Page 66 of Liberate Us

“Yeah, when we were dating. But as soon as I saidI do,it was like a switch went off and he turned into a completely different person.But I thought maybe it was me. It was what he said anyway.” She shrugged again.“I don’t know. It took me a long time to realize that he was abusive. Evenafter the initial rape, something in my head tried telling me that maybe Iasked for it or that it was a kink that I wasn’t used to.”

“Anything can be a kink or a fetish, but you and your partnerstill have to consent to it,” I said, not liking the bite in my tone.

She flinched, even though my anger had nothing to do with her.No, I blamed Aaron. I one-hundred-percent blamed that fucker.

Needing to see her in her entirety, I turned on the lamp thatsat on the nightstand. When I laid back down on my side, she looked away. Shewas trying to hide herself but she didn’t need to. Not with me. I wanted everydirty layer of her. I wanted her quirks, her truths, and her pain. I wantedher.All of her.

“I like you, Amber,” I said even though she knew that already.

Her gaze met mine. “I like you too,” she whispered.

“I meant what I said when I told you that I want to date you.”

Her eyes searched my face. “You want to go steady?” she asked,with a teasing lilt to her voice.

“I’m already committed to you, so why the fuck not?” My wordscame out harsher than I intended but the truth was, this woman was my undoing.It was like she was peeling away layer by layer of everything that made up me.

Her eyes snapped to mine. “Sam.”

“You know it’s true, Red.” I sat up and left the bed, earning mea gasp. I was comfortable in my skin and worked out hard to get what I had. Iwasn’t conceited but was proud of the work I put in to get a strong, healthybody.

Leaving Amber in bed, I went to the patio doors and stepped outonto the balcony of the hotel room. I didn’t care in the least that I wascompletely naked since no one would be able to see anything anyway when thewalls of the balcony weren’t glass.

I could feel her before I saw her. Gentle hands pressed againstmy back, followed by a hot mouth. Her soft touch sent a shiver racing down myspine.

“I want to date you too,” Amber finally said. “I’m alsocommitted to you as well, but I still need slow.”

I turned toward her, leaning against the edge of the balcony.She was wearing my hoodie and that was it. Her hair was a mess, pink sat in hercheeks from the previous pleasure I had given her and fuck me, was she everbeautiful.

Without me having to ask, she closed the distance between us.

Wrapping my arms around her, I spun us until she was leaningagainst the balcony. Pulling her against me, I lifted the hem of the hoodie andpushed my cock between her legs. She gasped, her eyes darkening.

“I’m not hinting for more, I just…I need…” I didn’t even knowwhat I needed but I knew that I needed her warmth. My dick was only semi-hardbut while it sat snug between her thighs, it forced this sense of calm to washover me. I had spent years teetering on the edge of my rage. I knew people wereconcerned that one day it would take control of me completely.

“I know, Sam.” She sighed. “I know.”

Fisting her hair, I tugged her head back and stared at her. Withmy cock between her thighs and my grip firmly in her hair, I realizedsomething. I could easily fall in love with her. Maybe I already had. I wasn’tsure. But one thing was for certain.

Amber controlled me way more than I controlled her.

***

(Amber)

Istared up at him. The man who had taken me past the point of just beingcomfortable with the kinks I was into. He took them, used them, and gave themback to me in ways I could never thank him enough for.

What we had done the night before was something I never experienced.With anyone. My body still burned from the rough use of the bottle and then himfisting me. But God, it was a burn that reminded me of what came after. Himtaking care of me. Him making sure I was okay. Him, Sammy Butcher, an assholeto most, but gentle and caring with me. He showed me a side of him he didn’tlet others see and for that, I would never take him for granted.

Leaning back against the balcony, I lifted a leg and wrapped itaround his waist.

Sammy lowered his mouth to mine at the same time as he thrustslowly back into me.

He swallowed my sigh, neither of us caring that we were outside.While it was still early in the morning, anyone who was standing at a window ora balcony at one of the buildings across from where we were would be able tosee what we were doing. But I didn’t care and neither did he.

Amber

Several weeks passed andSammy and I spent as much timetogether as possible. I had come to learn that besides being a biker, he workedat his aunt’s auto shop and also did construction at a local center for humantrafficking and abuse victims. Maybe I should have searched out the place longago, but instead I had my mom, Shawnee, and the other girls to help me throughmy trauma. While my mom and Shawnee were the only ones who knew the exactdetails, everyone else knew that my late husband was abusive. As soon as thatsingle word was uttered, they never asked anything more.

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