Ties That Bind Page 8

“Good boy,” giggled Gabby. Mandy growled at Gabby all the way back to the Martins’, but secretly she was pleased. After Halloween, Connor’s cuss word of choice became ‘doofbag’.

  **********

  By the time the group got back to the Martins’ home, Christina was exhausted. The trip, the crazy trick-or-treating, the altercation with Beaumont and Palmer, not to mention the Vodka Skittles, had caught up with her.

  She threw on her pajamas and collapsed into bed, but sleep eluded her. Alone in her room, she missed Riley. She was still angry with him and wanted to strangle him, but why wasn’t he here? She knew it was probably the Vodka Skittles talking, but she wanted to see him.

  Christina allowed herself a few tears, which turned into a meltdown. She put her fists in her mouth so if anyone was home, they wouldn’t hear her, but someone did. The bed moved under a weight and a warm head rubbed itself on her forehead.

  She stiffened and her eyes went wide. Ugh, it’s the pervert. She’d locked the door, but the thing must have already been in the room.

  Christina was torn. She was still frightened of the cat, but didn’t want to be alone. The cat flopped down beside her, turning its back toward her and purring.

  Sighing, Christina sniffed. “Okay, freaky, me and you? We need to get a few things straight. No creepy behavior and you can stay. But anything weird and you’re out of here.”

  Tentatively, patting the cat, it rubbed its head on her hand, making her smile. The last thing she remembered was draping her arm over the beast before she crashed into oblivion. From that night on, Riot took up residence on her bed and there was no more odd behavior until Riley came to visit.

  Chapter Five: Tether

  Riley, The Present, Monday, November 5, 2012

  Riley went still. It was the second time Christina had alluded to something bad happening in Shanwick when she returned and it made him edgy. If anything had happened to her, there would be blood. They could count on it.

  He’d dragged her back here to do a job that he’d essentially made up for her, putting him in direct conflict with his business partner, his family, his friends, and now his woman. In actuality, his top priority was to ensure Christina was taken care of, but he conceded he didn’t have all the information. His original plan had been to go off-grid, get his work done, and come back refreshed.

  Hell, they weren’t even ‘together-together’ when he’d set all this in motion and Riley hadn’t factored in how difficult it would be having Christina in close proximity. He’d been fine in his solitude, until they’d started exchanging hate letters, and then the draw had been too strong. Now he knew there were other issues, he didn’t want to leave her alone.

  “Babe,” Riley started. “You need to tell me what’s going on? I’m serious here. I don’t understand.”

  “I’m not a celebrity, Riley,” Christina sighed. “I’m infamous. There’s a difference. When we split up, you got the town. They’re going to think you’ve lost your mind being involved with me. Apart from a few, most people in town hate me and if the ‘truth be told’, the feeling is mutual.”

  Riley expelled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. He was tired. Tired of thinking about it, tired of the juggling act, and tired of arguing with people over every little thing.

  He knew there were people opposed to their relationship. He’d had the phone calls and emails from Mason, two visits, and an intervention. All of this was a distraction to what he wanted to be doing: his creative projects and rebuilding a future with Christina.

  This year was building to be a perfect storm, upsetting his finely tuned equilibrium. He had personal problems with his ex-girlfriend, Bianca, in New York because she refused to move out of his old apartment. She was proving to be far more recalcitrant outside of their relationship than when they were together.

  It felt like his life had conjoined into a set of issues designed to annoy him. He didn’t need this type of pressure, especially at this time of the year. It was the opposite and he needed to keep everything in perspective. Now, it seemed the people in his life, even the ones he wanted out of it, were determined to make his life as difficult as possible.

  Usually, he worked methodically through any obstacle in his path. He had the ability to reason his way out of most things and he wasn’t above being forceful to get the result he wanted. None of it mattered, so long as it didn’t affect the relationship with the woman beside him. They had a chance and he didn’t want outside forces ruining it.

  **********

  Christina

  “Dina, people throw rocks at shiny objects. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes or the way people that love you see you. You weren’t made to be part of the crowd. You shine.”

  Christina had been listening to Riley talk and feeling increasingly guilty. He wasn’t a very talkative man. In fact, he was the opposite, taciturn, and self-contained. Unlike her, Riley didn’t go in for blurting without a filter, unless they were fighting.

  He had opened himself up to her in a way that she knew he didn’t do for other people and now he was trying to compensate for her negativity by bolstering her ego. She had never realized he was under so much pressure and what had she done? Behaved like a spoiled brat, throwing a temper tantrum, and adding to his burdens.

  Christina squirmed in her seat. Her anger at being dragged back to Shanwick dissipated in the face of her cringe-inducing behavior and what Riley was facing. If he’d explained himself fully in the first place, she would have come willingly, but now she had more information, she resolved to help him in any way possible.

  There was still one thing she needed to know for sure, though, and in a tentative voice she asked, “We won’t be living in Shanwick, will we? I mean… That’s not the grand plan. Is it?”

  Riley shook his head. “No. This is just temporary until Gabby’s case is settled and the project is established.”

  She watched him pinch the bridge of his nose and noticed something she hadn’t before. He was tired. There were grooves under his eyes and he looked worn out.

  “I’m weary of being spread so thin,” Riley sighed. “Gabby’s accident was the catalyst for doing it this year, but it’s been the plan for a while. I just didn’t expect everything else to happen at the same time.”

  He turned to her smiling, before focusing his eyes back on the road. “You’re my home. Where we actually live is irrelevant to me. I think Seattle is a good option, but really, it’s up to you.”

  Christina realized he was prepared to change his whole life to accommodate her. It made her feel overwhelmed because she hadn’t been prepared to budge an inch for him. Riley was laying everything on the line for her and she was an emotional coward.

  She rubbed her eyes. I am a terrible, horrible person. Oh my god. I am so, so horrible.

  When did that happen? How had she become so horrible and why hadn’t anyone told her? Then she cringed. Of course no one would tell her she was horrible because, well, she was horrible.

  Christina liked to think of herself as dark and twisty, but she wasn’t. She was beige and whiney, self-absorbed, and pathetic. She went into her classic shame spiral, fixating on all the terrible, horrible things that she’d done in her life and as time wore on, she became increasingly morose at how goddamn awful she was.

  She was a Pink song: a hazard to herself and also, to others. She was just getting into the groove of her self-flagellation, when Riley halted her. “Dina, we’ve got about half an hour to go before we reach Lift. Don’t go silent on me now. Tell me what’s in that head of yours.”

  “I’m thinking I’m a horrible, terrible person. I exhibit brief moments of kindness, but my natural state is whiney bitch,” Christina blurted. “I’ve behaved so badly. I had no idea you were under so much pressure and all I could think about was ‘me, me, me’.”

  Riley pulled the truck over to the side of the road and turned it off. He faced her and she could see he was struggling not to laugh. �
�You are not a horrible, terrible person, Dina,” he said, giving her the half smile she loved. Shrugging his broad shoulders, he pulled a face. “Okay. Maybe a little bit…”

  Christina’s eyes began to water and her bottom lip began to tremble. Great. Soon, she could add cry-baby-sissy-bitch to the list.

  “But, I like that about you,” Riley grinned. How could anyone like that about someone? Christina looked at him like he was a crazy person. Was he a masochist or the World’s most extreme fixer?

  Riley ran a hand over his eyes, his tell for being exhausted and she felt worse. Oh, god. She was making him more tired than he already was.

  “I haven’t been totally altruistic here, Dina. I brought you back first, so you could be close to your family. Second, to help me with the project and third, because I wanted you close to me. See? Not exactly selfless.”

  He was being so kind and gentle to her, and she didn’t deserve it. “Don’t do that,” Christina begged. “Don’t be understanding and compassionate… I don’t deserve it. All I’ve thought about the whole time is trying to get out of this situation and questioning your motives. I haven’t considered you in any of it.”

  “Okay,” Riley deadpanned. “Let’s fight instead. It’s not like we’ve never tried that before and it’s always worked out really well for us.”

  Christina laughed and Riley joined her. “Come on, Dina. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You have a lot going on too. You are a crazy girl, but usually, there’s a reason.”

  **********

  They arrived at Lift when night was falling and although it was a bit remote for her tastes, it was charming. Christina could see the mountains clearly and the wind whistled through giving it an eerie quality. Snow had recently fallen and it was cold, but beautiful.

  Christina could see what they saw in the place and when her eyes focused on the buildings she gasped. Lift was full of historic, wooden buildings that had been faithfully restored. In her view, restoration was an art form.

  A lot of work had gone into this place and it was like finding a secret paradise in the middle of nowhere. She caught Riley watching her with a smile. “Come on,” he motioned with his head. “I’ll show you around.”

  They went into what used to be the old school where he was currently staying. There was a basic kitchen and bathroom, but he was living in one room. The first thing she noticed was a large king-sized bed in the middle of the room, which Cartman promptly took up residence on.

  It was much colder at Lift than in Shanwick and Christina began to shiver. “I’ll light the fire and turn on the heating,” Riley offered. “It’ll take a while, but it’ll warm up. I promise. Until then, we’ll have to use body heat to keep warm.”

  Christina raised an eyebrow at him and he winked. Body heat? That she could do.

  In the corner of the room, Christina spied something that gave her a surprise and she walked over to have a closer look. Parked by a writing desk, was her father’s old guitar that he’d given Riley when they were in their old high-school band. She reached a hand out, running her fingers down the instrument like it was an old friend.

  Christina felt Riley behind her, but didn’t turn around. Nostalgia made a lump form in her throat and she had to speak around it. “Do you ever regret it? Giving up your place in the band?”

  When they first separated, Riley had given up his place in the band. He could have been famous. They both could have been, but she made a conscious choice, and his was a reaction to the decisions she made.

  He didn’t touch her, but he was close enough that she could feel his breath in her hair. “No. I have very few regrets,” Riley said quietly. “I like my life the way it is now. Come on,” he urged, “let’s get some food into you.”

  They reheated leftovers from Christina’s birthday dinner and ate cake for dessert. The tension between them was palpable, but neither of them was in a hurry to break it. Their eyes would catch, but they deferred contact as they sat enjoying each other’s company.

  Being alone together was a precious and rare gift. For once, they were safe from any ‘interruptus’ by outside sources. They both sat savoring the novelty of it and reveling in each other’s company.

  Riley brought out some of his artwork to show her. He’d drawn a lot of portraits of Christina, some extending back to when she was a teenager. Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Did you keep these drawings? After all these years?”

  She saw some emotion pass over Riley’s face and he shook his head. “No. I lost the originals in a fire. I’ve redone these from memory.”

  Christina was amazed and the talent that was obvious when he was younger had developed into something quite special. He’d done numerous depictions of her, mainly in states of undress, and although she acknowledged they were good, some made her uncomfortable. Many looked like she had her sex face on.

  Flushing, she gulped, and blurted an octave higher than her normal pitch. “You… haven’t shown these to anyone else, have you?” Christina tried to keep her nerves under control, but she really didn’t welcome other people, especially her father or Johnny, or god forbid, Gabby, seeing Riley’s ‘visions’ of her.

  He shook his head, his eyes glinting with amusement. “No. These are private, for my eyes only. The only person I’ve shown them to is you.”

  Christina was relieved. “They’re really good,” she enthused and they were. Considering he’d done a lot of them from memory, Christina was impressed.

  Riley shrugged. “Thanks. It’s a hobby, but it helps me in other areas of my work.”

  She reached over and put her hand on the side of his face. Riley turned into it, kissing her palm. They moved toward each other simultaneously, his lips meeting hers, her hand clasping his face, pulling him to her. He reached for Christina, sitting her on his lap, holding her, and burying his hands in her hair.

  Their passion caught fire, they were desire and movement, trying to get as close to one another as possible. They pulled at each other’s clothing, whispering words of encouragement and love. It would have been perfect, except for the beard.

  **********

  “Ouch,” Christina winced.

  Riley’s mouth was at her collarbone and he pulled back when he heard her protests. His glazed eyes met hers and he blinked. Staring intently at her face and neck, he grimaced. “I’m sorry. Shit. It goes. Right now.”

  He got up from the couch and Christina stared at him. “No. No, no, no,” she groaned with a hint of hysteria. “Can’t we wait until… later?”

  Riley laughed and shook his head. “I’m doing carnage to your skin. You can trace where I’ve been from the rash.”

  Oh, no. Christina sat up trying to see, but the light in the room was mainly cast from the fire. She ran her fingers along her face and could feel protrusions. Great. She looked like a diseased person on their romantic getaway.

  “Stop it,” Riley laughed, throwing on a shirt and jacket. “You’re beautiful and for the record, I’d still want you even if you had a rash all over your body.”

  Christina appreciated the sentiment, but she was determined to reach a higher standard. “Okay, how about you go shave and I’m going to do… something, but you’re not allowed to look until I’m ready. Promise?” He raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips, but agreed.

  She plugged her iPod in and found her ‘Hit It’ playlist. Christina, Bonnie, and Mandy had constructed the music list, when debating what top ten celebrities they’d have sex with. They’d argued incessantly about the songs until they agreed to pick their own selections and were forbidden to change the list without a full consensus.

  Christina found some of her friends’ choices, both human and musically disturbing. Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” started playing and making sure Riley was nowhere in sight, she went into the bathroom to get changed. The heating hadn’t warmed the room yet and she had to brace herself against the arctic shock, undressing in layers with shaking hands.

  Gritting her teeth, she washed herself
in water so cold that her lips turned blue. Wincing, she dabbed at her lady pieces with a washcloth and each time it made contact, she jerked in shock. Afterwards, she had to jump up and down to try to get warmth into her nether regions. Johnny often teased her about being an ice queen, but this was going too far.

  Dragging out her outfit, Christina wondered if she was crazy (or crazier) for doing this. She’d been saving this for a special occasion with Riley, and that was now, but she hadn’t imagined wearing it in freezing temperatures with goose bumps as accessories. She put on the black lingerie with a garter belt that Riley had bought her and rolled the stockings on her legs.

  She enjoyed the luxurious feeling and put on the black platform shoes with the silver insert in the toes and studs on the heel. Riley had brought these for her and she hadn’t worn them because she had been saving them for him. Her outfit was set off by a vintage-inspired robe she’d bought to go with it that was cream with a black lace trim and came to her ankles. It was also a little bit warmer with it on than just her standing in her underwear.

  Christina didn’t have a mirror and had to make do with a compact, but the mirror just magnified the beard rash and goose bumps, so she stopped. She did her make up and put red lipstick on. If she was going to go vixen, she may as well go all the way.

  She ran a comb through her hair and blew on her hands to try and warm herself up, preparing herself for the big reveal. She’d never been confident in herself as a sexual being, apart from when she was with Riley. She’d had her fair share of admirers, but most of them engaged with her as more of a serious, intellectual individual. Sometimes, women wanted to be admired for more than their minds, but right now: hers was telling her she was an idiot and going to die from hypothermia.

  Christina found a clean-shaven Riley waiting by the fire. At the sight of him, all her nerves disappeared and she wanted to be in his arms. He was in a dark-grey t-shirt, with low-slung dark jeans, and a black North Face hoodie. He had thick socks on and no shoes, and for some reason she found that sexy.