Beaten into Submission

Chapter One

The air around me left something to be desired. It was hard and cold, any moisture absent; making each breath I took burn my lungs.

This would never be my idea of the perfect wedding. Yes, the snow was pretty. In white shapes it fell to the ground, creating thick layers. The scenery was beautiful, of course, though I was used to heat and humidity; Tennessee would never cross my mind to have a wedding.

Besides the location, the couple, I felt, was doomed to fail; or at the very least have therapy. They each lied and cheated on the other. They never spoke about their problems and only did so when they yelled. They tried dragging others into their issues, me included, but I've found its best to leave things be. To support them. At least from a distance.

The reception was warmer than I excepted it to be, with relief I took off my bulky white jacket. Underneath it had been a cute, sleek black dress, but no one was able to see it for my fear of freezing. As men turned in my direction, I was finally glad my ex-best friend decided on something warmer and more welcoming, something other than snow.

I pretended to ignore the men. While I was hoping to get some action, I at least have standards and needed a few drinks to even consider anyone. I walked over to a dual white couch and sat down. A waiter brought me a glass of white wine upon my request, then I waited; mostly for the night to end so I can drag someone away, helping me get back to my work.

After two drinks I felt somewhat dizzy, but within my own control. I waved at the groom, he's been my friend for the past eight years. He smiled and returned the gesture, but stopped when he noticed the glare he received from his now-wife. She was the reason we weren't close anymore, or friends at all. I've never done anything with Jack. After the first year, he stopped chasing me when he realized I wasn't interested. We've been close ever since, well ever since six months ago when I introduced him to his wife, Jamie, she was something peculiar. She was small and kind enough to everyone she liked, but despite her size she stood up for herself; even when it was uncalled for and unnecessary. She twisted stories to fit her mood; almost everyone was sick of it, except for Jack of course. That had been the kind of girl he wanted and described. I found her and while he seemed more depressed, right now he looked happy

After weeks of Jack and I not talking, he invited me to the wedding. I was going to say no, but I've been having a dry spell. It was mostly to do with my job as a writer, but it was distracting and needed to bre-

"Hey." A deep, husky voice drew my attention away from my thoughts. The room was darker than it was, making his face mostly shadows, but nonetheless attractive. "Can I buy you a drink?" He slid into the seat beside me, his knee brushing my own. He spoke words I've heard hundreds of times in my life, but somehow it made my heart skip a beat.

"I have my own." I wondered how much more attractive he was because of the alcohol. I kept that in mind as he brought a waitress over with a glass of champagne, despite my words.

The bride and groom continued to have their first dance as husband and wife, in the center of the room. Everyone's eyes were on them, but his were on mine. They were a familiar shade of green and while I didn't recognize him I wondered who he was. His hand slid onto my leg as I took another sip of my drink.

"What's your name?" He asking calmly, his hand firmly squeezing my thigh. I held in the urge to squirm and instead crossed my legs, forcing him to move it. He smirked.

"Laura." I put simply. It was a nickname, not exactly my name, but I didn't see much of a difference.

"Beautiful." He reached out his hand and lightly rubbed my high cheekbone with his knuckle. I tried not to smirk as his forwardness, this was going to be easier than I thought. I leaned forward and placed my hand on his shoulder, sliding it down to his waist. He gave me a dangerous look.

The couple tried moving their wedding along by calling everyone's attention for their toasts. As Jacks father began the lineup, the no-named man took my hand and stood up. I blended into the crowd well because of my rather short height, but he stuck out. He could have been over six feet; this drew a few people to look in our direction, but not many.

When we stepped outside I instantly shivered. To my surprise, he seemed bothered by the cold. I smiled, knowing he couldn't possibly think of me as weak when he felt the same.

At this moment, we were on equal grounds.