Honey, why?

19. Ruslan's Plan

Ace's breathing slowly evens out and I am certain that I caught her. That secret that I told her, it was supposed to be confidential. Only my mother and I knows of it besides Shannon and her father.

The contract states that we were to be married when we both reach the age of twenty-one, and by then Janus, Shannon's father and my dad's previous business partner, would be willing to transfer the rest of the thirty percent stock holdings that he possesses to my name. It's a win-win situation. I get to take back what's rightfully ours and Janus's daughter will have me. That was the plan. Well, at least until he died three days ago.

What happened four years ago was a dark time for me. When my grandmother passed away, she left a hefty amount of possessions in our name, making sure her only daughter and her grandchildren were all well taken care of. That plus the amount of money we receive from dad's investments were what kept my family retain its lifestyle. But when my dad's share in the company he started were being bought out by none other than his best friend and business partner, my mom became so upset she made some irrational decisions.

My mother is a strong woman, she really is. Her only weakness is her family. She would not just stand to the side watching as the company my father had dedicated most of his life building go to the hands of some Judas Iscariot who was planning to sell the entire company once he got a hold of it. It's not about the money, it's not about the shares. My father literally died for that company, to save the people whose jobs will be taken from them if he didn't do anything. And my mother took it to heart as she sees my father's image in that company.

It's my father's life work and legacy and my mother would be damned if it was taken from her. What I witness in the eyes of a young fifteen-year old lad was my mother trying her best to preserve the only memory my father had left of us.

"It's not earning money anymore, Lyanna. It's time to let it go," I heard Janus tell my mom one afternoon as they were having a tea in our garden. "It's what Reese would've wanted. Believe me. You'd be better off without this burden. Let me take care of the things that you clearly cannot."

Yes, Rosche Industries LLC had been knee deep in debt and more money was lost than earned. I was just a little child then that I wasn't able to put the pieces together.

How Janus never really bothered us with the company matters. How he always reported good news to my mom and since she doesn't really know anything about the business, she's just a mere housewife with a degree in interior design, she didn't question him knowing full well how my father put his trust on this man to let him handle things until I was ready.

How some young fellow was arrested after news of his embezzlement surfaced and the company lost a huge amount of money and most of its investors. How suddenly, everything's crumbling down and my mother had no idea how could that have happened as she was only met with indirect answers that raised more questions.

How nobody seemed to want to help us except the Evans', with Rigardo obviously fighting tooth and nail just to give us a hand. Not even the HongKong mafia lord who was supported by my father bothered to bat an eye.

How Janus suddenly was able to build his own company and how he suddenly have the resources to buy out my father's shares at the same time while being backed by the same investors and mafia underlords that my father used to be in good terms with.

The son of a b***h planned it. I don't have any proof right now but once I finished college and took over my father's business altogether, I'd destroy him. I swore on that day when my one true love turned her back on me (not that I blame her) all because of these schemes that manipulated me and my mom. Unfortunately for me, someone else already got to Janus, another fellow who harbored a deep seated rage against him and I'm furious at what happened. I should've been the one who he sees as he meets his demise.

My mother almost sold everything we have just so she won't be forced to sell our shares. Every day she became thinner and lonelier. She was devastated. She went through a very hard time and it was when she pleaded to Janus that the motherfucker thought of another evil scheme of marrying me to his slut, I mean, daughter.

There was only one thing on my mind then. I've already lost my dad, I can't lose my mom as well. I have to take care of my family and I have to be wise about it. I am going to take back what's mine.

"Ruslan?" My darling calls me from the pits of hell as she looks down at me from heaven.

With a shaky breath, I release her small face from my huge gruff hands and takes hold of her soft sweaty hands and lead her to sit on one of the office chairs. I sit on another one and use my legs to move in front of her. She's still regarding me with cautious eyes but this time, the hardness in them had melted and I am now looking through the imperial topaz that once looked at me with so much love.

Oh God, how I missed her. There wasn't a day that went by without her image on my mind, her melodious laugh on my ears, and the soft caress of her touch on my skin. I'm going to win her back.

From a distance, I hear the bell ring and I am quite aware that a single period has already passed. Not that I care. This is the only time that I'd be able to talk to Ace. She's listening now and that's all that matters.

"It was an arranged marriage, Ace. I didn't approve of it, my mother didn't as well, but we had no choice back then. Nobody ever knew and we wanted it that way. I made a decision and I just vanished just like that because I don't ever want to say goodbye to you.

To me, it was all a nightmare, a bad dream that I would soon wake up from. And when I open my eyes, I want your face to be the first thing that I see. It was hard for me not to talk to you but if I'm going through hell, well," I pause to take a breath, my eyes not leaving her. "I want to have that strength to move forward, no matter how hard it was not to look back."

Ace blinks twice, her head c*****g to the side. Her thick eyebrows are knitted together and her plump pink lips are slightly parted. Not the expression I expected from her. Still it doesn't exude dirty thoughts from entering my mind. When did my dear little fair maiden became such a vixen?

"So..." Her voice is so soft I could barely hear her so I lean forward, my knees touching hers, as I strain my ears to listen. "You just cut me of from your life completely? I'm your best friend, Rus." It didn't escape my notice that she used a present tense. I still am her best friend. Oh, my sweet thing. There is a disappointment in her tone but I'm prepared for it.

We're still splashing at the shallow parts of the water and we've yet to dive in into the deeper matters. So far, so well, I have to say. Wait until I tell her that it was all part of an elaborate plan with the endgame being us living happily ever after.

"Daddy helped you. I'm sure he would've still done so if you just told him that you were being blackmailed." True. But Rigardo Evans have helped us enough. Besides, Ace still doesn't know about a certain little thing that her father and I had talked about...

My hands reach out to hers and I smile inwardly because she doesn't stop me this time. I rub small circles at her wet palm and resist the urge to just lick the sweat off of them. I'd become a pervert and my basic instincts are acting in the worst time possible. Get your s**t together, Rus!

Alright. What are we talking about? Oh, yeah. Daddy. "And I thank you and him for that. You've helped us plenty and I didn't want you to get caught in something you weren't supposed to. I couldn't ask your father to fight my battles for me, Ace."

"But he'll gladly do it!" The determination in her eyes is powered more by her fingers clasping mine tightly. "You're..." she ducks her head, looking at her lap. There's a tint of red starting to appear on her cute little cheeks. "You're like a son to him," she finishes, looking up at me and just then, my heart explodes.

I want to kiss her so badly but all good things come to those who wait so that's just what I'll do. Slowly but steadily, I'll make my way back into her life as I now know well that I hadn't been completely evicted from her heart. I'll fix this mess that I've made and I'll work hard to let her know. God, I love her.

***

Four Years Ago

I love her. I love her. I love her.

The words kept repeating on my mind I almost believed them. Almost.

Her long bony fingers reached for the button of my fly and a gasp escaped my dry lips. She seemed aggressive for someone who's doing this for the first time.

"Relax Russy. You're making me feel embarrassed."

Huh. She's the one who was embarrassed? Imagine how I felt. I should be the one taking the lead, not acting like a clueless virgin that I am. I know, I know. Shame on me. But can you blame me? I've only ever wanted to have s*x with one girl... and this girl sitting on my lap was not her.

Has it always been this hot in my room? "Wait, Shannon..." I firmly grabbed her shoulders urging her to stop.

Shannon's hand paused above my lower abdomen. In the short moments that I was distracted, she had managed to open the button of my jeans and slide the zipper down. The little guy down there was acting in response to her touches, slowly rising up as blood throbs through its veins. This is bad.

"Is there something wrong?" She backed up a bit, staring at me imploringly. I can see the hurt in her brown eyes. I don't think she'd take my rejection well.

But what am I supposed to do? Can I really go through with this knowing that there's no one else I would rather be doing this with than the girl that I love? I thought it'd be easy. I'm just a guy after all. A horny guy at that. I thought that it'll do, whoever I do this with, but I can't stop thinking about her. I can't stop thinking about what it would be like if it was Ace her in front of me, straddling me, as we're about to do the deed.

Shannon stood up, picking up her lacy red bra from the floor. She was about to storm out. Damn it. I have to do something. Or everything that I had sacrificed would only be thrown in the bin.

All those gifts, all those dates and trips, and all those time that I spent with her trying to know her better. Those times that I forced the girl that I love out of my mind just so I could squeeze in Shannon into the picture.

All the pain that I endured as I deliberately hurt Ace. Missing, not greeting, and not giving her a gift her on her birthday. No Christmas presents and ignoring her calls and messages. Hiding in my room as she comes to my house, listening as she talks to my mom and hearing the sadness in her voice as my mom lies to her.

Everything just so I could salvage that one thing that would help me prove the guilt of the man who could easily be the perpetrator of my father's death and extract my revenge on him.

All those sacrifices I have endured will be all for nothing if Shannon walked out that door right now. I have to man up. I have to do this.

Grabbing her by the elbow, I yanked her to my bed and she fell on her butt, looking at me expectantly. I hovered over her, being careful of my weight. My resolve is final. I'm going through with this.

Her gasp was audible as I licked her neck, her hands tangling on my hair as she pulls me closer. We scooted in the middle of the bed and I began removing the rest of her clothing piece by piece until she was completely naked.

There wasn't any hint of self-consciousness in her, no shame. She stares directly in my eyes, waiting for my next move. She knew I was a virgin and she told me that she was, too, but I'm beginning to doubt her words. She's done this before, I'm pretty certain of it. So I did something that was totally out of my league to confirm my suspicion.

Taking off my jeans, I kicked it off on the floor. My heart beating wildly on my chest, I steadily pushed my boxers down as far as it would go until my not-so-little buddy sprang free in front of her. I then knelt on either side of her thighs. I swallowed my nervousness and watched her reaction. It was the first time I'd ever been naked in front of a girl and I was trying so hard to keep my features even. Shannon, however, did not show my expectations of a girl who was just seeing a guy's member for the first time.

I gripped little Rus and began stroking it a few times. I was guilty of lusting after this girl, I admit. Like I said, I am a guy after all. And she didn't look that bad either.

Shannon was a skinny girl and her chest was not ample. I also didn't like the way her hipbone stuck out as it may hurt me later on. Her skin was tanned except for her pubic area and her breasts which were covered by a bikini, I presume. She wasn't shaved and the dark drapes didn't match the curtains of blonde hair.

Her eyes were heavy as she followed my hand up and down my throbbing member. Her thin lips parted before her tongue darted out and licked them wet.

My voice wasn't my own when I spoke. "Suck it."

Sitting up, she pushed her long hair out of her face and gripped me. Then she began pumping me slowly before opening her mouth wide and... oh, God.

Shivers ran all over my body as the wetness of her mouth enveloped me. The way her tongue swirled around made me push my hips deeper in her mouth as she bobbed her head back and forth.

Shannon released me but never stopped stroking. "You taste so good, Russy. Do you feel good, too?" Russy. I've always hated that nickname.

I put a hand at the top of her head and pushed her back against my groin as a low rumble escapes my lips. I almost died when she licked the underside of my head before she took me in her mouth once again.

This time, I can't help it anymore. Both my hands grabbed her head to halt her movements. Then, my hips thrusted into its own accord as the pleasurable feeling began growing bigger and bigger inside of me.

I couldn't think, I couldn't say anything. It just felt so good. I registered the gagging and the moaning but all other sounds drowned as I hear the blood in my ears. I felt sharp nails digging in my ass and it made me open my eyes. I looked down at Shannon with my c**k still in her mouth.

I released my grip on her and slowly pulled out. I was breathing heavily and my member hurts so bad, craving for a release that it desperately needed.

Shannon smiles at me, fluids dripping down to her chin. Yep. This girl definitely wasn't a virgin anymore.

"You're such an animal. I'd love to blow you more but," she lied down, opening her legs widely. "I have needs, too."

Two of her fingers went between her thighs, spreading her p***y. She looked like a frog so I tried to focus on something else and my eyes landed back to the bushy area at the apex of her thighs. It was dripping wet and I couldn't help but rub it with my index finger. It was so much different seeing it in person that on magazines and the internet.

"Like what you see?"

Goddammit, Shannon. You talk too much.

Finding her hole, I inserted a finger inside her without any preamble and she cried out. For a second I thought she did out of pain but her scream was soon followed by a moan.

"Yes..." she hissed. "Too long... Too long..."

I wiggled my finger inside of her before pulling it out, then back in. s**t. Was this how it felt like inside? It felt so warm and slippery. I felt little Rus jerk in agreement and I couldn't help it. I crawled up to her, settling myself between her legs. Clasping my member, I positioned it on her entrance, then I pushed my hips forward and holy motherfucking son of a gun. It felt so good. I tremble as I felt the sensation about to burst out but I managed to get a grip on myself and how about that? I managed to make her c*m before taking her back to the sofa where she straddled me once again as she rode up and down my stiffness.

I wish I'd c*m on the first round that we had, like the virgin that I was. Or maybe earlier when I was f*****g her mouth. Why couldn't I have c*m then? If I didn't f*****g want to prove to myself that I won't bust my nuts only within the first two minutes of f*****g, I wouldn't have actually f****d up. Ace wouldn't have f*****g seen me having my brains f****d out by some f*****g w*********h who's f*****g father was looking for some f*****g way to f*****g build a revered name by marrying her to an already established family. Everything wouldn't have been so f****d up, as if it already wasn't.

***

2009

"I want a reset. A redo. Let's pick up where we left off. What do you say?" I'd have died right there and then as the girl just stares at me, the gears of her pretty little head working as my words sink in. It must have only been a few seconds of waiting but it feels like hours as I wonder what her answer would be.

When news of Janus being killed in a drug raid reached me, I was startled. I am not halfway through my plans of revenge on him and he already made an escape, an easy one at that. Shot in the head by his own right hand man. Betrayed by the person he trusted the most as he did betray my father, someone who trusted him the most.

My investigations only went as far as knowing how he was involved in the underworld. Yep. You heard that right. The man was already in hell when he was still alive. Now, he burns in another form of hell. I am just dismayed I was not the one who put him there.

I quickly ended my relationship with his unbearable daughter and without his threats and blackmailing, friends of my father slowly came out from hiding and are now helping me take back what's ours. I'm going to bring back the old Rosche Industries for my mother. For my father. I swear I'll get there.

But right now, it's this goddess is what my concern is. Just like how every decision I've made was and making is to redeem myself in her eyes, my every movement is calculated for her best interests. Or is it for my best interests?

Her golden eyes flits from our entwined fingers to my face. Four years of dancing around her, watching her every move and I can't even touch her. And to have her at this close proximity once again, my heart couldn't take it. I want to make up for lost times that I've pushed her away.

My fingers trace her cheekbones, sliding down to her jawline. I cup her face while my thumb marvel at the satin softness of her skin. I will myself to relax, to give her all the time she needed. I've waited for four years, what's a few more seconds?

Inhaling her honey scent, I move closer to her, trapping her legs between mine. When she didn't protest, I slide my chair even more until I could perfectly see that tiny scar on her chin, how smooth her plump lips are, and how the gold and bronze of her eyes dance together as she stares back at me.

"Ruslan," she whispers, looking down at my parted lips. Dear God. It's happening. This is it. This is really happening. Ace is about to kiss me. f**k. f**k, f**k, f**k.

She swallows and I wait for her to come to me. I want her to be the one setting the pace. I know she hadn't been kissed before. In the seven years that we were best friends, before I f****d things up with her, I kept a very close eye on her to ensure that no other guys would make a move on her.

In high school, I prepared myself for the worst because I was pretty sure that it would happen eventually. Plenty of guys swarm around her but we're in our last year now and still, she has no boyfriend.

Luke Quimbley is the only guy who could hold her eyes, one of the few guys who are not intimidated by her bright sunshine, and they're just friends though I still have to be careful. No other guy could take just staying friends with Ace. Believe me, I speak from experience.

Then there's Charles Albero who I think is the hardest competition. He'd been in a relationship for two and a half years and it wasn't long since it ended but it didn't stop him from immediately jumping my girl's bones right after he's out of it. What's worse is that, she seems to be smitten with him as well.

But they don't know her. Not like I do.

The others, well, they don't bother me. They are not much of a threat as those two who I seriously observe whenever they're with her.

Ace blinks twice, her cheeks are now painted with the most beautiful shade of red I'd ever seen. My girl is so adorable. She opens her pretty lips and I hold my breath in anticipation.

"There's someone at the door."