Leaving him to sleep she walked into her main sitting room. Their clothing was strewn on the floor by the door. Rolling her eyes she picked them both up and dumped them in the laundry basked before heading to the kettle to start some coffee. She had cheap taste and loved the instant coffee.
As she was making up their cups Elijah padded out of the bedroom, naked, like she was.
“Why did you sneak off?” he asked.
“I needed to use the bathroom.” She dropped her gaze from him. Looking at him made her want so much more from him.
“You could have come back to bed.”
Shaking her head, she nudged a cup toward him. “I needed coffee.”
Why was she being so damn difficult?
Closing her eyes, she blew on the hot cup in front of her.
“Amber?”
“Please, don’t say another word. I couldn’t handle you speaking right now. I need … quiet.”
She wasn’t trying to be cruel. Their past made it hard for her to focus. Last night when she’d finished in the shower, she’d expected him to have been gone. When she’d found him in the same place she left him, rock hard and waiting for her, she hadn’t been able to deny him.
Blowing out a breath she stared ahead of her, hoping to gain her thoughts.
“You can’t shut me out forever.”
“This is what we do, Elijah. This thing with the sex and the secrets, it’s our thing.” Biting her lip, she took a huge gulp of coffee trying to bring focus back to her world.
“It’s not our thing, Amber. We’ve got so much more,” he said.
“You mean the domination? Is that what else you think we’ve got?” she asked, finally looking up at him.
The spanking he’d given her rang clearly in her mind. He was a Dom, and she a submissive. The spanking she’d received at his hand had awoken her in ways she’d never understood. Until she’d joined Club Kink she didn’t understand any of it.
Was that why their relationship was so … weird?
“Amber,” he said, starting to speak. She couldn’t handle this anymore. The moment she took Heather out of the equation the only other problem she found was the domination.
“Why did you do it? Why did you spank me and walk away?” she asked.
“You left me the following morning, Amber. I didn’t walk away.” He’d tensed up at her words. She’d seen the reaction inside of him.
“I had no choice. It was Heather’s birthday, and she’d already knocked on the door. I had to sneak out. You never said anything about me sticking around. I got out of Dodge.” She placed the cup on the kitchen counter. Her anger was making the hot coffee spill over the sides, burning her. “You were my first, Elijah, and you weren’t exactly fucking gentle. Then you put me over your knee like scolding a child,” she said. “What was I to you?”
He didn’t answer, simply stared at her. “Why haven’t you asked me these questions before?” he asked, folding his arms. “You’ve had plenty of time to ask them. Why now?”
“I was young and stupid. I didn’t care about anything other than being with you, Elijah. Being with you, in any way, was better than not being with you at all.” The truth blurted out of her lips.
Staring at his face she saw him open his mouth to speak.
“Amber, honey, it’s us. We brought pancakes, or at least I brought the ingredients to make pancakes,” Heather said, knocking and calling through the door.
Amber’s eyes widened.
“Unless you’ve got some superhot guy and want us to go,” Ashley said.
She walked around the counter and pushed him back into her bedroom.
“What are you going?” he asked, whispering.
“You’re not going to be seen by them. I’m not ready for this. You will stay here and not make a sound.”
She grabbed her robe from the back of her wardrobe door.
“This is childish, Amber. You’re a grown woman.”
“I don’t care what you think. My friends are not finding out about us.”
“I’ve got no clothes,” he said. “And we still need to talk.”
“I’ve got to wash your clothes. You’re staying here, and if they sound close to the door, hide somewhere. I don’t want you being found.”
More banging from her friends interrupted her.
“Why don’t they leave? You’re not answering your door.”
“They’re my friends. They want my company.”
She turned away to leave. Elijah caught her hand, bringing her close to his body. “This isn’t over,” he said, slamming his lips down on hers.
His kiss was passionate yet loving. Pulling away, Amber looked at him, surprised.