“And my parents? Didn’t they ever see him?” I asked as she scrunched up her face.
“I made sure of it. I didn’t want to hurt them in the process of all of this and I wish that I could take it all back now. I am so sorry.” She glanced at me.
“I forgive you. I did leave town like my ass was on fire. All I could think about was my goals. I was an idiot for leaving you.” I thought about the text message and gazed at her. “I lied as well. I never meant for you to see Shane’s message. To be honest, you stopped being a bet weeks ago. I didn’t set us on a timer or even care about the deal I made with him. I did some stupid shit before you, Vivian. But you changed everything.” I slipped my arm around her and pulled her close to me.
“You really had a fuck list of women?” she asked. I winced and nodded.
“I didn’t care about anything but quick sex and money. I hate saying that but it’s true. I just kept moving so fast and not caring about anything.” I kissed her softly. “Once you walked back into my life, I realized that you were the one thing I regretted losing the most.”
“I am?” Her voice was soft as I nodded.
“I love you, Vivian. I want to make this right with us and get to know Mason. We can take time to let him get to know me and tell him who I am. I know that it’s just been the two of you for a long time.” She smiled and a tear slid down her cheek.
“I love you, Carter. I’ve waited years to tell you that.” She leaned up to kiss me and I let the heat flow easily between us. I knew that I couldn’t live without her in my life. I slipped my tongue into her mouth as she moaned into mine.
Once we got started, I knew that I needed to be inside of her. I slipped my hands over her clothed body and we kissed hungrily. My hands kneaded her ass as she straddled me. Vivian pulled away reluctantly, looking over at the hallway. “I’d like to take this to my bedroom. There are a door and time to stop before he sees it.” She blushed. “I’ve never done this with him in the house before.”
“Never?” I asked as she shook her head. “Do you mean in the same house or in general?”
“I didn’t date after he was born. I was busy.” She shrugged and I cupped her face for another kiss. I loved that I was the last man that she was with, then and now. I wanted it to stay that way and we got caught up in a heated kiss all over again as she whimpered into my mouth.
“I love you,” I told her as I lifted her body and carried her to her room. I closed the door gently, locking it behind me as I carried her to the bed. We kissed as I pressed her down into the mattress, our tongues dancing together hungrily. I undressed her, kissing her body all over as I memorized her scent and taste.
She came the first time on my tongue as she whispered my name. The next time, she was riding my cock slowly as she bent down to kiss me, her pussy wrapped tightly around me. Vivian was tight and wet as she moved and I clutched her ass as I felt myself edging closer to a release.
We came within seconds of each other, keeping quiet as we kissed slowly. I never felt this way with a woman and I held her close as she recovered, asking her if I could stay the night.
I got up the next morning to make them breakfast. Mason seemed happy to see me. Once he was off to school, I told Vivian that she was welcome to come back to work if she wanted to. We could work together for a while and see what panned out, but I would love her no matter what.
She told me she loved me as well and I kissed her against the fridge, asking her if she wanted to go back to bed and make some noise this time.
Epilogue - Carter
The next two years with Vivian were the happiest of my life. We fell more in love with each other every day and tried to spend as much time with each other and Mason as we could. A few months into it, we decided to tell Mason the truth about who I was to him. We took him out to dinner for his birthday to his favorite pizza place and told him that I was his father and loved him very much.
Mason told me that he loved me as well that night. It seemed to all fall into place and I took the next few months to build our relationship as father and son. I asked Vivian to move in with me six months into it. At that point, everyone in the company knew that we were together, and although people were fine with it, it made Vivian feel uncomfortable. Plus, she wanted to be able to help out at Mason’s school more, so she quit her job.
I didn’t care. I just wanted her in my life.
We started spending more and more weekends in Vermont so that Mason could visit both sets of grandparents. He told us a few times that he wanted to live there and I noticed that I also longed for the quiet and peace of the small town more and more often.
I started looking for available property around town and finally found a beautiful house that I knew Vivian would love. I took Vivian to the house to surprise her. She cried when I told her this was our house now and that we would be moving here. I kissed her and we moved together as the kiss made me weak. It always did.
I gave her a tour of her new home and she loved everything about it, as I knew she would. After the tour, I took her to the porch and dropped down to one knee as the sun went down, telling her how much I loved her. When I asked her to be my wife, she threw her arms around me and kissed me hard. I took that as a yes.
We got married in the beautiful church in our home town. All of our friends and family were there, and it was the best day of my life. I kept the company but had some of my top managers take over running it, going out to meetings every few months. I felt so complete now that I had a future planned with Vivian. We were a family now, and I had nothing else to wish for.
Vivian
I looked into the mirror as Lainie fixed my curls with a smile, tears filling her eyes. “I knew from the day I saw you with him that Carter was it for you.”
“You did?” I asked as she nodded and wiped a tear away.
“You just looked like you were into him. I had only ever seen you into Mason before that. You are so happy now. Everything is easier. I just wish you hadn’t moved away from me.” Lainie mock pouted at me and I gave her a sad smile.
“I miss you, too. We just have so much family here and it’s a short flight either way. We’ll visit a lot.” She hugged me before straightening up and looking at the clock. “Is it time?”
“Almost.” We both fixed our faces in the mirror. We had put together a makeshift dressing room in the barn that we were using for the reception after the wedding. It was a popular place for weddings and parties here in Vermont, with the gorgeous meadow and all the wildflowers. I immediately knew that I wanted to get married here when Carter asked me.
I stood and took a deep breath as I rubbed my round belly. We found out that we were expecting a baby five months ago and Carter was thrilled. We were already living in Vermont most of the time and Mason was happy in the small town and his new school. The timing was perfect and I asked that we get married before I was huge and highly uncomfortable.
I’d chosen a cream-colored silk dress with a short train and a modest sweetheart neckline, adding my grandmother’s diamond necklace as the something old. For the blue, I wore a sapphire ring from Carter’s grandmother; the one with the green eyes. Lainie had done my hair and makeup for me. I wanted it to be beautiful, but also natural. I didn’t want to look overdone. Carter swore that the baby was giving me a gorgeous glow all the time.
I made my way over to the door where Mom was waiting for me. She hurried over to hug me. “You look beautiful, honey,” she sniffled as I fought the urge to cry.
“Thank you for all your help, Mom.” I hugged her tightly as I felt movement inside of my stomach, giggling aloud at it. Our daughter was active already. Mom pulled back and looked at me with a curious smile as I pointed to my stomach. “Someone else is getting involved in the party.”
“As she should,” Mom beamed as we looked down at my stomach.
We walked out and Lainie rushed by me to take her place at the end of the aisle. It was made with various flower petals to look like the flowers in the mead
ow. I didn’t want to settle on just one color. I wanted them all. Dad joined me as Mom walked quietly to her seat. I peered around the corner and saw Mason headed down the aisle with our rings. He looked so handsome in the tuxedo that matched his daddy’s. He was so happy about this. It made me want to cry but I held it in, taking a deep breath.
I waited for the music, feeling my heart pounding and my baby dancing away inside of me. I took Dad’s arm and held my colorful bouquet in my hand as we stepped into the view of the crowd.
It was a perfect August day with a slight breeze, enough to keep it cool for all of us. I felt the light veil blow down my back as I smiled and looked at my son, standing so proudly in front of Carter. I smiled at him and then glanced up to see Carter’s handsome face. It was full of emotions. One look and I knew we’d both be crying through this. It felt like we went through so much to get to this point. I walked to the sound of the music, looking ahead to the future. I was getting the future that I always wanted and I smiled as Carter stared into my eyes.
I was happy now. I was complete.
*****
THE END
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Charlize Starr
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The Rock Star's Baby
Description
He rocks like a bad boy. She’s there to save his reputation.
“You look comfortable,” he said, as she stood at the end of the bed. Heidi was continually tucking her loose curls behind her ears out of nervousness. What was she supposed to do next? Just get into bed with him? She had never done this before.
Declan Xavier is the new rock sensation. He makes his audience scream, the girls swoon and the paparazzi go nuts. The blue-eyed, blonde haired bad boy is not only the latest musical craze, but the media love him because he gives them something new to write about every day.
His manager and friend, David Scott, knows this can only mean trouble. The only solution for Declan Xavier is to get a fake girlfriend to save his reputation.
Heidi Scott has big plans to open a bakery. If she works hard enough and long enough, she’ll have the money she needs to invest in the bakery in a few years. But then, an unlikely incident causes a major setback for her plan. That is, until her brother, David, introduces her to Declan Xavier.
Declan offers her a deal: being his fake girlfriend in exchange for all the money she needs for her bakery.
It all makes sense, until it doesn’t.
Chapter One
Heidi couldn’t stop staring at the clock on the wall. Fifteen more minutes and her shift would end. Finally. These eight-hour shifts were grueling, especially because keeping a smile pasted on her face was a necessity. She felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her apron and pulled it out. It was a text from her brother David. She didn’t know he was in town! He wanted her to come over and meet him backstage at the Spire. Declan Xavier had a concert there that evening. Heidi sighed and remembered to smile again.
There were still a few tables she needed to clear out before her shift ended, but the people sitting at them looked like they had no intention of leaving any time soon. She looked at the clock again. Thirteen minutes more.
“Was everything alright? Can I get you guys anything else?” Heidi walked up to one of the tables and stood in front of them with a wide smile on her face.
“No thanks. Just the bill, please,” one of the men said. He was looking at her with large, leery eyes, but Heidi tried to keep smiling. She was used to the creeps by now. Just as long as he didn’t touch her, she could deal with it. It was what she needed to do to get an extra tip.
“Sure thing,” she said, collecting the empty plates from the table. The man winked at her as she walked away, and she was dying to roll her eyes, but she didn’t; as long as she maintained that smile on her face, she could be assured an extra tip.
“Off soon?” Barry, another member of the waiting staff and her only friend at the cafe, asked as she walked over to place the plates on the collection table.
“Can’t wait. I have to go meet my brother after this.” Heidi sighed, dusting off her hands. Barry followed her over to the cash register, where she entered the table number.
“Your brother? You mean the guy who manages Declan Xavier?” Barry was excited. Heidi smiled, concentrating on printing out the bill for the table.
“That’s him. My big brother David, a rock star’s manager.” She said in an exaggerated sing-song voice. Everyone she knew had the same reaction when they found out her brother was David Scott, Declan Xavier’s manager and best friend. By association, it should have also made Heidi successful and “cool”, but Heidi knew she was far from it. It was two years since she had graduated from college with a Hotel Management degree and she was still working for other people, and no closer to owning the bakery she dreamed of opening.
“Why are you still working here, Heidi? Can’t your brother get you a swanky job in the music industry?” Barry was still following her and Heidi stopped in her tracks to look at him.
“The last thing I want to do is work in the music industry. All they do is snort coke, fuck each other and waste their lives away,” she said, placing a hand on her hip. She’d heard it before, this was nothing new. She was tired of explaining why she didn’t make use of her brother’s position.
“And they also make music,” Barry said with a smile. She knew he was only trying to help.
“Let's just say that lifestyle doesn’t suit me,” Heidi said, and walked away from him, back to the table. She placed the bill between the men, each of whom eyed it for a few seconds, before the guy who hadn’t winked at her reached for it and paid it in cash.
“Thank you very much. Hope we see you again.” Heidi tried to maintain an even voice, even though she was seething with rage; she had noticed the lack of a tip.
“Hope I see you again,” the guy said, and this time, he had more than just a wink to offer her. He touched her waist lightly as he stood up and Heidi collected the change off the table.
She could feel her neck reddening and her hands itching to slap him. She didn’t look at him but bit down on her lip.
“How about I give you a tip and you give me your number?” the man continued, his hand still lingering on her waist. Heidi straightened up, trying politely to make his hand fall away, but his grip increased in strength and she could feel his fingers moving downward, towards her ass.
“Thank you for your visit,” she managed to say, now staring directly into his eyes. She was trying to embarrass him into removing his hand, but he only smiled a toothy grin. She could see the hair sticking out from his nostrils. Heidi wanted to scream.
And then he did it. He lightly slapped her ass and Heidi lost it. Before she could stop herself she had slapped the man across his left cheek. His face had twisted awkwardly to the right side and an immediate silence had descended upon the cafe. Heidi could feel her heart thumping fast, beating out of her chest, as she stood staring at him.
“I’m so sorry, sir. We apologize for this. Heidi, my office, now.” Steven, the Manager had rushed over.
“This is preposterous. Watch yourself, young lady. How dare you!” The man was screaming at her as she turned around and started to walk away. She caught Barry’s eye. He was stood over one of his tables, in the middle of taking an order. He had a look of horror in his eyes. The customer is always right! He was trying to communicate with his eyes. Heidi looked away.
In Steven’s office, she sat with her legs crossed and her hands placed on her lap, her fingers intertwined. S
he couldn't afford to lose this job, but it looked like she was going to.
Steven was sweating, angry and pacing the floor.
“How could you do something like that?” he thundered. Heidi had calmed down by now and knew there was no point screaming back at him. It would only make her seem more insane.
“He touched me inappropriately. It was a natural, instinctive reaction,” she said, biting down on her lip.
“You could have walked away. To slap a customer!” Steven continued pacing the floor. Heidi looked away from him. She knew what Steven had to do.
“He’s demanded that you be fired, Heidi. There’s nothing else I can do. It will cast a very dark shadow on the cafe and its management if you’re allowed to continue. Especially if the local newspapers get a hold of this.” Steven was blabbering on. He was talking more to himself than to her.
“I can’t lose this job, Steven,” Heidi said, in an even voice. That was about as far as she was willing to go in terms of begging to keep her position. She had to give it a shot.
“I can’t help you, Heidi. You dug your own grave,” Steven said and sighed, coming to a stop in front of her.
Heidi glared back at him, collected her purse off the floor and stood up.
“Thank you for the opportunity. Take care,” she said, and turned around and walked out of the room.
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