What the Heart Desires

by Victoria Rose

  “Some peace and quiet finally!” He sighed and slipped out of his jacket. He tossed the jacket on the nearest chair. “I hope you don’t mind that I pull you away from the party.”

  “I guess it will be okay for a few minutes,” she told him in an uncertain voice.

  “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great party, but after the day I’ve had; flying back

  and forth between two states for business, I can do with a bit of down time.”

  He went straight to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. He slid opened a window after. “Now that’s better.” He grabbed two glasses and pour

  whiskey into them, filling his to the rim. He handed her one of the glasses.

  “I think I’ve had enough to drink, thank you.”

  “Oh, come on. It’s good whiskey. Keane doesn’t have anything but the good

  stuff.”

  “I will pass. Thanks.”

  He downed the whiskey he was offering her in one swig. “So, you aren’t much

  of a drinker, huh.”

  “Not, I guess not.”

  “I’m sure I can find a good bottle of wine around here if you prefer that.”

  He went back to the liquor cabinet and moved a few bottles around.

  “No, I’m good,” she told him quickly. “I think the glass I had with dinner is enough. I don’t want to over do it.”

  Jerry turned back and gave her a startled look. “Are you for real!” He chuckled loudly. “This is a party. It’s against the rule not to drink and have a good time! You just can’t have a glass of wine and call it a day! What’s the fun in that?”

  He took a large wine glass and filled it up with whisky.

  She gave him a nervous look. “I must be getting back. I’m sure Keane has

  noticed that I’m not there. He’s probably wondering where I rushed off to.”

  “What’s the hurry! I doubt he saw you leave, not with the way he was carrying on with his ex Margo.”

  The color rushed to her face. So he had seen it too! She was right—Keane and Margo-the-B did have a history together, but she wasn’t going to ask Jerry-the-even-bigger-jerk about it.

  “All more reason for me to hurry back to him!” She managed an uneasy

  smile.

  Jerry took another quick drink and rushed over to her.

  “No, please, don’t go! I’m just getting to know you. Is it the drinking?” He

  eyed the glass in his hand. “I wouldn’t have another drop, if it will make you

  stay. I’m not much of in a party mood, but you are good company.”

  Becca glanced at him.

  “Okay, I’ll stay for a few more minutes, then I have to go.” Her eyes went to the large antique clock on the wall.

  “Thank you. I prefer staying here with you than going back there. You know it’s strange; I have known all of the people out there for what seems like forever, but I feel completely disconnected from all of them. We don’t seem to have a lot in common anymore.”

  “I guess people grow apart sometimes.” Her eyes went back to the clock again.

  She wished she had told Keane where she was going. But Jerry had whisked her away so suddenly that she doubted Keane saw when she left the room.

  “I can see why Keane is crazy about you.” The glass of whisky was back in Jerry’s hand. So much for the promise he had made to her! “You are very beautiful. He’s a very lucky man!”

  She felt Jerry’s eyes on her body, and the loathsome look on his face told her

  exactly what he was thinking. She took a few steps back away from him. He was bad news!

  “I must ask; are your breasts real? They are so large, and you are so slim—they

  must be implants, right. Did Keane pay for them? Everything on you is so well

  proportioned.” Jerry eyes went over her entire body once again, and it sent a

  shiver down her spine.

  Wow! He was such a pig!

  “I must be getting back.” She took a step closer to the door.

  “No one can have such a hot body without paying for it!” His eyes went over

  her again. “Apart from your breasts, what else did you have done; your buttocks? You know you may have a slight resemblance to Larissa, but that’s where it ends. You are far more beautiful and desirable than she ever was. You are hot, baby!”

  “I will see you back at the party, Jerry.” She tried to get around him.

  He didn’t seem to hear her. He made an attempt to squeeze her breasts,

  and Becca swatted his hands away from her.

  “Don’t you dare touch me!” She hissed at him.

  He appeared annoyed. “Come on, baby, just one small squeeze. Let me see if

  they are real!”

  “Touch me again, and you will regret it!”

  She lashed out at him as he made another grab for her.

  She turned around quickly and headed for the door.

  “Oh, come on, baby, don’t be angry.” Jerry swayed towards her.

  “It was a huge mistake to come here with you, Jerry.” She turned around to open the door.

  “Not so fast!” He rushed to the door and slammed it shut before she could get out. “You aren’t going anywhere! Just remember you came here of your own free will! I didn’t hold a gun to your head or dragged you in here with me. You wanted this, so stop playing little-miss-hard-to-get! I know it’s a game with girls like you.”

  “Get out of my way, Jerry!” she told him in angry voice.

  She ducked to get around him.

  “Like I said, darling; you aren’t going anywhere! We are going to have our own little party in here, just you and me, just the way we intended.”

  Jerry reached for her arm and pulled her roughly to him.

  He lowered his head to kiss her, and she struck him on the head.

  “Stop it! Let go of me!” She raised her hand again and slapped him across his face this time.

  The blow to his face must have hurt because he let go of her arm. He was still blocking the door with his body. She waited for him to move. She couldn’t get out with him standing there. He glared at her and rubbed the side of his face where she had hit him.

  “I knew you were one hot tamale the moment I walked in the door and saw you standing there with Keane. I knew there has to be something about you that has him all hot and bothered about you. You certainly had him forgetting about Larissa in no time. You sure were a good remedy for his broken heart. Now it’s my turn.”

  She raised her hand to slap him.

  “You don’t want to do that.” He gave her a fierce, threatening look. “Not with the situation you are in right now! And in case you didn’t know, Larissa was mine before Keane moved in and snatched her right away from me. She was the first woman I ever loved. Now I’m going to do the same thing to him. I want him to feel what it felt like when you lose someone you really loved to someone else.”

  Jerry swept her up in his arms, and stumbled over to the couch with her.

  She screamed. She kicked out her feet hoping he would drop her, and flailed

  her arms, trying to hit him in the face again.

  He laughed at her. “Save your strength for later, darling. You are going to need

  it.”

  “Keane will get you for this if you ever touch me.” She warned him.

  Jerry’s laughter echoed in her face. “And how is he going to do that! He’s not even here. He couldn’t save Larissa, and he sure as hell can’t do it for you now!”

  “He will kill you if you lay a finger on me, Jerry—I swear!”

  Jerry paused for a second to look at her. “I will like to see him try!”

  He dropped her down on the couch roughly, and got down quickly with her.

  She knew he was drunk, but that didn’t give him an excuse for what he was about to do to her. She decided to plead with him one last time.

  “I wouldn’t say a word to anyone, not even to Keane if you let me
up. I will keep this between us, Jerry, I promise, I will.” She looked Jerry straight in the eye. “You said I looked a lot like Larissa; would you have done something this awful to her? You just told me you were in love with her.”

  He stopped struggling with his belt long enough to look at her. “No, I wouldn’t—and you know why?” He leaned in closer. “Because you aren’t her!”

  He tried to hike up her dress, and she sunk her teeth into his arm, and bit down as hard as she could! He yelled and sat back, and she rolled out from under him.

  She made a quick dash for the door again, with Jerry close behind her.

  He grabbed an end of her dress and pulled her back in. He tossed her back onto the couch and climbed on top of her, pinning her under him

  And she fought as hard as she could to get away from him.

  “No! Get off me! Stop! You are hurting me!” She screamed loudly, again and again.

  Jerry looked at her and laughed. “We haven’t even started yet, baby!” He let out one of the most vulgar, and sinister laughs she had ever heard, and pushed her off the couch, down onto the floor.

  She screamed at the top of her lungs again, hoping that someone would hear her above the loud music. She waited with bated breath, praying that Keane would get to her before this monster violated her.

  She would die if Jerry got his way with her. She kept her head at the side and her eyes shut, as she fought. She didn’t want to see the look on Jerry’s vile face when he did this. She didn’t want to remember anything about him.

  “You bastard! You are lucky I didn’t bring my gun!”

  She opened her eyes to find Jerry sprawled on the floor and Keane on top of him. There was blood everywhere. She had been screaming so hard that she hadn’t heard when Keane rushed into the room, or when he pulled Jerry off her.

  It appeared a couple fists to the jaw had rendered Jerry completely

  unconscious. He was lying there, sprawled out, with not a sound, or movement

  coming from him.

  She got up and rushed over to where they were. Keane had Jerry up by the collar, and he was still hitting him.

  “No,” she pleaded with Keane. She held onto his arm and tried to pull him back. “Don’t! He’s not worth it!”

  Keane paused long enough to give her a blank stare. He appeared to be

  completely out of it. But he snapped out of his rage long enough to know what

  she was saying to him.

  He gave Jerry one last loathsome look, and his left fist connected to Jerry’s bloodied face once more, before he shoved Jerry back onto the floor.

  He stood up and looked at her.

  “Are you alright?” He appeared to be more shaken than she was. He pulled her to him and held onto her tightly, squeezing her shoulders, stroking her hair. “He didn’t…”

  He couldn’t say the words.

  “No. He didn’t get that far,” she told him in relieved voice. “You got here just in time. Thank God! How did you know where to find me?”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

  “I realized you were gone, and Jerry was the last person I had seen you with. I immediately check the security footage on my phone and saw where he had taken you. I knew he couldn’t have been up to anything good, taking you away from the party and into that room. God!” He squeezed her close. “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if he had touched you in that way!”

  He cast Jerry another hateful look. “I should have known that he would try something as despicable as this. I saw the way he was acting. I saw the way he was looking at you. I heard the things he said. Those things alone should have told me that he was up to no good. I should have kept you away from him. The bastard!”

  He cradled Becca’s head with one of his hand. “I should have protected you from him. He’s a scumbag, always has been—always will be! I only invited him here because I was trying to be gracious. And look at what he almost did to you!”

  “It’s not your fault,” she told him in a soft voice. “I shouldn’t have left the

  party and came here with him, not after what he insinuated about us at dinner. I guess he saw me being in this room with him as some sort of invitation.”

  “It’s my house!” Keane sounded angrier than ever. “You should be able to go

  anywhere you want without having to worry about something like this happening to you. I should have finished him off. God, I should have! I should have ended his life right there! It would have been justified! He would never have been able to try something this vile with another woman.”

  She touched Keane’s arm. “He’s not worth it. You don’t want someone as

  pathetic as Jerry on your conscience. You deserve better, Keane. People like Jerry always get what’s coming to them one way or the other.”

  Keane was enraged. “Not soon enough! He has no right to put his hand on you

  or on any other woman for that matter in that way. I knew what people were

  saying about him. I should have listened!” He slipped off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

  “Don’t blame yourself for him. I’m sure that after tonight he will think twice

  about doing something like this again.”

  “I doubt it! It will take much more than a few punches to the face for someone

  like Jerry to learn! Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked her again.

  His hand went up to touch her face.

  “I’m fine.” She gave him a weak smile. “Let’s just get out of here.”

  “I will meet you outside.”

  She gave him an alarmed look. “What are you going to do?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hit him again. I just want to make sure he

  gets off my property, and he’s in no condition to drive. Security will be here

  shortly. I want to make sure he goes with them.”

  She was shaking when Keane came to get her about ten minutes after.

  “You are trembling.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “Are you

  sure you are alright? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  Becca looked at him and burst into tears. “No. I’m fine, but I ruined your

  party,” she told him between sobs. “Everything is my fault!”

  Keane wrapped his hands around her shoulders. “Oh, darling, you didn’t do

  anything wrong. The important thing is that you are okay. Jerry is the one who

  created this whole mess. I shouldn’t have left you with him, not for one second! I should have protected you from him!”

  He wiped her tears away.

  Her eyes caught the bruises on his knuckles and she let out a horrified gasp.

  She took his hand to her lips and kissed the red marks. “You are hurt,” she told him.

  She was concerned.

  “It’s nothing! They are superficial.” He scoffed at his bloodied knuckles. “They will go away in a few days.”

  “It must hurt. You should get some ice on it.” She held on to his hand gently.

  “What I should be doing is getting you upstairs and into bed.” He swept her up

  in his arms.

  “But the party,” she protested. “Your guests; aren’t we going back to them?”

  “Not tonight. They will understand.”

  “But you just can’t leave your friends like that.”

  “For you, I can, and I will.”

  “They will think that I have something to do with you abandoning them.”

  “I will go and say goodnight to them after I bring you upstairs, but only

  because you want me to. Friends are easy to get, but you, honey, are completely

  irreplaceable. I only get one chance at loving you.” He kissed her on the cheek.

  “And I don’t want to screw it up.”

  “What will you tell them about Jerry?”

  “That he is a jerk!”

  “Oh, honey!”
/>
  “I wouldn’t be saying anything that they don’t know about him already.”

  He leaned in and kissed her again. “I will be back in five.”

  She popped her head up on the pillows and watched him go. Then she waited until she heard him going down the stairs before hopping out of bed.

  She went into the bathroom and ran a hot bubble bath.

  The evening didn’t turn out quite the way she’d hoped, and she wasn’t going to beat herself up about it.

  What was done was done!

  She took off the dress and tossed it on the armchair in the corner. It was such a pretty dress, she thought. She knew Keane had put a lot of thought when he’d selected it for her, but after tonight, she was certain that she wouldn’t be able to wear it again without remembering Jerry.

  She would make a few calls and donate it to charity. She was sure that they

  wouldn’t mind driving up to the ranch to pick it up, and auctioning it off for a good cause.

  She went back into the bathroom and slipped into the tub.

  It was where Keane found her when he came back upstairs looking for her.

  “Now that’s a splendid idea! Mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all. Hop in!”

  “Give me a second.”

  He went back into the bedroom and reappeared soon after.

  He climbed in and wrapped his hands around her. She put her head back against his chest, and took a very long breath. She finally felt safe again.

  They remained that way for a while, listening to the classical Christmas carols that were playing on the surround sound system.

  “I thought of getting a bottle of wine, but I think that’s enough alcohol for

  one night,” Keane finally told her.

  He was probably thinking about the debacle with Jerry.

  “I have to agree.” She rested her chin on the small of his arm. “Let’s just relax

  and enjoy each other’s company. We both need this.” She caressed his arm. “Did

  everyone leave?” she asked him.

  “Yes.”

  “Even Margo?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, even her. They decided to call it a night.”

  “What did you tell them? I’m curious to know.”

  “That you came down with a rather nasty headache and needed to rest.”