Eternity (17 page)

He leans over, planting a long, soft kiss on my lips, “that is the last thing I would ever want to do” my heart skips a beat, I hadn’t allowed myself to believe he might not want to run, this is so unexpected, so beautifully, perfectly, magically unexpected; I throw my arms around his neck, knocking us both back onto the bed, “really?” I ask, not making any attempt to keep the exhilaration from my voice.

“Really, really” he replies, covering me in kisses, “now, where were we?” he asks, nuzzling my neck and running his hand up my thigh….

We are still in bed by mid afternoon, “shouldn’t you be working?” I question him as the clock passes 16.00.

“Yes” he replies simply, “I should be, but I can’t exactly drag you into the office and have my wicked way with you there, so work will just have to wait.”

“Indefinitely?”

“Yep” he is brilliantly stubborn, but if it means I get more time in bed with his naked self, then I think I can learn to live with it.

“As much as I love the idea of staying in bed forever, I could really do with eating at some point today?” I test the waters.

“Room service?” he fires back.

“I was thinking more dinner with Blair and John?”

“Aaawwww” he whines dejectedly.

“I know, staying in bed with you for the foreseeable future is great, but I also want to show you off, my knight in shining armour
,
An
d
you did suggest it to Blair yesterday, so we really should” I add in the last bit, knowing he is too polite to go back on his word.

“Oh alright” he pouts like a toddler getting a telling off, “we best make this time count then” his expression changing in an instant to an impish grin, he pounces on me, his fingers tickling my sides, as I shriek, helpless against his onslaught.

It’s 18.00 before he finally relents and lets me ring Blair, almost guaranteeing they will have already made plans for tonight’s dinner; but happily she said they were only just talking about what they wanted to do for dinner, so they were more than happy to join us. We agree to give it an hour or so, giving us all time to spruce up, then meet at the beachside bar for a leisurely dinner.

It’s not until I emerge from the shower that it occurs to me that Jake is probably still in the resort somewhere, I voice my concerns to Carlos, “if you like I can call and get security to chuck him out?” he offers.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, I’m not afraid of him, I just don’t want him to cause a scene”

“I don’t think, after this morning, he’d be stupid enough to try and approach you, at least while you’re with me?” he states, curling his arm up in front of him and flexing his biceps at me. Smiling I shake my head at him in mock disapproval, “put it away” I say whipping his thigh with the corner of the towel, he yelps playfully and skips into the bathroom for a quick shower while I get dressed.

We arrive at the bar by twenty past seven, finding Blair and John already seated on a table at the back, with a large jug of cocktails at the ready.

As we sit down John starts pouring the colourful mixture into my glass, earning me an amused nudge from Carlos to remind me of my shameful behaviour last time I partook in these lethal concoctions.

I flush red and give him a disapproving look, silently warning him not to re-tell that story in public.

Looking away from him, I catch Blair watching us intently, she gives me a huge smile and a knowing wink, then declares we should order on account of her being starving.

Out of ease we go for a Moroccan themed tapas option and are quickly served up numerous plates, containing various exotic treats, from hummus, to vine leaves, to sausages, a feast fit for a king.

We dig in, chatting between mouthfuls, everyone getting on marvellously, despite Blair’s frank questioning of Carlos’s intentions, “So things are getting serious between the two of you?” she aims at him, I shoot her a glare for asking a question I have been too afraid to breach.

“It’s early days yet, but it’s going brilliantly so far” he answers unflustered. She is suitably impressed.

After a few glasses of cocktails I excuse myself to ‘powder my nose’ and Blair willingly accompanies me; once in the safety of the bathroom she gives me an excited squeeze, equaling my own delight about my blossoming relationship. I fill her in on the Jake situation, as she gasps in shock and then jumps for joy squealing as I relay the part Carlos played and the consequent talk with him after.

“That’s so romantic!” she croons, “You’re so lucky!”

“I know!” I giggle, holding her hands in mine as we jump up and down together, “Come on, let’s get back before they start wondering where we are”

We return to the table thick as thieves and continue to down far too many cocktails.

The evening flies by in a hazy, tipsy blur. A local band starts up later in the evening and no sooner have they strummed out the first note has Blair dragged my up to dance; if I was more sober I would have been mortified, but in my half cut state I’m tricked into believing we look good throwing down shapes on the dance floor.

After a couple of songs people slowly start to filter in and join us and eventually John and Carlos follow. Blair and I split up and link with our respective partners for a spin; Carlos places one hand on the small of my back and offers his other for me to hold, he guides me round the dance floor, skimming past the other couples with ease, yet somehow never taking his eyes from mine. He steps back from me and with a whip of his wrist sends me twirling under his arm, then drags me back against his body, before continuing another circuit of the floor; I feel dizzy and uncoordinated, not one step I take is controlled by me, it’s all Carlos, his strong arms carry me from step to step, dipping me majestically when the music calls for it.

I feel so light, if I close my eyes it’s like I’m flying; all I am aware of is the warm breeze against my skin and Carlos’s body close to mine.

I allow myself a rare opportunity, to give into my growing lust for this man and just let myself imagine for a moment that we are madly in love with each other, that this is the first dance at our wedding; that we have just sworn to be together forever and now we dance as if we are the only to people in the world.

The music stops abruptly bringing my fantasy crashing down around me, I open my eyes feeling forlorn at the loss of my day dream, to be met with the real life thing; Carlos looking longingly at me, his green eyes sparkling in the candle light, his curly hair slipping down across his face. I reach up and tuck it behind his ear, my fingers grazing his soft, sun-kissed skin, feeling the contrast of stubble along his jaw line as my hand drops back down.

“Are you OK?” he asks, concerned about my sudden melancholy.

“I’ve never been better” I say truthfully, burying my face against his neck.

He lifts his arm to get Blair and John’s attention and mouths to them, over the crowd, that he is going to take me home, they nod and wave in agreement, Blair blowing me a goodnight kiss.

“Where are we going?” I enquire as he walks me away from the bar.

“I’m putting you to bed”

“Oh really?” I ask, perking up at the prospect.

“Not like that, unfortunately I do have to do some work tomorrow and if I go to bed with you tonight, I won’t get anything done again!”

“What if I promise to throw you out in the morning?” I bargain with him.

“Ha! Really?” he asks sarcastically.

“Yes really, I have will power, I can abstain and throw you out, no problem” I reply confidently. As we turn the corner towards my apartment, he grabs me, pushing me roughly against the wall, surprising me with a fiery kiss, as he runs his hand up my inner thigh. As his hand rises my knees bend to meet it, but as quickly as he started he pulls away from the kiss and stills his hand, less than a centimetre from its summit, “resist me can you?” he says with a smug look on his face.

Realisation dawns on the cruel game he is playing here, “Well come on, that’s hardly fair!”

He gives a little chuckle, “I guess not, but still, I think I made my point” he claims, no less pleased with himself.

Taking my hand he pulls me away from the wall and we continue on, I purposely dawdle to prolong every last second that he’s with me.

At my door I do my best to get him to change his mind “Are you sure you can’t come in? Even just for a little while?” I beg draping myself over him.

“Oh you are a temptress!.......But no I really can’t……… I’ll get up early and then hopefully……… I will get all my work done……. by early afternoon…….. and then I can come over and pleasure you, sweetness” he says each word in amongst kissing my neck, making it all the more frustrating.

I moan, clinging tighter around his shoulders, irritated by his lack of folding on the issue.

“I know sweet, I promise I will make it up to you tomorrow, how about I take you to lunch?”

I frown like a spoiled child and shrug my shoulders, unimpressed.

“How about I bring lunch here and we eat it together in bed, naked?” he tries again.

A smile breaks across my face, “Ok, deal!” I agree, getting one last kiss before he leaves; I watch him from the door way until he turns the corner out of sight then close the door and skip across the room hugging myself with glee.

I barely sleep all night, not for anything negative, but because I am so happy, it’s as though I have pure joy coursing through my veins, a permanent grin plastered on my face, making my cheeks ache under the strain.

I jump out of bed as soon as the sun rises; I just can’t sit still a moment longer.

I potter around busying myself with showering and a beautifying regime, urging the time to go by faster, until I see Carlos again.

It’s 8am when there’s a knock at my door. I literally sprint over to open it, silently pleading with the Gods that it’s him.

My disappointment is palpable as I come face to face with Jake. “Are you serious? Why won’t you leave?” I snap at him, exhausted by his perseverance.

“Is he here?” is all he has to say.

“No, but he’s coming by shortly” I lie, “so make it quick”

“I saw you with him last night at the bar, he looked very cozy pawing my wife” he sneers.

Something in me snaps and my voice takes on a shrill decibel “What the fuck? So you’re spying on me now? And I am not your wife, I stopped being yours when you knocked up your secretary!”

His jaw drops at that revelation, “Yeah I know all about it, you got her pregnant and then came running back to me like the slimy bastard you are!”

“Fucking Phil” he mumbles, when he dares to look up again his eyes blaze in a way I have never seen before, for a second I am frozen to the spot and he immediately seizes this opportunity to barge past me into the room.

“Jake! What are you doing?” his intrusion quickly brings back my fury.

“She’s a stupid bitch” he seethes, “she did it on purpose to trap me, told me she couldn’t have any more kids. I left her because she was a liar, not because she got pregnant.”

“Good for you, what do you want a medal for chivalry?” my words dripping with sarcasm “Now get out!”. He turns towards me grabbing my upper arms in a vice like grip, pinning them to my sides, “Ah! Your hurting me, let go!” I shout, shocked at his brutality.

“No, not until you understand” he growls back, “it was a mistake, a stupid mistake, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you before you get it you thick cow!” with each word he is shaking me roughly, his fingers digging into my flesh harder each time; my mind is racing, I’ve never known him to be like this, he always had a short fuse, but he’s never laid a hand on me before.

“Jake please let go, you’re scaring me” I plead, tears starting to well up and spill down my cheeks.

“I don’t want to scare you Kate, really I don’t, but you need to do something for me” his voice has turned into an eerie calm tone, but his grip has not lessened even slightly.

“What?” I am whimpering now.

“You need to leave that jumped up prick that’s been hanging around you and come home with me where you belong, OK?” he starts to shake me again, emphasising each word he says, he’s acting like a psychopath, I’ve never been so scared in my life; I feel helpless, with my arms still pinned I can’t run or fight back, although he doesn’t come close to Carlos’s build, he still overpowers me with little effort.

“Jake, it doesn’t matter if I leave him or not, I still can’t be with you, it’s over” I say it as softly as I can between sobs; he’s broken me down too many times before, it no longer matters what he does to me, I just can’t let myself back down on this.

“AAARRRRR!” a strangled yell comes from deep within him as he launches me across the room; I fall, skidding across the floor and colliding head first into the wall. Pain explodes in my temple, my vision blurring, I blink rapidly to bring it back into focus, I need to keep my wits about me. Looking up Jake is stood in the middle of the room, his chest heaving, fists clenched and jaw grinding, he stares at me with contempt; there is nothing within reach, no weapon, no heavy object, the pain in my head is throbbing wildly, my arms weak from his grasp on them, I’m completely vulnerable, shaking in a collapsed heap on the floor.