It doesn’t take long for Steven to return with our food and the delicious smells fill my senses causing me to salivate. I don’t wait and I dig in. Devouring the meat, fish and tasting everything on my plates. I look up a few times smiling at Travis and he returns the gesture as he eats his food as well and continues to drink down his wine. Halfway through our meal he’s ordering another bottle and pouring another glass. This is the Travis that he has become, the one that can’t stop at just one glass. I don’t know if he’s drowning away his sorrows in the alcohol or if it’s just who he is. He’s rich so I can’t possible think of what he’s hiding from. I think it’s just who he is. He hid it so well from me in the months prior to us getting married. I never saw Travis’ angry side until a month after we were married. He came home drunk for the first time that night. He has come home smelling of alcohol before, but not enough for him to be out of the ordinary. I’ve always known him to have a glass of liquor before leaving the office, but that night I think he might have had the whole bottle and that was the first time he showed his true side. The side of Travis that makes me want to run the other direction. The side that reminds me of my father. That was the first night he brought me to tears and reminded me how worthless I am. I briefly shake my head forgetting about those memories. I have to make the best I can out of tonight. I finish my food, sipping my wine as Travis orders the third bottle as he finishes his plate. I watch as his eyes glaze over and his lids become heavy.
“I would offer you some desert Steph, but we both know you don’t need it,” he sneers.
There it is! The jerk that I despise! The Travis that frightens me; never laid a hand on me, but what he’s done I think is worse. I don’t react though; I don’t give him what he wants. I just smile at the remark and push my plate away from me, grabbing my glass of wine to sip it. It amazes me how quickly he can go from lusting over me to making his rude comments that he enjoys so much.
He continues with his small talk, sipping his wine, telling me about his meeting he had today and I laugh at his idiotic jokes and drink my wine. It doesn’t take long before we have another bottle at our table and he’s filling our glasses. I drink mine in moderations because the last thing we need is both of us drunk, plus I also don’t want to end up sick either. With how little I eat, I don’t handle my alcohol very well.
“Are you ready to head home soon baby?” I ask in my sweet voice in hopes that we can end this night early enough to avoid any confrontations.
“Actually I had something planned for after dinner. It’s a surprise!” he replies as his lips quirk up into a smile.
We finish the bottle of wine at our table and once he’s sipped the last that’s in his cup he stands up gesturing for my hand. I place my empty wine glass on the table and place my hand in his. He wraps his arm around my waist grabbing me firmly.
“Let’s go baby,” he whispers into my ear and his hand moves down squeezing my ass.
As we step outside after he has paid the bill, I shiver at the cold breeze and he holds me tighter, comforting me and I lay my head into his shoulder accepting his kindness. He grabs his cell phone calling his driver. The one thing about Travis is he has never driven drunk. He always calls his driver to get him and will just send someone to pick up his car later. Good thing he’s rich! Once he ends the call he embraces me with both arms, shielding me from the breeze. His lips find my forehead and I look up at him as he gazes at me with those brown eyes that once lured me in and that are now hazed over from alcohol.
“Steph, I know I’ve said this many times, but I love you. I’m hard on you because I love you so much. I don’t want to lose you. I just…I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“I’m right here, Travis. I’m not going anywhere,” I whisper, but deep in my gut there is a feeling that there isn’t complete truth in what I’m saying. So many times in just the two years of marriage I’ve thought of leaving and then I remind myself I’m not worth anything more.
He tilts his head down and our lips meet. He taste of sweet wine and I swoon in the moment. His mood swings drive me crazy, but every chance I can get I take advantage of the sweet and charming Travis that he can be. As much as I love him right now and am excited for the surprise he has for me there is still the part of me that is telling me to run… run from what may come from this man if he drinks too much. I don’t though. I stay wrapped in his strong arms. This is our anniversary and I want to do all I can to enjoy it. If I don’t step out of bounds or provoke him then it’s possible it may go smoothly.
As the sleek black car with tinted windows pulls up, Travis opens the door placing his hand on my lower back and helping me in. I scoot over as he squeezes in next to me. His hand placed on my knee and I lay my head on his shoulder while the driver takes off.
“Thomas knows where we’re going?” I ask Travis as I notice he doesn’t give his driver any directions.
“I informed him today of my plans for you tonight,” Travis reply’s with a wink as his hand slides up my thigh reaching the bottom of my short dress and squeezing me tenderly. I sigh at his affection. Maybe I am always concentrating too much on all the bad things he does because right now he is what I want. Either way I refuse to let anything ruin this evening. I’m going to do my best to be the wife he wants.
Not much time passes in the car and then we’re pulling up to a busy and might I say packed dance club. I’m sure the look on my face is priceless. He hasn’t taken me to a night club since before we were married. He says he refuses to have men gawking at his wife. He knows how much I love dancing. I lean over Travis’ lap peering out the window at a line of people rounding the large building and several groups of men and woman smoking and chatting.
I feel Travis’ hand move to my back and down to my ass. “I know how much you love to shake this,” he whispers provocatively in my ear. “This is a special occasion and I don’t want to end up pissed off so stay close to me and if you’re going to shake your ass make sure it’s only in my sight.”
Even though I’m annoyed by his childish comments I turn to him and touch my lips to his, kissing him aggressively. “Thank you.” I lean back sitting in my seat as the car stops and the driver comes around opening Travis’ door.
He climbs out of the car and I scoot to his side as he grabs my hand and leans in whispering in my ear, “keep those legs closed. I don’t want anyone getting a peek.” I restrain from rolling my eyes and proceed to exit the vehicle.
The building is huge, three stories and on the outside are colored lights flashings all around. “The Grind” is written across the building in a huge neon sign. Before walking to the front door Travis turns to me tugging at my dress in an attempt to lengthen it and this time I can’t help but roll my eyes. Once he feels satisfied, even though this dress barely passes my crotch, he grabs my hand pulling me to the front doors, passing everyone in line.
“Mr. Barnes, welcome, it’s nice to see you again.” The large dark haired man from behind the rope that blocks us from getting in greets Travis as if he comes here all the time and this pisses me off, but I control myself.
“Thank you, John. This is my wife, Stephanie, it’s our two year anniversary and this woman who loves to dance, so I was hoping we could get in tonight.”
“Of course, of course. When have we ever turned you away?” the bouncer says jokingly to Travis and I am not amused. He opens the rope to let us pass and Travis holds me tight to his side. I cringe at the thought of him coming here frequently on the nights he says he’s working late, but I refuse to spoil the evening. I hold in my anger and suck it up.
“Stay Close!” Travis yells over the loud music.
The room is packed with people shoulder to shoulder and we have to shove our way through. It’s a good thing Travis is so large otherwise I don’t know that we would have been able to make it to the bar. The ladies behind the counter are moving at an amazingly rapid pace. Swinging liquor bottles around and tossing glasses between each other making a beautif
ul display. Travis pulls me directly up to the bar and loudly orders two cranberry vodkas. It only takes a minute and the glasses are placed in front of us as he passes the money to the large boob, blonde haired bartender and she winks at him as she moves on to the next person.
This place is crawling with blonde hair and short skirts. I watch Travis closely as his eyes peer around at all the people. He gives me a tug and walks me back through the big crowd to the other side of the club where we grab an empty table and take a seat. Within seconds Travis has swallowed down his cranberry and vodka and so I do the same. Hell, if I’m going to have a good time tonight in this place I have to be drunk. I don’t know if I can stand the thought of him being here without me and all these women who probably do who knows what to get in his pants. I slam my empty glass on the table taking off my cardigan and stand up.
“Where you going?” Travis yells grabbing my wrist. I pull away not thinking that my gesture will probably piss him off.
“I’m going to dance! Isn’t that what we came for?” I scream back over the blaring music and he stands grabbing my waist and pulling me into him. His hardness presses against my belly. He reaches around squeezing my ass as he leans down taking in the scent of my hair. I quiver under his touch and I hate myself for reacting like this. Especially after the fact that I just found out he’s a regular here. I put my hands to his chest pushing him back.
“You’re not going without me,” he scolds looking down at me and then grabs my arm almost dragging me to the dance floor. I hate when he treats me like a child, but I don’t fight his hard grasp because I want to dance, I need to dance. I need to feel normal again; free.
We make our way to the dance floor and he stops turning around and pulling me into him. He moves his body against mine and I lose myself, moving with the music. It doesn’t take long before my skin feels sweaty and I can feel Travis’ damp shirt as I rub against him. I turn around and he wraps his arms around me holding me at my hips and I move my butt against him, feeling his hardness on my backside. He leans in pulling my hair away and kissing my damp neck.
“I need a drink baby,” he whispers in my ear.
“I’ll wait right here. I don’t want to be dragged through all those people again.”
“DON’T go anywhere.” His voice carries through my body as he releases me and I’m moving to the music by myself.
It doesn’t take long before I feel him back up against me. He’s actually a lot faster than I would have expected, but I keep my eyes closed moving to the music as he hands wrap around my waist and he’s rubbing against me. He feels different though, I open my eyes turning to face him and instead of my dark haired Travis greeting me it’s a shorter, blonde haired man with dark framed glasses grinning and starring straight at my chest.
“Hey, sweetie. You smell edible,” he leans in whispering in my ear and I push him back trying to step away, but he grabs my wrists pulling me into him. “Where you going?” he grins.
“Let go!” I scream yanking my wrists free and backing up a few feet.
Nervously I look around for Travis knowing if he saw what just took place he will flip shit and not just on the guy but on me too. It’s too late though. I already see him throwing the shot down his throat and stomping our way with fire in his eyes. The stranger reaches for me, obviously drunk, trying to grab me again, but I step back again bumping into people, but avoiding his touch. Before I know it Travis is in the guys’ face yelling profanities and then the guys on the floor holding his bleeding nose completely caught off guard. Travis swings around facing me and all I want to do is run, run far enough away so that he won’t ever find me. I slouch in fear from the anger burning in his gaze. He takes a few steps towards me grabbing me by my wrists and I know it’s all over. It’s one thing to be faced with angry drunken Travis, but to be faced with angry drunken jealous Travis is a whole other world.
My arm is throbbing from his tight grasp as he pushes his way through the crowed to the table we were sitting at, grabbing my cardigan he turns to me holding it out helping me put it on, not saying a word and then takes a hold of me again as we exit the night club. Tears fall down my cheeks at the possibility of what the rest of the night will hold.
Chapter Five
Thomas pulls into our private drive and Travis exits the car. He didn’t say a word the whole ride home, just sat there with a hand on my leg looking out his window. He holds the door open so that I can exit after him and a chill runs through my body and I’m unsure if it’s due to the cold air or the icy stare I’m getting from him right now. Holding his hand I follow behind him into our home. He gently removes my cardigan and then walks me upstairs to our bedroom still in silence and its making me incredibly nervous. Typically he’s yelling and releasing all his anger verbally so this silent Travis scares the shit out of me. Never is he calm when he’s drunk, but then again we haven’t been dancing since before the wedding and never has a guy come up to me like that. Travis was always with me in the past.
He opens our bedroom door and motions me to our bed so I sit down on the edge waiting for his anger to release on me. He looks at me with a blank expression, but his eyes tell all. I see the fury that radiates from them. He kneels down grabbing my feet removing my black stilettos one at a time and messaging each foot as he does it. It feels good, but I’m fucking tense and there’s no way I’m letting down my guard. I know he’s going to flip his switch any second. He moves his hands up my thighs pulling down my thigh high stocking’s one at a time, rolling them down over my feet. As he moves from one to the other his hands find my sweet spot and brush up against it and I flinch more from fear then pleasure. His brown eyes meet mine and there is no passion, no love, only pure hatred. I squirm a little in an attempt to get away, but he grabs my legs holding me in place, proceeding to remove my panties.
“Don’t move,” he grits through his teeth and I know he’s doing all he can to control himself, but I’m not sure why.
I freeze under his dark stare afraid to say anything, but I have to know what’s going through his mind. I can’t take the silence. “Are you okay?” I squeak out and his eyes shoot back up to me.
“Don’t say a word unless I give you permission to open your fucking mouth.”
I cringe under his harsh words. How do I get myself into these situations and why in the hell am I so damned scared to fight back?
“After what happened in the night club, you have in my eyes, officially branded yourself a slut and tonight you’re going to do everything I tell you to, without an argument. Do I make myself clear?” His words vibrate through me and I nod in understanding. “Good girl. Now I’m going to have you show me how much of a slut you are. You know if you didn’t choose to dress the way you did then we wouldn’t be in this situation.” The smell of alcohol reaches my nose as he speaks and I nod again knowing better than to respond.
Sex with Travis is amazing, it’s something we’ve enjoyed together when he isn’t smashed and yelling at me, but something inside tells me tonight’s going to be different. His hands slide up my thighs as he’s still knelt on his knees and right as they are about to reach my sensitive spot he moves them away grabbing my hips from under my dress and sliding me off the bed. Standing he pulls my dress up and over my head and turns me around unstrapping my bra and tossing it aside. His hand rubs my ass and in one swift motion he slaps it and I whimper from the sting.
“Tonight you will not cum, Stephanie. Tonight will not be fun. You’re going to be begging me to fuck you by the end of the night and guess what? I’m not going to give you what you want. You constantly think you have to show off what you have, you enjoy having guys gawking at you. You need to learn a lesson. You belong to me, Stephanie, and I will not have you allowing another man to put his hands on you,” he hisses in my ear as he smacks my ass with heavy force again and this time I cry out in pain.
I can’t fight him, he’s right. This is what I deserve. It’s all I’ve ever deserved. My father made damned sure to rem
ind me of that every damn day. I can’t fight the inevitable. If I must be punished then I will take it like a woman. I refuse to cry and give him that satisfaction. I hold my breath anticipating another hit, but instead his hands find my shoulders and he turns me to face him. I look into his brown eyes and the Travis that I married… that I fell in love with… is gone and this angry stranger has taken his place. I quiver as he runs his thump over my lips, but I hold back the tears.
“You know, Steph, I knew you were mine from the moment I met you. I knew I couldn’t let you ruin yourself anymore and I swore to protect and take care of you. Please know that this is for your own good. I don’t want to hurt you, but if I don’t punish you how will you ever learn?” he whispers in my ear as he begins to kiss my neck and I hate myself for enjoying his lips on my skin. The sensation instantly causes my checks to flush with heat.
His large hands trail down my shoulders, his mouth reaches my collar bone and his hands wined into my chest as his fingers find my nipples, teasing and pulling on the buds until their perky and hard. Uncontrollably, I let out a moan and he instantly stops, dropping his hands and moving his luscious lips from my skin, looking at me intently.
“Like I said, tonight’s not going to be fun for you,” he grits through his teeth as he steps forward rubbing his hardness on my belly and I bite my lip keeping from releasing another moan. Our anniversary and this may possibly end up being the worst night with my husband.
Evil Of Love Page 4
