The Garden Of Sin

"Wake up, Jack!" Slapping him across the face, Tina scowled as he tilted his head to the side, and groaned.

His eyes squinted against the harsh light that was streaming through their bedroom window before he lifted his head, and looked at her.

It took a moment for him to realize that he was sitting in one of the chairs from the kitchen, and that he couldn't move because his hands were tied to the back of it.

His voice was thick from all of the liquor he had imbibed the night before. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Pulling at his restraints, he frowned. When he couldn't move his wrists the slightest bit his expression darkened. "I don't know what the fuck it is you think you're playing at here, but fucking untie me. Now!"

Tina's lip trembled as she fought to contain the rage inside of her. Reaching out, she slapped him across the face again. Her jaw was set in hard lines as her eyes narrowed. "You don't get to tell me what to do, Jack. Not anymore."

His head had turned slightly when her palm connected with his cheek, but he quickly looked back at her barely containing his rage. His blue eyes were explosive as he snarled at her. "You're going to fucking regret that!"

"I already do," Tina spit out hatefully. "I regret every moment of my life since I met you," she seethed. "You've brought me nothing but misery, and heartache since the day we met."

Stepping away from him, she pulled open the top drawer of their dresser, and pulled out a pair of balled up socks. When she had them in hand, she slammed the drawer closed, and turned back to face him.

When he turned his head their gazes clashed. Tina looked into his beautiful, fierce eyes, and ached with regret. It was those eyes that had drew her in. Making her weak in ways she couldn't even describe.

Regardless of the fact that he was good looking in a way that was heart stopping, or that he had the physique of a god, it was his eyes that had sealed her fate. They made him appear vulnerable, sweet, and slightly innocent when they looked at you.

Tina saw it for what it was now. A facade. There was nothing sweet or innocent about Jack. He was a cruel, unfeeling bastard. Incapable of thinking of anyone, but himself.

She had sworn to herself as she had rubbed the blood away from her mouth while pulling herself off the floor that she would never allow him to hurt her again. It was going to be the last time. She had no more forgiveness inside of her. No more understanding. No more love. She felt empty.

These were the things that ran through her mind as she approached him, and grabbed a fistful of his light brown hair. Yanking his head back, she stared into his face.

Her left eye was still slightly swollen, and just beneath it the skin had an ugly, purple bruise from where his fist had smashed into it the night before.

"Everyday that I've spent with you has been a nightmare," she told him softly. "I gave up my life to be with you. I gave up everything I had just to be yours. You have no idea how much I regret that now."

His lips pinched, and his eyes narrowed. "That is such bullshit, and you know it," he growled.

Tina shook her head as she looked at him. Even now, when he was at her mercy, he was still an arrogant bastard.

"You and I both know why you gave all of that shit up, Tina. You were bored. Bored and unfulfilled. I did you a favor by getting you out of there. You should thank me."

Tina drew in her breath on a laugh. "Thank you?" Pulling harder on his hair, she yanked his head back further. "I should thank you for what, Jack? Ending my marriage? Dragging me into a life of constant abuse?" Pointing to her black eye, her expression grew incensed. "Should I thank you for this, Jack?"

For a moment his eyes darted away from hers guiltily, but a scowl soon returned to his face when she pulled his hair viciously.

"You're no hero, Jack. You're the God damned villain. Get ready, because I'm going to make you pay for every single thing you've done to me."

His eyes grew wary, but then he smirked. "What are you going to do? Slap me to death?"

Dropping her hand away from him, Tina straightened, and looked into his amused face. "That's not a bad place to start," she told him. Raising her arm, she backhanded him across the cheek making his head turn.

Gritting his teeth, Jack's expression grew mutinous. When he spoke his voice was flat and cold. "Go ahead and have your fun, baby. We both know that when I get free from this fucking chair that I'm not going to be the one suffering. Get it out of your system while you can."

His words sent a sledgehammer of anger through Tina's gut. When she hit him again she put all her strength behind it. The slight trickle of blood that appeared from the corner of his mouth gave her little satisfaction.

"Trust me, Jack. I'll be long gone before you ever get out of that chair."

His mouth pinched again as he looked at her. "I'll find you. There's no where you can hide from me, Tina."

His words sent a fleeting feeling of trepidation through her frame before her resolved kicked in. "I guess we'll see, won't we?" Lifting her fingers she held the balled up socks in front of him. "Open your mouth."

His brows furrowed as he looked at them, and then he raised his angry blue eyes to her. "You are not putting that in my mouth."

Tina tightened her lips as she fought the desire to smile. "Open wide, Jack. Don't make me crush your boys just to get this in there."

Narrowing his eyes at her, Jack reluctantly parted his lips half an inch before grimacing, and closing them again. "This is fucking ridiculous. Let me out of this God damned chair!" Pulling on his restraints, he jerked the chair forward slightly as his anger got the better of him.

When Tina reached between his legs his eyes widened. "Don't you fucking dare, you little bitch. I will kill you."

Her fingers were unkind as they dug into his testicles through his jeans. It more than had the desired effect. Jack's mouth tore open as his eyes closed in excruciating agony. Before he could close his lips again, Tina shoved the ball of socks between his teeth.

Once it was in place, she reached down to pick up the roll of duct tape she had placed on the bed, and tore off a piece with her teeth before slapping it across the lower half of his face. When he opened his eyes again, his icy, blue gaze was murderous as he stared up at her.

"That's what happens when you don't listen. You would do well to remember that, Jack."

Tina smiled then, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She felt a hollowness inside of her that had taken any joy she could possibly derive from this. Jack needed to be taught a lesson, or he would just go on to hurt someone else after she was gone. Maybe worse than in the ways that he had hurt her. She had to put an end to it.

"Do you remember the day of the parade? When I wore that light blue dress that you like so much? We were standing in the crowd watching the floats go by when I spotted my sister buying popcorn from a vendors cart. I got excited because I hadn't seen her in so long. All I wanted to do was to rush to her, and say hello."

Tina's expression grew wistful at the memory, but then her visage hardened as she looked at his face. "Do you remember what you did?"

Jack gave no inclination of a response. He just continued to stare at her angrily from where he sat.

"You slapped me across the face, and told me that I had no family. That you were my family. Do you remember that day, Jack?"

When he continued to stare, Tina went on. "You made us leave then. Practically dragged me to the car. When we got home you hit me in the face twice then made me have sex with you on the kitchen table."

Her breath hitched slightly as memories flooded through her. "I never got to talk to her that day. I haven't been able to see her since. You took that from me, Jack. You took my family from me so that I would feel as alone as you are."

A loud grunt escaped him, followed by something that was extremely muffled. Whatever his response had been, it wasn't anything kind.

"I can't make that out, Jack. It's also rude to interrupt people when they're talking." Stepping towards him, she gripped his left earlobe between her fingers, and pinched it viciously as she pulled up on it.

Another grunt escaped him as he fought not to show any outward signs of pain. Tina smirked at the prideful reaction. She knew this game well, and had played it herself many times. On countless occasions he had laid into her until the screams were forced from her throat. By the time she was done with him, Jack would be screaming for her to stop.

Snatching her fingers from him, she took a step back. Her green eyes were haunted as she looked through him. "Do you remember the first time you told me you loved me, Jack?"

When he nodded brusquely, Tina's eyes narrowed. "I was with John that day. We had just returned from the car show. He went upstairs to take a nap, and I had decided to go out to the garden to pick tomatoes for the spaghetti sauce I was making that night. I had no idea that you were out there lurking on the patio. When you touched me I almost screamed."

Taking a deep breath, Tina's eyes came back into focus as she looked at him. "Then I was in your arms," she said softly. "I had never felt anything like that before. The excitement. The danger of being discovered at any moment. The feel of your hands on me. Your mouth. You were so beautiful, so young, and you wanted me. I never had a chance of resisting you once you uttered those words."

Tina smiled wistfully, but her expression grew sad as she continued. "I knew it was wrong. You were twenty five years old. Almost eight years younger than me, and I had been married for the better part of ten years. I knew I should send you away. Make you stop. Tell you I couldn't give you the things that you wanted, but I didn't do any of those things."

Tina's eyes closed at the memory. "Those three little words sealed my fate, because I knew in that moment that despite the consequences, I loved you too, and I couldn't imagine going on with my life without you."

When her eyes opened, they were flooded with unshed tears. "I didn't know that you were a monster then, Jack."

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The sun was warm, and Tina's sun dress billowed about her knees as the breeze caught hold of it. She was standing before a cart filled with the fuzziest peaches she had ever seen when the sight of a barrel full of ripened strawberries caught her eye.

The farmer's market was packed to overflowing. It was the first day of the season, and the entire town seemed to be present for the big day. Tina's first attempt at gardening was going extremely well, and the tomato plants she had buried in the backyard seemed to be flourishing. It was very encouraging, and she had decided to purchase some pepper plants next.

The strawberries just seemed too good to pass up. Lifting her gaze to the young girl that was in charge of the stand, she smiled.

"Those look amazing," she told her kindly.

The young girl returned her smile with a shy one of her own, and stepped forward. "My grandmother grows them. They're really sweet. Would you like to try one," she asked.

"They look absolutely mouth watering. I would love to try one," Tina responded.

Stepping to the barrel, the young girl plucked out a large red strawberry, and turned to hand it to Tina with a flourish. As she took it from her, the roar of a pick up truck pulling into the lot beside them, drew Tina's attention.

It was an old rusted yellow, and when it came to a stop, both doors flew open as two men emerged from inside of it. They were both shirtless, and Tina watched them with interest as one leapt into the back of the truck to lift a bushel of what looked to be cabbage from the back of it.

When he turned to hand it to the other man standing at the end of the truck, Tina gasped. The beauty of him was remarkable. His muscles stood out prominently on his sculpted chest, and his biceps bulged as he hoisted the bushel into his arms, but that's not what caught Tina's attention.

It was his face. It was almost as if it had been etched to resemble something from her deepest fantasies. He emitted masculinity from his finely sculpted nose down to his beautifully shaped lips, and jaw.

It was his eyes that held Tina captivated most though. They looked soulful, and slightly pained giving him a look of touching vulnerability.

When he lifted them, and caught her gaze upon him, Tina gasped again. They were the lightest blue, and the intensity within their depths made it difficult for Tina to breath. For an endless moment they looked at one another until the spell was broken by the young girl who had handed her the strawberry.

"Would you like to buy some?" she wondered curiously.

Tina broke the contact finally, and looked away to meet the young girl's soft brown eyes. With a small smile, she lifted the strawberry to her lips and took a bite. The ripened fruit burst inside of her mouth. It tasted sweetly, and Tina was quickly enamored of the flavor.

"It's delicious," she told her. "I would love to buy some. Do you by chance sell seeds for these?"

The young girl smiled proudly, but quickly shook her head. "Grandmother likes to keep her trade secrets." Lifting a handful of strawberries from the barrel, she filled a small green carton as Tina took another bite of the strawberry.

Her eyes darted back to the truck where the men were still unloading the bushels. Half the truck bed was now empty, and she noticed that as he moved on top of it to hand down the cabbage that his eyes repeatedly darted to hers. The fact that he was showing such a keen interest in looking at her made Tina's cheeks warm with pleasure.

"They're four dollars," the young girl said drawing her gaze back to her.

Tina reached into the pocket of her skirt to pull out the money. Once she had handed it over, the girl handed her the small carton, and Tina placed it within her satchel that rested against her hip. With one last lingering look at the man who was so intently watching her, she thanked the young girl, and turned away to peruse other carts as she stepped away.

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By the time Tina had rounded the market twice, her satchel was halfway full. She had purchased strawberries, green beans, cucumbers, and four packages of pepper plant seeds for her garden. The image of light blue eyes stayed with her the entire time that she shopped making her bite her lip at intervals as her minded wandered from what she was doing.

Once she had all that she needed, and decided it was time to walk back to the house, she was completely distracted. The side of her hip caught the handle of a wheelbarrow as she walked past it, and to Tina's utter horror, she watched as it over turned, and dozens of large red apples went flying across the ground.

Lifting a hand to her mouth in dismay, she quickly bent to pick them up as a large woman with greying hair stepped towards her to lift the wheelbarrow back on it's feet.

A sound of aggravation escaped her throat. "Look what you've done here. There's no way I'll be able to sell these now. They're filthy."

"I'm so very sorry," Tina told her as her cheeks flamed. "I guess I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Obviously," the woman returned harshly. Squatting beside the pile of apples, she began lifting handfuls of them, and placing them back into the barrow.

Tina's lip trembled with embarrassment. "Please. Let me pay for them. I feel really awful."

The woman's expression grew disgusted as she looked up at her. "There's at least a hundred dollars worth of product here. Do you have a hundred dollars?"

Tina's mouth parted as she met her angry gaze. Her voice was hesitant as she spoke. "I don't have it with me, but I can walk back home to get it."

"It was just an accident, Mary. The apples are fine. Let it go."

Tina's eyes lifted to meet a startling pair of light blue ones, and her breath caught as their gazes clashed.

The large woman was not similarly effected. "Easy for you to say, Jack. You don't have to stand out here all day in the heat to sell these things."

Dropping to one knee beside her, he began helping to pick up the apples. He had put on a shirt since Tina had seen him last, and it gaped open where it was unbuttoned in the front as he bent to help right the mistake that she had made.

Lifting his eyes to meet hers, he smiled. "Stuff like this happens all the time. Don't be upset. It could have happened to anyone."

Tina's cheeks heated again at his words. "I'll definitely pay better attention to where I'm going from now on."

Once all of the apples had been placed back inside of the barrow, the large woman eyed her with something akin to distrust before pushing it back so that it rested beside her stand. The handles were no longer protruding so that patrons could walk into them.

Turning to face her rescuer, Tina gazed up at him shyly. "Thank you for your help. I wish there was something I could do to repay you."

His hands had slipped into the back pockets of his jeans, and a slight smile tilted his lips as he met her eyes. "There's something you can do actually," he said softly.

When Tina gazed at him questioningly, his smile broadened. "Come across the street, and have a drink with me."

Tina's mouth parted in surprise before she closed it. "A drink?"

He tilted his head to the side slightly, his smile still firmly in place. "Yeah. I was going to head over there anyways. To relax a bit after a hard day of work. Come have a drink with me."

Tina bit her lip as she thought about the wisdom in doing such a thing. "I'm married," she finally blurted out.

His smile widened until a flash of his white teeth appeared. "That's alright. It's just a drink. You'll be safe. I promise."

Tina still hesitated as she looked into his blue eyes. She didn't feel safe at all. There was no doubt in her mind that being around this man was dangerous. Not only to her marriage, but to her sanity as well.

"Just one?" she asked cautiously.

He nodded, sensing her acquiescence. "Just one," he repeated softly.

"Alright," Tina relented.

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The corner table where they sat was dimly lit, and Tina already felt like she was committing a horrible sin by simply sitting there with him. She could see the warm, tanned skin that was visible between the sides of his open shirt, and her eyes strayed there for a moment as she looked at him.

"What is your name?" he asked curiously.

Lifting her green gaze to his, she blushed as she met his eyes. "It's Tina," she replied softly.

"I like that. It's pretty."

When they continued to gaze at one another, Tina's heart began to trip inside of her. Thinking of a way to break the tense connection, she turned her head to gaze about the room. "Do you come here often?"

He was quick to respond. "No. How long have you been married?" he asked.

The question surprised her, but she quickly recovered. "Almost ten years."

"Are you happy?"

She wasn't sure how to answer, and she paused while biting down on her lip. "I'm comfortable," she finally answered.

"Being comfortable doesn't necessarily mean that you're happy," he said softly.

Tina smiled briefly before nodding. "He's a good man, and he treats me well."

"Do you love him?"

Again, Tina paused as she thought of the appropriate way to respond. "Yes. After ten years I suppose it would be strange if I didn't."

Slipping her fingers through her golden hair, she pushed it back from her face. "How about you? Have you ever been married?"

Shaking his head slowly, his intense blue eyes never left her. "No. Never."