The Finest Line (25 page)

Her hand took hold of the shaft
and worked simultaneously with her mouth as her head moved up and
down on it, slowly at first but gathering momentum.

Mark put his hand behind her
head and grasped a handful of hair. Moving his hips he synchronized
at her pace pushing in deeper and watching intently as he fucked
her greedy mouth.

When his semen filled her throat
he let go to allow her to get rid of it but she stayed and he felt
the pressure as she swallowed, until her lips slid to the end and
gently released.

Slightly trembling and breathing
deeply, Mark looked down at Mairead. She met his gaze with a small
smile and simply said, “I’m going to have a shower and then can we
go shopping?”

Mark nodded affirmatively and
watched as she walked away. He wondered what time if any, would be
best to ask her about the dark lineal bruising across the entire
width of her lower back.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Lying face down along the couch,
Mairead watched Mark flick through the channels on his flat panel
screen. She was naked from the waist up and three small blue
icepacks rested in the curve of her lower back.

She whined, “Are we going to
dinner soon?”

“I want to see the news,” Mark’s
tone was uncompromising. “You just lie there and keep that ice on
your back, fucking sick bitch.”

His verbal attack made her
laugh. “Oh you’re allowed to welt my arse but I’m not allowed to
have an accident.”

“Accident my arse,” He snarled.
“I know what bruising from a belt looks like Mairead. I’m just
beginning to realise that there are some layers to you woman, and I
haven’t even tapped the surface.”

A grin spread across her face.
“Well you did learn today that I don’t wear black.”

Her comment received an angry
glare. “A five hundred dollar dress and you rip it up. You think
I’ve got money to burn?”

“Well don’t try and make me wear
something I wouldn’t be buried in.” Mairead replied sweetly and
giggled. “I don’t know whose face looked worse, yours or the
salesgirl.”

“You’re a fucking spoilt bitch
Mairead.” He failed to maintain his anger and sighed. “She looked a
lot happier after she rang up a fifteen hundred dollar sale.”

“And you looked happier when you
saw my choice,” Mairead gloated.

Mark smiled, “I was. Now shut
the fuck up and let me watch the news.”

Mairead looked critically at the
woman on the screen who introduced herself as Anne. She was
attractive but dressed in an outfit a generation too old for her
and looking more serious than the stories she was relating.
Occupying her thoughts with what she would have for dinner, she
half listened while Anne droned on about the economy in Europe and
some election in Greece. Mark increased the volume as the next
story begun.

“Emergency Services were called
to a Khandallah residence early today when fire tore through the
lower level of the two storey estate. Neighbours reported hearing
an explosion and rushed out to find the first storey engulfed in
flames.”

Footage of the story came up on
screen and Mairead sat up, her heart beginning to thump against her
chest as she recognised James’ house or what remained of the front
facade. Her trembling lip was the only part of her body that moved
as she waited for the report to continue.

“It took fire fighters several
hours to get the blaze under control and police are describing the
fire as suspicious.”

Mairead prayed silently as Anne
continued. “The owner of the premises is yet to be located and has
not contacted authorities. Neighbours are unsure whether the sole
occupant was home at the time and the specialist unit have only now
been able to enter the area.”

Mark switched the screen off.
“Doom and gloom as per usual,” He smiled at Mairead. “We can go to
dinner now.”

Somehow she managed to stand up.
“I’ll get dressed.” She could hardly whisper the words and barely
managed to walk to the bedroom and shut the door.

Sitting on her bed and taking
her phone from the bedside cabinet, she called James, whispering
“Please, please answer the phone.”

A dial tone lasted a few seconds
before switching to an automated voicemail. She dialled again, her
agony filling her face as she continued her desperate plea. Several
repetitions gave her no peace.

Her voice was overcome by a deep
uncontrollable moan escaping from deep within her. Burying her face
into the pillow she muffled her anguished scream. Her crying
wracked her body and she had no control left.

After several minutes when the
worst of her grief had been spent, Mairead became aware of Mark’s
presence. She didn’t look at him and made no attempt to hide her
crying.

“You’re not the only one who can
throw a tantrum Mairead,” He spoke quietly. “As far as I am aware,
he wasn’t home but I can’t guarantee it.”

His voice turned her torment to
fury and her tears stopped. “If he’s dead, then all deals are off,
and you might as well kill me too, because there is nothing that
will stop me from killing you.”

“Then I’d better be as concerned
for his welfare as you are,” Mark replied. “I quite like life, and
I’d rather be with you than without you and if that means that he’s
somewhere out there alive in the world then so be it. I just need a
little reassurance from you that you’re not going to go running to
him.”

Mairead sat up and glared. “I
made you a promise and I was keeping it. Why couldn’t you just
fucking trust me?”

He sighed. “I think I started
to, this afternoon but that doesn’t mean I trust him not to come
after you and I wouldn’t blame him. Women like you don’t come along
every day and I know that I would fight for you.”

“He hates me. I saw it on his
face the other night at Kylies. He wants nothing to do with me and
even if he did, I would have to consent to go with him and that
isn’t going to happen. Getting together with him was a huge mistake
and one I won’t make again.”

Mark looked at her silently for
a moment before saying, “Get dressed and let’s get out of here. I’m
hungry.”

“And I’ve lost my appetite.” She
replied angrily, her eyes finally meeting his. “I want to go out...
alone.”

He smirked and shook his head.
“That’s not happening. Get up and get dressed now.”

“You said that you had started
to trust me.” Mairead got up and stood in front of him. “I want to
go out and do something for myself. I’m not going to try and see
James or anyone else for that matter. I need some time alone.”

“To do what exactly,” Mark
searched her face. “Cut yourself up or some shit like that?”

“No,” His suggestion appalled
her as the reminder of her self-inflicted flogging was beginning to
feel a little humiliating. “I’m going for a simple workout and let
off some steam. I need this Mark.”

He studied her and looked at his
watch. “You’ll be back here at nine o’clock and if you’re late I’ll
demonstrate my own proficiency with a belt. Is that
understood?”

Mairead smiled grimly, “Loud and
clear.”

When he was gone, she tried
several more times to ring James but received no reply. In the end
she tossed her phone onto the cabinet and went to her suitcase,
angrily brushing away her tears.

She found the costume that
Miranda had given her and allowed herself the memory of that first
performance. As other more sinister thoughts invaded, she hurried
to slip in to the intricate piece. It proved a lot more difficult
to do it up alone.

Searching through Mark’s
wardrobe she found a long coat and slipped it on, its length
brushing the floor. In the lounge room she rifled through the few
disks that were available with his sound system and beamed when she
found a classical mixture.

The coat proved to be good
protection against the cold of the night air as she stepped out
onto the street. The caress of icy breeze on her face was welcomed
as she walked quickly to her destination.

Half hour later she was entering
the car park of Amiri’s apartment block. She stopped just inside
and listened but the silence gave her reassurance. The last time
she had trained with Amiri, he had left the portable player hidden
behind some boxes and she hoped desperately that it was still
there.

Her search was rewarded and she
inserted her disk. The music was unfamiliar to her and she listened
to the introductions of several before deciding to let it run and
challenge herself to move as the music dictated.

Before she pushed the play
button, she rang James again and hung up defeated as the voicemail
message answered. Slipping the coat and her runners off, she
started the music and moved to the pole, shivering with the cold
and began stretching.

The first several songs employed
her muscles to the limit as the unhurried melodies slowed her
movements and encouraged experimentation with new ones.

She had seen Amiri perform one
that she had found difficult to emulate with the same grace. With
her hands clutching the pole above her head behind her, she held
her body out diagonally away from the pole and let it ripple like
water. Drawing on enormous strength, Mairead was soon weary after
many attempts and wishing she had a mirror to see her progress.

Sliding down from the pole, she
retrieved her phone and unsuccessfully rang James. A new song was
beginning and caught her attention. The opening sparked her
imagination of a bright new morning with dew on the grass and a
promise of new beginnings.

Taking the disk cover she learnt
that the song was from something called
Chants d’Auvergne
and arranged by some guy called
Canteloube
. The one word
title read ‘
Baïlèro.
’

She restarted the song and
hurried back to the pole. The song proved challenging with
different tempos, but it offered itself perfectly for practice for
her desired movement. When it finished she played it again, a
routine already created in her head.

So much was her concentration,
that she only became aware that she was not alone by the sudden
interruption of wolf whistles and half hearted applause.

Mairead slid down the pole and
looked at the two youths leering at her. Both were skinny and bald
headed and covered in tattoos. Their eyes were wide and glazed and
they swayed as they stared back at her.

As they ambled towards her, she
backed away and held their stare. “What do you want?”

Her comment caused them both to
laugh hysterically and one answered with a vicious smirk. “Can’t
speak for my buddy here, but me, I’d like to see that body flexing
on the end of my cock.”

His friend nodded greedily.
“Yeah I do too, on my cock that is.”

Fear crept up her spine as the
enormity of her situation prevailed. She was alone with two drugged
up males who were bigger and stronger than her and with no chance
of escape. As her back touched the wall behind her she slid down,
sobbing quietly, trying to gauge how horrifically devastating the
threatened ordeal would be.

Another voice rose above the
sniggers of her tormenters, “You two back off and get out.”

Mairead could see some unknown
man directly behind them. He was shorter and older in an open coat
over a suit. She had a vague recall of seeing Mark talking to him
during the day in the foyer of the hotel.

The youths didn’t lose their
humour for a moment as they attacked him. It was a short and
vicious assault and Mairead wept bitterly as she watched her
would-be rescuer get stomped and kicked.

Blood sprayed from his head and
he curled up on his side groaning loudly. The biggest youth stood
over him manically, “You want some more cunt?” His mate
giggled.

Another voice joined the fray.
“He’s out of action, but I’ll have a go.”

Mairead could not see the
newcomer but his voice alone brought a new flood of tears. She
clutched the bricks on the wall to help her stand up on her jellied
legs, so she could fill her vision with the sight of James.

The youths were still grinning
but they were a little more wary of his size and height. The
biggest one took out a long bladed knife which prompted the other
to do the same. Approaching him, they went to either side and
Mairead could see James watching them with a crowbar in his
hand.

When the biggest one launched,
James met his attack with a kick aimed squarely at the stomach. The
impact was obvious as the youth doubled and James brought the bar
down firmly on his neck. When he went down, he stayed there and the
other youth bolted away.

James watched him go before
turning to look at Mairead. She was trembling and holding on the
wall for support. When she tried to walk her legs shook and she
grasped the pole before stumbling towards the gap in the cyclone
fence. She wanted James to come to her but he didn’t move. He
stared at her coldly, which crippled her further and made only
worse when Mark came striding towards them.

“Bravo,” Mark was applauding as
he came up to James. “You really are a bodyguard aren’t you?” He
glanced at the suited man lying, bleeding on the floor, “Unlike my
idiot.”

James glared at Mark, “She
should never have been in here.”

Mark nodded and his face became
equally angry as he looked at Mairead. “I agree.” He turned back to
James and smiled, “A mistake which won’t happen again.”

“She’s coming with me,” James
told him and Mark laughed softly.

“Really,” He looked at Mairead.
“He says that you are going with him.”

Holding on to the fence, Mairead
shook her head. “No James, I’m not.”

James looked at her stonily,
“I’m getting you out of here now, Mairead.”

“James,” Mairead shouted
angrily. “I do appreciate what you did for me tonight but that
doesn’t give you say over me. I’m sorry if you’re hurting but I
love Mark and I’m going to marry him and he’s the only man I want
to be with tonight.”