Eleven
Max
Outside the bedroom, Amber and I were at war. But inside it was a different story.
The sex had been sensational . Who knew we would be so compatible between the sheets? And there had been nothing cold or uptight about Amber, the woman had come apart in my arms, passionate and unrestrained. I thought about how she’d pushed back against my palm when I’d spanked her. To think that all this time that stick up her arse was all an act. Amber Swift was about as vanilla in the bedroom as a chewable thong.
Being buried balls deep inside her had felt like a slice of heaven and we had only just scratched the surface. I’d tapped her sweet arse to gauge her reaction to one of my many kinks and Amber had submitted to me completely . I had thought she’d resist, being so bossy in everyday life, but it appeared that she enjoyed surrendering control in the bedroom which suited me just fine.
When it came to sex, I liked to be the boss.
I thought back to what I had said to Leonie, Gabriel’s houseguest about Amber and us having nothing in common. Not totally true. I remember how Leonie had reacted when I’d said I wanted to take Amber across my knee. The girl had paled saying how she didn’t think that was the right approach. How wrong she was.
I started to get turned on again, thinking of all the other depraved things I wanted to do to her hot little body.
My instincts told me to dress quietly and not to disturb her, she looked so relaxed. Peeling myself away from that warm, inviting body hadn’t been easy. Amber had slotted against me so well, almost like she was supposed to be there. Who would have thought we’d fit so perfectly? Those soft curves of her buttocks had pushed against my growing hard-on, coaxing me toward a second wave of excitement. Her natural scent mixed in with the smell of sexual arousal sitting sweetly in the air. It was intoxicating as fuck.
As I pulled my crumpled shirt on, I watched her chest rise and fall with the gentle breaths she took. I had never seen her face so peaceful, and I felt a surge of pleasure that I was responsible for that. Amber’s rested expression was one of fulfilment, something I was also experiencing in the aftermath of the most intense orgasm I’d ever experienced. I had never blown my load so hard. I purposely checked the condom was intact the instant I’d removed it.
The sheets were twisted around Amber’s body and one pale leg was bare. Her flame of red hair was bright as it spread out against the white silk of the pillow, like liquid fire. My gaze dropped briefly to the bottom of her back where those two silver lines marked the flesh there. I wondered how she came across such scars in that location.
Shaking off the thoughts I stared down at her. She was so beautiful and as my eyes searched her delicate bared shoulders and her breasts pushed against the sheets, I wanted to climb back into bed and drag her back against my body. A jet of possessive need raged through me. Mine.
Turning away from that temptation, I finished dressing and pulled my phone from my trouser pocket. I had a missed call from Gabriel and several from Natalie. Fuck. Seeing Natalie’s name on screen made me feel guilty about where I was. I needed to get out of there. I pocketed my phone and made my decision.
Was leaving Amber asleep in bed a dick move? Probably. But the thought of being caught with my pants down, literally , by a member of staff or Mia, would have been much worse. No matter how loyal, employees and best friends loved to gossip. It didn’t bear thinking about .
I continued to tuck my shirt into the waistband of my dress trousers as I left her room, walking down the corridor. I wasn’t in full-on creep mode but getting caught leaving Amber’s room was not a thought I relished. I continued past my room which I hadn’t even stepped in and went downstairs. I needed to smoke.
As I came to the hallway where the picture of her mother was hanging high on the wall, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. It almost felt like the painting was judging me and I experienced a flicker of remorse. Would Amber be pissed that I left without a word after what we had shared? Shit? Shared, w here did that come from? Didn’t I mean after we had fucked ?
One night together and the woman had already turned me into a drippy twat. I couldn’t believe that I’d opened up to her about my brother, Andrew. My dead twin who I’d shared a womb with but never got to meet. It wasn’t something which was discussed in our house growing up as my mother found it too painful. Gabe was the only one of my friends who knew and he was sworn to secrecy. Amber had shown me a part of herself that I don’t think many people had seen apart from Mia. I suppose I’d only felt it right to give her something back. She’d been ready to listen to the whole story too but I’d had to shut that shit down before it got any deeper as she was right. Although I tried not to pander to it, there had always been a feeling that something was missing from my life, like a void that could never be filled.
Pushing the sad shit to one side, I ignored the painting and stepped over to the mirror hanging near the doors. My hair was a mess and I looked like I’d just spent the night fucking someone. And of course, I had.
Making my way through the house towards the kitchen, I passed by Jonathan’s study. The doors were open and he was awake. Thank all that is holy that I was dressed.
“Maxim dear boy, is that you?” His voice cut into me like a sliced artery, and I stopped, the base of my spine stiffening. I didn’t say anything at first, but as I heard a chair leg scraping against the flooring, I spun around with a bright smile. One which was probably way too big and fake looking, having never really been a smiler.
As I approached the open doors, attempting to enter the room normally and not in a walk of shame fashion, I saw Jonathan sitting by the unlit fireplace in one of those leather wing-backed chairs. His side profile shifted as he turned to look at me whilst waving me forward enthusiastically.
“You’re up late,” Jonathan said, glancing at his watch. He must have woken up and got a second wind.
“I’m just having a nightcap. Come and join me,” he offered, raising his crystal tumbler. A nightcap? Now? I peered at my Rolex; it was almost three in the morning. The crusty old bastard had some steam, I’d give him that.
“Of course. How could I refuse a request from the birthday boy.”
He smiled, “I suppose it’s not my birthday now but another one won’t hurt.”
The office was dimly lit by the two ornate lamps in opposite corners surrounding the large stone hearth. It was the same place Amber and I had been earlier that night. The moment we had a conversation like normal adults.
I lowered my body into the leather chair opposite where Jonathan was sprawled. His hair was untidy and he had removed his tie and jacket. The blanket Amber and Mia had thrown over him earlier was on the floor.
I watched as Jonny leaned forward to the small table between the two chairs and lifted the crystal decanter. It hadn’t been there earlier. He poured a shot of scotch into an empty glass and handed it to me. I could have done with a glass of water rather than spirits. The need to smoke continued to thrum through me.
“What shall we toast? The big seven-o, perhaps?” I suggested as I tipped the tumbler towards my host in a silent salute.
“None of that nonsense. I’ve had enough toasts to last a lifetime,” he chuckled. Jonny was smiling but there was a haunted expression on his face. He was worried.
“OK. What shall we drink to? ”
After a long thick silence, he replied. “How about Amber?”
Panic flared in my chest. “Excuse me?” Shit did he know? I felt a storm brewing inside me.
“Oh—OK?” I said with a slight stutter.
His watery eyes roamed over me, “For her success in arranging my birthday party,” he explained with a quizzical look.
I held back my sigh of relief, the air tightening inside my body. “Oh—of course. She did well—It’s been a fantastic party.”
After another quick swig, I said, “To Amber,” calling it, and we both tipped our glasses back, savouring another shot of the fine spirit. Fuck me it was good, and I welcomed the burning sensation at the back of my throat. All thoughts of cigarettes and water were forgotten.
I felt a punch in my gut as I honoured his child with our toast, considering where I’d spent the last hour. I so hoped he couldn’t smell sex on me or her perfume.
“Whilst we're on the subject, how’s she doing? Is she following your tutelage? Amber can be quite stubborn.” That had to be the understatement of the century.
I almost swallowed my tongue. I so did not want to be discussing his daughter just then. Shrugging, I replied, “She’s doing OK. The recent essay I asked her to write was pretty good.”
“Great. I’m so grateful that you’ve taken her under your wing, Maxim,” Jonny said, refilling his glass and I almost choked on my scotch. I’d certainly taken her, although wings had nothing to do with it. My skin started to itch as I wondered where he was going. Before I could hatch a reply, he surprised me with his next words.
Turning in his seat, Jonny faced me, placing his drink down after a quick gulp. I wondered how much he’d had. He certainly didn’t look pissed. But then I knew he could hold his liquor. I’d seen him in action at a handful of charitable events .
“It’s very important to me that you keep her close over the next few weeks. Throw everything you can at her, keep her busy. Do you understand?”
My brow creased as I turned and mirrored his actions, placing my glass down before resting my hands on my knees.
I swiftly glanced towards the open doorway, worried at being overheard. Jonny watched the motion with a keen eye before nodding his head. The silent message was clear. He then pushed to his feet and went to close the doors, trapping us in together.
I sure hoped he didn’t have his gun cabinet in there.
Shifting in my seat, I started to feel uncomfortable and regretted leaving Amber. I was now a fraud. This man had trusted me, and I had betrayed him by screwing his daughter. I felt a metallic taste in the back of my mouth as he re-negotiated the position of his chair, moving it closer to mine.
“You look troubled Jonny,” I said, casting a look of concern. We had only known each other a few months but I liked and respected the man.
“I am, son.”
There was pain in his eyes, he covered it well but I could see it lurking in the depths. “I’m guessing it’s something to do with Amber?”
“Yes. Very much so,” he said sadly. His pain didn’t sit well with me.
“Is it about her losing her mother,” I said, surprised by my courage to bring up the death of his wife. Jonny had mentioned her in the past, though, so I knew he liked to speak about her occasionally. Keep the memory alive.
Jonny’s shoulders slumped as he leaned back in his chair and stared at the open fireplace.
“Yes, partly. Her death hit Amber hard, but it was the aftermath of that loss that still worries me,” Jonny stated, dashing a hand across his face. It was a weathered hand but still very capable .
“You mean the grieving process?” I put in, blown away by my natural response to give a shit for a change. I wasn’t as much of a dick as I had thought. I was genuinely interested in what he had to say.
“Let me guess, Amber went off the rails as a teenager?” I guessed. Having seen a couple of friends who lost a parent as a teen go nuts; drinking, partying the lot. All to numb the pain. I’d always suspected Amber had a past, the way she put herself across was proof of that. Her refusal to obey simple instructions was another shield to hide how vulnerable and alone she felt.
“Partying and stuff?”
“No, the opposite. She became a recluse at first. Hardly left the house,” he paused for a moment and then his next words floored me, “And then she was taken from me before I could support her as a father should.”
My mouth dropped open in confusion. What the actual fuck?
“What do you mean? Taken ? As in she became more distant, emotionally,” I questioned, still shocked by the amount of empathy I felt at that point.
“No. She was taken, stolen away in the night.”
And the seriousness of the situation shot up into the next gear. My tongue felt like lead in my mouth.
“Kidnapped. Amber was involved in some bad business. It was all my fault. She was only fifteen. My partner at the time was stealing from me. He had gambling debts and owed money to some nasty people. I was named as his scapegoat and it took me time to raise the money and so they took Amber.”
An intense feeling bit into me, a stab of fury pushing into my chest. “kidnapped?”
Jonny swallowed and then nodded. “Yes. She was kidnapped. The crime family involved hired a contractor to do their dirty work. He took her from the stables one evening. I had never felt so helpless. We were told not to call the police, or they would hurt her. Hurt my baby girl.”
“Fuck. I’m so sorry, Jon. I had no idea. ”
“Of course, you didn’t. No one talks about it, which is probably not a good thing. It’s like it’s a dirty secret that has been left to fester.”
“So, you got her back safe though. She’s here. They didn’t hurt her?” I was so desperate for him to agree with me, that I was babbling.
“Yes. In a fashion. I paid the debt, but it took time to gather the cash. By then, the man who took her had become obsessed with her. When I paid the money, he didn’t give her back.”
“You’re fucking kidding me. So, he kept her hostage?” My language would have seemed disrespectful under normal circumstances but it felt like I was losing the plot.
“That’s the thing. No not really. She went with him willingly.”
“Willingly? Why?”
I shoved to my feet and started to pace, suddenly feeling like a caged animal. What the actual hell? A fifteen-year-old child?
“Yes. She turned sixteen during her captivity but she was still a child. They became involved with each other, and she was infatuated, even though he was a criminal and what he was doing was highly illegal. Her being a minor at the time. There was also a ten-year age gap.”
“So, they had a physical arrangement? And did he—” I stopped myself. Why the hell was that any of my business but I couldn’t help it, I needed to know. Had Amber been the victim of rape? Was that the reason she was so defensive and behaved the way she did around men? That jaded vibe. I thought about what Mia had said. She must have known and so that’s what she was talking about. I felt sick.
“Was Amber raped?”
Jonny swallowed, a flash of pain darting across his face, “No. I don’t believe so. I think the relationship was consensual. But she was a child. She didn’t know any better. He manipulated her. Used her. ”
Running my hands across my face, I glanced towards the closed doors, wondering if Amber was still asleep. This new information had me reeling and I wanted to go to her. My protective instinct kicked in again and I needed to drag her into my arms and tell her she was OK.
“So, what happened?” I asked, lowering myself back into my chair. The lines on Jonny’s face were pulled tight as he gazed across at me.
“They ran away together. I engaged the police and paid to keep it out of the media. The crime family involved washed their hands of the situation as Harker, the contractor who took her, acted out that part on his own. They did nothing to help, just threatened that if their name was mentioned in the press, that I would pay the price.”
“So, what happened then, how did they find her?”
“The private investigators I hired eventually tracked them down to a house just outside of London. They then sent the police in.”
“They got the guy I take it?” I asked hopefully.
“Yes,” Jonny said weakly.
I then asked the obvious. “What was his name?”
“Alexander Harker.”
It meant nothing to me.
“Did you file charges? The guy’s a borderline paedophile.”
Jonny nodded his agreement. “No, not quite. They call it ephebophilia. Interest in prepubescent children is paedophilia. Anyway, Amber refused to prosecute him. Stockholm Syndrome they called it.”
Stockholm syndrome?
“So, the fucker is free?”
“No, they ensured he went to trial but he only got six years.”
I repeated Jonny’s words once again in my head. Stockholm Syndrome. “Shit. I had no idea. ”
“How would you? I suspect you aren’t that close to Amber. She doesn’t let anyone in.” The way he delivered that sentence made me wonder if he knew there was more going on with us. He was a shrewd man after all. I remembered him watching Amber and me when we were with Mia and Luca towards the end of the night. The point where she had loosened up and started to be more tactile with me. He must have seen the chemistry between us, the attraction.
“I agree I’ve only known her a short while but I’m usually a good judge of character. I knew she was hiding something but not this,” I almost choked out. God my mouth felt dry.
“Indeed.”
My brow creased as I took my seat again, “Why are you telling me all this?”
Jonny’s eyes darted to mine, “I need your help. Will you help me?”
Nodding, I patted his leg. I didn’t know what else to do but the man needed reassurance, “Of course. If I can.”
“You know I said I needed you to keep Amber busy,” Jonny questioned; his expression one of desperation.
“Yes.”
“Well, he’s due out.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Alexander Harker, the man who stole my daughter in the night and took her innocence is due for parole. It’s the same day as the charity ball. That’s why I asked you to take her as I need you to keep Amber close. She doesn’t know he’s coming out and I’m worried she may try and see him again.”
“But that’s ridiculous. Surely as an adult, she knows what happened was wrong.”
“I’m not sure. Her therapist says so and that she gets angry when they talk about him, but I think part of her is still brainwashed into thinking what they shared was true. Like he didn’t just use her. Amber won’t talk to me about it now. ”
“This is so fucked up. Shit. Yes. Of course, I’ll help you.”
We both sat in that study for at least another hour. I just listened as he gave me more details about the condition Amber had been left in when she’d been rescued.
Now some of her behaviour made sense.
After watching Jonny down another three drinks, I helped him up the stairs towards his wing of the house where his room was. After the alcohol had helped him release the guilt, he felt about his daughter paying for his business partner's crimes, it was like leading a broken man to his doom.
Once he was safe in his suite, I went to my room. It was a tough call to make, Amber’s bed or the guest room. I knew I needed time to process all he had told me. The facts had put a spin on things. It had made Amber more human to me. Fuck. Why couldn’t I have been told about her past before we’d slept together? I now more than gave a shit.
I lay on the top of the guest bed, fully dressed minus my bow tie. I hadn’t got a clue where it was but who gave a shit. I now had bigger fish to fry but I needed to get my head together before I spoke with Amber. Did I tell her I knew what had happened to her? Would it encourage her to open up or clam up? And if she did, did I really want the hassle of being forced to deal with someone else’s baggage?
After mulling that thought over for the rest of that night, or should I say morning, I decided that yes. I did. When it came to Amber-Leigh Swift, I realised whatever it was that was going on between us, was far from done.
She may not know it or accept it, but she needed me. We needed each other.