Tied to You (13 page)

“Please, Alex, the plug, too much. Can’t take anymore,” I gasp out. Instantly the sensation stops and I feel Alex gently tugging it out of me as he kisses me softly. Our bodies are slick with perspiration and I know the only things holding me up at this point are the restraints and my heels, which feel as if they have been ground into the floor.

“Let me get you down, Liv,” Alex murmurs as he quickly releases me. Scooping me up, he gently walks me across to the platform and lays me down on the plush throw. Quietly, he rubs my wrists, ankles and feet before cleaning me up with a warm cloth. “That was fucking amazing, Liv,” I hear Alex whisper as I try to keep my eyes open. I feel Alex kiss my hair and then I am in his arms again, a blanket wrapped around my body as we head upstairs. I wind my arms around Alex’s neck and nestle my head into the crook, completely sated.

~~~~~~~~~~

It is still dark when I wake, feeling uncomfortable and restrained. The glow of the digital clock tells me it is only 1:00 a.m., so I move silently past a sleeping Alex to go to the bathroom. I close the door before flicking on the light, pausing to stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is dishevelled and my lips are swollen from Alex’s kisses. I am still in my underwear, so I quickly slip off my stockings and remove my bra and garter.

I stare at my body, which is left with the imprint of the elastics cross-hatching across my skin. My skin is still slightly pink where Alex snapped the elastics and I can see a couple of tiny bruises forming. But there is nothing to mar the ecstasy I felt when I was bound and completely at Alex’s mercy. My submission is absolute and I know there is nothing that I wouldn’t allow him to do to me. Alex owns me, heart, body and soul.

A small noise startles me and I whip my head around to find Alex leaning against the door frame nonchalantly, his arms crossed as he studies me with a soft smile. “Hey,” I say. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Alex strides across the room and comes to stand behind me in front of the mirror. “You are so beautiful, Liv,” Alex murmurs into my ear as he runs his hands lightly up my arms. Embarrassed, I duck my head to avoid Alex’s eyes, but he gently forces my head back up so that I am looking at myself in the mirror. “I will never, ever lie to you, Liv. So you need to believe me when I tell you that I think you are the most beautiful person I have ever met.” I am quiet as I try to absorb Alex’s words. “You are kind, generous and thoughtful. And your total submission is the most precious gift I have ever received. So yes, to me, you are the most beautiful person I have ever met.”

I have no words to respond, so I just smile back at Alex’s reflection, a soft expression I have never seen before on my face. “These are very sexy,” Alex murmurs, running his deft fingers across the lines covering my breasts, causing me to giggle as he finds a couple of my ticklish spots.

“I need a shower,” I say. “Want to join me?”

With a nod, Alex leads me into the shower and spends a couple of moments adjusting the water jets until hot water is pouring over both our bodies. Reaching up onto my tiptoes, I wrap my arms around Alex’s neck and pull his lips down onto mine. It feels like we kiss for hours, the steam swirling around us, but before long Alex gently untangles us and grabs my shower gel. Rubbing it between his palms until it has formed a frothy lather, he proceeds to run his hands across my body. When he reaches my shoulders, though, he starts to massage my aching shoulder muscles and I find myself groaning at the sweet pain as he works out the kinks and knots that have developed. When at last I am putty in his hands, he rinses us both down before stepping out the cubicle and grabbing two warm, fluffy towels off the radiator. He wraps one around my shoulders before securing the other around his waist.

We have barely said a word to each other, but it is as if we are speaking a language of our own through touch, looks and sighs. Wrapping his arms around me, Alex pulls me into his embrace. I let out a soft sigh and rest my head on his chest, my arms bound to my sides under the towel. I am dead on my feet and can feel my body swaying slightly as the exhaustion settles over me. A second later, Alex scoops me up and walks me through to the bedroom before laying me down on the bed. With an exquisite tenderness, he dries my body before pulling up the duvet over our spent bodies. Within moments, I am fast asleep.

I let out a sigh of frustration as I hit yet another dead end in my search for Charles’ current book conquest. I thought I had finally tracked down the original to a dealer in the USA, but when I had the paper stock checked it turned out to be a twentieth-century forgery. Damn it. At least I didn’t have to travel this time and face the dealer’s wrath in person when I informed them that the book that they were hoping to sell for five thousand pounds was worthless.

I glance up at the clock on the wall of the sunroom and decide to call it a day. I have been working from home all week while Charles has been abroad for work, which has made a nice change from having to commute across town to his office in London’s Docklands. I make my way into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea when I hear my phone ring. Not recognising the number, I contemplate letting it go to voicemail, but then I wonder if it could be someone coming back to me on one of my queries, so I pick it up with a business-like ‘Hello?’

“Pumpkin?” All it takes is one word and my world seems to start spinning out of control.

I take a deep breath before answering, “Daddy?” And just like that I am thirteen again.

“Oh, pumpkin. I am so glad I have finally tracked your number down.”

The memory of how my father had been trying to blackmail Alex flares up in my mind and immediately I feel my body tense up. “What do you want, Dad?” My voice is harsh as I pull myself back from the shock of hearing his voice.

“Oh, sweetheart. I am so worried about you, darling. When I found out what kind of man you are married to, I knew that I had to do something. I have to protect you from that monster.” My head is spinning. What the hell?

“He is not a monster, Dad. I love him,” I blurt out. I am so angry at his words that my hands have started shaking and I sink down into a chair at the table.

“My girl,” he says, his voice laced with concern. “You can’t believe his lies. You need to leave him straight away. I am so worried about your safety.” I have no idea where this is headed, so I let him continue. “I have a friend that can sort out a quick divorce for you and then, when you get the payoff you are due, you can start afresh and I will be there to help you with anything you need.”

In that instant, I see exactly what my father is trying to do. If he can’t get the money through Alex, then I am the next target. My voice is as cold as ice as I reply, “You can forget about any money, Dad. I signed a prenup that means I walk away with nothing. And do you really think that showing up after twenty years, I am instantly going to listen to anything you say?” My anger is creeping through my voice. “Yes,
Daddy
, where exactly have you been while I slogged my guts out to look after Mum, huh? Scamming people in the US, I hear. Well, go crawl back under that rock you have been hiding under. Otherwise I will be getting Alex to turn you in to the Feds. No, actually, I will do it myself!” I am shouting so loud down the phone that I haven’t even noticed Alex appear by my side.

“You are just like that fucking whore mother of yours,” I hear my father respond as Alex is removing the phone from my hand.

“James, this is Alex,” he says, an icy calm in his voice belying the anger that I can see rippling through Alex’s body. “Shut your fucking mouth now and listen very carefully, because I am only going to say this once.” Alex pauses briefly before continuing. “If you ever talk to Olivia, come anywhere near her—no, scratch that—even fucking think about her again, I will make sure that you end up in a nice American jail where the inmates will know exactly how you treated your wife and little girl. You understand, you shit?”

There is a brief pause where I guess my dickhead father is agreeing to Alex’s demands. “Good, because I am sure the inmates won’t tolerate a prick like you. This is the end of this, you hear?” And with that, Alex ends the call and crouches down in front of me, taking my trembling hands in his own sturdy ones.

“Liv, it’s okay, baby,” Alex soothes, wiping away tears that I didn’t even realise were falling.

“I am so angry, Alex,” I say. “How dare he?” I stand up quickly and start pacing backwards and forwards as Alex just watches me carefully. “I mean it. He was a crap dad, but there were times when I just wished he would come back into my life. What a joke is that?”

“It’s not a joke, Liv,” Alex says quietly. “In an ideal world everyone would have an awesome dad in their lives. But you got a raw deal. A shit who couldn’t see the gifts he was given and then chose to piss them away. You are better off without him, Liv.”

I am so worked up that I just can’t seem to stop the rage flowing through me at the unfairness of it all. I sink to the floor as sobs wrack my body. “While I was dealing with my mum’s illness, there were times that I would wish he was back to help me…just so I wouldn’t be alone. How fucked up is that?”

Alex sinks down and pulls me into his lap, his arms wrapping around my shaking body. Rocking me gently, he whispers into my ear, soft words that wrap around my wounded soul. “Liv, you are not alone. I will always be here. I am not going anywhere, baby. You are mine and I will protect you until the day I die.”

We stay like that, on the floor, Alex wrapped around me like a blanket until a buzzing noise brings us both back to the present. Grabbing his phone, Alex quickly scans the message. “Shit,” Alex says softly.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“That was my mum. She’s in a cab, on her way from the airport. She thought she would surprise us.”

“Okaayyyy….” I say. Oh shit, I think to myself, as I try to banish the emotions I am feeling regarding my deadbeat father. I attempt to get out of Alex’s lap, but he pulls me back into his embrace, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Liv, seriously. I am here for you, okay?” Alex says, looking into my eyes.

“I know,” I say softly. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” I ask stroking Alex’s cheek lightly. With that, Alex brings his mouth down onto my mine, kissing me gently as he runs his hands through my hair.

“Alex…” I eventually say against his mouth.

“Hmm?” he responds.

“I need to sort my face out before your mum arrives. Otherwise, she will know something is going on, and I don’t want to worry her.” I pull away from Alex regretfully and he gives me a rueful grin.

He stands and then helps me up in one fluid movement. I give him a quick peck on the cheek before running up the stairs so that I can assess the damage. Once in the bathroom, I splash cold water over my face before vigorously towelling it dry. My eyes are still red-rimmed, but my complexion is no longer pasty. I am just about to dig out some powder when I hear the doorbell go and the muffled sounds of what appears to be an argument. Dropping my powder brush, I quickly hurry onto the landing to see that Sheila has arrived and Alex is standing next to her, his posture tense. I am about to call out to her when she spots me, her body tensing immediately, and I can see the anger rolling off her. For a moment, I wonder if maybe I am projecting my own feelings onto her, but I quickly dismiss this thought; Sheila is hopping mad.

“Both of you, kitchen now!” Sheila spits out, taking off in that direction, everything about her demeanour letting me know that she means business. I glance down at Alex wide-eyed, but he simply shrugs his shoulders, obviously more used to his mother’s temper. I skip down the stairs quickly, my heart hammering and a sick feeling in my stomach. This is so not going to be good.

Alex grabs my hand in a reassuring gesture and we make our way in silence to the kitchen, where we find Sheila pacing restlessly. “Sit down,” she says, pointing to the breakfast bar, and we both comply immediately. Somehow it feels like I am fifteen again, being told off by my mother, and I have to shake my head to try to dispel the image in my head.

“Righto, so which one of you would like to explain this?” Sheila asks, her tone of voice snippy and hostile as she slips a document in front of us. I blanch as I take in the prenuptial agreement that both Alex and I signed. Even normally cool-as-a-cucumber Alex has visibly paled. Before either of us has a chance to say anything, though, Sheila suddenly fixes me with a stare and asks, “So how long did you know my son before you married him?”

Oh. Fuck. Before my brain can engage, my mouth suddenly blurts out, “Two weeks.” ‘Oh fuck’ is right and I find my hand slapped across my mouth in an unconscious effort to silence myself. I daren’t look at Alex, so terrified am I that I have let him down in this crucial moment. But a second later I feel his hand slide across my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze of support. My mind is whirling, and as Sheila fixes us both with a narrow look, I feel my heart thumping so hard in my chest it feels like it is going to burst at any moment.

I am startled when Alex speaks, his voice low and steady. “Mum, this is nothing to do with you.”

“Like hell it isn’t,” Sheila spits out. “You bring this girl into the family. You had the audacity to stand up in front of our whole community and pledge your love for a stranger. You lied to us, to your father and me, and then you think you can go on merrily sleeping with other people and all that crap because it’s okay, it’s an arranged marriage and all that nonsense!”

Shame fills me and I can’t bear to look at Sheila any longer. I deserve her wrath. I hated lying to her all those months ago and I should have known life was going too well. Something was bound to give.

“Shut up, Mum. You don’t know anything, okay?” I can hear the strain in Alex’s voice. “And where the hell did you get hold of that anyway?”

“That’s not the point, Alex!” she yells, and I can’t take it anymore.

“Sheila, please,” I interrupt. “None of this is Alex’s fault. He was helping me out.” I can’t stand the idea of him being in trouble with his mum, and if I have to take on the blame and she hates me forever, then so be it.

Sheila whips her head around and looks at me, her gaze positively glacial.

“I, uh…” Oh, shit. This is so hard. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before speaking. “I was at rock bottom and my mother was about to be kicked out of the facility she was in because I couldn’t pay the fees.” I can feel the tears threatening to fall, the remembered feelings of despair washing over me. “Alex won the bid on a book we were both going after at an auction, and I knew that if I didn’t get the book, I would be fired. So…” How the hell do I get around this, I think to myself. “So I explained my situation and Alex took pity on me…” I trail off, not sure how to come out of this without sounding like I have prostituted myself.

Confusion crosses Sheila’s face and I can see the cogs in her brain whirring as she pieces things together. “But you didn’t have to marry her, Alex,” Sheila says softly.

“Didn’t I, Mum?” Alex says pointedly as some unspoken communication passes between them. “What about all that Becca stuff, huh? All those hints about how she had come back to work in the family business. How she wasn’t married. How we were always suited. Your thoughts on how the estates could function better if they were joined. Blah, blah, blah.”

The anger rolling off Alex is now matching his mother’s and I just wish the earth would open up and swallow me whole, when suddenly a thought strikes me. “Becca, you mean
the
Becca?” I ask Alex softly. “You never said…” I trail off as Alex nods stiffly. Realisation dawns and I see that our arrangement had been about saving Alex just as much as me. But I am hardly going to tell Sheila that.

Some of the anger suddenly leaves Sheila and I realise how tired she looks. I mean, she has come all the way from Australia and has just spent the last fifteen minutes yelling at us. Who wouldn’t be exhausted? Alex, however, doesn’t seem to notice the change because all of a sudden he is on his feet, his arms down by his sides, his hands clenched so hard his knuckles are white.

“Mum, just shut the hell up. And leave Liv alone. She has had to deal with enough shit this afternoon without you barging in and yelling at her like a banshee.” Alex is not shouting–far from it, in fact—but his posture and tone of voice are demanding Sheila’s attention. I suddenly realise that somehow Alex has managed to manoeuvre me so that his body is shielding mine and I am no longer in Sheila’s direct sightline. He is protecting me. My heart swells at this thought, but I am not about to let him take all the flak.

“It’s okay, Alex,” I say, stepping back out from behind him and slipping my hand into his to let him know that we are in this together. “Your mum has every right to be angry at me.” I wish that I knew how to defuse the situation, when a strange look passes over Sheila’s face and she suddenly goes pale. In an instant, Alex is by her side guiding her to a stool as the stress of the situation and exhaustion take their toll, murmuring something quietly in her ear. Feeling completely useless, I do the only thing I can think of…make a pot of tea.

It is only minutes before we are all sat back down with a cup of tea each, and I am grateful when Sheila starts to get some of her colour back, but brace myself for the next barrage. When it doesn’t come forth, I glance at Alex, but all he does is purse his lips together. Clearly he is as clueless as me.

We are both startled when Sheila speaks again, her voice gentler now. “Oh, Alex, you sook. That stuff about Becca, it was just to rile you up, you idiot.”

“What the fuck, Mum?” I gasp at Alex’s use of the F-word and I look over as he stares at his mother with a look of pure incredulity.

“Don’t you use that word with me, Alexander Edward Davenport!” she snaps. “You refuse to ever bring women to meet us. You never talk about who you are dating. I know for a fact you are not gay. You are thirty-six years old and I don’t know if you have ever been in a relationship. I was trying to bait you into saying something, anything. I seriously didn’t expect you to go and get married.”