His Marriage Trap (9 page)

“You will damn well listen and do what you’re told for once in your life,” he told her harshly and Gabby glared at him as anger sizzled through her veins. She had never been a fan of being told what to do.

“And how exactly do you intend to stop me? You can’t watch me all the time,” she warned him and Nik’s control on his temper finally snapped. Gabby could only watch in fascinated horror as white hot rage flowed from him and she half expected him to raise his hand to her but Nik had never hit a woman in his life and he wasn’t about to start now. Instead he pulled her hard against his taut frame and lowered his head to deliver a punishing kiss. Despite her anger Gabby was helpless to resist the pleasure that spread through her and she barely even resisted when he backed her against his desk.

He didn’t even take the time to remove their clothes as he yanked down his trousers and ripped aside her panties before lifting her high against his desk and entering her in one quick thrust. Gabby would have liked to be able to say that she was appalled by his behaviour or that she fought him. But the truth was that she was with him every step of the way and she threw her head back in ecstasy as sensations spiralled within her. Nik pounded ruthlessly in to her and instead of feeling disgusted and used she found the pleasure building within her until she came apart in his arms seconds before he followed with a bellow of frustration and pleasure all rolled in to one.

As she came back to herself Gabby found herself gasping for breath and she turned her head to the side as she avoided looking at her husband. She was embarrassed that she had fallen apart so completely in his arms when he was using sex to punish and torture her. How could anger have turned to passion so quickly?

Nik couldn’t believe what he had just done. He had been angry but he hadn’t meant to just take her like that. He prided himself on his finesse in the bedroom and on his ability to make women lose control but he had never meant to take his wife in anger. Removing himself slowly from her sweet flesh he gazed down at her noticing the small marks where his hands had gripped her tightly and he winced at his own lack of control. His wife had been a virgin until a few days ago and here he was just forcing himself on her. Guilt seared through him.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently and she finally turned those stormy eyes on him.

“And you call them the violent ones!” she spat before she pushed past him and fled the room leaving Nik to watch the space where she had been as his thoughts swirled uneasily.

Several hours later Gabby still hadn’t fully recovered from their lovemaking session. She felt both furious that he had managed to give her such pleasure in the heat of anger and guilty that she had accused him of being as violent as some of the criminals she had met. She knew that Nik would never have done anything to hurt her and had no doubt that if she had asked him to stop he would have. The problem was she hadn’t wanted him to stop, had enjoyed the feeling of losing control and of being completely possessed by him. And that was a big problem. She didn’t want to be his possession, didn’t even want to remain in this loveless marriage. So, why was she still falling for him every time?

Why was she so conflicted about everything? She still wanted a divorce so why was she so willing to jump in to bed with him or in this case to lie back against his desk?

She still wanted out of this farce of a marriage but she didn’t think that it would be as easy as she had first anticipated. Nik was a very wealthy man and she had no doubt that there was nowhere in the world she could hide that he wouldn’t find her. It seemed more a matter of pride that he kept her than that he actually wanted their marriage to work.  It infuriated her and yet she didn’t know how she could leave without him following her. But all she had to do was come up with a plan and find a way to disappear somewhere that he couldn’t follow.

Nik was doing pretty much the same soul searching in his office. He regretted his earlier actions though he knew she had been right there with him. He had felt her fall apart in his arms and knew she hadn’t been faking the emotions she had felt. He also knew that she hadn’t been ready for that sort of passion yet. Up until a few days ago his wife had been a virgin and he should have been giving her time to adjust to their new situation instead of taking advantage.

If he was honest with himself he should have sorted things out between them a long time ago. He had known that things weren’t right but had ignored them hoping they would fade in to the background. Instead he had almost lost her. If he hadn’t been such a damn gentleman he would have introduced her to the joys of sex years ago instead of waiting for her to make the first move. He could see now that leaving her to her own devices had been a mistake. Instead of growing to care for him and realising that they could be happy together she had gone behind his back and could have gotten herself killed. It was only pure luck that nothing had happened to her so far. Well it couldn’t continue. She might have been given free run for their entire marriage but he was about to ensure that she realised exactly who was boss in this relationship and he was going to start by keeping her away from that bloody Ramona Grove.

On the verge of sleep Gabby had come to a similar decision. Only in her case she wanted to make sure that Nik realised she was the boss and that she wouldn’t take orders from him. Especially not considering that he had ignored her existence for most of their marriage. She already had a plan to leave him in motion. All she had to do was hope she could carry it out before he realised what she was up to and put a stop to it. This time she wouldn’t be going through the courts. She didn’t care whether they were legally married. All she wanted was out!!

When Gabby awoke she was furious to discover that once again she was in Nik’s bed instead of her own. It was getting ridiculous. Why wasn’t she ever aware of him moving her? Surely her self-preservation should kick in and warn her that he was there but instead she never realised until morning.

With a growl of frustration she strode from the bed and collected some clothes before going back to her own room to get ready. She spent her time thinking of exactly how she could escape this predicament she found herself in. She had only coped with her marriage for the last year because she had Ramona Grove as her escape outlet and if that was taken away from her then she didn’t know what she would do. She didn’t want to be one of those women who spent their days shopping and socialising while their husband did all the work. She liked going out and doing something that made a difference. How could she abandon all that just to be a trophy wife? If Nik hadn’t wanted a wife with her own thoughts and actions then he should have divorced her when she had asked. She had no intention of giving up on the small life she had made for herself just because that was what Nik expected.

She knew that it was now more important than ever for her to escape this ridiculous marriage. She also knew that Nik wouldn’t just let her go so she would have to come up with a plan and she would have to do it soon. The longer she left it the more chance that she would never be able to escape.

The first thing she had to do was put her affairs in order, so with that in mind she dressed quickly in her black knee length skirt, white blouse and black form fitting jacket before gathering everything together.

She made her way down the stairs and wasn’t surprised to find Nik waiting for her with his arms folded.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” she quipped and he didn’t even smile.

“We need to talk,” he announced and she offered a faint smile at that.

“Of course we do. You’re like a broken record,” she told him and he shrugged. She expected him to lead her in to his office but instead he led her to the dining room and pulled out a seat for her.

“Eat something,” he urged and she rolled her eyes.

“I’m not hungry. I just want to get this talk over with,” she informed him and just like always he completely ignored what she said. Instead he poured her a glass of orange juice and indicated that she should get something to eat. With a sigh Gabby selected a slice of toast just to shut him up.

“I think that we need to establish some ground rules since our conversation last night,” he suggested and she glared at him.

“I don’t think we need any ground rules. I think we’re doing just fine as we are,” she snapped.

“And I think that if you’re not more careful then you’re going to end up getting hurt,” he said which made her both furious and wary. She knew on some level that he could be right but then wasn’t that true for anyone? They could get run over by a bus while being much more cautious. So why shouldn’t she live?

“I’m careful,” she insisted and he sighed.

“No matter how careful you are that side of town is dangerous for anyone never mind about someone like you,” he explained and she refused to listen to the sense he made. There was more to life than being scare of your own shadow.

“Well it doesn’t matter because I’m going to work not to Ramona Grove,” she insisted as she got to her feet but Nik stopped her before she could leave.

“I’m just looking out for you,” he insisted and she took a slow breath to calm herself.

“I’m a big girl, Nik. I don’t need you looking out for me,” she told him.

“Just make sure that you stay away from Ramona Grove or I may be forced to do something that we will both regret,” he said and she simply stared at him.

“And what would that be?” she asked.

“If you can’t stay away and keep yourself safe then I will be forced to employ someone who can ensure your safety,” he explained and her eyes widened at that.

“You mean someone other than the man you’ve had following me already?” she said sweetly but if she had expected him to feel guilty then she was mistaken.

“He is there to keep an eye on you just in case but he isn’t in a position to save you from someone dangerous if he’s in the car and you’re in an office in the middle of bloody Ramona Grove,” he told her.

“This whole conversation is pointless because I’m only going to work,” she told him firmly and he finally smiled at that.

Gabby was furious about the whole conversation. How dared he think that he could tell her what to do? She was perfectly capable of looking after herself and she didn’t appreciate being reprimanded like a naughty child. Finally Nik allowed her to leave and she went to work still furious and more determined than ever to get away from Nik and his insane orders.

She arrived early at work and spent some time coming up with an actual plan to get her life back. She decided that the best thing to do would be to go along with what Nik wanted for now. Instead of rebelling she just had to come up with a way of getting round his orders. With that in mind she decided that the best thing to do was rearrange some appointments and arrange for the more serious of her clients from Ramona Grove to come to her office instead. She could afford to provide transport for them and it wouldn’t exactly bankrupt her to not have paying clients for a couple of days.

She got her secretary to call the clients she had booked in for the week and rearrange their appointments. They were all very understanding and didn’t mind changing their appointments for a couple of weeks from now. She had made sure to tell them that if there was any emergency then they should feel free to call her and she would try to sort something out. She also had a good friend who was also a therapist and who was willing to see any of the clients that couldn’t wait.

She had kept her morning clients but rang Ramona Grove to arrange for any clients who needed to see her to do so over the next few days. Luckily they weren’t put out by the change of dates and jumped at the chance of the appointments. Ramona Grove relied on people giving up their time, expertise and money for the cause. They weren’t a well-known charity and were grateful for all the help they got.

Gabby wanted to make sure that the clients she had seen for so long would be in a stable point in their lives that wouldn’t be completely destroyed when she left. She knew that their lives didn’t depend on seeing her all the time but some of them were in a very delicate place and the slightest thing could push them over the edge.

The morning was the usual clients and she made sure to inform them that she would be unavailable over the next few weeks. They were all very understanding and had no problems with the short break she was taking.

During her lunch hour she had a sandwich from the deli while looking in to her escape plan. She knew that she had to be careful about it. Buying anything on card was an immediate no because Nik would easily be able to track it. The same went with getting a ticket to somewhere she intended to stay because he would figure out where she went immediately.

She finally decided on a plan. She bought a plane ticket to Rome on her bank card and a train ticket to Paris with cash. She hoped that if Nik found out she was leaving he would assume that she was flying to Rome. To ensure this she also planned to drive her car to the airport and get a bus to the train station. The problem would come from the mysterious man that was following her. He wouldn’t be fooled when he was right behind her and she had no idea who he was. He was obviously good at his job because she had never noticed him before and he had to have been following her for quite a while. She just had to work out a diversion and that couldn’t be too hard to do. She was smart and resourceful so she must be able to come up with a way to get away.

Gabby didn’t want to look too closely at the feelings inside her that didn’t want her to leave. She didn’t want to acknowledge that she may feel more for Nik than she wanted to. If she did then she was a fool because she knew that there was no way that Nik felt the same for her. To him she was simply another duty that he had to do.

The day went well and Gabby felt a sense of achievement at the clients she had helped. She didn’t even think of delaying going home that evening. She had to make Nik think that he had won and the best way to do that was to not cause any waves.

She arrived home early for a change and Nik was still at work. After a quick greeting to Louisa she ran lightly upstairs and changed in to her bikini before going for a dip in the pool. It felt lovely to just forget everything and concentrate on swimming laps for a while as she enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness and the silky water brushing against her skin. She was so focused on what she was doing that she didn’t even notice Nik was there until he dived smoothly in to the pool and appeared beside her making her give a squeak of surprise.

Before she could even react Nik had caught her to him and wrapped his hands around her slender waist as he drew her closer to him. The problem wasn’t his forwardness though it was the fact that despite everything she’d said Gabby didn’t want him to let her go. She loved the feel of him against her and instead of trying to get free she got closer instead. It was even her that initiated the first kiss. Linking her hands together at his nape she lifted her mouth to his and began a slow, sweet, sensual tasting that was just the taste of things to come. Even that small kiss developed quickly and evoked a passionate response within them both.

Despite what she had told herself she wanted him now more than ever. She arched against him and gave in to his seeking hands as they wreaked havoc on her overly sensitised body. He slipped a hand beneath the small silk covering and cupped her bottom as he pulled her the last few inches against him. She groaned against his lips at the sensations he was causing and he smiled.

She wasn’t sure how far she would have let him take things if he hadn’t pulled away with a reluctant groan. He pressed a brief kiss on her parted lips and then moved himself completely away from her. She was grateful for him removing the temptation of his gorgeous body. She felt humiliated at the fact she couldn’t control herself when around him. Here she was telling herself that she was an independent woman who didn’t need a man and especially not him when apparently all it took was one kiss for her to abandon herself to the pleasure of his touch instead.

“We should get ready for dinner,” she suggested and he smiled at her. He could clearly see through her thin defences and realised that she was easily susceptible to his charms. If he hadn’t have pulled away from her just then she wouldn’t have stopped. It was embarrassing to realise that she had no defences against him and that she would have allowed him to take her in the pool where Louisa could have walked out on them at any moment.

“It will save for later,” he allowed and she blushed at the insinuation that there would be a later.

“There won’t be a later,” she insisted but deep inside she wasn’t certain that she really believed that and from the smile on his face he didn’t believe it either.

She made her way out of the pool and caught up a towel to dry herself aware of Nik doing the same thing beside her. Then she headed inside to change but before she had taken more than a step Nik caught her and threw her over his shoulder as he strode up the stairs and took her to his room while ignoring her half-hearted protests.

When they reached his room he lowered her to her feet and kept hold of her for longer than necessary. For a moment she thought he was going to continue what they had started in the pool. But instead he stepped back and with a confident smile that suggested he knew exactly what she was thinking he turned and disappeared in to the shower.

Gabby cursed under her breath as she collected clean clothes and headed back to her own room. She was a complete idiot. How could she be planning to leave him but still want him so much? She knew the real reason though. Nik was the type of man that she could easily fall for and she knew there was no chance that he would love her back. She didn’t want to end up like her sister. It would be awful to love someone so much and for them to never feel the same. She would be faithful to Nik and wanting to have his family while he would be sleeping with all the women he wanted and treated her like an unwanted duty.

She may want Nik but she couldn’t stay with him because he was the one person who could have the power to really hurt her. She wanted to be independent because at the end of the day she was the only person she could really count on. For Nik there would always be someone else before her and she couldn’t trust herself to rely on him knowing that one day he wouldn’t be there for her.

Nik was having similar thoughts in his room as he got ready. He knew that Gabby wanted him but she seemed reluctant to allow anything to happen between them. He didn’t understand her at all. He sensed that she wanted exactly the same things he did and that she wanted to make their marriage real but there was something holding her back. He regretted waiting this long to try and make their marriage real. He shouldn’t have been so sensitive to her feelings. He should have just done what he’d wanted from the beginning and they might have actually had a real marriage now instead of this war zone they seemed to live in.

Louisa had outdone herself with dinner and she had even set up some candles so that it felt more like a romantic meal than simply dinner after a long day’s work. Nik opened a bottle of wine and they actually got along for once. Both of them stayed away from anything that could cause an argument and they actually managed to have a pleasant talk. It surprised Gabby that Nik was actually having a meal with her since before they were rarely home together and he spent more time travelling for business than he did in the house.