Trouble

[Christian Ward]

Five days with Roselyn Ward was far too many for Christian. He loved his mother dearly. He respected her insight and cherished their conversations but the woman was exhausting all on her own. Add to it now that she knew Diana was pregnant with her second grandchild and, oh, that she'd had a granddaughter for sixteen years without her knowing, Roselyn was practically an unbearable ball of adoration and admonishment.

In addition to dealing with his mother, there was his wife. Diana was restricted to bed rest for several days in order to heal properly from the gunshot wound that nearly killed her. Christian only managed to keep her still for so long by using the baby against her before she started demanding that she and the baby would be fine with a little stroll around the house.

Everything was trying his last nerve, including the absurdly clear memory of Christian telling Diana that he loved her. What was he thinking? He might have had feelings for her but love? That was a strong word for such a confusing feeling. He hadn't said it since.

[Diana Ward]

Diana wasn't sure she heard it in the first place, and after a week without hearing it since, she had convinced herself that it was a dream. Christian had returned to being the flirtatious aloof man he had been before the anchoring ritual. Maybe even more distant. It was an odd combination. He wasn't angry with her or openly antagonistic as he had been, but neither was he warm or teasing, rather it was a strange polite limbo. Something had to give.

Diana was indeed convinced she had dreamed the entire encounter, and by the time she was feeling ready to argue with him again, he had already taken the reigns firmly in hand again. She wasn't likely to find him weak enough to admit anything.

Roselyn was another interesting turn of events. She loved the woman dearly. And for someone who had very limited memories of her own mother Roselyn was quickly filling up that department by exerting motherly influence over everything. Diana was too weak to fight her.

But she was tired of being in bed. Christian had ordered her to stay put, but he hadn't ordered her to stay put so she was disobeying him and taking a shower. By herself.

Sleeping and showering while she had been on bedrest had been a completely different story of frustration. Christian's impersonal touches while he washed her down as she was too weak to do for herself. And the awkward morning untangling as he still slept next to her 'just in case'. Diana was sure she was going to go crazy if she had to suffer through another quick scrub down.

When she was clean she moved to the dresser and put on one of Christian's shirts and a pair of long 'yoga' pants, followed by socks and slippers. She towel dried her hair and further disobeying her husband, she left the bedroom to explore the house she had been living in for the past week.

[Christian Ward]

Christian was in the kitchen making everyone breakfast. Some days he was allotted peace only by hiding away and preparing food. He didn't mind the work and the silence that often came with it was heavenly. Today was not so peaceful.

Roselyn was sitting at the dining table, sipping a cup of tea and complaining that Christian had finished a bottle of scotch by himself throughout the course of the week. She had no idea. Burke had been in an out of the kitchen, giving Roselyn flirtatious compliments that Christian swore were increasing in frequency the more often Christian groaned or protested. He couldn't help himself, despite knowing Burke did it to bother him. But Derek wasn't in the kitchen at the moment and when Christian heard someone walking down the hall he called out.

"Food's ready. I'm not saving your lazy ass anything if you get in here too late." The table was loaded down with sausages, eggs, and pancakes. There were two carafes of juice; orange and cranberry as well as a pot of coffee that Roselyn turned her nose up at. Christian was currently fixing a plate to bring to Diana as his mother commented that he was such a good husband.

[Diana Ward]

"I hardly think bed rest qualifies as lazy." she said with a bit of sass before entering the room.

"Ooh Pancakes." she said her eyes lighting up like a little girls. She bit her lip as the display in front of her caused her to salivate.

"Morning Roselyn. Christian." she said with an easy smile. Maybe if she pretended that she wasn't disobeying him he'd let it go. Wishful thinking.

[Christian Ward]

Any ideas that he was a good husband were about to fly out the window as Christian glared angrily at Diana.

"Good morning, dear," Roselyn said happily. "You're looking much better. Isn't she, Christian?" His mother gave him a stern look and he was lucky she didn't say more about giving his wife such a look.

"You're supposed to be in bed," he said, barely containing his frustration.

[Diana Ward]

Diana rolled her eyes. Christian's glare wasn't nearly as intimidating as she knew he could be, and with Roselyn around Christian wouldn't dare yell at her, not that she would have minded. Christian and Diana communicated with angry bickering and passionate sex. They needed to be passionate with one another. Maybe eventually they would find another way of communicating, but for now Diana would press his buttons.

"I'm supposed to be a lot of things. If wishes were coins." she said breezily before addressing Roselyn, "Thank you. Isn't this nice?" she said referring to the food.

[Christian Ward]

If wishes were coins."Like you need anymore bloody money," he mumbled to himself as he set the plate he had prepared for Diana down on the table in front of her. It clattered loudly as Christian released it with enough force to make it known he was unhappy, while managing not to break anything or make a mess.

"Christian!" Roselyn scolded.

Christian inhaled deeply and turned back into the kitchen, pulling a glass from the cupboard and a bottle of scotch from the counter. He fixed himself a drink and took half of it in one go before turning back to the women.

[Diana Ward]

"How else do you expect me to keep you in hookers and scotch." she returned momentarily forgetting Roselyn's presence. He had hardly spoken to her all week, so she was itching for a fight. Sure he took care of her needs. Feeding her. Bathing her. Making sure she didn't kill herself in her sleep. But Diana wanted more. She wanted to hear him say he loved her. Now he couldn't be in her presence without drinking. She was mad. She wasn't thinking.

"At least I'm not taking contracts out on my spouse for money. A paltry sum at that. I guess in that respect it was smart of you to marry me. More money anyway." she reached for a glass of orange juice then turned toward Roselyn, "I'm sorry Roselyn, I seem to have lost my appetite." she said walking out of the kitchen a sassy unconscious sway to her hips.

[Christian Ward]

Diana's presence, as well as his mothers and at times Burke's, only highlighted his drinking. He was perfectly capable of draining a bottle without needing a reason.

Roselyn's mouth dropped at Diana's accusations and Christian's eyes hardened as he looked at Diana. "What is she talking about?" Roselyn asked accusingly. 

Christian gestured angrily for his mother to be quiet and followed after Diana, scotch still in hand.

[Diana Ward]

Diana was angry, spoiling for a fight. She went to the room in which she had been staying, and shut the door behind her in Christian's face.

She knew he was following her and turned to face the door. She took a sip of her juice then set it on the nearby dresser and finally crossing her arms over her chest, drumming her fingers on her arm.

[Christian Ward]

Christian wasted no time in wrenching open the door and barging inside. He slammed it hard behind him and the wall shook. "What the f*ck, Diana?"

[Diana Ward]

"I'm sorry. Was I out of line?" she asked calmly studying her nails. She shrugged carelessly. She moved to the vanity and pretended to ignore him while brushing her hair.

A perverse thrill shot through her as she sensed Christian's anger, his passion, the dangerous waters she was treading.

[Christian Ward]

Her tranquil manner enraged him further and as she turned away he snarled. "Don't be cute, Diana," he warned.

"If I was looking for a way to get rich quick, I could have gone after a dozen other women who weren't the pain in the ass you are!" He played off her earlier comments in the kitchen, ignoring, for now, the fact that she claimed in front of his mother that he bought hookers regularly.

[Diana Ward]

"I'm always cute. Particularly when I'm stubborn." she said seeing if he'd recall his compliment.

She shrugged, "But were any of them as rich?" she asked turning to face him. "I was merely stating that you traded up on the contract. I was worth more as a wife than I was a target. Although now I suppose I am worth more dead to you than alive. Perhaps when we get this life bond sorted out you can finish the job. For a much better score of course." she taunted him.

She was being deliberately provoking, a mild form of payback for keeping her cooped up for the week, and for being so frustratingly impartial, but most of all for not telling her he loved her again.

[Christian Ward]

His mouth twitch upwards as she threw his own words from earlier in the week back into his face. The near smile was quickly replaced with a scowl.

Christian stepped further into the room, approaching Diana as her back was to him. He could see her reflection in the mirror. Gorgeous eyes. Pouty lips. Perfect skin. Damn her for being so attractive when he was so angry!

"If that's what you want, darling." He used the pet name threateningly. Christian detested pet names and only used them when he was trying to flatter a woman. He had had no need for them with Diana in recent weeks, and the tone in which he said it now was not flattering at all.

[Diana Ward]

Diana bit her lip as he approached. She nearly drew blood as he agreed with her hasty words. She was provoking him on purpose, wanting to hear him deny what she was saying, wanting some kind of clue as to how he felt about her. She wasn't getting any answers, or perhaps she was, she just didn't like them.

"Of course not." she said with a snarl, "I don't have a death wish." she looked at him through the mirror, "Are you telling me you haven't thought about it? You're my husband legally what I own is yours. You have to know that what they were paying you to kill me is only a fraction of what I'm actually worth. What we're worth now. Kill me and it's yours. Hookers and scotch for the rest of your life."

[Christian Ward]

"Clearly you have a death wish, Diana, or else you'd be following the f*cking doctor's orders by staying in bed! Or did you forget about the little stunt where you tried to walk away and search for answers while you bleed out?"

He glared at her through her reflection, his anger mounting. Finally he threw his glass just past her head, sending into the wall near the mirror where it shattered and splattered the wall with scotch. "No, I've not f*cking thought about it!" he bellowed. "I'm not a f*cking monster, Diana, no matter what you'd like to believe! And if I were, what kind of nut case does that make you for f*cking me over and over again?"

[Diana Ward]

But not in a while. They hadn't touched each other intimately in a long while and perhaps Diana was going a little crazy.

She was startled by the glass shattering and stood to face him.

She was certifiable. She had spent years in the psyche ward for exactly what he was accusing her of, having a death wish. After Alyx had 'died' she wanted to die too, but since finding out her daughter was alive, she had a stronger will to live than most people could imagine. She had certainly proved her will to live through battles, close calls, and injuries and something like a bullet in the lung wasn't going to stop her. But Christian... he could stop her. He could break her.

"You're not a monster and I'm not a f*cking china doll!" she yelled in return.

"But who knows? Maybe I'm delusional. I married you didn't I? Maybe I just like the way you f*ck!" that was certainly true.

"It couldn't possibly be the fact that I f*cking love you, you stupid, stubborn, jack ass!" she yelled hurling the brush at him.

[Christian Ward]

Christian ducked out of the way of her hairbrush as it came flying dangerously close to his head. One long stride and he right in front of her as he pulled her close and kissed her to shut her up. He pulled at her hair and caressed the soft skin of her neck with his lips before forcefully pulling at her pants, ripping them in the process.

He couldn't explain it. He didn't know why the passion in her eyes as they argued excited him so much but the tension had been building for weeks and there was nothing he could do now. If she was well enough to fight with him like this then she was well enough.

He lifted her onto the vanity and kicked aside the stool she had been sitting on. Christian pulled at his shirt that she wore, the buttons flying off as the edges separated and exposed her breasts. His lips moved to greet them as his hand slip down her stomach until he found her.

[Diana Ward]

Diana wasn't concerned with being gentle or slow as she had been five days ago. She wanted the passion, she even wanted the pain. Christian could make it hurt in all the right places and she was addicted to the pain, the pleasure, the passion. If their yells had been any indication of the passion between them, it was nothing compared to the screaming Diana did as Christian worked her body in a familiar way. He had once again learned to play her like a fine tuned instrument dragging out every sensation and knowing exactly where to touch her, how rough she liked it, when to be soft, when to tease, and when to take her.

She was crying his name as her entire body shook. She could not love the man anymore than she did, and yet she loved him more every day. It didn't matter what he did. He could probably kill her for her money and she would still love him. It seemed as though she had been born to love him, she couldn't stop.