Staring at the Sun Ch. 13

Staring At The Sun – Chapter 13, Wednesday

This is the penultimate chapter of this story and I hope you enjoy. The last chapter is being written at the moment and should appear soon.

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A faint sliver of light peeps between the shuttered window and I turn over once again in bed. The room is almost silent; the only sounds are the beating of my heart and the faint rhythmic breathing of my companion. I look over at him, his dark head half-hidden by the pillows and my eyes follow the outline of his jaw, shaded now with the first growth of stubble.

I can barely believe I'm here in bed with my enemy, Jake Harper. The events of last night are still shrouded in a thick fog of drug-induced amnesia and I can only remember fragments of what happened between us. Of our first coupling, I have no recollection whatsoever; it's only the proof on the grainy video that made me believe what happened after we returned from the restaurant.

My head still aches and I feel strangely distanced from reality. As if this is all a dream and soon I'll be awake, be back in my own bed at home and this whole holiday just a nightmare. My stomach flips over as Jake moves, his hand reaching out to push away the covers. I try and edge my way out of the bed, but he grabs me, pulls me back into the suffocating warmth of the quilt, his hand gripping my arm.

"Not so fast, Louise. We had an agreement, don't forget."

I stay still as he edges nearer, his breath warm in my ear. "I can't remember. You drugged me."

Jake laughs and tilts my face to his, our eyes meeting in the half-light. I can see his arousal as he stares at me, feel the electric tension between us. I don't remember last night and getting to bed, the haze of amnesia clouding my memory and I think maybe it's better that way. I doubt very much that he let me sleep without taking advantage of me once again.

So, last night I was spared the full realisation of what happened but this morning the house is still empty, there's no-one here to distract him and I'm completely at his mercy. I move slightly and stretch my legs out in bed, my skin making contact with his. The feeling is electric and we both know it. He seizes the moment and kisses me on the lips, his tongue forcing its way into my mouth as I surrender. My body is betraying me now, my nipples have stiffened and I can feel the familiar twist of desire shoot through me as Jake shifts his body so he's almost lying on top of me.

I groan as his hands find my breasts and his touch is surprisingly gentle. I expected him to be rough but he tenderly caresses the skin and I open my eyes to look at his face which is relaxed, all trace of aggression gone. He pulls back the quilt to expose my body and I instinctively try and cover myself, but he stops me.

"Don't, Louise. You're beautiful. I want to see you."

I lie back on the bed and look down as his mouth explores my swollen nipples, his tongue rasping across the soft skin, the stubble on his chin leaving faint marks. I can feel my arousal grow stronger, can feel the trickle of moisture build in my pussy as he concentrates on my breasts, sucking on the nipples until I want to scream out with pleasure. How can I be doing this? How can I capitulate so easily? But was this always going to happen between us? Right from the first night in Dover when he exploded into my world and shattered it forever?

Against my will, my hands move to stroke his hair and he murmurs in approval. I run my fingers down the side of his face and lift his head to stare into his eyes. He seems drugged himself as he gazes at me, his eyes dark. "What's the matter?" he asks. "Aren't you enjoying this?"

I nod and I can feel the tears build in my eyes. "What have you done to me?"

He smiles. "Nothing. You wanted this, Louise. I could see it in your eyes when we first met. You can't deny it." He lowers his head again and resumes his exploration of my breasts, his mouth moving down over my stomach and making me shiver with anticipation. His lips are warm and his tongue leaves a trail of wetness over my skin while his hands slip between my thighs, their dampness giving away how aroused I am.

"I can smell you," he murmurs, parting my legs and looking up at me. "Don't tell me you don't want this. You'd be lying."

He's right. I give in to the pleasure that's filling me, the sweet sensations running through my veins like a drug. I can't stop this now, even if I wanted to. Jake's touch is expert, his fingers stroking my wet slit, making the need for him to be inside me grow with sudden intensity. His tongue is now taking the place of his fingers and I gasp as his breath moves over my exposed pussy. I open my legs wider, pulling the soft folds of skin apart to make it easier for him to plunder the depths. I'm moaning now, my hips moving from side to side on the bed as he probes my inner secrets with his tongue, that delicious stubble adding friction which almost takes me over the edge.

"Come for me, Louise," he whispers and starts to rub my clitoris, gently pushing two fingers deep inside me. The sensations are making me crazy; my mind is a jumbled whirl of ecstasy and guilt as I imagine the three men in my life, Richard, Jake and Mike, giving me pleasure like this. The fantasy sends me over the edge and I orgasm, my body exploding, waves of bliss washing over me as I go higher and higher.

I shudder as the waves eventually die down, my body shaking from the intensity. Jake is stroking me again now, his eyes never leaving my face while he watches my reaction. "You're some woman, Louise. At times, Jilly's like a poker in bed. No reaction whatsoever."

Without warning, Sophie LeGrange appears in my mind, the woman Jake is supposed to be having an affair with. I imagine them in bed together, remember her cool aloofness and wonder if that coldness warms up when she is alone with Jake.

"What about Sophie? Is she a better lover?"

Jake stops stroking me and his face hardens. "What did you say?"

"Sophie...I thought you were lovers?"

"Who the hell told you that?" Jake's voice is quiet now and his tone menacing. "Tell me."

I'm enjoying his discomfort and watch as he sits up, his hand running through his hair in a gesture that reminds me of Mike. He stares at me and I smile. "A friend told me, Jake. Is it true?"

In answer, he leans down to kiss me, but all the gentleness is gone, his mouth rakes over mine with a bruising hardness that makes me gasp. "Tell me, now!"

I struggle with him, but he lifts one leg over my body and pins me to the bed, his erect cock hovering at the entrance to my pussy. His eyes burn into mine and he grabs my arms and holds them above my head so I'm totally exposed. There's no doubt he's in control now and I feel a stab of pleasure as he lowers his head again to feast on my breasts.

"Oh God... Jake," I moan as he nips at the buds with his teeth, his cock moving up and

down the entrance to my vagina.

"You want this hard and rough, don't you, hey? Who the fuck told you about Sophie and me?"

I close my eyes and reach out for his cock, stroking its length and making him moan. I try and guide him inside me but he pulls away. "Tell me, Louise."

"I will," I pant. "After this."

With a single hard thrust he enters me and I cry out, my legs opening to receive his body, my surrender complete. He looks down, a glint of triumph in his eyes and starts to move hard and deep within me. I hook my legs around his waist and draw him in tighter, my hands moving over his warm back, my eyes closed with pleasure. I'm lost now, lost in this sensation of Jake inside me, his body moving in time with mine, skin on skin as we make love.

All thoughts of Mike's betrayal are forgotten and I hardly think of my husband as we thrust and moan our way through this ultimate intimacy. All I can concentrate on is the here and now, the sweat glistening on our bodies, the muffled groans and gasps as we travel the road to orgasm together, Jake's eyes closed in concentration as he thrusts time and time again, my wet pussy holding tight onto his cock as it invades me over and over.

"God, Louise..." Jake moans and grabs my thighs, lifting my legs onto his shoulders as he moves even deeper inside me. I can feel my second orgasm start to build; Jake is slamming hard into me now, the sweat running down his face as he plunders the very heart of me. My hand strays to my clitoris again, rubbing in small circles that I know will soon take me over the edge. Will we come together? Explode in a mass of mutual pleasure and lust?

"Louise...I'm going to come..."

I look up at my lover and see his face clenched with pleasure. The sight of him tips me over the edge into the sweet abyss and I fall with him, our cries and moans echoing around the room. He thrusts one last time and then holds me tight, our bodies joined as the feelings explode and then fall, our breathing heavy and ragged.

I collapse back onto the bed and look up at Jake. His face is serious and I reach up to stroke his hair. But he grabs hold of my hand. "Who told you?"

Before I can answer him, I hear a noise at the door. It's slightly open and I'm sure I heard a movement outside. I quickly get out of bed and make my way across the room, my footsteps silent on the bare tiled floor.

"What's up?" Jake looks at me with curiosity but I put a finger to my lips as I carefully push the door so it opens further. What I see almost makes my heart stop...

*

The cup of coffee revives me a little, but I still feel drained, a terrible emptiness inside me as I stare out over the view. Jake sits opposite me, a grim expression on his face, his fingers constantly playing with a cigarette that burns away in his hand.

One of the staff has arrived to work in the house and has made us a simple breakfast of croissants and French toast, but I can't eat a thing, my stomach's churning with nerves.

"Are you sure it was him?"

I look at Jake and my face creases into a frown. "Of course I'm sure! He's my husband after all!"

"Well, where the hell's he gone?"

"I don't know." I start to cry again and Jake rises from his chair, his movements impatient. He inhales deeply on his cigarette and turns to face me.

"You know, this is bizarre...and strangely fitting."

"What is?"

"If I'd known this was going to happen, then all that mucking about last night could have been avoided."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Look, I'm going out. Can you be here for lunch? We might be able to get this whole bloody business wrapped up sooner than I thought."

He stubs his cigarette out and turns to go, but at the last minute stops. "Oh, and try and find out where Richard's sloped off to."

I watch as he strides across the terrace and disappears around the side of the house. A moment later I hear the growl of the Range Rover, the crunch of tyres on gravel and then a deep and uneasy silence.

*

The morning stretches ahead of me and there's nothing to do except read my book. I try and contact Richard by phone but it clicks onto voicemail every time I call. My hands shake as I place the mobile down on the table and I will my husband to return. How much did he see this morning? Enough to know that Jake and I spent the night together, that's for sure.

My marriage is ruined now; I know that without a shadow of a doubt. I can't concentrate on the book. All I can think of is the children, what will happen to the house and the business. Richard's welcome to the Harpers now, but I don't think he'll accept their help after what he saw this morning. How can he? Which means that the business my parents so carefully set up and nurtured will collapse.

As the sun becomes hotter and lunchtime approaches, I grow worried about Richard's state of mind, but when I return to the room for a shower, he's sitting on the bed, his head in his hands.

I'm startled. We both stare at each other and he gets to his feet, pushing past me to gaze out of the window at the view.

I don't dare say anything and my heart is hammering in my chest as if it's about to explode. We stay silent for several minutes and then Richard breaks the silence.

"All I wanted was to save the business Louise. This holiday was a way of being together and sorting out the problems we had."

I turn to look at him. His face is grey and the bags under his eyes make him look suddenly older. "I know...Richard...I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare say that." His eyes glisten with tears and I sink onto the bed, my legs suddenly weak with worry and nerves.

"How the hell can you say you're sorry? You weren't sorry this morning, were you?"

I start to cry, my mind full of the images of Jake and I together, the passion between us. How could I ever excuse that?

Richard runs his fingers through his hair. "We're finished now, do you know that? There's no way I'm ever going to let Jake give us the money now."

"We don't need his help..."

"How long, hey? How long has this been going on? And what the hell happened with Mike? Did you fuck him as well?"

I start to sob uncontrollably, my body shaking with emotion. I want to run and get in the car, drive away from this and never come back but it's impossible. "It's not what you think, Richard! Jake drugged me last night. He wants something from both of us but I don't know what it is!"

"You expect me to believe that? You've been after him ever since we met in Dover. And Mike as well. Don't deny it!"

Without any warning, he hits me across the face and then pulls me to my feet by my shirt. Terrified, I'm carried along with him as he drags me out of the room and across the courtyard.

"Where are you taking me?" I cry as we march towards the house. Jake's Range Rover stands on the drive, the engine ticking in the heat so I know he's just arrived back. I dread to think what's going to happen when we find Jake; my husband is angrier than I've ever known him and anything could happen.

We find Jake and Rob on the terrace deep in conversation and they look up in surprise as we appear around the corner of the house. Richard lets me go and breathes heavily, his face flushed with anger.

"Your slut, Jake...you want her back?"

I look at Richard in amazement and stand my ground, my hands clenched by my side. Rob and Jake stare at my husband as he strides up and down on the terrace.

"Am I the only one who doesn't know what the hell is going on here?" Richard demands. "Have you slept with her as well?" He points at Rob who smiles back, a nasty leer on his face.

"Calm down, Richard." Jake steps forwards and places a hand on my husband's arm. "Why don't we go inside and have a drink. I can explain everything."

"The fuck you can!" Richard takes a swing at Jake but misses, his arm caught by Rob who has moved forward to stop him.

"Let's go inside," hisses Jake and I follow the men into the shadowy interior, our steps loud on the stone floor. There's no-one else about but I can hear soft music playing in another room, the sound incongruous somehow.

Once in the living room, I collapse onto a chair, my heart beating frantically. Jake pours out four glasses of Scotch and hands one to Richard who gulps it almost immediately. I take mine from Rob who smirks at me, his face looking evil in the dim light. I notice the disc lying on the table and shudder. More proof of my infidelity.

"OK, let's calm down and talk." Jake moves over to the fireplace and watches Richard pour himself another glass. My husband's hand is shaking and I feel a sudden stab of sympathy for what I've put him through.

"What's to discuss? You're fucking my wife and now you're going to take pleasure in seeing my bloody business fail! Why?"

"The deal is still on, Richard. I never said it wasn't."

"I thought you wanted to help...I thought we were friends..." Richard sinks heavily onto the sofa, his tumbler of whisky empty.

"So did I."

I look at Jake as he heads to the bookshelf and pulls out a heavy photograph album. "Remember this?"

Richard opens the pages and stares at the contents, his face confused. "Vaguely. A woman we once knew?"

"A woman we once knew..." Jake repeats and stares at the photo. "Is that all you can say?"

"I don't understand. I can't even remember her name."

Jake stares at Richard with loathing in his face. "You can't even remember her name?"

"She was just a girl we knew, Jake. I haven't thought about her for years."

I can feel the waves of anger emanating from Jake as he takes the photo out of the album and waves it in Richard's face. "You can't fucking remember her?"

My husband takes the photo and runs his fingers through his hair again. "What's so important?"

"She is!" Jake snatches the photo back and brings it over to me. "See this woman?"

I look down at the photo and see an old image of my husband and Jake, a dark-haired girl between them, her face smiling and happy.

"I loved her, you shit. And what did you do, hey? You fucked her and took her away from me!"

Richard stares at Jake in astonishment. "What do you mean? You loved her?"

Jake's face contorts with fury as he shoves the photo under Richard's nose. "Alice...that's her name. You knew how much I wanted her, but you had to have her, didn't you? Stuck your scrawny little cock deep inside her..."

He's breathing heavily now and I watch as my husband just sits there, confused and bewildered. "I had no idea. She didn't feel that way about you."

Jake strides across the room and pushes Richard back onto the sofa. "Shut it, now! You worked on her and she gave in to you. She should have been mine!"

Suddenly it dawns on me. Is this Jake's revenge on my husband? The set-up with Mike? His total humiliation?

"Is this why you've brought us here?" I ask, my voice trembling. "To get revenge on Richard?"

Jake turns to me, his face dark and angry. "Oh, just realised, have you? You took your time."

He sneers at me and grabs the disc. Holding it up, he waves it in front of Richard's face. "This is all the evidence I need to bring your business to its knees. It'll make a nice little present for your in-laws, won't it? Seeing their daughter give in so easily to her lover."

I cover my face with my hands and start to cry. I have no control over this whatsoever. How could something that happened so long ago have repercussions today? I feel trapped in a web of lies and deceit, manipulated beyond belief by a man who has consistently lied and pretended he wanted to help and made vulnerable by circumstances beyond our control.

Richard is staring at the disc, his face white with anger. "Give that to me now, Jake. We can talk about this, can't we? Alice was so long ago...what has she got to do with this now?"

"I loved her," Jake repeats. "I loved her more than anything and wanted her to be my wife. You took her away from me and I can never forget that."

"But she wasn't yours to have," Richard continues. "OK, she was fond of you, but she never loved you."

I cringe as Jake comes towards me and drags me to my feet. "You love Louise? Yes?"

Richard hesitates for a moment and I see the pain and anger cross his features. Time stands still as he gazes at me and our life flashes before me. The wedding, our children, all the happy times we'd had together as the business flourished and grew.

I stare back at him, willing him to answer as Jake's fingers tighten on my arms. The tension is becoming unbearable, the silence in the house waiting for an answer from my husband.

"I love Louise, yes. Despite what's happened."

Jake smiles and runs his finger down my face. "Good. I'm glad we've got that sorted out. Now I'm going to make you watch as I fuck her once again."

I gasp with shock and watch as Rob moves over to Richard and grabs him by the arms. My husband struggles but he's no match for the stocky Rob who has an evil leer on his face.