by Fawn Bailey
She got pregnant fast. If it had taken longer, the whole process would have destroyed them. But this way, it felt like turning over a new leaf - a new beginning as a family. He was ecstatic. She found her calling. And together, they embarked upon a new journey.
The man threw himself into his work, a business that was just starting out at the time. Something he'd gotten in with his best friend. He was desperate to prove himself not only for his own sake but also the girl's. He wanted everyone to know he was mature enough to take care of her. Yet everything seemed to backfire. The more time he spent on his new company, the more anxious his woman grew.
She wanted more attention, but nothing seemed enough. She became more and more restless, and very resentful. She started accusing him of things. Of cheating. Of lying. Of being with other women. It spoke more of her own insecurities than anything else, but it impacted the man negatively, and he spent less and less time with her. Until one day when their world together collapsed.
Tired of being alone, she told him a fatal lie that would ruin their future together.
She told him their baby wasn't his. That it was in fact his best friend's, a man he had known for years and respected and looked up to. The man was furious.
That night, the man killed his first victim. As he looked as his best friend's body, lying in a pool of blood, he became the beast they had all painted them to be.
When his woman found out about the death, she knew exactly what had happened. Lost and confused, she went into shock.
They lost their baby a couple of nights after. Their baby boy was stillborn, and the operation to save his mother's life meant that she would never be able to have children again.
It broke them. They tried to keep going. Tried to keep pretending. But their relationship was over.
Still, guilt tied them together like thick invisible rope. There was no way to break free of their binds. There was no way to escape one another. They knew the biggest punishment for both of them was enduring this together. Punishing each other for what they'd done.
They stopped sleeping together. For a while, they punished each other by fucking other people, but nothing hurt as much as seeing each other fall apart before one another's lives.
He moved on. Slowly, steadily.
She didn't.
She grew resentful, dependent, and more beautiful than ever. She was the envy of every woman, and he was the envy of every man who saw them. None of them knew what they were going through. None of them knew they'd destroyed one another.
And none of them knew that the man would once recover, but the woman would stay captive to her own bitterness until the end of time.
Once I was done, Rose was in my arms, her body shaking with held-back emotion. I felt the rigidness of my own body, the shame heavy in every limb as I touched my fingers to her chin and made her look at me. My next question would decide everything. It would show me if she accepted me despite being the monster I fucking was.
"Rose," I said softly. "Do you forgive me?"
Eleven
Rose
I stared at him with my eyes wide and filled with tears, not knowing what to say.
There were no words to make it all better, nothing I could have said to make him forget the hardships he'd gone through. I wanted desperately to convince him things would be okay, but the tragedy he'd spoken about was something I had never dealt with. My biggest heartbreak was losing Mummy, but I couldn't imagine losing a child and a relationship in one fell swoop.
"I'm so sorry," I finally managed to get out, feeling stupid and awkward all at once and struggling to convey how much I felt for him, how tragic this news was. "I wish I knew how to make things better."
"You do," he said, his voice softer than I'd possibly ever heard it. "You make it better every day, my Rose. You make it more bearable. You make me believe in a silly thing like love again."
My eyes lit up as he took my face in his fingers and left a long, lingering kiss on my waiting lips. I wanted him so badly. I wanted to submit to him fully, let him have all of me. And I wanted desperately to spend the rest of the day with him, only us and our love story, not memories of something bitter and cruel.
As if he was reading my mind, Thorn got off the bed and turned to face me, saying, "I thought we'd spend the afternoon together. I've asked the kitchen to pack lunch for us."
"Where are we going?" I asked, unable to hide the smile that had made its way on my face.
"I'm taking you to the beach," he said simply.
I had wanted to go to the beach since the moment I first saw it through my window. Now, the time had finally come, and I found myself nervous and excited not only at the prospect of leaving the Mansion again, but also because I was excited to spend the day with Thorn.
One of the silent maids gave us a large picnic basket, and Thorn carried it with him as we made our way down to the shore. There was a path amidst the shrubs, one that Thorn had told me only he was allowed to use. He showed me how to look for it, how to find the hidden trail that led from the cliffs down to the beautiful, seemingly untouched coast.
When we reached the bottom of the hill, my toes buried themselves in the soft sand and I exhaled a soft sigh of happiness.
"I can't swim," I told Thorn as he led me forward. "I never learned."
"No?" he asked, seemingly surprised.
It made my cheeks color and I felt embarrassed for having admitted it.
"I'll teach you," he promised me.
I helped him get a huge blanket out of the basket and we set up a place on the sand with towels. It wasn't too hot just yet, but the day was pleasant and sunny, the sun high in the air. I was so excited to spend the day with him, and there was nowhere I'd rather have done it than on the beach.
"I don't have a swimsuit," I realized later on, but Thorn merely laughed at my words.
"As if I'd let you wear one, little Rose," he grinned devilishly, making me smile wide as well. "I want your naked body against mine in the water."
He led me into the small waves lapping at the shore, his fingers firmly holding onto my hand. He held me in a reassuring way that told me everything would be alright, even though I was freaking out a little at the prospect of being in the water. I'd been in swimming pools before, of course, but I'd somehow managed to avoid the swimming lessons at school because I was genuinely terrified of it.
Now, as the water reached up to my hips, my bottom lip trembled and I turned towards Thorn with an exasperated expression on my face.
"I... I don't know if I can do this," I admitted shakily.
He stepped to me, water splashing around us as he took my face in his hands and kissed me yet again. One of his signature deep kisses that convinced me everything would be alright.
"Let's begin," he said gently, and he placed his hands at the small of my back, gently lowering me into the water.
Panic kicked in. Inevitable, frightened panic made me kick at the waves, splash Thorn and struggle in his arms.
"It's okay," he said gently, water dripping off his hair. "We'll take things slow. Really fucking slow, Rose. Just feel the water on your skin. Let yourself float. I've got you."
For some reason I believed him, and I did as he asked, slowly floating on the salty water. The sun hung high and heavy in the sky, and the water was pleasantly warm. It felt incredible to be one with nature, my naked body glistening with drops of water just like Thorn's was. Underneath me, I could feel the rigid thickness of him probing against my hips, and I could tell he was aroused. But he was patient with me, never asking for a thing as he held me in the water.
I floated for what felt like hours, my hair fanning out in the water like silk. Thorn helped me up moments later and pressed me close to his chest. I could feel his heart beating, and my tongue slid out between my lips, licking the salt on his chest.
"See?" he asked me gently. "You're already getting more used to this. Now let's try to teach you how to swim."
We stayed in the water for hours.
Until I was upset, on the verge of tears, and annoyed as hell. And he still wouldn't let me leave. He was patient but very determined, and he made me keep trying until I was at the end of my rope, convinced I would just never learn. Then, he took my hand and helped me to the sandy shore, wrapping me in a towel while I sulkily looked away.
He fed me lunch, fruit salad and delicious sandwiches with cold lemonade. Slowly, my mood improved and I started to feel more and more like a brat.
"Do you think I'll ever learn?" I asked Thorn, and he gave me a long look. "I don't think I will. I think it's too late to even try."
"It's not," he said simply. "You will learn, but only if you truly want to."
His words resonated with me and he could tell. He grinned wide before speaking again.
"I think you're resisting me, little Rose. Is there any reason for that?"
I swallowed the lump of sandwich in my mouth, my throat going dry. I swung back a bottle of lemonade and looked at Thorn guiltily, feeling like an insolent child.
"My father," I finally spoke up, minutes after his question when I almost thought he'd forgotten he'd asked me anything. "He tried to teach me how to swim."
"And it didn't work out?" Thorn asked, his voice gentle.
"No," I said miserably. "He pushed me into a deep pool. I almost drowned. The next time he tried, he was drunk. He held my head under the water for ages."
I watched Thorn's fists turn white from how much he was tensing his knuckles. It wasn't something I spoke about often - if at all possible, I preferred to avoid the topic of my father all together. But he'd always had outdated ideas on how to parent me, and after Mummy died, things only got worse. He wasn't very kind, and he was never patient. So unlike Thorn I felt guilty for even comparing the two of them in my head.
"I know you wouldn't do that," I explained hurriedly. "But I guess... a part of me is still afraid."
He held me close then, and we lay in the sun, stretched out lazily until our food went down.
It was closer to evening than I thought when I opened my eyes again, the sun lower in the sky but not dangerously so.
"Come on," Thorn said, standing above me and blocking the light. "One last try."
I got up even though I didn't want to, and followed him into the water again. The sea was a brilliant azure color, and the beauty of the beach struck me. I wanted to learn, I realized with a start. I wanted to know how to make the water carry me.
I listened closely this time around when Thorn was explaining. I nodded and shook my head and tried really really hard to do what he said. And finally, after ages of trying, I swam.
Thorn laughed out loud and I giggled when I did it, took my first few lunges without filling my eyes or mouth or nose with water.
"Such a good girl," he told me, and like a little kid, he made me swim from one end of the beach to the other until my arms ached.
"I think that's enough excercise for one day," he finally said, even though I could have kept swimming for hours.
But he was right, my body was achy from running and practice early on. As we got out of the water, he towel-dried my body, paying attention to every inch of naked skin and drying me off. I lay in his arms as he fed me fruit, and I giggled when his hair dripped on me.
Lying under the sun felt incredible, and the weight of my accomplishment made me smile wide. With a start, I silently realized it had been a gorgeous day, my favorite of all the ones I'd had.
"I loved today," I whispered in Thorn's ear, pulling him down by his wet hair. "It was perfect. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Rose," he grunted back, his lips stealing from mine, taking kiss after kiss and making me giggle when his stubble brushed my cheeks. "There's one last thing I need to show you. But you'll need to swim to see it. Do you think you're ready for that?"
Curiosity piqued my interest and I got up on my elbows, giving him an inquisitive look.
"I would love to see," I admitted, and he helped me to my feet.
We walked along the beach, to the far right end of it. There, the water was deeper and there were some rocks scattered about. Thorn helped me get in, and even though I was nervous, I still remembered how to tackle the waves.
He helped me though, with every step of the way. We swam through the deep water and came out on the other side of the rocks, where the water was more shallow and let amongst the rocks into a beautiful grotto.
Thorn helped me get off the sand and led me into the cave, something like I'd never seen before. It was beautiful, with limestone formations that looked like they were still dripping. I gasped at its beauty, and he seemed pleased by my reaction as he led me deeper into the cave.
"As far as I know," he told me. "Nobody but us knows about this place. And I'd like to keep it that way."
"Of course," I whispered, my fingers gliding over the stone licked smooth by the lapping waves. "Is it accessible during the high tide too?"
"No," Thorn admitted. "You have to go through the water to get here. But I wanted to show you today. I wanted to share this place with you."
There was something special about the cave. Knowing it would be nearly impossible to catch its enchanting beauty made me even more fond of the place. It seemed impossible to bring a camera in there, and I wasn't much of an artist so I could've never done its beauty justice on canvas or paper. It existed merely for us, and I fell in love with its secret beauty.
We explored the cave together. There was an opening at the very top, a small hole through which the sunlight poured and colored the chamber in glorious colors. As it shone down, it reflected brilliantly on the limestone, and I realized it felt like a cocoon - a safe place for only me and Thorn.
This would always be a special place for us, and it would always be the best day I'd had. I told him as much, and he kissed my lips and tasted my happiness on every inch of my soaked skin.
Twelve
Rose
3 months later
My training was going well. Madame was pleased with my progress, and so was I. I could feel my strength coming back, the love I'd always felt for dancing filling my body with the desire to do more and more of it.
Practice was hard on my muscles and limbs, but I stuck it through, doing anything and everything I was told to and elevating my skills until I knew I was at my very best. I felt powerful like that, knowing I could dance for Thorn and show him my best work on the stage yet... It would be my final performance, which I'd already accepted. And I couldn't wait for him to experience the same thrill I felt when I stepped front and center on the stage.
Thorn was spending more and more time with me. These days, waking up in his arms was a regular occurrence and I could barely remember the times when he'd pushed me away, woke up before me and I woke up in a cold, empty bed. Our relationship was changing for the better, and we were growing closer and closer. My love for him bloomed and blossomed into something beautiful. It wasn't just the sex - it was the magnetic attraction between us that had escalated so much I felt tingles down my spine just from being in the same room with him.
We had played too, but our sex life now was simpler and somehow more erotic. The way he held me, the way he looked into my eyes when he plunged his cock inside me. It was incredible, so intimate - more than anything else we'd ever done together. I fell more in love with him with each whispered word and each thrust of his hips. I belonged to him utterly and completely.
The previous night, I had asked Thorn for a special favor.
We were lying in bed when I touched my lips to his and whispered to him, "I want you to take me to the playroom tomorrow."
I could feel his excitement, feel the hardness of his cock rubbing against my stomach. He nodded and kissed me goodnight, and he held me tight until the morning when I woke up alone. But this time it didn't upset me. Instead, I wore a knowing smile on my lips, knowing he was putting things together for what I'd asked. That day, we were going to play just like we used to...
The note came with a single rose and a s
mall card. His handwriting told me to meet him downstairs with my makeup done and wearing something he would like.
I took special care getting ready, putting on makeup the way I knew he liked it and letting my hair fall down my shoulders in natural, luxurious waves. I decided on a sequined dress I knew he would love. He really did have an eye for anything shiny or sparkly.
I paired it with nude heels and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I looked as beautiful as I ever would. I knew he would love it.
The walk to the playroom sent a chill of excitement down my spine, and when I entered the cool dark room, I felt his hand enclose my arm, holding me tightly.
"Close to door," he grunted, and I did as I was told, inhaling his masculine scent as he steered me inside.
"I want to see you," he said. "Present yourself to me."
He sat down on his throne-like chair and I twirled in front of him. He was wearing a suit but without the jacket, the shirt open at the front and making me want him more than ever. He was so darkly dominant, so dangerously delicious. I couldn't get enough of it.
"Now strip," he said simply.
"But..." I started, and he raised a hand in the air to stop me from talking.
"I'm going to take you apart tonight," he told me. "The dress, the makeup, the hair. It's all going to be a fucking mess by the time I'm done with you, Rose."
Slowly, I slipped out of my dress and let it pool at my feet. I'd rubbed lotion all over my body, skipping the perfume, but I could smell my skin, the faint scent of roses making me smile innocently.
"Keep the shoes on," Thorn growled. "Show me your tits."
I pressed them together, showing off for him, twirling and touching my fingertips to my nipples while I moaned in expectation. He made me do this for several long minutes, showing him everything. And I could see the bulge in his pants getting bigger and bigger.