The next few days were pretty much the same. The text messages were becoming more frequent and more graphic. Denny was doing better and was expected to be released in a few days. Connor was working hard at the office, not only on trying to keep up with Black Enterprises, but he was also under a lot of stress trying to find out who was sending me the messages. My security guy, Justin, followed me everywhere I went, and Detective James wasn’t any closer to finding out who was stalking me.
Connor and I took Julia to the toy store one night. As we were walking around and Connor was showing Julia all the toys that made noise, my phone beeped with a message. I looked at my phone and read the text message that sat on my screen.
“My hunger for you is getting worse. My love for you is growing stronger, and I’m going crazy not being able to touch you.”
Connor was occupied with Julia and a singing toy, so he didn’t hear my phone beep. We were having a good night. I didn’t want to show him the message and worry him even more than he already was. Julia laughed at the singing bear that Connor held up in front of her. When he went to put it back on the shelf, she screamed.
“Look what you did; now you have to buy it for her,” I said.
“She can’t get a new toy every time she screams. She has to learn what ‘no’ means,” he said as he pushed the shopping cart away from the singing bear.
Julia wasn’t having it, and I knew he would eventually give in and buy it for her. As we walked down another aisle, Julia threw a temper tantrum. I walked behind Connor, whispering in his ear, “I want that bear, Daddy. Please buy me that bear.”
“Ellery, knock it off. That’s not fair. She needs to learn she can’t have everything she wants.”
“Why not? You get everything you want.”
“That’s different. I’m an adult.”
“Are you sure about that?” I smiled as I slapped him on the ass and walked ahead of them.
I could hear Julia from the next aisle over. As I was looking at the dolls, it suddenly became quiet. The sounds of a screaming baby were gone. I rolled my eyes and made my way back to where Connor and Julia were. I saw the singing bear next to her.
“Way to go, Daddy. I knew you’d give in.”
“She wouldn’t stop screaming. Next time, no means no,” he said.
“Yeah, right!” I smiled.
Dinner with Julia was out of the question. She looked really tired, and she was starting to get fussy. Both of us knew that if we took her to a restaurant, we wouldn’t be there long, so we headed home and decided to order a pizza. While I fed Julia in her highchair, Connor placed an order for delivery, and I decided to tell him about the text message I received earlier. After I made him promise not to get angry and go off on a tangent, I read him the message. He slammed his fists on the counter so hard, he made me and Julia jump. Julia started screaming and I looked at him, shaking my head.
“I’m so sorry, baby. Daddy didn’t mean to scare you,” he said as he walked over to her and kissed her head.
“Connor, I warned you. I begged you not to get angry like that,” I said as I slammed the spoon down on the table and got up.
“What the hell, Ellery? How do you not expect me to get angry when someone talks to you like that? Damn it. What if this was happening to me by some strange woman? How the fuck would you feel? Huh? Answer me that,” he yelled. “We have this same argument all the time. You tell me not to get mad, I do, and then you get pissed off, and it results in me yelling at you.”
Anger overtook me as I walked over to him. “Let me make one thing very clear to you. There will never be yelling or fighting in front of Julia. Do you understand me?” I said through gritted teeth as I pushed my finger into his chest.
While he stood there and looked at me, I could see him start to slowly calm down. “You’re right, and I apologize to you and Julia,” he said as he kissed my forehead and then Julia’s. “I’ll take her upstairs and get her cleaned up and ready for bed. The pizza should be here shortly,” he said.
The doorbell rang and when I answered it, I was shocked to see Phil standing there, holding our pizza.
“Hi, Phil,” I said as I gave him a strange look. “What are you doing here and why are you holding our pizzas?”
“Hi, Ellery. I was just down in the lobby and heard the delivery guy say he had pizzas for the Blacks, so I saved him a trip up since I was coming up to see Connor anyway.”
“Thanks, Phil.” I smiled as I took the pizzas from him. “Connor will be down in a minute. He’s changing Julia. How much do I owe you?” I asked as I reached for my wallet.
“Oh, please, don’t worry about it. It’s on me.”
Connor walked down the stairs and was surprised to see Phil standing in the kitchen.
“Phil, what brings you here, buddy?”
“I have some papers you need to sign,” he said.
“It couldn’t wait until morning?” Connor asked.
“No, I need to get these faxed over to Japan tonight, and when I went to your office earlier to have you sign them, you’d already left.”
“Why don’t you sit and have some pizza with us,” Connor said.
“Nah, I don’t want to interfere with your dinner.”
“You’re not interfering, Phil. Now sit down and let me get you a drink.” Connor insisted.
I took the paper plates and napkins to the living room. Phil followed behind me with the pizza boxes. Connor poured himself a scotch and made Phil a martini. I sat down on the floor, at the coffee table. Connor asked me what I wanted to drink. When I told him a coke, Phil jumped up and said he’d get it. We sat around the coffee table and talked while we ate.
“I’m surprised to see you sitting on the floor, eating pizza, Connor,” Phil said.
“Ellery likes things very informal,” Connor responded.
“Yep, I don’t like all that uppity shit.” I laughed.
“Well, Connor has changed quite a bit since he married you,” Phil said.
I looked over at Connor and smiled. “He sure has.”
“He’s a very lucky man to be married to such a beautiful woman.” Phil smiled.
When he said that, I blushed. “Phil, stop it.”
“No, I’m serious, Ellery. You are incredibly beautiful, and any man would be lucky to have you.”
“Well, thank you. But I’m the lucky one.” I smiled.
Connor got up and walked over to the bar to make Phil another drink, while Phil helped me bring the plates and pizza back into the kitchen.
“Thank you for inviting me to stay. It meant a lot to me, Ellery,” Phil said as he hugged me tightly.
As I stood there, astounded, I gently patted his back and told him that he was welcome. Connor walked in and handed Phil his drink.
“What’s going on in here?” He smiled.
“I was thanking your beautiful wife for having me.”
“It was our pleasure, Phil. You know you’re always welcome here.”
He drank part of his drink, set it on the table, and then announced he had to leave. Connor showed him to the door and gave him the money for the pizza.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Connor said as he shut the door.
He turned around and looked at me as I walked over to him and collapsed in his arms.
“I’m tired. I think I’ll go take a hot bath,” I said.
“Okay, baby. I’ll be up in a while. I have some papers I need to go over and then I’m going to call Detective James.”
When I reached the top of the stairs, I stopped in the nursery to check on Julia. She was sound asleep. I started the bath water, poured a capful of bubble bath, and stepped into the tub. As I lay back, I slowly closed my eyes and took in a deep relaxing breath. All I wanted to do was escape into a world where it was only the three of us. As I was dreaming about my alternate world, Connor walked into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub.
“Are you enjoying your bath?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. I was dreaming about our alternate world.”
Connor looked at me strangely. “What are you talking about?”
“I invented a world where it’s only me, you, and Julia. Just the three of us, living happily ever after.” I smiled.
“I love your imagination,” he said as he lightly ran his finger up and down my arm. “Are you imagining the things I’m doing to you in your alternate world? Are you imagining me making passionate love to you all night long because I can’t get enough of you? Are you imagining me whispering ‘I love you’ in your ear as I’m slowly moving in and out you?”
Whenever Connor talked like that, in that tone, he always put me in a trance. It was like I was frozen by his words and I was unable to move. As he spoke, he fondled my breast. While he stared into my eyes, he ran his thumb over my puckered nipple and leaned over to kiss my lips.
“You need to get out of the bath now,” he whispered.
“What if I’m not done yet?” I whispered back.
“You’re done, Mrs. Black, because I’m going to take you to your alternate world and do things to you there I’ve never done before. I’m going to make it so you don’t want to come back.”
I gasped as he took my hand and stood me up. He grabbed the towel I had sitting next to the tub, wrapped it around me, and helped me out. He dried every part of me in a seductive manner and removed the clip that was holding my hair up, letting it fall over my shoulders. He took in a sharp breath as he placed his hand on the side of my face.
“I’m so in love with you, and I need you. I need you every day. You’re my strength and my light and, without you, I’m nothing.”
As I smiled at him, he picked me up and carried me to our bed. He gently laid me down as his fingers deftly removed my towel, and he took me to my alternate world. He was right; I didn’t want to come back.