Marriage (24 page)

He took his hand from her breast and trailed his fingers along her bare thigh. “Tell me, Mrs. Ryan, would you have offered yourself to me if your husband were still alive? Speak the truth.”

She wondered how he had the nerve to ask such a ridiculous question. “No,” she said evenly. “If my husband were alive he would have sent you to the hospital or killed you if you dared to touch me.”

It was not the answer he wanted. She could see the anger flash in his eyes, “You forget, bitch, that I am a soldier. I have killed many.”

She remembered what Uzetta had told her about Abul’s career as a soldier. He’d been the worst kind of coward. He’d killed only defenseless women and children. Whenever real soldiers appeared, Abul ran. For a moment she’d forgotten her purpose. She couldn’t afford to offend him. “I’m sorry, Abul, I did forget. You are a strong man and a brave one. But you must understand, I loved my husband. I had no knowledge of you. As long as Jeff was alive no other man in the world would have interested me.”

He moved his hand up her thigh until she felt his fingertips on the slick outer folds of her pussy. He could feel the heat and wetness. “So, if I were to take you...to make you my woman, it was necessary for me to kill your husband? There was no other way, yes?”

She hoped he would push one of his long dirty fingers into her cunt. “That’s true, Abul, there was no other way you could have had me.” He slipped the tip of his index finger in but then withdrew it. She turned his head toward her and leaning down brushed her lips against his. She gently touched her lips to his. “And...and, Abul, I want to be here with you like this,” she said softly. On the table beside him was the remote. He picked it up. Kathy felt a burning desire in her pussy. She leaned close to him and whispered, “You have taken his place, Abul. I’m your woman now. I...I...want you. I give myself to you tonight freely and completely.” He let the brushes spin for just a moment. Kathy closed her eyes and groaned. When she opened them, he was shaking the cubes in his empty glass. “Yes, Abul, yes. I’m sorry. I should have noticed,” she said and, trembling slightly, hurried to refill it.

She returned and was about to sit on the chair arm again, but he held up his hand. “Not yet,” he said. “Stand here in front of me. I see you are wearing a very expensive gold necklace. Is it also a gift from your husband?”

“Yes, it was in the box with the dress.”

From the table at his side, he took a framed photograph. It was the one from Jeff’s desk, the picture of the happy bride and bridegroom laughing and waving from the steps of the church. Draped over the photograph was a worn black leather dog collar. He held the photograph out to her, “A gift to you from me. I had Freddie send it,” he said. “Would you like to wear it?” Tentatively, she reached out for the collar. “Smell it, Mrs. Ryan.” Kathy lifted the color to her nose. “Does it smell familiar?” Abul grinned at her.

“It...it was the dog’s,” she said.

“And now it’s yours,” Abul nodded at her. “But, Mrs. Ryan, put it on only if you would rather wear it than your husband’s gift.” With trembling hands she reached behind her neck and unfastened the clasp of Jeff’s necklace, which she handed to Abul. Hating herself, she buckled the dog collar around her neck. “It’s a perfect fit,” Abul said. “It will also serve as a reminder of two things. Do you know what they are?”

“It will remind me of my place as your woman and of what will happen to me if you do not take me as your wife.”

“And you are learning your place? Do you honestly want me to take you as my wife?”

She took a step toward him and brought her fingers up to touch the collar, “Yes, Abul, I am learning my place. I want with all my heart for you to take me as your wife.”

“Even if I had to kill your husband to make our marriage possible?”

Kathy was silent for a moment, hating him but knowing what she had to say and do. She bowed her head, “Yes, even if you had to kill my dear husband,” she said. She felt he wanted her to say something more. She raised her head, “You have...I mean I’ve come to realize you have a strength that isn’t diminished by sympathy or mercy. I’ve learned to respect that.” She looked away, then back at him, “I’ve learned to...to...almost welcome the power you have over me. As you know, I hated it, fought against it. But...but recently I’ve discovered...much to my despair, that it...it excites me...that belonging to you excites me.”

She saw that her answer satisfied him. He held the beautiful necklace Jeff had given her in his hand. “Your rival for my affections would like this. Should I give your husband’s expensive gift to Kim?”

Kathy looked at the necklace he held out to her and felt a sudden rage that quickly turned to sadness. “Yes, Abul, give it to...to...Mistress Kim,” she said. “She is worthy of such a beautiful gift. I’m sure she will be pleased with it.”

Abul placed the necklace on the table beside him, then opened his robe and crossed one bare leg over the other, dangling his right foot. “I need to say just one word, don’t I?” She glanced down at his foot then up at him and nodded. “What’s the word, Mrs. Ryan?”

“Respect,” she murmured.

His face hardened. He stared unblinking at her until she looked away, “Respect,” he said.

Kathy moved close to him and very slowly got to her knees. With both hands, she lifted his calloused foot and lowered her head to gently press her parted lips to his filthy toes. As she did so, she felt the warm secretions ooze from her cunt.

Abul looked down at her and smiled, “Here you are, Mrs. Ryan, in your own house, a stunningly beautiful woman, dressed in a revealing gold gown, kneeling at my feet. Obediently, you bend lower and press your warm lips to the dirty toes of the man who killed your husband. I wonder if you know how much I enjoy seeing you like this, how much I love to hurt and humiliate you, how much pleasure it gives me to know that now you are completely mine, that you belong to me.” Kathy raised her head. He sneered down at her, “I say again, Mrs. Ryan, respect. Show the man who took your husband from you the respect he deserves. Linger this time. I enjoy watching you kiss my feet.”

Kathy bent down over the crooked filthy toes with their long black toenails. Gently she pressed her parted lips to the base of his toes.

“That’s right,” Abul said, “think about where you are and what you are doing.” She looked up at him trying to hide her anger. Her wet lips glistened in the firelight. “In your own house, Mrs. Ryan, submissively kneeling at the feet of Abul, yes?”

“Yes,” she said softly, “in my own house kneeling at the feet of Abul.”

He nodded and grinned down at her, “Now, you know what you must do. Tongue, Mrs. Ryan. I want to feel your loving tongue.” She licked his toes.

“You find that both revolting and arousing, don’t you, Mrs. Ryan?” Abul sipped his drink as he looked down at her.

“Yes,” she said, “it is both...I don’t know why, but it is both.”

“Tell me, Mrs. Ryan, how often since your arrival at the Facility seven weeks ago, have you kissed my feet? How often have you sucked my prick? How often have I fucked your ass?”

“I...I...don’t know. Ten or twelve times maybe.”

“That comes to less than twice a week since we’ve known each other. If I should agree to marry you, how do you estimate that number will change?”

She knew he was forcing her to imagine what her life would be like as his wife. “I will do whatever you want as often as you wish,” she said but saw that he wanted her to be more specific. “I will show you respect several times a day in private or in public.”

“Will it be necessary for me to order you to demonstrate your respect?”

“No, whenever I sense that you wish me to, I will kneel before you and I will press my lips to...to...your toes. You needn’t order me to do it.” She looked down at his long dark toes with their ragged nails. Of all the disgusting things about him, his feet were the most repulsive.

“And the rest, the cocksucking and ass fucking,” Abul placed his foot on her thigh.

“If we are husband and wife, I will...will...suck your cock and take your cum two or three times a day if that’s what you wish. My ass will be ready for you to fuck every night or more often.” She leaned forward placing her hands on his knees and looking up at him. “Please, Abul, I’m begging you to marry me. I will be a loving and obedient wife...I promise you.”

“If I want you to give yourself to my friends or to sell your services to strangers?” In one long swallow he finished his drink.

She’d expected him to offer her to his friends. But to prostitute herself ...to give her body to strangers for money was something she had never imagined. How could she, Kathy Ryan, ever degrade herself like that. But soon she would not be Kathy Ryan. She’d truly belong to Abul. Kathy thought for a moment before answering. “Abul, in the eyes of the state and the Church, I will be your wife. I will think of myself as your wife. But we both know I will also be your whore. I will belong to you. If you wish, I will give myself to your friends or offer myself to strangers for money.”

Abul moved his foot along her thigh until his toes touched her slit. “You’re very wet, Mrs. Ryan. Your cunt is like a little furnace.”

She held his foot in both hands and pressed it tight against her hairless crotch. “Please, Abul,” she looked up at him, “let the brushes turn. I...I...am so...so hot.”

Abruptly, he placed his foot on the floor and held out his empty glass. “Fill it,” he said, “and make another for yourself, just bourbon and ice.” The tightness of the gown forced her to rise slowly. “Faster, damn you!” he growled. “You must learn to run and fetch.” Taking quick little steps she rushed to make his drink and hurried back with it. He grinned up at her, “Run and fetch, that’s what you will do every time I require something. You will always hurry to please me?”

“Yes, Abul, I will.”

He drank, then pulled her down to sit on his lap. Kathy was aware that the scent of Jeff’s cologne was still on the robe. She almost burst into tears. Their wedding picture was on the small table next to the chair. Abul noticed her glance at it and quickly look away. He put his arm around her waist and moved his hand up to cup her breast.

“Drink,” he said. Kathy never liked the taste of liquor. Neither she nor Jeff drank anything except, on rare occasions, wine or champagne. She knew the bourbon would go straight to her head. Perhaps, as long as she didn’t get sick, it would help her get through the night. She forced herself to drink half the glass. Abul’s arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He held the photograph up to her. “If I choose to marry you, will we look like this?”

She studied the photograph and felt the tears well up in her eyes. “No, I don’t think so.” Quickly, she took another sip from her glass. “I think just a few very lucky people get to be that happy only once in their lifetime.”

Abul put the picture back on the table. His hand moved up to cup her breast. Once more, she was aware that this ignorant brute took liberties with her body that she’d never even given to Jeff. He lifted his glass and touched hers with it. “A toast, Mrs. Ryan,” he stared at her, unsmiling, “to the lucky bridegroom in the photograph. A toast to the man whose death made you my woman. A toast to your Jeff.” He clicked his glass against hers a second time, “Say it,” he ordered. His rough, calloused hand tightened on her breast as he pulled her closer.

Swallowing hard, Kathy said, “To Jeff.” They both drank.

“Another toast,” Abul held up his glass again. “To Abul, the man who murdered your husband. May Abul enjoy the many pleasures of your body for a very long time.” He nodded indicating Kathy was to repeat the toast.

She bowed her head and sat in silence. Abul touched the remote. The brushes spun for just a moment. Kathy closed her eyes and shivered, but remained silent. “You want the brushes and you want a marriage,” Abul said angrily.

After another moment, Kathy lifted her head and raised her glass to his, “To Abul,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper, “the man who murdered my husband.” Quickly she finished the bourbon, put down her glass, and reached out to touch his face, “May you enjoy my body, may you enjoy the many pleasures of my body for a very long time.” He put down his glass and tightened his arm around her waist. With his other hand, squeezed her nipple. Then, he touched the remote. The brushes turned slowly.

“Yes,” he said, “I fully intend to enjoy the body of Jeff’s wife for a very long time.” He waited, allowing the brushes to spin. “Show me that it belongs to me now.” Kathy made a small sound in her throat. “Show me how the widow Ryan seals a sacred pledge?” he asked, twisting her nipple.

Kathy looked directly at him, pleading that he not stop the brushes. His thin lips were wet. She licked her own lips. “I seal my sacred pledge to you, Abul, like this,” she said. Trembling, she pressed her open mouth against his and darted her tongue into it. Slowly, she moved her tongue over the stubs of his teeth and rubbed it against his tongue. He let the brushes spin. Kathy moaned and turned so that her body pressed hard against his. She put her hands behind his head and continued to tongue kiss him until she felt ready to explode in a powerful orgasm. Sensing this, he touched the remote and the brushes stopped.

Kathy drew back, “Please, Abul...oh, please let me...

“Not yet,” he grinned, “we have all night, Mrs. Ryan. Do you want to make love to me?”

“Yes, Abul, I want very much to make love to you.” She knew he could tell she didn’t mean it...that all she wanted was to feel the brushes spin against her clit. She lifted his hand to her breast and, looking directly at him, she reached through the opening of his robe and began to stroke his cock. “We do have all night, Abul,” she said. “How hard your cock is!” She touched her lips lightly to his and drew back, then did it a second time and a third, teasing him. Her tiny hand moved slowly on his cock. Again looking into his ugly face, she said softly, “I want you Abul. I hate the man who killed my husband and yet as impossibly obscene as it seems to me, I’ve come to realize I need you and I want you very much.” She brushed her lips against his and whispered into his mouth, “And I know you want me. I belong to you now, completely...tonight and every night.”