Page 57 of James

Laura bit her lip. “I’m not sure about pictures, James.”

“They’re only for the two of us,” he assured her and held up the device. “I’m using your phone so you can delete them whenever you want. But I want you to see what I see, and it’s more than the beauty of the rope.”

“Okay, I guess it will be all right,” Laura reluctantly agreed. “Since they’re just for us, it’s okay to include my face, but nothing below the hips, please.”

After he had taken the photos, he pulled her back to bed. He lay over her and positioned himself between her legs. “You.” He kissed her forehead. “Are.” Her mouth. “Beautiful!” He latched on to her breast and Laura forgot everything she wanted to say.

They made love with Laura still in her harnesses and then again after James had gently removed the ropes.

After the fastest shower in the history of womankind, Laura stood before the mirror, her body glistening with droplets of water. She turned and twisted, observing herself from every angle. The rope had left symmetrical marks she wanted to admire.

Her fingers grazed the indentations the rope left, exploring the smoothness of her skin. She tilted her head, examining the way her face glowed. With each movement, her reflection revealed a confident woman emerging from within.

James came walking in fully clothed and smacked her ass playfully. “Get dressed or I’ll take you to the movie theater like this. You have five minutes.”

James chuckled evilly as he left the room and she rushed to find her clothes.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Laura left the theater almost three hours later in a great mood. The movie had been entertaining and they enjoyed each other's company. It had started raining while they were inside, so James went out to bring the truck to the door while Laura visited the ladies’ room. When she came out, she was so distracted by thoughts of what might await at home that she walked right past the man without seeing him, even though he did an obvious double take. She didn’t even notice when he followed her to the lobby door.

“My, my,” he drawled in an unpleasant parody of a greeting.

Laura froze. She knew that voice and the sneer in it as if she’d heard it yesterday.

Jake stepped up to block the door, making a point of looking her over, his eyes like sticky hands under her clothes. “Finally went for that gastric bypass like I kept telling you, did you? If you could have made this kind of effort when we were together, I might have stuck around. At least a little longer.”

Fromthe corner of her eye, Laura saw James coming toward them and that gave her the strength to confront her ex. “I can see you haven’t changed one bit, Jake. I’m not interested in anything to do with you. So why don’t we each go our own way and forget the last two minutes.” She turned away from him and went to the next door, waving to James.

“Oh, you think you can brush me off, you arrogant cunt? You always did think you were better than me, just because you’d rather read a book than pay attention to your fucking husband! Like I didn’t know what was in those books,” he sneered. “You like that porno stuff, Laura? Huh? You like reading about sluts getting spanked and tied up? Yeah? Sucking on cocks while they’re fucked up the ass? Is that what you like?”

Jake had been entirely focused on Laura and only now noticed James approaching. His face reddened. “You cheating whore!” Jake roared, raising a fist.

Laura instinctively flinched, but James burst through the door, yanking her behind him. Jake wasn’t as eager to hit a man as a woman and stepped back, his chest heaving and the pulse at this temple beating ferociously.

Feeling helpless, Laura looked around the lobby, but although several people were watching from a safe distance, clearly no one was going to get involved.

“You fucking him?” Jake demanded as parents herded their families out of the theater. “Huh? Stupid cock-slobbering slut, you answer me!”

Laura refused to cower for him and stood up straight, “Whether I’m with somebody or not isn’t any of your business, Jake. We’re divorced and I’ve moved on.”

“Oh,youmoved on, huh? Bitch,Ileftyou, you useless fat cow,” Jake raged. “Yeah, always mooning around withyour snotty sister and her snotty crotchfruit, and how could I forget that drooling old fuck of a father? I didn’t even notice we were divorced because you were never around in the first place! And what did you do, huh? You went out riding the dick carousel the second I let you out of my sight. I pity this asshole, having to throw his hot dog down that flabby pussy you call a cunt!”

His eyes suddenly narrowed, gleaming with cruel inspiration. “Does he spank you, Laura?” he asked, loudly enough for the whole crowd to hear. “Does he do all the things I wouldn’t, you filthy fucking slut? Does he handcuff you and let other men cuck him in his bed?” He grabbed her wrist while she was still too stunned to react, shoving her sleeve up to expose the faint rope-burns on her wrist. “Looks like he does. I bet you’ve got a butt plug up your ass right now, don’t you?”

“Enough!” Laura yanked her arm free, shaking with anger but not giving him the satisfaction of hearing it in her voice. “I will not stand here and listen to you insulting my family and me. Goodbye, Jake.” She walked away with James.

Jake followed them and took another swing, but James saw it coming and blocked it with his arm, then again stood between them. Jake again stepped back, then astonishingly let out a bellow and hurled himself at the much larger man. Stunned, Laura fumbled with her cell phone and managed to get the camera app to record the encounter.

Laura's heart pounded in her chest as she watched the altercation unfold before her eyes. James skillfully evaded Jake's punches, his movements precise and controlled. A surge of relief washed over her when James pushed Jake away, causing her ex to stumble andcrash onto the ground. But her relief was short-lived when Jake swiftly regained his footing and launched himself at James once more, his fist aimed at James’s head.

Erupting in a high-pitched shriek, she desperately tried to warn James. He reacted instantaneously, turning to deflect the incoming punch just in time. Her breath caught as the fist barely grazed James's cheek, narrowly missing its target.

She winced, knowing from experience how that ham-sized fist could hurt. She felt grateful for James's quick reflexes.

Determination flashed in James's eyes, and before she could fully process what was happening, he retaliated with a powerful strike, connecting forcefully with Jake's nose. The sickening sound of impact and breaking cartilage mingled with the men’s ragged breaths and curses, and Laura's gasp mingled with the collective gasps of those witnessing the altercation.

Jake staggered back and wailed, “You broke my nose.” He held his bleeding face as he fled the scene, yelling this wasn’t over.

---