Protect Me Not

Chapter 2

Richard was like no other man she had ever been with. His appearance was youthful as were his mannerisms but his wisdom matched his 49 years of life. Richard always dressed in fine tailored suits that made his shiny black hair seem that much more suave. His sharp cheekbones and chiselled jaw line made him look the part of clever attorney. Mary was twenty five years his junior. She had herself convinced her youth was what attracted Richard to her. He enjoyed being popular with young ladies. Richard appeared to relish in the flock of soaring hormones that surrounded his every move but there was something special in Mary that stopped Richard's gigolo ways. They worked very well together and Mary knew she could rely on him to keep her New York real estate deals clean and free of lawsuits. Being new in the business, Mary wanted to ensure she was building a reputable business with repeat clientele. New York deals rendered lucrative commissions and Mary quickly made a name and a large fortune for herself in the market. She was fairly confident Richard had a big part in her success but he would never take the credit from her.

She quickly fell in love with Richard and his charm. She often flew to New York to spend the weekend with him. Soon enough, Mary found herself in New York more than her own apartment in Toronto. It was only natural for Richard to ask her to move in with him. He lived in a beautiful and spacious apartment in the upper east side of New York. She quickly adapted to the beautiful but very expensive neighbourhood. Richard and Mary would spend most of their weekends dining at one of the local eateries and afterwards strolling through the streets holding hands and frolicking at every crosswalk. It was an exceptional relationship and they spent most of their free time together. While they both traveled a great deal for work, they managed to keep an intense bond with one another. Mary had no real complaints about Richard and as far as she knew Richard had none of her. They argued periodically over menial things but that was mainly due to their strict and busy schedules. Sometimes Richard would need to be away for an entire weekend and Mary was mostly disappointed that they would have to cancel their plans. For the most part, Richard and Mary were the perfect power couple rising to the top of New York's corporate ladder. Richard spoke of marriage on a number of occasions with Mary which always excited her but he never offered her a promise or an engagement ring. She never showed concerned with the small details of their relationship. In her mind she was convinced he would pop the question at just the right moment in time. Mary was never alarmed with the fine print of their relationship and perhaps her inexperience allowed Richard the upper hand in their relationship. Mary was very giving of herself to him, mentally and physically. When Richard returned from his weekend travels, Mary was always ready and willing to keep him satisfied. Richard would often find Mary dressed in some scantily clad outfit holding a glass of their best Merlot for him to sip on and unwind. She often had a romantic mood set with light music lingering in the background and scented candles flickering in the aroma filled den. The light of the fireplace would cast a sexy shadow giving the grand piano a mysterious shape that seemed to hide in the corner of the dimly lit room. Richard enjoyed Mary's effort she put into their relationship. No matter how tired he was from his business trips he always managed to make passionate love to her. He was good at making sure Mary knew he still found her very attractive. Over the years their love making became more intense and seemingly more aggressive. Richard was Mary's first sexual relationship and she enjoyed learning from him. She never thought to question why their acts of love making became so physically intense. She figured it was a natural progression in all relationships. Mary wanted to keep their sex life fresh and untarnished. She was always willing to please Richard until one day their love making turned toxic. Richard started asking Mary to perform unusual and degrading sexual acts. Although Mary constantly pleased Richard with random acts of sex to his liking, Richard took to challenging her with aggressive name calling and forceful penetration. Mary was aware that she had to speak to Richard about their relationship, but she feared his reaction. Although she was embarrassed to talk about their private encounters, Mary knew she needed to place boundaries on their intimacy. That evening Richard came home in an unusually foul mood. Mary thought it was best to offer him a glass of wine as she regularly did. She hoped the wine would relax him after his long day at work. All day she prepared and coached herself on how she was going to confront him about his sexual mannerisms. It was a very difficult conversation to bring up but Mary found the courage to ask him about it anyway. Richard's response was not what Mary expected it to be. Their conversation that night revealed the unthinkable but it also gave Mary the out she subconsciously prayed for.