Owned by Him (4 page)

Would she forever be cursed
to want and to love this one man?

****

Elijah watched her walk toward
him, and he got stiff at the sight of her. She wasn’t dressed for sex, but her
outfit did it for him. It was a part of her he never got to see. This was the
casual, open Amber she gave to her friends, to his sister. Once again he was
jealous of his sister. Heather got to see a side of Amber he only glimpsed at
from afar.

Seeing Julian and Wade at
the club didn’t help ease him. He knew about Wade’s crush on Connie, and Julian
was dating his sister. It was the best excuse he could have to be in the same
room as Amber. Why the fuck did he
need
an excuse?

He’d seen every single part
of Amber. There was not a part of her he didn’t own. Elijah had made sure he
was all of Amber’s firsts, and she’d loved every second of their time together.

No more she doesn’t.

Lifting his bottle of beer,
he took a long swallow, needing the liquid to quench his thirst. When it came
to Amber, his thirst would never be sated. He’d learned that much with their
time apart.

“What are you doing here?”
Heather asked. Her arms were folded as she looked at him and then at Julian.

“We’re having a drink, right,
Elijah?” Julian asked, lifting his glass of whiskey. It was an excuse, and Elijah
needed it.

“Of
course.”
Clicking his bottle to
Julian’s glass, he chanced a look at Amber. She wasn’t buying it. Her arms were
by her side.

He took the time to admire
her body. The jeans molded to her curves in all the right places. Her shirt
clung to her large tits and emphasized her small waist in comparison to her tits
and hips. God, he loved this woman, and yet he’d never said the words to her.
He’d kept them to himself without speaking.

Amber didn’t know the truth,
and right now, she wouldn’t believe it.

“I’m not dancing with you,”
Heather said. Her words were directed at Julian.

“Like I said, I’m staying
here getting to know my brother-in-law. We’ve got a wedding to plan.”

Heather growled and walked
away.

“I better go and sort out
their order. They don’t like it when one of the guys or girls fucks it up,”
Wade said.

Elijah knew they were not
that bad. Wade was just using it as an excuse for a chance to speak with
Connie. The guy was totally in love with her. He’d feel sorry for him if he
didn’t feel the same for Amber.

His woman was running from
him just like Connie was Wade.

“I appreciate you sticking
up for me there.
So, what’s with you and Amber?”
Julian asked, catching his attention.

“I helped you out, and
you’re questioning me?” Elijah took a sip of his beer, glancing behind him.

Several guys were checking
Amber out. Over the years he’d come to realize Amber didn’t see how attractive
she was. She truly was a beauty, and her curves drove him insane.

“Heather is my woman—”

“She’s my sister,” Elijah
said, interrupting him.

“Amber’s like a sister to
her. I don’t want her hurt because you want to get inside one of her friends.”

His grip tightened around
his drink.

“I’m looking out for my
woman and her friends. You’re a good brother, but I know Heather and you
haven’t really been close. If you hurt Amber, Heather will choose her friend
over you.”

Elijah understood that. “I’m
not going to hurt Amber.”

“There is something going on
between you and Amber, though. I see the way you two look at each other.”

Elijah stared at Amber. She had
her back to him, which didn’t stop him from admiring her fleshy ass. He’d
spanked her ass until it was red. There was nothing better than the sight of
his handprint on her ass.

He made a quick decision.
Julian would keep Heather off his case, and he needed time with Amber. She was
his woman, and he was determined to get the message across that he was not
leaving her.

Taking a quick sip of his
drink, he leaned in close. “I was Amber’s first and only. That woman is mine.
Every part of her belongs to me. She’s my submissive.” Julian knew what he was
talking about. It was written on the guy’s face. “I fucked up, but she’s mine.
I’m not backing down or leaving. Amber is mine, get me?”

“I get you. Heather’s not
going to like it.”

“Keep my sister out of it. I
can make Amber happy. She’s too busy running scared to give me the chance.”

Julian slapped him on the
back. “It’s up to you what you do. I’ll try and reason with Heather if this
gets fucked up.”

After several seconds
silence between them, Julian started laughing.

“What? What’s so funny?” he
asked, wanting to know the joke.

“Those four are close
friends. They’ll do everything for each other, and yet, they keep secrets from
one another.” Julian shook his head. “I find it hard to believe that best
friends can keep parts of themselves at bay.”

Elijah’s gaze followed Amber
across the dance floor to where she sat in a secluded booth. It was the one
Wade always kept by for them. Elijah didn’t know all their secrets, but he
understood why. “They’re keeping the bad shit at bay. Amber, Ashley, Connie,
and Heather, they’re a family. They’re bound together by friendship and trust.
What they keep at bay is what will hurt them. Amber doesn’t want to hurt Heather,
and she doesn’t want to bring the truth about her real nature to the floor. I
understand that. You ever tell her about this conversation, and I’ll fucking
hurt you,” Elijah said, meaning it.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I
may have money, but I wouldn’t be easy to hurt. I fight back,” Julian said.

“I got it.”

Wade walked back, handing
him another beer. Elijah took the beer and made it his last. Tonight he wanted
to get Amber to his home. He was now living in Heather’s place seeing as she’d
moved in with Julian. Elijah was still looking for a place of his own. Her
house would do for what he needed. It was a stop-gap until he got what he
wanted for his future.

“Is the booth always
reserved for them?” Elijah asked.

“Yeah.
I put them there because it’s safe. I can also watch
them. I don’t want anyone to think they can fuck with them. They’re good women,”
Wade said.

Elijah knew the truth but
didn’t see a need to bring it up.

Chapter Three

Downing her third shot of
tequila Amber got up to get another. Heather was on the dance floor with
Ashley. Her two friends were dancing beside the booth. Connie was nervous,
drinking a straight cola.

Amber needed the buzz to
block everything else. It was Saturday tomorrow, and she wasn’t working. She
got few weekends off. This one she intended to slob on the sofa with ice-cream,
takeout, and a good book.

Amber knew it wouldn’t end
up like that. She’d probably clean her apartment and go for a walk. Still being
a slob for once sounded like fun.

Placing her glass on the
counter she waited to be served. Wade and the other bartenders were busy.
Reaching into her shirt she pulled out some money.

“You’re drinking too much,”
Elijah said, coming up behind her.

“Not the boss of me. I can
drink and do whatever the hell I like.”

His hand settled on her hip,
steadying her. “Don’t do something you’ll regret, Amber.”

Getting angry, she turned in
his arms, staring at him. “Like what? Maybe I want to get drunk and take a man
I don’t know home? Have you ever thought about that? I only have you to compare
notes with.”

She hated the words. None of
the men inside the club had interested her. She’d looked and hated herself for
looking. Why couldn’t she get over this man? He drove her insane all the
fucking time.

His grip tightened on her
hip. He tugged her close, rubbing his hard cock against her jean-clad pussy.

A moan escaped her lips
before she could contain it.

“You want me, Amber. The
only man you’re going home with is me.”

“No, it’s not. You lost your
chance.” She pushed him away. Wade chose that moment to serve her another
drink.

“This is your last one,
Amber. You’ll thank me later,” Wade said.

She grumbled but didn’t
argue before going to her booth, leaving Elijah behind.

“What did Elijah have to
say?” Connie asked, once she was seated.

“Nothing.
He was complaining about how much I was drinking.
Wade’s also cutting me off.”

“You are drinking a fair
bit. Are you all right?” Connie asked.

Amber stared at her friend.
Connie out of all of them was the most quiet and sweet. She never argued, and
she always avoided conflict.

“I’m fine, honey. I just
need to take the edge off.
Work and everything.”
She
stared down at her glass and downed it in one gulp.

Alcohol would never help her
get over the man who was camped out at the bar.

“Are you going to come and
dance with me?” Amber asked.

She needed to get away from
looking at him. He distracted her too easily.

“No, you go on ahead. I’m
going to sit here and wallow in the fact I can’t get up on that stage.”

Connie was a fantastic
singer, but she suffered with stage fright. When they were all on the stage,
Connie was fine. The moment she tried it alone, she was stuck.

Amber, Ashley, and Heather
were never going to make it as backing singers or dancers.

Looking on the dance floor Amber
saw Heather was in Julian’s arms while Ashley was being sandwiched between two
guys.

The tequila had given her a
buzz, and she had lost some of her earlier discomfort. Moving into the center of
the dance floor, she started to let the music take over. Closing her eyes, she
moved to the beat. Her body went with the beat.

She let herself
go,
loving the slight feel of freedom dancing gave her. No
one had any expectations of her. On the dance floor she was free to move
without fear of being caught or someone finding out the truth about her time
with Elijah.

Arms wrapped around her
stomach, and she knew it was Elijah instantly. His scent surrounded her,
filling her with warmth. She wanted to push him away. Her defenses were lowered,
and all she wanted to do was drown in everything that was him.

“No one can see us,” he
said.

“I don’t care.”

Amber would care in the
morning.

His fingers stroked the
curve of her stomach. Moaning, she wrapped her arms behind his neck, dancing.
Her eyes were still closed. The moment she opened them, she’d lose her little
bubble of happiness.

“You can’t fight me forever,”
he said.

“I’m not trying to fight you
at all, Elijah.”

He turned her in his arms.
“Look at me.”

Opening her eyes she stared
into his deep brown ones. The bubble didn’t burst. He inserted a leg between
her thighs, rubbing her against him. She gasped, gripping his thick arms as he
made her legs turn to jelly.

Elijah took one of her hands
and pressed it against the front of his jeans.

“Feel what you do to me,
woman. I want you so fucking bad. You’re sexy, and I want you.”

He lowered his head,
catching her lips between his.

She tilted her head back,
giving him much better access to her mouth. They were entwined together. His
leg was between her thighs with one hand holding her against him and the other
caressing her nipple with his thumb.

The music faded; the past
faded away. She held onto him, and Amber had never felt more stable than she
did in those few moments they were sharing.

When he leaned back to look
at her she was lost in his intense gaze. Her body pulsed for him.

“I’ll call a cab. Say goodbye
to your friends and meet me outside.”

He left her then.

She stared at his retreating
back. Part of her wanted to stay on the floor, pick up a man, and have
meaningless sex. She listened to the part of her she’d come to know in the last
seven years.

Amber left the dance floor.
She found Connie giving her a message that she had to leave early. In no time
at all she was stood beside Elijah. A cab pulled up, and they were inside it.

No words were necessary.
They couldn’t speak with the driver present. She rubbed her hands between her
thighs trying to cause some friction.

Her pussy was red hot and
begging to be fucked. Six months wasn’t a really long time, but right now it
felt like a lifetime since he’d been with her.

When they were outside of
her apartment, Elijah took the keys from her shaking fingers and opened the
door.