We exchanged small talk between the four of us. Sabrina was in the chair closest to me, which put Jonas next to Nadia. I didn’t miss the constant hand touching and the smiles he kept throwing her way. Neither did I miss the tone of the conversation these two started. It seemed everything was either flirtatious or incendiary. I was close to my boiling point by the time the antipasti were served. Now I was doubly sure that the last time I helped him was the last time I helped him. I never mix my business dealings with my personal life that’s true, but this was my fucking wife. Besides he was the one in need of help, was he that stupid? And right in front of me? He was out of his fucking mind. They both were.
“So Nadia, rumor has it that you just returned from an unplanned holiday in Europe. Don’t tell me there’s trouble in paradise already.”
Are you fucking kidding me? Was this guy for real? What the fuck was he playing at?
“Oh no it was just a little shopping trip, nothing like what the papers made it out to be.”
I could see the telltale red of a blush on her cheek and felt my ire rise. No one was allowed to make her uncomfortable I don’t care who the fuck he is.
“Oh really Nadia, I know your husband, quite well as a matter of fact and he can be a bit…forceful shall we say. I’m sure for an innocent like you that can get to be a bit much after a while.” Sabrina finally unsheathed her claws and threw her hat in the ring. If I’d had any doubts about what these two were up to before this dispelled them. They were trying to pull off a coup and they weren’t even that good at it.
“We’re leaving.” I spoke out loud to the table as I rose and helped my wife out of her seat.
“What? But we just got here and I still need to talk to you about that deal.”
“You should’ve thought of that before you tried pulling this shit, and a word of advice. In the future keep your fucking hands off my wife or I’ll break them the fuck off.” I didn’t need to raise my voice to get my point across.
“Just as I thought, you can take the boy out of the slums but he’ll still always be a bum.” He sneered at me like that shit was supposed to mean something to me. I laughed off his asinine attempt to draw me in.
“You know the others always told me to look out for you. That you were nothing more than a small minded little mama’s boy who thought very little of me and my achievements. But I always brushed them off. I thought you were just a clueless asshole out to live his life on daddy’s dime. Now I know differently; remember my warning you ever get anywhere near what’s mine again I’ll end your sorry ass. As for you I had you, I didn’t want any more from you. We both scratched the other’s itch that’s all it was, all it was ever going to be. Now I’ve moved on and you should do the same. Fuck with my wife at your own peril. You were right Jonas, I’m from the streets I make no bones about it. Those streets taught me how to deal with assholes like you. But, as far as being a bum, never was never will be one. I suggest you look in the mirror the next time you want to throw that shit around.” He jumped up from his chair but we both knew he wasn’t going to do a damn thing.
“You’re lucky we’re in a public place Stryker or else…”
“Any time you want just say the word.” I stared him down and saw the fear in his eyes, fucking snake.
I took my wife’s arm and we left, passing the other diners who might not have heard the words that were spoken but it didn’t take a genius to see that something was very wrong.
I called for my car and helped her in before going around to the driver’s side.
I turned the key in the ignition before turning to her my anger spewing over.
“You ever let some asshole touch you like that again I will hurt you.”
“He was just touching my hand Gabe I didn’t know what else to do he’s your friend…”
“So what if he’s my fucking friend? You think I want anyone else’s fucking hands on what’s mine what the fuck do you take me for?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t think…”
“That’s just it you don’t think.” I slammed the car into drive and peeled out onto the street. Horns honked and cars swerved but I was too mad to give a shit. I turned up the radio so I wouldn’t say anything more as she sulked in her seat.
Chapter 9
We got home an hour later and I headed to the kitchen for something to eat. I was fucking starving. I made myself a turkey and Swiss on seven grain and grabbed a beer. She reached for a premade salad and joined me at the table.
“Gabe, I mean Stryker, are you going to be mad at me forever? I said I was sorry. I don’t know what else I can say.” That fiery spirit of hers was rearing its head. That’s the shit that got her into trouble in the first damn place. Nadia is a sweet, loving girl but she has a stubborn streak a mile long.
“What exactly are you sorry for Nadia? Are you sorry that you left me without warning? That you shit on everything that I’ve done and try to do for us?”
“I didn’t mean to…”
I finished my sandwich and got up from the table leaving her there alone. The night had gone to shit for me already and I wasn’t in the mood for more bullshit.
“Won’t you at least talk to me? Just hear me out that’s all I ask.”
“You mean like you did for me? I don’t think so. I don’t think you understand what it is that you’ve done. I chose you as my wife, you. I’ve spent my life trying to be honorable and to be a standup guy. In one afternoon you stripped me bare and left me to bleed out. Until you understand what the fuck that means we have nothing to talk about. I’m going upstairs I’ll meet you in the guestroom in five minutes don’t be late.”
“Why can’t I sleep in our bed?”
“You didn’t mind sleeping elsewhere for the past two weeks. You don’t get into my bed again until I say so.” Let her make of that what she will. I didn’t expect her to disobey me as I went upstairs and took a hot shower to wash away the day.
She wasn’t in the room when I went in looking for her.
“Nadia?”
She didn’t answer me and she was nowhere in sight, upstairs or down. My heart started to thump until I remembered that she couldn’t escape. There was no way for her to get off the grounds without me.
I saw soft light coming from the outside pool area and that’s where I found her. She was sitting with her head resting on her bent knees her head facing away from me. I felt a pang of sadness seeing her there like that, so lost and alone. I pushed the feeling aside forcefully, this was just another way of disobeying me. The continuous struggle we’ve had in the last few months, of her fighting me every step of the way.
“Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
“I’m not sleeping in that bed again. I’ll rather stay out here until the sun comes up.”
“Get in the house…Now.” She turned furious eyes my way but her fury was no match for mine. Her problem is that she wanted to hash things out now on her terms and because I wasn’t willing to play along, she decided to play the spoilt brat. Well that was too damn bad. Whether she wanted to or not, we were going to do things my way. No more equality bullshit, she didn’t know what to do with it. I treated her as my equal and what did she do? She fucked our happiness away over bullshit. Now she could deal with me on my terms or not at all. I was pissed enough to throw that ultimatum out at her but not yet. There was still a whole lot left to do before I went there.
“Inside now.”
She got up in a huff and brushed pass me into the house. I followed on her heels all the way up the stairs until we reached the guestroom. She stood there not moving and not looking at me, but that was okay. I didn’t need her to look at me for what I had in mind.
“Get them off.” She glared at me as her hands moved to the buttons of her blouse. She took her time disrobing, as I stood there naked, my cock hard and ready. It would serve her right if I took her without preparing her first, but no. Tonight with my anger somewhat cooler than the night before, I didn’t have it in me to be that rou
gh with her again. I waited until she was through before walking over to her. Brushing her hair off her neck I started with soft kisses behind her ear. My fingers traced the outside of her breast as I licked and sucked on the skin of her neck. I felt tension leave her body slowly as I ever so gently lifted her lips to mine. Soft nibbles from her lips to her ears and back again. I laid her on the bed coming down fully on top of her my hands caressing her body until I came to her heat.
“Open.” She opened her legs for my fingers as I plunged them into her crooking them forward. Searching for that spot inside her that makes her go wild. She came with my mouth on her nipple and my fingers buried deep.
“Take me into your mouth.”
I laid back and pulled her over me pushing her head down until she licked me. With my hands buried in her hair I watched her take me in deeper.
“Bite.” She bit down lightly the way I taught her I like.
“Look at me.” Her eyes met mine as she bobbed her head up and down on my cock making me harder, getting me ready to take her.
“Enough.” I pulled her off and laid her down beside me covering her body. Taking my cock in hand I led it into her slowly taking my time. Her eyes looked into mine as I slipped deeper and deeper inside her. Our bodies moved together in our favorite dance as I kissed her once more. I couldn’t hold back the love and the passion that I felt for her. Couldn’t resist soft touches to her face as I brushed back her hair from her forehead. Her body clenched in orgasm as her nails scraped down my back. I took my time and loved her rekindling the bond that we once shared before all the madness.
I pulled out before I came because I wanted the night to last. I wanted to stay inside her all night, to wipe away the pain of the last tow weeks. Making my way down her body I lifted her to my mouth and sank my tongue into her while my thumb and forefinger massaged her clit.
“Ohhh…” Her body arched sending her heat harder against my mouth and my tongue deeper inside. Her silk walls caressed my tongue as I sucked her honeyed juices from her body. When she was pass the point of no return, her hands reaching for me, only then did I climb back up her body only this time I turned her over onto her stomach and with her body flat against the mattress entered her from behind. Straddling her hips I sent my cock home pulling her ass aback for deeper penetration.
“You’re so deep.” Her voice was breathy and soft.
“I know take it.” Leaning over her back I bit into her neck hard enough to leave a mark before making my way across her shoulders and down her back leaving more of the same as I went.
“Lift up.” I helped her to her kneed, my hand in her back pressing her down into the bed until she was just the way I wanted her. Chest low on the bed and her beautiful ass cocked in the air her pussy at just the right angle to take me deep. I sped up my motions plunging in hard and fast as my hands roamed her body. Wetting my thumb in my mouth I ever so gently pushed them into her newly awakened ass making her clench down around me. My cock worked its way in and out of her depths knocking against her cervix and into her womb where I meant to empty my seed. My head exploded as her pussy tightened around me and she screamed out my name as we fell off the precipice together. I waited until we both calmed down before leaving her body and with one final kiss against her spine I covered her with a sheet and left the room.
“Goodnight.”
“Night.”
I heard the tears in her voice but I didn’t let them waylay me, I had to see this through no matter what.
Chapter 10
The rest of the week went pretty much the same. Every morning I’d leave her to go to work and every night after dinner I’d take her. I added new dimensions to our lovemaking. Things she’d never wanted to try before, things that I knew she’d enjoy if only she’d give them a chance. She didn’t say anything but she didn’t have to her body did all the talking for her and the way she came, the way she accepted my dick was all the words I needed. One good thing had come out of this whole mess we now shared even more than we had before. There were no longer any taboos, if I wanted to fuck her in the pool outside beneath the sky I did. If I got the urge in the kitchen I laid her across the counter and took her. Once the night before we were to leave for the ranch I bent her over the kitchen sink and ate her pussy to orgasm before fucking her against the wall.
Never will I go back to the way things had been.
The plane touched down in Houston early the next morning. She had spent the time reading a magazine while I did some last minute work. I’d set my security team on the job of finding out just who it was that had made those calls to her and whatever else had been going on. I haven’t said anything to her about what I’m doing but I wasn’t going to let it go. This person had taken something from me, from us, something that we will never get back.
Her excitement grew as we drove through the winding country roads on the way to our land. Once we got pass the oil fields with their rigs climbing into the air, the scenery gave away to wide open fields, cattle grazing in the distance and every once in a while a lone cowboy riding the range. It felt like a different time here, like we’d taken a step back in time. That’s what appealed to her old world sensibilities I’m sure.
“I’ll meet you down at the stables when you’re dressed.” I left her in the bedroom we shared after changing into jeans and a cotton button down with my riding boots and headed down the stairs. The fresh air and the blue skies overhead went a long way to easing some of my own tension. I didn’t feel that need of having to be on the alert here. It was as if we’d left the worries of the city behind. Here there were only wide-open spaces that went on forever. It gave a man ideas about certain things. I’d chosen this place for this reason. It was the one place out of all the many I owned where I knew we could both relax and unwind. Although my anger wasn’t burning as bright as it had been in the beginning there was still a lingering resentment. The one thing I was sure of was that I would never let her go. I loved her too much for that, but how we went on from here would depend on the outcome of this weekend. Apart from our sexual encounters nothing much else had passed between us. She’d tried more than once to bring up the issue but each time I’d shut her down. I hadn’t been quite ready to talk, not without the threat of all that anger spewing out and causing more damage that was already done.
I had the stable master saddle up her favorite horse while I saw to my own. I’ll look over the place later as I usually did when we came here but I had no worries. The foreman did a good job of running things and as with all my investments I kept an eye on what was mine.
She was there ten minutes later looking fashionably chic in suede riding pants in brown with a cream silk top. Her legs pushed into Hermes riding boots to match. She does like her fashion. The thought made me smile.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
We started off at a canter before speeding things up as we put the horses through their paces racing across the field. Our destination was the little stream that ran through the back of the property. It was a beautiful spot with old acacia trees and prairie grass with dots of purple and pink prairie roses that turned the pasture into a picturesque landscape that caught the eye and soothed the senses. At least that’s how Nadia describes it. To me it was just a beautiful plot of land with bits of color but what the hell do I know? I hadn’t asked the housekeeper Rosa to pack us a picnic lunch. That wasn’t the purpose of this ride and I didn’t want to show my hand too soon. If I did that she might get the wrong idea and start thinking that everything was okay, that all was forgiven.
I stopped under one of the sprawling trees where we could be alone to talk. I’d had the whole week to get some of my anger under control. Just having her back home where she belonged had gone a long way to smoothing out some of the rough edges, but like I said there were still some things that needed ironing out. Things that I hadn’t been ready to address until now.
“We’ll stop here.” I alighted and walked over to help her off her
horse. I took her down slowly, her front rubbing against mine our eyes connected. I felt that jolt to my system; the gut wrenching lust that only this one woman in the whole world invoked in me. We walked beneath the tree and I sat with my back to the tree drawing her down between my thighs. She rested back with her head on my shoulder and my arm around her shoulder.
I didn’t speak for a long time, just enjoyed the feeling of her in my arms, the way we used to be. This was our spot, our place. We’ve spent many a day under this tree making memories.
“Are you comfortable?”
“Yes, very.” She snuggled closer.
“Why did you leave me?” I got right to it, there was no need to beat around the bush after all; she knew what this trip was about.
She took a quick intake of breath and looked up at me with wide frightened eyes. I guess there was still a lot of bite to my words.
“I didn’t leave you Gabe, not really. I was just scared…”
“Scared of what? What is it that you’re afraid of?”
“That you stopped loving me.” Her voice had gone soft and her shoulders hunched. I lifted her chin so that I could look into her eyes.
“Why would you think that Nadia?”
“Because she said that you two were in love, that you wanted to be together. I know you’re disappointed about the baby…”
“Who is this she?”
“I’m not sure but I’ve been thinking it might’ve be Sabrina. She was so convincing on the phone and it hurt to hear her say the things she said. I just wanted to get away from it all for a while. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I was just so mad at you for wanting her and not me.”
“Stop. So this person calls you and you just accepted her word that I was cheating on you. And even after I told you that there was no truth to it you still took her word over mine. Do you not see what’s wrong with that? How insulting that is to me? We’re married you’re my wife. I swore to protect you but you never gave me that chance, you just ran. That’s not how marriage is supposed to work. If there’s no trust then we really have nothing do we? You can’t have love without trust and I refuse to live my life like that.”
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