Chapter 10
Their voices echoed so loudly through the restaurant that several people immediately turned to stare at them.
Amara’s eyes widened in horror. She instantly covered part of her face with her hand, shrinking slightly into herself as embarrassment rushed across her features. Heat burned against her cheeks while she glanced nervously around the restaurant.
Then she turned toward Elias with a chilling expression.
“Can you leave?” she asked through clenched teeth. “This is really not good. People are staring at us, Elias.”
Elias only shrugged carelessly.
Then, without warning, he reached across the table and grabbed the coffee cup she had been drinking from.
Amara’s eyes widened.
He brought the cup to his lips and took a slow sip before immediately making a disgusted face.
“Why do you drink such sweet coffee?” he muttered as he placed the cup back down. “It’s terrible.”
Then his lips twitched slightly.
“But because it’s yours, I can tolerate it a little.”
Amara looked completely speechless.
Elias then turned his head toward Maverick. His eyes traveled down Maverick’s body before lifting again to his face.
“Your legs seem to be working perfectly well now.”
Maverick’s expression darkened. His shoulders stiffened as anger flashed across his face.
“Does that upset you?” he asked coldly. “Would you have preferred I stayed stuck in that fucking wheelchair for the rest of my life?”
Elias’s harsh voice interrupted him at once. “Don’t twist my words.”
Then he leaned back in his chair, one ankle resting over his knee while his fingers tapped lazily against his leg. Despite the casual posture, the warning in his eyes was sharp.
“Now use those legs,” he continued smoothly, “stand up, and walk out of here. You already drank your coffee and had your little chat. I need to talk to my wife.”
The tension around the table became suffocating.
Amara looked at Maverick with an embarrassed expression, clearly mortified by the situation.
Maverick didn’t answer Elias immediately. Instead, he looked at Amara.
Their eyes met for a brief second, a silent understanding passing between them.
Amara was the first to break the silence.
“I’m really sorry about this,” she said quietly.
Maverick’s expression softened slightly as he stood up from his chair.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’s not your fault that a stalker can’t leave you alone.”
Amara immediately rose to her feet too, following him.
Maverick gave her a faint smile.
“We’ll meet another day,” he said. “A proper date this time. I don’t think we’ll be able to have a conversation today anyway.”
Amara nodded awkwardly.
“Sure… that sounds good. I’ll treat you to dinner next time.”
The second those words left her mouth, Elias suddenly stopped tapping his foot.
His eyes locked onto her instantly.
“Why would you treat him to dinner?”
Then he turned toward Maverick.
“I’ll treat you instead. Whenever you want to eat, call my assistant. I’ll arrange the restaurant for you. Order as much as you want.”
He paused before adding very clearly, his meaning impossible to misunderstand.
“Alone.”
Maverick simply stared at Elias with cold eyes before stepping away from the table. Then, with one final glance at Amara, he turned and walked out of the restaurant.
Amara watched his back disappear through the glass doors.
The second he was gone, she whipped around toward Elias. Her eyes burned with anger.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped.
Elias stared back at her silently.
His jaw clenched tightly for a brief second, the muscle ticking near his cheek as though he was holding himself back. Instead of answering her, he suddenly turned his head toward the restaurant staff and lifted two fingers in the air.
A waiter hurried over immediately.
Elias pulled out a card and handed it to him without looking away from Amara.
“Clear the bill,” he ordered coldly. “Give the card back to my assistant later.”
The waiter nodded quickly.
“Sir, if you wait five minutes, I’ll bring the car around—”
But Elias was already rising to his feet.
Before Amara or even the waiter could react, Elias suddenly bent down and swept her into his arms.
“Elias!”
A startled scream escaped her lips as the ground vanished beneath her feet. One arm hooked beneath her knees while the other locked tightly around her waist, lifting her effortlessly against his chest.
The waiter froze in shock.
Meanwhile, Elias didn’t even pause.
“I don’t have time,” he said to the waiter while walking away.
Then he strode out of the restaurant with long, powerful steps.
Amara immediately struggled in his arms.
“Let me go!” she shouted, twisting against him. “What are you doing? Put me down!”
Her fists pushed against his shoulders while her legs kicked slightly, trying to free herself from his grip. But Elias’s arms only tightened harder around her body.
His expression remained cold and unmoved as he carried her outside without slowing down even once.
The harder she struggled, the tighter his hold became.
Then his gaze suddenly lowered toward her face.
His eyes darkened.
“Keep doing that,” he said in a low, chilling voice. “I’m barely holding myself back as it is. Push me any further, and we won’t be waiting until we get home to spank your ass until you see the fucking stars, baby.”
Amara’s struggle stopped instantly. Her eyes widened in complete shock.
They had barely even kissed during their entire marriage. He had never spoken to her like this—never used such language in that low, threatening tone.
The coldness in his voice sent a shiver racing down her spine.
She immediately went still in his arms.
He opened the passenger door and placed her inside quickly, the movement sharp with barely restrained urgency.
Then he shut the door and moved around the car in long, fast strides, getting into the driver’s seat and starting the engine immediately.
Within seconds, the car sped away from the restaurant as though Elias couldn’t leave that place fast enough.
The drive was terrifyingly quiet.
Amara sat stiffly in the passenger seat with her arms folded tightly across her chest, refusing to look at him. Her anger still burned hot inside her.
Beside her, Elias drove at a frightening speed, one hand gripping the steering wheel tightly while the other rested near the gear shift. His sharp jaw remained tense the entire drive.
The silence between them felt suffocating.
Within minutes, the car was already pulling into the massive driveway of his house.
Amara immediately turned toward him.
“What am I doing here?” she snapped. “Let me out. I want to go back to my own house.”
Elias didn’t answer.
He simply got out of the car and walked around to her side.
The second he opened the passenger door, his arms slid beneath her again before she could even protest properly.
Amara gasped as he lifted her out once more.
“Elias, let me down!” she snapped angrily.
But he ignored her completely.
He carried her into the house without stopping, his steady footsteps echoing through the entrance hall before he walked straight into the living room.
Only then did he finally stop.
But instead of placing her on the floor, Elias sat her down on the wide backrest of the couch.
Amara barely had time to react before he stepped forward again.
His body moved between her legs, trapping her in place instantly. One arm braced against the couch beside her while the other settled against her waist, caging her in completely.
Because of the awkward position, Amara had no choice but to grab onto his shoulders to steady herself from falling backward.
Her fingers tightened instinctively against the fabric of his shirt.
Elias lowered his head slowly toward her.
The tension between them thickened instantly.
One of his hands remained wrapped firmly around her waist while the other slid upward to cup her face gently. His thumb brushed softly along the edge of her ear, the touch strangely soothing compared to the terrifying possessiveness from earlier.
Then he leaned even closer until his breath brushed against her lips.
His voice dropped low and quiet.
“Are you hungry?”
Her breath hitched the moment his question landed.
She could still feel the tension radiating off him—anger coiled tight in his posture, jaw locked, eyes sharp and unreadable. And yet… the words he said didn’t match that at all.
Amara blinked at him, completely thrown off.
For a second, she actually wondered if she had misheard him.
Elias didn’t break eye contact. His hand was still at her waist, holding her in place as if he had no intention of letting her go anywhere. Then he repeated, slower this time, voice low and controlled.
“Are you hungry?”
A pause.
Then, almost casually, he added, “How about dinner night? Just you and me.”
Her brows pulled together in confusion as she stared at him.
Before she could respond, he continued, voice gaining momentum like the idea was already forming in his head.
“I’ll have Kaya set everything up. A table just for us. Your favorite dishes.” His thumb brushed lightly against her waist as if he was already planning it in detail. “Flowers in the middle. No one else in the house.”
Amara’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Elias leaned in a fraction closer, his gaze fixed on her reaction.
“Candles,” he said softly. “How about candles everywhere? No lights.”
His tone wasn’t teasing.
“Would you like that?” he asked.
That snapped her out of it.
Amara stared at him like he had lost his mind.
“What—” she stopped herself, swallowing sharply. “What are you even talking about?”
Her hands pressed against his chest, trying to create space. “You need to back off and let me go home first.”
Elias didn’t move.
Not even a step.
Instead, his arm tightened around her waist possessively, pulling her body flush against his chest until she could feel the hard rise and fall of his breathing against her. Then, like her resistance didn’t matter at all, he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.