Indecent Pawn

Chapter Fifteen

Allison woke the next morning, sore and somewhat confused. Her body felt light as a feather and naked as the day she was born. The only covering was a satin sheet. Goosebumps started to rise on her arms feeling a breeze glide over her exposed skin. Peeling her eyes open, she tried to focus on her surroundings. Memories of the night before came back in droves. Antonio had taken a bit of his anger out on her in such a way that left her wanting more. Much better than the trip to the gym that caused her to be in pain for days.

Although she was in pain, a faint smile still graced her lips because it was worth it. Worth it to finally feel like a woman. A desired woman. Antonio had called her beautiful, while he cursed up a storm. Pummeling in her canal without mercy. Biting her lip, she let a moan slip just from thinking about the deliciousness of it all. Then a thought occurred, where was he? Was he satisfied? Did she disappoint him? Thinking for sure he has had better than her homely, inexperienced self. Her deadly beaten down self-esteem was a killer.

“You should probably go.” She heard his gruff voice but didn’t see him at first. He was looking out over the water with his back to the bed. 

“W-what?”

“Leave.” He growled.

“…” Just like that he was back to his cranky, angry self. For sure she thought he would wake up just a bit nicer.

“This shouldn’t have happened.”

“…” That simple sentence caused tears to spring forward. Her chest was aching from each word that added a nail to a coffin.

Allison eased to the edge of the bed silently. Looking around for her discarded clothes of a reckless night of passion. Or so she thought. The feeling of being used by a man to get his pleasure is what she has dealt with for the past nine years. Why would she expect anything different? Gathering all of her things she went to the foyer of his bedroom and dressed. Without a backwards glance she eased out of his room, closing it with a soft click. ‘I can’t cry. I can’t cry.’ She chanted to herself all the way down the hall and to the stairs.

“Whoa!” Gio caught her off guard. She had been mindlessly moving as fast as she could and wasn’t watching where she was going. “You alright?”

“I’m fine.” She quickly stated that sounded more like a robot than anything else. Then she repeated herself more than once trying to keep going to her room.

“You don’t look fine.”

“Please.” She begged him quietly just to let her pass. Never raising her eyes from the floor. She felt ashamed and saddened that she allowed her want for a man to persuade her judgment of what was right. A tear she had been trying to hold slid down her face. Gio attempted to wipe it away but she slunk back from him as if he were going to strike her. He held his hands up in surrender.

“…” Gio finally got the hint and stepped away. Allison wasted no time hightailing it the remainder of the way to the room she occupied.

Dejected, rejected, and a feeling of self-loathness consumed her entire being. Stripping out of her clothes, she made a beeline for the shower. Scalding hot water beat down on her body from every angle. She didn’t give damn about her hair or her skin as she allowed the water to drench her. The water washed away the salty remnants of her worthlessness. A sob racked her body as she crumbled to the shower floor. She hated herself for allowing such carelessness to come to pass. Most of all she hated she couldn’t hate him.

Two hours later, she made her way downstairs. The thought of trying to hide out forever sounded appealing but she knew that would never happen. She wasn’t sure what his mind state was but she did have work to do. Not really wanting to face anyone especially him, she still made her way to the kitchen. Allison knew she had to pretend like nothing had happened. If Carlina got whiff of any turbulence there was no question she would start inquiring on what the problem was.