THE CEOS’ SECRET BABY.

FALLING..

I spent ten minutes in front of the bathroom sink, scrubbing off the scent of Serge’s mint and tobacco off my skin, but nothing could wash away that heat of his fingers.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I forced my swollen lips to stay flat as I pulled my damp hair into a loose bun, and threw on a simple grey oversized shirt to hide the pink marks on my neck.

Walking down the grand staircase, I almost felt like I was marching toward an execution but when I stepped into the dining room, crispy smell of roasted chicken and garlic hit my nose.

My stomach immediately rolled, a sharp wave of leftover nausea hitting the back of my throat, but I forced it down. I couldn't throw up. Not again.

.“Oh, Ava! Come, sit down,” Abby’s sweet voice cut through to me. She was already seated at the massive marble table, pouring water into the crystal glasses.

Serge was sitting at the head, of course.

He had changed into a cotton black t-shirt, looking completely relaxed, as if he hadn't just pinned me against a wet glass wall fifteen minutes ago.

His eyes tracked me the second I entered, cold and heavy.

“Ava, I am so incredibly sorry about earlier,” Abby said, her face flushing with genuine embarrassment as I hesitantly took a seat across from her.

“Marie told me I completely botched it. I can't believe I mistook you for a nanny!. I should have known my brother would bring home someone special.”

I froze, my hands folding onto the linen napkin in my lap.

“Special?”

“Yes!” Abby laughed, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder.

“Serge told everyone in the house this morning that his woman was moving in. I just assumed because of the chaos with little Leo that he was hiring help. I didn’t realize he finally decided to settle down.”

Woman.

The word felt like a physical slap to my face. My jaw tightened as I slowly turned my head to look at Serge.

He didn't even blink. He just picked up his wine glass, taking a slow sip while his eyes locked onto mine, a dark, mocking amusement dancing in their depths.

He hadn't told his family the truth. He hadn't told them that I am already married or the 12 month mark, or the fact that he had shipped my husband with the help of Leo upstate to clear his path.

To Abby, we were a happy, normal couple.

It was a sick, twisted joke.

“It’s... it’s fine,” I choked out, the lie burning my tongue.

The rest of dinner passed in a suffocating silence on my end. Abby talked endlessly about the baby, about the family business, and about how glad she was that Serge had someone new in his life now.

Serge dropped in a quiet, deep response every now and then, playing the part of the attentive, loving partner perfectly.

He even reached across the table at one point, his hand casually brushing against my fingers as he passed the salad bowl.

I flinched from his touch, pulling my hand back into my lap like I had been burned. It was disgusting how easy this was for him.

He was playing house, sitting here with his beautiful sister and his wealthy empire, completely whole and happy.

Meanwhile, my life was in absolute tatters. My husband was god knows where, thinking he was working for us while I was sitting at a his boss’s table pretending to be his woman. I don’t even want to imagine what was causing me all this sudden nausea.

I didn’t have it in me to even think about it yet.

The hypocrisy of this all, made me want to scream until my lungs burst. I couldn't even swallow a single bite of the chicken on my plate.

Suddenly, Abby excused herself to check on the baby and I stood up not bothering to I didn't look at Serge.

I didn't want to give him a chance to force me to stay. So i just turned on my heel and speed walked down the hallway, locking my bedroom door shut behind me with a loud, click.

I threw myself onto the massive king sized bed, burying my face into the plush pillows as the tears finally exploded from my eyes.

I cried until my chest ached. I cried for Matthew, for the house we were almost going to loss, and for the clean, simple life that had been stripped away from me in a single night.

I wailed like a fool because deep down, in a small, dark, terrifying corner of my heart, the real reason for my tears made me sick to my stomach, I was falling for him.

I had been so jealous of Abby because I thought she belonged to him. And even now, after everything he had done to me, my body still hummed from the memory of his mouth in the shower.

I was falling for him.

I was falling in love with a devil who had me tied up in his cage, who had me twisting and turning at whatever rhythm he wanted.

And the shame of that realization made me want to disappear off the face of the earth because this isn’t how i was supposed to feel and i was miserably failing to control it.

Hours passed in the dark and i could hear the house growing completely dead and silent.

I stayed huddled under the heavy white duvet, staring at the shadows on the wall but suddenly, I heard a faint, distinct sound of the door handle turning. Click.

My heart hammered leaps against my ribs. Panicking, I quickly closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to slow down into a rhythmic pattern, pretending to be fast asleep.

Heavy steps that carried his presence entered the room. I could feel him before I could even smell him.

A heavy, intoxicating mix of mint and fresh men’s shampoo filled the room

The mattress dipped slightly as he sat down on the edge of the bed right beside my hip. I stayed entirely still, my muscles locking up as I braced for him to shake me awake.

He didn't. Instead, the room remained dead quiet for what felt like an eternity.

I could feel his eyes boring into my back through the darkness, watching me. Then, that rough, warm skin of his hand made contact with my head.

His long fingers gently, slowly stroked through my hair, untangling the damp strands with a tenderness that didn't make any sense compared to the monster he usually was.

The contrast was terrifying. My fingers clutched the sheets under the blanket, my mind screaming at me to push him away, but my body disagreed.

The panic in me slowly began to melt, relaxing into the rhythmic, soothing motion of his hand against my head.

It felt almost..natural. It felt like home, and that was the scariest part of all.

I heard the rustle of fabric as he stood up, the metallic click of his belt unbuckling, and the sound of his clothes hitting the floor.

A second later, the duvet was lifted and a massive, burning heat of his bare chest pressed firmly against my back as he slid into the bed behind me.

His long, heavy arm slid around my waist, his fingers digging into my hip as he pulled my body flush against his, anchoring me to him in the dark.

He tucked his face into the crook of my neck, his hot breath fanning against my bare skin.I held my breath, my eyes still tightly shut, terrified that a single movement would expose the fact that I was awake.

He shifted slightly, his grip on my waist tightening just a fraction more, as if he was making sure I couldn't slip away even in my dreams.

He let out a low, ragged sigh against my skin, a sound so full of exhaustion and frustration it made my heart ache.

And then slowly, his lips brushed against the shell of my ear, his voice dropping into a rough whisper that almost shattered whatever peace I had left.

“I can’t control how much I need you, Ava

and it is f*****g scaring me.”

My eyes fluttered open as my brain recited over and over again, each word he whispered.