Norah. I know being here with me is hard for you. I hope it will get
easier. I hope one day, you’ll be that happy,” he gestured back
towards the hospital as if he was talking about Sofia.
When they got back to the house, Norah went straight to the
kitchen and started washing the dishes. Liam came in behind her,
and pulled out a beer from the fridge.
“I never thanked you for closing the deal for me tonight. You
did something in fifteen minutes that my executives nor myself could
do in a month of talks. Thank you.” He walked up behind her at the
sink. He touched her cheek and pushed the hair off her shoulder. “It
seems the appearance of a girlfriend does good things for me in
more ways than one. I don’t think Stackhouse would have closed the
deal otherwise.” He leaned down and kissed her neck. “He’s very
traditional, believes in family, marriage, having something to pass
on. I don’t think he ever pictured me as the kind of man who wanted
to settle down.” He kissed her neck and traveled down to her
shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You looked very natural with the baby, Norah, you looked
happy.” He ran his hands down her body and pulled her to him. She
could feel his erection in her back. “For a very brief moment, I saw
my life playing out in a different way with you.” He kissed her neck
again. “Is this okay, Norah?” She turned her head toward him and
they shared a passionate kiss, as his hands wandered up her shirt. “I
want you, Norah,” he breathed in her mouth. “Do you want me?”
she wiped her hands on the towel in front of her and turned her
body to his. She put her hands in his hair, and pulled him closer.
“Yes sir,” she panted. He chuckled at her response. She did
want him. Although she still felt confused by her feelings, at this
moment she wanted him. She felt closer to him than she ever had
before. She felt at this moment she could say anything, be anything
to him, and he would accept her the way she was. She wasn’t scared
or even shy in front of him. And he could feel it. He knew this was
the moment he had waited for. He could feel that she was relaxed
and completely in control. She ran her hands up his shirt and felt his
warm chest. He hummed in her mouth. He moved her against the island and picked her up by her
behind and sat her in front of him. He parted her legs and moved
between them. As he grabbed the hem of her shirt to pull it over her
head, he felt the vibration in his pocket.
“Fuck! Are you kidding me?” he pulled away and looked
down at his phone. “Dammit!” He looked at her, “I’m sorry; I’ve got
to take this.” He kissed her forehead and walked in the other room.
She finished up the dishes and waited for a few minutes. She
wasn’t sure if she go look for him or just go up to bed. She sat on the
stool next to the island for twenty minutes. When she couldn’t hold
her eyes open anymore she decided to go to bed. She walked out to
the foyer and started up the stairs.
“Going to bed without me?” he called from the study. She
turned to face him. She could see he was still on the phone. “It’s
okay. I shouldn’t be much longer, go ahead. I’ll join you in a bit, if
that’s alright with you?” He winked and she smiled then turned back
and started up again. Then she heard him make a comment to the
person on his phone. “Norah…..Yes, she’s still lives here with me…….It isn’t like
that……no, you can’t, she’s mine…..Well I guess it is like that
then……no, she’s different…..Dammit, Nick! Can we talk about
business, or would like to know more about my girlfriend?”
Girlfriend? This was the 2nd time tonight someone has assumed she
was his girlfriend, and he did nothing to correct them. This time he
even said the word himself. Norah wondered if they knew about his
domineering ways over woman. She wondered if they had any idea
what Norah really was, which was a slave, or his submissive at the
very least. She didn’t think of herself as his girlfriend. Her feelings for
him had grown into more, something she never expected. She cared
for him, liked being with him, and having him close to her. She was
beginning to understand his moods and knew when to submit to his
will and when she could push the envelope. But she wasn’t sure how
he felt about her.
It was another hour before she felt him crawl into bed behind
her. He pulled her under him, and ran his hand up her body. “I was I
had the strength to finish what we started downstairs, but I’m too exhausted to give it the attention it deserves.” He wrapped her in his
arms and they both drifted off to sleep.
Chapter nine
Norah woke and rolled to the empty side of the bed. She
exhaled in disappointment at him already being gone. She wished he
had woken her. She leaned up in the bed and saw a note attached to
the computer screen.
Dearest Norah,
There is a dinner banquet tonight for Stackhouse Industries
and other colleagues. I would be pleased if you would accompany
me. I have placed three formal dresses in your closet for you to try
on. Please select one and call me to let me know the color. I will not
be able to pick you up this evening. I will have a car waiting for you
in front of the house at 7pm, please be ready on time. I will meet you
there.
Until then,
Liam
Norah jumped up from the bed and ran to the closet. There
hung a deep scarlet red ball gown. It was strapless with a full skirt
and fitted waist. It was made of satin, but the skirt looked as though
there were small silk roses all over it. It was a dress fit for the Oscars.
The next dress was navy blue with very small straps. The top looked
like a corset, and the skirt was full. She ran her hands over the fabric.
The third dress was black and the simplest of all three gowns. It was
strapless, the skirt was straight all the way to the floor, with a small
slit in the front. She quickly took off her pajamas and tried on the red
dress. As she stood in the mirror twirling, she noticed the bottom
shelf in her closet had shoes, a purse, and small white box to match
each dress. Norah walked to the first white box and opened it. Inside
was a large jewelry box on top of undergarments that matched the
red dress. She opened the jewelry box and found a beautiful garnet
and diamond bracelet, necklace and earrings. She covered her
mouth and sat down in the chair in the corner of her room. She assumed the other boxes had things in them that
matched the other dresses. She was thinking this was going to be a
business dinner, she had no idea how formal it would be. This was
too much. Being around some of Liam’s employees and fooling them
into thinking she was his girlfriend was one thing, but now a
ballroom full of people? She didn’t know if she could be what he
wanted her to be. She didn’t know what he wanted her to be.
By 3pm Norah still hadn’t called Liam with her choice of
dresses. She hadn’t ev
en left her room. Gerald knocked on the door
and opened it slowly.
“Mr. Hastings, for you, Miss Chandler,” he held out the
phone. Norah walked to him and nodded as she took the phone.
“Hello,” she whispered.
“Norah? I had hoped I would have heard from you by now.
Which dress are you going to wear?” She didn’t answer. “I know they
are all beautiful, and I’m sure you look beautiful in them.” “I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered. Liam walked
out of the conference room and into his office.
“What do you mean you can’t do this?” he asked.
“I’m not sure I know what you want me to do, or how to act.
I’m afraid I will mess up and you’ll punish me.” Liam exhaled in the
phone.
“You can’t mess up, Norah. Just be yourself, and you will be
fine.”
“But what if someone can tell I’m your….whatever I am to
you, that you…” She sat down on the floor. “Fooling a few business
associates for a few minutes is one thing, but a whole room of
people? I don’t know if I can do that.” Liam cleared his throat.
“Norah, you don’t have a price tag on your forehead and I
don’t carry a receipt that says paid in full; stop being ridiculous, pick
a dress and get ready. I’ll see you in a few hours.” He hung up the
phone and went back to the conference room. Norah sat in the back of the limo fidgeting with her bracelet.
She kept checking to make sure her necklace was still on too. Finally
the car stopped and the door opened. A tall man held out his hand,
and she stepped out on the red carpet. The building looked like a
castle. She nodded at the man and stepped up on the sidewalk.
“You look beautiful, Norah,” Liam took her hand and kissed it.
She looked up at him and instantly lowered her eyes. He pulled her
to him and lightly kissed her lips. “I knew red would be a gorgeous
color on you.” They walked inside and Liam took her to the side. He
could feel she was nervous. When they got to the corner, he took
her chin and forced her to look at him.
“You need to be confident tonight. You are with me, at my
side. Hold your head high and let everyone see that beautiful smile.”
Norah smiled a little, but lowered her eyes again. “Don’t be ashamed
of yourself, Norah. I’m not. I am proud to have you with me. I will be
with you all night. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Are you happy with me,
Norah?” She looked up at him. “I mean, reasonably. Are you
reasonably happy with me?” She nodded her head. “So I don’t have
to worry that you might run through the room telling people I
kidnapped you?”
“No sir,” she whispered. He kissed her forehead.
“And don’t call me sir tonight,” and then they walked in the
ballroom.
Norah
The room was magnificent. It was a grand ballroom with
crystal chandeliers, and white linen covered tables everywhere. I
instantly touched my necklace again it make sure it was still there,
but also to catch my breath. Liam walked right up to two older
gentlemen and women and started talking.
“And who do we have here?” one of the men asked. Liam
placed his hand at my lower back, and held my hand with the other. “This is Norah Chandler. Norah, this is George Collins, his wife
Cynthia, Harry Dobbs and his wife Carol. They were business
associates of my father and colleagues of mine now.” I shook hands
with each of them.
“This is the lovely Norah? Whom we have heard so little
about?” asked Cynthia. “Well my darling, you are just as beautiful as
I was told. I hope the rumors are true, that you have captured Liam’s
heart, however cold and hard it may be.” They all laughed, including
Liam. I just smiled. “So tell us, sweetie, how did you two meet?” I
looked at Liam, then decided to use to acting skills. I cleared my
throat and went for it.
“Liam and I met in Paris almost three months ago. I was
celebrating graduating from college, and I think Liam was just taking
a break from all of his work for a few days,” I looked at him, and the
group laughed. “We were both in a café, and when I saw him, I knew
I had to talk to him, so I pretended to be lost and asked him for
directions. He spent the day showing me around.” I squeezed his
hand, and he smiled at me. “Liam, that doesn’t sound like you. You were either drunk, or
thought she was something special from the start,” Carol remarked.
“I knew she was special the moment I saw her,” Liam’s eyes
narrowed and he tugged me a little closer to him.
“Well I tell you, Norah, we had heard nothing about you until
the other day. Everyone on the board was wondering why Liam’s
attitude at work has changed so much lately. He doesn’t seem
consumed by it anymore. Now we all know why,” Mr. Collins said.
Liam leaned into my ear, “Would you like to dance?” he
whispered in my ear. I nodded. “Please excuse us,” he nodded at the
group and we walked to the dance floor.
We swayed back and forth with our cheeks touching. His arm
was firmly around my waist as if he was afraid I was going to be
taken away from him.
“I hope that was acceptable, I just told the story of my day in
Paris, and embellished a little.” He touched my cheek with his
thumb. “It was fine. I wish it had happened that way,” he exhaled
and kissed my cheek. “I really did think you were special when I saw
you. I thought you were so beautiful and wanted to be with you so
badly.” He breathed out sharply. “And all I have done is brought you
more pain and sadness.” He touched my exposed neck.
“That isn’t true, Liam.” I said his name without thinking. “I
was very sad and scared at first.” I put my hand to his chest. “But I’m
not anymore. I still miss my family, but I like being here with you too.
When we are together…..like this….really together…..I never want to
be anywhere else. I am the one who hopes to make you happy.” He
grip around my waist tighten, and he pulled me closer. “You do make
me happy. I’m happier with you than I have been in a very long
time.”
“Sometimes, I’m not so sure. I look at you and don’t have a
clue as to what you are thinking. I don’t know how I am supposed to
act around you. I can feel you push me away, and become cold in a
moment. Other times you want me close and make me feel like you
really care about me. It scares me. It scares me that you don’t you trust me and your feelings
can change so fast. Apparently I’m not the only one that thinks you
keep a wall up.”
“Trust is a very hard thing to give, Norah. With our
relationship, how we came together, trust is a very hard thing to give
freely. You have absolutely no reason to trust me, and I have every
reason in the world not to trust you. But I am trying.”
“May I cut in?” a familiar voice said. We pulled ourselves
apart and looked over to find Will and Jane standing beside us.
“Will Chambers, how are you?” Liam shook his hand. Jane
and I nodded at each other, and then she lowered her eyes.
“Liam, you remember Jane, right? Jane this is Liam Hastings,
and I’m sure you remember Norah?” Liam nodded at her, and we
smiled at each other again. Never in wildest dreams did I ever think
the last time I saw her, that I would see her again, wearing a ball
gown, next to two handsome men wearing tuxedos. “I need to talk to you about some business, can we leave the
girls here for a moment?” Will asked. Liam looked over me and
touched both sides of my arms. “Are you going to be alright?” he
asked. I nodded. “Oh good lord, she is a grown up, right? You can
leave her, I don’t think the world will end.” Liam didn’t even look at
him. He kissed my hand and winked at me. Jane stepped closer to
me when they walked away.
“He seems very fond of you?” she said. I smiled. “How is
your…..I mean, how are things between you?” she asked. I didn’t
know if Liam would want me to discuss our relationship with her, but
I didn’t want to be rude either.
“It’s fine.”
“Fine?” she said. “How does he treat you?” she asked again. I
looked down at my feet. “It’s ok, this is just between us.”
“It was hard at first. But it’s easier now. He’s changed a lot.” I
smiled. I didn’t think anything I had just said was a big secret. “Is he rough with you?” she stepped closer so no one would
hear us.
“Rough? I mean he has been upset or angry with me before.
But he hasn’t punished me in a long time.” I wasn’t sure if that was
something he would want me to share or not. I pressed my lips
together thinking I had over spoke.
“Will is very rough with me. He treats me like a maid and a
whore. When people are around he acts like he cares for me. But
when we are home, he is always having me clean something, fold
something, and make sure everything looks right. And then at night,
or whenever he wants it, he just takes it, ya know? Hard, cold,
sometimes it’s fun, but most of the time it hurts.” I narrowed my
eyes at her. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about.
“What does he take?” I asked. She looked at me like I had
two heads.
“Sex. He takes it. He just does whatever he wants, and puts it
Sold (Keeping her in the Dark) Page 15
