When Gabby awoke she was furious to discover that once again she was in Nik's bed instead of her own. It was getting ridiculous. Why wasn't she ever aware of him moving her? Surely her self-preservation should kick in and warn her that he was there but instead she never realised until morning.
With a growl of frustration she strode from the bed and collected some clothes before going back to her own room to get ready. She spent her time thinking of exactly how she could escape this predicament she found herself in. She had only coped with her marriage for the last year because she had Ramona Grove as her escape outlet and if that was taken away from her then she didn't know what she would do. She didn't want to be one of those women who spent their days shopping and socialising while their husband did all the work. She liked going out and doing something that made a difference. How could she abandon all that just to be a trophy wife? If Nik hadn't wanted a wife with her own thoughts and actions then he should have divorced her when she had asked. She had no intention of giving up on the small life she had made for herself just because that was what Nik expected.
She knew that it was now more important than ever for her to escape this ridiculous marriage. She also knew that Nik wouldn't just let her go so she would have to come up with a plan and she would have to do it soon. The longer she left it the more chance that she would never be able to escape.
The first thing she had to do was put her affairs in order, so with that in mind she dressed quickly in her black knee length skirt, white blouse and black form fitting jacket before gathering everything together.
She made her way down the stairs and wasn't surprised to find Nik waiting for her with his arms folded.
"We have to stop meeting like this," she quipped and he didn't even smile.
"We need to talk," he announced and she offered a faint smile at that.
"Of course we do. You're like a broken record," she told him and he shrugged. She expected him to lead her in to his office but instead he led her to the dining room and pulled out a seat for her.
"Eat something," he urged and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm not hungry. I just want to get this talk over with," she informed him and just like always he completely ignored what she said. Instead he poured her a glass of orange juice and indicated that she should get something to eat. With a sigh Gabby selected a slice of toast just to shut him up.
"I think that we need to establish some ground rules since our conversation last night," he suggested and she glared at him.
"I don't think we need any ground rules. I think we're doing just fine as we are," she snapped.
"And I think that if you're not more careful then you're going to end up getting hurt," he said which made her both furious and wary. She knew on some level that he could be right but then wasn't that true for anyone? They could get run over by a bus while being much more cautious. So why shouldn't she live?
"I'm careful," she insisted and he sighed.
"No matter how careful you are that side of town is dangerous for anyone never mind about someone like you," he explained and she refused to listen to the sense he made. There was more to life than being scare of your own shadow.
"Well it doesn't matter because I'm going to work not to Ramona Grove," she insisted as she got to her feet but Nik stopped her before she could leave.
"I'm just looking out for you," he insisted and she took a slow breath to calm herself.
"I'm a big girl, Nik. I don't need you looking out for me," she told him.
"Just make sure that you stay away from Ramona Grove or I may be forced to do something that we will both regret," he said and she simply stared at him.
"And what would that be?" she asked.
"If you can't stay away and keep yourself safe then I will be forced to employ someone who can ensure your safety," he explained and her eyes widened at that.
"You mean someone other than the man you've had following me already?" she said sweetly but if she had expected him to feel guilty then she was mistaken.
"He is there to keep an eye on you just in case but he isn't in a position to save you from someone dangerous if he's in the car and you're in an office in the middle of bloody Ramona Grove," he told her.
"This whole conversation is pointless because I'm only going to work," she told him firmly and he finally smiled at that.
Gabby was furious about the whole conversation. How dared he think that he could tell her what to do? She was perfectly capable of looking after herself and she didn't appreciate being reprimanded like a naughty child. Finally Nik allowed her to leave and she went to work still furious and more determined than ever to get away from Nik and his insane orders.
She arrived early at work and spent some time coming up with an actual plan to get her life back. She decided that the best thing to do would be to go along with what Nik wanted for now. Instead of rebelling she just had to come up with a way of getting round his orders. With that in mind she decided that the best thing to do was rearrange some appointments and arrange for the more serious of her clients from Ramona Grove to come to her office instead. She could afford to provide transport for them and it wouldn't exactly bankrupt her to not have paying clients for a couple of days.
She got her secretary to call the clients she had booked in for the week and rearrange their appointments. They were all very understanding and didn't mind changing their appointments for a couple of weeks from now. She had made sure to tell them that if there was any emergency then they should feel free to call her and she would try to sort something out. She also had a good friend who was also a therapist and who was willing to see any of the clients that couldn't wait.
She had kept her morning clients but rang Ramona Grove to arrange for any clients who needed to see her to do so over the next few days. Luckily they weren't put out by the change of dates and jumped at the chance of the appointments. Ramona Grove relied on people giving up their time, expertise and money for the cause. They weren't a well-known charity and were grateful for all the help they got.
Gabby wanted to make sure that the clients she had seen for so long would be in a stable point in their lives that wouldn't be completely destroyed when she left. She knew that their lives didn't depend on seeing her all the time but some of them were in a very delicate place and the slightest thing could push them over the edge.
The morning was the usual clients and she made sure to inform them that she would be unavailable over the next few weeks. They were all very understanding and had no problems with the short break she was taking.
During her lunch hour she had a sandwich from the deli while looking in to her escape plan. She knew that she had to be careful about it. Buying anything on card was an immediate no because Nik would easily be able to track it. The same went with getting a ticket to somewhere she intended to stay because he would figure out where she went immediately.
She finally decided on a plan. She bought a plane ticket to Rome on her bank card and a train ticket to Paris with cash. She hoped that if Nik found out she was leaving he would assume that she was flying to Rome. To ensure this she also planned to drive her car to the airport and get a bus to the train station. The problem would come from the mysterious man that was following her. He wouldn't be fooled when he was right behind her and she had no idea who he was. He was obviously good at his job because she had never noticed him before and he had to have been following her for quite a while. She just had to work out a diversion and that couldn't be too hard to do. She was smart and resourceful so she must be able to come up with a way to get away.
Gabby didn't want to look too closely at the feelings inside her that didn't want her to leave. She didn't want to acknowledge that she may feel more for Nik than she wanted to. If she did then she was a fool because she knew that there was no way that Nik felt the same for her. To him she was simply another duty that he had to do.
The day went well and Gabby felt a sense of achievement at the clients she had helped. She didn't even think of delaying going home that evening. She had to make Nik think that he had won and the best way to do that was to not cause any waves.
She arrived home early for a change and Nik was still at work. After a quick greeting to Louisa she ran lightly upstairs and changed in to her bikini before going for a dip in the pool. It felt lovely to just forget everything and concentrate on swimming laps for a while as she enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness and the silky water brushing against her skin. She was so focused on what she was doing that she didn't even notice Nik was there until he dived smoothly in to the pool and appeared beside her making her give a squeak of surprise.
Before she could even react Nik had caught her to him and wrapped his hands around her slender waist as he drew her closer to him. The problem wasn't his forwardness though it was the fact that despite everything she'd said Gabby didn't want him to let her go. She loved the feel of him against her and instead of trying to get free she got closer instead. It was even her that initiated the first kiss. Linking her hands together at his nape she lifted her mouth to his and began a slow, sweet, sensual tasting that was just the taste of things to come. Even that small kiss developed quickly and evoked a passionate response within them both.
Despite what she had told herself she wanted him now more than ever. She arched against him and gave in to his seeking hands as they wreaked havoc on her overly sensitised body. He slipped a hand beneath the small silk covering and cupped her bottom as he pulled her the last few inches against him. She groaned against his lips at the sensations he was causing and he smiled.
She wasn't sure how far she would have let him take things if he hadn't pulled away with a reluctant groan. He pressed a brief kiss on her parted lips and then moved himself completely away from her. She was grateful for him removing the temptation of his gorgeous body. She felt humiliated at the fact she couldn't control herself when around him. Here she was telling herself that she was an independent woman who didn't need a man and especially not him when apparently all it took was one kiss for her to abandon herself to the pleasure of his touch instead.
"We should get ready for dinner," she suggested and he smiled at her. He could clearly see through her thin defences and realised that she was easily susceptible to his charms. If he hadn't have pulled away from her just then she wouldn't have stopped. It was embarrassing to realise that she had no defences against him and that she would have allowed him to take her in the pool where Louisa could have walked out on them at any moment.
"It will save for later," he allowed and she blushed at the insinuation that there would be a later.
"There won't be a later," she insisted but deep inside she wasn't certain that she really believed that and from the smile on his face he didn't believe it either.
She made her way out of the pool and caught up a towel to dry herself aware of Nik doing the same thing beside her. Then she headed inside to change but before she had taken more than a step Nik caught her and threw her over his shoulder as he strode up the stairs and took her to his room while ignoring her half-hearted protests.
When they reached his room he lowered her to her feet and kept hold of her for longer than necessary. For a moment she thought he was going to continue what they had started in the pool. But instead he stepped back and with a confident smile that suggested he knew exactly what she was thinking he turned and disappeared in to the shower.
Gabby cursed under her breath as she collected clean clothes and headed back to her own room. She was a complete idiot. How could she be planning to leave him but still want him so much? She knew the real reason though. Nik was the type of man that she could easily fall for and she knew there was no chance that he would love her back. She didn't want to end up like her sister. It would be awful to love someone so much and for them to never feel the same. She would be faithful to Nik and wanting to have his family while he would be sleeping with all the women he wanted and treated her like an unwanted duty.
She may want Nik but she couldn't stay with him because he was the one person who could have the power to really hurt her. She wanted to be independent because at the end of the day she was the only person she could really count on. For Nik there would always be someone else before her and she couldn't trust herself to rely on him knowing that one day he wouldn't be there for her.
Nik was having similar thoughts in his room as he got ready. He knew that Gabby wanted him but she seemed reluctant to allow anything to happen between them. He didn't understand her at all. He sensed that she wanted exactly the same things he did and that she wanted to make their marriage real but there was something holding her back. He regretted waiting this long to try and make their marriage real. He shouldn't have been so sensitive to her feelings. He should have just done what he'd wanted from the beginning and they might have actually had a real marriage now instead of this war zone they seemed to live in.
Louisa had outdone herself with dinner and she had even set up some candles so that it felt more like a romantic meal than simply dinner after a long day's work. Nik opened a bottle of wine and they actually got along for once. Both of them stayed away from anything that could cause an argument and they actually managed to have a pleasant talk. It surprised Gabby that Nik was actually having a meal with her since before they were rarely home together and he spent more time travelling for business than he did in the house.
"I thought we could take a holiday sometime," Nik said during dessert and Gabby stared at him. She didn't really know how to answer. If this had been a real marriage then she probably would have been excited to go away with him and spend time together but this was the worst possible timing for him to announce this.
"Sure," she answered. It wasn't like she would be around for the holiday anyway when he actually planned it.
"I think it would do us good to get away from everything and actually spend some time together," he suggested and she gave a smile.
"Sure," she answered and his eyes narrowed as suspicion swept through him. She was being unusually nice and it made him wonder just what exactly she was up to. He would just have to keep a close eye on her because he didn't trust her as far as he could throw her. He did wonder how far this nice thing of hers extended though.
After dessert they washed and dried the dishes together and actually continued to get along with each other. They had another glass of wine and Gabby started to relax in Nik's company. If she didn't know better she would almost have said that they were acting like a real married couple. When Nik leaned over and removed the glass from her hand she didn't even protest and when he moved closer and trapped her against the counter with his hands she arched against him. His mouth slanted to capture hers and she eagerly responded to him. Before she knew it he was lifting her in to his arms and without breaking the kiss he carried her upstairs and to his room.
He gently lowered her to her feet and moved his fingers to the zip on her dress. Sliding it down he ran his fingers down her spine causing her to shudder beneath his touch. Then he slipped the dress from her slender frame and let it slither down in a pool of silk at her feet. He unclasped the lacy bra that teased and tortured him with tantalising views of her fabulous breasts. Removing it completely he settled his hands at her waist and then moved them higher to cup her breasts. She gasped against his mouth and he finally broke the kiss to trail his lips across her soft, satiny skin.
Growling low in her throat she reached for his belt and undid it then began to undo his trousers. He was wearing too many clothes and she wanted to see all of him. She had already decided that if she was leaving soon then she wanted to experience this at least once more.
He heard her growl of frustration and with a grin he stepped back to dispense quickly with his clothes before returning to her. Lifting her up against him he laid her on the bed and followed after her. She decided to take the initiative and moved her hands over him as she felt his strong muscles and smooth skin. Her hand skimmed lower and she heard him suck in a gasp as she circled him with her hand. It made her feel powerful to know that she could evoke this kind of response in him and she smiled as she continued to explore his body.
Until abruptly he moved her back against the bed and settled between her thighs. Then in one hard, long thrust he entered her and revelled in the small gasps she gave as her body adjusted to accept him. His jaw tensed as he fought for some control when he all wanted to do was lose himself within her. He began to move, slowly at first, and then increasing his rhythm as they both became swept up in the whirlwind of passion that consumed both of them.
Gabby watched with fascination as the man who had always been so much in control began to lose it and it gave her that sense of power to watch him fall apart in her arms. She ran her fingers gently down his back as she tried to soothe him and then gasped as he kissed her, savouring her lips as he bought her closer to that all consuming passion that would drive her over the edge. It didn't take much before they were both spiralling in to oblivion as pure white hot pleasure exploded within them.
Afterwards he held her close with his arms around her and his hand gently soothing against her back. He kissed her temple and kept her close. For once Gabby didn't want to tear herself away and start cursing herself for being an idiot. Instead she wanted to just lie there with him and feel loved even though she knew that it was all a lie.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked in a concerned voice as he turned her to face him and she offered him a soft smile.
"No," she replied and snuggled closer, grateful when he wrapped her even closer against him. She could feel his heart beating beneath her cheek and the whole moment felt so wonderful and relaxed that she simply gave herself up to it and didn't think about what lay in the future.
She drifted off to sleep still wrapped in his arms and was woken in the early dawn hours by the trail of kisses down her throat. Opening her eyes she smiled up at Nik who had come to mean far more than she had wanted him to. He trailed his lips lower and delivered a sweet torture to her unresisting body. She pressed closer to him and felt how hot, taut and very aroused he was. She felt weak against his desire and couldn't help herself from drowning beneath the crazy sensations assailing her.
His hand trailed down the length of her back and then slipping lower to caress the curve of her hip and the firm roundness of her bottom. Her body felt like it was on fire and she shivered as sensations swept through her.
He kissed her deeply and reached between her legs to the welcoming heat that lay within. He stroked her lightly and made her gasp and arched as she begged for more. She ached for him within her traitorous body and when his fingers began working their magic she gasped and fought not to fall apart in his arms. Then suddenly he was there replacing his fingers with his erection and she welcomed him in to her body eagerly. Every move was a seduction of her senses and she was helpless to resist. She tried to hold out but was completely helpless as she shattered in to a million pieces within his arms and she was aware of him following close behind. Wave after wave of sensation hit her and she couldn't believe that she had waited this long to feel like this. Every time with Nik was an incredible assault of the senses and she could have been experiencing this for the last year.
After, he held her against him and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She felt so safe within his arms yet she knew it was all a lie. She wished that things were different and that Nik actually loved her. If he loved her and only her then maybe they could have actually made their marriage in to something real but he never would and she knew it. Thinking of him with women like Callie made her feel sick to her stomach and just thinking of staying with him while he went off with other women tore her up inside. She couldn't cope knowing that he could have such passion with her here and then go straight to another woman's bed.
She knew that she had no choice but to leave Nik no matter how hard it would be. She had to savour these moments with him because her plan would be in motion soon and within a few days she would never see Nik again.