Her head lifted, and she paused.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. Her steps turned slow.
“I needed to come and see you.”
He stood back up waiting for her. She grabbed the keys from her bag as she approached.
“I didn’t think I’d see you today,” she said, slotting the key in the lock.
“It has been a pretty strange day.”
She nodded, opening the door.
“I heard you got asked on a hot date.”
Amber tripped over her own feet. He caught her before she hit the floor. Elijah went hard at the scent of her subtle perfume and the feel of her warm curves flush against his.
“I guess that’s true then.”
She pulled out of his arms, pressing her hand down her front. “I don’t know where you heard it, but yes, I have a date.”
“Why?” he asked, doing everything he could not to break down.
His woman looked away from him.
“Don’t do this,” she said.
“Do what?”
Her arms were thrown in the air. “This. Stop acting like the jealous boyfriend. You’ve never been jealous before, and I don’t see a reason for you to start now. This is not the kind of guy you are, so stop it.”
Elijah gazed at her. He saw the anger and the upset flit across her face so fast, he almost missed it, and he suddenly realized the pain he’d caused her over the years. They’d both walked away at some point, but he’d always been the first to start it.
“I don’t want you to go on this date, Amber. You’re mine.”
She dropped down, grabbed a glass vase and launched it at him. He moved out of the way before the glass could hit him. “Would you stop saying that?” She screamed the words at him. The glass smashed on the floor. “I’m not your woman, Elijah. If I was your woman you wouldn’t be treating me like this. You wouldn’t be walking away from me at every turn. You wouldn’t be meeting blonde women at BDSM clubs hoping to get a better, thinner, prettier submissive.” She slammed her palm against her chest. Her face was red with her anger. “You wouldn’t be treating me like your fucking whore.”
Her words made him gasp. “Don’t you ever talk about yourself like that.”
“Why not? You use me when you see the need, and when you grow tired you fucking leave me. I’m nothing but a glorified whore who does what she’s told.”
Elijah saw the error of his ways. He’d scarred her in the most painful of ways.
“I never meant to hurt you. I love you, Amber.” The words left his lips, and another vase was thrown at him. He shouldn’t have told her the truth.
Chapter Six
Elijah’s words were a lie. Amber was so angry with herself for allowing herself to feel anything other than lust. Growling in frustration, she turned around, searching for something more to throw at him.
His arms banded around her middle, stopping her from picking anything else up. She fought him, trying to get away. Amber let loose the pain she’d kept deep down inside. Tears filled her eyes as she stared ahead of her.
“Let me go,” she said.
“No! I’m not letting you go.”
The tears finally spilled down her cheeks. She took a deep breath and cried out. “I don’t want you in my life anymore.”
She didn’t mean the words. Well, part of her meant them.
“I’m here, Amber. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”
Eyes closed, she took a deep breath until she finally gained control of her sanity.
“I’m fine. I need you to let me go.”
Slowly he released her, and she sat down on the sofa. Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she stared straight ahead.
“When you fucked me on Heather’s eighteenth birthday it was the best and worst day of my life,” she said.
He took the seat next to her.
“I had the biggest crush on you, and I wanted you to be my first. In the morning, I didn’t know what to do and I heard my friends talking, so all I wanted to do was get away.” She licked her lips. Her throat was dry, and she was exhausted. “You spanked me that day, and it turned me on. I was confused, and for months afterward I didn’t know what it meant. I ran away that first time because I was scared. You’re a lot to take in, and I was only eighteen. Every time we’ve met since we’ve always had an excuse to run away from each other. The only area in our life that makes sense is the sex and the domination. I know you’re not the only one at fault. I’ve never fought for more. ”
She turned to look at him. Amber saw the tears in his eyes.
“I’m twenty-five years old, and I’ve not even been on a proper date with a man. Waiting for you has made me tired. I need to go on this date, Elijah. You may not like it and I accept that, but you can’t stop me.”