When I think about where it all went wrong, I can’t pinpoint the exact moment everything came crashing down. I’d like to assume it happened when I received heartbreaking news about my body, but now I wonder if that was just the last nail in the coffin. Truth be told, Frank and I weren’t the same people, and I suppose finally being able to admit it was a step in the right direction, though it didn’t help us salvage the relationship.
Chapter 2
Macy
I’ve been using my lunch break to make my weekly Friday appointments with my shrink so that I’m not having to miss out of work obligations. As soon as I’m back at the firm, I rush into my office and close the shades so no one can see me upset, especially Ben.
He knows something’s up. I never should have gone through my own firm to manage my divorce. I’ve only been back for nearly thirty minutes before a familiar knock erupts on the door. “Come in,” I stumble to say.
There he is in all his manliness. He’s crisp; so well kept it should be a crime. The half-smile on his face tells me he’s up to no good even before his deep, raspy voice radiates off the walls. “How was your lunch?”
God he’s sexy. Today his hair is slicked back with some kind of product that makes it appear wet. Ben is wearing a gray button down shirt with another underneath. The first two buttons are loosened, as are the ones around his wrists. He wiggles his gold watch around as he makes his presence known. I can smell his cologne as he approaches. It makes me wonder if his skin holds the same mouth-watering scent. I’ve imagined running my lips over his hard chest. Hell, I’ve daydreamed about doing a lot more than that with this man I can’t seem to hate enough.
I pretend I’m sorting through papers, even though I have no idea what I’m currently looking at. “It was fine.”
He sits down on the edge of my desk and grabs a paperweight before tossing it into the air and catching it. “I wanted to remind you of that black tie event tomorrow night. Caitlyn says you never responded with the name of your guest.”
This isn’t something Ben should know unless he asked. It’s beneath him, so I’m aware he’s doing this to get under my skin because he knows I don’t have a date. I’m beginning to wonder if I should pay a homeless man to pretend we’re an item just to keep my associate from getting the wrong idea. “I don’t have a plus one.”
Regrettably I look up to see him cock his brow. “Well, that’s a change. The good doctor couldn’t fit you into his schedule?”
I fold my hands and attempt to keep composure. “You and I both know he’s my ex-husband, so you’re better off telling me why you’re in here bothering me with details which aren’t your concern.”
He snickers before sitting the glass animal down where he found it. “Fine. I just figured we could go together. I’ll have a better time since I won’t have to entertain a chick I know nothing about. It gets so daunting to be honest. I need a night out where I can unwind and drink some brandy or bourbon without having to work.”
“So it wouldn’t be a date, because I’m not interested in you that way.”
He cackles. “Yeah, so you keep saying.”
My fingertips are massaging my temples. It’s just an annual event the firm does each year to raise money for charity. We’re associates. What could go wrong? “I’ll ride with you to the event, Ben. It sounds like a plan.”
“Will you be riding home with me too?” It only takes one glance to see what his question actually implies.
I roll my eyes as if he’s annoying, though my legs are shaking under the desk just imagining it for a second. This is what this man is capable of without even touching me. I can’t begin to consider what it would be like to give him free reign. “Your car will be dropping me off at my residence. If I need to get that in writing, I will.”
“No need. I’m fully aware where you stand on the matter. I’ll pick you up at seven for an early dinner beforehand.”
I’m already reconsidering it as he exits the office.
I’m restless when I arrive home and attempt to sleep. When I wake I head to my closet to see what I can wear to the event without having to go shopping. I know most women love to pick out new things, but shopping is daunting, and I can’t stand being around impatient people, so I tend to avoid malls at all costs. If I need something I usually pick it up online. I previously anticipated skipping the event and using an excuse that I was under the weather, but now I know I can’t get out of it. After pulling out several different dresses, I choose a black one I’ve worn to a previous outing with clients. It’s form fitted and good enough for the occasion.
I spend the rest of the day doing laundry, for lack of better words, staying busy so I’m not thinking about being close to Ben. I know it’s inevitable that he’ll hit on me, but I’m determined to keep my distance. I can’t risk my status with the firm over a fling I know won’t last. Ben doesn’t do relationships. He likes having a selection, which reminds me why I hate him. He’s a dog; a seriously handsome, rich, powerful, and devious hound. He has everything to offer, but nothing I know I need, at least not if I want to feel good about myself.
I’m dressed and ready at six thirty in the evening, just in case he arrives early. At one minute after seven a dark sedan pulls into my driveway. I notice a male figure climbing out of the back , so I head over to the door to meet him there.
Ben is already standing on the opposite side with a gift box in his hand and a sly smirk plastered across his perverted face. He shakes his head as he speaks. “No. That’s not going to do. We’ll need to do something about your appearance, or you can’t be my date.”
I peer down at my black dress. I may have purchased it over a year ago, but it cost more than one hundred bucks on sale. It’s comfortable, and appropriate for lots of occasions. “What’s wrong with what I have on?”
He shoves the box toward me before pushing past me to come inside without being invited. “Your lucky I prepared for this ahead of time. Open the box. You’ll find something more appropriate.”
“What?” I shove the box back. “I don’t want your gifts, Ben.”
“It’s not a gift. It’s a requirement. Now, open the fucking box, Macy.”
I lean the cardboard package on the table and lift the top. Nestled in between tissue paper to protect the fabric is a beautiful strapless red gown. It’s lined with a patterned sequence around the breast corset and flows down to a layered sheer chiffon that appears to be floor length. I pull it out and place it over my body to see how it flows. I can’t deny its beauty, or the fact that he’s left the price tag on to display his ability to spend without regard for a budget.
Nine hundred dollars. He’s spent almost a grand on a dress I’m probably going to wear once.
“Are you insane?” I’m simply offended he’d do such a thing. Most women he involves himself with would expect this, but not me. Ben is just a handsome man with a ton of resources within reach. He takes advantage of his power in order to get what he wants, and he’s made it clear where he stands when it comes to me. I can’t let him have it. “You need to have this returned.”
“Try it on,” he persists.
“No. I don’t want to like it. I can’t.”
“I want to see it on you. Wear the damn dress. I don’t care if you give it to a friend tomorrow, or sell it on EBay. Tonight you’re accompanying me to the charity event and your wearing that dress.”
I roll my eyes and fight with my inner conscience over keeping such an expensive gift. “Fine. I’ll wear the dress.” I begin to head toward the stairs to change.
“Hold on. Where do you think you’re going?”
“You just told me to change. Make up your mind.”
He smirks and hugs the ball of his chin with his hand. “I don’t think I’ve made myself clear. I want you to try the dress on in front of me, Macy. I think I’ve invested enough to get the full show, don’t you?”
My body is beckoning me to obey, while my mind fights to remain in control. “You’re insane
. We work together. I’m not doing that.”
“You think you have something I’ve never seen before?” He laughs as it comes out, reminding me how arrogant he is.
“Of course not. I know the women you surround yourself with. I’ve seen the type of females you like fawning all over you at these types of events.”
Ben leans closer to me as he responds. “Are you afraid I won’t like what I see?”
I back away. “No! I’m afraid you’ll like it too much.” My boast leaves me excited in a way I’m unable to appreciate. I don’t want to feel this way around him, especially when we’re alone. My cheeks are flushed, so much that they’re burning. Parts of me have butterflies, and I swear my head feels like it’s floating.
“We won’t know until you take off that hideous cloth you’re wearing and put on the gown I’ve gotten to fit every single curve of your delectable skin.”
I toss him an annoyed frown. “Maybe I should reconsider your invitation. It seems you’ve been misinformed about what I’m willing to do to impress the people I surround myself with. I’ve told you before, I’m not interested.”
“That was before, when you were married. How would you know what you want if you’ve never put yourself out there to try new things? You hold it against me for knowing exactly what I want, Macy. I’m not the enemy. I’m just the man who could hold all the answers you’re desperately searching for.” I hate that he can read me. It’s like he knows every word I confide in my doctor, even though I’m positive it isn’t possible. His confidence pours from him in a way that leaves distaste in my mouth, though I envy him for it. “Say the word and I’ll take you to new heights. I’ll teach you things you never knew about yourself. I’ll show you how a real man takes care of a woman.” He reaches for my chin and smirks when I pull away. “We could fuck now and get it over with, if that makes it easier for you.”
I toss the box and the dress in his direction. “Screw you, Ben. I changed my mind. Go to the event alone. Pick up one of your call girls. I want you to leave. I’m a professional and you’re making the workplace uncomfortable for me.” I point toward the door. “Go. Get out!”
He grips my wrist and holds me near while he speaks. “Deny me as much as you need to. I’m a patient man, but I always get what I want.” He drops the box with the dress on the floor, lets go of my arm, and storms out the door without another word.
For a few seconds I stand there flabbergasted expecting him to come back and tell me to get my ass in gear, except he doesn’t. I hear the sound of the car door shutting and then nothing but the vehicle’s motor letting me know he hasn’t pulled away. He’s testing me and I’m torn on whether I should put on the beautiful dress, or toss it out the door before locking the deadbolt and hiding until he’s gone.
So I wait.
Minutes pass and the sedan remains in the driveway.
The chime of my phone startles me. I pick it up to see it’s Ben. Before it reaches my ear I hear him speaking. “Hurry up. I don’t like being late.”
“I’ve decided to decline the offer. I’ll return the dress tomorrow to wherever you picked it up from.”
The line is quiet. I think he’s hung up so I look down to make sure the clock is still running on the call. Then I hear him as clear as day. “Don’t make me come in after you. You’ve got five minutes to get your ass out here or I’ll come in and dress you myself, and I can promise we won’t make it to the event, because you’ll be inclined to beg me for more.”
When he hangs up I don’t know whether to laugh or scream. This man pushes my buttons and he seems to enjoy doing it. The fact that I can’t stop thinking about him only makes it worse, because I know it’s only a matter of time before I cave and let him have his way. I even wonder if I’m delaying the inevitable by playing hard to get. Would it be so bad to get lost in something I’ve thought about for months?
Chapter 3
Macy
While I dress I take my memories back to the first time Ben came onto me, when I initially noticed his power and became curious of his rumored lifestyle. I don’t think Ben cared about his reputation. He’s rich enough to bury any evidence one might be able to conjure up. I’d watched him in action, in and out of the courtroom. He’s a monster hiding in plain sight. In many ways he’s the devil, disguised as someone who could save the day, at least when it benefits him.
Bennington Winthrop. Even his name eludes power. He's tall, strong, mysterious, and most importantly savvy. He doesn't get mad; he gets even, in unimaginable ways. I once accompanied him to a prison to go over an upcoming trial with a convicted felon. It was back when I first started at the firm, so it was thought to be a learning experience.
This awful prisoner had brutally raped and murdered the mother of his children. He was guiltier than any client we'd ever represented. In fact, we usually didn't involve ourselves with the proven violent.
The moment we walked into that visitation room; Petey (Shark) Mann sitting cuffed to the metal table, I felt overwhelmed with fear, while Ben remained composed. Throughout the interview Mr. Mann’s eyes never left my body. I felt as if I was on display knowing the vial things he was imagining doing to me if given the chance. While I fought from being sick to my stomach when he started erotically suggesting things with his tongue, Ben slammed a folder down on the table causing the two of us to startle. He waited until Mann’s eyes finally focused on his before addressing him. “It seems I’ve been unclear. You see, we both know you’re guilty for this latest assault. Your DNA was found inside of the victim. There are traffic cameras putting your vehicle at the scene, and eyewitnesses picked you out of a lineup. I’ve read the case files on your wife’s murder. I know what you did to her years ago. I also know you weren’t framed for this new crime. You were there that night. You picked up that girl from the side of the road, took her to a desolate part of the highway and assaulted her again and again until you not only stole her innocence, but her will to fight to live. Then you threw her into a shallow body of water face down like she was nothing but trash you could walk away from easily. You’re demented. People like you don’t deserve another chance, and if I weren’t on board with the new governor to throw out the death penalty, I wouldn’t be wasting my time in this room today. Let me make this abundantly clear, just in case you can’t understand how this will play out. The only thing standing between you getting a lethal injection or being able to rot away in a cell for the rest of your despicable existence, is me. Keep your unclean thoughts to yourself, or I’ll make sure the next visitor you get is the one who slits your throat. Do we have an understanding?”
It was unjust, and completely unprofessional. He could lose his license over such actions, and no one knew it more than he did. It didn’t stop him from laying down the law.
On the way back to the office, while alone in his new BMW, he pulled the car on the shoulder of the road and shut off the ignition. First he faced me, bringing a few fingers over to toy through my long hair. “Are you afraid of me?” He asked.
I shake my head, even as my confidence is diminishing. “No. Of course not.”
He’s not convinced. “You find me intimidating. You think I’m an asshole.”
“No.” I look away as I respond. “I think you have a big ego, but it seems to work for you.”
He takes my chin and forces me to face him. “It could work for you too. Say the word and I’ll take you under my wing and show you how.”
I gulp hard. It’s difficult to look into his seductive eyes and not wonder what he’s like in the sack. “What would that entail? I could be mistaken, but are you hitting on me, Mr. Winthrop?”
“I don’t have to hit on anyone.” He lowers his reach and turns the vehicle back on while continuing. “I’ve never had to ask someone to spend time with me. Even if I was today, I’d hardly expect you to appreciate everything I have to offer.”
It was like he was taunting me to be curious. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. “I’m not interested. I happen t
o love my life. I have everything I’ve ever wanted. My husband loves me, and we’re very comfortable.”
It was bullshit. I’d lied to him for months about being able to get pregnant. When I was fourteen I had cyst rupture in my ovaries. My mother had taken me to the gynecologist only to discover my female parts weren’t functioning properly. Back then they told me it would be hard for me to have children. They gave me around a one-percent change of getting pregnant without having to go through special surgeries and treatments. It was something I’d never mentioned to Frank, or anyone for that matter. I think I always knew I wouldn’t be able to have children, but I thought if I kept it a secret it wouldn’t be true.
When this conversation occurred I was still living in denial, praying for a miracle that would make me a mother.
“When you’re ready to be honest with yourself you know where to come for answers. You are quite boring, Mrs. Stone. There’s no doubt in my mind that I could show you how to rectify that situation.”
I rolled my eyes. He wasn’t winning me over. At the time, I was irritated, almost to the point of wanting to get out of the car because he made me feel uncomfortable, but I remained silent instead.
No one questions Bennington Winthrop. He has ties to government officials and supports several of their campaigns. The way he’d acted that day in the jail was no different than his demeanor in the office. He intimidated everyone, not just by his actions but also his style. He wears custom tailored suits that display every muscle of his chiseled physique. He winks at women from across the room, and they’d only ever respond with a friendly smile. He’s cocky, and downright toxic. For years I loathed the idea of someone wanting a relationship with him. He’d been forward regarding his intentions when I first joined the firm. He’d told me that a woman shouldn’t be tied down to one man, she should be bound and ravaged by many. He was a total pig. I’d seen the kind of acts he’d been involved in, and he knew it too.
Bound (Seven Year Itch) Page 2
