Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
But this is how Dominic lives: he always demands the best, and he wanted me at his side 24/7. We stayed at his penthouse in Santorini, and it was sun-soaked luxury at all hours. He retains a cute elderly lady to cook for him named Elena, and her husband, Spiros, is the groundskeeper. We wined and dined without a care in the world while sunning ourselves, and also had loads of sex on every surface whenever Elena and Spiros were out of earshot.
But it’s not just the physical connection between me and Dom, nor is it the gorgeous scenery of the Greek Isles. The alpha male and I actually get along, and I found myself telling him things that I don’t readily reveal to other people.
“So how did your husband die?” he asked one day as we were enjoying a leisurely lunch on the terrace. I almost choked on my strawberry, but managed to turn it into a discreet cough. Then, I looked out on the blue seas of the caldera, with the lush greenness of the Kameni Islands in the distance.
“It was a car accident,” I say in a neutral tone. “We were t-boned by a truck, and Ned died instantaneously on impact. I was buckled into the passenger side, so I was thrown around, but ultimately uninjured.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Dom says in a low voice. “And this was how long ago?”
“It’s been over a year now,” I say in a quick tone. “I’m not sure if I told you this during the interview, but I quit my job after I got married. I was a lady of leisure,” I say with what I hope is a playful smile, “but Ned’s life insurance was running out, which is why I applied for the housekeeping position with you.”
“I see,” Dom says in a deep tone, his expression thoughtful. “I’m sorry that you went through such a difficult time in life. But you seem to have come out okay, sweetheart, although you must miss your deceased husband. Do you?”
I pause, my heart pounding, because this is the perfect time to change the subject, or brush his question off like it’s nothing. But I look into Dom’s face, and his eyes are gentle and inviting. The harsh planes of his features are relaxed from the sun and sand, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’ve blurted out the truth of my marriage.
“I don’t miss Ned,” I whisper, staring at my hands. “Not at all.”
A beat of silence passes. Then Dom asks, “And may I ask why, sweetheart? Surely, you married your husband for love.”
I take a deep breath, my big bosom rising in a bikini top, and to my horror, there are tears on my lashes. Drat! How did this happen? This was supposed to be a no-strings vacation where we’d forget our cares, but instead, I’m revealing my hidden wound to this powerful man. Oh god, am I making a mistake?
But I look into Dominic’s eyes, and the care and consideration I see there makes my heart swoop. So I nod slightly, and decide to tell the truth.
“Ned was one of those guys who’s perfect on the outside,” I say in a slow tone, my voice trembling only slightly. “He had golden hair, bright blue eyes, and looked like a male model. He was a successful realtor, and I could hardly believe that he was interested in me, Angie Harris, who worked as a maid at a hotel. That’s how we met.”
Dom nods thoughtfully.
“I see.”
I let out a short laugh.
“But all that glitters isn’t gold because almost as soon as the marriage certificate was signed, Ned began to beat me. It wasn’t so bad at first: just a slap here or there that stung, but never left any marks. He was always so apologetic afterwards, and would cry even. He’d swear up and down that it would never happen again.”
“But it did,” Dom states in a deep voice, his bronzed features harsh.
“Yes, it did,” I say quietly. “The beatings got worse too. He began to knock me to the ground, and there were visible bruises on my abdomen, although he never hit me in the face, neck, or arms. I began to retreat from life too,” I add in a soft tone. “Friends would call, and I wouldn’t call them back. I lost everyone who cared about me because I was existing in the ninth circle of hell, and yet no one knew. By then, I’d quit my job, so I had no co-workers. My family is all dead, and I’d lost my social circles.”
“So you suffered in silence,” Dom rasps. “All alone. In pain.”
“Yes,” I whisper while staring down at my hands. Then, I look up at the alpha male swiftly. “Ned made me feel terrible about myself. That’s one of the things about abuse: you know cerebrally that it’s not your fault, and yet you feel like it is. You think that it’s something you did. That if you could change yourself, that he’d stop, and that’s why victims take so long to leave. I was humiliated, embarrassed, and he made me feel about two inches tall. Ned didn’t just beat me. He also verbally abused me by telling me that I was frigid, and that no man would want me as a result.”