; he needed this. Needed this softness, this lightness, this intimacy.
Love Affair with the Billionaire’s Brother Page 3
