Dark Boundaries (14 page)

Chapter Thirty Six

Kristine~

I’ve been here two miserable long days. The first day I practically spent the whole day in bed. Garrett has been sleeping on the couch, that’s one good thing at least.

It’s almost two in the afternoon and I want to pull my hair out from boredom. We haven’t spoken much after the big fight. I think Garrett understands how I feel, that I can’t just shove my feelings of those ten days into file thirteen and trash it. It happened. It is part of my life.

He asked me to make myself at home, to eat when I’m hungry, and to shower when I feel like it. He hasn’t asked me to do anything else. I don’t really understand why I’m here.

I get up from the bed. I lean my elbows on the banister and stare out the huge windows. It’s really pretty outside.

“Would you like to go take a walk? You must be tired of staying up there,” Garrett asks from where he’s working on his laptop. It looks like he’s set up office down there.

I glance out the window. It looks like a beautiful day. “That would be nice,” I say and go to the cupboard to get my sandals. I think about changing out of the blue dress and maybe putting on jeans and a shirt. It would cover more.

“You coming?” Garrett asks from behind me.

I glance back at my clothes and decide to stay in the dress. It’s just a walk. “Let’s go.”

When we reach the lobby Stan moves to open the door for us. “Afternoon Mr. Macht, Miss. Marshall.”

We greet him back and them I’m outside. There are a lot of people on the sidewalk. I didn’t see them from upstairs. Garrett takes hold of my hand and leads me across the road. We walk a while in silence, but he never lets go of my hand and I don’t pull back.

I don’t know how to explain it, but his touch is still something I need and my body craves. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been brainwashed to need and crave him, or if I really care about him.

I watch him as we walk. I take in his dark hair. There is a breeze ruffling it lightly. He shaved yesterday and that makes him look even younger. “How old are you?” I ask when I realize I don’t even know his age.

“I’m twenty eight.” He smiles down at me, looking pleased that I asked him a question. “Justin is twenty seven, that’s why people tend to think we’re twins. Andrea wasn’t planned and came along ten years later, but she’s the favorite by far.”

We walk along a path. There are other people walking, some are jogging. The atmosphere is peaceful, not something I expected from New York.

“What is the one thing you always wanted to do?” he suddenly asks me.

I’m so at ease I don’t think and just answer, “I’ve always wanted to go to Vancouver. We would’ve-” I stop when I realize what I’m saying.

He raises an eyebrow at my abrupt stop. “You would’ve what?”

“Never mind.” I try to pull my hand free but instead he holds me tighter. He stops walking and I have no choice but to stop as well. His eyes are intense on me and I cave. “We were busy with a road trip when you took us. Our next stop would’ve been New Orleans and then Vancouver. Each of us picked a destination.”

Garrett starts to walk again. He leads me to a bench along the path and we sit down.

He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and then he looks back at me. “You keep saying I took you.” My eyes flash to his, not liking one bit where this is going. “Warren took you. Bill and Warren kidnapped you. I just happened to be there for my sister. Warren could’ve chosen any group of girls, but he chose you. I admit I did things I’m not proud of. If given the chance I’d do everything differently.”

“What would you do differently?” I look out over the park, avoiding his eyes. The man certainly doesn’t have a problem with eye contact.

He takes my hand and pulls my arm through his. He weaves his fingers through mine and covers my hand with his other hand. “So many things. For one, I would’ve tried to let you go. I wouldn’t have scared you shitless to have sex with me. I should’ve let you go.”

I feel tears pricking behind my eyes, remembering the first time we had sex and what he said to me afterwards.
“You were never leaving. It was all a lie to get you to spread your legs. The fuck was bearable, but you need more experience. I can only imagine how mundane you’ve been in bed, I mean you came for the first time today. That’s got to suck. Your future master will want someone who can please him.”

I never felt something so amazing like that, and then afterwards he made me feel so used.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he says, still holding my hand captive between his own.

What’s the use of fighting this? If he wants to talk about that time, then we’ll talk! “I’m thinking how you fucked me the first time, how I had my first orgasm and then how you told me I was pathetic in bed.” The anger I felt back then lights up inside of me. I turn my body to him and face him head on. “Do you know you were the third guy I ever had sex with? I don’t just sleep around. I had sex a couple of times, not even a full ten times! There’s nothing wrong with that but you made me feel…,” I take a deep breath trying to find the right words, “you made me feel used and insignificant. I never thought there was something wrong with me, until that day.”

He shifts closer to me and lifts his left hand to my face. He brushes my hair back and leans closer. “I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am for what I did and said to you. I did what I felt was right at the moment and it ended up being the biggest mistake of my life. I didn’t mean any of those things I said to you. Fuck, Kris, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re beautiful. You were amazing in bed. I hated myself for saying those things to you. All I could think about was saving Andrea. I was blinded by my own pain.”

“It just hurt so much,” I say, choking up on tears.

“Come here,” he whispers, and he pulls me against his chest. I rest my head in the crook of his neck and take the comfort he’s offering. “It was ten fucked up days. I really think we can work together to deal with it and put it in the past.”

I wrap my arms around his waist, scooting closer. It feels good to have him tell me I’m not nothing.

~*~

Chapter Thirty Seven

Garrett~

Stan just notified me that my delivery is on its way up. I’m excited to give it to Kris. I think she’s going to like it. She’s showering at the moment which is good, she won’t hear the doorbell. I open the door and smile at Jill. She’s a computer whiz at the company. “Thank you for getting this done.”

“Any time.” She hands it over and I’m glad when she turns to leave. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Will do.” I close the door and run up the stairs. I place it on the bed and switch it on. Everything looks perfect.

“Why are you working up here?” Kris asks, surprising me.

A smile cracks wide on my face. “Come here. I have a surprise for you.” I hold out my hand for her. She places her hand in mine and I pull her body in under my arm. I love holding her. “I got you an e-reader.” Her eyes widen and she looks at the thing as if it will bite her. “I figured you love books so much, you might be missing them. It’s linked to my account so you can get any book you want.”

“Really?” She brings her hands to her chest, as if she’s trying to hold herself back from taking it. “But, it’s too much. I can’t take it.”

I pick up the e-reader and go to the main menu. There are lots of covers of books on it. I hold it right in front of her. “Read me,” I say in the best squeaky voice I can muster, “you know you want to read me.”

She laughs but instead of taking it, she throws her arms around my neck and hugs me. It’s the first time she’s initiated something like this. We stand hugging each other for a while. I pull back and brush my knuckles over her cheek. She has the softest skin. I lean down and place a kiss on her forehead. When I hear her breath catch, I trail kisses down the side of her face, stopping at the corner of her mouth. Quick puffs of air fan over my face and I can’t hold back. I press my mouth to hers, desperate to taste her. She kisses me back with the same intensity I remember and got addicted to. She lets me in and tasting her is heaven.

Before things get too hot, I pull back. I pull one of her arms from around my neck and fold her fingers around the e-reader. “I want to see you download all your favorite books.”

Her cheeks are a beautiful pink. “Thank you so much,” she whispers shyly, it’s a side of her I haven’t seen yet and I love it.

This is how we should’ve started, two normal people getting to know each other.

I use the first week we’re in New York to get all the work out of the way. I’ve just sent off the last email. I close the laptop and sit back on the couch. Kris is curled up on a sofa by the window, deep in a book.

“Will you go to dinner with me?”

Her head lifts slowly from the e-reader. A small smile starts to play around her lips. “Are you asking me on a date?”

I smile widely. “I guess I am.”

“That would be nice.” Her eyes fall back to the screen, though the smile remains on her face.

I hate to disturb her when she looks so peaceful. “It’s already six, why don’t you go get ready so we can go?”

She sets the e-reader down and gets up. Halfway up the stairs she stops and looks down at me. “What should I wear? I don’t know where we’re going.”

“That blue dress you had on the other day.” I really liked her in that dress. I’ll take her shopping next week. She’s going to need a lot more clothes than what she has at the moment.

When she comes down the stairs again, I stare shamelessly. The blue makes her pale skin look like silk and her hair hangs in soft curls past her shoulders. She’s not wearing any make-up, except for some lip gloss.

I get up and meet her at the bottom of the stairs. I take her hand and pull her closer to me. I’ve been careful when kissing her. I don’t want to push her. I want her to feel comfortable with the pace.

When I make love to her - and that day will come – it will be because she’s ready and she wants it just as much as I do.

I place a soft kiss on her cheek and then go to grab my keys. “Let’s go.”

Simon is already waiting for us when we walk out onto the pavement. This time Kris doesn’t argue and gets in.

The SUV pulls away from the curb, taking us on our first date. I’m excited. So far everything is going as planned.

“What do you do for a living?” Kris asks. “I never…” she waves her hand in the air, “It’s weird. I never thought of you as a man with a normal job, a family … you know, the normal stuff.”

“How did you think of me?” I’m half scared of her answer.

“I don’t know, it’s confusing. At first I thought you were sad. You always looked sad. Then,” she shrugs, “I don’t know. One day you were protective and gentle and the next you were mean and controlling. The only thing I do know is that you are nothing like those other men. You never treated me like they did. They didn’t even refer to me as human, I was merchandise to them. At the end of it all I felt safe with you in my own twisted way.”

My heart is beating fast. I didn’t expect her to be that
nice
about it. “And what do think now?”

“Now?” I nod when she hesitates. “You’re a totally different person. You’re kind and patient. I think deep down I knew you were different than Warren all along. You never hurt me like he did. I think that’s why I felt safe with you. I just wish none of that had to happen. I would have liked to have met you under different circumstances.”

I take her hand in mine and bring it to my lips. I place a kiss on her palm and then hold her hand on my thigh. “I want you to still feel safe with me. I said it then and I still mean it, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I have a question.”

She looks uncomfortable asking, so I encourage her with a smile. “You can ask me anything.”

“Why go through all this trouble? You say you want to get to know me, but why? The dating, the kissing, I don’t understand any of it.”

That’s when I realize she really doesn’t know how I feel about her. I slip my hand behind her neck and pull her closer. “I want to get to know you better because I think you’re an amazing person. The dating and kissing is because I care about you and I can’t keep my hands off you. I would like a chance to see where this can go.”

“Is that why you bought me?” Her voice is small as she asks this.

“I paid that amount so that no one could buy you. You’re not for sale. I wanted you to have your freedom, but I never stopped thinking about you.”

She leans forward and places a kiss on the corner of my mouth. “Thank you, Garrett.”

“For what?” I’m about to tell Simon to take us back to the apartment. I’d rather be alone with her right now.

“For not leaving me there. Thank you for caring.”

It’s hard to keep my hands off her, to not devour her right here in the back seat. I clear my throat so I don’t sound like a horny teen. “You asked what I do for a living.”

She nods, leaning her body closer to me. It’s making everything harder.

“I just sold off most of my shares in my promotional company, Fine Promotions. After we came back I dealt with some issues at the office and then we decided to sell some shares so we have more time to focus on other things.”

“Like what?”

I love how things are between us now and where it’s heading. It actually looks like she’s giving me a chance to redeem myself.

“I wanted to look for you and there you were under my nose the whole time.”

She looks a little shock at my admition. “You were going to look for me?”

“Of course. I’d be insane not to.”

Simon stops in front of the restaurant and I help her out. She grabs my hand and holds me back. “I don’t think I’m dressed appropriately for this restaurant,” she whispers.

I pull her hand through my arm. “You look stunning. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing.”

We walk in and Kris inches closer to me as the hostess smiles at us. “Mr. Macht, it’s so nice to see you again. Your usual table?”

“Please.” We follow her to the back and I pull out Kris’s chair for her. When I take a seat opposite of her, her eyes are wide on me. “What?”

“I’ve never been in a place like this. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

I love how honest she is with me, but mostly I love that this is new to her. She’s not like most of the women, always prowling around me. She’s down to earth.

We order our meals and enjoy some wine. We talk about anything and everything. I find out that she hates fish and doesn’t have a specific favorite food. It all depends what she’s in the mood for that day. I also find out she’s a coffee addict.

We spend the rest of the meal eating and talking, like a normal couple.

~*~