The Perfect Husband (23 page)

“But I want you, Mason. I need you. It’s
been so long since I felt anything. I need to have you deep inside
me, now.”

His cock swelled with her words and the
throbbing grew almost painful. He levered himself up until he was
poised above her and began to inch his way into her warmth.

“Faster, Mason, faster. I want you to love
me now. Please,” she whispered.

The desperation in her voice and the
wildness in her eyes pushed him over the edge. With a guttural
sound way back in his throat, he plunged all the way inside her. He
groaned his relief aloud.

“Oh, sweet Jesus, you feel so good,” he
gasped. “So hot and wet and willing. You don’t know what you do to
me, Belle. I could love you like this forever.”

A tiny smile of satisfaction turned up the
corners of her lips. She gazed at him with eyes full of wonder. He
moved against her and it was like nothing he’d ever experienced.
Even their first time couldn’t compare to this.

The first time, she’d been so distraught and
broken and vulnerable, it had been all about offering her his
comfort and reassurance and love. Now, it felt like she really saw
him, Mason, the man who would give her the moon. He marveled at how
good it could be when he was making love to the woman who’d stolen
his heart, his soul, his everything. Nothing else could ever come
close.

* * *

Isobel clung to Mason’s broad shoulders and
rode the waves of pleasure until she thought she’d die. Until
Mason, her husband had been her one and only lover and sex with
Nigel had been nothing like this, even in the beginning. She’d
always been too focused on pleasing him and seeing to his needs.
Later, it seemed like from start to finish, she’d done nothing but
brace herself for his inevitable climax then criticism.

But with Mason, it was nothing like that. He
was a gentle and considerate lover, putting her needs way above his
own. It had been that way the first time they were together, but
she hadn’t been in the right state of mind to appreciate it. Now,
feeling stronger and more in control of the nightmare that had been
her life, she was able to see and feel how special and truly
wonderful he was.

Standing up to Nigel earlier in the day had
felt amazing. Okay, she’d taken the brave step of walking out of
his life, but she’d spent every moment since then looking over her
shoulder, terrified that he’d reappear and force her to come back
home.

When she told him to go to hell in front of
Mason’s neighbors, she could barely describe the feeling of power
that had surged inside her. She’d still been scared out of her
wits, but somehow knowing she had Mason’s support and encouragement
behind her and the protection of his neighbors, she’d found the
courage and determination to do it. She’d stood up to her husband
and had come away the winner. It was an incredible moment. And she
had Mason to thank for it.

Not that it was gratitude pulsing inside her
right at that moment. The white-hot desire pouring through her
veins and setting her nerve endings on fire couldn’t be described
in any way, shape or form like that. This was want and need and
sizzling attraction all rolled up into one and she couldn’t get
enough. She wanted to remember every moment of this magical
experience…

She caressed the well-defined muscles of his
chest and luxuriated in the light smattering of hair. It was silky
and dark, just like the hair on his head. Her hands moved lower and
skimmed over his taut belly, loving the way muscles clenched and
tightened beneath her fingers. That she had that effect on him was
mind blowing.

With Nigel, it had been all about him. Never
once had he complimented her or told her how much she turned him
on. It was all about him and his gratification and then her
humiliation became his favorite way to play.

She couldn’t bear to think of all the things
he’d done to her just because he knew she didn’t want him to. It
had become a twisted game to him. A game played by a selfish,
manipulative, controlling man who got a kick out of seeing her
distress and her humiliation.

With an effort, she forced the dark memories
aside and concentrated on the man she held in her arms. He was good
and kind and gentle and giving. He was everything her husband was
not.

Mason continued to thrust into her and she
clung to him like she might cling to a kayak being tossed over the
rapids. He was her lifeboat, her rescuer, her hero and somewhere
from way down deep inside her, she thought maybe, just maybe, he
could lead her back toward love.

Dear Diary,

I am so confused. My world has been turned
upside down. I want to trust in another man’s love, but I’m
terrified to be wrong again. I thought my husband was the love of
my life and he turned out to be my worst nightmare. I look back and
don’t understand how I didn’t see the ugliness that lay in his
heart; the anger and control and selfishness that dominated our
relationship almost from the start.

I don’t know whether to feel pity or sorrow
or anger toward him. Maybe I feel all three, irrevocably entwined
together, never to be separated. One thing I do know is that I will
never let him close enough to hurt me or my children again.

Maybe this is my fault because all I saw was
who he wanted me to see. The perfect man, the perfect husband… I
know now that he was no such thing. Our love was never meant to be;
an illusion from the very beginning.

Every day I am away from him, a little more
light penetrates the darkness. I am beginning to see clearer all
the things I couldn’t and perhaps wouldn’t see before… I dream that
someday I’ll see a rainbow…and when I do, I’ll know I have returned
to the land of the living.

* * *

Isobel turned to look over her shoulder as
she backed out of the car space reserved for Mason in the
underground garage of his apartment complex. It had been nearly a
fortnight since she’d left Nigel and Christmas was less than a week
away. Staying at Mason’s apartment had been exactly what she’d
needed to nurture and heal her broken spirit, but she couldn’t hide
out there forever. It was time for her to take control of her life
and the first thing on her list was to return to work again.

After the attack in Mason’s home, she’d
telephoned Georgie and had been given another week off. The time
had served her well. She felt stronger every day. Knowing that
Nigel had been arrested and charged with breach of the AVO also
helped her feel that finally, God was on her side. The fact that
her husband had been released on bail was something that played in
the back of her mind, but she tried not to let it affect her
decisions and the way she lived.

She’d even managed to take the kids to the
park just down the street. They’d played on the swings and had
enjoyed the sun. It had only been for ten minutes, but it was
something. She’d also gone to the nearest bank and had opened up an
account in her own name. Returning to work was another milestone
she had to achieve.

She’d always loved her job as a nurse and
working on the children’s ward was even closer to her heart. She
loved children and had wanted a whole bunch of them. Nigel had put
an end to that dream. She’d had to beg and plead and promise him
the world for him to agree to try for Ben. According to Nigel,
Sophie had been a mistake.

At the time, Isobel had been taking
antibiotics for a chest infection and they’d interfered with the
effectiveness of her contraceptive pills. Nigel had been livid.
He’d demanded she have an abortion, but she’d adamantly refused.
Her defiance had cost her a black eye and a couple of loose teeth,
but as far as she was concerned, the dental work was well worth
it.

When Sophie was born, she was overjoyed and
instantly fell in love. To Nigel’s credit, he grudgingly came
around. Isobel was cynical enough to guess that unlike Ben, it had
something to do with the fact Sophie looked just like her
father.

Now, she made the turn that would take her
to Ben and Sophie’s daycare center and continued driving up the
street. She glanced in the rear view mirror. “We’re almost there,
guys. Are you ready to go back?”

“I am!” Ben announced from the back seat.
“As cool as Mason’s place is, there’s nowhere to ride my bike. We
didn’t even take it to the park! At least I get to ride bikes at
daycare.”

Isobel sent up a silent prayer that her son
had recovered from the trauma of witnessing the latest fight
between her and Nigel. She’d made sure she spoke to both of her
children and explained what had happened as best she could. They
both understood their daddy was unwell and needed time to become
less angry. She’d told them they wouldn’t be seeing him until he’d
learned how to be around them without yelling or hurting
anyone.

‘I don’t like it when Daddy yells,’ Sophie
had said, her big eyes dark and solemn. Isobel had hugged her close
and had whispered against her hair, ‘I don’t like it either,
baby.’

She settled them into their daycare rooms
and was relieved when Sophie gave her a bright smile and a wave
good-bye. It would do them good to have a little normalcy back in
their lives. Their teachers and daycare center friends were like a
second family.

Closing the door to Sophie’s room behind
her, Isobel walked up to the administration desk. From her handbag,
she pulled out a copy of the AVO. The girl behind the counter
greeted her with a smile.

“Hi, Isobel. I haven’t seen you for a while.
Have you been away on a holiday?”

Out of habit, Isobel ducked her head in
embarrassment. A second later, she realized the enormity of her
accomplishment by getting to this point, and raised her chin again.
Obviously this person hadn’t been informed. Better to be
embarrassed than dead. She had to remember that.

“No, I… I’ve had some trouble at home. I
spoke to the director a little over a week ago. Nigel and I
have…separated. The police are involved. I have an AVO against
him.” She shoved the papers over the counter. “I’d appreciate it if
you make sure the rest of the staff are aware. Nigel’s been ordered
to stay away from me and the children. Under no circumstances is he
allowed to collect them.”

The girl’s eyes went wide with shock, but to
her credit she remained professional. “Of course, Isobel. If
there’s anything I or any of the other staff can do—?”

“I appreciate your offer, but I think we’re
all okay. Just keep an eye on my babies. They might seem a little
upset. They’ve been through a lot lately and while they seem all
right at times, the stress of this situation sometimes manifests in
unusual or unexpected ways.”

“Yes, of course I’ll make sure all of the
other staff are made aware, too.”

“Oh, and my contact details have changed,”
Isobel said at the last minute. Handing over Mason’s address and
her new phone number, she thanked the girl, said good-bye and
left.

Hurrying now, she headed toward her car and
prayed she wouldn’t be caught up in morning traffic. It was her
first shift back and she didn’t want to be late and she still had
to give a copy of the AVO to someone in HR before she went on the
floor. Mason was almost certain HR was where Nigel had obtained the
address to Mason’s apartment. There simply wasn’t anyone else in
Sydney who knew where he lived. Isobel couldn’t help but feel
guilty that she hadn’t phoned them at the start.

The police had urged her to tell everyone
who needed to know, despite any embarrassment it might cause. It
was better to have people looking out for her and to react with
offers of assistance if Nigel happened to approach. Especially
given that they worked in the same hospital. It would be impossible
to get an order restraining him from attending his workplace. All
they could hope was that he’d abide by its terms and stay away from
her.

She sent a silent prayer heavenward that
he’d see sense and keep out of her way, but she was terrified that
he wouldn’t. Still, she had to keep on living.
What choice did
she have?
She had children, a job; responsibilities. She
couldn’t expect Mason to support them. Besides, she refused to let
Nigel dictate the way she lived her life. She was done with that,
and with him, forever.

She pulled into the staff parking lot and
breathed a sigh of relief. She’d made it with a few minutes to
spare. Long enough to attend upon the HR staff. Climbing out of her
old Toyota Magna, she locked it and hurried across the asphalt.

“Isobel.”

She spun her around, her heart leaping into
her throat. Nigel stood not ten yards away. Despite her brave
assurances only moments earlier, her legs went to water.

“Stay away from me, Nigel! I swear, I’ll
call the police.” Her voice was shaky with fear, but she meant
every word she said. She opened her handbag and scrambled through
the contents, looking for her phone. The sound of Nigel’s menacing
laughter chilled her to the bone.

“Go ahead. You think a piece of fucking
paper’s going to stop me?”

He took a step toward her and Isobel let out
a shriek. “Stop right there! Don’t come any closer. I mean it,
Nigel. Don’t dare move another step.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay,
okay, take it easy.” He shook his head slowly back and forth and
gradually appeared to calm down.

“Why are we fighting like this, Isobel? I
don’t understand. I love you and you love me. Come home. I promise
I’ll try harder. No more shouting, no more violence. I promise not
to hit you again. I don’t want to hurt you, Isobel. Please believe
me. I love you. I want you and the kids to come home.”

This time when she looked at him she was
filled with pity. “I’m sorry, Nigel. It’s over. I might have loved
and respected you once, but not anymore. I’m not coming back, now
or ever.”