Consumed (Keeping her in the Dark) (9 page)

“No problem, sir! You look like you have your hands full!”
Tommy called back. I raised my head from Norah’s breasts again and gave him
another smile. “A very sweet fullness, Tommy.” Norah lightly slapped my
shoulder and I looked back at her. “Do you know him? You plan to fuck me right
here in the car in front of him?” I gave her a little snort and shoved 2
fingers inside her wetness. I licked her lips once. “I’ve had him as a driver
before, yes. And I’ll do whatever I want to do, you know that.” I raised her
dress some more and moved my hands to the waist band of her panties. As I
pulled them off, she tried to stop me.

“Liam, what are you doing?” she looked completely taken by
surprise. “I need to taste you, little one. I need to taste you right now.” I
grunted through my teeth and she let me pull down her panties. I dropped them
to the floor of the car and covered her pussy with my mouth. “Oh, baby you
taste so sweet.” My hands parted her legs and then I moved them to her behind
and pressed her to my face.

This felt good. I knew she was uncomfortable but I felt good
knowing I was in control. She was letting me have my way because this was what
I wanted to do. She was wet and aroused so I knew she felt good too. Her hands
found the back of my head and I heard her moaning and her back ached. “God,
you’re hot, baby. You taste like honey, and you are so fucking hot.” I
whispered and ran my hands over her breasts again. “I want to make you come,
little one.” I put my mouth back on her and ran my tongue over her clit. I
swirled and sucked and licked her like I couldn’t get enough, because I
couldn’t. Her body tensed and she fisted my hair as she came. I removed my
mouth, shoved 2 fingers inside her and ran my thumb over her clit as she rode
it out. “That’s it, baby. Come for me.” I moved to my knees and started to
unbuckle my pants as she came down from her orgasm. Her eyes were still closed
and she ran her hands over her own breasts and covered them back up with her
dress. I pressed her legs open more and moved myself between them. Her eyes
opened and she looked shocked.

“Liam, no. We’ve done enough.” She turned her head to the
driver and I did too. Tommy was driving very slowly on a deserted road and his
eyes in the rearview mirror…on us. I smiled and gave him a nod.

“I need to fuck you right now, little one. I need to let him
watch me fuck my woman, make her come and come hard….right now. Right now,
Norah.” I pressed myself inside her and thrust several times. Her eyes softened
a little, but I could tell she was still tense.

“Relax baby, look at me. You’re mine, baby.” She closed her
eyes and tried to relax. I pumped harder and looked down to watch myself going
in and out of her.

“Isn’t she beautiful, Tommy?” I called out. Norah opened her
eyes in shock. “She’s very beautiful, Mr. Hastings. Very sexy. How does she
feel?” he called back. “Oh, God, she feels fucking amazing!” I pumped faster
and raised her leg up to my shoulder. “She’s so fucking tight and wet.” I
leaned forward as I was about to come and I could feel my pants lower and my ass
was now exposed too.

Norah had closed her eyes and was now actually clenching
them shut. “I’m gonna fucking come, baby. Ahh….” I grunted and started to move
slower as I came. “Fuck yeah! This. Is. Mine.” I pulled out and sat back while
Norah sat up and lowered her legs. She made adjustments to her skirt and
grabbed a mirror from her purse. I heard her make some comments while she fixed
her hair. I readied myself again and nodded for Tommy to head back to the
party.

When we got there, as soon as Tommy got out, Norah opened
her door and got out herself. I stepped out and looked at Tommy. “Is she
pissed?” he asked. I shrugged. “She knows I run this show and she gives me what
I want.” I was still panting. I adjusted my tie and went inside.

I went straight to the bathroom to
fix my hair and makeup. I was so pissed I forgot to put my underwear back on
before I got out of the car. I looked at myself in the mirror as I put on my
lipstick. Did he even kiss me? The whole time he conducted his little peep show
did he even kiss me? I was humiliated. He humiliated me on purpose.

He knew I would let him have his way even if I felt demeaned
or degraded. I just couldn’t believe he had taken it that far. I was
humiliated.

As I walked out of the bathroom I was greeted by Tim and
handed a head set and clip board. I went straight to work and tried to block
Liam from my mind. He was having caveman issues and I had no clue why, but I
had a job to do.

I made sure everything was in place, talked with the wait
staff and greeted a few early guests. As the guest line started to get longer
and the room started to fill I noticed Liam was sitting at the bar….alone. I
started to go say something to him but then I thought better of it.

An hour into the party and things were running smoothly.
Dinner was a hit and people were dancing. Drinks were flowing and the happy
couple was very….happy.

“Norah, everything looks lovely. Mr. and Mrs. Williamson
seem like they are having a great time. We should definitely sit down on Monday
and discuss bigger things.” Mary winked at me. “Thank you so much. It was a lot
of hard work but I loved it all.” I clutched the clip board to my chest and
swayed back and forth. “Isn’t your extremely handsome boyfriend here? Am I
going to get a chance to meet him?” she asked as she took another sip of her
wine. I swayed a little more and scanned the room to see if I could find him.

“Um, yes. He’s here somewhere. Maybe you can meet him
later.” I tapped her shoulder and nodded as I walked away because I saw Liam
making his way toward me. I made it 30 feet away from Mary before I met up with
him. “Wasn’t that your new boss? Wouldn’t you like to introduce me? Some people
think I can be rather charming.” I could smell the liquor on his breath and he
had a shitty grin on his face.

 “Not really.” I crossed my arms against my chest and let
out a deep breath. “Why not?” like he really needed to ask me. I started
tapping my foot.

“Like you really need to ask?” He didn’t answer, so I
assumed his question wasn’t a joke. “I start shaking when I think about what
you just did to me. I’m still confused and flustered. I’m having a hard time
focusing on my job, which is keeping people happy and making sure things run
smoothly. I’m not happy. I’m not smooth. Right now…I don’t want people to know
I even know you.” I saw the shock on his face as I walked away. I half expected
him to grab my arm and pull me into whatever closet or dark alley he could
find. But he let it go and I walked away as fast as I could.

I was chatting with the happy couple about 45 minutes later when
I saw him on the dance floor with yet another blonde.
What is it with him
and blondes? Why does he always get back at me with a blonde?

I went to the kitchen and checked on the anniversary cake to
show him I really didn’t care. Let him fuck her in front of the entire crowd
and see how she likes it.

I managed to gather myself and re-focus for the next hour.
The cake was served, toasts were made and Mrs. Williamson presented her husband
with a sail boat as an anniversary present. I was laughing with the wait staff,
Tim managed to steel me a plate of cold chicken salad, and one of the
grandchildren spilled some red sauce on me. I wasn’t even sure we had served
any food with a red sauce.

I was relaxed and joking with people when Liam came up and
patted me on the back. I had managed to ignore him the whole party, but now
here he was in front of people I worked with and I couldn’t deny him now. He
wrapped his arm around my waist and nuzzled his nose in my hair.

“Norah, is this Liam?” Mary asked. I cleared my throat but
before I could say anything he stepped right in. He leaned his face away from
me and held out his hand.

“Yes. I’m Norah’s boyfriend, Liam Hastings.” Mary introduced
herself and lost herself in his beauty as most women did when they met him up
close. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Harris.” Mary didn’t correct him and
since she didn’t give him her last either, I assumed he confused her with my
previous supervisor, Margaret Harris. “Actually it’s Cope. Mary Cope. Margaret
Harris was my first supervisor. If you paid any attention to my career you
would know that,” I smiled when I said it, but I was serious. But Liam hit
right back. “Well if you were home more, maybe I could care more. But I rarely
see you at all.” He took a sip of his wine and tightened his grip around my
waist. Mary just smiled, awkwardly.

“Will you excuse us for a minute, please?” I nodded at Mary.
Liam’s hand felt too warm in mine but I dragged him behind me to the kitchen.

“Are you trying to be an ass? Oh, I forget that just comes
naturally to you!” I snapped. He stepped close to me and put the wine glass
down. “I’m not trying to be anything, Norah. But if you keep this up I will
show you and everyone at this party what an ass I can be.” I pushed him back
and against the table behind him. “This isn’t your show, Hastings! This is
mine! You need to take a backseat tonight, just this once! Do you think you can
manage that?”

“A backseat? I haven’t had a seat at all lately, Norah. You
have shut me out. You leave before me, come home after dinner. I think I have
seen you a few times in passing as I shower or you go for a run.”

“What about the midnight beating I took in the basement?
Does that count as a passing?”

“You’re angry because you don’t control my schedule anymore,
admit it! You’re angry that something else is more important than you at the
moment.” I stopped to let him say something, but changed my mind and started up
again. “And just to show me you still make all the decisions…that you still
have the control in this relationship…you took me down to the basement and beat
the shit out of me to prove it to me and yourself! Believe me I know what an
ass you can be! My ass still feels it every time I sit down.” He smirked.

“So let’s be clear. You know your job is taking you away
from me, you know I’m not happy and hate this new schedule and yet here you are
working your little heart out to get a permanent gig so you can do this shit
all the time. Did I get anything wrong?” He took a sip of his wine.

“Yes, I know you’re unhappy. And if that was unclear, the
little ‘fuck me in front of the driver’ show cleared that right up for me.
Thanks for that by the way.”

“So prancing around Rebecca’s wedding, giving me head in an
open hallway and letting me get you off on a balcony full of people…that was
all okay. But fucking you in the back of the limo that was inappropriate?
That’s what you have a problem with?” He was actually laughing.

“Don’t give me that shit. You are a smart man and know the
difference. We were both in the game we were playing in Texas. You humiliated
me tonight! You knew I didn’t want to do it. You knew I was uncomfortable and
you did it anyway.”

“Coming two times is a sign of being uncomfortable? Sorry I
wasn’t clear on these rules you have, Norah.” I stepped closer to him and
looked him right in the eye.

“Well then let me be perfectly clear on this. You humiliated
me and you should be ashamed of yourself. You are a grown man but you need to
grow up. I am angry, mad, and hurt more than I have ever been. I don’t want you
here. I can’t even stand to look at you right now.” I stepped around him and he
grabbed my arm. I braced myself for anything. When I turned to face him, his
face had softened. His eyes were filled with water. “Norah, I’m so sorry,” he
whispered. I yanked my arm away and went back to the party.

She was right. She was right about
me and I knew it. I paced my study all day Sunday. I knew Norah was in the
house but she stayed away from me. I had left the party after our fight and she
had slept in her old room last night.

Why did I keep doing things like this? I treated Norah like
a child when I didn’t get my way and I acted like a child when I didn’t get my
way. Why did I always feel the need to flex my ownership of her whenever I felt
it was in question? It was never in question by anyone but me. Norah freely let
me do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. She freely admitted that she was
mine and told me on many occasions how happy she was to be mine. I was the only
one who ever questioned anything.

Before she left me, she knew what she wanted and I confused
her feelings. I chased after her, and again she was firm in her feelings and I
was the one who pushed her away. I finally thought I had put aside all my
feelings of uncertainness after our separation. Being away from her for 4
months cleared my mind and made me realize how much I wanted her at any cost.
Now here we were again, she was back in my house, under my control and I was
more in love with her than ever. I felt like breathing was hard without her. I
wanted her not just as my toy, but as my wife.
My wife? Where did that come
from?

I sat down on my couch and laid my head back on the head
rest. Marriage wasn’t where I thought this relationship would end up. Almost a
year after bringing Norah in my home as a slave and now I wanted her to be my
wife. Could that work? I thought I wanted more than a submissive.

I thought a slave was what I wanted, but maybe what I really
wanted and what I really needed was a partner. I couldn’t and didn’t want to imagine
my life without her.

She was the woman I could see in my bed at night and walking
our kids to the bus stop in the morning. It was time for me to stop acting like
an ass. I wanted to dominate her and she had no problem with that. I wanted to
control most of her decisions and she had no problem with that. I wanted to
play with her in my basement and make sweet love to her in my bed and she never
had a problem with that either. I was a caveman and she relished in it. Norah
was the only woman that satisfied me in every way. I needed her with me as a
partner, as my wife.

As I planned out my plan of attack, I just hoped that maybe
in some small way I was everything she needed too.

We didn’t speak to each other at all
on Sunday. He stayed in the study and I was happy not to have to look at him.

I went to work on Monday still pissed off. My office was a
mess and it took me all morning to get it organized. When I went to lunch Liam
texted me and asked me to be home at 6 o’clock because he had something he
wanted to discuss with me. I rolled my eyes and flipped off my phone. After
lunch I headed upstairs and saw a few bags of trash that had been left in the
back. I kicked off my shoes and grabbed two big bags and headed out to the
dumpsters. At the dumpster there were at least five other bags of trash sitting
in the front. I started throwing them inside. I had managed to throw in three
bags and leaned down for the fourth when I felt an arm around my waist, a bag
over my head and I was yanked in a car.

I was slammed on the floor board and someone straddled my
body while they duct taped my wrists and ankles. I squirmed and tried to fight
but it wasn’t worth it. I briefly relaxed thinking this might be some sick game
Liam was playing with me. When I stopped moving I felt his breath on my face. I
couldn’t see through the bag but I knew he was close. When his hand moved down
my body, I started to panic again. I could smell his cologne. This wasn’t Liam.
Liam didn’t have me. It was happening again. I was being kidnapped. I started
to scream and duct tape was wrapped around the bag where my mouth was located
muffling my cry. I was being kidnapped again and this time it was Nick Meyers
that had me.

At 6:15 my pulse was about to beat
right out of my neck. She never answered my text asking her to come home, but I
knew she got it.

I paced back and forth and looked at the ring in the little
box. I opened and closed it over and over. The ring was 5 carats and platinum.
The center stone was a round 3 carat diamond with 1 carat diamonds on each side
and antique platinum design in the band.

It looked like something my grandmother would have worn if
it was 4 carats smaller. I knew Norah would say it was too big, but I wanted
her to know that nothing was out of reach for her. I actually wanted to get her
something bigger. But anything bigger was gaudy or impolite…and Norah was
neither of those things.

7:00

7:30 I started to worry she was still too angry.

8:00 I called her cell phone and got her voice mail.

8:30 She was messing with me. She didn’t want me in control
of her anymore and she was showing me.

9:00

9:30 If she wanted me to worry she had succeeded.

10:00 Proposing to her wasn’t on my mind anymore, trying not
to ring her neck when she finally decided to come home was my main concern.

11:00 I called her cell phone again and left a rather nasty
message and went to bed.

I woke up Tuesday morning alone. Before I showered or even
put a shirt on, I jumped up and went to her old room. She wasn’t there. I went
down stairs to the study and the library. She wasn’t there either. I went to
every room and she was nowhere to be found. I didn’t know what she was trying
to pull, but she was pissing me off.

After I got ready for work I went to find John and found him
in the kitchen joking with Trig and drinking coffee.

“Good Morning, Mr. Hastings.”

“Good Morning, everyone. John, where did you take Norah last
night?” He creased his eyebrows at me. “I’m sorry sir. When I showed up to pick
her up they said she was gone, so I assumed you had picked her up.”

“I would have called and told you if I picked her up, John.”
I ran my hands through my hair. “Has she called you this morning? Is she going
to work?” He didn’t answer.

“I can take you by there before work, Mr. Hastings,” Trig
added to the conversation. “Good. Let’s go!”

Tim informed me Norah had been in her office most of the
prior morning and even ate lunch at her desk. Kim informed me after she ate her
lunch she went up to the banquet hall and started cleaning up trash.

“The last time I saw her she was going outside to the
dumpsters,” Kim was making goo goo eyes at me. It was almost like she was happy
that Norah had left me. I gave her my winning smile thinking it would get me
more information. “Kim and Tim,” I pointed at them both. “That’s cute. Really
cute.” Then Mary stepped in and gave me the most shocking news so far. She
informed me she and Norah had a 4:00 meeting to review the party and discuss
her promotion.

“Norah missed a meeting discussing her career? That doesn’t
sound like her.”

***

“You’re not listening.” Will sat in
my office trying to go over the budget report and tell me about the resort weekend
he had with the McMillians. “You’re not listening, Liam. What’s going on? Why
are you so side tracked?” I tapped my pen against the keyboard a few more times
then stood up and walked to the window. As I shoved my hands in my pockets I
told him my theory.

“Norah left me. We had a fight and she’s gone.” I lowered my
head. “I did something really stupid….inconsiderate and immature. I acted like
a bastard. I am a bastard. But it finally pushed her away. And she’s gone.” I
felt Will walk up behind me. I turned to him and gave him a few more details. I
told him how jealous I had become over her job and overall life without me. I
told him I didn’t feel in control anymore and flexed my dominance in the wrong
way.

“You haven’t lost control, Liam. You feel like you’re losing
her. She has something that has nothing to do with you and it scares you. You
think she doesn’t need you anymore. And you think when she realizes that she
doesn’t need you, she’s gone. So you pushed her away first.” He patted me on
the shoulder. “Check her credit cards, see if she charged an airline ticket or
hotel room.”

I hadn’t thought about that, but it was a good idea. I went
to the computer and pulled up the one credit card Norah had. The balance was
zero. She had never used it…ever.

“She’s never used it?” Will asked. “I can’t believe it. Jane
has maxed out 4 credit cards with very high limits. I can’t keep up,” he
laughed. “Norah’s card doesn’t have a limit,” I stated. “No limit and she has
never used it? What? She doesn’t like to shop?” I started tapping my pen again.

“I give her money and she has her own as well. When I tell
her she needs a dress for an event, she buys it and nothing else. When I tell
her to buy herself a present, she buys a book. She insisted she doesn’t need a
credit card.” Will propped his feet on my desk.

“Here’s my advice. Give her a few days. Let her cool down.
She’s pissed. She’s hurt. Let her have some time to herself. Call her family
and find out if she has reached out to them. Then just let it go. If you
haven’t heard from her by Friday….I would start to worry.”

“I’m worried now.”

I went home after lunch because I couldn’t concentrate
anymore. I looked through my phone and made the call I didn’t want to make.

“Hello, this is…” but before I could get my name out she
started talking.

“Liam? Liam is that you? Is everything okay?”

“Lorraine?” I asked.

“No. This is Tiffany.” I could hear her pull her face away
from the phone. “Damn, I thought this was my phone. But it doesn’t matter.
What’s wrong?”

“Why do you assume something is wrong?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t be calling if something wasn’t wrong. What’s
up?”

“When was the last time you talked to Norah?” I was anxious
about her answer. “On Saturday. She was getting ready for the party, she was
excited, happy, pumped.”

“That was the last time you heard from her? Saturday?”

“What’s going on, Liam?”

“I’m not sure. We had a disagreement. I haven’t…we haven’t…”

“She left you?” she asked.

“No. No. Of course not. Absolutely not. But the thing
is….yes, well maybe…yes, she might have actually.”

“What did you do?” she sounded huffy. I didn’t like the
accusation, assuming I was the one that had done something.

“I didn’t do anything. Well, I don’t want to talk about it.
I just want to know where she is….and make this right. Please let me know if she
calls you or her family?” It wasn’t really a question but I made it sound that
way.

“Liam, does this have anything to do with…ya know?” she
insinuated something but I wasn’t sure what. “With what?” I was curious. “She
told me. I know about how you….met,” she was whispering now.

“What are you talking about?” I had no idea where she was
going with this. “Norah told me about the auction, kidnapping and everything,”
she let out a deep breath. I didn’t know what to say. Norah never told me she
told Tiffany the truth about us.

“Ah, I didn’t…I mean, I had no idea…she never told me…” I
didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t worry, Liam, you’re secret is safe with me. Norah
explained how you didn’t know and helped her heal. It isn’t the best scenario
for a relationship, but she said it worked. She told me she loved you, Liam. So
I am asking if that past experience….situation has something to do with her
disappearance.” I was lost when she brought this up. I didn’t want to answer
questions about how Norah and I came together. “Why would that have anything to
do with this?” I didn’t know how she put Norah’s leaving me together with me
purchasing her from an illegal auction.

“I’m not trying to start anything with you, Liam. But is
there a possibility that one of the thugs from the auction has come back for
pay back?” I laughed. She had this whole mafia, motor cycle, street gang
scenario playing out in her mind. In some way, by me being appalled by the
auction, making Norah understand, give her freedom and falling in love with
her, I had offended the crime boss and now he had taken my girl to teach me a
lesson.

“First of all these were not thugs involved with this
auction. These were very sick and demented men with a lot of money at their
disposal. Second of all, this isn’t a game or television show, Tiffany, this is
my life. I didn’t steal Norah from a rival gang and now they have come back to
make me pay. I bought her, we worked through it, and it’s over. I haven’t seen
or associated with anyone else from that auction since it happened.” That
wasn’t completely true, since Will was my close friend and finance man.

“I wasn’t trying to offend you. I am just trying to think of
something that could help.

“Norah is upset with me, Tiffany. She has temporarily left
me over it. If she calls you or her family, please call me.” I pushed end on my
phone. It was Tuesday, she had been gone for almost 24 hours.

Wednesday, she didn’t come home and I didn’t go to work.

Thursday, nothing new.

Friday, I sent all the staff home because I was snapping at
them for no reason at all. The house was empty. And Norah had not made contact
with me.

Saturday I went to her office and batted my eyes at Kim
until she let me in her office. I went through the papers on her desk and found
nothing but information on the party. Her password for her computer wasn’t hard
to guess and I went through her appointments and emails. Nothing personal or
out of the ordinary. I got my first clue when I opened the first drawer in her
desk.

I found a book wrapped in a red bow, several crumpled cards
and notes and a picture of some birds. When I read the cards my heart dropped.
Nick
Meyers? Norah was in contact with Nick Meyers? Why didn’t she tell me? How did
he find her?