by L. P. Rose
Dangerous Dancer
Part One
L.P. Rose
Copyright 2017 © L.P. Rose
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted by any means, including photocopying, recording or any other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher.
This publication is a work of fiction and any references to real people, historical events or real locals are used fictitiously. Names, characters incidents, and places are the product of the authors imagination and any resemblance to actual events, locals, or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by ebookcovers online
Edited by Carol Tietsworth
This book contains mature content.
DEDICATION
To my mum.
The strongest woman I know.
CHAPTER ONE.
I stood looking around the large ominous room, taking in the faces of the middle-aged men and their wives, girlfriends or partners, and boredom flowed through me like a river. It was another work function for my husband, Max Peters, and another chance for him to show off and increase his already-overblown ego. My lips were permanently pasted into a smile and my cheeks were beginning to feel the burn from it. Here we go again.
“Raine, meet Mr. and Mrs. Roberts,” came the deep, loud tone of my husband’s voice from behind me.
Momentarily scrunching my eyes tightly shut, I increased my fake smile and elegantly turned myself around. “How wonderful to meet you both,” I said, holding out my hand for Mr. Roberts to kiss the back of. I offered a polite nod in Mrs. Roberts’ direction.
I felt Max’s warm palm on the small of my bare back and he kissed my cheek in a familiar public display of affection. “Be a good girl and keep Mrs. Roberts occupied, I have important business to discuss with her husband,” he whispered in my ear.
I let out an unintentional sigh and instantly froze when the pressure of his hand against my back increased. “Do not show me up, Raine.” I caught the warning in his tone causing me to straighten my posture and step away from him.
“Shall we?” I asked Mrs. Roberts. I slid my arm through hers and gently moved her away from our husbands mind-numbing talk of business, towards the direction of the bar. I glanced back over my shoulder to see my husband of two years smiling and laughing like the asshole he was, as the two of them shared some private joke.
Max is twenty years my senior and when I met him, he literally swept me off my feet. He was every girl’s dream; well-off, sophisticated, intelligent, and powerful. He walked with an air of arrogance, he was articulate; you could never win an argument with him, being a lawyer he always had to have the final word, and he dressed impeccably. He held command when he entered a room, he could manipulate people with ease, bend the rules to his liking, and he lavished me with so much affection, that I fell for him and everything he stood for quickly.
“So, tell me, how did you two meet?” Mrs. Roberts asked me, as she waved her hand back and forth in front of my face, jolting me from my reverie and holding a glass of red wine in my direction.
Quickly I declined, “Sorry, I don’t drink,” I mumbled with an apologetic smile, instead I reached for a mineral water. Can’t show up dear old Max now, can I?
“Well, Mrs. Roberts —”
“Oh please, call me Savannah.” Her hand automatically clamped down on my arm in a friendly manner and her glossy pink lips parted in a smile.
Giving her a small smile in return, I nodded my head. “Well Savannah, I was in my last year of college studying journalism. For my last assignment, I had to attend a court hearing and write a paper on it giving my own personal take, and what I would have done differently. I attended the Solman vs Stains case and ran into Max during that case, literally.”
I brought my hand to my mouth to stifle my laughter at the memory. Max, a tall man at six foot one, had been steam-rocketing his way out of the elevator as I had pushed my way in, unfortunately the Starbucks latte I held in my hand ended up on his crisp blue shirt. Immediately I panicked, and dropped everything in my hands to the floor. I frantically searched for a napkin in my purse to clean him up, whilst he ranted at my bowed head. When I finally raised my chin and my tear-filled eyes locked onto his angry blue ones, his whole face softened and he apologized, insisting it was nothing to get upset over. Within an hour of meeting him, we had exchanged numbers and made plans for dinner that night.
“We had a whirlwind romance and we were married within a year of that first meeting,” I finished with a shrug.
“And your journalism? I take it you attempted to pursue a career in it?” She asked.
I sighed deeply and felt my shoulders slump, as my poised body caved in, “No. When I became Max’s wife, I gave up my dream to be the wife he wanted.” I watched her intently while I waited for her response. Her bleached blonde hair was pulled tightly into a chignon, pinching the skin taut around her face, and her caramel-colored eyes grew slightly wider as they slowly blinked in my direction.
She leant over towards me and patted my hand condescendingly. “Well, I’m sure you want for nothing with that hunk of a man for your husband,” she whispered, with a wink.
“No, you’re right, I mean why would I need a career of my own and the freedom of independence when I am married to the great Max Peters, right?” I snapped sarcastically. I knocked back my mineral water imagining it a delicious triple vodka with a slice of lime.
“You are the envy of every woman in this room, Raine. You have the freedom to financially have everything you want when you want it. What are you twenty, twenty-one?” she asked in a seemingly annoyed tone that had me running my fingers across the back of my neck uncomfortably.
“I’m twenty-two, actually.” I replied hoping the extra year she had been out on would go in my favor.
“See, you’re still young. You can have a career later down the line. Take me, I had a career in nursing until I met Ray, now I relish in all the comforts his career as a lawyer brings. You should count your blessings,” she replied, wagging her forefinger in my face as though she was scolding a child.
I grabbed her finger and pulled it away from my face and rose to my feet. “I can assure you, Savannah, I count my blessings every day, and I am aware of how lucky I am and how all the women in this room ogle over my husband, but none of that stops me from dreaming of a career of my own, following my own path in life, with the support of my so-called loving husband!”
Suddenly realizing I had potentially gone too far as I deflected my pent-up anger in Savannah’s direction and silently acknowledging the fact that in Max’s eyes, I had showed him up, I automatically sighed an apology as my cheeks burned with embarrassment and I fled towards the powder room.
I fought back against the bitter sting of tears nagging at the back of my eyeballs while I made my way towards the door, just when I thought I was home free and able to shed my tears away from prying eyes, a large palm gripped my waist. I knew instantly it was Max.
“Raine? Are you okay?” His deep, yet harsh tone sounded laced with concern.
Swallowing hard, I painted back on my fake smile and turned to face him. His natural blonde hair was still in its sleek parting and his blue eyes pierced through me as his eyebrows inclined and frown lines creased across his forehead. “Of course, darling. I just needed five minutes to gather myself.”
“Be quick. We are leaving, my business here is done, and quite frankly, I’ve had enough of schmoozing,” he said lowly. His eyes glanced over my left shoulder and I noticed a darkness across his face.
I gently nodded my head
and began to wonder why he was so intent on leaving after only two hours. Normally these types of functions require our presence for most of the night, regardless of whether I wanted to leave or not. “I will come and find you,” I said turning away from him.
“I’ll wait right here for you. You have five minutes,” he said sternly. His eyes were still fixed on a place behind me I couldn’t see.
I went to glance over my shoulder to see what was holding his attention the way it was, but before I’d even managed a quarter turn, my head was snapped back to face him. “I love you,” he implored, his finger and thumb gripping my chin.
“I love you too,” I whispered as I leant towards him and kissed his cheek then turned towards the door, but not before my eyes managed to swivel in the direction he had been staring in. She wore an elegant emerald green dress adorned with sequins along the bustier, and they sparkled like diamonds under the bright lights of the room. Her hair was long, wavy, and golden brown, falling brilliantly over her left shoulder. Her face was milky white, with defined cheek bones and large dazzling chocolate brown eyes. She was stunningly gorgeous, like a painting of a goddess brought to life. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention and fear twisted in my gut.
Is he having an affair?
I casted my eyes fleetingly towards the floor and as I slowly raised them again, her brown lips smiled sweetly in our, or should I say my husband’s direction, and she winked.
Am I seeing things?
With a feeling of trepidation coursing through my veins, I spun around to catch him quickly divert his eyes towards me and his smile fade. “Who is she?” I snapped, a little too loudly for his liking.
His eyes instantly narrowed towards me and he took a step closer, “Who, Raine?” He gruffed.
“That woman you were just eye-fucking across the room!” I knew the volume of my voice had attracted the attention of people standing close by, but at this moment in time, I didn’t care, I’d face the consequences for showing him up later.
Forcefully grabbing under my bare arm, he dug his fingers into my skin, but I refused to wince. I refused to shed the tears that wanted to break free, I refused to give him any satisfaction as I continued to hold his stern gaze. “I think you are tired, darling. You have misinterpreted my friendly smile as something more. Now let’s leave!”
I felt my heeled feet sweep across the carpet as he pulled me from the room, smiling and shouting goodbyes to people as we made our exit. He grabbed my faux fur coat from reception and held it out for me to slip on, and reaching down, I gathered the hem of my evening dress in one hand and held my head high as I followed behind Max from the venue.
As we waited for the car, he paced up and down along the gravel driveway in front of me, rubbing his jaw before stopping in front of me, “What was that all about, Raine?”
“Are you sleeping with her?” I bravely asked. I could see the annoyance on his face and in his stance. He stood in front of me with his hands on his hips, his head tilted to the side and his chest jolted as he laughed, loudly.
He shook his head. “I don’t even know who you are talking about!” He snapped with his hands swooping into the air in exasperation.
“The bitch in the green dress, the bitch you seemingly couldn’t take your eyes off of.”
I heard it before I felt it. The crack of his palm echoing around the night sky as it contacted my cheek. I instantly shrieked. My hand flew up and pushed against my cheek to try and alleviate the pulsing sting left in its wake.
“Why are you so intent on showing me up, Raine? I give you everything you want, money at your disposal, fancy holidays, fine dining, all the things lots of women would kill for, yet despite all that, you go out of your way to show me up!”
The bile in the back of my throat made itself known in the form of a deep burning sensation, I concentrated on pushing it back down whilst Max continued to rant. The car pulled up and deliriously, I put one foot in front of the other as I concentrated on making it to the back seat before I collapsed. I clenched my jaw tight, refusing to scream. I rapidly blinked, refusing to cry, and lightly panted as I tried to breathe through the chronic pain sat in my chest.
As I sat in the back seat waiting for the car to pull away, I spotted the silhouette of the woman in the emerald dress as she came out of the shadows and into the light. My eyes locked with hers as we drove by and a lone tear of hurt and misery escaped, slithering down my red raw cheek. I noticed her eyes sparkled with joy, like the stars parading in the night sky.
CHAPTER TWO.
The sounds of his soft snores and his breath hitting the back of my neck told that he had come to bed sometime after I had fallen asleep. A sleep I found, hadn’t come easy.
The image of her gleeful eyes radiating back at me, the way her hair tumbled around her naked shoulders and that emerald green dress had haunted my mind for most the night, pulling me down deeper inside the cage of despair that was beginning to build itself around me. I was starting to feel trapped, with no escape.
I felt his arm coil around my waist and he pulled himself closer into my back, “Raine, are you awake?” He asked kissing my shoulder. I closed my eyes and pretended to still be asleep.
“I know you’re awake, your breathing hitched when I spoke,” he whispered, peppering kisses along my shoulder and up the back of my neck. “I apologize for striking you last night, I was out of order. You know how much I love you, how much I care for you and how I can’t live without you,” he said, then hooked his leg over the top of my thigh.
I tried to swallow against the dryness at the back of my throat. “I need a drink,” I rasped out and attempted to brush off his sexual advances and climb from the bed. I felt his fingers cinch around my wrist preventing me from moving. I heard the bedsheets crease and felt the mattress dip as he crawled up behind me. “Raine,” he pleaded, as his hand let go of my wrist and his arms slid around my shoulders.
“Max, do we have to do this now? I’m tired,” I whispered.
I felt the warmth of his hand slide to my cheek and caress lightly where he had struck me. “Please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you.” I could hear the desperation in his voice as he continued to apologize.
My eyes slowly bowed shut as the heat of his hand began to seep through my skin, then the memory of his palm striking my cheek like a bullwhip echoed in my mind and I moved my head, trying to break the contact between us. Suddenly he was at my feet, grasping my small hands in his large ones.
“I fucked up, I’ve never struck a woman before, ever. I have no idea why I was so angry last night, but I do know I took it out on you, and I will have to live with that for the rest of my life. I can’t change what I did, but I swear to you, I will never lay a finger on you again.”
I licked my parched lips and raised my eyes from my lap to look at the handsome face of Max. His eyes were sunken and pooling with the tears of regret, remorse was etched clearly over his face, and guilt was obviously gnawing away at him like a worm at the core of an apple as he bit down and chewed on his bottom lip, something he only did when he was at odds with himself.
A tear trickled down my cheek, “The woman?” I croaked. His thumb swept under my eye, disintegrating the next one before it had chance to fall.
“I’m not sleeping with her or seeing her behind your back. I take my marriage vows seriously, Raine, as you well know. You are the woman who has my heart, the woman who I married, the woman I love,” he emphasized the last two words with passion in his voice. “She smiled at me and I smiled back, is that wrong? It was all completely innocent but you chose to make it something toxic, to see something more than what was really there.”
“But—” I was about to tell him of her lurking in the shadows as we drove away but as my eyes glanced towards the daylight creeping in through the bedroom blinds then passed back to his face, I stopped myself and pulled my lips into my mouth. I felt myself wilt under his intense stare, it wasn’t just the cool blue eyes staring silently b
ack at me, it was the sorrow behind them, then they swirled with lust.
Before I had a chance to inhale, he yanked me from the bed to his level on the floor and covered my lips in a hungry kiss. My mouth betrayed my brain as it freely responded, opening just enough to allow him to delve his tongue inside and explore. My arms reached up and tangled around his neck then in an instant I pulled away and wantonly arched myself up into his broad chest, moaning at the contact of his body heat against my own, before I pushed my lips back to his.
Mahatma Gandhi’s quote; The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong suddenly reverberated in my head and in the heat of the moment I said the words he wanted to hear. “I forgive you,” I whispered. I felt Max smile against my mouth as he pushed his body weight against me, forcing my back to lay flush against the thick pile carpet underneath us.
*
I was sat at the dining table on Max’s right as he took up the seat at the head of the table dressed in a slate grey suit with a black shirt and grey tie. “Are you in court today?” I asked. He handed me today’s papers that had just been delivered.
“No, I’m in the office today tying up some paper work.” He sighed, pouring himself some coffee from the percolator.
“Fancy meeting for lunch then?” I asked cheerfully, in the hopes he would see how excited the prospect to perhaps have lunch with my husband was making me.
“No. I have client appointments, I’ll be taking a working lunch,” he replied, absentmindedly. His attention became captured by a document in front of him. I briefly watched his eyes scan back and forth with interest, then turned my attention back to my breakfast.
“Maybe I can swing by the office then and bring you some lunch, just like the old days?” I asked hopefully as I slid my knife straight through my eggs Benedict. It had been six months since I had last been to his office. Every time I would suggest a luncheon, he would throw me off with a flick of his hand and an excuse.