Captive to the Dark (3 page)

Plates were already set out and I took a seat across from my sister’s husband. Bethany smiled as she approached, but it looked completely fake.

“Thank you for this. It looks great.”
Lie.
It looked like a typical salad. Lettuce, carrots, mushrooms, black olives, and croutons. She placed three different dressings down before taking her seat next to Charles. The smile became genuine as Jordan slid in next to me. For the life of me, I tried ignoring him as I made my plate, but he was sitting so close the heat radiating from his skin was a constant reminder of my little fantasy.

“You’re really sticking to this vegetarian lifestyle. I didn’t think it would last.” Jordan took the tongs the moment I laid them down. Ranch dressing covered my veggies and I braved looking at my sister. I didn’t know she was a vegetarian. Apparently, I didn’t know anything about her.

A laugh came from Charles and Bethany nudged him. “When I say something, I mean it. Sorry you all have to suffer with me, but look on the bright side, it’s healthy.” Her eyes met mine and I gave her a grin. “So, Mary, why don’t you tell us what you’ve been up to these last few months? I think the last time we saw each other it was over Christmas.”

Did she care, or did she just want Jordan to learn more about me? “I’ve been really busy with school. Less than a year and I’ll have my Bachelors.”

“Daddy said you were doing great. Future shrink to the kiddies, right?”

The nonchalant way she’d said it had me pausing. To her, it was just a title. To me, it meant so much more. There was a chance I could help kids who came from abusive homes or had been through something similar to me. My therapist was the coldest person I’d ever met. I wouldn’t be like that. My title would put me in a position to help and I had every intention of doing just that. “Well, technically, but it’s pretty in depth.”

“I bet.” Before I could go on, she cut me off. “Jordan, why don’t you tell Mary what you do? I’m sure she’d love to hear.”

No doubt he worked for his father. The rich spoiled son of some billionaire. But, isn’t that what everyone said about
me
? To please my sister I turned and gave him my full attention. The sudden courtesy had him looking down. Shy? Who, Jordan? I couldn’t imagine that. Not by the way he acted in the Jacuzzi. 

“Well.” He took a deep breath and met my gaze. “I’m a lawyer. But it’s not a big deal, really.”

The shock couldn’t have hit me harder. My heart jumped. So he did take care of himself. No working for Brighton Industries after all. “That’s amazing. How do you like it?”

“I love it.” He smiled and went back to eating his salad. Talking about himself didn’t appear to sit well with him. I could relate, whether our reasons were different or not. Who was Jordan, really? The more I learned, the more appealing he became.

Bethany didn’t mind picking back up. “He’s amazing. You should see all the charities he’s a part of, too. Mainly ones concerning children. He’s so caring toward them. You two have a lot in common. You should talk about it. Later, when you’re alone, of course.”

We both nodded and the rest of the meal went by in silence. Rinsing the dishes quickly became my chore as I took the plates and headed to the sink. Anything to get out of more conversation. Charles was starting to talk about the client he was meeting. All three of them seemed to know who Mr. George was. Nothing about what they were saying held my interest enough to continue listening.

Glass clinked as I pushed in the rack and put a soap tab in. My approach back into the living area didn’t escape anyone’s notice.

“You two don’t mind if Charles and I have some romantic time on the top deck, do you? I’m afraid I haven’t seen him much lately, and the stars are awfully bright tonight.”

Well, I should have seen that coming. “Go ahead. Have fun.” I walked over and sat on the white leather sofa while Bethany grabbed her husband’s hand and pulled him out of the door.

“Persistent, isn’t she?” Jordan laughed and plopped down, leaving a cushion between us.

“Yeah, just a little.”

Weather reports played on the wide screen and I stared at it not seeing anything. Thoughts crowded my mind about everything that had played out to this point. Slowly, I turned to Jordan. It didn’t surprise me to see that he was watching. He looked at me a lot. Maybe it was a little creepy, but I didn’t quite feel fear. Just curiosity at what he was thinking.

“What you said in the Jacuzzi, about possibly wanting to get to know me...” I left the statement open, waiting to see what he was going to say. A part of me felt like I needed to work harder to get to know him. After all, he’d surprised me by going off and choosing a profession that was separate from his father’s business. I admired that.

Fingers rubbed down his dark hair while he brought his hand across the back of his head. “You’re different than anyone my father’s suggested.” His voice lowered. “Maybe I thought you were going to walk up looking like your sister’s twin. Don’t get me wrong, she’s beautiful, but I’m more interested in what’s going on upstairs.” He pointed to his head. “There’s a lot running through yours. I can see how you take in everything. There’s such anger and sorrow behind your eyes. I know the pain that lies there.”

The possibility of him having learned my secret had my back stiffening. “What do you know?” The softness of my tone almost got lost in the pulsing roar in my ears.

“You’ve been hurt. I don’t know how, or by whom, but it’s there. You try so hard to smile, but you can’t hide your hurt from me.”

I stood, half torn to flee, half trying to pretend he was wrong. If he could see it, who else could? “You’re hiding something, too.” I knew dark found each other, but I didn’t want him to see my pain, just my need to be ravaged in the harshest way. I wanted to be covered in welts. Possibly even bleed in order to obtain my pleasure.

“Perhaps. But we can agree we’re not like everyone else. True?”

“Yes.”

“Sit.” He grinned and patted the cushion. “No need to get upset. Your secret is safe with me. You might not be, though.”

Chapter 2

Mary

The deck beneath my feet wasn’t as sturdy as I’d imagined. Waves still rolled in a gentle pattern, but I pushed forward, wanting to get as far away from the water as I could. Two days on a boat and I hadn’t got sick once. Not until I stepped off. Now I wasn’t so sure.

“Whoa, you’re swaying a bit.” Jordan linked his arm in mine, taking on some of my weight. I still couldn’t get over what he’d said. Was it just two nights ago? He was quick to change the subject the moment I had tried to get him to elaborate. Not a single word had left him after that cryptic comment. Our conversation had led to hobbies, food, and our ideal place to live if we ever got to choose. It had been nice, but not what I wanted to know.

Bethany turned around, the long, black sequined dress sparkling in her movement. Ever since Jordan and I started spending more time together, she’d cheered up significantly. I liked it. For some strange reason it made me feel good to please her. My family all wanted this and Jordan was growing on me. He was a big mystery. One that I found myself wanting to solve. Yet, the nagging in my brain wouldn’t let me fall for him completely. My wall was still up, and I’d leave it there until I learned more.

“So, where are we going again?” The salty sea air filled my lungs while I tried to get a grip on my equilibrium. As long as I kept taking deep breaths, this would pass. It always had in the past.

“You and I are going to find coffee. Your sister and Charles are meeting Mr. George at his office.”

That was right. Wait. “Coffee?” My eyes lowered to my white and pink watch. “It’s almost five in the evening.”

“Yep, and I have a killer headache. Caffeine will help.”

Bethany and Charles got into a black Town Car and disappeared around the corner. It shouldn’t have surprised me someone would be waiting for them. Sometimes I forgot the lives they led. True, my place and tuition were paid for by my father, but I didn’t take money from him to live off of. I worked so I could afford food and necessities. I didn’t even own a car. Yet, here, my sister and Charles led glamorous lives.

“You hungry? We can grab some burgers while we’re in town. Sure as hell beats salad or pasta again.”

A laugh burst from my mouth before I could stop it. “God, yes. We need to find a place and fast.”

The scene as we rounded the main entrance to the marina wasn’t what I was expecting. A few shops were lining the one road little village town, but that was it. My stomach twisted at the realization that I’d been hoping for a release. Some hole in the wall little club where I could sate my desires when everyone went to sleep at night. This place wasn’t going to give me that.

“What’s wrong? You seem disappointed.”

I looked up at Jordan and settled on his lips. Quickly, I broke my gaze and stared back at the nearly deserted street. “I thought it’d be bigger. That’s all.”

“You looking for something in particular? I’m sure if we went exploring we might be able to find it.”

I nearly laughed. “I doubt it.”

An older model pick-up truck passed in front of us and we jogged across the street even though there wasn’t another car in sight. A bell rang out while we walked into a small café. Out of the room, three tables were occupied. Jordan and I took a seat in the back booth and were greeted by a waitress with red hair, not much older than myself. The dimples she displayed were deeply set while she greeted us.

“I’ll have a Dr.Pepper.” Hell, I didn’t need to look at the menu to know that. Soda was my drug, if there ever was one. I depended on the shit like some people did cigarettes.

“Coffee,” Jordan said, picking up the menu.

The waitress nodded and disappeared to the back. I looked up, spying the restroom not a few feet away.

“I’ll be right back.”

Jordan’s eyes lifted, meeting mine. “I’ll be here.”

Fuck, what was I going to do? My skin was starting to itch again. The small restroom held two stalls and I quickly went into one, trying my best not to even touch the door. The flush rattled the walls and I prayed one of the pipes didn’t burst. That’d be my luck.

The double sinks rested along the back wall and I walked over, checking my reflection in the small mirror. Damn, I looked windblown. Blonde hair hung over my shoulders wildly with a hint of frizz. I couldn’t have looked any worse had I held my head out of a window of a vehicle going a hundred miles an hour.

The long white and grey maxi dress I wore was loose on the top, the spaghetti straps almost falling off with every move I made. It’d fit fine last summer. Now it was too big. The fabric was tighter at my waist and stayed slim all the way to my feet. I looked horrible, but did it really matter? There was no use fretting over my appearance. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to get any better over the next three weeks. The wind was just too bad and if the sea sickness kicked in, I’d look a lot worse than I did now.

While I washed my hands, I let the water burn into my skin. My eyes instantly closed, basking in the sweet sting. The sensation wasn’t what I wanted, but it would do for now.

Shuffling had my eyes fluttering open to see Jordan’s reflection behind me. Before I could spin around, his hand clamped over my mouth and he jerked my back into his hard chest.

“Shh.” His gaze locked on the mirror, as did mine. Air lessened the moment he shakily moved his palm up to cover my nose too. The whites of my eyes grew. No way had he known what I was into unless someone had told him. The other hand came up and fondled my breast. A moan escaped from his mouth. Or mine. I wasn’t sure. At my nipple being pinched in between his fingers, I dug my nails into his jean covered thighs, all the while trying to figure out how. Who betrayed my secret? Only my father and mother would have known.

Suction from my deep inhales left me lightheaded. After what seemed like forever, my lungs began to blaze just as much as my skin. The need to fight screamed into my brain, but I ignored it. Waiting. Testing. Thriving under what Jordan was doing.

As suddenly as his hand had appeared, it dropped. “I went ahead and ordered for you.”

I couldn’t help but stare at him blankly. “What?”

“Your food. I ordered it. Come on, let’s go sit down.”

Was he kidding? He couldn’t just do something like that and expect us to walk away like nothing had just happened. My hands came to my hips while I continued to stare at our reflection. “Why did you do that?”

A shrug was all he gave before turning around and leaving me there. If I had thought my arms and legs were twitchy before, I obviously hadn’t known the definition. Now I was a complete mess, mentally and physically. Wetness settled between my thighs, but I ignored it and made my way back to the booth.

“Tell me why you just did that.” No way was I letting this go.

He stirred his coffee and took a sip. “Felt like it.” The response was so clipped that it only made me angrier. This wasn’t the man I’d spent the last two days with. That Jordan was inquisitive. Curious. Mystery underlined that, yes. Was this it? The real Jordan Brighton? No. He was playing some kind of game with the information he learned.

“Who told you? And don’t lie to me.”

“No one said anything.” His eyes peered over the coffee cup not telling me anything. “Why couldn’t I have just been testing what you can take for myself? Didn’t we already discuss how we were both different?”

I didn’t believe him. Instead of arguing, I opened the straw and took a drink of my soda. The coldness made its way down my chest all the way into my stomach while I drank heavily. “So, is that what you’re into, then?”

“Amongst other things. Do you want to find out?” He gave me that smile again. The tingling that took over made me shift in the seat.

The waitress appeared with two baskets containing a hamburger and fries.  I never took my eyes off of Jordan. The moment she left, I leaned in closer. “Absolutely not. That’s asking for trouble.”

“You think?”

“Yes,” I hissed. “We’ve known each other for two days. Not to mention, I’m stopping that part of my life.” My voice lowered toward the end. It was a lie, but I didn’t want him to know how involved I was, or how deep I was willing to go.