by Mary Smith
“Dream,” he says my name softly and smirks. “Where you riding me backward?”
I bite my lip and close my eyes as the memory floods me. I had gone into his office at Butler Corp and worn a short black leather mini skirt and a halter-top—neither of which I own. I pushed him into the chair and undid his pants. Gable doesn’t say anything as I turn around and position him into my core.
“Gable.” I say his name over and over as I climax right there in the bathroom.
“You’re the hottest woman on this planet.” He chuckles in my ear.
~~~
I sit with my coffee on the back porch watching the sun on the horizon. I feel like a brand new person. I spent the night making love with Gable and sleeping in his arms. I’m safe with him, no matter where I am.
When I woke up a couple hours later, I stared at my husband. It’s the first time I ever watched him sleep. He looked peaceful, relaxed, and I loved him.
Now, I’m outside in the unseasonably warm sun, I look out to the pond. The water is still and serene. When was the last time I had been this calm? I sip my coffee and bask in the glow of the sun.
“You look beautiful sitting there.”
I smile at Gable who’s standing over me.
“Thank you.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“I’d love it.” I figure he’ll sit next to me, but instead he picks me up, sits in my chair, and cradles me in his lap. “Did you not want your own chair?” I tease him.
“I’m more comfortable this way.” He takes my coffee and sips it before handing it back to me.
“You know, that could be cause of being slapped around.”
“What?”
“Drinking another person’s morning coffee.”
“Hhhmmm, are you threatening me or promising me?” He quirks one eyebrow up.
I laugh. “Neither, but I’ve now warned you.” I kiss his lips. “What your plan for today?”
“I thought we could go riding or maybe take a hike. Which would like to do?”
I snuggle into his chest. “Can we do both? Maybe ride out for a bit then hike for a little while.”
“Sounds perfect. Let’s get ready.”
~~~
Leo and Bruce don’t go with us when we head out that morning. Gable drives the four-wheeler and I hold tightly to him the entire ride. He’s wearing black cargo pants and a black t-shirt, with a black leather jacket.
He takes me up a long, windy trail until we are about halfway up a small mountain. Gable parks the four-wheeler and we walk up the rest of the way. When we reach a small look out, the two of us sit there and don’t say anything. He wraps his arms around me and brushes his lips against my cheek and neck.
“You know I smell like nature right now, and I’m a little sweaty.” I gaze up at him.
“It’s turning me on.” He smirks.
“Seriously?”
“You always get me hard.”
I laugh and my voice echoes through the air. “You’re being crass again, Gable. Before I know it, you’re going to throw me on the ground and have your way with me.”
I yelp as Gable twists me around and we both fall back onto the ground.
“You can have your way with me. That sounds like more fun.” He wraps his hand around my ponytail and pulls my lips toward his. The kiss is rough, but I want him.
“I’ve never had sex in the woods before.” I giggle.
“I love being your first.”
“I love it, too.”
~~~
After a hot shower and washing my hair three times, I think I finally have all the twigs, grass, and leaves out of my hair. My yoga pants and a hoodie keep me warm as I head back downstairs.
Bruce made dinner this evening. The chicken masala is mouthwatering. As it had been the night before, the conversation is light, relaxing, and fun. Gable is more touchy-feely with me this evening and I love it. He’s constantly rubbing my thigh, back, and neck. The soft loving touches keep sending shivers through me and I’m desperate to get him into bed again.
“Let’s practice.” Gable stands, as do Bruce and Leo.
“What?” I question.
“Come on.” Gable takes my hand and we all head outside in the dark.
There are three four-wheelers parked just outside. Gable hands me the helmet I had worn earlier and tells me to get on. I hop on and I notice Bruce and Leo are already on their own.
“Gable, what are we doing?”
“You’ve been practicing with Leo and Bruce, right?”
“Um...sure.”
“Let’s see how you do.” He starts the motor and we head up the trail we had been on earlier, with Bruce and Leo behind us.
Gable drives for about a mile or so and then cuts off the trail and heads deeper into the woods. I’m nervous we might get lost since we are now off trail. He continues another couple miles and stops, cutting off the engine.
“Get off.” He orders and I swing my leg over and jump to the ground. I shake my head out of the helmet.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re going to practice. Well, sort-of.” He gets off the four-wheeler and opens the bag that’s strapped to the back. I can hear him pulling out items, but I can hardly see anything. It’s then Gable turns on a flashlight.
“You need this.” He hands me the light.
“Why do I need this?” I can hear my voice shaking.
“Because you’re about to be attacked and you’ll need to defend yourself.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not going to hurt Bruce or Leo.”
“I didn’t say they were going to attack you, did I?” I can see the seriousness on his face from the glow of the flashlight.
“Gable.” I freeze. “Who’s going to attack me?”
He walks around the four-wheeler and grips my shoulders tightly. “Please remember I’m doing this for your own good, and I love you. You have my permission to yell at me later.” He kisses me hard on the lips and swiftly hops on the ATV and races away.
My mouth hangs open. That asshole left me, in the woods, with nothing but a flashlight and a knife. I’m not going to yell at him. I’m going to kick his ass when I get back to the house. I growl loudly out of frustration and begin to stomp in the direction we came. I’m not an outdoor type of girl. I was raised in the city. I was raised in the city. I know Prada and Dior, not L.L Bean and Eddie Bauer.
A hear a twig pop to my left and I jump. My heart is pounding and I swing the flashlight in the direction where I heard the noise. The only three words that are coming to mind are: Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
This isn’t going to be fun.
You’re about to be attacked. Gable’s words come to the forefront of my mind. He said it wouldn’t be Bruce and Leo. Who is it going to be? Can I really hurt someone?
I steady my breath and I can almost hear Leo’s voice from our first training session.
Rule number one, Dream, be aware of your surroundings, and remain focused.
Okay, I’m in the middle of the fucking woods and all I see are trees and darkness from the limited light I have.
I hear rustling to my left and suddenly I’m being picked up in a bear hug. I drop my flashlight and I scream as loud as I can. The grip is tight and it’s hurting me.
This time its Bruce’s training that springs to mind. I quickly lift my right leg and with all my strength I slam on the arch of his right foot. The person groans a bit, but loosens their grip enough for me to turn and I raise my right knee to connect with them between the legs. I hear the ‘humph’ of the male voice and he drops to the ground. I grab the flashlight and run as fast as my legs will take me.
I don’t know how far I ran, but I see a faint light in the distance to my right. I slow my pace and remember Leo’s words.
Rule number two: trust your instincts.
This could be a trap. I know Leo and Bruce might still be in the woods, but Gable told me that they weren’t the ones attacking me. M
y gut is telling me not to go toward that light. I spin my direction to the left and run in that direction.
I run about another hundred yards, dodging tree limbs, trees, and bushes. I stop and focus on where I am. Damn it, I should have paid better attention when Gable and I were out this morning.
Rule three: pay attention.
Well, I fucked up on that one. How was I supposed to know I was going to be attacked this evening?
Rule four: Remain calm
I take a deep breath in and quietly release it. I try to steady my racing heart and adrenaline that’s in overdrive. I look around and I see the trail to my right. I walk over to it and stand in the middle looking around. Do I go left or right? I look both ways, but only see the same scenery: dark, dirt, and trees.
“Damn it.” I growl softly. Trust yourself, Dream. You can do this. I give myself a pep talk and decide to go left.
As quickly as I can, I walk about a half mile with no one in sight. I swing the flashlight left and right, but see nothing but shadows. I stop dead in my tracks as I fix the light in front of me. There’s a large man not more than ten feet straight ahead. My mouth is dry and I feel myself shaking.
Is he part of the attack or a crazed, mass murderer living in the woods? When I get home, I’m really going to kill Gable.
Rule five: Be confident.
Okay, that’s not a good rule at this point, when the person in front of me outweighs me by a lot.
Think, Dream, think. I take a second to listen to my gut and run in the opposite direction. I slam into someone. I’m stunned for a beat, thinking it’s a tree, until the figure pushes me. I trip over my feet and land on my butt. I scramble back up to my feet and size up the man in front of me and still wonder what’s behind me. He’s taller than me around the same height as Bruce. It had been last week that Bruce had me in this situation.
Focus on him, Dream, and then the other guy in a second.
I promptly pivot on my right leg with my left foot kick the man as hard as I can in the right knee. The man cries out in pain, falling to the ground holding his leg.
I gasp at what I done, but can’t think about it as the male from behind me grabs my left wrist with his right hand, causing me to spin. He grips my other wrist tightly. I can’t move from the force of his grasp.
Remain calm.
The man says nothing, but he’s taller than I am, and I need to get away. Bruce showed me that the weakest point of a grip is the thumbs. I rapidly pull my arms down and outward forcing the man to lose the grip. I kick my right leg up connecting with his groin. As he leans forward, his head is closer to mine. Leo told me that the palm of my hand is better than a fist in some situations because it wouldn’t hurt me as much as a fist. I take my palm and slam it against his forehead. He becomes disoriented and falls to the ground. I race as fast as I can down the trail.
I run about another hundred yards when I hear my name being yelled. I stop and turn, seeing Leo racing his four-wheeler toward me. Gable cuts in from the left, joining him. The headlights momentarily blind me. Gable jumps off his ATV and comes toward me. I hold my hand up to stop him. I rush to the side of the trail and empty the contents of my stomach. The adrenaline is still pumping through me, but the reality of what I did hits my conscience hard.
“Dream.” Gable soothes me by saying my name softly.
I push him away. “I hate that you made me do that.” I spit out what’s left in my throat.
“But, now you know you can do it and that’s important.”
I stand up and narrow my glare at him. Leo hands me a bottle of water. I jerk it from his hand, take a chug, and in an unladylike manner, swish it in my mouth and spit it back out.
“Which way to the house?”
Gable and Leo point behind me and I walk away from them both. I don’t like either of them right now.
Chapter 27
I slam the door hard enough to make the windows rattle. I stomp up every stair with such force my knees hurt when I reach the bedroom, banging that door as well. I rip off my clothes and jump into another shower. The water is freezing at first, but changes to hot and it almost burns my skin.
I welcome it as I begin to cry. I hate Gable for making me do that. I hate that I hurt those men. I hate that I’m proud of myself, because I held my own. I hate all my emotions right now. I rest my body against the cool tiles as the hot water pounds on my back.
I thought I heard the door open, but I’m sobbing too hard to even notice. Until I hear the glass shower door open. I know it’s Gable when he kisses the top of my head and pulls me into his arms. I cry into his chest. He doesn’t utter a single word to me.
Gable steadies me on my wobbling legs and reaches for the shampoo. He washes my hair first and then suds up the washcloth and bathes me. My eyes are still shut when he turns off the water and guides me out of the shower.
Gable dries my body with a fluffy white towel and my tears have stopped. He holds out one of his black t-shirts and I lift my arms for him to slide it on. He rushes through drying himself and puts on a pair of his black boxer briefs. He picks me up takes me to the bed. I assume he turned down the covers before he joined me in the shower.
He lays me down covering my body with the cool sheet and warm comforter. He clicks off the lights and then gently climbs in behind me, spooning with me.
I say nothing. I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.
~~~
I roll over to my back and open my eyes. Sunlight is flooding into the bedroom and I notice I’m alone. I don’t even bothering changing into clothes. I wiggle into a pair of yoga pants and grab a sweat jacket.
I pad down to the kitchen where I find Gable, Bruce, and Leo. They stop talking in their hushed tones when they see I’ve entered the room
“Please, continue talking about me, I insist.” I walk past them and make myself a cup of coffee. I sit as far away from them that I can.
“Actually we weren’t talking about you.” Gable says.
I roll my eyes.
“We were discussing—”
“I don’t care.” I cut him off. “I’m pissed at all three of you, especially you, Gable. You wanted to come here to relax and leave the stress behind us, but you fucking brought it up here.”
“Dream, please quit cussing.” Gable glares at me.
“Fuck no.” I slam my hand on the table. “I’m sick of this. I was enjoying a few stress free days with my husband, but apparently his sick-fucking-paranoid mind doesn’t think that should happen.”
“Dream.” Gable growls my name.
“Am I wrong, Gable? Am I?”
He doesn’t answer me.
“You couldn’t let us have three days. Three damn days.” I pick up my cup and throw into the sink so hard it shatters. “I’m going to pack and I’m going home. Then in the morning, I’m going back to work at JE’s building and I dare you to stop me. You want to think that Gideon and Aven are still after us, then there’s no point in hiding in the woods.”
Gable continues to stare at me.
“Leo, I’ll be ready in an hour.” I head over to the stairs and make my way to the bedroom.
~~~
I walk into Butler Mansion not even glancing at anyone as I head straight for the media room. I don’t turn anything; I burrow into the leather chair, hiding away from everyone. The ride home no one said anything. I didn’t want to hear a single word from Gable.
I close my eyes and try to calm the anger, hurt, and pain that’s still pulsing through me. You would think that after a few hours in a car, I wouldn’t be this wound up, but I am.
“May I sit?”
I open my eyes, but I don’t look at my husband.
“I’m going to assume that your silence means yes.”
“Well, you know what they say when someone assumes something?” I clench my teeth at him.
“You make an ass out of you and me.” He answers and reclines back.
There’s no noise between us. Even the room itself is
quiet. I can hear myself breathing hard, but the anger doesn’t seem to slow at all for me.
“I want you to know that all the men in the exercise are okay. I’m proud of you Dream. You can be pissed at me all you want, but I’m proud and relieved to know that if you’re alone, you can at least get away.”
“Why couldn’t you give us three days, Gable? Why?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “I’m not sorry I did it. We can go somewhere else, if you like.”
I face him. “I’m going upstairs. You can do whatever you like.” I stand and leave him there alone.
~~~
Being back in JE’s office is strange feeling. I almost feel like a stranger when I walk into the office. Mrs. Stones is waiting for me and goes through my appointments and agenda for the day. I dive into the contracts and the work in front of me and don’t look up for the rest of the day. Emails, voicemails, and meetings all keep me from thinking about Gable, hurting those three men, Gideon, and Aven.
After several hours, I turn in my chair and stare out the picture window. It’s dusk now and my head hurts from all the reading and talking I’ve done. I check my phone.
I miss you.
My heart twists thinking of my husband and reading his text. I know above all that he’s trying to do what’s right, but he does it all wrong. He tricks me into marrying him, he lies constantly, and then he hides the I’m-trying-to-protect-you clause. However, he always ends up being right, which pisses me off more.
Are you still at the office?
Gable answers right away, stating that he is and would be there for a little bit longer. I call Joy and tell her to order burgers for us and I’d be there soon. I summons Leo and he takes me to Gable’s office.
When I get off the elevator, Joy’s smile greets me. “The food will be here in twenty minutes.”
“Knock before entering.” I tell her and walk into the office with no announcement.
Gable glances up from his computer, but looks down, and continues typing as I shut the office door.