Wanting More (Mitchell Family #5)(27)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I waited for her to leave the parking lot before I ran out and headed in the opposite direction to find Amy.

Chapter 16

Amy

My night was going fine until my step daughter came home with hickeys all over her neck. Rick wasn’t home yet and I scolded her for being so irresponsible. Of course, the moment he walked in the door, all he could hear was us screaming at each other.

He came right to her defense and then noticed the hickeys. I couldn’t smell alcohol on him, but from the way he was being all loud and unsteady, I knew he’d been drinking. His daughter went running into her room and slammed the door, while he stood there with me in the corner.

He went to reach his hand out toward me and I flinched and threw my arms to cover my face. His eyes got real big and he grabbed me and threw me down on the ground. “You want something to be scared of, bitch?”

The back of his hand slapped me in the face. “Please stop hurting me,” I begged.

“Aww, you poor baby. You going to cry and run out like you always do? Go ahead you whore. Run out and find yourself a pimp, cause there ain’t no other man that will ever want your sorry ass again. When I’m through with you, nobody will ever want you again.”

I darted for the door, grabbing my purse and keys as I ran. Unlike other times, he actually chased me outside, throwing his fists into my hood as I backed out of the driveway.

I caught myself screaming out loud as I turned the car around and pulled away just before he made contact with the driver’s side window.

I hauled ass into town and pulled my cell phone out of my purse. I didn’t care about using my cell phone. I just needed to feel safe and there was only one person that could make me feel that way.

Conner pulled up right next to my car and jumped out right away. I was finally calming down, but when he opened the door and pulled me out, I lost it again. “It’s okay. I’m here now. You’re safe, darlin’.”

“I’m so sorry I called you. I didn’t know what else to do.”

He held my hand and helped me into his truck. “I told you to always call me.”

When he drove us back to the hotel and walked me right into a room without checking in, I gave him a funny look, but walked in and laid down on the bed. He climbed in behind me and pulled me into his arms. I laced my fingers into his and let my eyes close as I cried. He kissed the top of my head. “Please leave him. This has been going on for too long. It’s been more than six months now, Blaze. I want to kill that f**ker with my bare hands.”

I turned around so that I was facing him. His arms wrapped around me again and he kissed my forehead. I was still sniffling and having trouble talking. “Please don’t talk about it right now. Just make it go away, Conner. Please just make it go away.”

He held me there in that silent room for the longest time without speaking. I didn’t need him to talk, I just wanted to feel safe. I traced the tattoo on one of his arms with my fingers and brought his hand up and rubbed it against my face. Conner took my hand and kissed it. “You feel better now?”

“I always feel safe when I’m with you, Conner. Even when I’m mad at you, I know you won’t ever hurt me.”

“I would never lay a hand on you, Amy.” He kissed my nose. “Not ever.”

I looked around the room and thought about his words. “Conner, were you here with someone when I called you?”

He cleared his throat and turned over on his back, letting go of me. I sat up on my elbow waiting for him to say something, but the truth was all over his face. I started to get off the bed and he grabbed me and pulled me back toward him. “I didn’t sleep with her, Amy, I swear.”

“She was here, in this room with you? You would have slept with her if I hadn’t called. Oh my god!” He kept holding me against him. “Let me go. You’re a whore.”

“You know why I had to bring her here. She thinks this is where I am staying while I work here. Would you stop trying to get away from me.” He grabbed both of my hands and slid on top of me so I couldn’t move. “There’s only one person that I want to be with and it ain’t her.”

I looked away from him, even as he kissed my cheek. “You have a terrible way of showing me you want me. Hooking up with someone else is not exactly a turn on.”

He started laughing at me. “You have room to talk. You’re jealous that I messed around with someone else, but you sleep next to your husband at night. How am I supposed to feel about that, Blaze? It goes both ways here. I don’t want to be in a relationship with Heather, especially after tonight. I’m done with being with easy women.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at him. “You probably say that to all the girls you bring here.”

He let go of me and fell on the bed beside me. I watched him run his hands through his hair. “Woman, you make me crazy. I swear I think it’s what makes me want you so damn bad. You are so indecisive. One minute you hate my guts and the next you’re gettin’ all jealous. Make up your mind.”

I shoved him off the bed and sent him rolling onto the floor. “I can’t make a choice right now and you know it.”

He kneeled and put his arms on the bed facing me. “See that’s the thing. You don’t want to be with me, and you don’t want me to be with anyone else. How is that fair at all?”

I grabbed my head and rubbed my temples. “Talk about something else.”

He jumped up on the bed again. “No! I want to know. Tell me why you don’t like me seeing other women.”

“Please stop it, Conner.”

He leaned into my neck and kissed it. “Tell me, Amy.”

I got up and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. My heart was beating so fast. I heard him knocking lightly on the door. “Why can’t you tell me.”

When I knew he wasn’t going to give up, I opened the door and saw him standing there. “Because I want you all for myself.” I put my hands on my hips. “Are you happy now? I mean, it doesn’t get us anywhere. I am still married and you are in the middle of seducing the town whore in order to clear your brother-in-law from something he may or may not have done. So now it’s your turn, Conner. What exactly was happening when I called?”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his kiss. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.”

He rubbed my hair. “I barely get to be with you like this. Please can we just be together tonight. I will tell you anything you want to know tomorrow. Please. I miss you.”