Turns out it wasn’t lost on Emma either as she glared at him. “Eat! Don’t eat! You want to make up your mind?”
I froze, my whole body posed for an eruption.
But it didn’t come.
I chanced a glance at my stepfather.
He leaned back in his chair, wine glass in hand, and met her angry gaze with one of calm contemplation. Then he smiled, the gesture slow and chilling. “You really have more spirit than I ever realized, darling.”
Emma was positively vibrating, her eyes throwing daggers, her breathing ragged.
Count to ten ... count to ten ... I mentally begged her. Hadn’t she been the one tellingmeto try and behave normal? Then she goes and loses it!
“Do you know, I think we’ve actually reached a very agreeable place in our relationship,” he continued, his eyes still upon her. “I’ve had more fun in the last twenty-four hours than I’ve had in any previous relationship.”
“Fun?” Emma asked in disbelief, her voice almost a whisper.
“Why, yes ... and it can only get better, don’t you think?” His eyes danced as he took momentary delight in the effect his words were having. But then he stilled, his mouth forming a grim line as his eyes hardened and he leaned toward her. “Now eat, before I bloody well make you.”
Emma started, alarm widening her eyes as they returned to her plate. Without a word, she reached for her cutlery and with shaky hands, started to fork up her food. I was left to watch in sickening fascination, finding her cowering obedience far more horrifying than her outburst.
“That goes for you too, Abi.” He looked to me and I shriveled inside. “I pay good money to have you ladies looked after, so you will eat, God damn you.”
I looked down at the hearty pasta dish, Dad’s favorite, and what appetite I had, if any, went out the window. My head swam and my tummy turned. I stabbed the pasta with my fork and did as I was told.
I chewed each mouthful with excessive care, keen to avoid it sticking in my fear-constricted throat. I couldn’t stop my eyes flitting back to her, my worry magnifying with each stolen glance. What had he done to her?
Conversation ceased completely, emphasizing each chink of glass or cutlery on china. Dad refilled our wine glasses and requested another bottle be brought, remarking that we were both very thirsty that night.
Thirst had nothing to do with it. The wine acted as a lubricant to get the food down and the alcohol eased the top-to-toe tension. I felt like a robot going through the motions ofdining. Dad, on the other hand, ate his dinner with gusto and it was no surprise he’d cleared his plate before we’d even got through half.
Wiping his mouth with the napkin, he eventually looked to us both. “Following all that’s been said and done recently, I don’t think I need to worry over a repeat of yesterday’s scandalous affairs, do I?” He gave a sadistic smile at the frozen faces his words summoned. “No, I didn’t think so ... in that case, I shall leave you ladies alone to finish up, I have a conference call to tend to.”
Thank God!I had to work hard to stop the relief shining through.
“The conference call shouldn’t last more than an hour,” he continued, pushing himself up from the table and looking to Emma as he waited on her for a response.
She didn’t give one. Her eyes didn’t leave her plate, her manner giving no indication that she had even heard his last few words
He didn’t like her ignorance, not one bit. I could see it in his prolonged gaze upon her, as he silently demanded her to look back at him. And when she didn’t, he threw his napkin onto his plate and stepped around the table. His fingers reaching to grasp her chin and force her face up at him.
My throat clenched as I heard her swallow a gasp, his fingers inflicting pain as they held her still.
“I’ll come and find you afterwards, darling,” he said, his hardened stare raining down on her. “I think we should pick up where we left off this afternoon.”
I saw the flicker of panic in Emma’s face and I couldn’t ignore it. Desperate to divert his attention, I blurted, “I was hoping we could talk more of Daniel tonight, Daddy.”
He rewarded my suggestion with the briefest of looks and no sign as to whether he believed my idea to be genuine. “I don’t think so, Abi. We can talk tomorrow.”
No sooner had he said it, than his focus was back on her and I had to watch as he bent to whisper intimately against her ear.
Taking up my drink, I washed down further words that would only incite trouble and reminded myself he would be gone soon. But whatever he said, it had her body tensing up and her head turning away in distaste. He gave a merciless laugh and yanked her face back to his, crushing her mouth with a horrifyingly invasive kiss.
For fuck’s sake!
A cough erupted from within me as the wine caught at the back of my throat and he tore his mouth away to toss me an amused look.
“Aw, Abi, not jealous, are we?”
