Returning my kiss, he smiles down at me. “So why did you go into law if you didn’t have to?”
“Like I said, my money doesn’t define me. And yes, me becoming a lawyer was pretty much all Ethan. He was a mythical figure in my childhood. My parents adored him, except they were crappy people who were even crappier parents. They had nannies to raise their kids, and private schools. I got to stay home as a kid, while Ethan was in private school by the time he was five. He listened to me, he talked to me, not down to me. When he left I was sure it was my fault. I wanted to make him happy, to make it so he would be proud of me, so he wouldn’t leave me again.”
Chris hugs me. “He was lucky to have you.” My confusion is clear. “To have someone love you as much as you loved him. To know that kind of unconditional love is a tremendous gift. But as a teenager he probably didn’t recognize it. He does now, though.”
“He does, but I know I’ve depended on him too often in the past. In the last few years I’m doing better at standing on my own, with not needing his approval. It was weird how me not depending on him made us closer. Now he doesn’t have to worry about fixing my problems we just have fun and talk about real, I don’t know, grown-up things.”
He smiles. “You are adorable.”
Our food arrives. He keeps pushing the calamari away then stealing some. I feed him some pasta while I avoid the broccoli he offers me. As we finish, the waitress brings the ticket with an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry to let you know, someone has told the press you two are here and there are five different people waiting out front for you. We checked, we swear it was no one on staff. We appreciate you and your brother’s patronage, Ms. Bishop. A few staff overheard gossip among guests.”
Chris sighs. “Thanks for letting us know.” With a nod she leaves. “Well, sugar, what do you want to do? Do we go out the front or the back?”
“The back please.”
“The back it is. Do you want dessert?”
“No, I’m good. I’m kind of tired.”
We check our phones, both surprised to see it’s only a few minutes until ten. “Home it is, out the back.”
Just as we’re about to leave Benny, a cook I’ve known for years, comes out of the kitchen. He’s surprised to see me, he’s got a cigarette in his hand, and it’s obvious he was on his way out for a smoke break. I stop in surprise. Since the last time I saw him over six months ago, he’s lost so much weight I barely recognize him. “Benny, oh my god. You look great.”
He laughs as he hugs me. “Thanks! It wasn’t easy, especially working here, but I feel so much better.”
Pulling back to look at him, I shake my head. “How did you do it?”
I jump. What the hell? Did Chris just growl? Benny heard it too, and he lets me go, his eyes wide. Chris’s hand goes around my arm, yanking me tight against him. “I—uh.” I meant to introduce him but Benny doesn’t stick around.
With a wave he backs away. “See you, Amelia,” he mumbles as he leaves without turning his back on Chris.
My eyes go up to Chris. “Did you just growl?”
His eyes are ice. “You don’t touch another man, they don’t touch you.”
I’m trembling as I shake my head. “Chris, it meant nothing. He’s a friend.”
“Yesterday, you promised you belong to me. You don’t touch another man, they don’t touch you.” The drawl I once thought sexy slowly caresses every word until it’s bursting with lethal violence. “It’s simple. Do you understand?”
All thought of arguing with him dies in my throat as I swallow. How can I be so scared yet turned on at the same time? “I don’t touch another man, they don’t touch me. It won’t happen again.”
The hand around my arm tightens. His other hand comes up to touch my cheek then slowly, achingly slides over my trembling lips. “Good girl.” Then as quickly as it happened his eyes clear, the corner of his mouth tips up, and he whispers, “No one touches you but me. Don’t worry, though, you won’t want anyone to touch you but me.”
***
Chris
Amelia is quiet in her corner of the cab. I know I shocked her with my reaction to that Benny guy touching her. Hell, it shocked me too. The sight of her in another man’s arms caused a tidal wave of fury so strong for a moment I was blinded by it. No one touches her, no one even fucking gets close to her. It was a fight not to rip her from him. Hell, I know my grip on her arm was tight enough to make her flinch. The primal reaction mystifies me as much as it does her. While I do not share my women, ever, in the past another man touching a woman I was fucking never even made me blink.
A few times I watched Caroline on set during a sex scene, at her request, to make sure the other actor wouldn’t get any ideas. A few models in my past got touchy feely with other models, and it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Why the sight of Amelia even smiling or teasing another man pisses me off, I’m at a loss to understand.
This doesn’t bode well, I’m still working on dealing with the jealousy I have toward Ethan at how close they are. Even as she tried to reassure me she wasn’t as dependent on him as she once was, I was fighting the urge to take her as far away from her brother as possible. Which was ridiculous, he’s her brother, she needs him in her life. I just didn’t like the idea of her needing him more than me.
When my phone goes off again, I know it’s Trent. I pull it out to find I’m right. Fuck. Amelia grabs my phone, the little brat. I don’t mind, I liked how happy she looked when I gave it to her in the restaurant.
“Chris, this poor guy. He’s lonely, do you want to invite him over for a movie or something?”