by Kira Blakely
***
Chad winced as he opened the door to his apartment, opening the split in his lip. He went straight to the bathroom to check it and cursed for letting Christopher get that cheap shot in.
He thought about what happened earlier after practice and what led to Christopher getting a well-deserved ass-kicking from him.
Chad walked with the rest of the team back to the locker room when someone called out to him.
“Stephens!” Christopher yelled, and Chad rolled his eyes and waited impatiently for Christopher to get to him.
“Bartlett,” Chad said coldly.
“Why didn’t you give me the ball earlier?” Christopher asked angrily, and Chad shrugged.
“Evans was the better option,” he answered.
“Bullshit, I was open!” Christopher cried, and Chad glared at him.
“You don’t call the shots out there, Bartlett. I do. And Evans was in a better position to take it. Get over the ball-hogging,” Chad said, and he turned away from Christopher, jogging back to the locker rooms.
A few minutes later, he heard Christopher talking with the other teammates and, not being able to control himself, leaned into one of the lockers and listened in on their conversation.
“So how are things going with your girlfriend?” Roberts, the halfback, asked. “You tapped that yet?”
“Girl’s playing hard to get, but don’t worry, boys. I’m gonna have my dick inside her soon enough,” Christopher replied, and the others jeered and whistled. Chad clenched his fist, seething.
“She’s Thompson’s little sister, right?” one of them asked.
“Yep. And get this – she’s a freaking ballet dancer. Man, I got a feeling I’m going to have so much fun with that bitch. I’ll be coming all night long. She could probably turn into a fucking pretzel! I am so going to flip her in every way possible,” Christopher said.
Chad came out of his hiding place and glared at Christopher, having enough of his shit. He stomped over to him and slammed his fist in his cheek, sending him flying off of the bench he was sitting on.
Then all hell broke loose.
The others had worked together to pry Chad off of Christopher, but the latter already looked worse for wear by the time they succeeded. Christopher was sporting a bloody nose, two black eyes, and two of his teeth knocked out. The coach had yelled at Chad good for attacking Christopher, saying Christopher could file a lawsuit against him, but the other teammates who witnessed everything swore that Christopher baited Chad. They knew Chad was good friends with Jason and Nicole, and correctly surmised that he blew his top over Christopher’s lewd comments. They helped him out and the coach reprimanded both of them before telling them they were suspended for a week. Chad was okay with it, grateful that he wasn’t getting kicked off the team for kicking Christopher’s ass.
Chad had also decided to forget all about his earlier promise and talk to Nicole again, this time not giving up until she faced him. He missed her like crazy, and knowing just what kind of douchebag Christopher really was had set Chad’s mind. He didn’t care if he had to steal Nicole away from him, but he was dead sure he was going to treat her so much better than her boyfriend ever would.
He called her phone again, gritting his teeth as it went straight to voicemail. He then walked back out of his apartment to find her.
Chapter Ten
Chad searched for Nicole for over an hour, but to no avail.
He went to her place, but she wasn’t there, so he tried the studio where she took ballet classes next. Madame Prince had glared at him and told him that she was kicked out of class this morning and didn’t know where she went, and Chad was shocked. When he asked why she was kicked out, the old woman merely turned her nose up at him and went back inside the studio, leaving Chad no choice but to continue his search.
“Where could she be?” Chad grumbled to himself, trying to contact Nicole’s cellphone again while he drove. It went straight to voicemail once more and Chad slammed his feet on the brakes in frustration, ignoring the beeps and horns of the other cars in his lane. He had tried everywhere he could think of, but he couldn’t find her anywhere.
If only Jason were here, he thought. Jason was usually his go-to guy when it comes to the whereabouts of his sister. If he were here, he would’ve known.
Chad blinked and turned his car around, figuring out where she was.
“Thank you, Jason,” Chad whispered.
***
Nicole had ridden a cab to the hospital, but she panicked and backed out, telling the cab driver to take her to the cemetery instead. She was scared and alone and the first thing she wanted to do was run into her brother’s arms for help. Growing up, Jason was always a constant. He was the person she always counted on to find her when she got lost; the person who was always there to help and comfort her during tough times.
And she needed to be with him now, more than ever.
She went down on her knees beside his grave, her tears falling down her cheeks as she sobbed. She opened her mouth and told him everything: how her relationship with Christopher wasn’t as perfect as she thought it was going to be. How she slept with Chad after that huge fight with Christopher. That she thinks that after all this time, she’s still in love with her best friend, and that she’s probably two months pregnant with his child.
“I was kicked out of class this morning, Jason,” she sniffled, wiping her tears angrily. She failed to notice Chad walking towards her and she kept talking. “She told me to go the hospital immediately but I backed out because I was scared she was going to be right.”
Chad frowned, wondering what Madame Prince had told Nicole that she was so scared of the results.
“I’ve always dreamed of being a star, Jason. I’ve always wanted to dance on stage in front of thousands of people. I’ve always pretended to be the prima ballerina of every recital I’ve been in, and my focus has always been to achieve that goal. But how am I going to accomplish that with a baby?” Chad’s eyes widened, shocked that Nicole was pregnant.
Am I the father? he wondered to himself.
“Oh God, Jason. How am I going to tell Chad? He probably hates me now. How am I going to support this baby? I don’t think I can live with myself if I get an abortion, but I don’t–”
“So don’t get rid of it,” Chad said, startling Nicole. Nicole’s eyes widened as she turned around and saw Chad standing behind her, his eyes deep and serious as he stared down at her.
“Chad, what are you doing here?” she asked, wondering how much he had heard.
“I was looking for you. I kept calling your phone, but you never answered,” he said.
“I left it at home,” she said. Chad knelt down beside her and caressed her face, wiping the stray tear that fell on her cheek with his thumb.
“You didn’t have to shoulder these things on your own, Nikki,” he whispered, and Nicole looked down at the ground. He placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up so he could look into her eyes. “I’m always here. I’ve always been here, no matter how many arguments we get into. And this baby you’re carrying? He or she is a blessing. This baby has brought us back together, and I promise you, I will take good care of the both of you. I promise, Nikki.” He said.
“I’m sorry I left without saying anything. I’m really sorry,” Nicole sobbed, but Chad smiled, shaking his head.
“It doesn’t matter. I was already planning on stealing you away from Christopher if it came down to it. I was drunk that night, that’s a fact. But I wasn’t drunk enough to not remember that I love you. It just made me confess it sooner than I had planned.”
“You really love me? That wasn’t just the alcohol talking?” she asked, grinning a little bit.
“I love you, Nicole Thompson. I love your crazy ass. And now, I love Chad Jr., too,” he declared, and Nicole laughed at him.
“I don’t want to name him Chad Jr. No offense, but your name sucks,” she teased, and Chad looked at her like she grew a second head.
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“I’m not going to retaliate because you’re carrying my baby, but I swear to God, woman. If you insult me again, I am going to make you pay for it. In double,” he threatened. Nicole raised an eyebrow at him.
“Oh really? And pray tell how you’re going to make me pay for it?” she asked. Chad put a finger to his lips and pointed towards Jason’s gravestone.
“Not in front of your brother,” he joked. He then remembered something and frowned before fishing his cellphone out of his pocket and handing it to Nicole. She took it from him, confused.
“What do you want me to do with this?” she asked.
“Call Bartlett and tell him he’s demoted to ex-boyfriend status. I’m not going to make love to you tonight without officially calling you mine,” he commanded, and Nicole giggled but did as she was told. After she sent Christopher a text telling him it was over, she threw her arms around Chad’s shoulders and hugged him tight, her smile splitting into a wide grin.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to tell you this, but I love you, too, Stephens.”
Epilogue
Three years later…
Chad really didn’t understand why people had to wear suits and ties when they were going to be sitting for two hours in a dark theater anyway. The ballerinas were still going to be wearing their tutus and dance around the stage no matter what they were wearing, so why did he have to get dressed up for it?
He was busy fiddling with his tie when he felt something collide with his leg.
“Daddy, my shoes!” his son cried, pulling at his pant leg and looking up at him with the same honey-colored eyes of his mother. Chad smiled and went down on one knee so he could tie his son’s shoes for him.
“Is mommy going to be flying again?” he asked innocently, and Chad chuckled.
“No, sport, that was ‘Peter Pan’, mom’s old show. She’s in ‘Swan Lake’ now, remember?” he reminded him.
“What’s ‘Swan Lake?’”
“I honestly don’t know. Ask your mom when we go home.”
“What’s mommy going to be?” Chad chuckled at the never ending questions his son fired at him.
“Uh, I think she said she’s playing ‘Odette’. And before you ask, no, I don’t know who that is. Let’s just watch how it goes and we’ll figure it out later, okay?” Chad replied hurriedly. His son nodded vigorously, his curls bouncing on his head.
“Okay, Daddy. Can I eat chocolate this time?” he asked, and Chad shook his head.
“Jeremy Jason Stephens, no you may not. I don’t want your mother yelling at me because your ruined your suit again,” he said.
He took his son’s hand in his own as they walked towards the theater, Jeremy skipping over the sidewalk cracks. They gave their ticket and went to their seats, waiting for the show to start. When the lights finally went off, Jeremy climbed into his seat and stood up, excited to see his mother. Chad rolled his eyes, not bothering to reprimand him. He was always so happy to see his mother perform and was truly his mother’s biggest fan.
The curtains opened and Nicole opened the show, feeling the beat of the music as she dance and twirled around the stage. She knew her husband and son were somewhere in the audience and as always, she dedicated her performance to the two loves of her life, and to her beloved brother whom she named her son after. She knew wherever Jason was, he was probably watching over her and proud that she had accomplished her dream of becoming a star.
“She’s my mommy!” she heard the little voice of her Jeremy cry out, and the audience chuckled. She saw her little boy waving his tiny arms in the air as he watched her dance and caught the wink her husband sent her way, and she smiled. “I love you, Mommy!” Jeremy yelled.
Chad pulled him back down and murmured apologies to everyone in the audience, and just this once, Nicole broke out of routine and gave her husband and son a flying kiss.
She was going to get hell for that later, but she was too happy with her life to care.
The End
Billionaire Boss
A Company Ink Novella Volume 1
KIRA BLAKELY
Description
Dawson
Some people say I’m a dick. Fuck em. I could blame my foster upbringing or my drug addict mom, but the truth is, it’s not easy being on top. Crushing people in business has become second nature but it also means I’m forced to keep others at a distance. That is, until I met Alexa. Her innocent nature makes me want to dominate her. She works for me and wants to keep it professional - but that won’t stop me.
Alexa
To say finding a job in the city is hard would be an understatement. Coming from a small town with no real work history doesn’t help either. While interviewing at one of the most prestigious tech companies, in walks one of the most irresistible men I’ve ever met. With one look Dawson James makes my panties wet. The heat between us could melt a glacier. Working for this guy is going to be HARD…
1
AS HE WATCHED THE WOMAN GET DRESSED, Dawson held back a sigh of frustration. He’d enjoyed the previous night; he’d have to be dead not to have enjoyed having sex with a beautiful woman, even if he couldn’t remember what her damn name was.
But as he watched her getting ready to leave the warmth of his bed, he felt cold inside. She turned to face him as she started to put on her bra and flashed a smile that was all perfectly straight, white teeth and false eyelashes, and he knew what she was going to say even before she uttered a word.
“So, gorgeous, when will I see you again?” Her voice was as fake as her tits were, and the coldness he felt inside quickly turned to a feeling of disgust. “And could you possibly give me some money to pay for a cab home? I seem to have misplaced my purse.”
And there we have it, he thought. Another fucking gold digger out for what she could get off him. He was so sick and tired of being treated as a meal ticket by almost everyone he knew, especially women, that he was at the point where he could quite easily throw in the towel and move to a secluded island.
There were just two flaws to his getaway plan: he loved money and the power it gave him over people, and he loved sex with beautiful women, even if it meant he had to use his money in order to get it. Miss fake-sexy, whatever-her-name-was seemed oblivious to the fact that his expression had grown cold as he swung his legs off the bed and reached for his wallet on the nightstand. He withdrew a hundred-dollar bill and walked over to where she stood, ogling his muscular nakedness, before thrusting the money into her hand.
“You won’t see me again, but thanks for a good night,” he said.
The woman’s expression turned petulant, and he was reminded of a sulky child who had been told she couldn’t have any more candy, which, considering the things they’d done the night before, made him cringe.
Thankfully, she took the not-so-subtle hint though, and a short time later he was alone in his penthouse apartment mulling over his life and where the hell it was taking him. He supposed that he had no one to blame for the way people treated him but himself, but knowing that didn’t make it any easier to swallow. He knew that he’d been dealt a rough hand from the minute he’d been born, but he’d managed to make something of himself despite that – or maybe it was because of that – so why couldn’t he find someone decent to share his life with?
Because you can be an asshole. Your mother was an asshole. Your father was probably an asshole, and you can definitely treat people like assholes, which is probably why you get treated like an asshole in return. What else can you expect? He knew that he wasn’t really an asshole – not in the grand scheme of things. Too many people had told him otherwise for it to be true. But sometimes it was hard to ignore the demons of his youth that reared their ugly head during times of self-doubt, and during his formative years, he’d been told so many times that he was a good-for-nothing waste of space.
He shoved at the mental voice that had decided to answer his rhetorical question, pushing it resolutely back down into the recesses of his mind where it belo
nged. He refused to think about his parents or their effect on his life any more than he wanted to think about the ‘system’ he’d been raised in as a result of their non-parenting skills. That was a dark road that he really didn’t want to travel down – not if he could help it. At least he had one thing to thank them for; they’d made him determined not to turn out like them.
Unfortunately, once he started to think about it, the thoughts were hard to shut off, no matter how hard he tried. As he took his shower and got ready for work, he couldn’t help but dwell on his past.
He hadn’t been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, despite what a lot of people thought when they found out that he was filthy rich. Hell, he hadn’t even been born with a plastic one either. If truth be told, he had no idea if his birth mother had known anything about spoons, other than to use them to do whatever drug users did with them to get the filth into their wasted bodies. He’d been born premature – tiny and suffering from the effects of his mother’s heroin addiction, and despite not being given much hope of surviving, he had recovered and thrived, thanks to the care he received from the neo-natal nurses.
Of course, he couldn’t remember any of that. His earliest memory was probably when he was about three years old, and it was the memory of children crying in their cribs or playpens at the children’s home he’d been taken to when he’d been well enough to leave the hospital. Most of his memories since then were carefully tucked away in some dark recess of his mind where they couldn’t escape to haunt him.
Occasionally, especially during adolescence, he hadn’t quite managed to keep them held back, and they would resurface when he least expected it, resulting in him being expelled from numerous schools and being labelled as a rebellious thug who would never amount to anything. Rather than adhere to everyone’s low expectations of him, he doggedly worked his way up the food chain until, eventually, he owned his own business. It felt good to actually employ those same people who’d said he’d never get anywhere in life except jail. As he thought about that, he smiled for the first time that day.
