“Yes Marsha.”
“Mrs. Stryker on line one for you sir.”
“Thank you; Nadia what is it?”
“Gabe you can’t leave me here like this, I’m a prisoner in my own home.”
“My name is Stryker.”
“What?”
“My name, only family and on the rare occasion a few close friends call me Gabe.”
“But I’m your wife I always call you Gabe.”
“Are you? A wife wouldn’t have snuck out of my bed like a fucking thief in the night and disappeared for weeks, leaving me to worry if she was dead in a fucking ditch somewhere. Look I told you before I left that I wasn’t doing this right now. I waited two weeks you can wait a few hours; unless there’s something else I really need to be going.” The line was silent for ten seconds so I hung up. I sat with my head in my hands as I tried not to think of the mess my life had become.
Marsha came into the room five minutes later with a stack of files in her hand and a cup of coffee for me.
“Don’t forget you have that business dinner this evening at the Palace.”
“Shit I forgot; there’s no chance of rescheduling is there?”
“You’ve already done that once last week.”
“Fine, thanks for the reminder.” I really wasn’t looking forward to tonight. This guy was going to beg me to save his ass again and there was no way to do it. He’s one of those types who asks for advice and then totally ignores it to do as he pleases, only to be back later with the same story. I have very little patience for such things; but we’d been friends in college, and I knew that this was his last chance to get out of the hole he’d dug himself before his old man gave him the boot. I warned him years ago that slacking off and paying others to do his shit would catch up with him. Now I guess he was reaping the rewards of his laziness. I have nothing against Jonas he’s an okay guy. But somewhere along the way I’d lost all respect for the other man. Had I been born with the opportunities he had been I’d hope I would do much better with my life. But instead of applying himself and getting himself ready to take over the company his great grandfather had built, he’d drank and snorted his way through school. Now for the last three months he’s been after me for loans and or business advice. I’d given him one loan on the basis of our past friendship but that wasn’t going to happen again. I wasn’t in the habit of supporting other people’s bullshit. Not to mention I don’t like the way he looks at my wife. The loan I knew was a write off. I was never going to see that quarter of a mil again. It was no big deal to me, just a drop in the bucket. But just because I had the means did not entail me being an ass and rolling over for every asshole that thought I had wet ears. Tonight could very well be the end of a twelve-year friendship; because I was sure I was going to be disappointing him, whatever it was he was after. I wasn’t interested in getting tangled up in the muck and mire that was his family’s business. There was nothing in it for me and as a businessman I’m all about the bottom line. He will be well served to sell it off and take the profits now before it was too late and there was nothing left to sell. Even now, a mere three months since he first contacted me things had already changed, and not for the better. The price of the shares had been dropping steadily for a significant loss. I’m afraid it was too late to stick a Band-Aid on it and make it all better.
I had one other issue for the coming evening. Picking up the phone I called her cell, which I’d had deprogrammed as well. It’s amazing what having money can do. She could only make calls to a few select numbers just as with the home phone. And her contacts list had been terminated except for incomings from her parents and I.
“Nadia I have a business dinner this evening the car will be there at seven.”
“I’m not up to going out.”
“I could care less what you’re up to be ready or else. And Nadia you’re already skating on thin ice with me so I’d think very long and hard before pissing me off.” With that I hung up the phone. How dare she? Did she really think she was calling the shots? That she any longer had a say in what I did? How could she not know me at all? How could she think that I would shrug off her insult?
My wife had never been on the wrong side of my temper before, not really. When we met and had what the press called a whirlwind romance, I’d treated her the way I always intended to treat the woman of my heart. With love, honor and respect. I’d been in the middle of putting the finishing touches on a boutique named after her when she pulled her disappearing act. It was supposed to be a surprise and everything had been set. It would’ve been a great escape for her I’d thought, something to keep her from obsessing about the pregnancy thing. Not that I thought a business could take the place of a child. But I thought until we made a baby together she would have something she loved to keep her occupied. The building was still sitting there unoccupied waiting for her to redecorate and fete out however she saw fit. I had merchants already chomping at the bit, just dying to do business with the wife of one of the wealthiest men in the city. Everything had been put on hold. And I’d had to face those people knowing that they knew all was not right in paradise. Like a fucking fool; the thought of it fucking burns me up. How the fuck did we get here? Where did we go wrong? Had it ben happening for a while and I just hadn’t seen it? Or was it really as sudden as just a few short weeks ago?
Chapter 7
That first night I held my silence as the other diners gave her praise and accolades. Some of them seemed to know her or of her, and were rather friendly towards her in general. Even the elder women seemed quite fond of her and I knew what a rarity that was. Women tended to be rather catty when it came to young stunningly beautiful women, no matter what financial bracket. I’d taken the time to study her without seeming to. It’s an art that I’d perfected for some time. Something I used in my business practices. I sized her up like prey; her exotic Mediterranean beauty was compelling. Unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Her olive toned skin coupled with black hair, the color of raven’s wings and her high cheekbones were perfection itself. But what caught me and held me spellbound were her eyes. They were the color of the Mediterranean. Wide spaced and almond shaped with that tilted shape at the ends. They captivated me when she finally turned them my way, just as I’m sure they held an appeal for every other man there.
“Hello, I don’t think we’ve met.” She held out her dainty hand for me to shake. It was soft and warm as I lifted it to my lips. I didn’t miss the inhalation of breath coming from my other side. I ignored Sabrina; that ship had sailed and it was through no fault of my own that she happened to be here the night I met the woman I was going to move heaven and earth to own.
“Pleased to meet you, I’m Gabe Stryker.”
“Hello Mr. Stryker, I’m Nadia Petronides. And did you enjoy the show as well?” She smiled brightly at me, not flirtatious, more like a genuine gesture between friendly strangers. Another rarity, most of the women here were on the prowl, at least the younger unmarried ones were. They were all looking for husbands with money to support their spending habits when daddy tightened the purse.
“Some aspects were very awe inspiring.” She blushed a pretty red brown as she lowered her head. The servers approached the table just then and placed our first course in front of us. I had no real interest in whatever it was they had to offer I just wanted to whisk her away somewhere and spend the rest of the night buried balls deep inside her. It was the first time since I’d first learned the pleasure to be had between a woman’s thighs that I’d reacted so strongly to someone.
For the next hour we exchanged inane small talk, as we took disinterested bites of our meals. This wasn’t the place or the time, too many ears and eyes. But I needed to get to know her in the worse way. I wanted to know everything there was to know about her. For the first time in my life I didn’t care if a woman was already attached or not. If there a man somewhere expecting her to come home. Just the idea of it made my gut hurt and I clenched my fists against the notion. No way in hell, she’s
mine.
When the night was over and it was time to go, we lingered until the table was almost empty. Then we walked slowly towards the exit together, neither of us wanting to leave the other just yet.
“Can I give you a ride somewhere Nadia?”
“Um, I don’t usually do this you know, accept rides from strange men.” She smiled that earth shattering smile of hers and came very close to being ravished right there in the waiting area of the Plaza.
“Well if it isn’t Nadia Petronides, how’s your family’s little shop doing dear?”
Fucking Sabrina and what was that quip all about? The woman beside me didn’t seem to notice the cattiness of the tone directed at her as she turned with that same infectious smile.
“Oh hello Sabrina, my father’s little shop is doing very well thank you for asking and how are things with you?”
Was she for real? She certainly wasn’t acting like any of the other starlets and models I’ve met over the years. Where was the over inflated sense of entitlement? That haughty glare, which was usually reserved by the exceptionally beautiful for lesser beings? Even when the poor hapless waiter had been so enraptured by her that he’d spilt wine on her hand, she’d soothed the poor sap in a way so as not to bring attention to his little mishap. She probably saved his job. Most of the women I knew would’ve made a fuss and called attention to the injustice of it all. Then there would’ve been talk of how hard it is to find good help these days and so on, but not my Nadia. She was grace and gentility personified. Was it any wonder I was falling more and more under her spell as the minutes ticked away? Now here she was being kind and courteous to a woman I was very sure had meant to snub her, which I wasn’t about to let happen.
“You’ll have to excuse us Sabrina we were just leaving.” I saw the venom in the look she gave me but she did no more than clench her lips as she turned and stormed away.
“I gather you two know each other.” Nadia asked shyly with an unmistakable twinkle in her eye.
“Yes but we’ll get to that later. Shall we?”
I placed my hand in the small of her back and led her through the other departing guests out the building and into the late night air.
“I have my driver here tonight so he can take you anywhere you’d like; though I would very much like it if you’d join me for a nightcap in this little bistro around the corner.” She studied me for a long second.
“Can I trust you Gabe?” She’d asked if she could call me Gabe earlier in the evening and I’d consented. Somehow I liked the sound of my name on her lips. No one else had called me that in years except my mother and I found that I really liked hearing it on her lips.
That night we’d sat in a darkened corner of the little restaurant whispering and laughing together until the wee hours of the morning. It was something I hadn’t done in forever. Sitting there like that with her I didn’t think of my business or the next deal. Didn’t care what time it was in Tokyo or how strong the dollar was. All I saw, all I heard was her. Fate is sometimes rather fickle, and just to think I hadn’t wanted to go out that night. What a shame it would’ve been if I’d missed the opportunity to meet this most wonderful being.
Chapter 8
It’s a- quarter- to and she hasn’t reached the restaurant as yet. I’m really hoping for her sake that she shows up, because I would really hate to add to the shit that I already have against her. My guests hadn’t shown up as yet either. I had no idea who he was bringing tonight, but knowing his taste, it would probably be someone he’d met the night before. I hoped he behaved himself tonight because I was not in the mood to deal with his flirting with my wife. I’ve let it slide so far because he hadn’t crossed the line thus far. But I was feeling raw lately and it wouldn’t take much to set me off. It had been some time since I’d had to out my fist through someone’s face, but the way I was feeling, it wouldn’t take much to push me over the edge.
She came through the door two minutes later looking flawlessly beautiful. I couldn’t withhold the sense of pride that burned in my chest. The knowledge that she belonged to me completely helped ease some of the rough edges. I stood to pull out her chair even as the maître d moved to do the same.
“I’ve got her thank you.” I sat her in the seat next to me, inhaling the scent of her favorite perfume. She wore her hair up in a twist, baring her neck and those tiny ears of hers that I loved to nibble on. She wore no jewelry but her wedding rings and diamond tear drops in her ears. I’d given her those a few months ago just because; that’s the kind of things I used to like to do for her. Little surprise gifts that I chose myself at the spur of the moment. A weekend trip to Europe or the Caribbean, once we even went on safari in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater Park at the spur of the moment, because she said she’d always wanted to. There were things that I wouldn’t do for myself; things that I would put off for another time if it was just for me, but not if it was for her. When it comes to her I make sure she’s always satisfied that’s why her betrayal cut so deep.
“Hello Ga…Stryker.” Her voice fell when she said it and I already regretted my asinine dictate. I hated hearing her call me that, but I couldn’t go back on my word so easily. She had a hard lesson to learn and she wasn’t going to learn it by me giving in to her at the first sign of her distress. After this was over we should never have anything even resembling this problem again.
“Good evening Nadia, I ordered you a glass of Fume blanc.”
“Thank you.” She gave me her first smile since the aborted one of the night before. I’m a bastard, I didn’t return it but instead turned my attention back to my phone where I’d been busy arranging my calendar for the coming week.
“We’re going to the ranch this weekend.”
She looked over at me with a questioning look. She loves the ranch in Texas, but it was hard for me to get away as often as she’d like. She enjoys being with the horses and taking long rides out in the pasture. She would probably go there every weekend if she could, but there was no way she was going without me. And since I couldn’t get away that often it had been some time since we’d got out there. I saw the question in her eyes but knew she wouldn’t ask, because she knew I wouldn’t answer.
There was a reason for my decision, yes I was mad as fuck at her but I also remember what had set her off in the first place. Someone had started a campaign against her, to drive a wedge between us. She didn’t know who it was but I had a pretty good idea even though she had no evidence. She’d kept the daily phone calls and threats from me for weeks before finally breaking down and telling me. Me being me I’d just brushed it off. I had nothing to prove and my woman should know me well enough to know that she was all the woman I needed. Apparently that wasn’t good enough for her, my lack of a reaction had spurred her to action. Only she’d chosen the wrong one. Instead of standing with me and thumbing her nose at whoever this was that was causing discord, she’d chosen to believe in bullshit and pulled a runner. On the one hand I have to push part of my anger aside to understand that she needs reassuring. She needs her man to prove to her that she’s his one and only. And then there’s my pride that says she has to pay for putting me through hell. I find myself in the tenuous position of having to comfort her and discipline her at the same time.
The sommelier came with her wine and a glass of sparkling water for me. I never drank when I was talking business, I found it less than professional and held very little respect for those who did. No wonder the economy was fucked. After a decade and a half of the infamous two-hour martini lunches it was a wonder the stupid fucks hadn’t beggared the country long before this.
“How’s your wine?”
“Its nice and crisp just the way I like. So the ranch?”
“Yes the ranch, I’ll try to leave early on Friday we’ll take the jet of course.”
“Should we invite your mom?”
“No babe I think we could do with some time alone, we need to talk.” She took a deep breath and I saw panic beat in the pulse in
her throat. I wouldn’t set her mind at ease as to what the conversation was going to be about; let her sweat it out. I intend to get every ounce of the time she’d stolen from me out of her hide. Petty I know but then again you had to be there.
Jonas showed up ten minutes later, not only was he late but his date made the evening a nonstarter. Sabrina; what kind of game were these two playing now? I didn’t even know that they knew each other; then again I shouldn’t be surprised. They were so much alike after all. I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to proceed. Maybe I should give them a chance to start the ball rolling, but there was no doubt in my mind that they were up to something. What that something was I’d have to wait and see.
My hand on its own accord went to the back of Nadia’s chair as they took their seats across from us. My thumb ran soothingly up and down her spine as I took a sip of my water.
“Jonas.”
“Thanks for meeting me here Stryker, you know Sabrina of course.” The smarmy bastard had the nerve to grin at me. I didn’t have to look at my wife to know what was going on inside her; she’d tensed up at the first sight of the other woman. Not since the first night we’d met had I ever seen them in the same room together except maybe across the way at some event or other. But they didn’t have any kind of interaction as far as I knew. Now with this new shit in her head about me cheating on her I imagine being faced with the last woman I’d been seeing before her might be a bit uncomfortable. I had to wonder if this little ambush had something to do with whatever had been going on with my wife. If I found out that these two had anything to do with it I’ll bury them both.
“Hello Sabrina.” I watched as Jonas bent to kiss my wife’s cheek. Was it my imagination or did he linger just a little longer than was conventionally proper? I pulled her back in her seat as my eyes sent him a silent warning. She looked at me with a question in her eyes but I just touched her cheek softly with my finger before turning back to the asshole.
Stryker Page 3
