Heart Of The Billionaire(38)

“I know you’re not one of my damn employees. If you were, you’d do what I tell you to do,” he growled. “And if you walk out that door, I’ll catch you.”

Folding her arms in front of her, she glared at him. “Then what? How do you plan on forcing me to drive it?” she retorted, her voice starting to get shaky and emotional. “Damn it! You didn’t even ask me if I liked it, if I wanted it. My opinion doesn’t matter, as long as I do as you say. What the hell is wrong with you tonight?” A lone tear flowed down her cheek and she swiped at it impatiently. There was so much about Sam that she loved, but there were a few things she couldn’t tolerate.

Bossy…okay. Occasionally.

Demanding in bed…hell yeah.

Protective…yep.

Distant and cold…hell no!

Sam stood and walked around the desk. “You’re not leaving,” he said huskily. “Why are you crying?”

Maddie sprinted for the door, not ready to answer that question.

Because I love you so much it hurts. Because I want to matter to you as much as you matter to me. Because when you shut me out and get cold, I get scared.

Pulling the door open frantically, desperate to escape, she felt Sam’s body slam into her from behind, pushing the door closed, trapping her between his arms on both sides of her body.

She leaned her forehead against the door, tears escaping her eyes unchecked. “Please, just let me go.”

“Tell me why you’re crying. You don’t like the car? I can take it back. Get something else, as long as it’s safe. It’s classy and it reminded me of you.” He was panting, his breath warm against her ear.

Shit. He was softening, acting like her Sam again. Here I go, up the roller coaster incline, wondering when I’m going to plummet again.

“I can’t handle this, Sam. Please.” Her emotions were a jumbled mess, old baggage coming back to haunt her. She couldn’t help it. Sam was so necessary to her happiness that it scared her when he became so icy and brittle.

“What did I do, Sunshine? Tell me.” His voice was tender, emotional. “I’ll fix it.”

“When you’re cold and distant, I get afraid that you don’t want me anymore,” she choked out emotionally. She hadn’t meant to say it, but there it was. “I know it’s old baggage, and I know I’m probably needier than most women when it comes to you, but I have to know that I’m important to you, that my opinions matter. That I matter.” Even to herself, she sounded pathetic, but she couldn’t help it. “When you distance yourself emotionally from me, acting cold, I get scared.”

Sam wrapped his arms around Maddie’s upper body, bringing her back against him, rocking her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. So sorry,” he murmured against her ear, rocking her back and forth against him. “I get scared, too. I’m afraid something will happen to you and I won’t be worth a shit if it does. Don’t you understand how important you are to me?”

Maddie shook her head, her shoulders shaking from suppressed sobs of agony, temporarily haunted by her fears from the past. Dammit! She had learned to be alone, not to depend on anyone. But all of her defenses were crumbling with this man.

Sam turned her and lifted her into his arms, coming to rest on the leather couch against the wall of his home office, holding her tightly on his lap. “I need you, Maddie. So much that it terrifies me. I guess sometimes I’m afraid to need someone so damn much that my whole life depends on it.” He released a shaky, masculine sigh as he stroked her hair.

“I need you too, Sam. So much. I can’t stand it when you’re cold and remote. It brings back all of my past, all of the times that nobody wanted me.” She had already told him the worst. If she couldn’t share her emotions, he would never know.

“Fuck!” He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “Sunshine, sometimes I forget that you have your own insecurities. I was a selfish prick. I was only thinking about protecting myself. Forgive me. Please. I’ll try to never do it again. I promise. But I don’t think I can stop worrying.” He pulled back, shooting her an intense look, his liquid green eyes hot and torrid.

“I want you exactly as you are, minus the frigid stuff,” she said, smiling through her tears. She had been selfish too, letting her fears rule her, forgetting about Sam’s past and how vulnerable he had to feel right now.

“What if it’s too hot?” he asked, his baritone husky and rough.

She melted and smiled as she met his eyes, his look of desire blatant, his face completely stripped of its icy mask. “Then I’ll happily burn,” she answered, moving to straddle him, wrapping her arms around his neck.