Page 127 of Crush

And his name was Maxim Hunter. He owned my heart, my soul and everything in between.

The past could stay in the past. I wasn’t that little girl any more. The journey I had had with Max and what had happened with Zander had finally given me some closure. I felt I was healing in a place that had been broken for a long time.

I wasn’t naive and knew my complexities couldn’t be solved in one go. But I had now found a partner who could help me with that. One that was there for me and understood my shit. We could be there for each other, straighten each other out.

Out of bed anyway. In bed, I knew I still wanted to be all sorts of crazy. I enjoyed submitting myself to Max, surrendering my control in the bedroom. Being mastered by him turned me on, butoutsideof the bedroom, webothgot to play the boss.

There were so many things I wanted to do with my life and I didn’t feel as afraid. I could hold my head up high. I was a strong confident woman, and that genuine side of me no longer needed to be hidden away. I could be myself, the woman Max wanted me to be.

Thinking back to those early days, I smiled as I remembered some of the fights we’d had. What I’d assumed was only a crush had developed over a short space of time. I’d had more of an obsession than a crush and somewhere along the way that had blossomed into so much more.

I was Lady Amber-Leigh Swift, and I was in love. It was deep-rooted and powerful, scary, and yet sweet. And I was looking forward to my future.

As I looked down at Max who was asleep in my bed, contentment spread through my veins like a living force.

Sitting next to the man who was now my boyfriend on the edge of my bed, I ran one finger up his dark chest, tracing one of his tattoos.

“That tickles,” he whispered with a grin.

I gasped as with lightning speed, Max caught my wrist and tugged it, sending me sprawling against his naked torso. His whisky-coloured eyes met mine and I grinned as he lifted my hand to his cheek and nuzzled my palm.

“Kiss me,” Max whispered and I leaned down and placed my mouth on his. It was the lightest of touches, sweet and sexy.

Drawing back, I raised an eyebrow and stared down at him, “How was that?”

The look he gave me was pure sin, “Not bad, for starters.”

“I see. Anything else you want?”

“Oh, I’m sure I could think of something,” Max husked, grabbing me under my arms and flipping me over his body to the other side of the bed.

I gazed up at him lovingly as he moved his strong, powerful form over mine, caging me against the mattress.

Max looked at me with so much need and adoration and my heart fluttered like a wild bird.

We had faced so much together and now the next chapter of our journey was only just beginning.

And I for one, was looking forward to exploringexactlywhat that would look like; my future with Max.

Epilogue

Amber

“Stop fiddling with your collar, it’s fine,” I chastised Max for jamming his finger into the neck of his shirt and attempting to tug it away from his throat.

“It feels like it’s choking me,” he grunted, moving his hand to wiggle his tie.

Nudging him with my elbow, I rolled my eyes with a smile, “It’snotchoking you, it’s fine. You’re just not used to wearing that type of shirt.”

“When is this thing going to start anyway? I’mstarving.”

“You’re always starving,” Gabriel whisper-shouted down the aisle. “Now stop complaining and sit back in your seat. It’s about to start.”

“About bloody time,” Max mumbled.

“God, you’re impatient. I don’t know how you put up with him,” Luca tutted, shooting me a pensive look.

“I just don’t see why I had to dress up, it’s only the ballet. I’ve just seen three guys in jeans.”

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