White Christmas Ch 02

Ellie woke up in a panic the next morning, for she could tell even before she checked her phone that she'd overslept.

She felt far too rested. Still exhausted, but it was certainly the longest sleep she'd experienced in recent memory.

The bed was empty, and Ellie wondered if David had even spent the night at the house.

After she'd refused sex, had he gotten his needs fulfilled by...someone else?

The temptation to crawl into bed and cry the day away was enticing, but Ellie quickly pushed the comforter off of herself and rushed to the bathroom. She did not have time to cry. She did

not

have time to cry. She needed to make it through the holidays, and stay as busy as possible.

Ellie quickly showered and brushed her teeth, dressing far more for comfort than for style. She had no one to impress, for it was clear her husband had already left at some point in the night.

She rushed out of the bedroom and ran down the stairs, searching for her car keys in a frenzy.

But the sight of packed luggage resting by the front door immediately made her freeze in terror.

Was he...leaving her?

To stunned to move, or even react, Ellie stared at the suitcases in disbelief. It seemed as if her physical and mental functions had halted entirely, and she couldn't fully process the information right in front of her.

He was leaving her.

David was really leaving her.

"I hoped you'd sleep for a while longer. What are you doing up this early, love?"

Ellie fearfully oriented herself towards her husband. He was smiling at her in that normal teasing smirk of his, looking impeccably dressed and styled even as he stood before her in a pullover and dark trousers, a casual departure from his usual outfit of expertly tailored three-piece suits and crisp shirts. He was sipping a cup of coffee with a playful, secretive glint in his eyes, and Ellie felt like she would become sick.

He was ridiculing her. How could he be so callous as to smile when he was breaking up their marriage?

Did she make him

that

miserable?

"I think it's about time you and I had a little chat. Why don't you come have some breakfast, and we can talk," she heard him say.

He extended his left hand to her, platinum wedding band still on his ring finger. Why hadn't he taken it off yet? Even the watch he wore, the Rolex she'd given him for his last birthday, seemed to mock her.

Ellie still couldn't move. She was too shocked.

"You need to eat something, baby," David said, when she still didn't move or speak. She felt one hand on her shoulder as another settled on her waist, slowly and gently guiding her into one of the formal dining rooms they seldom used, overlooking the backyard English-style gardens.

The dining table was overflowing with plates of food, enough to feed at least ten people. There were sweet pastries and hearty breads, savory meats and eggs, sliced vegetables and yogurts, in addition to a beautiful arrangement of colorful, exotic fruits that confirmed her husband definitely hadn't prepared this meal on his own.

He guided her into an extended silk chair, before taking the head seat to her immediate right.

"Will you at least eat a piece of toast for me? Some fruit perhaps?" he asked. Without waiting for her to answer, Ellie watched as he grabbed a slice of bread and layered it with butter, roe, and thinly sliced cucumbers, before placing the small plate in front of her.

Ellie couldn't help the small crack of a smile that began to form at David's attempt at replicating the kind of breakfast she used to eat every day growing up in a tiny town outside of Skellefteå.

But before her mouth could completely curve, the sobering reminder that he was leaving her re-broke her heart, all over again.

"Please say something, Ellie. Do you want to go back to bed for a bit?" David asked.

How could he be asking her if she wanted to

sleep

at a time like this?

Not knowing what else to do, Ellie shook her head.

"I can't...just let me...umm...I have a lot to do before I pick up your family from—"

"No you don't, Ellie. They're not coming," David said. Ellie's eyes widened in panic. Had he already told them he wanted a divorce?

"What do you mean? They...they're supposed to be here. You host your family every year for Christmas. It's important to you. Please just let me do this...please," Ellie said, unable to control the rise and crack in her voice.

"There are far more pressing matters at hand, Ellie. We need to talk about...us," David replied.

The weight in her chest dropped like an anvil, so forceful that Ellie nearly fell out of her seat. She knew it was pathetic, but all she could think about was escaping. She couldn't handle hearing her husband tell her that he no longer loved her.

She was already barely functioning. She couldn't survive this loss too.

Ellie tried to bolt away from the table, but David's firm, yet tender grip on her wrist kept her from moving.

"Please, David...I can't handle this right now. Please..." Ellie begged pathetically.

"Can't handle what, Ellie? A vacation with your husband? Is the idea so terrible?" David asked incredulously. Ellie blinked several times, unsure if she'd heard him correctly.

"What are you talking about?" she asked in response.

"I've decided I'm taking you away for the holiday. Just the two of us. No stressing, no planning. I want you relaxed," he replied.

Ellie watched him warily as he refilled his cup of coffee, absolutely certain that at any moment, he would tell her he was joking.

But several minutes passed, and he remained silent.

"But...what about your family?" Ellie asked quietly. David shrugged his shoulders.

"They'll be spending the holiday here, as planned. And they'll have a great time together, Ellie. You needn't worry about that," David said.

Feeling suddenly parched, Ellie reached for an already filled glass of juice.

"Where are we going?" Ellie asked nervously. David smiled in that devastatingly charming way of his that made her heart instantly race, despite the circumstance.

"It's a surprise, Ellie. Now eat your breakfast."

******

Ellie thought that the shock would fade once she finished breakfast. It was the first real meal she'd eaten in...she couldn't even remember how long.

But the food seemed to sit heavily in her stomach, undigested, and Ellie wondered if she would literally become sick with worry.

A small part of her thought that a vacation with David was a wonderful idea. Perhaps some extended alone time with him could fix what was broken between them.

But a stronger part of her was fearful of what it could mean. She had no idea where they were going, and the idea of being trapped in some hotel room with her husband for a week while he pined for another woman was so sickening that Ellie actually began to gag.

This trip was so sudden, so spontaneous.

So unlike him.

Was it a last minute reaction to his mistress's unavailability?

Too terrified to consider, Ellie remained frozen and passive as David moved around her, carrying the suitcases out of the foyer and outside to a waiting sedan, with the help of a driver fully uniformed in a black suit.

"Are you ready to go, love?" David asked.

She looked down at herself, re-mortified by the fact that she still looked like she was dressed to take out the trash in her tattered jeans and oversized sweater. David, however, appeared as if he was preparing for yet another interview with

Forbes

.

It was so unfair.

Without waiting for her to answer, David pulled her to her feet and guided her outside to the car, and moments later, they were speeding down the snowy roads, headed towards the airport.

As suspected, the airport was overflowing with pre-holiday travelers, and Ellie shuddered in nervousness at the thought of being surrounded by thousands of strangers in a security line. She knew it was foolish and paranoid, but ever since the miscarriage, she'd developed a new fear of large crowds, especially in big spaces. The most irrational part of her fear taunted her with the idea that everyone around her knew about the miscarriage, and judged her for it.

She was certain that at any moment, someone would start yelling at her.

Even strangers knew that she was a failure.

But to her relief, the car moved past the main departing terminals, and directly into the hangar reserved for private aircrafts.

She looked up at David, surprised to find that he was staring down at her with a gentle, almost knowing smile on his face. He seemed aware of her fear, and relief, even though she'd never told him about her new irrational social anxieties.

Perhaps some small part of him did love her after all.

For the first time that morning, Ellie began to relax as David led her out of the car and onto a waiting private plane. She wasn't sure where they were going, or what pleasures or pains were in store for her, but for a few moments, she was reminded of a time when she unequivocally trusted her husband.

And for a few, brief moments, Ellie felt safe.

******

"Wake up baby."

Ellie stirred on the soft leather couch she'd fashioned into a bed as the sound of David's voice pulled her away from the quiet comfort of her dreamless sleep.

When she lazily opened her eyes, her heart immediately began to race.

He was kneeling in front of her with an intense gaze on his handsome face, his lips just barely curving into a smile. The focus in his eyes caused her anticipation to surge, in the best way possible. It was a look she recognized, but hadn't seen in quite some time. It was the very specific, almost beastly look that he'd first revealed in the early days of their courtship that promised, no,

threatened

, that he was going to be using her soon, and using her hard.

And in an automatic reflex, Ellie felt her pussy beginning to moisten in excited anticipation, despite her emotional fragility.

"What time is it? Surely we're arriving soon?" Ellie asked fearfully. David hadn't divulged any details about their destination during the flight, even ensuring that the pilot and flight crew had remained silent. Ellie then remembered that she hadn't even packed her own clothes.

She had absolutely no clue where they were headed.

David slowly approached her, hand beginning to travel up her thigh.

"It'll be morning when we arrive, Ellie. We're going backwards a few time zones. And I do believe we have a bit more time in the air," David said, almost dangerously.

His fingers skirted beneath her sweater, beginning to inch it above her stomach, and a warm rush of blood immediately filled her cheeks.

"David...the pilot, the flight crew—"

"Have respectfully taken their seats in the cockpit to afford us the privacy we are entitled to as a married couple, love," David interrupted, curling his fingers in the hook of her bra. He raised a challenging eyebrow as he quickly unhooked it with one hand, eliciting an automatic, needy moan from Ellie's lips.

"But...won't they hear us?" Ellie asked. David gripped her knees and pulled her forward, fully forcing her onto her back as he crawled over her on the couch.

Mentally, she knew she should resist him. Despite the fact that he was taking her on a romantic vacation, there was still the nagging, very realistic possibility that he was having an affair.

But it seemed that being alone with David, thousands of feet in the air, had been enough to re-establish that underlying dynamic that had pleasurably flavored their marriage during happier times.

Ever since they first became involved, David seemed to yield an almost subconscious command over her body. It had never mattered if she was tired, or stressed, or simply not in the mood, for the second he activated that power, she couldn't refuse him if she tried with all of her will.

He magnetized her active and latent desires.

He hadn't even touched her sexually yet, but her pussy was already beginning to clench and wantonly moisten in anticipation of his impending entrance. She could feel her body, and parts of her mind, regressing to that needy, eager-to-please slave she'd been to his every sexual whim.

And an unmistakable joy began to bubble through her veins at the memory of how happy she'd been fulfilling that role.

Her legs separated with no resistance as David settled in between them, pressing his threatening hardness against her as he began to unzip her jeans. Her back arched as he slipped his fingers beneath her panties, massaging her throbbing clit with an expert friction that made her skin tingle in delight.

He then pushed her sweater up around her shoulders, partially immobilizing her, as he pulled away her loosened bra and began to manipulate her breasts. He leaned forward and brought his mouth to her nipple, teasing the sensitive tip with quick flutters of his tongue. Ellie squirmed in growing desire as his lips closed around her nipple with an insistent suction that caused her to moan, and loudly.

"Hmm...I guess we

will

need to be extra quiet, then. Do you think you can do that?" he whispered teasingly, mouth still around her nipple. Ellie was about to answer, but the feeling of his tongue trailing across her chest to her neglected breast caused her words to melt into a soft scream. She rocked herself against his fingers, growing increasingly needy for his cock inside of her.

Ellie gasped as David rapidly flipped her over onto her stomach, yanking her jeans down around her knees. She bit her lip to contain her squeal as a quick, soft slap against her rear cheek wordlessly instructed her to arch her back.

And almost as if with muscle memory, her body remembered the type of physical commands he'd given her in the early days of their marriage, and Ellie immediately complied as a shiver of pleasure rushed through her body, almost offering him her flesh.

As he moved behind her, the only sounds she heard were the sounds of his belt becoming undone, and her own moaning. Ellie tried to quiet her mind, and think only of physical sensation. For despite everything that had occurred between them, everything she had lost, everything David may or may not have done...Ellie was still helplessly sexually attracted to him.

And after months of despair and loneliness, Ellie was more than eager to enjoy sex, and banish thoughts of the potential emotional ramifications.

His hand settled on her hip, guiding her further back against his body, as the tip of his cock began to graze the swollen lips of her pussy. Ellie gulped in fear, remembering just how large her husband was, and just how long it had been since he'd penetrated her, but it was not enough to stop her from rotating her hips and rubbing herself against him. He was maintaining pressure on her clit, driving her to madness, and bringing her dangerously close to a powerful release.

She needed to feel him.

The sound of a cell phone vibrating on a nearby table temporarily distracted her, and Ellie automatically looked over to it in reaction.

And to her horror, it was an incoming video call on her husband's phone.

And the caller was Sabrina Taylor.

Disgusted with herself, Ellie immediately pushed herself away from David, falling over as the plane hit turbulence at the same time she tried to pull up her jeans and fix her top.

"Ellie, love—"

"I'm going to be sick," Ellie cried immediately, pulling away from David and launching herself into the nearest bathroom.

Once the door was closed, Ellie heaved and sobbed until she was certain she would soon pass out.

******

******

David began to wonder if bringing her to the island was a terrible idea.

Ellie had remained sick for the rest of the plane ride, and it broke his heart to hear her suffer. He tried to tell himself that it was just motion sickness, but he had a feeling there was some emotional trouble that was causing his wife such distress.

But he had no way of knowing how to help her if she wouldn't communicate with him.

Dr. Anna Cole had been somewhat helpful in her advice whenever he'd called during off-hours for quick therapy via telephone, but he was starting to wonder if her recommendations were ineffectual. She'd told him to be patient with his wife, to not push her, to wait quietly until

she

came to

him

for comfort, something about "allowing her to regain control".

But Ellie hadn't come to him. And as the days and weeks passed, David had a feeling she was less and less likely to ask him for anything. It simply wasn't in her nature to ask him, or anyone else, for much at all, for Ellie never demanded anything, not even comfort or attention.

Ever since they'd met, David had known that Ellie was selfless and sweet, painstakingly dutiful, and grateful. Most of the time he'd had to guess her desires and needs, because she'd always been too shy to express them.

And for the most part, it had been a delightful challenge. Figuring out how to impress Ellie, how to please her and make her smile, was a fun puzzle he never tired of.

But comforting Ellie after such devastation...that was a different beast entirely, and it was something David knew he couldn't afford to screw up. If there was anything he needed to be perfect with, it was this.

So he'd spent the last four months going against his natural instincts of taking control, choosing instead to rely on the direct advice of their therapist, close friends, and different self-help books and articles.

But seeing Ellie's list last night, and seeing how much pain she was in...it had changed something.

It was obvious that the advice was not working.

He needed to try things

his

way, or risk losing Ellie altogether.

Ellie was quiet and weak when they landed, her beautiful eyes expressionless, yet distantly sorrowful. He'd thought she was beginning to open up to him again, her body responding beautifully to his touch, but her current demeanor demonstrated she was still not quite ready.

Undeterred, David wrapped his arm around her waist as they entered the small airport.

The resort was a private, elite oasis on a remote island in French Polynesia that rarely appeared on most world maps. The modern customs of the island had been the result of a unique symbiosis between unlucky exploring colonials, and kindhearted indigenous inhabitants, a peaceful cultural exchange quite rare for the time period.

A friend of his had told him it was an island of unparalleled beauty and luxury, the kind of place that could save even the most dire of marriages.

And David strongly hoped that he was right.

"You must be Monsieur Blake! Welcome to our humble island!" a cheerful voice said with a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"And you must be Monsieur Giroux...the pleasure is truly ours. Peter has told me so much about this place. I'd like you to meet my..." David frowned, unsure of where Ellie had run off to. He quickly scanned the airport, growing distantly anxious, but was relieved when he found her trapped by a posse of native women, showering her with wreaths of flowers.

"Ahh...she certainly is beautiful...

une petite fée

. Did Monsieur Grayson tell you about our upcoming Christmas...Feast?" Giroux said, voice lowering.

The suggestion certainly piqued his interest. Peter

had

in fact told him quite a bit about some of the more...uninhibited delights of the island. In particular,

the

Feast. Under different circumstances, David would have been more than eager to indulge in such pleasures with his wife.

But this was not the kind of trip for that.

"Perhaps on a different stay. I fear the Feast...might be a bit too much for her right now. I just want her to relax," David replied.

He noticed the man eyeing his wife a bit more carefully, and he was instantly filled with an odd mixture of jealousy and pride. Yes, Ellie was beautiful, and most of the time, he loved showing her off.