by S. J. Maylee
He grabbed the box of tissue and set it beside her.
“I told her to stop defending me, that I didn't deserve it. I let him make those moves on me. She was so surprised. She wasn't going to believe me. I told her how I wanted her father, that he was so much more than Rob. I can be pretty convincing.”
“I know.” His expression was blank, clearly he had an idea of how awful she really could be.
“Thankfully, it worked.” She shrugged her shoulders. “She spit at me and left. I didn't chase after her because I knew my mom would be home any minute and I still needed to make sure Dale would stay quiet.” She got up and walked around the couch. “I think Leslie ran into Rob as she left. He never did come into the house that night.”
“He just left?”
“Of course he did. You can't tell me you wouldn't have believed Leslie.” She got up.
“What the hell, Gina.” He blocked her path.
“Don't yell at me.” But that’s exactly what she needed. She needed Marcus to yell at her and tell her what a terrible person she was. It would make the wreckage complete.
“Why didn't you tell Rob the truth?”
“You don't think I tried?” The pressure from that day was back and filling her with its poison. “He was packing up his stuff when I got home. I told him everything. Even about negotiating with Dale to keep it from my mom which was all that mattered.”
“I can imagine he was a bit pissed off at that comment.”
“You have no idea.” She rubbed her forehead, squeezing out a bit of the pressure. “His face got all red. Then he just picked up a box and took off. I chased him down the street and made him promise not to say anything to my mom. I don’t think he knew what to believe. For all I know, to this day he probably still thinks I cheated on him. I didn’t let him leave until he agreed to stay silent.”
“He never shared the whole story with me. He just kept telling me your cheating was not why you two divorced.” He sat back down.
“He's right about that.” She sat on the ottoman. “We’d been headed towards a divorce for a long time before then. The whole mess with Dale finally gave him the shove he needed. The next day movers arrived and took the rest of his stuff.”
“Your mom still doesn't know?”
“No. She doesn't know anything about any of it and we're keeping it that way.”
“What about Dale? It seems like it might be a lot of work to keep his hands off you.”
“He tries. I've gotten better at keeping furniture between us and twisting his wrist when he gets too close.” She flung the throw over the couch. “Can I get my clothes?” She was done. She could handle no more confessions and she definitely couldn’t deal with more questions from Marcus.
“No.”
“Look, I'm tired.”
“You need to eat something for dinner.” He rubbed her shoulder. “Keller made me promise I'd take care of you.”
“Fine. Give me a minute to freshen up. Check the fridge. There are probably a couple of options. If there's nothing you like, call Andrew. He'll bring whatever you want. His number's in my phone.”
“If you don't come back out soon, I'm coming to check on you.”
“Careful there, Marcus. A girl might get the feeling you don't despise her.”
“This is a lot to take in, but let’s just say I can see how complicated your life has been. None of it could have been easy for you.”
“I won't apologize for what I've done.” She’d kept her mother from another bout of depression. Sure, she’d lost a lot in the process, but she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she’d let the alternative happen.
“Go, freshen up and I'll find something for us to eat.”
****
His chest felt heavy with all she'd told him. He didn't know what bothered him more, that he believed her or what that prick of a stepfather put her through. Her goal had been protecting her mother. When they were young, he’d stepped away to protect his friendship with Rob. It was past time someone protected her.
He was probably the last person she wanted fighting for her though. However, he learned a long time ago to give a woman what she needed and not what she wanted.
An odd feeling flashed across his thoughts. Could he still be in love with her? His heart beat faster and faster. It would never work between them, not now. He’d only cause her to hurt more and, oddly enough, he was now thinking that was the last thing she deserved.
His phone buzzed with a new text message. He pulled it from his pocket.
Rob. Shit.
I hear you're at Lake Geneva. Everything okay?
Yes and no. We need to talk when I get back. How's Jane?
Good. We're meeting Charlie on Sunday.
Good luck.
Same to you, buddy.
Marcus wasn’t thinking straight. Maybe food would help. He looked through the fridge and found several options. From soup, to stew, a bounty of fruit and vegetables, but it was the fresh pizza he selected. Comfort food seemed a good fit. The note on the wrapping led him to a pizza stone in the cupboard and to preheat the oven. Next, he took out the fixings for a salad.
A buzzing sound came from the bedroom. He followed it and found Gina sprawled out over the bed. She hadn't bothered to put any of her clothes back on. They lay in a pile next to her. She must have come back here and fallen right to sleep. With her hair sprawled around her and the setting sun casting rays over her backside, she was a vision.
He imagined the events as she'd told them. The Gina he knew back when he was young was completely capable of making that kind of sacrifice for her mom, but not the woman he knew her to have become. Could he really have it all wrong? Could she simply be lashing out at everyone around her because she couldn’t call out the person who had done her wrong?
The buzzing came again, filling the room. He was afraid she'd wake up. The sound seemed to be coming from her purse. He dug around the center pocket and found her phone. The display showed she'd missed a call from Keller. After turning the sound off on her phone and tossing it back in her purse, he pulled out his own phone and returned the call.
“How's it going?” Keller asked.
“It's been enlightening.” Marcus walked back to the kitchen.
“Is Dale keeping his hands off Gina?”
“Do you know?”
“If you're asking if I know her stepfather is made of utter shit, then yes. I know.”
“Why have you let Gina handle it this way?” Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“Let Gina.” Keller rolled through a hearty laugh. “I tried to get Gina to see reason but she’s had only one priority since her father died and it’s been to keep her mother happy. Nothing I've said or offered to do since the day I met her has gotten her to change her mind.”
“This is seriously messed up, Keller.”
“Did she let you see her mom?” Keller’s voice softened.
“She did and I have to say for a woman fighting cancer, she is a happy lady.”
“Gina wouldn't have it any other way.”
“Is she really living on borrowed time?”
“I’m afraid so. They only gave her eight months and that was ten months ago.”
“Damn.”
“Gina's going to need you when her mom loses this fight.”
“Me? Keller, that's crazy. We don't even get along.”
“You may be the only person capable of understanding her.”
“She doesn’t even want me here.”
“That’s only because she thinks you don’t want to be there. The love in that woman is strong and has a very long memory. You just have to open that closed-off heart of yours. It made you lose her once. Don't let it be the reason you lose her again.”
“Have you and Rob been talking? You both are barking up the wrong tree.”
“Hardly, we both came to the same conclusion on our own. Look, if you expect Gina to be honest, you should be brave enough to do the same.”
“O
kay, that's fair.” His thoughts tumbled like boulders towards a cliff.
“Help her through this and then we can talk more if you want.”
“Thanks.” He took a deep cleansing breath. “I'll call you after we talk to Dale again. We hope to have your funding back where it belongs on Sunday.”
He put his phone back in his pocket, crept to the bedroom, and picked up Gina's phone, tossing it, testing the weight. He shouldn't snoop. He shouldn't care to know anything more about the giant mess she'd created for herself. But if Keller had it right, Gina had done it all for her mom, who was a lovely woman. He didn't want either of them getting hurt.
Keller and his head games. He swiped his thumb across the screen on Gina's phone. No passcode. The recent call logs showed three numbers dialed almost daily, her mother, Andrew, and a doctor's office. Two other numbers were dialed less frequently but he recognized them as the office and Club Voyage. He selected her contacts and checked her favorites, those five numbers were the only ones listed.
The evidence was piling up. The only thing standing in his way now was his need to not believe a thing she said. He needed to stop messing around. It was possible the only way out of all this mess was with the truth he'd been hiding from. The truth he didn’t even recognize now since he'd forced himself to hide from it all these years. He picked up the throw blanket hanging over the nearby bench and covered her.
Chapter Six
Light pushed through her lids. Could she have slept through the night? Confessing everything had wiped her out last night. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she hadn’t opened up. And to Marcus, of all people. He hated her before. What must he think of her now?
An ache rolled through her muscles. At least she made it to the bed. She couldn’t be wearing any clothes though because she was freezing. Had she kicked off the blanket during the night? She rolled over to reach for the blanket. A strap of some kind caught on her wrist.
“Shit.” She tugged both arms. Damn. Her other wrist was bound too. “Marcus.”
“I'm right here.” He paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, folding the covers she wanted.
“Why did you do this?”
“We need to talk.” He sat the blanket on the bench.
“I think we did plenty of that to last a lifetime yesterday.” She tugged on her restraints, testing for a weak spot, but found none. She drew up her legs. Each ankle was wrapped in a cuff but clearly not attached to anything. The change in position gave her just enough slack in the ropes. If she worked quickly…maybe.
“Are you determined to be disobedient?” He tapped her thigh with a crop.
“No, Sir.” She kept her gaze on the crop. “Is that mine?”
“Yes.” He set the crop at the end of the bed. “You were right. This place really does have everything we need.
“We?”
“Yes, we. Are you planning to question everything?” He crossed his arms.
She narrowed her gaze as she weighed her options. Antagonizing this Master would certainly lead to an unbearable sore ass. She could at least attempt to play subservient.
“Answer the question, sub.”
“No, Sir.” She took a deep breath and concentrated on her role at the moment.
“We shall see if that’s true. I have a feeling the crop is going to get some use.” He helped her position her foot close to her butt, tugged on the strap connected to her ankle cuff, and secured it to something on the side of the bed. His gaze remained on her as he walked around to the other side and secured the strap on her other ankle in the same way, leaving her spread wide open. “Almost there.” He climbed onto the bed and pulled on her hips. The slack disappeared.
She couldn’t move. Her ankles were tight against her ass. She was vulnerable in more ways than one and each was a cause for concern. After her giant confessions yesterday, she had no more secrets to spill, none that she’d share anyways.
“We have quite a few things on our list today.” He pushed off the bed and resumed his pacing. “We need to discuss our strategy for dealing with Dale, we need to spend time with your mom, but first we need to discuss a few things between us.”
“There is no us.” She tugged on the straps. “I thought at the top of your list would be leaving.”
“Enough.” He picked up the crop and snapped it against her thigh.
“Sorry, Sir.” She pressed her lips together. She wouldn’t be able to sit tomorrow if she kept speaking out.
“You've made a mess of your life.” He stepped back and crossed his arms.
“Gee, thanks. Can we talk about your life now?” She closed her knees as far as she could.
“Actually, possibly against my better judgment, yes.” He picked up the crop and used it to press her knees back.
“Are you going soft on me, Sir?”
“Nice try.” He tapped her clit with the crop.
“Okay.” She hissed through her teeth until the sting settled. “What do you want?” She kept her gaze on the crop as he set it beside her.
“Keller says I need to be honest with you.” He positioned himself between her legs.
“Be careful, you might admit you're not perfect.” A case of the giggles erupted from her. Always on a soapbox, Marcus admitting he wasn't flawless would be like winning a vacation.
“I’m far from perfect, honey. Look, I got you to answer a lot of questions yesterday. Today, I'll answer some of yours.” He pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it back and forth.
“Okay.” She arched her back and shook her head, trying to process what he said and how her body was feeling. “I can ask you anything?”
“Anything.” He dragged his touch down her belly. “You ask and I’ll play.”
“Were you happy Rob and I got married?” There were several questions she could ask. She had no idea why that one had come out first.
He sat back. “No.”
“I don't like this game.” He probably thought her unworthy. She didn’t need to waste any more time feeling bad about her choices. She had her reasons for all of them.
“You didn't ask me why.” He caressed her leg.
“Fine.” She pressed her lips together. “Why?”
“I didn't want you to marry Rob. I didn't like you dating him either.” He got up and took off his shorts, leaving him naked. He was magnificent. From his striking gaze and chiseled jaw, all the way down over his firm pecs, and the angle of his body drew her gaze to his thick cock.
“If you hated me that much, why didn't you try and break us up?” Her breathing increased as she fought her arousal.
“You don't get it. When we were young and Rob told me he wanted to ask you out, I should have told him how I felt.” He stroked his dick. “But you wanted him. You chose him. I wasn't going to step in the middle of that.”
“I don't understand. You know what? Fuck you. You really are a piece of work if you tied me up just to tell me you should have warned Rob away from me. We were good together. We made each other happy which I can hardly say you've done for anyone.” Tears flooded her eyes, blurring her vision. She pulled her knees together. A smack rang through the room and searing heat blasted the side of her ass.
“Enough!” He tapped her knee with the crop.
“Fuck!” She spread her thighs as the burn rolled to her pussy and turned to sparks of pleasure.
“Leave those thighs spread open.” He wiped the tears from underneath her eyes and returned to his pacing. “I didn't want you to be with Rob.” He continued stroking his impressive cock and then positioned himself on top of her. “Because I wanted you to be with me.”
“What are you saying?”
“I should have told you how I felt.” He caressed her face. “I never said anything. I knew if I told you how I felt, it would put us in an impossible position. Anyone could see it was Rob whom you connected with. But I wanted you for myself.”
“Don't put this on me, you know damn well half the reason I flirted with
him was to get a rise out of you.”
“Gina, don't you see? If I'd have given in, Rob would have been miserable and you would have been miserable, too. You loved him.”
“But.” She sucked on her upper lip. “He wasn't the only one I loved.”
“I'm sorry I didn't fight for you, but I did believe I was making the best decision for the three of us.” He tossed the crop and settled himself between her thighs, his face close to her pussy. “My lust for you has never waned. I can't tell you how many times I thought about tasting you.”
“Don't do this.” Her heart rate increased. She couldn't remember the last time she wanted something this badly. “Don't change the game.”
“You've never been a game to me, Gina.” He licked his way from the crack of her ass to the tip of her clit. “You're even sweeter than I imagined.” He nibbled on her pussy lips and licked up the cream.
“Why are you doing this?” She stretched her arms and let her knees fall open, losing herself in his soft licks and incessant sucking. Her heart felt like it was unraveling while her pussy pulsed around the beautiful pressure. “I'm going to come.”
“What makes you think it wasn't my intention all along?” he sucked her clit into his mouth, scraping his teeth across her flesh as he let go.
“Why now?” She rocked her hips back and forth.
“I've received a lot of pleasure from punishing you, my dear, and I think you know why.” He kissed his way up her belly. “Do you like my touch?” He pinched her nipple.
“Most subs would like this.” She arched her back, as he pinched harder. “Yes, I like your touch.” She tried to reach out to him, the bonds stopped her. “Oh, Marcus.”
“You don't need to say anything.” He claimed her lips.
A throaty moan rumbled up her throat. She lost herself in the kiss and the friction of his cock rubbing through her folds. It would be so easy for him to be inside her, taking her to a beautiful place she’d always wanted to go. A cloud of pleasure hovered over her, reminding her of all she could lose. She looked away. “Please, no more. Please.”