A Dark Beginning: A China Dark Novel

by Paula Hawkes

  The decision was easier than she would have liked it to be. With a firm resolve she stood and started to walk towards the pub where Mark worked. Her stride was purposeful and she didn’t notice the people she nearly barged out of the way as she made a direct line for the Dog and Duck. As she walked she felt a wave of relief. Now she had decided she was going to fuck Mark, (in her opinion that was exactly the right word), she felt as if a great weight had been lifted. This would sort out her silly schoolgirl crush, she thought. Once she had fucked Mark she would probably forget about him, resign this episode to the back of her mind, a pleasurable secret memory just for her to revisit occasionally to bring a smile to her face when it was needed. She also began to feel the cold pebble in her stomach expand the closer she got to the pub as her nervous anticipation grew. Her body was already humming with the frightening possibility of an imminent sexual encounter.

  “He might not even be working today,” she told herself, ignoring the strange looks she got from people as she spoke the words out loud.

  When she got to the Dog and Duck she hesitated outside. A moment of self-doubt was swiftly discarded and she pushed through the big double doors and walked in. The stark contrast of the rich, dark interior to the hazy sunlight outside meant that her eyes took a few moments to adjust before she realized that Mark wasn’t behind the bar. A large man stood there instead, his meaty, tattooed arms resting on the stained mahogany bar. He was the most intimidating man China had ever seen in real life. He looked like one of those gangster bosses in the movies, with eyes that were dark and seemed to penetrate right through you. He was also huge, with muscles straining visibly against the shirt he was wearing, a thick neck that held his balding, and closely shaved head strongly above his bowling ball shoulders.

  He smiled at China and his face lit up, miraculously transforming the serious gangster mien into a kindly uncle look. “Hi China.”

  He knew her name, which threw her. She opened her mouth to ask him how he knew but stayed silent.

  “Would you like a drink? It’s what we’re here for.” His gentle laughter was reassuring, so China walked up to the bar, “A vodka and slimline please.”

  “Why would you need a slimline?” he asked, eyes flicking up and down her body. Somehow it didn’t feel inappropriate, which surprised China. Some people could get away with comments like that, whereas others saying exactly the same thing just couldn’t. It was all in the tone of voice she suspected, and his tone was teasing but non-threatening.

  “I prefer the taste,” she lied. “Would you like a drink?” China had always seen Philip asking every barman the same question. It always got him served quicker the next time, he confided to her on their first date.

  “No thank you darling. I don’t drink.”

  China’s eyes widened at the thought of a teetotal landlord.

  “I used to be an alcoholic,” he announced proudly. China could only imagine the strength of will it took for an alcoholic to run a pub, to be constantly near to so much alcohol.

  “This can’t be easy,” she said nodding toward the optics and beer pumps.

  “Maybe not, but running a pub is the best way to deal with it. When you see as many pathetic drunks as I do almost every day, it makes it so much easier to avoid this,” he said as he placed her drink on the bar in front of her, his eyes twinkling with the implied scold.

  China smiled back at him. She liked him. He was the stereotypical gentle giant.

  “Mark’s just downstairs changing a barrel. He’ll be pleased to see you. He’s been moping around like a lost puppy for the last few days. I’m Jim by the way.” He smiled kindly at China and the walked over to serve another customer who had just entered the pub. She told herself that she would have to talk to Mark about how the pub landlord knew her name, but maybe that should wait until after what she had came here for. She didn’t want to spoil the moment by nagging him over his indiscretion. And she was secretly rather pleased that he had been ‘moping around’ in her absence. She liked her absence having that effect on men.

  Looking around China could see half a dozen people were scattered through the room at this early hour. A few sat in pairs, but some were alone, nursing drinks which, from the look of their slack faces, didn’t look like their first.

  She sipped her vodka and tonic, pleased with how it tasted. She wasn’t used to drinking at lunchtime and the sensation added to the sense of the occasion. She became aware of a presence beside her, more from the sweaty aroma of body odour than any sixth sense.

  “Nice to see you again,” he said. She turned to face Mark’s landlord. He also looked like he had been drinking already, but he had only just entered the pub otherwise she would have noticed him before. His speech was slightly slurred and she noticed spittle on his chin. He was breathing heavily and whilst it wouldn’t have surprised China if this was a pervert’s panting she suspected it was more to do with heaving his fat body around. He was about the same height as China and although he was in an advanced stage of baldness he had dragged his long greasy halo of hair back into a ponytail that was held in place with a bright green rubber band.

  “I’m waiting for Mark,” she said, emphasising her reason for being here. A reason that did not include being chatted up by him. She didn’t like the way his eyes roved her body. In complete contrast to the brief involuntary and complimentary glance that Jim had just made, Tony’s eyes lingered just too long on parts of her that she didn’t want him looking at.

  “Yeah, Mark,” he said, leering. “He’s a good guy. I like having him as a tenant. No trouble at all. And with added benefits.” The knowing look he gave China left her in little doubt what those benefits were. She suspected that Tony rather enjoyed the succession of attractive young ladies that would obviously accompany the handsome Australian photographer. She managed to suppress a shudder at the thought of Tony vicariously deriving pleasure from Mark’s life, and even more so that she was now a part of that unwanted attention.

  Jim came back over and China could easily see the distaste in his eyes as he placed a pint of beer in front of Tony.

  “Thanks matey,” Tony said, looking at Jim as if he was one of his best friends. Jim smiled back but the smile never reached his eyes. China would not want to be on the receiving end of that look, but Tony seemed completely oblivious as he placed his money in Jim’s huge, calloused hand. Beside that giant paw Tony’s hand looked tiny, like a child’s, pink and a noticeably damp. Even his hands sweat, she thought. She turned back to face the bar, hoping Tony would go and sit somewhere else, but to her dismay he perched his ample frame on a stool next to her and tried to engage in conversation.

  “Not seen you in here before,” he said. “Where’s Mark?”

  “Downstairs apparently.”

  “Tut, tut,” he said, a little spit flying with each hard consonant. “He shouldn’t be leaving a beautiful bird alone without a cage. She might fly. Or a cat might get her.”

  What a strange thing to say, she thought, and she couldn’t help the puzzlement appearing in her face.

  “What do you mean?” she asked. It wasn’t in her nature to be hostile, but her nature was being sorely tested by this grease ball of a man.

  “Nothing,” he said laughing. “Ignore me. I don’t get out much.”

  Just then Mark emerged from a door behind the bar. He first noticed Tony and looked distinctly unhappy to see him sitting there, but when his gaze landed upon China his smile came alive and his eyes danced.

  He walked quickly over to her and placed his hand on hers. She sparked at his touch. “It’s great to see you.”

  “I was wondering where you’d been. I haven’t seen you for days.”

  “You looked like you might want some time to yourself the last time we were together,” he said. He almost stalled on that last word, as if trying to work out whether or not it was the right word.

  “It was all just a bit weird,” she said. “I thought I might have done something wrong.”

&nb
sp; “Oh no. Not at all. You were…. perfect.”

  “Good,” she said, relieved. She had been worried that having not got exactly what he wanted, Mark might have decided to move onto new challenges. Instead this was all going rather well.

  “So,” a slurry voice intruded. “What are you two lovebirds up to today? Some more photography maybe?”

  China froze. Had Mark told Tony about his conquest, about him managing to get her clothes off? Mark obviously noticed her distress and patted her hand reassuringly, giving her a look that spoke of confidence and secrets kept. He looked over at his boss, who nodded slightly.

  “We’re just off out,” Mark said. China took the hint and quickly finished her drink, the fire of vodka tracing a pleasantly burning path down her throat.

  Tony looked disappointed but nodded knowingly. “Enjoy yourselves. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” China suspected there was very little that Tony would not do and shuddered, this time visibly.

  When they stood outside the pub they both burst into laughter.

  “He is creeeepy,” China said through the tears.

  “He is a bit. He’s sort of ok as a landlord, but he’s no George Clooney.”

  This made China laugh even harder until she could barely breathe. “Stop it, “ she said. “I actually thought he might be flirting with me before you came up.”

  “He probably was. He seems to be totally unaware that he is not particularly attractive to the opposite sex, either physically or intellectually. He never stops trying though.”

  “Oh dear. Poor man.” She was almost starting to feel sorry for him. The laughter started to abate.

  “Seriously, I think he’s lonely. But let’s not dwell on him. Where do you want to go?” He was still holding her hand, which felt nice. Really nice.

  “To your flat,” she said boldly, enjoying the look of shock in his eyes. “We have some unfinished business. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  His answer was to start pulling her fast in the direction of his flat unable to hide a huge, boyish grin.

  When they arrived at the flat they ran up the stairs and she looked frantically around. “Where’s the bedroom?” she asked. He wasn’t going to have to drag her into the bedroom. In fact, if she had known which door led to the bedroom she would have led the way herself. They stood breathless in the doorway for a few seconds before China grabbed Mark by the back of the neck and pulled him into the first hard kiss. Their mouths mashed together, lips squashed and tongues battling in a messy but electrifying kiss. That first blissful kiss seemed over in a flash. China wanted it to go on forever, always the first kiss, always the magic. She looked into his dancing eyes again and saw a viridian intensity that exceeded possibility.

  Her first kiss with Mark had sent a wave of sensations through her body and mind. This was the first time she had kissed anyone other than Philip since they had married. Unless she counted the drunken, numbed, and instantly regretted mistletoe encounter she had had with Oliver, the hunk from the post room, at a Christmas party some years back. She briefly wondered if that momentary lapse of judgement was in fact the harbinger of things to come, her repressed desire to stray briefly breaking the otherwise prim and proper surface. Maybe one man was never going to be enough for her. That drunken kiss wasn’t in the same league as this though and now she felt gloriously alive.

  The next kiss with Mark was gentler. They came together in hesitating, delicious slow motion, lips barely touching at first, both relishing the tickly sensation of restrained contact. Their lips brushed lightly and parted, dipped and touched. China flicked out the tip of her tongue to tease Mark’s upper lip, and he reciprocated. A twitch of a smile and the kiss felt different again. Noses touched and then moved aside to accommodate another melding of mouths in a languid mutual massage of passion. China shut her eyes and felt the warmth of contact blossom across her flesh. Their bodies were pressed together, his bending over her in a protective embrace. She could feel the immense strength in him, a wonderful, stimulating solidity. Yielding stone. She thrilled at the fact that she was going to use him to satisfy her primitive needs. There was something exhilarating about the thought of sex without love with this magnificent man. Is this how men felt when they had affairs, she wondered. If so, she could understand why it was so potent and addictive and men became serial cheaters. The feeling was intoxicatingly terrifying and wonderful at the same time.

  They broke reluctantly away from the second kiss to look for a moment into each others eyes, then dipped back for further contact multiple times before moving apart to look into each other’s faces again.

  China reached forward and grasped Mark’s t-shirt, tugging bit upwards. “I want to see you naked,” she said. “You’ve already seen me.”

  “Not naked I haven’t,” he said. “Well, not completely anyway.”

  She laughed. “Patience. You first.”

  He helped her pull the t-shirt off over his head. She admired his body. He was an Adonis. His muscles were large but perfectly proportioned, and the lack of body fat meant he was beautifully ripped. His six-pack was even and there was a tracery of dark hair in a perfect cross on his chest and stomach. China reached tentatively out and stroked her slender fingers across his chest, hesitating at his nipples, then moving down the rock-hard ridges of his stomach. When her hand reached the top of his jeans, her fingers hooked into the waist and tugged slightly. The jeans slipped down and snagged on his hip. China undid the button on his jeans, and pulled the zipper down partly. As she did this her mind thrilled to the fact that the back of her hands brushed against a hot hardness and it twitched in response against the stretched fabric of his underwear.

  Once the button and zipper were undone, his jeans fell to the floor in a heap. His legs were as tightly muscled as his torso, China noticed. “Come on. Everything,” she said. She loved giving him instructions, the sensation of power.

  Totally unselfconsciously Mark pulled down his underpants and stepped out of his clothes. He stood there completely naked before her, arms relaxed at his side, a Greek statue, supremely confident. Her eyes lingered on every inch of his body. Even his proudly erect cock was beautiful. She had never thought of cocks as beautiful before, considering them ugly but useful appendages, but his was stunning. It arced away from his balls, reaching up to his belly button. He was circumcised, so the veined contours looked like a sculpted dildo she had seen once on the Internet. The image of a perfect cock. More than anything else in the world at this moment she wanted him inside her, though there was a very real fear that he would hurt her. It was so much larger than Philip’s. She knew enough about her own physiology to realize that she would stretch to accommodate, but that didn’t stop her worrying about the associated pain with such stretching. And that thought of pain also excited her. The phrase, no pleasure without pain, had never seemed so appropriate.

  “Now your turn. When you’ve quite finished ogling me.”

  “When I’m good and ready, slave,” she said. “You just wait while I try and decide if you’ll do.” A wicked smile crossed her face as she continued to admire his body. The feeling of power, as she stood fully clothed in front of this naked god, was intoxicating. He was hers, to do with as she wished. She knew that she could get him to do anything she desired, with just a word. She had never felt so alive, so in control, so sexual.

  After taking a few more moments to devour his hard body with her hungry gaze, she slowly reached behind to unzip her skirt. When that fell to the floor, she took off her jacket and unbuttoned her blouse. Her eyes never left his while she undressed. She could see that he was watching her hands closely, relishing every new reveal of flesh that resulted. When she was standing there in just her knickers and bra she hesitated, teasing him. He looked at her pleading.

  “You’ve seen these before though,” she said as her hands cupped her bra.

  He whimpered which made her laugh. She’d never actually heard a man whimper like a puppy before. The fact that she could make a man do
this with just a few words and her body boosted her confidence as much as it amused her. She reached behind, quickly undoing her bra and letting it fall off her shoulders to join the other discarded clothes. She smiled approvingly as she noticed his cock twitch and grow a little longer and harder, even though she would not have believed that physically possible. She was now down to just her knickers. She couldn’t remember the last time she had taken her knickers off for any man other than Philip and this thought made her pause again. She knew Mark would think she was teasing him some more, and he smiled patiently, staring intently at the remaining underwear. She nodded as her mind was made up and she pushed the lacy knickers slowly down her thighs, over her knees and calves. Now she was naked too, and a cool breeze from the open window made goose bumps rise on her skin. Mark was mesmerized, he couldn’t take his ravenous eyes off her pussy.

  “You really are perfect,” he said. She was glad that she kept the hair on a certain part of her body neatly trimmed.

  Neither of them wanted to break the spell at first. Both were enjoying the sheer pleasure of the sight of the other’s naked body. But China was here for a purpose so she took charge.

  “Get on the bed,” she whispered. He obeyed without a word, laying flat in the middle of the neatly made bed. His erection stood proud of his body. China walked over next to the bed and traced her left hand up Mark’s leg, along his muscular thigh, past his hip, (at this point Mark gasped, the proximity of her hand to his hardness almost impossible to bear), up his torso and onto his chest. Leaning her weight on his ribcage, she straddled him, planting her damp pussy on his stomach. She could feel the ridged hardness of his stomach, and the small rough hairs, on her sensitive, exposed flesh. She shuffled back until she could feel the hard tip of him pressing against the upper part of her buttocks. He gasped at the contact and she stopped moving, afraid he would come too soon. The very fact that she actually considered this a strong possibility was another moment of triumph. Premature ejaculation may not be particularly desirable but it was certainly proof of her irresistible allure.