a quick smile.
She reached out and set her hand on his thigh, giving his leg a gentle squeeze. “About what?”
“It was nice to see you and Stasia together. I’d forgotten how well the two of you got along,” he said, avoiding mentioning his true baby thoughts.
“I love your sister.” She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. He caught the scent of her hair, the way her fingers skimmed across his thigh and his entire body tightened. “I love your entire family, though I’m not sure if they love me.”
He stiffened beneath her touch. “Why would you say that?” he asked warily.
Amber glanced up at him the same time he looked down at her. “I’m sure they don’t approve of my always being gone while I was working. Not hardly the way a newly married couple should behave, right?”
Vince swore he’d heard those very words come out of his mother’s mouth. “Have you spoken to my mother recently?”
“No.” She looked away, a nervous laugh escaping her. “I sound like her, though, don’t I? I think…she might’ve said those exact words to me once.”
She sounded troubled, which worried him. He reached out, traced his finger along the gentle curve of her jaw. “We never really did talk about your session today.”
“It went well,” she said, keeping her gaze averted.
“Amber.” She turned to meet his gaze once more, her eyes wide and completely unreadable. That had been one of her special talents. How well she could hide her emotions. She blamed modeling. He blamed her screwed up relationship with her parents. Her father was a drunk and her mother was a co-dependent. Amber had been turned into one herself. “Did you like your therapist?”
“She’s very nice.”
“And do you feel like the session was helpful?”
She lifted her head and removed her hand from his leg, moving away from him. “If you’re trying to discourage me from going again, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I’m definitely seeing her next week.”
“I would never do that,” he said, offended. “I want you to get the help you need.”
“Yes, but you don’t think I need any help, right?” She leaned back so far she was wedged into the farthest corner of the taxi. As far away from him as she could get.
“I never said any such thing.” He frowned, anger and frustration and roiling mix in his gut. “What’s wrong with you, Amber? Why are you being so…hostile?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I know you didn’t want me to go to therapy.”
“Only because I was afraid it would upset you.”
“You’re always afraid everything is going to upset me.” She scowled. “I’m sick of it.”
“Sick of what? My concern for you? My love for you?” He was incredulous. Why would this make her angry? One minute he was having thoughts of a future filled with sweet babies given to him by his wife and the next they were in a fight.
Just like old times.
“When you say it like that…” She stared at him, sadness and regret filling her eyes, making them dark. “You make me feel bad.”
A sigh escaped him. “I don’t want to make you feel bad,” he murmured. “You need to know I’m always here for you, Amber. I’m not the enemy. I will support you in whatever you want to do.”
He believed that fully. Yes, he was worried she would find out he kept secrets from her and it could all blow up in his face, but this was the chance he needed to take in order to move forward. He needed her trust. He needed her faith.
He needed her.
She went to him, her arms going around his neck, her cheek pressed against his. “I’m sorry,” she whispered close to his ear, her lips touching his skin, making him shiver. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“I don’t want to fight with you either,” he said as he slipped his arms around her waist. “I love you.”
Her body relaxed against his, her breasts pressing against his chest, and his skin tightened. “I love you too,” she
She reached out and set her hand on his thigh, giving his leg a gentle squeeze. “About what?”
“It was nice to see you and Stasia together. I’d forgotten how well the two of you got along,” he said, avoiding mentioning his true baby thoughts.
“I love your sister.” She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. He caught the scent of her hair, the way her fingers skimmed across his thigh and his entire body tightened. “I love your entire family, though I’m not sure if they love me.”
He stiffened beneath her touch. “Why would you say that?” he asked warily.
Amber glanced up at him the same time he looked down at her. “I’m sure they don’t approve of my always being gone while I was working. Not hardly the way a newly married couple should behave, right?”
Vince swore he’d heard those very words come out of his mother’s mouth. “Have you spoken to my mother recently?”
“No.” She looked away, a nervous laugh escaping her. “I sound like her, though, don’t I? I think…she might’ve said those exact words to me once.”
She sounded troubled, which worried him. He reached out, traced his finger along the gentle curve of her jaw. “We never really did talk about your session today.”
“It went well,” she said, keeping her gaze averted.
“Amber.” She turned to meet his gaze once more, her eyes wide and completely unreadable. That had been one of her special talents. How well she could hide her emotions. She blamed modeling. He blamed her screwed up relationship with her parents. Her father was a drunk and her mother was a co-dependent. Amber had been turned into one herself. “Did you like your therapist?”
“She’s very nice.”
“And do you feel like the session was helpful?”
She lifted her head and removed her hand from his leg, moving away from him. “If you’re trying to discourage me from going again, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I’m definitely seeing her next week.”
“I would never do that,” he said, offended. “I want you to get the help you need.”
“Yes, but you don’t think I need any help, right?” She leaned back so far she was wedged into the farthest corner of the taxi. As far away from him as she could get.
“I never said any such thing.” He frowned, anger and frustration and roiling mix in his gut. “What’s wrong with you, Amber? Why are you being so…hostile?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I know you didn’t want me to go to therapy.”
“Only because I was afraid it would upset you.”
“You’re always afraid everything is going to upset me.” She scowled. “I’m sick of it.”
“Sick of what? My concern for you? My love for you?” He was incredulous. Why would this make her angry? One minute he was having thoughts of a future filled with sweet babies given to him by his wife and the next they were in a fight.
Just like old times.
“When you say it like that…” She stared at him, sadness and regret filling her eyes, making them dark. “You make me feel bad.”
A sigh escaped him. “I don’t want to make you feel bad,” he murmured. “You need to know I’m always here for you, Amber. I’m not the enemy. I will support you in whatever you want to do.”
He believed that fully. Yes, he was worried she would find out he kept secrets from her and it could all blow up in his face, but this was the chance he needed to take in order to move forward. He needed her trust. He needed her faith.
He needed her.
She went to him, her arms going around his neck, her cheek pressed against his. “I’m sorry,” she whispered close to his ear, her lips touching his skin, making him shiver. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“I don’t want to fight with you either,” he said as he slipped his arms around her waist. “I love you.”
Her body relaxed against his, her breasts pressing against his chest, and his skin tightened. “I love you too,” she
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