Renewed fire

"So you did take me up on my offer." 

"What offer?" I feigned ignorance. 

I pulled my robe from my body, standing in only my blue swimwear. From the corner of my eyes, I could see that Christian had stepped into my room and was walking towards me. 

"C'mon Lora. You know what I mean."

I continued to pretend like I wasn't aware of what he was talking about.

I bent over my bed, on purpose of course, pushing my ass out, my fingers playing with the dress I'd laid out to wear. 

Christian, who now stood a few inches from me, eyed me. I saw him checking me out, but he made zero attempt to touch me.

"You're gonna keep playing dumb?"

We never talk about it, but to an extent, Christian and I had an understanding. The night of our wedding, I'd reminded him that I would make him pay for ever hurting me. Every chance I had, I made it clear to him that he was still on the list of people I wanted revenge on.

I'm very aware that he knows I can betray him anytime. My fear was that if I got caught, he would make me pay. He'd probably do something to me before I got the chance to hurt him. So I had to be careful and discreet.

"I'm a very busy woman. You came here for a reason, no? If it's nothing important, please leave."

"Your lackey dump you?"

I almost growled at him, instead I went for a glare.

"You really should find someone else. Gabriel is… how do I put it delicately, ah! A wimp with no power. He can't possibly help you."

I almost lashed out at him. I was so close to gloating that I'd saved him just the other day, but I held my tongue. 

He was pushing my buttons on purpose. He always did. I'd known him long enough to know that this was fun for him.

I sat down, giving up on my performance which was clearly having no effect on him. "Okay, fine. So you know. You've known all along?"

Christian slumped on my bed, sitting beside me. 

"I'm not stupid, Lora."

I scoffed, not believing a word he said.

"You seem to think you've been a step ahead of me." He leaned in, our mouths only inches apart. Whispering he said, "I gave you everything you gave Gabriel. You wanted a henchman, so I made it easy for you to find those documents. I said I'd help you, remember?"

Christian stayed with our mouths almost touching. My breathing had gotten faster, and he must have known. He leaned further towards me, his breath fanning my lips as he spoke. I could almost taste him. His hand found my naked thighs and he rubbed. He was so gentle I almost couldn't feel it. He was teasing me, and my body didn't fail to respond to him. My eyes closed and my mouth slightly opened as I waited for him to take my lips.

My eyes shot open when I felt his body move away. He reclined, his hands serving as pillars, and I almost slapped the smug look on his face. 

Fuck it!

"I fucking saved you at your board meeting you ungrateful asshole."

"Saved me?"

I reveled in the confused look he had on his face. 

"I made Gabriel vote against your dismissal." Now I was the smug one.

"That's why the vote was unanimous."

"Huh? Unanimous?"

He had enemies in his company. Even if Gabriel made his people vote in favor of him, there was no way the vote would be unanimous. His uncle had his eyes on his seat. There was no way he voted to keep Christian as CEO.

"You underestimate me, Lora."

He was capable of this and more.

Gabriel's words rang in my ears.

After being in the same house, I'd forgotten who Christian Gulf really was. Or rather, I'd deluded myself into thinking he was a good man who would never hurt me. At least not on purpose.

"Did you pay my family to leave? One year ago, did you tell them to leave me behind?"

Christian pondered my question, not in the least bit shocked. A small light of hope shone in my heart when he didn't answer. No matter how bad he was, he would never do that to me.

I laughed awkwardly, "I knew it. You could never—"

"Yes." 

His answer caught me off guard. 

"You told me Leah had sent them away to hurt me." The anger that was brewing in me reflected in my voice. I wanted him to know. I needed him to see that I was furious.

That he was hurting me.

"I don't know what to tell you." He shrugged like it was nothing.

"Why? Why would you do something so despicable?"

"I made an offer and you weren't even in the least bit interested. It didn't seem like you'd take it, so I improvised. All is fair in love and war, sweetheart."

"Get the fuck out. Get the fuck out now." I yelled. 

My heart ached. I'd been foolish enough to trust him. 

I was so stupid.

He'd done the barest minimum for me and I'd almost dropped all my plans for revenge.

"Don't tell me you weren't expecting this? C'mon Lora. where's the feisty girl that vowed she'd take her revenge on me."

I should have known. I was a game to him. I was simply entertainment for him. Something to make his boring day livelier. A way to pass his free time.

Our entire marriage was a game and he was the game master. 

"I want a divorce." My tears threatened to free themselves. With every might I could gather, I held them in. If they fell now, I'd really be the joke he assumed me to be.

Christian stood up, no longer smiling. His expression was cold and serious. I hated when he had that look. "You know we can't get a divorce. You signed the contract."

"Five years is too long. I can't stay married to you for that long. I can't even look at you right now. How am I supposed to live with you for the next four years."

"You didn't have a problem looking at me seconds ago." He smirked. "In fact, you wanted to do more than look. What changed?"

Before I could conjure a response, Christian pulled me to his body, his hands tightly wrapped around my waist. He crashed his lips on my own.

I hated that even in our current situation I still enjoyed the taste of his lips. One of his hand moved from my waist to my ass and he grabbed a cheek and squeezed almost painfully. I moaned in his mouth, my body softening in his own.

It knew Christian's touch. It recognized him and acted accordingly. I bit his lower lip, enough to almost draw blood. He didn't mind, rather he moaned, liking it.

In spite of the anger that resonated throughout my body, my hands flew to his hair, and I pulled, our mouth still locked together. We stayed glued to ourselves for what felt like forever, our hands now ruffling all over our bodies.

When we finally came apart, our breathing was fast.

Furiously, my hand rested on my short dark hair and I pulled, angry at myself. Christian stood, watching me. I could tell he was enjoying the show, reveling in the sight of me losing my shit. He tried to touch me again, but this time I had gathered enough strength to resist him.

"Get out, get out now. Don't you fucking touch me." I yelled hysterically.

My anger was misdirected, I knew this. He had such powerful effect on me and I abhorred myself for it. But a portion of the blame was his. He was knowingly taking advantage of me…

I watched with tear filled eyes as he left my room. My head ached from exasperation.

After what he'd done to me, after making my family abandon me, how could I still want him this badly? 

My body had betrayed me, like it did the night I gave him my virginity.