Chapter 11
Behind her, Elias immediately heard it.
His eyes lifted toward her at once before he slowly stepped closer.
“What did you say?” he asked quietly.
Amara blinked and quickly looked away before pointing toward the photographs instead.
“What are these doing here?” she asked. “Weren’t they supposed to stay inside albums?”
Her eyes moved over the walls again.
“When did you even hang all these up around the house?”
Elias glanced toward the photographs calmly.
“They were already being prepared before you left,” he answered.
Then his gaze shifted back to her face.
“Now that you’re back, you can arrange them however you want.”
He nodded toward the hallway casually.
“Do you want them moved to the bedroom instead?”
Amara’s smile faded slightly at his words.
“We have nothing to do with each other anymore,” she muttered quietly. “It doesn’t matter.”
She immediately dismissed the topic and crossed her arms loosely over her chest.
“We’re divorced,” she reminded him. “You shouldn’t be hanging pictures of me all over your house anymore.”
Her brows lifted slightly.
“Aren’t you scared your second wife will see them one day?” she asked dryly. “She’ll think you’re completely insane.”
Elias frowned slightly.
“You are my wife,” he said simply. “Why would there ever be another woman in this house?”
Amara laughed in disbelief.
“You have lost your mind,” she said immediately. “Who hangs pictures of his ex-wife all over the house after a divorce?”
She gestured toward the walls around them.
“You’re supposed to erase every sign of my existence from your life by now.”
Something shifted in Elias’s expression instantly.
He stepped toward her slowly.
“You’re not some object I am going to throw away.” His eyes locked onto hers intensely. “You lived here for an entire year.”
He looked almost offended by the idea of forgetting her.
“Do you really expect me to just erase all of that?”
Then he stepped even closer until barely any space remained between them.
“And stop calling yourself my ex-wife.”
His gaze traveled slowly over the photographs on the wall before returning to her face again.
“Look at those pictures.”
A faint smirk touched his lips.
“You look beautiful in every single one. You’re never going to find another man as handsome as me to be your husband.”
“What am I going to do with a handsome man,” Amara said dryly, “when he can’t even perform in bed?”
She folded her arms tightly across her chest and let out a mocking little laugh before her gaze deliberately drifted lower, lingering shamelessly on his… thing.
The meaning behind the look was impossible to miss.
Elias’s expression darkened instantly. His jaw flexed hard as he stared at her.
“It wasn’t that I couldn’t perform, Amara.” His eyes stayed locked on hers intensely. “I chose not to.”
Amara rolled her eyes immediately.
“Sure,” she said sarcastically. “Keep telling yourself that.”
She waved her hand dismissively before continuing with fake sympathy.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret safe.”
The teasing amusement in her face only made the vein in Elias’s forehead pulse harder.
“So the next woman who comes along won’t know what didn’t happen between us,” she added innocently. “Though honestly, I’d still recommend seeing a doctor.”
Her lips twitched upward slightly.
“If you don’t get it treated, I don’t think your second wife will be very happy either.”
“Stop talking about a second goddamn wife. There will never be another wife.”
Elias’s voice came out sharp and furious as he stepped closer to her, his jaw tight enough to tick.
“You’re the woman I married.” His finger pointed toward her chest. “You will be my only wife.”
His chest rose heavily, anger flashing across his face, but before the argument between them could explode even further, the sharp sound of a phone ringing suddenly cut through the room.
Amara immediately turned toward the couch. Her purse and phone had been tossed there earlier when Elias had pulled her onto the backrest. She strode toward it quickly, brushing her hair away from her face as she reached for the phone.
But Elias followed right behind her, staying so close she could feel his body heat against her back.
The damn man had absolutely no intention of giving her even a second of distance.
The moment she picked up the phone, his shadow fell over her shoulder as his eyes dropped to the glowing screen.
Jasper.
The second Elias saw the name, his expression darkened instantly.
Before she could even react, he snatched the phone straight out of her hand.
Amara gasped loudly in shock and spun around toward him. “What is wrong with you? What are you doing?”
Ignoring her completely, Elias pressed the answer button and lifted the phone high above his head, deliberately holding it out of her reach.
“You—”
She tried to grab it back immediately, stepping closer and reaching for his arm, but he only raised it higher with one brow lifted arrogantly, as if silently daring her to answer the call like this.
Frustration flashed across her face as she stretched higher, trying to snatch the phone back, but it only made things worse.
Elias suddenly wrapped one arm tightly around her waist and pulled her straight against his chest, trapping her there while keeping the phone lifted above them with his other hand.
“Elias!” she snapped, struggling harder.
But every time she tried to move, his grip only tightened.
Her body pressed against his chest as she kept trying to reach upward, her fingers brushing uselessly against his wrist while he looked down at her with obvious possessiveness burning in his eyes.
Finally, realizing she was getting nowhere, she let out a frustrated breath.
Elias pressed the speaker button.
“Hello? Hello?” Jasper’s voice came through the phone repeatedly.
Amara shut her eyes briefly before forcing herself to speak. “Hi, Jasper. What’s going on?”
On the other side of the call, Jasper answered immediately. “I heard you went home with Elias. Do you want me to come pick you up?”
The second those words left Jasper’s mouth, anger exploded across Elias’s face.
His arm around her waist tightened possessively as his expression turned cold and offended all at once.
“She does not want you to come pick her up,” Elias snapped harshly. “Mind your own fucking business and stop hanging around my wife!”
“What the hell—”
Jasper barely managed to get the words out before Elias ended the call and carelessly tossed the phone aside onto the couch.
The very next second, his hand grabbed her jaw and his mouth crashed down onto hers.
The kiss started rough and jealous, filled with all the possessiveness and fury burning inside him. He kissed her hard like he was trying to prove something, his grip firm against her body while anger still flashed across his face between every breath.
His fingers gripped her dress, tearing it off in one swift pull. The second his hands touched her bare skin, a low groan escaped him, deep and rough against her lips. Her soft skin slid beneath his calloused palms as his hands settled on her waist, pressing her deeper into the bed.
His fingers moved quickly, loosening his tie before tossing it aside.
He shrugged off his coat, then impatiently tore open the buttons of his shirt and ripped it off completely, every movement filled with raw hunger.
Through it all, his lips never left hers.
He kissed her relentlessly, leaving her breathless as his tongue swept hungrily against hers.
“Mmh…” she moaned softly, her fingers tangling into his hair as she tugged him back just a little.
Elias pulled away impatiently, just enough to look at her face.
“I…” she whispered between uneven breaths. “Wait… I need… to breathe…” she managed to croak out.
His tongue swept slowly over his lips, his dark eyes dropping to her swollen mouth, still wet from his kisses.
Then lower, following the deep blush spreading from her cheeks down the curve of her neck and beneath the black lace of her bra.
The sight alone made his need for her ache painfully inside him.
“You can breathe later,” he muttered roughly before crashing back against her lips. “I’m making you mine tonight.”
His voice was hoarse, almost hungry, as he kissed her like he couldn’t get enough.
Elias’s rough fingers slid from her wrists to her sides, brushing over her sensitive skin before trailing lower. The teasing touch made her shiver beneath him. Then his hands moved to her back, and with one sharp pull, her bra came undone.
Her body stiffened instinctively. Elias pulled back just enough to drag the straps down her arms before tossing the delicate fabric aside.
Amara’s eyes lifted to his, and for the first time, she saw him completely undone. The cold, controlled man was gone. What stared back at her now was pure hunger, pure madness, as if touching her had become the only thing he wanted in this world.
His hand slid to the back of her neck, gripping firmly as he pulled her closer. His tongue brushed against the shell of her ear before trailing down her neck.
A shaky breath escaped her. The contrast between the wet heat of his mouth and the hard pressure of his grip sent a sharp tremor through her body.
Elias wasn’t gentle. He wasn’t trying to be. Every touch was rough, impatient, almost ruthless in the way he handled her, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
His fingers hooked around the thin fabric at her hips, dragging it down her legs before tossing it aside, leaving her completely bare in front of him.
The sight seemed to snap the last thread of control inside him. Elias bent down immediately, lifting her into his arms as if she weighed nothing. His long strides carried them quickly toward the bedroom, urgency pouring from every movement.
The second they reached the bed, he laid her down and climbed over her without hesitation, his body caging hers beneath him.