Thirty One
By the time night sets, my feet are aching for relief from the heels I'm wearing. I sit beside Kel and Lucas along with the rest of the bridal party. Gavin is standing by the D J's table, and I wonder vaguely what he's up to. I don't think I can take another dance tonight, my feet are so sore. His stormy eyes shift to mine and he grins, giving me a wink as he approaches me, his eyes dancing between mine. My heart beats fast in my chest and when he stops in front of me, I find myself placing my hand in his once more.
"One more dance and then we can take off, okay baby?" He helps me stand, leading me back towards the thinning crowds of the lit dance floor, his lips brushing over my knuckles before he sweeps me back into his arms. Every fine toned line of his body presses to mine. I press my head to his chest, just like I did at that party the very first time he held me. I listen to the steady thrum of his heartbeat and the way he holds me and sweeps us across the floor makes me love him even more.
Then, the song begins. It's a slow, romantic beat and the words are sung softly as a ballad. Gavin begins to whisper the words in my ear, holding me close. A tear slips down my cheek at his raw voice, so full of love for me:
All of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect Imperfections. Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you.
By the time the song comes to an end, joyful tears stream down my face and Gavin cradles my face in his hands, so gentle, so tender. He closes his mouth softly over mine, and once again I'm lost in the love I feel for this man.
And I know, there is no end to his love or mine, I love all of him and he loves all of me.
"All of me, baby. I’ll never give you anything less."
I look up at him and smile softly.
"Me, too. Take me home, Gavin."
He smiles against my lips and bends his knees as he scoops me into his arms and kisses me once more.
"My pleasure, baby."
***
My head rests against Gavin's shoulder as we ascend up the floors in the empty elevator car and my eyes start to drift shut when the doors ping and open.
"Sleepy girl," he murmurs, wrapping me in his arms as he guides me towards the penthouse doors and unlocks them, sweeping me inside and giving Spencer, who’s standing diligently at the door, a nod before closing the door and tucking strands of my hair behind my ear. Gavin’s touch is soft and his eyes are filled with such love, it warms my heart.
"You’re so goddamn beautiful. When I saw you walking towards me in this dress, you took my breath away."
I moan, pressing against his firm chest from behind in silent invitation to continue. I want it fast, for him to press me to the closest wall and claim me as his. But when he releases my dress and lets it pool to my feet, then takes my hand and lets me step out of the fabric, I realize he wants to take his time. He can cherish me with just one touch, and I know completely, irrevocably I am his.
When Gavin kisses me, it isn’t the gentle kiss like before. Passionate, desperate, loving and all consuming, his lips treasure my mouth for long seconds before I’m lifted up with his strong arms, hitching both my legs around his slender hips. In his kiss, he claims me. Lowering me onto the king sized mattress of our bedroom, my hands knot in his hair in silent pleas for more.
"Gavin..." I whisper when he pulls away, his eyes taking me in as I lie beneath him in nothing but a purple laced bra and panties, the necklace and earrings I'd put on before the wedding and the pair of three inch black heels that Farah insisted I buy last week. His eyes wander down and I see his arousal, appreciation for me when he bites his lower lip and trails his hands up my thighs to the lacy fabric of my panties. A moan slips out, my eyes closing as desire pools in between my legs and my sex clenches in hot anticipation for him. Gavin lifts my hands to the headboard, holding them there.
"I want this slowly, I want to savor you, Beautiful," he murmurs and I nod, my eyes never leaving his as he releases my hands and lifts one finger, telling me to wait.
Warmth spreads through me as he tongues his way down my navel and towards my hot and ready sex. Oh, yes.
But then, his mouth leaves me and when I open my eyes, my entire body humming with desire for him, he is gloriously naked in front of me and has that breathtakingly beautiful smile across his face.
"I'm going to adore you, pleasure you, and love you. All night long. How does that sound?" he says, his voice husky and filled with carnal desire for me. And as his hands close around mine again, I feel beautiful and I don’t hesitate when I answer with a simple whispered word.
"Amazing."
He chuckles, then uses his knees to spread my legs wider and kneels between them. Taking both my hands in his and kissing them softly, he surprises me with the loving act. His eyes are fierce upon mine and it makes my heart skip a beat, knowing he is making sure I am okay before making love to me however he wants.
"Please, I want you, Gavin."
As he slowly, teasingly, makes love to me, tasting and pleasuring every part of my exposed skin, I fall even more in love with him. Knowing I never want to leave the high of such passionate lovemaking ever again.
"Mhm, is it morning?" I ask, as my eyes opened to see Gavin hovering over me with that smile I love so much upon his face.
"Yes, it is. Kel called and said she wants to go get cupcakes before they leave to New Orleans."
I sit up in bed and start to laugh. My sister is most definitely addicted to Jenna’s cupcakes. But then I think about the rest of what he said.
"He’s taking her to New Orleans?"
Gavin grins and kisses the top of my head.
"Yep. Lucas said Kel always wanted to go there."
"She has. She almost went while we were in college but had a bad case of the flu and had to cancel.
She’s going to love it!"
I can just picture Kel’s face when Lucas tells her. She’ll be ecstatic.
"I guess I better get dressed."
I push against Gavin’s bare chest to get up, but he doesn’t budge.
"I was hoping I could convince you to stay in bed."
He begins to kiss down my jaw to my throat and heading south. Desire pools inside me immediately.
"Gavin… I have to go see her off. She’ll be so excited."
I hear Gavin’s low groan and then he gets up and takes me with him.
"Let me at least talk you into making me breakfast. I love watching you in our kitchen."
I wrap my hands around the back of his neck and bite his lower lip gently.
"If you insist."
***
"You look so happy," I say, embracing my sister in both arms.
"I am" she whispers against my shoulder and the levity of those words make me pull back and see her teary smile.
"Are you excited?"
She nods and I reach up to her cheek, wipe away a stray tear that’s leaked out.
Then she smiles wider than I’ve ever seen and a glow covers her face.
"He’s taking me to New Orleans, Ari. I’ve always wanted to go there!" She starts to jump up and down and like the little girls we used to be, I join her in a happy dance of celebration. We are both laughing like children and it’s been so long since I’ve let myself laugh like this, it’s therapeutic in a way.
"I knew he’d be happy. That man is crazy about you. I knew it the moment I met him in that dive bar." I sip a vodka tonic at our favorite bar, The Tavern. We came here for one last hooray before the honeymoon. I look over and grin to see Kel is on her fourth martini and well on her way to being buzzed.
"And have you looked at him? My man is hot. Like hot tamale hot!"
She sputters through a laugh and I turn around when the door to the bar swings open. Lucas saunters in, wearing dirty slacks from his workday and a rolling stones tee I’ve seen quite a few times.
"He’s certainly something," I murmur just as Kel jumps in surprise and Lucas tugs his new wife against his chest and off the stool she’s sitting on.
"Oh! I’m married, you know." She pretends to try to get away from him, but she’s all smiles. Lucas puts his mouth to her ear and whispers something.
"Yes, you are crazy boy. Let’s get out of here."
Kel downs her martini and stumbles to stand. I reach for her arm and help Lucas guide her outside.
She’s giggling the whole way.
"How much did you drink, Kel? You’re drunk, sweetheart."
Giggling, she looks up at him and tries to look serious with a pout of her mouth.
"Am not! I only had-wait, how many did I have, Ari?"
"No idea. I think at least three. You should go home and rest it off. I can get home with my car." I kiss my sister’s cheek and help her towards the car door with Lucas holding most of her weight. I watch him help her in the passenger seat of his truck and kiss her forehead before he closes the door.
Walking back from the truck, Lucas stops in front of me and I can tell he doesn’t want to leave me on my own. Ever since he and Kel started dating, he’s been like a brother to me. Looking out for me. Being an ear to my worries and fears throughout this ordeal ever since I met Gavin and how my past has kept us from truly living out of the darkness. I wish he wouldn’t worry so much about me. Kel, too. They deserve happiness.
"I’ll be fine. It’s only a five minute drive. Go take care of her, Luke."
Lucas draws his eyebrows together and looks at me for a while, almost like he’s trying to penetrate my thoughts. Finally he relents and leans in to kiss my head.
"I’ll have her call you in the morning before we leave. Be safe."
Lucas gives me a small, concerned smile and ducks into the car, waving before peeling out of the parking lot and leaving me standing there.
"Miss me?" I press the button to cross the street as I speak.
"More than you know, baby. You heading home yet?"
His gravelly voice makes the best kind of goosebumps cover my arms and I bite my lower lip as I wait for the lights to change, thinking about the shower we had this morning. A mixture of steam, heat, and Gavin left me wanton for more.
"I’ll be there soon, I promise. I was thinking we should try a shower again. I don’t think I got very clean."
I can almost feel the heated gaze I know Gavin has right in this moment.
"I can get you clean, but it might take two or three tries. How far away are you, baby?"
I see the light change and I move towards the street, walking across.
"Five minutes tops."
"Gavin!" I scream, my voice dying in my throat as the vehicle gets closer by the millisecond. Terror sets in, but I’m frozen in my effort to move. A small part of me knows exactly who is behind the wheel. It has to be Bryce. He’s found me.
I see Gavin’s smile in my mind just as shooting pain through my legs stop me from breathing. His face is all I see before my eyes close.
***
I slowly regain consciousness and my mind feels foggy, as if I've been dreaming. My arms and legs feel heavy, weighted down and as I try to move and stretch my limbs, I can't seem to move them. It's almost as if they're restrained, tied down in some way. How is that possible? Unease begins to lace my thoughts and my heart beats a mile a minute as I hear footsteps far away from me. It takes every ounce of my strength to force my eyes open and keep them open. I scan the room I'm in, the bedroom in Gavin's and my penthouse, but somehow it doesn't feel like I've ever placed foot in the decadently furnished space before.
A sense of such dread runs through my veins when I smell the musky scent of Old Spice cologne close to me and the overwhelming smell of coffee in the air. What is going on? Oh God, no. Bryce.
"Ah, she's awake. Hello, Princess," A deep voice says and when darkened brown eyes meet mine, filled with no emotion whatsoever, my world stops. My whole body is screaming No! I try to be reasonable.
This is a nightmare; this has to be a nightmare. Somehow, with the pain emanating from my right ankle up my leg and ending in the pit of my stomach – I know this is reality. I'm tied to the bed by cutting rope, by my hands and my feet and I know there's no way I can untie them myself. I'm trapped.
My skin crawls with such dread and my heart races with panic as my tormentor stalks toward me with a mug from the kitchen. It's black with a Chicago Bears logo across the front of it. Somehow, focusing on something so trivial makes it easier for me to suck precious air into my lungs. My hands shake when I see Bryce’s unchanged face and as he reaches me, his eyes scan over my body slowly, his mouth parts as he blatantly stares at my breasts.
I shake uncontrollably, pricks of dread covering my skin. A black sheet is wrapped around my body and I thank God for that, though the sheet only covers the bottom half of my body. As I watch him approach me, I struggle against the rope binding me and open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. Bryce stalks closer and stares down at me with lifeless eyes. I remember seeing a spark of mischief in them when I first met him in high school, how handsome and mysterious I thought he was. Now, I realize that all that was an act he showed me to reel me close. This man staring at me is nothing but a heartless person that strives on controlling others. I try to take deep breaths; try to pretend his staring isn’t making me want to run as fast as I can. I’ll get away from him, but first I have to convince him to let me go. God, how did he get in here? Surely, someone will hear me if I scream…
"Bryce, w-what are you doing here? Please, please let me go!" I almost scream, struggling in vain against the restraints. Panic and fear consume me and the pain of the rope cutting my skin and the sting of broken flesh on my wrists is nothing compared to my fear of what’s to come now that he has me all alone, unprotected.
I fought my way back. I climbed and suffered and finally found such happiness again. This can't be happening!
"Scream all you want, Ari. I told you, you're mine. No one can hear you now," Bryce says, opening the bedside drawer and producing a thick roll of duct tape. It's the darkest shade of green, almost perfectly matching his tie.
"I will keep you quiet if I need to, but for what I have in mind, I want to hear you, Princess. You got away from me before, but now, you’re mine. Forever." He growls, and my stomach burns with the need to empty its contents as I force myself to swallow. Gavin will find me; he has to find me…
I watch as Bryce gets up and holds the tape in front of my eyes, then his hand forcefully, painfully grasps my chin and he forces my eyes on his.
"Will you stay quiet until I say so? Or do I need to tape your mouth shut?"
Hastily, fearfully, I nod my head in an up-down motion and tears fall from my cheeks as I stop struggling. I'm helpless. There is no way he will stop this time. My only hope is Gavin. He will find me. He promised to keep me safe. I remember his words so vividly in my mind. "I won’t let him take you, Aria. I don’t care what I have to do, but I promise you, you’ll be safe. Please, believe me"
"Good girl, Ari."
"Please, Bryce. I don't want this, you almost broke me before. Please let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone-"
Suddenly, a large hand goes down harshly across my face, slapping me with such force that I cry out in pain, and he hits me again, again, again. One blow blends into another and the spread of pain is too much to bear. I try to turn my face away, to curl into myself like I used to when his anger got the best of him in the very beginning. Back then I thought the beatings were my fault. Back then I was naive and young.
The blows don't stop and the pain is almost too much to take as he grips my hips, hurting me and I hear the loud zipper of his pants. Oh, God, no! I will myself to stop him, to kick and scream and I do. I scream against every attempt to move my legs open. I kick against his hands gripping my thighs.
"No! God, let me go! Let me go!"
