Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,1

marital status, there was still that underlying sexual tension between them both and it was difficult to rein it in sometimes. Tonight they were at the work Christmas party, drinks were flowing, the mood was high and that sometimes made the resolve just a little bit more tricky.

“Back atcha” Elise replied, admiring Cole in his black trousers, dark shirt and leather jacket. Boy, did this man know how to dress.

“So, how come you’re here on the dance floor mauling me rather than chasing Annabel into the nearest dark corridor?” Annabel was the new receptionist - young, lively and beautiful and the latest object of Cole’s desire.

“She took a bathroom break about half an hour ago and has been avoiding me ever since.” Cole replied with a grimace.

“Uh oh. Don’t tell me she took her bathroom break with Amelia?”

Cole nodded.

“Oh dear, you’re screwed.” Amelia who worked in the back office had been Cole’s last love. Unfortunately for her she’d been in love and he wasn’t, resulting in her being on a one-woman campaign to make sure that no one else fell foul of his charms. There was also the fact that if she couldn’t have him, she didn’t see why anyone else should.

Cole shrugged “Plenty more fish and anyway, I’ve not seen you properly since you got back from the conference and I’m pretty sure you owe me a dance, sweet-cheeks.”

Ugh! Elise rolled her eyes at the use of her seriously annoying nickname. She didn’t even know where it had come from but the way Cole said it just riled her and he knew it.

“Cole Andrews, I would not dance with you if you were the last man on the planet!” she declared and started to head for the bar, suddenly in desperate need of refreshment. Cole just laughed, grabbed her arms again and turned her back around towards the dance floor.

James had finished and had given over to the ever popular 5,6,7,8 line-dancing number by Steps. Knowing that she could not resist the challenge of the complex dance routine, Cole manoeuvred them to the centre of the packed floor, thus ensuring she had no means of escape.

Her mini tantrum short-lived, Elise allowed Cole to lead their dance and laughed along with him as they tripped and stomped their way through the number. Other colleagues, some more inebriated than others, were having similar difficulties and it wasn’t long before the dance floor was a mass of giggling, swaying and out of control bodies.

Once the number had finished, Elise realised that she really did now desperately need refreshment and signalled to Cole that she would be leaving the floor. Cole grabbed her hips to halt her progress so that he could join her and Elise stiffened momentarily, trying to mask the sharp stab of pain. She had her back to Cole and prayed that he had not picked up on her slight movement and intake of breath. Cole unfortunately had missed nothing, and immediately spun her around to face him, pulling her eyes up to meet his.

“Elise, what the fuck....?” His eyes displayed a myriad of emotions ranging from shock, to disbelief and finally settling on anger. “Elise, no! You’re kidding me, not again...”

She didn’t want to hear any more. Steeling her resolve, she placed her fingers gently over Cole’s mouth and silently shook her head, her eyes imploring him to let this go. Gradually he released his hold and watched helplessly as she spun away, back through the throng towards the bar.

Tonight she was having fun. This was her night. She didn’t want to think about anything – at all. Not what she was doing, not Cole and his sympathy and certainly not Dale at home, waiting for her. Tonight was about freedom, removing herself from her life for just a few moments in time, maybe pretending she was someone else. Tonight was hers because it was all she had and she was most definitely not going to think about anything else. Tonight she didn’t want to remember; tonight she wanted to block it all out, just for a while. Tomorrow there would be plenty of time for remembering. Remembering the hurt, the pain and the terror. The sadness and the disappointment and the loss. The mourning and the grief.

Remembering Dale, her husband, and the fact that last night he had raped her – again.

Chapter Two

The bar was packed – unsurprisingly, as it was free, and Elise had to wait a while to get served. When she had approached the bar,