by Laura Del
“I like him too.” I smiled, remembering the conversation this afternoon. “Charlie’s a good man.”
Mike cleared his throat, taking some more food into his mouth. “I’m glad,” he said, and he took another sip of water.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Something told me Mike wasn’t telling me the whole story.
He sighed and looked away from me. “You’re completely different from Sam’s usual type.” Type? I was so lucky not to have a type.
“What does he usually go for?” I was interested because it seemed the mere mention of Samuel’s name was enough to excite me, and not always in a good way.
“Women who are more…” he paused, taking a breath. “Blonde. Both physically and mentally, if you catch my drift.” That I did not understand. In spite of everything, Samuel didn’t seem that shallow. “You’re definitely not blonde.” Mike laughed at his own joke.
I nodded, smiling slightly. “Most definitely not.” When I said that, it reminded me of Samuel’s “most definitely not boring” comment, and my smile widened.
“You’re really beautiful,” Mike interrupted my thought. “Do you know that?” The only thing I could do was roll my eyes. “No.” He placed his hand on my forearm, making shivers come over me. “I’m serious. You’re somethin’ else, and you’re smart to boot. Unlike all those other women who only had outer beauty. You’ve got somethin’ special on the inside too. You are so much more than a pretty face.”
I didn’t know whether to be flattered or insulted. “Thank you? I’ve never had a compliment quite so…” I considered. “Interesting.”
He dropped his hand, and it made me tingle. “Sorry. Sometimes I get carried away.”
“No problem,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder and realizing how muscular he was. “I get carried away all the time.” After that, we turned back to our meals and ate in comfortable silence.
When we finished, I noticed that it was dark outside, and it made me wonder when my husband would be home. So as I walked Mike to the front door, he wasn’t far from my mind, even though we were laughing at a rather dirty lawyer joke Mike told.
Then Samuel just appeared in the doorway, scaring us both to death.
We stopped dead, the smiles gone from our faces, as we stood there in a deafening silence. That is, until Samuel broke it. “Mike.” Samuel held out his hand, shaking Mike’s extremely hard. “So nice to see you again.”
“Y-yes,” Mike stammered, pointing to the front door. “I was just leavin’.”
“Oh,” he said, not in the least bit devastated. “So soon?”
“Yes,” I interrupted before Mike had a heart attack. “He has to wake up early. Don’t you, Mr. Wolf?”
Mike looked at me in shock, but he quickly regained himself. “Yes, Mrs. Satané, I do.” He turned, his back toward Samuel, winking at me as he kissed my hand. “Thank you,” he paused, letting the double meaning sink in. “For having me.”
I nodded, patting his cheek. “You’re quite welcome. And I hope you come again soon.”
“Most certainly,” Samuel chimed in as Mike turned to hurry out of the house before there were any more complications.
When he was gone, Samuel threw his jacket, along with my purse, which confirmed that I had left it in the car, in the corner. Then he held out his arms for a hug. “Miss me?” he asked, doing that hurting smile thing.
“No.” That might have gotten me killed for all I knew. “I didn’t.”
His eyes connected with mine, and I was compelled to move toward him. “Aren’t you going to give your husband a hug?” he asked, but I blinked and stood my ground.
“No.” My voice was filled with defiance. “I’m not. Did you have your dinner?” I asked, and he dropped his arms at his sides. He looked defeated as I turned my back on him. I didn’t know why I was acting like this. But at that point, even his voice made my skin crawl with anger.
“Yes,” he said sternly. “I have.”
I could feel his temper rise behind me. “Good,” I said through my teeth, “I’m glad. Now I don’t have to sit with you while you eat.” In my opinion, he deserved a lot more attitude than I was giving him. And I stomped up the stairs like a spoiled teenage girl, having no idea what was in store.
“What is that supposed to mean?” His voice was deep and edgy as he followed me like a puppy.
I walked into our bedroom, taking off my shoes in the process. But I didn’t turn around. And even though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell he was upset. “Nothing,” I managed to say without looking at him.
“Is everything all right?” he asked, and I could tell he was clenching his jaw.
“No.” It was a short, abrupt answer. He needed to realize the truth hurt as much as the lies. But at least its sting didn’t last forever.
“Is that all you are going to say?” he asked, and my hands became fists at my sides. I wanted to punch the creeper out.
“Yes,” I said with a nod, walking further into the room.
He stepped behind me, grabbing my shoulders, turning me around in order to face him. Then he pulled me to him, forcing a kiss on me. I pulled back and slapped him across the face.
Shocked, he held my arms tight to my sides while his eyes seemed furious. I started to struggle against him, and I realized he was stronger than he looked, which looked strong to begin with. He towered over me, and I saw something inside him click. Then he threw me down onto the wooden floor, taking his hands off my arms, so he could rip my shirt down the middle.
I thrashed against him when he kissed my chest. “Get off me!” I screamed, and my fist found its way to his stomach. “Get off!”
He chuckled at my attempt as he roughly pulled off my jeans. I kneed him in the chest, but the more I struggled the more excited he became.
He pinned me with his entire body as I pounded on him, and he grabbed hold of my wrists. I could hardly move, but I still fought him with all my might. When his eyes came to rest upon my mother’s cross, the growl that came from him scared me. He grabbed hold of both my wrists in one massive hand and pulled the chain from my neck. He threw it aside, and all I saw was red.
I huffed and puffed while he just looked amused by my anger. And with the same hand (the one he’d ripped the chain off with), he pulled my panties off and then undid the zipper on his pants. I screamed against his lips, and as he kissed me, he entered me forcefully, that “thing” ripping me from the inside out.
I unlocked one of my wrists from his one-handed grasp, but he just pinned it down with his other hand. With his mouth still on mine, he began to pummel me into the floor. But when he broke the kiss, my breath quickened. Finally, he let go of my wrists, and I placed my hands on his back. It began to hurt less and less as he penetrated me. And that’s when I realized that he was still fully clothed.
I yanked off his shirt, digging my nails into his flesh. As I arched my back, he went deeper inside me. Then he bit my neck, and I bit into his shoulder.
He whimpered in pleasure, and I wrapped my legs around him forcing him to make smaller thrusts. He kissed me again, and I grabbed his bottom lip with my teeth. That made him grunt, and then I just laid back and let him become a monster.
When it was “time,” it was an explosion of emotion and screams. Then he picked me up, slamming me against the door full force. My back stung like mad, but he let me down long enough so I could take off his shoes and pants. I took his direction, taking off my torn shirt and intact bra. He lifted me again, and this time he pummeled me into the door instead of the floor. The pain was a lot less than before.
We had sex against the door three more times before making our way to the bed to do it again. The man was a machine, so was it any wonder that I passed out? The next thing I knew he was kissing me on the cheek to arouse me. In more than one way.
He looked grim as he kissed my forehead. “I am truly sorry for my behavior,” he said softly like he might hurt me if he spoke any louder.
I sighed, not
looking into his eyes. “There’s no need to be,” I finally said, but that wasn’t entirely true. “I behaved badly myself.” Every muscle in my body hurt, even ones I didn’t know I had. “Besides,” I whispered, “a man shows his true colors when he’s angry.” That was the truth. And this one had showed them vibrantly.
He chuckled darkly. “So what are mine?” He was too amused for my liking.
“It’s difficult to say.” I told him carefully as I traced my long nails around his lips. “I have to think about it.” I tried not to look him in the eyes, and when I ran the back of my hand against his cheek, I noticed it was colder than ever, which made me shiver.
He smirked. “You take all the time you need.”
“Where’s my mother’s necklace?” I asked off topic, because I was worried about it. However, when he pointed to my neck, I sighed with relief. I lifted my hand, running my fingers along the cross. The silver chain was cool under my hot touch. “It’s not broken?” It should’ve been, considering that he tore it from my neck and threw it across the floor.
He shook his head. “No, I would never break it. I know how much it means to you.”
“I think the next time you go on one of your tirades I’d better take it off.” Here’s hoping he doesn’t have another tantrum.
“That would be an excellent idea,” he said, kissing me gently. “Are you spent?” He traced his fingers down my side.
“I see you’re not.” I laughed, because he wasn’t. At all. As I said before, he was a machine.
“Answer the question,” he chuckled, and I grimaced. It was getting on my nerves that he never truly laughed like a normal person.
My heart jumped in my chest when he started to feel me. “I could go all night with you,” I admitted in a gasp.
He rolled on top of me. “Very well then.” He smirked. “All night it is.”
chapter
SIX
When Tina had walked into the house (my house…I still couldn’t believe it) at ten o’clock Wednesday morning, she had surveyed everything. “Oh my God” seemed to be the saying of the day. She loved the lamps (“oh my God”), the furniture (“oh my God”), even the paint on the walls (“oh my God”). The woman complimented my new digs at least a hundred times in the first hour. And when we finally sat down and talked about my husband and our sex life, the “oh my Gods” came out more often (if that was even possible). “Oh my God,” she said again. “He seriously did that to you?” she asked when I told her about last night.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes,” I answered with a sigh. She didn’t believe me at first. That is, until I showed her the bruises on my torso. “Tina, you couldn’t imagine how horrifically wonderful it was.”
“Oh, I could imagine,” she winked slyly, “if you tell me all the details.” I smiled at her dirty mind, and her mouth dropped open. “Did you just smile?”
The edges of my mouth wouldn’t go down. “Yes. Why?” I asked. This was becoming a pain. Literally. It hurt my cheeks smiling this much.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile,” she said and her face softened. “Hell, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard you laugh or giggle, and you’ve never glowed before. Did you realize you were glowing?” Tina was too sweet for words.
I glanced down at myself to see the difference. There wasn’t any. But I sure felt different. I was very sore from last night’s “love making,” and when I put on my clothes, the black-and-blues shocked me speechless. “No,” I said, looking up at her again, “I didn’t.”
She nudged my shoulder playfully and took my left hand in hers. When she saw the ring for the first time, she squealed so loud that I thought I’d go deaf, but now she just got a kick out of playing with it. “You should get married more often,” she said, letting go of my hand.
I rolled my eyes, knowing that the conversation was far from over. After all, anytime I had even remotely looked at a man she went through the same line of questioning. And the next thing she asked was, “So, what’s his name?”
My cheeks flushed (I’m sure) ten shades of fuchsia. That girl could make asking about the weather seem dirty. “Samuel,” I answered, “Satané.”
Her perfect black brows shot up. “Satan?”
The giggle came up and out of my throat. “No, Satané. But don’t worry. I had the same reaction.”
She placed her hand over her heart relived. “Oh, well, it’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Satané.” She shook my hand, and we laughed at each other. “Anyway,” she leaned down reaching into her bag, “I stopped by your apartment and got your mail. I also got the forwarding stuff. So you don’t have to go back and forth between houses, and I checked your messages. Your editor’s got great news for you, so call him back when you get the chance.”
I threw my arms around her neck kissing her cheek. “You’re wonderful, you know that?”
She patted me on the back. “I know. I’m just too wonderful for words.” We laughed until a knock made us jump.
When we separated, I looked up to see Charlie standing in the archway to the sitting room. “Yes, Charlie?” I said, winking at Tina, while she mouthed, “Oh my God,” which made my smile wider.
“Ma—” he checked himself before he finished, “Pat. Mr. Wolf is on the phone for you. He says it’s urgent.”
My spine went rigid, because just thinking about Michael could do that to me. “Oh,” I said, getting up off the sofa. “Excuse me, Tina. I have to get this.”
She looked worried. I’m sure it was because the smile had vanished from my face. “Sure, sweetie. No problem.”
I don’t know why I rushed into the study, but I did, and I almost broke my neck on the hardwood floor. I was stupidly wearing socks, which made me lose my footing, and I slid all the way across the foyer. “Hello?” I rasped, fixing myself as if he could see me through the phone.
“Pat?” Mike screamed, blasting my eardrum.
I pulled the phone away from my ear. “Mike, I can hear you just fine. Don’t yell.” I had to stop myself from calling him sweetheart, and I didn’t know why I’d wanted to say that in the first place. He wasn’t my sweetheart. That was Samuel.
“Oh,” he whispered, and I was sure he was rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry.”
“What do you want?” I asked. My voice was a little too soft and sultry for my liking, so I cleared my throat. Something was wrong with me, and I couldn’t seem to put my finger on it.
“You,” he blurted, and my mouth dropped. “I mean, for you to come over to my office…and…um…”
“Spit it out, Mike,” I said. Losing patience with a lawyer didn’t seem like a good idea. They do know how to sue you.
“Have lunch with me?” he asked in a rush.
I bit my lower lip in excitement. “Sure.” I paused, having a brilliant idea. “Do you mind if I bring a friend?”
“Not at all.” He sounded less than thrilled.
“I don’t have to,” I said quickly. It may sound weird, but even though I wanted him to meet Tina, I still wanted him to say that it wasn’t okay.
He sighed. “No, no.” He was being polite. “It’s fine. Really.”
“So I’ll meet you at your office.” My voice was less than enthusiastic. “Where is it?” He gave me the address, and I scribbled it down on a piece of computer paper. “All right,” I said. “See you in half an hour.”
He sighed. “Yeah. Bye, Pat.”
“Good-bye, Mike.” When I hung up something bothered me about his tone. It sounded like he wanted to tell me something but couldn’t do it over the phone. Oh, well. He’d tell me at lunch if he wanted.
I walked into the sitting room, seeing that Tina was up, placing her bag over her shoulder. It matched her black work suit perfectly. But I didn’t care about that. All I wanted to know was why she was leaving. “You’re not leaving, are you?” I asked.
She frowned. “Yeah, I gotta go to work. Mr. Bailey said that if I’m not there by one, he’s gonna fire me.” She wagged her fin
ger in jest.
“But you won’t be there by one,” something inside me was a little too happy that she was leaving. “It’s twelve-fifty now.”
She looked at me sternly. “Honey, he always says that.” Tina works for one of the top advertising firms in the city. Mr. Bailey, her boss, is “sweet in her” (Tina’s words not mine). They’ve gone out a couple of times, but nothing has come of it, except a hangover or two. “Besides,” she said, “you’re going out anyway, right?” She’d been eavesdropping.
I bit my lip. “But I wanted you to meet him.”
She walked up to me. “Who? Samuel?”
“No.” I held my breath. “His attorney, Michael Wolf.”
She waved me off, smiling as she walked to the front door. “I’ll meet him another time.”
“How are you going to get there?” I asked. One of the many reasons she’d come was so she could drop off my car.
“Your assistant, Charles, called me a taxi,” she smiled. “Not the nicest thing I’ve ever been called, but I’ll get over it.” I must warn you her humor’s not for everyone. “It should be here any minute.”
“Did he say something to make you want to leave?” I wanted to know, because if he had, I would’ve ripped him a new one.
Her eyes widened. “No. Did you tell him to?”
Why would she ever think that? “Of course not.”
“Listen,” she said, holding my hand, “don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon, okay?” She dropped my hand, brushing the hair out of her eyes.
I sighed. “Okay.” Then someone beeped from outside.
“I gotta go.” She swiftly kissed my cheek and left without another word.
I was just standing in the foyer alone when Charlie tapped me on the shoulder. “Is everything all right?” he asked, looking sad.
I nodded. “Yes, everything’s fine. She just had to go to work.”
“What did Mr. Wolf want?” The way he said his name sounded as if Mike was some sort of plague. At least I was right about Charlie not being too fond of him.
