Page 77 of Crush

I paused and took a deep breath. “Yes.”

“So, thatiswhy we’re here. My father asked you to bring me to this to stop me from seeing him.”

She was smart, you had to give the girl that, “At first yes, but then things changed between us, and...”

“And?”

“He asked me to look out for you the night of the party.”

Amber yanked her hands over her hair so hard that a portion of it came free from its clasp. “So,everythingthat’s happened in the lead-up to this night was all lies. It’s all been about ‘looking out for me’ distracting me at Daddy’s behest? I should haveknownthat your nice behaviour towards me was all an act.”

There was no point in lying now, the truth was out. “Not everything. Yes, he did ask me to bring you tonight but after things changed between us, I would have wanted you here anyway.”

“Well don’t do me any favours,” she snarled.

“It wasn’t an act!”

Amber wasn’t listening as she said partly to herself, “And to think I saw this as a date.”

Her comment confused me and I spoke too soon, “A date?” My tongue tripped.

Hurt flashed through her features and I inwardly cursed myself. I watched, feeling helpless as a strange twisted realisation filtered into Amber’s face. I had hurt her, “Now it makes perfect sense. It’sallbeen about what my father wants. I must say, I had you down as an arrogant dick but not a brown-nosing liar.”

“It’s not about that, it’s—it may have beenat firstbut—.” I was now babbling like a moron. A lifetime of repressing my emotions had not left me well-practised in how to make this type of shit right. My knee jerk reaction to Amber thinking we were out on a date had surprised me. I’d liked that thought and yet, Ineverdated. Not really.

“Is that the reason you slept with me too? Your reward for doing Daddy’s bidding?”

“Don’t do that. You know that’s not true.”

“I thought you liked me, Max,” Amber groaned, her hands gesticulating fiercely.

“I do for fucks sake,” I snarled, jabbing a hand through my hair in frustration. I glanced around, ready to tear anyone looking our way a new one.

Amber was hurting badly, her entire expression showed that clearly and for once, Ifullysaw beneath her surface. “I can’t believe I’m such a fool. I should have realised that it was too good to be true. I said I’d never trust a man again and now look. I can’t believe I’m here—again.”

That pissed me off. She was using the news about Harker and my helping her father to put that old wedge back between us. “What the fuck does that mean?So, I promised I’d look out for you but the other stuff between us hasnothingto do with that.”

She pushed against my chest but I held firm saying, “I need to be alone. I can’t deal with this shit right now.”

I wrapped my hand around her wrist and lowered her hand from my chest. “I agree it isn’t the place to hold this discussion.” After a glance around the ballroom which was getting busier by the second, I attempted to reason with her, “Look, let’s find a room so we can talk properly, like normal people.”

“Normal, you? Don’t make me laugh. I think we’re done, Max. And you can stick your stupid job.”

“Don’t shut me out and go back into hiding. We’ve come so far in the short space of time. Don’t let this ruin it.”

Her armour was back in place although the tremble in her voice gave her away, “Ruin what? We fucked, so what. Don’t make out that it meant anything to you. I felt down after talking about my mother and we got it on, end of.”

“So that’s all it was to you? A quick screw to cheer yourself up?” I thundered at her over the music. We had drawn several pairs of curious eyes but I didn’t care. If the bouncers appeared to escort me out, they could fucking try.

“I didn’t sleep with you to cheer myself up. My reasons are more fricking worthy than yours.”

“How so?” God, I wanted to shake some sense into her and I had never put my hands on a woman.

“Because you slept with me as a distraction tactic on my father’s orders.”

“So, I fucked his little girl todistracther, do you honestly think that’s what happened that night?”

“You did it to get closer to me so you could play a part. Either that or a pity fuck. My god, I don’t know which is worse,” she shrugged, her eyes narrowed into slits. Amber’s face was flushed but she didn’t cry. Not one tear. Of coursenot, the woman was incapable of showingthatlevel of emotion. That icy wall of hers was now back in place.

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